going on
six months now.
The woman exited, and with the morning rush officially over, Lana slumped into the counter and willed away the anxiety
roiling in her stomach. She'd promised herself she wouldn't turn into a workaholic entrepreneur, but lately one circumstance
after another had made long hours unavoidable. Her pastry chef Annette had arrived at four-thirty a.m. with her regular supply
of decadent muffins, bagels and baklava, but had sprained her ankle in the parking lot. Lana had sent her home, knowing she'd
be shorthanded until Wesley clocked in before lunch.
Oh well, at least she'd be spared Annette's monologue about her ongoing manhunt. The girl was convinced her life was
incomplete without the perfect man, and she never ran out of inventive ways to extend her search. Lana, on the other hand, had
already found the perfect man. His name was Harry and his maintenance consisted of an occasional puff of air into the valve on
the top of his rubber head. Harry never questioned her decisions, never wrestled for the remote, never criticized her hairstyle
or clothing.
On the other hand, the only release Harry's anatomically correct body offered her was an occasional burst of laughter.
The bell on the door rang, and Lana straightened automatically until she recognized her friend Alexandria Stillman. "Oh, it's
only you."
Alexandria glided toward the counter, sleek and catlike in a cobalt designer suit from her family's upscale department store
across town. "Nice to see you, too."
Lana waved off Alex's comment and rubbed her aching pouring arm. "You know what I mean."
"Business is good, huh?"
Lana surveyed the space she'd come to love so fiercely, from the ancient brick walls to the whorled wood floors, to the
slightly sagging stage where talented and not-so-talented hopefuls put their pride on the line during open-mike nights. A far cry
from the claustrophobic accounting office where she'd spent seven years of her life after college—holy humdrum.
"I can't complain," Lana said with a satisfied sigh, pouring a mug of the almond-flavored coffee Alex liked. "Do you have
time to visit for a while?"
"That's why I came." Alex took the proffered cup.
Lana quirked an eyebrow. "Is Jack out of town?"
A blush stained Alex's cheeks. "Have I been neglecting you? I'm sorry."
"Since you've never looked better, Mrs. Stillman, I'll let you off the hook this time."
"Marriage does seem to agree with me," her friend gushed uncharacteristically. At least, the gushing had been
uncharacteristic before she'd been swept off her feet by "Jack the Attack" Stillman.
"Yeah, yeah," Lana said with a grin. "Just don't turn into one of those marriage evangelists, okay?"
"I can't promise anything. Hey, do you have plans for Christmas Eve?"
A smile claimed her lips that for once, Alex didn't have to share her family for yet another holiday. "As a matter of fact, Janet
is coming up."
"Great. I'm sure you and your mother will have a good time. If your plans change, though, you're welcome to come to Dad's."
Lana didn't respond. Maybe Janet had been a little unreliable in the past, but she'd come. She would.
Alex sipped the coffee and murmured her approval. "Nice hat, by the way."
Lana flicked the fuzzy ball at the end of the floppy red Santa hat. "Thanks. I wanted to go for the elf shoes, too, but my crew
threatened to quit."
"Speaking of crew, where's Annette?"
"She sprained her ankle this morning, and I didn't want her to have to stand on it all day."
Alex tilted her head. "You look exhausted. Maybe you should sell yourself a cup of your energy blend."
"I'm not that desperate yet," Lana said, laughing. She pulled a bag of Earl Grey tea from beneath the counter and dropped it
into a mug, then added steaming water from a dispenser. Janet, a bona fide Anglophile, had introduced her to tea as a
youngster, and to tea she remained loyal.
"I guess I'm just stressed out over this roommate situation," Lana said. "I'm glad to
six months now.
The woman exited, and with the morning rush officially over, Lana slumped into the counter and willed away the anxiety
roiling in her stomach. She'd promised herself she wouldn't turn into a workaholic entrepreneur, but lately one circumstance
after another had made long hours unavoidable. Her pastry chef Annette had arrived at four-thirty a.m. with her regular supply
of decadent muffins, bagels and baklava, but had sprained her ankle in the parking lot. Lana had sent her home, knowing she'd
be shorthanded until Wesley clocked in before lunch.
Oh well, at least she'd be spared Annette's monologue about her ongoing manhunt. The girl was convinced her life was
incomplete without the perfect man, and she never ran out of inventive ways to extend her search. Lana, on the other hand, had
already found the perfect man. His name was Harry and his maintenance consisted of an occasional puff of air into the valve on
the top of his rubber head. Harry never questioned her decisions, never wrestled for the remote, never criticized her hairstyle
or clothing.
On the other hand, the only release Harry's anatomically correct body offered her was an occasional burst of laughter.
The bell on the door rang, and Lana straightened automatically until she recognized her friend Alexandria Stillman. "Oh, it's
only you."
Alexandria glided toward the counter, sleek and catlike in a cobalt designer suit from her family's upscale department store
across town. "Nice to see you, too."
Lana waved off Alex's comment and rubbed her aching pouring arm. "You know what I mean."
"Business is good, huh?"
Lana surveyed the space she'd come to love so fiercely, from the ancient brick walls to the whorled wood floors, to the
slightly sagging stage where talented and not-so-talented hopefuls put their pride on the line during open-mike nights. A far cry
from the claustrophobic accounting office where she'd spent seven years of her life after college—holy humdrum.
"I can't complain," Lana said with a satisfied sigh, pouring a mug of the almond-flavored coffee Alex liked. "Do you have
time to visit for a while?"
"That's why I came." Alex took the proffered cup.
Lana quirked an eyebrow. "Is Jack out of town?"
A blush stained Alex's cheeks. "Have I been neglecting you? I'm sorry."
"Since you've never looked better, Mrs. Stillman, I'll let you off the hook this time."
"Marriage does seem to agree with me," her friend gushed uncharacteristically. At least, the gushing had been
uncharacteristic before she'd been swept off her feet by "Jack the Attack" Stillman.
"Yeah, yeah," Lana said with a grin. "Just don't turn into one of those marriage evangelists, okay?"
"I can't promise anything. Hey, do you have plans for Christmas Eve?"
A smile claimed her lips that for once, Alex didn't have to share her family for yet another holiday. "As a matter of fact, Janet
is coming up."
"Great. I'm sure you and your mother will have a good time. If your plans change, though, you're welcome to come to Dad's."
Lana didn't respond. Maybe Janet had been a little unreliable in the past, but she'd come. She would.
Alex sipped the coffee and murmured her approval. "Nice hat, by the way."
Lana flicked the fuzzy ball at the end of the floppy red Santa hat. "Thanks. I wanted to go for the elf shoes, too, but my crew
threatened to quit."
"Speaking of crew, where's Annette?"
"She sprained her ankle this morning, and I didn't want her to have to stand on it all day."
Alex tilted her head. "You look exhausted. Maybe you should sell yourself a cup of your energy blend."
"I'm not that desperate yet," Lana said, laughing. She pulled a bag of Earl Grey tea from beneath the counter and dropped it
into a mug, then added steaming water from a dispenser. Janet, a bona fide Anglophile, had introduced her to tea as a
youngster, and to tea she remained loyal.
"I guess I'm just stressed out over this roommate situation," Lana said. "I'm glad to
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