Annie's Rainbow (4 page)

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Authors: Fern Michaels

BOOK: Annie's Rainbow
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Peabody mopped at his glistening bald head. “I need to think about this.”
“So think,” Annie said smartly. “When we walk out of here the deal is off the table. Don't think about asking us for a security deposit because we can't afford it. However, we can possibly work out something where we could pay something every month toward a month's rent as security. Tell me, does the plumbing work in the bathroom and the sink behind the counter. If it doesn't, it will have to be fixed. What was in this store before?”
“Homemade candies, crafts, gifts, that sort of thing. The Hobart ladies were here for eighteen years before they closed up.”
“Do you really expect me to believe the Hobart ladies paid you seven hundred and fifty dollars a month selling homemade candies, Mr. Peabody?” Annie asked, her voice ringing with disdain.
“My memory could be off a little. I'm not as young as I used to be,” Peabody said. His handkerchief was soaking wet.
“Does that mean we have a deal?”
Peabody hedged. “When would you want to take possession?”
“The minute this dump passes inspection. Electric, plumbing, paint job, trash removal. The cash register stays, as does the counter and those two round tables and chairs.”
“Now, I don't know about that, Miss Clark.”
Annie was in the man's face a moment later. “What don't you know, Mr. Peabody? That has to be part of the deal. It's after six, Mr. Peabody, and we've had a very long day. I'd like a handshake agreement until we can have a lawyer draw up a lease we're all happy with. What's it going to be?”
“Well, all right. I know I'm going to regret this at some point, but it's a deal. There's a young lawyer in town, Robert Rose, who can handle the lease. I've never used his services so we'll be neutral in that respect. If we're both agreeable, I don't see the need to engage two attorneys.”
“That's fine with us. I'll call for an appointment. We'll split the fee and tell him we don't consider it a conflict of interest for him to represent both of us. If we can, we can set it up for tomorrow or the day after. In the meantime, I'd like to leave a deposit of two hundred dollars. In cash. It shows our good faith.”
“Certainly, certainly. What are you ladies going to be doing here? I guess I should have asked earlier.”
“Coffee,” Annie said, counting out the two hundred dollars from her pocket. She pretended not to see the surprise on Jane's face. She shot her a warning look that said I'll explain later.
“When do you think the repairs will be done, Mr. Peabody?”
“By the end of the week. You'll have the weekend to set things up the way you want them. I don't like that part about the extended lease after three years,” Peabody fretted.
Annie snatched the money back from his hand. Peabody grabbed for it saying, “I just said I didn't like it. I didn't say I wouldn't go along with it.”
“You need to write that down on the back of the receipt,” Annie said coldly. “I don't want this coming back to slap me in the face later on.”
“You certainly do drive a hard bargain. You've got to be a
Yankee
.”
“Mr. Peabody, I am Anna Clark. Let's put that to rest right now.”
Peabody sucked in his fat cheeks. “It's resting.”
Annie held out her hand. Peabody hesitated a moment before reaching for it. Annie squeezed hard. Jane did the same thing, smiling all the while.
“The key, Mr. Peabody. Jane and I want to walk around, take measurements, that kind of thing. I think two hundred dollars is sufficient for the key. We'll lock up when we leave. I'm sure you have an extra, don't you?”
“Yes, yes, of course. It's someplace back in the office. I'll say good night then, ladies.”
Annie and Jane whooped their joy the moment the door closed and Peabody was across the street.
“Lord, girl, I didn't know you had it in you!” Jane said. “This dump is worth at least four hundred dollars.”
“Time will tell. It's ours, and that's all that matters. I know you're dying to know where I got that two hundred dollars. You aren't going to believe this. It was in my gym bag. Remember when we were saving for that television we were going to put in the living room? We finally gave up on the idea. I guess both of us just forgot about it. Good thing I found it, huh?”
Not only are you a crook, a thief and a criminal but you're a liar as well. You just lied to your best friend. See how easy it is to go off the straight and narrow?
Annie gave herself a mental shrug, her breath exploding in a hissing sound.
Yes, damn it, I am all those things but I'm not going to think about it now. I am going to pay it back, every single cent plus interest. Absolutely I am going to do that.
Her shoulders felt incredibly heavy as she followed Jane around the spacious shop. The word
felon
found its way into her head just as Jane said, “Take a good look at this counter. It's solid oak. Oak is such a beautiful wood. Why would someone paint it? Let's strip and refinish it, Jane.”
“Sure, but we can't do that until all the dust settles. The floor has to be sanded. Damn, we didn't put that on the list for Peabody. Maybe for the time being we can just wash it real good and put some kind of wax on it. Or hire someone to clean it, buff it, and polish it with that shiny stuff they use today. It's heart of pine and durable as hell. The boards are even, no sagging anywhere. Let's not spend any money we don't have to spend. Do you think it's possible to rent a sewing machine around here, Annie?”
“That's why they have Yellow Pages. I would think so. Why?”
“Take a look at those windows. They're just crying for something cheerful. I could make them. If we can fit some material into our budget, I can buy some great fabric and some sailcloth to make an awning for over the front door. There's something quaint and homey about an awning. Don't ask me what it is, it just is. I could paint daisies and sunflowers all over it. White muslin for the curtains with the same hand-painted flowers. For some reason people just seem to home in on things like that. I can redo those two tables and cover the seats with the same muslin. I bet we could find a bench to put outside the door, too. Little things like that for eye appeal. We have to get them in the door.”
“We're going to need a catchy name for this place,” Annie said, her shoulders lightening imperceptibly. “Something we can both relate to. Something that takes in my coffee and your painting. You can make the sign, can't you?”
“Sure, and the chains are still hanging outside. I could make it in the form of a daisy or a sunflower, or how about a rainbow?”
Annie choked on her own saliva. Jane thumped her on the back. “You okay?”
“I just swallowed wrong. None of them sound professional. We need something with some zip to it. We'll think of something tonight.”
“I'm really psyched about this, Annie. I'm disappointed, though. I thought you'd be just as excited. It's not as though we haven't talked about this for years.”
“I guess it's the financial end of things that's spooking me.”
“You!” Jane scoffed. “You're the girl who makes things happen, the girl who knows how to squeeze a nickel eight different ways, the girl who can make a six-course dinner out of nothing and have it taste good. You!”
Annie laughed. “We're going in three different directions. We agreed to waitress part-time. We're sending out resumes for full-time jobs. Now this. I know it was part of our grand plan, but how are we going to do it all now? What if we don't make a profit? Think about the bills.”
Jane planted her hands on her bony hips. “You're starting to scare me, Annie. Look, we don't have to waitress. We don't have to send out resumes. We can tackle this and hope for the best. I'm for whatever will take that awful look off your face. This is supposed to be a happy time for us.”
“You know what, Jane, you are absolutely right. Let's go home, unpack the cars, go out to dinner to that big steak we promised ourselves, and really talk this through. Look, if things start to get sticky, I can always ask Elmo for a loan. I'm sure he'd give it to us. I think it's not having a cushion to fall back on in case things are lean for a while,” Annie said.
“We aren't going to think about that. I like it when you're being the eternal optimist and I'm the pessimist.”
Annie shivered. “Then that's the way it's going to be,” she said, linking her arm through Jane's. “Come on, let's lock up our shop and head home. We have a home now, you know.”
“Good idea,” Jane said.
 
 
On Monday, June 6, 1980, the Daisy Shop opened for business. There was no advance notice, no fanfare, and no publicity because the owners couldn't afford it. No one was more surprised than the owners at the steady stream of customers. Jane said it was because of the daisy-patterned awning. Annie said it was Elmo's mother's tuna fish sandwiches that were served from twelve to one.
By four o'clock, they had gone through ten pounds of coffee and 150 tuna sandwiches. By four-thirty they had to tell disappointed customers they had to close to restock. The groans and moans were music to their ears.
In the small storage room at the back of the shop, the two women danced and twirled in glee. “Do you think it will be like this every day, Jane?”
“God, I hope so. I sold, are you ready for this, eighty-five hand-painted postcards of this shop at three bucks a pop. Annie, that is two hundred forty-nine dollars. I know that isn't going to happen every day, but tourists will still come in. If I sell twenty or twenty-five a day it will keep me in paints and cards. I sold two eight-by-tens for forty dollars each. We covered half the rent with just that alone. God, you were so right. This is going to work. The students loved it. How many requests did you have for espresso and latte?”
“I lost track. I never thought the tuna would go over like it did. We have to call Elmo tonight and tell him. He'll be so tickled. It's all so wonderful, Jane. Everything is so fresh, so clean and pretty. You want to bet tomorrow
jams.
”
“Does that mean we're going to be making tuna all night?”
“It means we have to go to Harris Teeter for coffee—vanilla, hazelnut, and cinnamon. Twenty pounds, Jane! Say it out loud!”
“Twenty pounds!” Jane giggled. “I can't wait to count the money.”
“We're going to need a supplier. We can't keep running to the supermarket and paying full price. That eats into our profits. Elmo can tell us how to go about all that. We need to buy wholesale. You should think about that for your supplies, too, Jane.”
“Oh, I will. I think God smiled on us today, Annie.”
Annie's exuberance died at Jane's words. She turned away so Jane wouldn't see her miserable face.
“Phone's ringing, Annie. You're the closest.”
Annie picked up the phone. “Tom! Oh, Tom, wait till I tell you! We sold out. We actually had to close up shop. You did call to congratulate me, didn't you? What's wrong?” Annie listened, her eyes filling with tears. “That can't be, Tom. The place was clean. We both checked it out. There was ample help. Mom wouldn't ... there are no animals there. Is the doctor sure? Oh, God! Tom, I'm living in a tiny two-bedroom apartment. I can't take care of her. I would if I could. Couldn't you convert your garage until I have this place up and running? You could make two nice rooms for Mom and Social Services would send someone to watch her. I can't do it all, Tom. I just can't. Look, I worked three part-time jobs, put myself through school, while all that was handed to you. Maybe you need to think about
that.
I, personally, don't give a good rat's ass what Mona wants, Tom. It's just for a little while until I can get things together. I'll take care of Mom then. Can't you at least meet me halfway?” Annie blinked when she heard the sound of the dial tone. She felt sick to her stomach at what she was about to do. With her finger on the bar so Jane couldn't hear the dial tone she said, “How much money and how soon can you send it? That much? Fine, Tom. Okay, I'll call the nursing home and the doctor. I'll find a nice place for Mom here. Of course I'll pay my share. So I'll have to moonlight if I need to. I've done it before. Fine, fine, I'll let you know.”
“What is it, Annie? What happened?” Jane asked, putting her arms around her friend. Just then, the shop bell rang, but neither woman noticed.
“Tom said ... what he said was . . . what the doctor told him was Mom got bitten. On both her legs. The doctor said it was from a ... raccoon. She wasn't the only one either. Mom said it was a kitten. She would think that in her condition. They're going to keep her in the hospital for a few days, then send her back to the nursing home. I just don't understand. It was clean, well maintained, a good staff. The food looked appetizing. Mom seemed to like it. It wasn't the prettiest place in the world, but it was the best we could do at the time. Tom wants me to bring Mom here. He even gave me the name of a place that sounds wonderful. He's going to send some money. He didn't say how much, though.” Annie burst into tears.

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