Melissa’s Cozy Teacup

Well, it’s official, I have put my book on Lulu. Click HERE to see the book cover.

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to buy it.

A Teacupful of Turmoil is now on Lulu. You have enjoyed the first 4 chapters, and now the entire book is available for you to purchase and take with you to the beach or pool or park. You are no longer stuck at your computer screen waiting for the next chapter.

You may either buy it as a download or buy a paperback copy to be shipped to you.

Take A Teacupful of Turmoil with you where ever you go this summer!

Please give some feed back here on what you think of the cover art. I took the picture and designed the cover.

Thank you for stopping by and if you purchase a copy of my baby, er, I mean book, an extra special thank you to you!

CHAPTER FOUR

Devlin watched as the sun came up over the eastern plains. He had been up all night pacing back and forth in front of the fire place in his room. The argument at dinner last night only increased his aunt’s resolve to give everything away to That Woman. How had she done it? How had she been able to wheedle her way into his aunt’s life and into her/ his fortune? What now? He could not stand idly by and risk losing the family estate to a stranger no matter how captivating she was or how beautiful she looked when she was flustered. She seemed to be flustered around him quite a bit. The idea came to Devlin as a surprise at first. Why hadn’t he thought of it sooner? Could he pull it off without getting caught up in her web of lies? His tired body wanted to rest after a night of anxiety ridden pacing. He sat down in the wing back by the fireplace. Not to rest, but to plan. This was something he had done before, he could do it again. The only difference was that the stakes were higher. What of it? He was a man of means, used to being challenged and used to getting his way. He rarely disappointed himself by not getting what he wanted and this would be no different. In fact, his plan would get him everything he wanted and a little more, just because he could.

Feeling energized by his new plan, he rang for breakfast and hopped into the shower. He was done and shaving when Myers knocked on his door with the tray. She set everything up by the window as was his custom and left without a word. Devlin finished his routine and sat down to enjoy his spinach and cheese, egg white omelet with whole grain toast on the side and strawberry jelly. Black coffee and the morning paper helped to greet the morning and make it some what bearable to be awake at this hour after not having slept all night. Despite his lack of sleep, Devlin decided to keep his appointments for the day which meant beginning the day at the Garden of the Gods country club. After dressing in wool slacks and a cashmere sweater over a button down shirt, Devlin went downstairs to don his coat and scarf and headed out the front door and into his vintage DB5 Aston Martin. As he drove to the club he kept thinking about Ruby, his aunt, and about how much had happened in the short amount of time since he had met Ruby yesterday morning. In a little over twenty four hours she had gone from a pretty stranger in the park, and possible conquest, to a house mate but still possible conquest. He shifted the gears a little harder than he intended just thinking about all the trouble she could cause now that she was in residence. She would most likely chop the house up into apartments and rent it to strangers who would steal the fixtures and ruin the floors. He growled at himself, no matter how hard he tried to stay angry at her, his mind kept wandering to the way she smiled, when she had smiled at him, before she started scowling at him, which seemed to be all she did since he first met her in his aunt’s hall.

She was curvy and beautiful, slightly plump, and as he tried to formulate the rest of his plan, all he could do was think about was how pretty she was and how flustered he made her. It made him smile to think about her. He was still smiling at the thought of her when he turned his car into the club’s drive way. He was hoping a good game of racket ball would clear his head so he could think later. He handed his keys to the valet and entered the club and checked in before heading to the locker room. Charles was already there and changing into his shorts when Devlin set his bag on the bench between them and began to fill in his friend on all that had happened since their last match as he changed his clothes and they headed to the court and began playing.

“You’re in love!”

“Charles, don’t be ridiculous.”

“No, I’m serious.”

“So am I. She’s a liability that’s all. Someone I need to deal with if I’m going to keep that house in the family. I’d marry her to do it. I would.”

“What, did you have to invent a reason to marry just so that you wouldn’t look like you had caved?”

“What?!”

“You met this girl. She got to you. You’re thinking, ‘Hey maybe she could be the one.’

But you have such a reputation as a ladies’ man you can’t just do the dating thing and marry her so you invent some drama to make it all worthy of the reputation of the Great Devlin Black. You can’t just go out and find a girl, there has to be a thing. A catch. You can’t just fall in love you have your reputation to think about.”

“You’re so full of it!” Devlin shot the angry words at his friend and hit the ball harder. He had come here to think and to get some support for his plan, not to be picked apart and analyzed.

“No, man, think about it. You have spent time in Europe, Asia, India. You have done business all over the world and you’ve had pretty women in every country but you’ve never needed or supposedly had a reason to marry any of them until now.”

“Focus, Charles, it’s about the house. The house that my great-grandfather built. The house that was supposed to be mine.”

“Please. You have enough money to build a replica of that place ten times over and still have enough left over to keep generations of Blacks happy and gainfully unemployed.”

The growl started deep within Devlin’s chest. Charles never had a chance. Suddenly it was impossible to keep up with Devlin who seemed determined to take his anger at Charles’ words out on the racquetball, and his friend.

“Hey, ease up.” Charles tried to protest but it only drove Devlin’s anger deeper.

Whack, grunt, splat. Devlin looked over to see his friend sprawled out on the court floor, unconscious. He cursed to himself under his breath and pushed the buzzer for one of the club’s first aid techs. A few moments later, Charles was sitting in a club chair with an ice pack on his face glaring at Devlin. It had been serious enough for the tech to call in the club doctor but Charles and declined a trip to the E.R.

“Here, let me take a look,” offered Devlin.

“You’re not going to punch me now are you?”

“Shut up and let me look.” Devlin felt about an inch tall for what he had done but did not know how to make it up to his friend. At the time of the incident, he wasn’t sure with whom he had been more angry, himself or Charles. The fact that he took his anger out on his friend only made it worse when he had been hurt. He had only wanted his friend to lose, not to be injured. He pulled back the ice pack and winced at what he saw. Charles’ eye was now swollen shut and the skin around it was beginning to darken. He would have a nice shiner before too long. Devlin’s heart sank. He offered to give his friend a ride home. When they had changed and were getting ready to leave, the club manager asked to speak to Devlin in private. Charles waited patiently.

“What was that all about?” He asked when Devlin finally emerged from the manager’s office, his face a barely contained storm of anger.

“I’ll tell you in the car. Let’s go.”

Devlin eased his friend into the front seat, tipped the valet and climbed into the driver’s seat and took off, losing himself in his thoughts.

“Dev?”

Devlin smiled at the old nickname. They had come up with them when they were younger thinking their given names were too stiff for a couple of ten year olds. Dev and Chuck.

“I’ve been suspended. Unsportsmanlike behavior. One month.”

“One month! But I’m fine.”

“That’s not the issue. They reviewed the game from the tape. You know they have cameras everywhere. Even though I didn’t deliberately aim for your head, I hit the ball too hard for you to avoid it. I’m sorry, Charles. I only wanted to win. I never meant to hurt you.”

“I know, I know.”

Devlin drove through the familiar streets of downtown Colorado Springs. His friend lived in one of the over priced (in Devlin’s opinion) lofts that lacked the character and charm of the older neighborhoods. Some developer a few hears back, had bought up some of the older buildings, stripped them of their charm and built industrial looking lofts within their historic walls. Devlin hated the exposed heating and air conditioning vents and the fact that you had a really great view of the police communications tower. For almost a million dollars he could find a hundred properties he liked better that had more room, character and no bums relieving themselves on the sidewalk in front of the building. His car bottomed out on the entrance to the under ground parking but he didn’t say a word.

Charles looked at him in disbelief.

“Wow, you must feel really guilty.”

“Let’s just get you upstairs.”

He was sure it would hurt too much to make laughing at his friend worth it, so Charles let it go and they rode the elevator in silence. Once inside, Charles flopped down on his leather sofa and turned on the t.v. looking for a game as Devlin refilled the ice in the baggie for his eye and grabbed them both a bottled water from the fridge.

“Here” he grunted at Charles offering both items to him without much fanfare. He sat down in a chair and focused on the game for a while as they both sipped in silence.

“I think you’re right.” Devlin waited for his admission to sink in and for his friend to react. Charles sat still and waited for his friend to continue. These moments were few and far between so he thought it would be best to just let his friend get it all out at once.

“I do want the house, but it’s more than just that. How can one chance meeting make a man feel this way. It’s more than just wanting a one-nighter with her, but why? Why is she different than the others that I’ve had. And let me tell you, there’s been more than a few.”

Charles rolled his eyes at that one but let it pass. The great womanizer, Devlin Black was having an epiphany. He would have gladly suffered two black eyes not to miss this.

Devlin went on, “She’s tall and red headed. When have I ever gone for a tall red head?”

Charles shrugged knowing it wouldn’t matter but feeling like he need to interact a little.

“I haven’t even really sat down to get to know her. There was dinner last night but that turned into a fight and I left this morning before she was up. She probably wouldn’t want anything to do with me now anyway after all that’s happened and I still have my doubts about her motives.”

Charles cleared his throat. “Maybe you should go home and get to know her.”

Devlin looked at him.

“She may not be as bad as you think. Obviously there is something about her that appeals to your aunt or she wouldn’t have done what she did. I don’t think your aunt was trying to hurt you, Devlin. Look at all she has done for you over the years. She has always been involved in charitable organizations and loves helping other people. Maybe she thought you had proven that you can take care of yourself and she just wanted to help out this woman-”

“Ruby.”

“Ruby, and give her a chance.”

“Well, that is what Aunt Vi said last night.”

“There you go. Why didn’t you believe her?”

“Because she’s getting older and I had been gone for a while and I thought she had been taken advantage of by Ruby.”

“You need to trust you aunt’s judgment.”

“Maybe. Ruby’s not going anywhere and the doctor said you needed to be monitored for twenty-four hours so I’m staying until Becky can come by and stay with you. If Ruby is still at Vi’s when I get back I’ll make things better. If not, well, there’s my answer.”

Charles looked at the clock. It wasn’t even eleven. It was going to be a long day until six when Becky could get there after work. His girlfriend’s boss wouldn’t let her have the day off to look after him but he knew she would be here as soon as she could leave work.

“Why don’t you order some food then if you’re going to stay.”

“Chinese?”

“Chinese.”

Devlin picked up the phone and speed dialed their favorite place.

“They’ll be here in about 30-45 minutes.”

They sat in silence watching the game, waiting for the food.

So, who wants to read the first chapter of my first book? Well, here it is. Let me know how you like it or if you want to offer me a publishing contract.

CHAPTER ONE

Ruby Cross struggled through the front door of her trailer avoiding stepping on Maxine, her sable colored Papillon, while dropping grocery bags and her mail in a trail behind her in a rush to answer her phone before her answering machine kicked in. Answering with a breathless ‘Hello?’ she felt her heart sink a bit in disappointment at the prerecorded message from the local thrift store asking for donations. Sighing, she hung up on it/him and went back to her front door to retrieve her strewn mail and groceries. No phone calls or messages again. After putting away the cold items into the ancient refrigerator, she grabbed a box of crackers out of one of the cobalt blue cupboards and put a kettle of water on the stove to heat while she put away the rest of the groceries. When she was done with the groceries, she placed an Irish Cream, tea bag in the white cup with pink and yellow roses that used to belong to her grandmother. When the kettle finally whistled, she poured the hot water over the tea bag and carried the cup and saucer and a box of crackers with her through the kitchen, the floor of which was covered in cheap, yellow linoleum, across the brown shag carpeting, into the small living room where she went through her mail while sitting in her favorite chair.

“Occupant, Resident, Ruby Cross or Current Resident, credit card bill, utility bill- nothing yet from Prince Charming,” she said to Maxine who was now in her lap trying to steal licks of hot tea from Ruby’s cup. “Oh, yes! My new tea catalog came today! Look Maxine,” she showed the cover of the thin catalog to Maxine who showed a respectful amount of interest while trying not to get caught stealing crackers too.

“Gee, Maxie, when the biggest part of a girl’s day is getting a tea catalog in the mail, it’s time for her to get a life!”

Maxine cocked her head to one side and huffed at Ruby in what sounded to her like agreement.

“Don’t be so quick to agree,” she told Maxine as she got up to put her uniform, from the tea room where she waitressed, into the wash with the rest of the dark clothes waiting for new life to be given to them before being doused again tomorrow with tea and covered with bits of scone and assorted sandwich fillings. Ruby felt a poke on the calf of her leg as she finished and looked down at Maxine. “Ready for dinner?” she asked her friend. A huff and stamp of feet was Maxine’s response and Ruby went to the refrigerator feeling thoroughly bossed by her opinionated dog. She opened a can of food for Maxine and placed it in her dish along with a treat. Ruby would have felt eternally guilty if she didn’t spoil her friend. Maxine was only two years old, but they both had been through a lot in that short amount of time. Ruby was more inclined to spend her money on Maxine than her self, and today was no exception.

“Hey, girl, are you ready for your present? It’s your birthday today!”

Maxine had no idea what Ruby was so happy about but she liked the tone in her voice and did a little dance around the kitchen floor ‘huffing’ at her. Ruby laughed at Maxine’s impatience and reached into one of the bags still on the counter and pulled out a plastic container full of something brown and cut into strips.

“Guess what I have? Give up? It’s dried, cut up buffalo livers! Mmmm! Come on girl. Come on!”

Ruby lead Maxine on a brief chase into the living room. Maxine poked her in the leg with her nose the whole way. Ruby pulled a piece off one of the livers and held it up.

“Sit!” she commanded Maxine. Maxine huffed at her and stamped her feet.

“Sit I said,” Ruby tried again. Again, HUFF was the only response she got from Maxine. Laughing, Ruby gave the liver to Maxine.

“I guess no one should have to do tricks to be fed. Even if it is expensive buffalo livers!”

Ruby had bought Maxine from a breeder in town three weeks before she lost her job. Already smitten, she couldn’t bear to give her back. It had been a financial struggle, but Ruby had kept Maxine with her through thick and thin and it had been worth every penny and sacrifice. Ruby sat back in her chair and reached for her bible. She had over slept that morning and didn’t get to do her quiet time before she left for work. The day had not gone well. Her attitude had been off and as a result, her tips had been low. ‘No one to blame but me,’ she thought. As she sat there reading,Maxine’s giant ears flicked and she was up and out the flap of her doggie door. The only thing Ruby had been able to teach her was not to bark at the neighbors, just strangers. When Ruby heard Maxine growling and huffing, she knew it had to be at the people in the trailer next door. Maxine drew a fine line between obedience and getting away with murder. According to the way Maxine thought, huffing and growling weren’t barking and she had refused to give them up. Ruby had finally consented and in the end it had turned out to be a good way to tell what was going on around her. Maxine did her job well. An hour later Ruby had completed the study chapter and was ready for bed. Early to bed and early to rise had not yet made Ruby wealthy, but she was healthy and wise.

“Maxine!” she called out. “Here, Max! Come on girl! Come inside!”

Maxine bounded through the doggie door with a huff and several wags of her body. Ruby slid the panel in the doggie door just in case a skunk or neighborhood cat decided to try and wander in during the night.

“No sense in tempting them,” she said to Maxine.

Ruby carefully went through her nightly routine. She shook her long auburn hair out of its chignon and brushed it smooth. Slipping into her shorts and t-shirt combo with the monkeys on it, she sat on

the edge of her bed with Maxine next to her and said her prayers. When she was done she snuggled under the covers. Maxine looked at Ruby and then crawled over to her own side of the bed and laid down.

“I don’t know why you bother,” said Ruby, “we both know where you will be before too long, tucked in and snoring next to me!” Ruby reached over and grabbed Maxine pulling her next to her and snuggling her close. Planting a kiss between Maxine’s ears, Ruby told her ‘goodnight’ and turned out the light.

Morning, as it always did for Ruby, came much too early. She disturbed Maxine as she got out of bed and was rewarded with a familiar grumble of protest. Knowing Maxine wouldn’t get up on her own, Ruby picked her up and carried her to the front door, opened the door, set Maxine down and closed the door without undoing the panel so she couldn’t sneak in when Ruby wasn’t looking. Maxine sat there for a couple of minutes still trying to wake up. Ruby left her little friend to her own devices and went into the kitchen to start her day. She filled her small tea bell full of loose leaf Earl Grey tea and waited for the kettle of filtered water to boil. By the time the water had boiled and the tea had steeped it’s 5 minutes, the scone she had taken form the freezer to cook was done and she was ready for her quiet time. She stopped by the doggie door to let in Maxine and was greeted with an indignant huff as Maxine trotted past her and went back to bed.

‘She’s even worse at mornings than I am,’ Ruby thought to herself.

Thirty minutes later, Ruby closed her bible with tears in her eyes. Proverbs 24:16 was the last thing she had read, ‘for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.’

“You are so good, Lord,” she said out loud. “Your hand lifted me up and carried me each time I fell.

Thank you, Lord. You are so merciful and good.”

She put down her bible and got up to finish getting ready and leave for work. Rushing to the bathroom, she scooped up her hair into a clip and sprayed it into obedience with her cheap drug story hair spray. Next came the face washing and makeup. She did a full scale application of foundation, blush, lipstick and eyeshadow and even curled her eyelashes before applying her mascara. Even when in ‘corporate America’, Ruby felt it was important to look her best which for her included makeup, hair done and jewelry, even if she was just waitressing. Next came her uniform. The most ridiculous thing she ever had to wear in her life. Since Miss. Daisy’s Tea Parlor tried to mimic an old fashioned Victorian era tea room, all the waitresses were required to look the part. This meant mutton sleeves and long hot skirts in black with white caps and aprons, even in the summer. Despite the silly get up and serving tea all day, Ruby had grown to love tea and everything about it. She especially liked it when some of the customers would dress in period clothing. Their outfits were colorful and exotic while hers was merely functional and drab. Her one small act of individuality in her costume,was the bright red lipstick she always wore.

Placing some dry kibbles in Maxine’s dish and checking to make sure she had plenty of fresh water for the day, Ruby walked out the door.

Getting into her very worn out car, Ruby closed the door being careful not to slam the skirt of her dress in the door jam. Just as the car had warmed up, she pulled into the parking lot of the garishly painted Victorian house that had been converted into Miss. Daisy’s Tearoom and Millinery, in Old Colorado City. Using her key, she opened the door and started the morning prep. A little while later, she heard a car outside. Looking out the window, she saw the cook pull up. Ruby had arrived her usual half an hour early. Betty, the cook, was always on time and Kate, the other waitress, was always late.

Today was going to be a big day. They had two Red Hat(C) parties coming plus three separate

reservations, all within a half an hour of each other. The tea house opened at eleven. It was seven ’til.

Betty took over the kitchen, leaving Ruby free to vacuum and check the tables to see if they needed wiping down and if the salts and peppers needed topped off. She finished just as the first Red Hatter (C) came through the door. A 90 year old cutie, she had that beautiful white hair that looked like spun sugar. She wore a red hat with a generous helping of feathers and sequins, a lovely purple dress with long sleeves, and a red and purple feather boa wrapped around her neck. She, too, had put on makeup this morning and topped off her look with some great sparkling earrings and a brooch.

“Good morning, Violet!” Ruby greeted her enthusiastically. She was a regular and Ruby had enjoyed getting to know her. Many of the ladies were a joy to be around. Some were cranky and cheap with their tips, but for the most part, they were like Violet, glad to be alive and still full of life. Vi, as she liked to be called, came over to give Ruby a hug.

“How are you doing, Ruby-girl? Got a handsome rich man yet? One that’ll spoil you and buy you the world?” Vi asked with a chuckle.

“No, not yet, and besides, I wouldn’t want the whole world, it would be too much to clean!”

The two women exchanged pleasantries for a couple of minutes then the conversation turned to their dogs. Vi also owned a Papillon.

“Daphne sure did enjoy Maxine’s visit last week. It took her another week to recuperate, but it was the liveliest I’ve seen her in a while, Ruby.”

Ruby remembered the play date she had taken Maxine to over at Vi’s house. The two dogs had romped in the backyard for most of the time Ruby had been there. Vi had served Ruby the most delicious scones while she was there. Better than that, Vi had given her the recipe. They, like her friendship with Vi, would always be a heart treasure for Ruby. Ruby settled Vi into a seat by the window. Ruby knew

she liked to look out the window and see what was going on out on Colorado Avenue. She liked to ‘people watch’ the tourists.

“Foot traffic is a little thin today,” Vi said, “do you think it will pick-up?”

“It better. If it doesn’t I just might have to rob a bank!” came Ruby’s standard reply.

They the official tourist season was still to come, when the streets brimmed with people. Ruby was confident it would pick-up here in the next month or two, especially the closer it got to summer. Miss. Daisy’s always opened a few months earlier than the other Ave. restaurants, just to make her presence known. Ruby excused herself and went to get Vi some ice water with lemon.

“Here you go, Vi,” She said as she set the glass down.

“Oh! I didn’t hear you come in,” came Vi’s startled reply. She had been deep in thought but now she looked away from the window and up at Ruby. Just then the door opened and laughter followed the slight breeze in as three more ladies joined Vi at the table. Ruby left them to their ‘hellos’.

Back in the kitchen, Betty was pulling hot scones out of the oven.

“Ten more minutes on the quiches,” she told, Ruby, “how we doin’ out there?”

“Great! All but two of them are here.”

They worked in silence for a few minutes.

“What time did Kate say she was coming in today?” asked Betty

“She didn’t. Does she ever?”

They both chuckled at the joke. They loved Kate, what wasn’t to love? They just didn’t like her unreliability. Ruby finished spreading the cold curry chicken salad onto the croissants. She cut each sandwich in half and neatly arranged the pieces on the serving tray. Next she took the chocolate covered strawberries off the wax paper they had been sitting on and placed them on the bottom tray.

The cooling scones were last and placed on the middle tray. Each table was also treated to a tray with three wells in it filled with cream, lemon curd and jam, one each in each well. Checking on the ladies again, Ruby saw they were ready to begin. Each of the tables of four had a three tiered tray of delectable finger foods on it for the ladies to enjoy with their tea. The menu for today was chicken curry sandwiches with grapes, celery, apples and almonds added, lavender scones, chocolate covered strawberries, and Earl Grey tea with lavender flowers. Herbal teas were also available upon request. She took the last of the trays of food and tea out to her ‘guests’ and after a little explanation about the food, she let them be so they could enjoy themselves without interruption. She always referred to the customers as her guests. She would have loved to be the owner of Miss. Daisy’s. Ruby had tried several times to get Cora to jazz up the menu or serve an exotic tea or plan a special chocolate tea. All her ideas had been shot down. However, since Cora was rarely at the restaurant, Ruby would sneak in some of her ideas whenever she could. They had all been a hit with her customers except for the most stubbornly unadventurous. Ruby was always pouring over tea books for new recipes and tips on how to do things better or to add variety.

Ruby helped Betty clean up in the kitchen while the ladies were having their meeting. The occasional sounds of laughter would find it’s way down the hall and into the kitchen. Ruby loved it. Being single and alone, she was sometimes lonely too. Remembering the voices and the laughter from the day helped her at night when she was feeling blue. All she had to do to feel better sometimes, was to think about the day. The happy faces of the customers, the smells from the kitchen and especially the laughter, helped ease some of the emptiness in her life. All that, plus Maxine, made her feel blessed but there were some things missing in her life that friends, food and pets couldn’t replace. Ruby wanted her own business. She desperately wanted something to call her own. Her friends at work thought she

needed a man. THAT was the furthest thing from her mind. She put the dishes in the sanitizer a little too hard earning herself a raised eyebrow from Betty.

“Something on your mind, Kid?” Betty asked.

“No. Nothing!” Ruby’s reply was a little enthusiastic for Betty. She grunted and turned back toward the rack she had taken out of the oven. The next reservation had wanted quiche and although there was plenty in the freezer from the day before, they knew the supply would be wiped out and none would be left for the lunch crowd, if there was a lunch crowd. The bell to the door rang interrupting her thoughts. She looked around the corner and saw five ladies walk in. She greeted them with a warm smile as she confirmed they were her next reservation. Kate was still missing in action. Ruby felt herself getting nervous. Ruby and Betty had been unable to convince Cora that she needed to let Kate go and find a replacement who knew how to tell time. Ruby took the ladies to their seats and set them up with menus and flatware. When they were ready, Ruby put their order in with Betty and went to check on her Red Hatters ™. She was greeted with a happy cheer as she entered the room. Everyone was smiling and seemed to be having a great time, and more than one of the ladies complimented her on the food. Ruby smiled to herself. The gamble of jazzing up the usually bland chicken salad had paid off. She had read about the lavender sugar used to make lavender scones in a magazine, and, since it was Vi’s Red Hat (C) group, and she knew far enough in advance they were coming, Ruby had made the lavender sugar herself a week ago. She fairly skipped into the kitchen on the wings of praise she had received and shared the kind words with Betty.

“You oughta be running your own restaurant,” said Betty, “you have the know how-”

Ruby cut her off before she could get too far.

“There’s a big difference between know how and funding, Betty, you know that. Until I win the lottery,

I’ll just have to make due with the way things are.”

Betty started to protest.

“No, Betty, let’s not even go there. I just don’t have the money and talking about something I want when I know it’s out of reach is too painful for me.”

Vi was passing by the kitchen when she heard what Ruby said.

“Hope deferred makes a heart grow weak, Lord. If it is your will, show me how to bless Ruby.” she prayed as she shuffled down the hall way.

Vi’s red hat group stayed for three hours until they wore themselves out talking and planning their next gathering. Other than the reservations, no other customers came in all day. Right on schedule, the door opened at 3 pm. and in walked Cora. Kate had not come in, nor had she called to say she wasn’t coming in.

“How’d we do?” asked Cora leaning on the counter.

Ruby had just finished counting the drawer and handed the envelope over to Cora so she could see for herself. They had barely hit $300.00 and that was even with some of the purchases from the Red Hat(C) ladies. If she was disappointed, Cora hid it.

Ruby took her apron off and hung it on the hook. Her day was done at the tea room but it would still be awhile before she made it home. Since her tips at the tea room were getting smaller due to the lack of customers, she was on her way to a job interview for another restaurant on the evening shift. She hated the idea of leaving Maxine alone so much but if she didn’t start bringing in more money she wouldn’t even be able to afford Max’s food. Though it wasn’t required of her, Ruby usually stayed late to help clean up the kitchen. Not today. Cora didn’t know about the interview but Betty did and gave her a reassuring wink as she left to get into her car. As she walked across the parking lot, Ruby saw the

owner of the building talking to a man she had never before seen. They were pointing to different areas of the building as the spoke to one another. Their conversation came to a halt as she walked by and

resumed after she had gotten into her car. She briefly wondered what they were talking about but was soon too busy driving to think about it anymore.