From This Day Forward: Multicultural Romance (4 page)

Chapter 5

A couple of weeks after Loretta’s arrival, she and Velma were on their way to look at a few restaurant spaces that were up for lease in neighboring villages. Velma guided her pickup truck up down and around scenic, winding coastal roads that curved without warning.  It was early morning, a little after eight a.m., as Loretta chatted away about the plans for her new restaurant.

“I don’t want anything too fancy, but I do want a nice place. You know, a cozy, sit-down environment, where people can come in and get a good meal at a decent price.  Not white tablecloth, but close, and my menu will be filled with down-home type dishes, you know with a Southern flair, like Grandma Tate used to make.”

“Your grandmother could cook. I remember coming to your house after school, tearing up some soul food. Where was she from again?”

“Savannah, God rest her soul.”

“That’s right,” Velma remembered. “But I don’t know about Southern cooking out here, Loretta.  People are more health conscious you know.”

“Oh, I know, but I’ve thought about that,” Loretta piped up.  “Everything on the menu will be healthy -- sea salt instead of regular, virgin olive oil, instead of lard, more salad sides, than rice and potatoes, etcetera.” 

“I see where you’re going,” Velma said as she traversed another winding road.

“And I’ll decorate the plates and name the dishes so they appeal to the elite, you know, you hoity-toity ones,” Loretta giggled, as her tone became very proper.  She lifted her nose in the air and made a fluttery hand gesture pretending to emulate the wealthy.

“That’s a good idea,” Velma laughed. “And smart, because you’d be hard pressed to get some of my neighbors to order fried pork chops with french fries, but if you termed it a seared, blackened loins dish with, say, a three-green salad, you’d be on to something.”

“You really think so?” Loretta asked, partly testing the idea out loud on her friend. Though she had done all the research for her business, she was still secretly very nervous. She’d never owned a business before and part of her was scared to death.

“I
know
so,” Velma said emphatically, sensing her friend’s nervousness.  “Because I, for one, know you can cook. Lord knows I’ve put on a few pounds since you’ve been teetering around in my kitchen the last couple of weeks.”

“Sorry about that,” Loretta said.

“I’m not!” Velma laughed. “And I know you’ll be a success because
I know you
,” Velma said, reaching over to squeeze her friend’s hand.

“Thank you,” Loretta said, squeezing her hand back.  “That means a lot.”

“No thanks necessary. I mean, we’ve been friends for how long? I know you’re nervous about the business, the move, everything, but I want you to know I admire you for what you’re doing. I don’t know too many people who would like to take the bull by the horn and change their lives on a dime like you’ve done.”

“You know I’d been unhappy for a long time, Velma,” Loretta said looking out the window. “Well, not really
un
happy, just not
happy
, you know. I was content, but I didn’t enjoy what I spent well over seventy-five percent of my waking hours doing each day. And when I was off on the weekends, I was preparing for the following week. Washing, cooking, cleaning, paying bills, you know, because I knew I wouldn’t have time to do those things during the week.”

Velma just listened to her friend talk.

“But I knew deep down life was too precious and too short to live like that.”

“It sure is honey, it sure is,” Velma nodded her head and patted the steering wheel as she drove.

“But I didn’t know how to change things. I wanted to, but I didn’t see a way out.  And you know, those pains in my chest were getting worse?”

“You’ve got to get those checked out, Loretta,” Velma peeked over at her with concern. “I don’t know why you keep fighting seeing a doctor about that.”

“Because I already know what I need to do; I’ve known for a long time now.  I need to exercise.  I’ve been carrying around these extra pounds for years now.  I need to hit some of these pretty trails and start walking. I can’t blame it on anybody but myself.  I felt my behind spreading in that chair year after year, but the truth is, I wasn’t motivated to go to the gym after work.  I was just tired, Velma. I think I just got in a rut trying to make it.”

“I know,” Velma said.

“But after getting this chance, with the money, I just feel so blessed!” Loretta sang. “Lord, it seems like a dream that I don’t want to wake up from.”

Velma glanced over to see her friend tearing up.

“Get it out, Loretta. God is good. You’re a good person, and you’ve had some tough years raising those kids alone. This is
your
time now, and I want you to enjoy every second of it. And don’t entertain one iota of guilt about doing something for you. You deserve this happiness.”

“Your support means the world,” Loretta sniffled, drying her eyes with a tissue from her purse.

“I’m right here,” Velma assured her. “Right here.”

“Thank you,” Loretta said.

Velma smiled as Loretta started cheering back up and began talking about this or that recipe.  She was enjoying listening to her friend just chatting away. It did her heart good.

***

There was a loneliness inside of Velma.

She was glad Loretta had moved out to the valley. On the outside, things seemed like they were just fine in her own life, but on the inside, Velma craved companionship.

The success she enjoyed as a result of her business was great, but having her friend around the past couple of weeks cemented even more a growing loneliness in her that could not be filled by her work, or by the secret in her basement.

The chatter stopped as Loretta noticed Velma’s silence.

“You alright over there?” Loretta asked, picking up on a sudden somberness about her friend.

“Girl, I’m fine,” Velma lied, reminding herself she wouldn’t think about what had happened.  After all, it had been over four years now, and what was done was done.

“No you’re not,” Loretta said, her eyes filled with concern.

“Yes, I am,” Velma emphasized.  “Now go on, tell me about your plans. I’m enjoying this life bursting from you,” she said in earnest as she smiled and guided the truck on toward the first restaurant site visit.

Loretta talked about the feel she wanted, something reminiscent of a small Italian restaurant.

“You’ve really thought this through,” Velma said, marveling at the specifics she went into.

“I’ve more than thought it through. Remember when I told you a while back I was taking classes at the junior college?”

“I remember,” Velma said.

“Well, I was taking small business classes. I even took up some marketing classes and some specific workshops on restaurant management.”

“That’s good,” Velma said. “But you didn’t need restaurant management classes. After managing Patterson’s for what, over two decades now, you can run a restaurant with your eyes closed.”

“I wish,” Loretta said. “But at Patterson’s, we had all the policies and procedure in place. I mean, the vendors were already established, the menu was already set, and the customers were already built-in. With my restaurant, I’ll be starting from scratch.”

“You’ve got a point there,” Velma said, glancing at her GPS as she made the next left turn off the wiggly coastal road.

“I know I can do it, but it’s a lot to think about. I think I’m as nervous as I am excited,” Loretta said, pointing at the building in front of them.  “That’s it! It looks just like the picture.”

Velma eased the truck down the driveway to the empty restaurant.  After a couple of minutes, they got out and put their hands on their hips at the same time.

“Humph, the place has good bones, I can see that.” Instinctively, Loretta knew right off it was not the space for her.  The block was nice enough, but it was more industrial in appearance, and the area didn’t have much charm for the Loretta’s Garden she’d envisioned.

“It’s old, but it does seem solid enough. This stone’s probably been here since the beginning of time.”

“Yes, you’re right. But you know, Velma, I already know I’m not feeling this place,” Loretta said as they walked down the cracked pavement toward the building.

“You might not like it, but as my realtor once told me, you might have to look at several places before you find the right one for you.  So let’s go peek inside anyway since we’re here, so you’ll have something to compare the others to.”

“Good idea.  I see why they let you into medical school,” Loretta teased.

“Oh hush up,” Velma chuckled.  “The realtor said the key would be under the mat.”

The women strolled on toward the building. Within seconds, they’d located the key and gone inside. The place was well cared for, and it had the remnants of a previous commercial kitchen in the back. But overall, it looked more like an office building than a restaurant. They spent less than ten minutes looking around the space before they were back on the road again.

The next spot they stopped at was nearby. It was a handsome building, practically new. The kitchen was fully built out, and it sat on a nice corner. But it was too big. And it was expensive.

“You can feed an army in this space,” Velma marveled.

“I know, but it’s too big for my needs, in square footage and in dollars. I couldn’t afford this -- even if I wanted to. Besides, it just doesn’t have that coziness I’m looking for.”

“Alright, let’s keep looking,” Velma said, as they got back in the truck. “We can see a couple more I’ve mapped out within a five mile radius, but I’m going to take a chance and throw something out there now that I was kind of saving for last.”

Loretta gave her a curious glance.

“I know of this little spot that used to be open years ago.  It was one of my favorite places to eat. Malachi and I used to visit it often,” she heard herself say. 

“
Malachi
?” Loretta said. “I haven’t heard you say that name in a long time.”

“I know, I try not to say too often.” Hurt filled Velma’s eyes for a quick second and disappeared as quickly as it had come.

“You can talk about it if you want to,” Loretta offered.

“Nothing to talk about,” Velma said, pursing her lips. She quickly turned the conversation back to the space.  “The restaurant sits on a vineyard, and it is right outside of town.”

“On a wine vineyard?” Loretta asked.

“No silly, a vodka vineyard,” Velma laughed, making a U-turn at the next T in the road.  “Of course a wine vineyard. I haven’t been out there in some time, but I know the owner, and he says it’s still sitting empty. His wife used to run it, but she left him years ago. I really think it might be perfect for what you want, if you don’t mind your business being intermixed on the vineyard.”

Loretta thought about it for a few seconds. She didn’t like the idea of her business being part of somebody else’s property, but it could mean a built-in clientele.

“It can’t hurt to look,
drive!
” Loretta beamed.

In less than ten minutes the women were pulling into the tall, wrought iron gates of the massive wine vineyard.

Loretta’s eyes glanced at the ornate name scribed in iron and welded onto the gate. It read THORNTON VINEYARD.

Thornton, Thornton, Thornton.
Loretta knew that last name, and she’d heard it since she’d been in Bordeaux Valley.