How Times Change

Chapter 2

The Seaside was a Danbury icon since before the electricity and running water made an appearance. One of the barn sized Robber Baron era health resorts the dotted the New England coastline, the grand old building spent it’s time overlooking the slope down dunes by Danbury beach. This was the off season; most of the summer lovers had packed up and headed back to concrete and steel, which meant that Jade had the old place nearly to herself.

When she was little, her father had brought her to the water every weekend. He’d even entertained making an offer on the hotel when the housing market was yelling sell after ‘The Crash’. She remembered how excited he’d been—until she’d reminded him when they spoke on the phone about it that places like that were picturesque, not pre-renovated.

Jade smiled as the low tide roll out washed the sand out from between her caramel toes. That squish into the sand feeling was what she remembered most about walking down here. That and the way the beach was so quiet in the fall, even the gulls taking time to rest a spell. She pushed her shoulder length hair back over an ear, knowing the wind would tease it out again regardless. The early September sun was already stretching out a pink yawn across the sea scape.

She glanced at her watch- an anachronism these days, but her father always said that watches didn’t have reception issues. Four O’clock. Morning had decided to come late, and so her chances of making the flight back to LAX went out the window with the sea breeze.

Not that she cared. She had a day built in anyway, and being Head of Department meant she didn’t really have to answer to anyone anyway. So, instead, of fretting over things, she’d found a good deal on a flight mid-afternoon the next day and hit the beach, footloose.

The waves moved in, rolling gently and just catching the hem of her white clam diggers. The cool sent a shiver up her spine, but it was comforting. That New England cool was so different than the everyday sun baking that Los Angeles served up standard. Sniffing at the air, she noted the other benefits.

No smog. No daily Hollywood watch. No…here.

Just ahead of her, she saw a piece of bright green glass, sparkling in the tumbling surf. There was the prize! Her mother, before she passed, reckoned that Jade had the biggest (and possibly only) beach glass collection in Connecticut. It was probably true at the time; most of it had gone the way of the dodo, or packed away somewhere in the closet she knew Tony would never attempt to sort through. Once in a while though, she still found one that caught her eye.

This one was amazing; it caught the light like a set piece of jewelry, throwing back shadows and movement in her palm as she rolled it back and forth. It was-

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Jade yelped, and in the process the green glass went tumbling into the rolling waves, peeked up once at her, and then was gone. She pinched up her face, and turned on her visitor. Before she could say a word, he broke in.

“I had a hell of a time tracking you down out here JJ.” Gnat Peters….Lucas Peters stood a few feet away, dress shirt rolled up to the elbows and pants to match. He looked ridiculous.

“There was a reason for that.” The last thing she wanted was to share her beach. Especially with the ghost of last night’s memories still trying to remind her that she needed to take a minute to talk. “No one was supposed to know I was here.”

“Shoes.” The flat statement made no sense to her initially.

“What are you getting at?”

“Your shoes! You left them at the reception. Found ‘em after the whole party shut down and Rich and Mum took off. I called, but the desk warden told me you’d said ‘do not disturb.’”

“You always listen this well?” Part of her wanted to tell him it was sweet to bring her back the shoes- even if they were Shoe Barn specials that she’d picked up when she’d got there. The other part was still more than a little miffed with him for finding her in the first place- Daddy must have told him! That and there was a missing piece of glass…

Luc raised his hands in mock surrender. “I didn’t tell anyone you were out here, promise!”

She cocked an eyebrow at him. The likelihood of Lucas Peters keeping his mouth shut was about as good as him ever getting a real tan. Except looking at him, he had tanned… She realized when he rubbed a hand at the back of his neck she’d been caught staring.

What is going on here? Snap out of it JJ, this is Gnat! Covering quickly, she cocked her head to the side. “Well, since it took all that work to track me down, I guess I can be at least gracious enough to let you buy me supper.”

Luc made a show out of digging out his wallet. When the frown creased his face, Jade realized he might be short. Gnat had never been good with money- she still remembered the remote control heli that he’d bought with a whole summer’s cash and then crashed into the back barn wall.

“Hey, I was kidding! We can…” She stopped as he cracked his best goof ball smile. She’d been had. “Alright you- Lead on moneybags.”

Luc went thoughtful at that, but the mood, whatever it was, was gone as soon as it came. In its place was the jokester again. He offered her an arm in a grand style, and leaned toward her, whispering conspiratorially. “Great! I know this great two for one hot dog stand-Ouch!”

“I am not a hot dog date, mister.” She waved a fist, mock threatening punch two.

Luc laughed out loud at that, and the rich baritone, so unlike the Gnat she remembered, mixed with the rolling surf. He wound down and then offered her a hand. “C’mon- Genetti’s is still open for another week, and Armand owes me a favor…”

The sun painted pink and purple as they made their way back to the Seaside, arm in arm.

*****

Danbury’s sea coast shops were nearly all shut down by this time of year. There were a few hold outs. Farley’s, the local fish house stayed open all year and was the favorite watering hole for the cod men during the winter. Pepper’s was another one, mostly because there just wasn’t a better pizza to be had for miles.

Genetti’s though was special. Armand was first generation Italian, but America and hometown were in his blood. For thirty years, he’d been running Genetti’s (his last name was Scaprioli, which he thought no American could do justice to) off West Wharf street, dealing out the best that Sicily had to offer. The restaurant was a south New England landmark. Armand had even had Eat TV there doing one of those celebrity challenge cook offs. He’d won, of course.

All of that was for the summer months, when the crowds rolled through and the Big Apple crowd came looking for a taste of home. Armand made bank every May to August, and then shut his doors with a hearty thank you to the year.

Unless you were a local. Every September Armand opened up the doors to Danbury only and treated the whole town to an end of the year feast at a discount as a way to say thank you to the town that had welcomed him off the boat all that time ago.

Tonight was the last night for Genetti’s and Armand himself was tending to the tables- the house was mostly empty, but even so the buoyant Sicilian had good spirit to share. Leaning on his broom he beamed down at Jade and Luc’s table.

“They always come home, hm? So good to see you Little Brawley!” It was an inside joke. Tony Brawley had made a name for himself at Genetti’s- it was still on the commemorative plaque actually- winning the pasta bowl eating contest four year in a row. Armand was so impressed he always called him Big Brawley. Jade had always been his tag-a-long so…

“You too Armand. You look as fit as ever…”

“You, bambina are good liar.” The happy smile never left as the round chef ran a hand over his girth. “This is proof the tagliatelle has enough eggs!”  He sighed. “It’s been a long time since I saw you two in the booths.” He pronounced it ‘boots’ and Jade had to smile.

Luc broke in. “Jade here is leaving us in the morning, Armi.”

Armand’s eyes rounded. “No, dicono che non è così!