Tori paid for her coffee and rose. “I think I’ll go now. I’m ready to poke around town a bit. See what’s changed. What’s the same.”
“Have fun.”
“Oh, is Sharky’s still here?”
“Sure is.”
“Perfect. I think I’ll have dinner there tonight.” She turned and headed outside to get her bike.
She climbed back on it and was pleased that she didn’t wobble nearly as much as she headed out. Many of the storefronts had new stores in them, of course. There was still the park and gazebo just off Main Street. That had been kept up nicely, and it looked like the gazebo was freshly painted. She and Grams used to come and listen to concerts at the park. So many memories.
She pedaled back down the street and ended up putting her bike on a bike rack so she could walk along the sidewalks. She popped into a few stores and made a mental note to come back and buy some clothes that were more appropriate for a stay here on the island.
She made it to almost the end of the Main Street and there it was. The theater. The marquee, once bright and beckoning, stood faded with just a few letters clinging to it. The bright green door had faded to a pale mint color, the paint peeling, proclaiming years of neglect.
She ran her hand along the brick wall, remembering coming here with her grandmother. The excitement of opening night. Grams always liked to come on opening night. She was pretty sure these early trips to the shows were what started her down the path to her career.
She closed her eyes briefly, willing the flashes of memories of her former career to fade. No use dwelling on the past.
She turned and slowly walked around the building, spying a broken window here and the peeling remains of the last show behind a glassed panel there. She peered in through the dusty windows, so sad to see this beautiful building in such disrepair. She could almost feel the excitement and anticipation that used to fill the theater. The hushed tones of conversation as people took their seats. The quiet when the stage lights would snap on.
She walked around the building and tried the back door, not knowing what she would do if it opened, but it was locked. Sadness swept through her at this abandoned theater. No longer considered useful. Left to decay.
She walked back to the front and stood staring at the marquee. How great would it be if the theater could be restored back to its former glory? Become a functioning part of Magnolia again? Become useful. Make a comeback from this shadow of its former self.
A gentle tug at her heart let her know what she wanted to do. What shehadto do. Or at least she’d try.
Chapter6
Later that evening, Tori walked down the boardwalk. She’d made some phone calls after talking to Darlene and set her plan in action. But right now she was headed to Sharky’s. Her mouth watered in anticipation of her favorite item on their menu. Fried grouper with a side of hush puppies. Her grandmother always let her pick where they would go to eat, and she’d once picked Sharky’s five days in a row, ordering the same meal over and over. Her grandmother had finally begged her to choose another restaurant. She smiled at the memory. She just hoped their menu hadn’t changed.
She strolled down the boardwalk retracing the exact same steps she’d taken all those years ago. Couples passed her, hand in hand. A young child danced around his mom as they stood looking out at the water. The salty air blew tufts of her hair this way and that. Contentment drifted through her as she walked along, the familiarity of the scene enveloping her like a hug.
When she walked through Sharky’s open door, she smiled. No, nothing had changed. At all. And the scrawled menu behind the bar reassured her that her beloved meal was still on the menu. The rustic charm of the place welcomed her, along with the hum of conversation and the clanking of beer glasses.
A waitress hurried over. “The tables are full right now. You can wait, or you can grab a seat at the bar and eat there.”
“The bar is fine.” She found an empty barstool and slipped onto it, then turned to say hello to the man sitting next to her and froze. Seriously? Was the town playing tricks on her?
She set her shoulders and pasted on a smile. “Good evening, Gavin. Nice to see you again.” As if.
He did his now familiar slight bob of his head, basically dismissing her, and turned back to his beer.
His dismissal made her feel small and invisible. But…wasn’t invisibility what she wanted?
“Can I get you something to drink? Eat?” the bartender asked.
“I’ll have the fried grouper with a side of hush puppies. And a beer. That light one you have on tap will be fine.” Though she was used to drinking fancy craft beers in bottles.
He handed her a frosty mug with the beer and she took a sip, the cold liquid doing nothing to soothe her annoyance. She set down the glass.
Awkwardness crackled in the inches between her and Gavin. The bartender delivered Gavin’s meal—fried grouper and hush puppies. Probably the only thing they’d ever agree on.
She took another sip of her beer and then turned to him in an effort to crack the icy atmosphere and get through his brooding silence. “That’s uh… that’s my favorite meal here too.”
He turned to stare at her for a moment, then went back to his meal without saying a word.
She shouldn’t have bothered to even try with the man. Anger flared through her. “Are you always this talkative and friendly?”
