Sweet Baklava (18 page)

He laughed and shook his head. "Are you serving grits?"

"If that's what your little heart desires."

"Okay, Paula, this is over the top, even for you."

She gasped. "I can't believe you actually came right out and said that. Where are your manners, mistah?"

Nick edged toward the door. "What time do you want me at your place?"

"Seven would be good." She batted her eyelashes and waved the paper a couple more times before putting it down.

"Are you serious about cooking, or should I bring something?"

Paula laughed. "I reckon I can handle one little measly meal."

"Yeah, I reckon you can." He left the shop laughing. "Is Alexa working today?"

"She's coming in late because she has a dental appointment."

A little after three o'clock, the bell on the front door jingled. Paula came out of the back room to greet her customer. It was Amanda. "Hi, I see you decided to grace us with your presence."

"Us?" Amanda glanced around. "Who else is here?"

Paula rolled her eyes. "Are you here to work?"

"No, I'm here to rob you blind." She bobbed her head and let out a throaty growl. "Just tell me what you want me to do so I can get it over with."

"C'mon to the back room. I have a broom and dustpan with your name on it."

"Seriously? With my name on it?"

"No, Amanda, that's just an expression." This girl really did need some attention. When Paula got to the back room, she glanced over her shoulder to make sure Amanda was with her. She picked up the broom and dustpan and handed them to Amanda. "Start at the front and work your way to the back."

Amanda took the broom. "Just put the dustpan over there, and I'll get it when I need it."

Paula knew this was a power play, but since it didn't matter she did what Amanda asked. A customer came in, and Paula waited on her. Every so often she glanced at Amanda out the corner of her eye and saw that the girl was listening to every word she said. Another customer came in, keeping Paula busy for another ten minutes.

Finally, after the last customer left, Amanda stopped sweeping and stared at her. "What?" Paula asked, realizing too late the word came out more harshly than she intended. "Did you need something?"

"Why did you open this shop?"

"I wanted my own business, and there wasn't a soap and candle shop already here."

"There are a lot of things not here. Why soap and candles?"

Paula explained how she'd seen all-natural candles in a store in Atlanta and that it made sense to be more earth friendly. What surprised Paula was how attentive Amanda was. "As for the soaps, that seemed like a natural thing to add to the mix."

Amanda nodded. "I like your stuff."

That was obvious, but Paula didn't want to talk about what Amanda had tried to steal. "Have you ever thought about what you want to do when you're older?"

S
ometimes." Amanda held the broom at an angle. "I've thought about a lot of different things."

"Anything you'd like to tell me about?"

Paula expected Amanda to blow her off, but she didn't. "I might like to do something with old people."

That was something Paula never would have guessed. "Like what?"

"There's this lady who got my grandma her apartment, and she helps my grandma with all her doctor appointments. I think I might like to do what she does."

"So you want to help older people?" Paula thought that sounded like a very grown-up aspiration. "Do you know anything about how she got her job?"

Amanda shook her head. "I asked my grandma what that lady's job was, and she said she was a social worker."

"Did you know you have to go to college for that?"

The girl shifted her broom and cast her gaze downward. "Yeah, so I guess I better come up with something else, 'cause I'll never get into college."

"And why not?" Paula took a step closer.

"My grades are terrible, my mother doesn't have the money, my dad doesn't want anything to do with me, and who would want me anyway?"

"What grade are you in now, Amanda?"

"I'm a junior."

Paula studied her. She certainly didn't seem like the same person who'd tried to steal from her a couple of days ago. There was something different. Something vulnerable about her.

"It's not too late to turn the grades around," Paula said. "As for the money, there are scholarships and grants for people who really want to go to college."

Amanda snorted. "As if I'd ever get one of those."

"Seriously, you might if you really want it. You have to work for it, though." Paula walked back to the counter. "But maybe you don't want it enough to do what it takes."

"Yeah, maybe not." Amanda started sweeping again. Paula thought the conversation was over, until Amanda stopped sweeping abruptly. "You really think I can do it? I mean the college thing?"

"Yes, I do. But it won't be easy. You'll have to spend a lot of time with your nose in a book."

Amanda rolled her eyes. "I hate history."

"Wanna know a secret?"

"Yeah."

"So did I. And I had to work really hard to get a B in it. It seemed like no matter how hard I studied, I couldn't make an A. There was this one teacher . . ." Paula tapped her finger on her chin. "Can't remember her name, but she didn't like me at all. I tried hard to get everything right with her, but no matter what I did, I felt like she had it out for me."

"I have a teacher like that." Amanda had stopped sweeping again. "Ms. Nelson."

Paula widened her eyes. "That's the same lady. She must be, like, a hundred years old by now."

Amanda smiled. "At least. She makes us read a whole chapter in one night. It's so boring."

"I'll tell you another secret, Amanda. After I graduated from college, I went back to visit some of my old teachers."

"You went to see Ms. Nelson?"

"Not intentionally, but my favorite teacher just happened to be in the classroom next to hers. She heard me, so she came to say hi. She said she was glad I'd made something of myself because I was always one of her favorite students."

Amanda snickered. "Why didn't she ever give you an A?"

Paula shrugged. "I guess because I didn't earn one. But she knew how hard I tried."

"You should have gotten an A just for that."

"So how bad are your grades?"

Amanda thought for a minute. "Um . . . mostly Bs and Cs. One D."

"The D is in Ms. Nelson's class, right?"

Amanda nodded and cracked a smile. "Of course."

A customer came in, so Paula told Amanda to finish sweeping and they'd talk later. As Paula helped the woman find the scent she wanted, she noticed that Amanda seemed to be listening to the conversation again. After the customer paid, Paula dug out a form to start working on her next order.

"Do you think I might be able to get a C in Ms. Nelson's class?"

Paula looked up. "Probably. No guarantee, but I might be able to help you."

Amanda lifted her eyebrows. "How?"

"Why don't you bring your history book with you tomorrow, and I'll show you a few things."

"We're having a test on Friday."

"Perfect timing then." Paula smiled. "I bet we can study for that too."

Alexa came in at five. "Sorry, but I had to wait at the dentist's office. Someone came in with a dental emergency."

"That's fine, but I need to run. Nick's coming over for dinner."

Alexa grinned. "Yes, I know. Have fun."

On the way home, Paula picked up some food for dinner. Nick would eat anything she put in front of him, but since his family worked in the restaurant business, he had access to the best Greek food in town. So she figured she'd fix him something different. Something her mother used to cook—baked chicken and macaroni and cheese. Couldn't mess that up if she tried.

Nick arrived a few minutes before time to pull the food from the oven. "Mmm. Smells good." He followed her into the kitchen. "I heard Amanda came by today. So how'd it go?"

"Good to know the grapevine in Tarpon Springs is still alive and buzzing." She put on her oven mitt and paused. "You were right about Amanda. She's not as bad as I thought."

"So what did you have her do?"

"She swept."

"Is that all?" He stood at the door, filling the space with his arms folded and his feet shoulder-width apart. Paula nearly gulped as she glanced away. His attractiveness overwhelmed her at times.

"Is that all?" she repeated. "What do you want me to do to that girl?"

"Make sure she repays you for the trouble she caused." He tilted his head toward her. "And let her see how much better her life will be if she stays on the straight and narrow."

"You're such a do-gooder, Nick."

"Are you still mad at me about her?"

"I wasn't mad, just annoyed." She pulled the chicken out of the oven and checked to see if it was done before sticking it back in. "Ten more minutes."

"Well?"

Paula pulled off the oven mitt and plopped it on the counter. "I understand now why you did that. Amanda needs some guidance, but who am I to give it? I don't have experience with kids."

"You're perfect. But it's not just guidance she needs."

"Yeah, she needs hope."

"And the Lord," he reminded her.

"Well, that goes without saying."

"Is she coming back?"

Paula nodded. "And she's bringing her history book. You'll never guess who her teacher is."

"Nelson."

"How did you know?"

"The way you said it. Plus I knew she was still teaching."

"Get a load of this, Nick. I'm going to try to help her bring her grade up in Ms. Nelson's class."

"Don't you wish someone had done that for you?"

"Actually, someone did. Remember? You spent countless hours helping me remember stuff for my tests."

Nick made a face. "Yes, I do remember."

"I guess it's my turn to pay it forward."

Nick closed the distance between them, and Paula thought he was going to put his arms around her. He stopped a few feet away and opened the oven door. "I think it's done now. I'm starving."

The next morning Paula got to the shop early. Alexa was scheduled to stay until closing, but since Amanda was coming after school, Paula told her she'd be back.

"You don't have to come back," Alexa said. "I can supervise her."

"I promised I'd help her with history."

Alexa propped her elbows on the counter. "So you're helping her now, huh?"

"Yeah, the poor girl is struggling with Ms. Nelson."

"Poor girl is right. I had Nelson, and she's enough to make anyone want to drop out of school."

"I figure if I can help her get a decent grade in history, she'll feel like she can do anything."

"Isn't that the truth!"

"So I thought I'd run some errands, grab something to eat at home, and come back to take over."

"I'll stick around and take care of the store so you can concentrate on Amanda."

"Thanks." Paula grabbed her handbag. "I'll need all the concentration I can get."

The people at the Senior Center were just finishing up a covered dish lunch when she arrived. Mildred motioned for Paula to follow her to the kitchen. She pointed to a row of ceramic molds. "What do you think about having a manger scene in soap and candles?"

"It's a little late for that," Paula replied.

"I was thinking for next year."

The expression on Mildred's face melted Paula's heart. She didn't have the heart to say she wasn't interested. "I'll ask the man who makes my molds if he can come up with something."

Mildred smiled. "I thought you'd like it. We're working on the saltwater taffy candles this afternoon. Can you afford to hire one more person?"

Paula nodded. "I have an idea. Why don't I give you a budget and put you in charge of production? You can bring in as many people as you need for each project."

Mildred's eyes lit up. "I'll be a supervisor?"

"Yes. We'll have to discuss some of the legal issues of paying people by the project, but I think it'll work."

"That'll be wonderful. I always wanted to be the boss."

Paula laughed. "Now you get to do just that."

With that out of the way, Paula ran home and ate a late lunch. She got back to the shop a few minutes before Amanda came walking in, looking dejected.

"What happened?" Paula asked.

"I told Ms. Nelson I was going to study for the test, and my goal was to get at least a B."

"So what's the problem?"

Amanda rolled her eyes and sighed. "She told me I'd get a B when pigs fly."

Fury raged through Paula as she remembered how mean-spirited Ms. Nelson could be. "Tell you what, Amanda. With enough of a push, pigs can fly just fine. We're gonna get you so studied up, Ms. Nelson will see pigs flying all over that classroom."

Amanda burst into laughter. "That would be hilarious. Too bad we can't make a real pig fly."

"Maybe not, but we'll show her that no one talks to Amanda Katsaros like that and gets away with it." She took some of the books off Amanda's stack and led the way to the back room, where she'd set up a folding chair next to her desk. "Let's get all your other assignments done so we can concentrate on history."

Paula spent a half hour teaching Amanda some tricks and tips on grammar and math. "Nothing is as complicated as we try to make it," she said.

Amanda looked dazed. "This is awesome. I always wondered how the smart kids remembered all this stuff."

"Now you know. If there's not a trick, make one up. That's what I always did." She stuck Amanda's math homework back in the folder and pulled out her English. "This is where you're gonna soar. English is fun when you really get into it."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Nope, I'm serious as a heart attack."

Amanda giggled. "You are so funny." Suddenly her smile faded. "I can't believe you're doing all this for me, after what happened. My mom says you must have some sort of interior motive."

"You mean ulterior motive?"

Amanda nodded. "Yeah, that."

Paula tapped a pencil on the edge of the desk. "You know, your mom is right. I do have an ulterior motive. If your grades improve, and you make something of yourself, you won't have to steal from people like me."

"It still seems weird."

Paula smiled and wiggled her eyebrows. "I've never been accused of being normal."

Amanda laughed again.

"But I have to be honest with you about something. It was Nick's idea for you to come in here and do work for me."

"I know. I was here, remember?"

"Yeah, if he hadn't set this up, we wouldn't be here right now making you all smart and studious." Paula pulled opened the English book. "What page are you on?"

Paula was surprised at how little Amanda understood about the parts of a sentence. But after a half hour of tutoring, Amanda caught on.

"Good job. Now for the dreaded history. Let's see what we can do for you with that."

Amanda groaned and Paula made a face, pretending to gag herself with her finger. They heard a sound by the door and glanced up to see Nick standing there, leaning against the doorframe.

"Looks like the two of you are having way too much fun to be studying." He pulled away from the door, walked over to them, and looked over Amanda's shoulder. "History, huh? I hear you have Ms. Nelson."

"Yeah, and she hates me," Amanda said.

"She hates everyone," Nick said. "But there are people like that everywhere you go, so consider that part of your lesson."

Amanda looked at Paula. "You don't have to deal with people like that, do you?"

"Some of my customers can be rather difficult."

Nick offered a mock salute. "I gotta run. I just wanted to see how the two of you were doing. Call me later, okay?"

Paula nodded and waved as he left. Once he was gone, she caught Amanda staring at her with a curious expression. "Did you have a question?"

"Is Nick your boyfriend?"