Category : Stories

Sub Category : Suspense/Mystery

Chapter Two 
 She pulled her truck into the spot closest to the cafe. Hearing the familiar chime from the door as she opened it, alerting the lady behind the counter, as well as everyone else, that she was there. She could feel the burn from the locals staring her down. She's used to all of that now, and the low mumble of chatter as people begin to point in her direction. She recalls the first time someone recognized her, and hounded her for an autograph. The first time it scared her, but then she laughed it off. She was in disbelief that someone wanted her autograph. After a while, the excitement wore off, and she craved anonymity. It was too late now, at least that's what her publisher kept telling her. “The price of fame my dear,” the lady with the long silver hair would say.


Marnie made a name for herself, one she would be happy to pass up at any given chance. She loves writing, and telling stories, it’s just all the fame that came along with having a bestselling novel that she wasn't really fond of. What really bothered her, is that she's known as the author who found her family covered in blood. 


Ignoring the locals, she passes them up and takes a spot in the back, near the bathroom. It's quiet back here. As Marnie has her head buried in the menu, a tall woman with short blonde hair, and a muscular build stood before her with a pen and a pad of paper. She was tan. The kind of tan that looked as though she may have worked in the sun for a living. Contradictory to working in a cafe. Marnie was intrigued.


  “Whatcha having?” 

Marnie peaked up over the top of the menu and locked eyes with her, and felt an unfamiliar flutter in her chest that caught her off guard. 

“Oh, um, I...you know, I'll just have a coffee for now please,” she sputtered. 


The tall woman smiled, nodded and turned quickly, then disappeared around the corner. Leaving a heavenly trail of men's cologne in her path. The scent was familiar, she knew that cologne very well, bringing up past memories of her husband that made her smile. 


Once upon a time, she would have ran out in tears, however, Marnie has tried to look back on the wonderful memories of David and Trevor with a smile. That's all she has left of them now, so she wants to keep those happy feelings in tact when she thinks of them. It's all a part of her mental and emotional healing, at least that's what the years of therapy have taught her.
Marnie straightened herself a bit and took in a slow deep breath, and exhaled softly leaving a gentle smile across her face. The tall blonde woman, with a cup of coffee in tow, was headed toward her table.

“Here you are, cream? Sugar?”

“Both, please,”

“Sure thing,” she said then reached into her apron pocket tossing a couple of creamers and a few packs of sugar on the table.

“Tawny? What a pretty and unique name.” Marnie said reading the name tag hanging from the green apron. 

“Thanks, it took me a while to finally like it. After years of being called Scrawny Tawny, I finally grew into it,” she winked as she flexed her arm.

That caught Marnie off guard a bit and she felt her face flush in response. There was something about Tawny that made her nervous. Something that was completely unfamiliar to her, and she wasn't sure if she was scared, or excited. 


Tawny flashed a smile, gave a wink, then she disappeared down the hall towards the kitchen of the cafe. 
Marnie sat at the table watching the steam from her cup dance around before disappearing into nothing. The first sip caused her tummy to grumble a bit. Having been so caught up with Tawny, she hadn't ordered anything to soak up the coffee she was drinking. 
A few moments later, she finally caught Tawny's attention. 


Realizing her mistake before Marnie had a chance to say anything, Tawny apologizes, rushing back to Marnie's table, “I'm so sorry, I completely forgot to take your order. What can I get you?”

“Oh, no worries, it was my fault. I am the one over here gushing over your name.” The instant Marnie said that she wished she could take it back. Gushing? Who says that? 


“Gushing huh?” Tawny said giving Marnie a side smile showing off her single dimple.. 

“Well, now I am a little embarrassed,” Marnie said blushing a bit.

“You see, I am writer, we use words like ‘gushing’ all of the time” Marnie slapped back with a cute little smile of her own.

What am I doing? Why am I flirting?
“A writer huh? What kind of stuff do you write?”

Marnie found it refreshing that Tawny had no idea who she was.
“Oh Mystery/thriller type stuff,” Marnie said, trying to sound nonchalant about it all. 

Tawny raised her eyebrows as if she was impressed by that, “Oh really? Well, I am embarrassed to say that I am not much of a reader these days. Ever since I bought this place in the summer, it's kept me quite busy,”

“This place is yours? I thought it looked a bit different than it did last time I visited.” Marnie said with a little too much excitement. 

“Different, good, or different bad? Tawny jokes.

“All good of course, and the coffee is fresh,” she said holding her cup up as if offering a toast before she took a sip.

“So when was the last time you visited?”

“Last spring, when I bought the cabin by the lake.” Marnie said.

“Oh, so that was you who outbid me?” 
Marnie looked almost shocked, she didn't even know there were other offers. She stuttered a bit in her response before Tawny joked it off as no big deal. 

“It's really not a big deal, I went in low. I think there was a part of me that knew that it wasn't supposed to be mine. I actually found a spot closer to town. I didn't want a thirty minute commute anyway, I think it all worked out the way it was supposed to.”

Marnie feeling relieved a bit by her response, she smiled, “Well, I was looking for something with zero distractions. I actually came here to write my next novel,” she finished, sitting up a tad taller than before. 

“So your other novels have done well?”

“Novel, just one, but yes, it did really well.” She stopped there. She didn't go on to say that it had made the New York times, Bestseller list. 


“Well, I guess I need to carve out some time to start reading again,” she said with a wink.

“Sir? Excuse me sir?” a gruff little man shouted from a corner booth behind Tawny. 

Marnie, feeling a bit uncomfortable said, “Um, I think that man is talking to you,”


Tawny’s face dropped, suddenly looking a bit annoyed as she turned around to face the eager man in the corner. 


“Oh, I am sorry, I just thought, I mean, from the back, I,” the man obviously meant well as he choked on his words a bit. 

“It's all right, sir. I get that a lot.” she joked then asked how she could be of service. 

Marnie liked the kind and professional way she responded. She also liked that Tawny wore mens jeans, and a baggy T. And the cologne she wore tingled Marnie's senses a bit more than she wanted admit. She wasn't sure if the scent brought back memories of a happier time in her life, or if it was Tawny that excited her.

As Tawny wandered off to help the man, it dawned on her that she still hadn't ordered anything. She laughed to herself, that means Tawny will just have to come back to her table. 

A moment later, She returned with a handful of creamers and happily dropped them on the table for the man in the corner booth. He smiled and gave her a thankful nod, then she turned towards me with a grin that set the butterflies in my tummy lose. 

“Okay, before we get sidetracked again and you end up killing me off in one of your murder mysteries for nearly starving you to death. What can I get you to eat?” 


Marnie chuckled in her response, “I'll just have a bagel, warmed, with cream cheese on the side, please.”

“You got it, now would that be regular cream cheese or?”

“Oh, there are options now?” Marnie said, a little too flirty. 

“Well, yes, we have, strawberry, a garlic something or other and a cinnamon spice, just in time for fall,” she finished with the little wink she does, something Marnie has grown quite fond of.


“Ooh, I think I'll have the cinnamon,” she said, flashing her beautiful smile, “Tis the season!”


“Coming right up,” Tawny said quickly then headed back down the hall. Leaving Marnie alone to sit with her thoughts. Am I flirting? I am definitely flirting. What has gotten into me? And over bagels?


Marnie wanted to bury her face in her hands and die from embarrassment, but Tawny was already on her way back, holding a plate with a bagel and cream cheese on the side. 

“Wow, that is what I call service,” Marnie said, then instantly regretted it. 
Why am I being so weird, get it together, Marnie!

“Well, I am to please,” Tawny said with a laugh, realizing just how silly she sounded.

“Okay, now I don't feel bad, you're clearly just as cheesy as me,” Marnie said flippantly. They both laughed. 

Tawny untied the back of her apron and slipped it off over her head, then gestured to Marnie, asking without words, if she minded if she sat down to join her.

Marnie held out her hand to the chair across the table, “Please, sit.”
Tawny sat down, and they both chatted for about forty five minutes straight until some young girl, about sixteen or so, nervously approached their table. 
“Hi Tawny, is it ok I take my break now?” the mousey girl asked in almost a whisper. 

Tawny jumped up from the table, took one quick look at Marnie, “Sorry, the time just slipped away, can we continue this another time?” she said, then slipped her card out of her wallet and set it on the table for Marnie.

“Absolutely, go take care of your cafe, I gotta head out anyway, it was great chatting with you,” Marnie smiled at her, then gathered up her things and went to stand in line to pay.

“It's on me this time,” Tawny whispered in her ear as she passed by with two coffees in her hand for the table to the left of her.

Marnie had no time to insist, so she smiled and waved, the door chimed as she opened it, and chimed again as it closed.

She gave one last look through the window of the cafe before she jumped into her truck, and to her surprise, Tawny was already watching as she walked away. They exchanged one last smile, then Marnie started her truck, and drove away.