Pieces of Me (Midnight Steel Trilogy Book 1) Page 3

  Corie took a quick glance over at Tina as she chatted with a nearby table. While she always tried to get along with everyone, sometimes Tina could even push her buttons. “I know he hurt you, Kels. I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” Corie reached across and squeezed her best friend’s hand.

  Kelsey smiled back at Corie. “Thanks, Cor. I don’t know what I would have done without you. At least that jerk dumped her pretty quick after all her bragging about what a perfect couple they were!”

  “What goes around comes around!” Corie said causing both girls burst out laughing. They tried to stop when Tina brought their food, but they laughed even harder as Tina walked away shaking her head and mumbling about crazy people.

  The two friends chatted away as they nibbled on their lunch. Tina returned only to drop the check on the table, not asking either if they wanted anything else. The girls realized that the not so subtle hint was their cue to leave.

  Since the two girls had finished their meal, they stood up and slipped into their coats. They said goodbye to the people they knew and told them all to be careful in the upcoming snowstorm. They made their way over to the cash register and handed their check over.

  “Here are my two favorite customers! And how are you beautiful ladies today?” Claude Derrins, the owner and chef of the Main Street Café, greeted them with his usual bubbly personality.

  Corie smiled over at Kelsey. “Simply wonderful, Claude! I see Marie let you out of the kitchen today.”

  Claude put his finger to his lips to say Shhh. “Don’t say that too loud. I’m just out front while she’s at the bank.”

  “It’s always nice to be able to say hello to you, Claude. Just don’t get caught,” Kelsey giggled. Claude was a very large man, but he was a bit terrified of his diminutive wife, Marie. She ran the café, while he cooked, but she rarely let him out of the kitchen. No one understood why, not even Claude.

  Kelsey and Corie handed Claude the money for their bill. “Did you girls enjoy your lunch?”

  “Your meatloaf was superb as usual. You will always be my chef of choice, Claude.” Her praise and kind smile caused the chef’s weathered cheeks to redden.

  “And my minestrone soup was simply heaven. I’ve never had better.” Kelsey added. “Now the waitstaff could be a bit…” But before Kelsey could finish, Corie lightly stepped on her foot in warning. “A bit faster, that’s all.” Kelsey flashed an innocent smile at Claude and headed out the door.

  “Hmm…she’s still upset about Bobby isn’t she?” Claude said rolling his eyes at Corie.

  Corie giggled. “Forgive and forget is not in her vocabulary. Take care, Claude.” With a wave, Corie followed the already departed Kelsey out the door into the parking lot.

  Kelsey shivered in the cold as she turned to her arriving friend, “Well you be careful in the snow, Corie. If the lines go down, you still have Stan’s son Billy automatically plow you out, right?”

  “Yes, I will and yes, I do, worry-wort! I will be just fine. You know I love the snow.” They both hugged before heading towards their cars.

  “God knows why you like the snow so much. I think you’re crazy.” Kelsey called out as she tossed her purse into her car.

  “Honey, that goes without saying!” Laughing Corie got into her Tahoe and waved to Kelsey before she started to pull out. It was time to stop at the gas station to fill her gas cans and then it was homeward bound.

  Corie turned into her dirt drive and conscientiously avoided the never-ending supply of potholes that winter had graced her with. She pulled the Tahoe around the side to drop off the gas. The heavy containers were unloaded into the attached shed, and Corie hoped that they wouldn’t be needed this time around.

  Then she drove the Tahoe around the front to unload the grocery bags, which she placed on the front porch. Finally, the Tahoe made it to its resting-place inside the barn, where it would spend the night out of the way of the expected storm.

  The small farm was both Corie’s refuge and her home. Besides the large house, she had a good-sized barn that she used mainly for storage. There was also a small chicken coop that housed the dozen or so Rhode Island Red hens that came with the property when she purchased it. They kept her regularly supplied with fresh eggs.

  The previous owners had left her with an above average hen house. They had insulated the walls and installed heat lamps for cold winter nights. Corie always surround it with several bales for straw for a little extra help during the frigid months.

  Corie walked up the steps to the wide sweeping front porch and picked up the first load of grocery bags that needed to be brought inside. The porch spread across the front of the house and wrapped around one side. It was just perfect for sitting outside on a hot summer night. The wicker furniture that usually graced the planked porch was stored in the barn for the winter. Briefly, the wind picked up for a moment causing the wooden corner swing to sway in the breeze.

  A blast of cold arctic air followed her through the front door as she carried the heavily, laden bags into the house. Corie bypassed the staircase that led up to the three bedrooms and headed through the living room towards the kitchen.

  The living room was designed for comfort. Corie had it done up in different earth tones with splashes of many shades of red coming from the assorted throw pillows and handmade rugs. As she passed through the room, Corie tossed her purse onto one of the multiple side tables.

  During her first year in the house, Corie had done quite a bit of upgrading and redecorating. Rough wood beams now ran through the downstairs ceilings giving off a rustic feel. The family room and dining room walls were a light sandy brown, with a slightly darker trim. A large fieldstone fireplace graced one wall in the family room, while another held a large built-in bookcase. The wood floor was made of wide dark planks with area rugs scattered over it.

  She deposited several heavy grocery bags on the uncluttered granite kitchen counter and went back for more. The kitchen was her favorite room in the house. It was always the center of every home and Corie made sure it felt that way in hers. Even though it was filled with modern stainless appliances, she made sure that they did not distract from the old country feel that the room held. The dark oak wood that Corie had used, matched well with the hunter green walls and accents. Several strategically placed windows enabled the room to have sunlight for most of the day. The most eye-catching part of the room was the large walk-in fireplace. It too was made of fieldstone, and the warmth it brought the room was not just from the fire.

  It didn’t take her long to get everything into the house and put away. Once that was done, Corie made herself a cup of hot green tea and headed to her precious antique pedestal kitchen table to sit for a bit. Four matching chairs surrounded it, while behind it was a large picture window that overlooked the dense forest that surrounded her property.

  As she sat at the table watching the gray sky get darker, she wondered when the snow was going to start. To her disappointment, it hadn’t. However, the low dark clouds held the promise that the snow would certainly be starting soon.

  Suddenly her cell phone rang, shaking Corie out of her daydreaming. She fished it out of her back pocket. “Hello.”

  “Hello my favorite country mouse,” said the familiar voice on the other end.

  “And hello to you too my favorite publisher. How goes things in the big city?” Corie automatically smiled when she realized that it was DeeDee on the phone. She had been her publisher since day one, and they got along extremely well. Over the years, they managed to become good friends, on top of their professional relationship.

  “The big city is cold and nasty right now, which is why I am home in my wonderfully warm apartment with the fire going. I hear you are in for a pretty good blast of snow up there. I still can’t believe that you live in the middle of nowhere, Corie. Haven’t you tired of the no cappuccinos, no delivery food, and no theater, yet?” DeeDee still wondered even after all these years how Corie could live that far away from a big ci
ty.

  “Not in the least!” she laughed. “You know I’ll take my old farmhouse over your modern high-rise any day. “ Corie shivered at the thought of returning to any big city. She had all but sworn them off.

  The only time she found herself going to Boston, New York, Chicago or any other large city was when she was promoting a new novel and doing book signings. That was more than enough for her. In one day and out the next suited her just fine.

  Through the glass window, Corie saw the leaves getting whipped up by the wind. The sky seemed even darker to her now. “So what do I owe the honor of this pleasure?” she asked DeeDee.

  “Just checking up on you and the new novel. How’s it coming?”

  “Actually, it’s shaping up quite nicely.” Corie then proceeded to tell DeeDee about the plot she had outlined for it and by the time the call was finished, Corie had agreed to email DeeDee her outline along with the first few chapters. Her publisher had wanted to get a feel for the storyline.

  After they hung up, Corie made herself another mug of tea, this time choosing a stronger earl gray. Then she headed to her office to try to get her daily allotment of writing done.

  The room was toward the back of the house. Corie wasn’t sure what to do with it in the beginning, but she had never found another suitable room, so it became her office by default. It was the size of a medium bedroom, and Corie wondered if it may have been a servant’s quarters or a sewing room at one time, but now it was ideal for her to use to write in.

  As she entered the room, she stopped by the floor to ceiling bookcases that lined the left wall and adjusted some books that were askew. A local carpenter had made the elegant shelving units for her, and she was extremely pleased by their superb quality. They now held books that were both hers and other favorites, all of her invaluable resource books and other writing tools.

  The cozy office actually connected to the downstairs bathroom, which ended up being very convenient since quite often Corie found herself writing late into the night. On the wall near the door, she added a day bed so she could rest whenever she needed to.

  However, her favorite part of the room was that it too had a fireplace, even though it was a small one. She now walked over to the hearth and lit herself a blazing fire. Since Corie spent many long nights in here with winter being such a long endless season in Maine, most of these nights were spent with a roaring fire as she worked on whatever current story she had going. She found it inspired her considerably. It was the perfect atmosphere for her writing. Here she was able to let her creativity just flow from her head through to her fingers and then into the computer.

  In the short three years that she had lived in Maine, she had produced four best sellers. That combined with her other six published novels, had put her on the map to be a very successful writer. That success had allowed her to live very comfortably on her off-the-beaten-path farm.

  She placed her mug of tea on the desk and booted up her computer. Within no time at all, she was checking her emails and replying to those that required it. Then she closed her online connection and opened her latest story.

  Only to have the phone ring again.

  “Who said it’s quiet in the country?” Corie mumbled as she reached for the phone on the corner of the crowded desk.

  “Who wants me?” she said answering the phone impatiently. Her fingers were itching to get started.

  “I don’t want you, I want your 35mm camera. You promised I could borrow it, and I meant to remind you today at lunch, but I forgot. You said that you had to find it, so get looking girl!” Kelsey rambled.

  “Okay, okay! I’ll go do that now before I get writing. You sure you don’t want my digital camera instead? That’s nice and handy.” Corie looked over to her bookcase and saw the camera sitting right there, unlike the 35mm which was upstairs in one of her unpacked boxes.

  “No, I really need the 35mm, Corie,” Kelsey begged. “This photography class I’m going to be taking requires it.”

  She really didn’t feel like looking for the camera right then, but she knew that she had promised Kelsey. “I’ll have it for you, don’t worry.”

  “Great! Happy camera hunting! “The two friends said their goodbyes and Corie hung up. She knew that getting this out of the way right then was the best thing,

  She ran upstairs to the back guest bedroom. Flicking on the light, the pale yellow room filled with a soft glow. It was the smallest of the three bedrooms, so Corie tended to use it the least.

  “I think I may have it in one of the boxes inside here,” Corie muttered to herself as she opened the closet doors. There in the back corner was a stack of musty boxes. Groaning, she pulled them out one by one. Once she had them into the room, Corie sat cross-legged on the floor and started going through them.

  In the second dusty box, about halfway down, was the black camera case. “Hallelujah,” she said to herself. “Now I can finally get back to the computer.”

  Corie reached in to remove the camera and had it partway out of the box when she noticed a bunch of loose pictures that had been underneath. She placed the black case down beside her and then picked up several of the photos. When she realized what they were, she gasped.

  The forgotten snapshots were from several years ago, back when she still lived in Boston. Back when she lived in an entirely different world. They were of her and Jeremy, and their summer vacation to Cape Cod.

  Through a blur, she saw pictures of her splashing in the ocean, of Jeremy standing on the dunes with the wind in his hair and the shot they had a stranger take of them hugging on the beach.

  Jeremy. She hadn’t thought about him in a long time. In fact, she had forced all memories of him out of her head. Gone. Until now.

  There was Jeremy the love of her life. Jeremy who promised they would be together forever. And Jeremy who ultimately betrayed her.

  Corie violently threw the pictures back into the carton. “Damn you, Jeremy! I thought I left your memories behind when I left Boston!” she yelled at the empty room. Corie stood up abruptly, and the kicked the box in frustration.

  After a moment or pacing the small room in utter turmoil, she knew what she had to do. Bending down she took all of the vacation photos out of the box.

  Every single heartbreaking one.

  Then she picked up the camera and took everything downstairs with her.

  As Corie passed through the living room, she left the camera on one of the side tables. Once she was back into her office, she stood in front of the still burning fire. Finally, she looked down at the photos she held in her trembling hand.

  “Goodbye, Jeremy Watson.” Corie tossed the photos into the bright flames and watched as the edges caught fire first and began to curl. When the only thing left of them was a pile of ash, she left the room and headed for the one place she could always find comfort – the window seat.

  She lay there wrapped in her favorite soft throw and resting on a variety of fluffy colorful pillows. Quietly, she just stared out into the twilight. Too many memories came flooding back to her, both good and bad. She had wanted to be over him, and it pained her that she wasn’t. The tightness in her chest proved that.

  Not knowing what else to do, she closed her eyes to the world. When she finally drifted off to sleep, a lone tear escaped down her cheek. Corie sighed in her slumber and snuggled down deeper into the pillows. Outside, in the now pitch black night, the first snowflakes began to fall.

  Chapter 3

  The party for Midnight Steel was still in full swing several hours later. Laz had managed to entertain himself longer than he anticipated, but during this whole evening, he found that he just could never completely relax.

  After attempting to socialize around the suite a bit, he exiled himself to a back corner. Laz grimaced as he saw Crystal return to the room with a disheveled, but smiling member of the band that opened for them. “And she remains a cheap tramp,” he said to himself, thankful that he was rid of her.

  “Maybe it’s time g
o,” he started to think. He was back to being completely bored again. The scotch was making him more impatient and less tolerant of these people than usual. He laughed at himself when he realized the craziness, the noise, and the women here were no longer to his liking. “When the bloody hell did I get so boring?”

  But instead of leaving, he walked over to the bar and started to pour himself another glass. In the middle of his pour, he felt someone bump into him, causing him to splash the Glenlivet on the bar.

  “Bloody hell! Watch where you’re going!” he growled turning to the clumsy individual.

  “Oh wipe that damned scowl off your face, mate! You’ll scare all the pretty birds away.”

  Laz looked up and saw Ethan grinning from ear to ear.

  “That’s the point!”

  “When did you get so bloody weird on me, Laz!” Ethan laughed. “Well, it’s over, and we did it, Mate! We just finished the hottest fuckin’ tour on the face of the earth!”

  “Thank God for that,” Laz said raising his glass in a silent toast.

  “So you ever gonna tell me, what’s the hell’s going on with you?” Ethan took a purposeful sip of his beer to give Laz a moment.

  “What do you mean, Ethan? I’m all right.” Laz put a quick smile on his face, but that didn’t convince his friend.

  “Don’t bullshit me Laz, I’ve known you too bloody long. You’ve been an unsociable mean son of a bitch lately, and actually, it’s been more like months. You’re snapping at everyone and everything, drinking too much and just being a fucking wanker at times. You’ve always been moody, but not like this man. I’ve waited long enough for you to come out it, so since you haven’t, we’re gonna deal with this now.”

  Laz could see that Ethan was serious and it was rare for him to confront him like this, but still, he tried to play it off as nothing. “Ethan, I’m fine. See, I’m here at this party enjoying myself. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  “Enjoying yourself? Yeah right, dude. That pissed off sneer you’ve had on your face all night was just my imagination, right?” Ethan’s sarcastic tone was not lost on Laz. “You’ve spent more time in this corner alone, than out in the crowd. So what gives?”