A while later she rubbed her neck which was starting to feel a bit stiff and glanced at her watch. She couldn’t believe the time. Almost two hours had gone by! No wonder her neck was cramping up. She’d been completely engrossed in Grams’ diary. She couldn’t stay much longer though. It was almost time to pick the kids up from school. But she needed to know what was going to happen next. Grams’ diary was fascinating. She’d had no idea what her grandmother’s life was really like.
The diary began in her high school years, and Mandy was at the point where she had graduated from Radcliffe and was starting to spread her wings in Boston. That meant she was living at home in her family’s Beacon Hill townhouse and had just landed her first job out of college as a teacher at a North End elementary school. Mandy put her feet up and began reading again,
“I have to admit that I’m both thrilled and a bit terrified to be starting my new job tomorrow. My parents are especially pleased about the location. I’ll be able to walk to work and it’s a pleasant walk too, ten minutes tops. And of course father approves because, as he says, “The North End is such a safe area. Nothing bad happens there. The Italians won’t stand for it.” Those were his exact words. I asked him to further explain, and he just said, “They protect their own.” I just love the North End. Always have. Just think, after school’s out for the day I’ll be able to stop by Mike’s Pastry on my walk home for a cup of coffee and something sweet. Wish me luck!”
Grams sounded so young, and so full of excitement. Mandy turned the page, and the next entry was dated a month or so later.
Dearest Diary, I’m so sorry that I’ve neglected you. But I have a wonderful excuse. Two, actually. I love my job! The kids are wonderful and I’ve made a great friend in one of the other teachers. Betty and I have been tearing up the town, going from one party to the next. It seems like there’s been so many fun events lately. But, best of all, I met someone wonderful!
Jay is a true Italian, born and brought up right on Hanover Street. We met at Mike’s Pastry. I was buying some cannolis to bring home for dessert and he couldn’t decide what kind of Torrone to get and asked my advice. Well, you know how I feel about Torrone, that delicious nougat candy? I told him that the vanilla almond dipped in dark chocolate was the way to go. We kept chatting, and he asked me to dinner the following night and we’ve been dating steadily ever since.
I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. He reminds me a bit of Jimmy Stewart, but with darker hair and prettier eyes. They’re a soft blue-gray and his smile just makes me melt. I think about him constantly. We seem to have this amazing connection, where we’re able to talk for hours about anything and everything. Do you suppose this means I’m in love? I’m pretty sure that whatever it is, he’s feeling it too.
The entry ended there, and reluctantly Mandy closed the diary. She couldn’t put off leaving any longer, even though she really wanted to read more. Especially to see who this mysterious Jay was. Unless it was a nickname, it wasn’t her grandfather, who Grams had been married to for over sixty years as his name was Charlie. Maybe Emma or Jill would know.
Mandy put the diary back in its spot on the desk and got up to leave. She was tempted to take it with her, but somehow it didn’t feel right to remove it from Grams’ place. Especially since Emma and Jill were going to be staying here. She’d just have to make a point of dropping by regularly to visit with her sisters and sneak off to read a few pages here and there.
Chapter 6
Moving into Grams’ place was strange. Jill arrived a half hour before Emma and as she walked around going from room to room, it seemed a bit surreal to think that they were going to be living in Grams’ house and running a restaurant that they’d never even known was hers. Why had she kept it a secret all these years? Jill wondered if anyone at Mimi’s Place knew the truth, or if they just thought Grams was a happy, regular customer all these years. It had never been a secret that it was her favorite restaurant.
Jill paused in front of a framed picture of her and her sisters with Grams in the middle. She remembered when they took that picture. Emma had used a tripod and set it up in the dining room, with the curtains open so you could catch a glimpse of the snow falling outside. Once she was satisfied with the setup, she set the timer and raced to jump into place. It took five or six tries to get it right, but the end result was worth it. The picture was great, and they all looked happy and content. Emma and Mandy were newly married and Jill had just moved to Manhattan and gone into business with Billy. Grams looked thrilled as usual just to be surrounded by her girls. Jill’s eyes teared up thinking about Grams. Though she loved her grandmother’s house, it felt so empty without her.
Emma arrived moments later, and they decided to walk downtown to the Club Car on Main Street. Over a bottle of chardonnay and an appetizer of fried calamari, they caught up with each other.
“So, how did it go with Billy? Was he upset about Mimi’s Place taking you out of Manhattan?” Emma reached for a piece of bread out of the basket that had just landed on their table.
“He’s not thrilled. He counts on my being there, to bounce ideas off each other and to help keep everyone focused.”
“He’s a good-looking guy,” Emma commented as she took another bite of calamari.
“He’s hot, and he knows it.” Jill laughed. “Billy loves attention and gets plenty of it.”
“How come the two of you have never hooked up? I’ve often wondered about that.” Emma smiled before taking a sip of wine.
Jill hesitated a moment before saying, “Me and Billy? I’ve always thought that would just be weird. We’re like brother and sister, great friends, not to mention business partners. I don’t think either of us wants to risk losing any of that.”
“That makes sense. So, does he have a girlfriend then?”
“Why, are you interested?” Jill teased.
“No, just curious. I don’t remember you mentioning one.”
“That’s because none of them last long enough to qualify for girlfriend status. Billy dates all the time, but he hasn’t had a serious relationship in years.”
“That sounds familiar,” Emma said wryly.
Jill sighed. It was true. Her love life was virtually nonexistent. She dated a little here and there, but it never seemed to go anywhere. No one had knocked her socks off in a very long time.
“I might work a little too much,” she admitted. Which was an understatement. On a typical day, she was at her desk by seven-thirty and stayed ‘til at least six and a few times a week she and Billy would grab a drink after work and usually one or more of their employees would join them. Theirs was a social job and by the end of the day they were still energized and not ready to go home yet. A drink or two helped them to unwind and laugh about their crazy days.
It also meant that she wasn’t getting out as much with her other friends and more often lately she had been content to do absolutely nothing on a weekend, which of course led to even fewer dates.
“You definitely have a point. So, now that you’re single again, we’ll have to get out there, and see what kind of trouble we can stir up.”