“Yes, I must.” She set her tray of chicken-and-wild-rice soup, turkey and cheddar on wheat bread, ice water with lemon, and a Trinity Falls Fudge Walnut Brownie on the table and sat on the chair opposite her reluctant companion.
Ramona spooned up her vegetable soup. “I’d’ve thought you’d want to spend every waking hour with your great-aunt before returning to L.A.”
Amused, Benita returned her high school classmate’s skeptical stare. “I do. But apparently she doesn’t want to spend her every waking moment with me. One of her civic committees is having a lunch meeting. Where’s Quincy?”
“He’s having lunch with friends. For these first few days, we’ve agreed to visit with friends and family during the day. But the evenings are for us.” A smile softened Ramona’s disapproving expression. Something very much like envy pinched Benita in the gut.
“That sounds like a good plan.” Benita spread a paper napkin on her lap and prepared to dig into her lunch.
“I’m glad you agree.” Ramona slid aside her empty soup bowl and lifted her glass of lemonade.
Benita lowered her spoon. “Ramona, why are you always sniping at me?”
“It’s residual resentment from when you ran against me for homecoming queen.”
Benita gave her undeclared rival credit. Her reasoning was ridiculous, but at least she didn’t deny her behavior. “Our high school homecoming competition?”
“That’s the only one we had.” Ramona responded in a singsong voice.
“That was almost two decades ago. You’re still holding a grudge?”
“It seems that way.”
Benita frowned. “But you won.”
“Yes, but you still ran against me. And you’re a big success in Los Angeles.”
“You were mayor of Trinity Falls. And now you’re living in Philadelphia.” Benita paused as a curious expression feathered across Ramona’s face. “What is it?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Don’t say it’s nothing when it’s clearly something. Tell me.”
Ramona blinked at her. “I’ve got to use those words and that delivery on Quincy.”
“Be my guest, but I don’t think it works on men.”
“Probably not.” Ramona turned her head to look around Books & Bakery.
Benita followed her gaze. It was high noon and the café was packed. Several groups had crowded around the café tables and didn’t look as though they were in a hurry to leave. The bar stools were all taken and a line stretched the length of the café. To-go bags were being packed as Doreen and the older couple she’d hired hustled to keep up with customer orders.
Benita returned her attention to Ramona. “So what’s on your mind?”
“I’m not sure I’m happy in Philadelphia.” Ramona shrugged. “I supposed I can tell you that. Since we aren’t friends, I don’t really care what you think of me.”
Benita uttered a surprised laugh. “That’s good, because I think you’re strange.”
Ramona frowned. “No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you really are.” Benita sipped her water. “We may never be friends, but could we at least agree to bury the past? High school was eighteen years ago.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Ramona picked up her sandwich, avocado and provolone on whole grain.
“Thanks.” Benita smiled at Ramona’s grudging acceptance. “Listen, Philly’s a big change after Trinity Falls.”
“Mansfield is a big change after Trinity Falls.”
Perhaps Ramona was right. After all, Mansfield, Ohio, boasted almost forty-seven thousand residents compared to Trinity Falls’s mere fifteen hundred.