LJ Maas - Rebecca’s Cove

“Well, we better not keep you.” Baylor rose abruptly and the three others stared at her.

“Oh, uh, yes,” Hobie agreed. “We really do have to get going. Jules, will you be staying for a few days?”

“Yes.” “No.”

Juliana and Baylor answered simultaneously. Juliana smiled amiably at her friend.

“As a matter of fact, I’ve just decided that a little time on Ana Lia may be exactly what I need,” Juliana added.

“I hope we’ll be seeing you again,” Hobie said.

“I think I can pretty much guarantee that,” Juliana said, moving aside to allow Hobie to pass.

Baylor and Juliana watched as the other women left. Baylor glanced at her watch and quickly dragged her friend to the counter.

“Geez, mate, where’s the fire?”

“There’s something on TV I don’t want to miss. Oh, and just what the hell was that supposed to be back there?” Baylor demanded as they sat down.

“What?”

“What? You were practically all over her, and you say what!”

“When you say ‘her,’ I take it you mean Hobie?” Baylor looked at her friend with a cynical expression.

“Hey, you’re the one who said you were just friends and now you’re acting like she belongs to you. Which is it, my friend?”

“I, uh, you...oh, shut up and let’s eat.” “Look, Baylor—”

“Jules, can this wait till the next commercial?” Baylor held up a hand, never taking her eyes off the television.

Juliana watched as nearly all activity in the diner came to an abrupt halt. It took a moment or two before she realized that everyone was watching the television. It took a few seconds longer to realize that the actors were not speaking English.

“It’s in Spanish, right?” “Yeah.”

“Do you speak Spanish?”

“Maybe a little. You know, a couple of classes in high school.”

“Seems like a really popular show.”

“Oh, yeah. I’ve been watching it since I got to the island. It’s really addictive,” Baylor said distractedly.

“Does somebody else here translate for everyone?”

“No.” Baylor turned and looked at Juliana as though she had grown an additional head in the past few moments. “Why would they?”

“Oh, I get it, all right, very funny. You’re not serious, right?” “Shh.” Baylor stared intently at the television.

Juliana watched the screen, trying to decipher what was happening. “What are they saying?”

“I’m not sure, but I think the brunette has done something terrible to the blonde, and I think the old guy saw it. Or he knows about it somehow.”

Juliana let Baylor order their lunch, although she grew slightly worried at the sound of duck’s breath burgers and munchers. By the time their food came, Juliana had become involved in the television show herself.

“Who’s he?” she asked, popping another muncher into her mouth.

“He’s the blonde’s lover, but I think he might be gay.” “How do you know?”

“He kissed the brunette’s husband. Of course, that might not mean anything considering the brunette’s husband ended up dead the next day.”

“Could have been the kiss of death.” “Exactly what I was thinking.”

The two women ate their lunch and watched television. During the commercial breaks, Juliana found herself drifting into thought. She loved Baylor like a sister. Over the years, they had often competed for the same women, but with one big difference: Baylor was interested in the conquest, the game, but she had a bad habit of not caring for the feelings of the women she became involved with. More often than not, Juliana would voluntarily give up in a bet with her to save the feelings of the woman involved. She had seen her friend grow unreasonably jealous when it came to someone she was interested in, but it was an envy born of possessiveness and ownership, not true love. Juliana wished that just once her friend might experience the latter.

She also wondered at her own behavior. Had she really allowed herself to be drawn into this world of Baylor’s so easily? She attributed it to Baylor’s ability to lure her into her schemes and dreams. That had been a talent of Baylor’s since they’d been children.

What the hell, Juliana thought. She continued to watch the actors on the screen speak in a language with which she was completely unfamiliar. When in Rome...

“Let me ask you something, Jules.”

Baylor and Juliana sat beside the pool in Evelyn’s backyard, sipping margaritas and talking about nothing and everything, the sort of talk of friends who feel completely comfortable with each other. Juliana splashed her feet in the water, but Baylor’s aversion to open water included the pool. She reclined on a lounger in the shade.

“What do you think of me?” Baylor asked. “I try not to.”

“As a writer.” “Absolutely brill, mate.”

“And what about my books?” “What about them?”

“Don’t play games with me.”

“You’ve been thinking again, haven’t you? I told you years ago not to listen to that old man of yours.”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what?” Juliana rose and took a seat in the chaise lounge beside Baylor. She toweled her legs dry and tried to pretend that she didn’t know what Baylor meant.

“When we were in college, I planned to be such a different writer than I am now. I wanted to write novels that would...I don’t know… make a difference or help people in some way. Instead, I write cheap trash. At the very least, I feel like I’m living a lie. I don’t mind writing straight stories, but straight romance? It’s far from what I know, that’s for sure.”

“That trash made you a wealthy woman. Plus, there is no credence to the idea that writing what you know will produce a better novel.”

“I don’t want to sound ungrateful, to you or anyone. It’s just me, I guess.” Baylor ran her fingers through her hair and let her head fall against the back of the lounge chair.

“Let me tell you a story. Remember when we were in college together? I wanted to be a writer just like you.”

“I thought you would be, too. You were better than I was. What happened with that?”

“I set out to write the great American novel. I wanted to be the female Hemingway. I felt I was above writing romance or mystery. I turned down half a dozen advances to write fiction. I had words of substance inside of me that I bloody well wanted the world to know about. I felt I’d done it, too. I finally hawked my perfect masterpiece to every publisher I could get in to see.”

“What happened?”

Juliana smiled at her friend. “They liked it so much that I became an agent so I could tell my authors not to make themselves bonkers over what they’re not getting paid to write and to enjoy the ride over what they are making money to write.”

“Very funny.”

“It’s true in a sad way.” Juliana closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face. “Look, quit making yourself bonkers, mate. I’m telling you this from experience. If you want to feel good about yourself as a writer and writing something different will do that, then go for it. I’ll be behind you all the way. Just don’t do what I did to myself for the first ten years after I became an agent. I hated that I felt like I was selling out my writing. I was very successful as an agent, though. Authors like you helped.” Juliana winked. “So for a long time, I acted like you are now. I beat myself up over the fact that I wasn’t working as a writer. The money was too good to say no, so I felt guilty, thereby making me a pretty miserable person to be around nine-tenths of the time.”

“That’s why you’ve always known just what to say to me, isn’t it? You’ve been there,” Baylor said.

“Boy, have I been there.”

“So how’d you do it? How’d you get past it?”

“I guess I finally made a choice. That sounds simple, doesn’t it? Actually, I was thirty-five years old and had just realized that making a personal decision, one that affected my whole life, was the hardest thing I could ever do. I just wish I’d seen the truth of it twenty years sooner.”

“I hear you.”

Juliana looked on as Baylor nodded. She had always promised herself that she would have this talk with Baylor one day. She had often recognized Baylor’s dilemma regarding her novels. It was odd, though, that here on an island off the coast of Florida, Juliana should find it so easy to open up to her.

A nervous thought passed through her mind just then. She wondered if she should tell Baylor that Evelyn had talked her into coming to the island. Evelyn had pleaded with her to come and see Baylor, but under no circumstances to tell her who had initiated the visit. Even though they were best friends, Juliana had given her word.

She chose to smile in silence at her friend.

“Gee, if I’d known there was going to be a party, I would have brought nicer clothes.” Juliana fastened a thin gold necklace, followed by a matching bracelet.

They were readying themselves for a social event that Baylor wished she were attending alone, or even with Hobie. It was a fundraiser for the Ana Lia Public Library. She had donated an entire set of Harriet Teasley novels, and the Ladies Guild insisted she be there for the event.

“You know, this isn’t going to be quite like the parties in the high-rises on Lake Shore Drive. I don’t picture this as your cup of tea. Maybe you ought to sit this one out.”

“It sounds distinctly as if you don’t want me to come.” Baylor looked at her friend’s hurt expression. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded, mate. Of course you’re welcome to come.”