A Gossipy Interlude

A/N: We're checking in with the denizens of Loretta's Beauty Shop. We'll head back to he book tour on Wednesday!

Eve flipped through Loretta's magazines, but she couldn't settle on one. Where was Phyllis? Corinne was putting a clear coat of polish on Ideal's nails and Loretta was putting the finishing touches on Beverly's permanent. She didn't have much time until her next showing, and she wanted to…to…

Convene a strategy session? Eve heard the voice in her head as clearly as if Jessica were standing right next to her. Eve huffed. It wasn't like that. She just wondered if the girls had noticed the things she had. That's all. After all, Jessica had been gone quite a long time on this book tour. Quite the longest one she'd made. But of course her last book had been adapted into a movie, which had been oddly successful, and had made Jessica, JB, she corrected mentally, into something of a celebrity. "She's no Danielle Steele," murmured Eve absently, "but…"

"You look awfully pensive Eve," said Phyllis gaily. "Things not going well with Mark?"

"What?" Eve whirled around, surprised to see Phyllis in the shop. She hadn't heard the bells jingle. "No, no. I mean, yes, they are. That's not what I was thinking of." She pointed a finger at Phyllis. "You startled me!".

Phyllis looked at Eve coolly. "You called earlier to find out what time my appointment was today. How could I have startled you?"

Flustered, Eve flapped her hands in Phyllis' direction. "You're right, you're right. I'm glad you're here. Listen," she addressed the group. "Have you noticed anything strange lately?"

"Strange?" Beverly repeated. "What do you mean?"

"'I'm surprised at you, Beverly! You of all of us should have the best answer to that question!" Beverly looked confused. "Do I have to spell it out for you?" The girls nodded dumbly in her direction. "Honestly," she groused, then began pacing. "One: Doc's been awfully busy lately, hasn't he Beverly?"

She nodded. "Uh huh. He's been working on his rooms every spare moment he's got." She paused for a moment. "'Cept when he's exercising, that is."

Eve pointed at Beverly. "That's number two. Any idea how much weight he's lost, Beverly?"

Beverly looked surprised. "How should I know? Doc never confides anything personal to me. Ever!" She looked faintly disturbed by the thought. She prided herself on her professionalism. Nurses were not supposed to fraternize with their doctors. She knew it happened, but it had never happened with her. And it wouldn't. She wasn't entirely sure how Jessica would feel about it anyway. "Huh."

Eve wheeled on her. "What?"

"Nothing," said Beverly. "Not exactly," faltered Beverly under the weight of Eve's stare. "I just hadn't put two and two together is all."

"And what two and two is that?"

"Well," Beverly said reluctantly. "I was only thinking that perhaps Doc might be interested in something," she hedged.

"Something?" repeated Eve scathingly. "How about someone?"

"Oh, Eve," protested Phyllis. "You ready for me Loretta?"

"Yes, honey. We'll get you shampooed first." Loretta got Phyllis settled into a shampoo chair, then turned to look at Eve. "How do you figure?"

Eve sighed dramatically. "One: he's been working on his rooms upstairs. Why? We know he rents, so why would he put his own money into such a project?"

"How do you know that?" squeaked Beverly.

"I asked."

"You asked Doc?" Beverly's eyes were practically popping out of their sockets.

"Of course not! I asked Old Mr. Anderson." Eve turned to smile sweetly at Beverly. "And he told me that Doc asked him for permission to renovate the rooms and offered to pay!"

All the girls gasped. The idea of the Doc spending good money, or even bad, on something that didn't belong to him? It wasn't like him at all.

Eve, feeling that her curiosity was properly appreciated, continued enumerating the facts. "Two: he's exercising regularly to lose weight."

"I saw him jogging on my way to work this morning," ventured Corinne.

"You see!" crowed Eve.

"Now, wait a minute, Eve. You've got two things that may not even be related. You think Seth is interested in a woman, and this is all the proof you've got?" Loretta always strived to be the voice of reason. She liked a good gossip session same as anybody, but this felt a little too out there for her taste. She liked the doc. He'd always been pleasant to her. And the way he fawned over Jessica Fletcher like a puppy dog. It was cute, in a way. She wished she had a man, any man, who looked at her the way the doc looked at Jessica.

"This isn't all the proof I've got, and furthermore, I'm almost positive I know who the woman is!"

"If you say Jessica," drawled Phyllis.

"I do say Jessica," said Eve indignantly.

"Oh, Eve. We all know he's pining for Jess! For heaven's sake. You had me thinking… well, bigger for sure."

"But this is big, Phyllis!"

"I agree with Eve," said Ideal suddenly. "Jessica's out of town. She's been gone for six weeks and she's not due to be back for another six weeks. A person can drop a lot of weight in that amount of time." Ideal nodded as though she'd said something significant.

Eve bit her tongue, even though the perfect retort was sitting right there at the tip of it. "Exactly! After I noticed Seth's station wagon stuffed to the gills with home improvement items, I decided to stop in at the hardware store. Bill, Mr. Handley," she corrected, though none of the women were fooled, "he told me that Seth has been coming by for several weeks now, buying materials for various projects around the house. Specifically upstairs, and" Eve waited until all eyes were on her, "and specifically the bedroom," she announced dramatically.

"Oh, Eve, come on!" cried Phyllis. "So Seth is updating his place. Big deal. What has that to do with Jessica? He's followed her around town for years and naught has come of it. She's too happy with her independence."

"And with those men she has her picture made with," added Ideal slyly.

"Exactly!" said Phyllis. "Jessica enjoys her life, and why shouldn't she? Plenty of money, a terrific figure, and apparently all the eligible bachelors she wants, right at her fingertips." Phyllis looked around. "Who among us wouldn't want the same?"

"I wouldn't," said Ideal softly. "I mean," she stammered as all eyes turned to her, "I wouldn't mind having just one man who was interested in me. As devoted to me as the doc is to Jessica," she said, feeling braver.

"Oh, Ideal," grumbled Phyllis. "You're thinking like the lovesick ninny you've always been! Jessica had her true love," finished Phyllis quietly. "We all know what she was like when Frank died."

The room was quiet for a long moment. "I remember," said Eve, her tone uncharacteristically gentle. "You forget I loved Frank too." She dashed the tears from her eyes. "Not like Jessica, though. And he never felt about any woman the way he felt about Jessica. Plain foolish over that woman," she finished sharply.

"You know, I'd almost forgotten the two of you worked together," said Loretta.

"Gave me my first job! I was a mess after…well, after," she said. "He and Jessica helped me. Sort of built me up again." She looked up at the circle of women. "It's not mere gossip, and it's not just my imagination. We all know Seth Hazlitt is in love with Jessica. What I've been trying to tell you is that Jess is just as much in love with him."

The room went still, then all the women started talking at once, shouting down Eve's suggestion.

Loretta put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. The shrill noise was enough to quieten the room. "Now that's quite enough," she said crisply. "As it happens," she gazed around the room steadily. "As it happens, I agree with Eve. I think Jessica's been in love with the doc for a good long while now."

"Poppycock," erupted Phyllis, but Loretta merely held up a hand.

"How many books has she written now? 5? 10? I can't remember. At least two of 'em were made into movies."

"Don't forget that television thing," Eve piped.

Loretta threw her a look. "When's the last time Jessica was out on a book tour, Phyllis?"

Phyllis thought for a moment. "I'd say it's been a year at least. Maybe a little more."

"And how long was that tour?"

"Only a few weeks."

"She'll be gone another six weeks from today," burst Eve. "3 months!"

Loretta came over pensive. "I doubt Mary Higgins Clark goes out that long to sell her books."

"She doesn't have to," murmured Ideal.

"Nor does Jessica," said Eve. "If we're talking about money here." She turned suddenly. "You've been awfully quiet, Beverly. What do you think?"

Beverly stood a little straighter. "I'm a professional; I don't divulge confidences." She put up a hand to forestall Eve's retort. "None related to the doc or the office," she said primly. "Besides, Doc hasn't confided in me about anything. Won't let me see the upstairs. He doesn't work on it until I'm gone for the day. But Doc and I have worked together now for a little more than seven years now. I'm a good judge of character, and I know the doc. Know him almost as well as I know myself." Eve snorted. "He loves Jessica. He loves her dearly. And you're right, Eve. You're right about Jessica, too. She's in love with him. She just won't admit it. Probably not even to herself. But she is."

Eve looked at her watch. "Oh, damn! I'm going to be late for my appointment if I don't leave now."

"But Eve, now that you and Beverly have dropped this bombshell on us, what are we going to do?"

"Do? Do?" Eve laughed. "Help them along, of course! No offense, Beverly, but Seth is going to need all the help we can give him. I've got to run, girls. We'll talk soon!"

"What we should do," said Loretta with quiet authority, "is leave them alone to work it out themselves." Eve responded by blowing a saucy kiss towards Loretta as she flitted out of the shop.

"I declare," murmured Phyllis as Loretta began shampooing her hair.