Chapter 3: The Lunch Date
The Rudder and Relish was a two story restaurant with a navy blue facade that stood between a dry goods store and a barber shop. Abby paused for a moment outside to admire the winter jasmine in the window box, then entered the establishment, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the dimmer lighting. The walls of the restaurant were covered in nautical paraphernalia, and overhead, trawler-style lamps hung from the ceiling, casting a golden glow that made the space feel more intimate.
The place was abuzz with patrons, some seated at the bar and others crowded around a large communal table in the middle of the floor, cracking open crawfish and crab legs with gusto. Couples sat in booths by the windows, enjoying sodas and ice cream sundaes, and over in the corner, several children played board games and cards at a low table seemingly set aside for that purpose.
It was every inch a community hub (and probably one of the only restaurants in town), and it felt to Abby as though half of Cherin Cove was there, crowded into the warmly-lit room amidst the cheerful ruckus of three dozen conversations and the tantalizing smells of lemon and garlic and pepper.
Scanning the room, she located Sherwin standing nearby, having a conversation with the restaurant host. His back was to her, so she decided to linger by the door for a moment, taking the opportunity to observe her newest acquaintance without his notice.
He was wearing a ruddy-colored Shetland sweater as he had been on the day that she'd met him, but his fishing bib was noticeably absent, and it looked as though he'd attempted to clean up for their lunch date. The overhead lighting cast a favorable glow upon his dark thatch of hair and the well-defined lines of his shoulders, and though his figure was neither particularly tall nor imposing, there was something about the easy way he stood in the midst of a crowd that intrigued Abby.
I don't know if I'd call him handsome, she mused, thinking that she ought to take stock of such things so that she could describe the man to her sisters. His features aren't particularly striking, aside from that scar over his eye, and his manner would be considered a bit unpolished by most…but he has a pleasing smile, and there seems to be something strong - or maybe steady - about him.
She'd observed the latter trait in both of her brothers-in-law, and she knew that her sisters would appreciate such an attribute in any date of Abby's. Of course, one meet up with Sherwin did not a future with him make, and it was foolhardy to attempt an evaluation of his character so soon after meeting him when there wasn't much to go off of other than what was visible, but Abby knew her sisters, and she knew that questions would be asked and details would be demanded. She might as well prepare herself for the onslaught as best as she could.
Before she could indulge in further reflection, however, the host of the Rudder and Relish caught her eye and said something to Sherwin, who turned around with a grin and walked over to meet her.
"Good afternoon, Miss Abby," he said. "I was just talkin' to Dan about our table. He saved us a nice little spot in the corner by the window. I hope you're ready to taste some first-rate seafood."
"Don't forget the carrot cake," Abby reminded him as he led the way over to their table.
"Wouldn't dream of it." Sherwin pulled out her chair and scooted her in, then seated himself, handing her the menu card. "Dan said the cod's real fresh today, but the crab and the shrimp cocktail are always solid bets."
"What are you having?" Abby asked, eyeing the prices on the menu. She wasn't picky when it came to seafood and didn't want to order something more expensive than what he was planning to get for himself.
"I usually have a fish sandwich or some fried oysters when I stop in for lunch," he replied, "but it ain't everyday I get to dine with a special guest, so I think I'll splurge on some sea bass today." As though sensing her hesitation, he added affably, "Choose whatever suits you, and don't worry about the price. I'd be doin' Cherin Cove's hospitality a bum turn if I nickled and dimed you into gettin' clams when you really wanted a lobster."
"Clams are easier to eat," Abby shrugged. "As long as carrot cake is on the card, I'm satisfied."
Sherwin laughed. "You really like carrot cake, don't you?"
"It's one of my favorite desserts. No one else in my family appreciates it, so I don't get to eat it very often."
"Maybe if they try the Rudder and Relish's version, they'll come around," he suggested.
"Maybe," Abby agreed, "but they're not here with me. I came alone."
Sherwin looked surprised.
"This isn't the first time I've traveled by myself," Abby added, setting the menu card aside. "My work has taken me to a few different places in New York, but I've never been to this part of Long Island before."
"What made you want to pay us a visit?"
"An old schoolmate of mine lives here - Samantha Taylor."
"You went to school with Sammie Taylor?"
"We haven't seen each other in years," Abby clarified, "but she was one of my closer friends in class. We've occasionally written to each other, but this will be the first time I've visited her since she moved back to Long Island."
"Are you stayin' with her and the family, then?"
Abby shook her head. "I'll be here for two weeks, and I wanted to have a place of my own, so I booked a room at Lottie's Lookout."
"And how are you findin' it so far?"
"It's a beautiful bed and breakfast. I love the bay window in the front, and Lottie's a very good cook."
As though on cue, the waitress arrived to take their orders, and Abby requested a ginger ale and a bowl of fish stew, one of the restaurant's specialties. She'd seen a gentleman partaking of it at a table nearby, and the savory smell that had wafted over had been enough to convince her to follow his lead. Sherwin ordered the sea bass and a sarsaparilla.
The drinks came out shortly thereafter, Abby's ginger ale in a tall glass with a garnish of lime and candied ginger on the rim, and Sherwin's sarsaparilla decorated with a mint leaf and a slice of lemon that had been cut into a star shape.
"Everything in Cherin Cove is so colorful," Abby remarked, admiring her beverage before taking a sip. "All the shops seem to have their own flair, and I noticed that there were lots of decorations on the bandstand near the center of town. Is there a celebration going on this weekend?"
"There sure is." Sherwin took a sip of his sarsaparilla. "Our town's biggest celebration of the year, in fact: Cherin Cove's Confetti Countdown. It's basically a New Year's Eve party where we all get together to remember what's happened during the past twelve months while lookin' forward to what's comin' in the next twelve."
The description was uncomfortably familiar, and Abby found herself saying more cooly than she'd intended, "Why make so much of a day that has no inherent significance other than to mark the passing of time?"
Sherwin shrugged. "Why not make much of it? When we don't make a point to reflect, it's easy to forget everything that's happened."
"Sometimes forgetting is preferable." Abby stirred her ginger ale, focusing on the bright green rind of lime.
The conversation lapsed for a moment, and she took a sip of her drink, staring out of the window.
"I take it ain't your custom to ring in the New Year, then?" Sherwin's voice finally broke the silence.
"Not on the actual date, no." Abby pulled her gaze away from the window to look at him. "But my family does something similar every January. We host a party at our tenement, and the intent behind it is very much the same: remembering the past and looking ahead to the future. My father started the tradition almost two decades ago, after we'd had an especially hard year. He said that it was important to make time to reflect and to celebrate."
"I see," Sherwin nodded.
Before he could ask any more questions, Abby said abruptly, "You're wearing red again. "Is that your favorite color?"
His eyes widened a little at the sudden change in subject, but he went along with the segue.
"Actually, my favorite color's green, but I've been wearin' red for so long now that it's more or less all I got in my closet. Back when I was a newsboy, we all wore the same color, and I guess I never stopped the practice, even after I'd left the lodgin' house. Red's a good color if you're workin' by the water, anyway - makes it easier for folks to see you if you ever fall in."
Abby searched her memory. "I don't recall the newsboys in Manhattan all wearing the same colors…"
He smiled. "Pretty sure it was a Brooklyn-only sorta thing."
She could tell that he enjoyed talking about his days as a newsboy, so she began to ask him questions, watching his face light up as he continued speaking about the boys he'd led and worked alongside and the adventures they'd gotten into together over the years. It was clear that this season of life had impacted him profoundly, and his anecdotes were peppered with situations hilarious, heartbreaking, and everything in between.
Just as Sherwin had wrapped up the story of how the Brooklyn newsies had snuck into Sea Lion Park on a whim, the waitress arrived with their food, setting a steaming bowl of stew in front of Abby and sea bass swimming in lemon butter in front of Sherwin.
"Can I get you anything else?" she asked. "Any refills on your drinks?"
"I'm fine, thanks," Abby declined, rubbing the steam from her glasses.
"We'll let'cha know if there's anything else we need, Vicky," Sherwin added. "Thanks for takin' such good care of us."
The waitress smiled and went to assist another guest, and Sherwin motioned for Abby to dig in.
"I haf'ta say, you're a sneaky one," he chided playfully as he began de-boning his fish. "All those well-timed questions about my newsie days made me yammer on this whole time when I should've been listenin'. This lunch is for me to learn more about you, not to hear myself talk!"
Abby set her napkin in her lap. "What exactly do you want to know?"
"Well, first off, I'd like to know more about why you came to Cherin Cove." Sherwin set the fish head on the side of his plate. "I know you said you're old pals with Sammie - but somethin' tells me that ain't the whole story."
Under other circumstances, Abby would have been impressed by his astuteness, but she only said neutrally, "You're right. I'll be visiting Samantha while I'm here, but I took this trip for myself. I wanted a quiet place that had books and nobody I had to answer to. And, ironically, I was trying to escape a new year's celebration."
"That one your family always throws?"
Abby nodded. "I left my sisters to handle everything by themselves, despite the fact that they both have families of their own and a thousand other responsibilities."
"Will your ma and pa be on hand to help?"
"My mother can only do so much. She takes care of one of my sisters, who's disabled. Between that and getting older, she doesn't have much energy left over for hosting parties…" she paused, then added abruptly, "My father's dead."
It was the first time she'd said the words aloud to a stranger.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Sherwin left off de-boning his fish, bringing his hands to rest on the table, and his eyes looked so sincere and sad that Abby found herself dropping her gaze to her lap.
"It's how things go sometimes. You've lost someone too, recently, so you know that well enough."
She'd meant it for a sympathetic inclusion, but it came off sounding stiff and cold.
"Anyway, my sisters are more than capable of handling things themselves," she continued, a little defensively. "I know the party will turn out fine. They supported my choice to take some time away, and I'm not going to feel guilty for doing so."
She raised a spoonful of stew to her lips, and Sherwin followed suit, tucking into his sea bass with neat but efficient bites.
After another lull, he politely asked her how she liked her food, and Abby was thankful to have a low stakes entry back into conversation. Small talk wasn't something she was particularly good at (especially when the small talk veered abruptly into subjects she would rather not talk about), but at least he'd respected her silence. Whether or not he judged her for her remarks was unclear, but there was nothing she could do about that now.
The conversation eventually turned to the subject of sisters, something that they both knew plenty about, and Abby found herself relaxing. To her surprise, Sherwin seemed to have no discomfort speaking about his deceased sibling, and she, in turn, was only too willing to oblige him with tales of her own sisters, for she loved them dearly, even if they had differences of opinion as all siblings did.
They talked until they'd finished their entrees, and then it was time for the much-anticipated carrot cake.
"You didn't tell me it was going to be so big!" Abby exclaimed as the waitress set the generously-sized dessert in front of her.
"This is a double portion," Sherwin grinned. "The way your eyes were lightin' up when I first mentioned carrot cake at The Book Nook, I figured it couldn't hurt to go big."
"You factored in a portion for yourself too, I hope?"
His smile turned cheeky. "Maybe I'm cut from the same cloth as your family and don't care much for carrot cake."
"I doubt that; you wouldn't have recommended it to me so strongly if your endorsement hadn't come from personal experience."
He laughed. "You're a clever one! And you're right: I do happen to like the Rudder and Relish's carrot cake quite a bit. That said…" he reached over and cut the piece in two, setting the much larger piece on her plate, "you're the guest of honor, so it's only right for you to have the lion's share."
Abby wasn't about to argue with that.
She waited until he'd served himself, then picked up her fork, breaking off a bit of cake and then eagerly taking a bite.
It was all she could do not to let out an audible exclamation of delight. This was even better than the carrot cake that she'd tried in Manhattan! The layers were luscious and sweet, studded with succulent raisins and the perfect amount of gingery spice. A tangy cream cheese filling rounded out the flavor profile, and the frosting of the cake had been dipped in diced walnuts, crunchy and rich and buttery. The entire confection was an ambrosia of texture and flavor, and Abby ate bite after bite, relishing the decadent dessert one mouthful at a time until her plate sat empty before her.
"You're right," she declared, setting her fork down with a little sigh. "That cake might actually be good enough to win over my family, even my brother-in-law John, who hates carrots as a rule."
"I guess you'll have to bring them all to Cherin Cove so they can try it for themselves," Sherwin suggested. "If it turns out they don't like it after all, you'll have yourself a nice set of leftovers, so there's nothin' to lose either way."
Abby couldn't help but smile at the wink he gave her.
They continued conversing as Sherwin finished his cake, and then the waitress arrived with the bill, which he took before Abby could peek at the total.
"Thank you for a delicious meal," she said as he dug out his wallet. "Everything was better than I expected."
"Hopefully that goes for the conversation too." He grinned. "I sure enjoyed it."
Abby reassured him that the feeling had been mutual, and they chatted some more while he paid for the food and they left the restaurant.
"Ah, there are the decorations you were talkin' about," Sherwin observed as they stepped outside, and Abby could see that he was eyeing the colorful strings of bunting on the shop awnings. "Looks like the Confetti Countdown Committee's been workin' hard."
She felt her expression settle into a frown.
Sherwin must have caught her change in countenance, for he gave her a thoughtful look.
"You know, it might be a little too forward of me to say this…but I think you oughta consider goin' to the celebration on Friday. Just so you won't be spendin' New Year's Eve alone. Sometimes it helps to be with other folks when you're feelin' sad."
"Who said anything about feeling sad?" Abby retorted.
She expected him to respond defensively in return, but he said nothing, and when she started walking slowly down the street, he continued on with her, sticking his hands in his pockets.
She felt a little guilty for her prickliness; he wasn't to blame for her melancholy, and repaying his kindness with curtness wasn't how she wanted their date to end, but she wasn't sure how to repair things, so she simply kept walking, shivering a little as a frigid gust of wind chilled her face and her hands.
"That's a cold wind blowin' up from the sound," Sherwin observed, looking out towards the water. "We may have a storm comin' in soon."
"Are you working the rest of the day?" Abby asked.
He nodded. "I started early this mornin' so I wouldn't have to rush our time together, but there's a few things I wouldn't mind gettin' settled, 'specially if we're in for a nor'easter."
Abby nodded. "I'll let you get to it, then." Mustering up a smile, she added, "Thank you again for lunch. I had a good time."
He touched his cap. "My pleasure, Miss Abby. I hope you enjoy the rest of your afternoon."
They parted ways, Sherwin heading down towards the dock yard and Abby walking slowly uphill in the opposite direction, deep in thought.
Accepting a lunch date invitation from a stranger wasn't something that she was accustomed to doing, and while this meeting hadn't gone badly on the whole, she wondered in hindsight if it had been a poor decision. She'd hoped to spend this trip in quiet anonymity without any unnecessary complications or entanglements, and while her acquaintance with Sherwin was hardly either of those things (and he might not wish to speak to her further after her less-than-warm behavior today), in a town this small, it was unlikely that she'd be able to make it through the next week and a half without running into him again.
I wonder if he had a point, she thought, looking out towards the ocean and watching the distant rust-red smudge of his sweater wind its way down to the dock yard. Maybe it would be better not to pass New Year's Eve alone. She'd planned to spend the evening reading, but perhaps being surrounded by other people would actually be a more foolproof distraction from the persistent grayness that would no doubt be near at hand.
I'll ask Samantha more about the Confetti Countdown tomorrow, Abby decided. She was due to meet her friend for lunch the following day, and could then glean more information about what Cherin Cove's celebration would entail. From there, she would decide whether or not she would attend.
In the meantime, she would head back to Lottie's Lookout, bundle up in a warm blanket, and dive back into the books that were waiting for her.
A/N: More to come soon, gracious readers! Thanks for sticking around. :)