Free Simply Being Belle by Rosemarie Naramore

She gave her head a swift
shake.  Admittedly, he was gorgeous, but his personality needed work.  Good
grief.  Why was she analyzing him anyway? 
    She had to fight
the inclination to follow him back to Legal Aid, knowing Millicent wouldn’t
appreciate it if she showed back up at work only a handful of minutes after
she’d effectively been tossed out on her ear.
    With a sigh, she
gathered up their lunch and tossed everything into a receptacle.  She suddenly
wasn’t very hungry.  She’d consented to lunch with Dare because she had wanted
to discuss the case.  So much for that idea. 
     
     
     

Chapter Seven
     
    “You spent another
day in your garden?” Lacey said with disgust.  “How much weeding can one person
do?”
    “A lot,” Belle
said reasonably.  “Actually, I probably could have finished up most of the
weeding today if I hadn’t had to keep answering your phone calls,” she
grumbled.  “You’ve called me what?—three times, since you got off work?”
    “I’m trying to
plan an evening out, and you’re being obstinate—as usual.  You need a night
out, Belle.  You need to enjoy your vacation!”
    “I am—well, as much
as I’m capable of enjoying it, I guess,” she conceded.
    “Belle…” Lacey
sighed, “as my Grandma Edna used to say, you’re an odd duck.”
    “That’s strange,”
she mused.  “I’ve never met your Grandma Edna.  How could she know whether I’m
an odd duck?  Or even a duck, for that matter?”
    “You know what I
meant,” Lacey said huffily.
    “Didn’t you tell
me your Grandma Edna is kind of an odd duck?  Isn’t she the one who reuses
plastic peanut butter jars?”
    “You find that
odd?” Lacey asked curiously.  “I would have thought that was right up your
alley.  Aren’t you all about recycling and living green?”
    “Well, yeah, to a
point…”        
    “How did we go
from planning a night out to talking about my Grandma Edna and reusing peanut
butter jars anyway?” Lacey cut in.
    “Hey, you brought
it up,” Belle said.
    “I did … not.  Did
I?”
    Belle hitched her
cordless phone under her chin, so she could make a grab for the dried dishes in
her dishwasher.  She began putting them away.   
    “You know what?”
Lacey said.
    “What?”
    “I’m looking up ‘vacation’
in the dictionary right now and here’s what it says…”
    “I know the meaning
of the word,” she interrupted with a sigh.  “Spare me, Lacey.”
    “No, no you don’t
know what ‘vacation’ means.  You haven’t a clue what ‘vacation’ means!  Here’s
the definition.  ‘A period of time for pleasure, rest, or relaxation’.  Funny,
it doesn’t mention anything about toiling in the garden day in and day out.”
    “Uh huh.”
    “Is that all you
have to say?”
    “What do you want
me to say?”
    “That you’re going
to enjoy your vacation—that it’ll be a time for pleasure, rest, and
relaxation.  I’m thinking Dare might be willing to help you out with the pleasure
part.”
    “I don’t even want to know what you mean by that!” Belle snapped.
    “Okay, look,”
Lacey said reasonably.  “Steven and I are going out to Riverside Restaurant
tonight, seven o’ clock.  If you’re not there, we’re coming to get you.”
    “Oh, Lacey, I
really am tired.  I’m thinking I’ll turn in early tonight.  I’d like to get an
early start tomorrow morning.  The garden isn’t going to weed itself.”
    “AARRGGHH!” Lacey
cried.  “You said you’re nearly done with the weeding.”  She was suddenly
silent and Belle imagined she was counting to ten.  “Look,” she said finally, “you’re
coming out with us and you’re going to have a great time.  I’ll keep calling
until you say yes,” she threatened.
    Belle remained
silent on the other end of the phone line.  She knew Lacey’s wasn’t an idle
threat and that her friend would continue to pester her if she didn’t give in. 
“Okay, I’ll be there,” she