The Flapper Caper

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The gala marked the opening of a new antique car museum that the three men had worked on for the last eight months. Joe Stevens owned a collection of cars spread across the country. He’d wanted the collection in one place where others could also appreciate them. He wanted to preserve historic, beautiful old cars, while igniting passion in others for the glory days of the Model A and others. Joe had purchased a warehouse years ago for that purpose but hadn’t made much progress before he found kindred souls in Aiden and Paul. They’d worked nonstop for months to realize his vision. Tomorrow night they would celebrate the opening with a party that pulled out all stops.

Now that the three men had solved their immediate problem, and each had their work orders from Megan, they said their goodbyes and went their separate way. Jake watched the last car leave the parking lot and then turned to Megan, ready for any final instructions she might have for him.

“Do you want to add anything to my list? I’ll be gone for a while once I start. Of course, my phone is on, so you can always call me if something comes up and you need me.”

“You’ve got plenty on your list to fill the morning. Why don’t we meet at the museum for a quick break at lunchtime? I’ll pick up something for everyone and send out a message to everyone else letting them know. Oh, and Jake, don’t forget to pick up your costume too.”

The young man grinned back at her. He was excited about his costume for the gala. He wouldn’t tell anyone what it was, but Megan was sure it would be perfect for the night. She wasn’t sure what was causing more interest in Citrus Beach: the opening of the Antique Car Museum or the costume gala planned for that evening.

Megan had to admit to herself that she was thrilled with her own choice in costume and couldn’t wait to wear it. They’d decided to celebrate the opening by dressing in period clothes that would reflect the age of the cars. Each ticket sold for the event was attached to one of the featured autos in the museum. Guests were asked to dress in the style of that car. It promised to be quite the fashion event with styles ranging from the 1920s and the Model T through the muscle cars of the 1960s and 1970s.

One car, Joe’s pride and joy, had been selected to be the centerpiece of the event, and all the decorations and entertainment would reflect that choice. With the choice of the 1929 Duesenberg Model J, the event turned into a Gatsby Party. The decorations and lighting were imitations of the settings from the 1974 version of the movie, The Great Gatsby. Megan had been thrilled when her tickets showed the picture of that car on it. Aiden would dress like Gatsby and Megan would dress like Daisy.

“Okay, I’m off. I’ll be there for lunch, and I’ll be hungry – just so you know.”

“When aren’t you hungry? Don’t worry, I’ll get plenty of food. I’ll lock up, but first I want to take the dogs for a walk. I think I’ll leave them here for the morning.”

Jake nodded in agreement with her plan and then he was gone. Calling to the dogs, Megan hooked them both up to the leashes kept at the backdoor. Locking the door behind her, she started down the sidewalk at a brisk pace. She let the dogs sniff around at the trees they passed, but she had a destination in mind and didn’t want to dawdle.

It had been a few days since she had stopped by Lucy’s new shop and she was eager to see what had been accomplished since her last visit. The grand opening was in six weeks and she knew Lucy was getting nervous. It didn’t take long to get there, despite the dog’s detours to sniff out almost every blade of grass between Aiden’s office and her destination. When she reached the shop, Megan stood admiring the display window for a moment. Even though Lucy hadn’t put out any products yet, the window looked inviting. She had created a scene from the beach, leaving places for her jewelry to be displayed to catch the eye of passing pedestrians. This was a smart move as they were about to enter tourist season. Soon the sidewalks would be full of shoppers and Lucy’s window was sure to catch their attention.

“Come on in, Megan. Don’t stand there and gawk. I can show you the pieces I’ve selected to use in the window and you can let tell me what you think.”

Megan hadn’t heard the petite blond walk up next to her and she jumped when Lucy spoke. Returning her friend’s hug, she complimented her on the display window’s design.

“Hi, Aunt Megan.”

An impish little girl ran up to Megan and threw her arms around her waist. Megan smiled widely as she returned the hug, always thrilled to see her new niece. Lucy and Paul had recently adopted two children and they easily fit into the family dynamics and the small town.

“Hi right back at you, Sammy. No school today?”

“Nope, teacher’s work day, so we have a long weekend. Isn’t that great?” Without waiting for Megan to answer, Sammy grabbed her hand and dragged her over to a display area.

“Look what we’re adding – a children's workshop. It was my idea, you know.” The energetic girl stood there with her hands on her hips, waiting for Megan's vote of approval.

“That is a great idea, Sammy. How does it work?” Megan knew all about it of course, but she wanted to let her niece tell her anyways.

“You bring your parent, or another adult, in with you and you make jewelry together. Then you can take what you made home with you. We might be adding parties too.”

“How clever. I can see this being a big hit. Well done, Sammy.”

Pleased with the praise, Sammy gave her another hug and then went back to work sorting beads and clasps into little bins where customers could later pick through for their selections. Realizing she wasn’t needed any longer, Megan walked back over to where Lucy and an elderly woman stood talking.

“Charlotte, it’s good to see you. The shop is shaping up, isn’t it?” asked Megan, as she kissed the other woman’s cheek.

Charlotte Potter – the town matriarch, Lucy’s neighbor, and close friend and client of Megan’s – agreed with the question. Megan wasn’t at all surprised to find her here. She had probably been the one to bring Sammy over this morning. Plus, she had a vested interest in the shop. Charlotte was the one who’d insisted that Lucy take the step and open a retail location. For years, she’d worked from home, making custom jewelry and delivering it to her clients. Charlotte insisted that with the addition of two children into Paul and Lucy’s household, that a shop was necessary. It didn’t come as any shock to Megan when she stepped in to help. After all, she’d done the same thing for Megan when the time was right for her to expand her gardening business into a concierge service.

“Lucy will be turning away customers. Between her display work and the jewelry, she should charge an admittance price.” Noticing Lucy nervously biting her lower lip, the older woman continued. “It will be a wonderful success, Lucy. And when it comes to business, I’m rarely wrong, am I?”

Both younger women shook their head to her question. There was no doubt that Charlotte was a savvy business woman. She had continued her own family’s citrus company and expanded it when the times were right, always ahead of her competition. But she also knew the town of Citrus Beach better than most of its citizens. Hers was the first founding family to homestead the land along the Citrus River, establishing huge groves of citrus and then buying up land wherever they could, including along the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. They bought long before bridges from the mainland over to the white sands of the beaches even existed. At the time, they purchased the land, there was no demand for the mosquito infested area, and they held onto until it there was, sealing the family’s fortune.

Before any more could be said, the door to the shop opened and a young woman with short, curly, copper hair entered. Megan grinned when she saw her, there was no mistaking that Emma was her daughter. The hair alone gave it away, although Megan's was longer, today she’d pulled it back in a clip, letting the long tendrils curl down her back. The same hazel-colored eyes stared at each other, the only difference were the crinkles around Megan's, hinting at the laughter of 45 years.

Emma quickly hugged her mother and then asked where Sammy was. Since Sammy had entered their life, Emma had made it her priority to spoil the youngster the way only a big cousin could. She was always sure to include Toby in their time together, but today, she announced it was a girl day.

“I promised Sammy she could come out riding at the farm, since the guys are all busy working at the car museum,” she explained to Megan.

Sammy’s squeal of delight when she saw Emma was almost ear shattering. She hurried to put her work away, not wanting to miss a moment at the farm. The others laughed at her enthusiasm, but Emma was realistic about the youngster’s excitement.

“I wish I was the reason for her excitement, but we all know it’s really Jo-Jo. Since that little animal’s arrival at the petting zoo, the kids can’t wait to get out there. Oh well, at least we now have plenty of volunteers.”

Emma exchanged a grin with her mother, almost daring her to contradict her words. Shaking her head, Megan didn’t even try. Emma was right. Since Jo-Jo’s addition to the animal sanctuary, visiting hours were busy. The small monkey attracted visitors of all ages. Emma and her best friend, Taylor, ran the town’s farm where unwanted animals were given a safe place to live out their lives. The inheritance came from Mary Wheeler, the last of the rich Wheeler family. She’d left all her money and holdings for the continued operation of the farm.

Megan’s phone rang, interrupting their conversation. Looking at the caller ID, she walked away from the others to answer. After a few minutes, she was back.

“That was the party planners. There are a few details we need to go over, so I’m going to head over to the museum. You are all supposed to show up there for lunch and get any last-minute instructions.”

Lucy and Charlotte agreed to be there by lunch, and after saying goodbye, Megan and the dogs headed back to Aiden’s office.