Mrs. Avery's Adventures

Chapter 2

Walking into Mooney’s was always like an assault on Piper"s senses, and tonight was no exception. Standing in the doorway of the beachside bar and grill, she couldn"t help wrinkling her nose as the mixture of scents engulfed her. Beer mixed with suntan oil, along with the delicious smell of pizza and burgers frying on an open grill. It should have been offensive, but it wasn"t, at least not to Piper. It was just part of Mooney"s atmosphere. The dim light was brightened with tiki torches and Christmas lights strung all over the inside of the rooms. One of the local bands was playing, and the spotlights were shining on the small stage. People shouted over the sound of the music and laughter filled the air. As she looked around, she heard her name called out, and she turned to watch the owner of the bar walk towards her.

"Busy night, Mooney."

"Yes, this time of year they always are. Thanks to our tourist friends."

They shared a laugh, as Mooney engulfed her in a bear hug. Then he stood back and tugged on her hair, an old habit of affection.

"Happy birthday, Frosty. Courtney has the back room set up for you, and there"s already quite a crowd back there."

Piper smiled back at her old friend, taking in the flowered shirt and cargo shorts, his standard uniform of the day. His balding head showed signs of sunburn from days spent fishing in the hot Florida sun, and the tan lines were visible on his muscled arms as he pointed towards the back of the bar.

Piper rubbed the smooth surface of his head, a response she always gave in return for the tug of her silvery hair. Mooney had been tugging her pigtails since she was a little girl, when she would come in with her dad after a day of fishing. Her dad would always treat her to a virgin daiquiri while he downed a couple of cold beers to chase off the salt and the heat of being out on the ocean. He’d been gone for years now, but Piper still came to Mooney’s to celebrate the ups and downs of life and to just relax and enjoy the company of all her friends, who also considered Mooney’s their local hangout.

"Thanks, Mooney. Are my mothers here yet?"

The older man laughed at the expression on her face, but he knew exactly who she meant.

“The Mothers” was a term Piper and her late husband had concocted to classify their mothers. The two women had been college roommates, and they"d never broken off their friendship. It delighted them when their children had gotten married, and to keep things simple, they were always referred to as “The Mothers.” Even Piper"s friends referred to them as her mothers. They had to. The two women involved themselves in Piper"s life so much, and that included her friends’ and extended family’s lives, too. There wasn"t much "The Mothers" didn"t know about Piper"s life or the community, for that matter.

"Not yet,” Mooney told her. “You’ve got a little break before they get here. Go on back and enjoy yourself while you can. You know what it will be like when they get here." The two shared a smile, and then Mooney moved away to answer a question from one of his barmaids.

Piper headed to the back room, dodging a tourist with extended arms, no doubt exaggerating his fishing catch from earlier in the day. Everyone at Mooney’s seemed to be in good spirits, and that was the way he liked it. Laughter and talk almost drowned out the band playing. As Piper walked, she noticed a few people she knew and smiled a greeting to them. Then she saw a man sitting quietly in the corner by himself, nursing a beer. He was an older man with a slightly balding head, glasses taped together at the nose piece and a pointed goatee. There was something familiar about him, but Piper couldn"t quite place it. Before she could give it any further thought, she heard her name called out from the background, and her attention was diverted.

As if a magnet pulled her head, Piper looked at the table that held the cake and a pile of gifts. She was searching for a large round box, distinctive in shape. She knew exactly what it was when she saw it. For as long as Piper could remember, there had always been a large box sitting next to her birthday cake. She knew she would find a fantastic hat inside that box, and nestled under the hat was sure to be a pair of shoes to drool over. As a child, the hat and shoes had been cute and fun. When she hit her teen years, the cute sandals had turned to high heels and had remained that way ever since. The hats had gone from being sweet to sassy and frivolous. Her father had started the tradition when she was just a child and when she got married her husband continue the tradition. Twenty years ago, when her husband passed away, her Mothers had taken over. There was a wall at her home that was lined with hats she"d saved from over the years. The shoes had come and gone, but not the hats. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the box, as if something magical had happened. She had always felt her birthday wouldn"t be complete without a hat box, or that something would go horribly wrong. Piper wasn"t sure why she felt this way, but she was relieved to see the box.

"There"s the birthday girl."

Cheers rang out as someone noticed Piper walk into the room and she was quickly engulfed in hugs and good wishes.

Piper wandered around the room and chatted with friends until the arrival of another batch of guests appeared at the doorway. This was the group that held a special place in Piper"s heart. Courtney came in first, giving her a big hug and tugging on her hair just like Mooney had done. Tonight, Courtney had dressed up in honor of her friend"s celebration, a cute summer dress with her hair pulled up off her shoulders in a loose ponytail. She didn"t look anywhere near fifty years old, any more than Piper did. Courtney was pushed out of the way, and she didn’t complain, letting the next two women gush over Piper. It was “The Mothers." Piper returned hugs, shaking her head at the constant chattering the two women never seemed to stop doing. One would start a sentence, and the other would finish it. Sometimes it was nerve-racking, but tonight it felt comfortable.

"You look wonderful tonight, Piper,” Piper’s mom said. “Happiest of birthdays."

The more distinguished looking of the two women kissed her left cheek and tweaked her nose as only a mother would dare. The second woman kissed her right cheek, needing to stand a little bit on her tiptoes to reach.

"You know, if you didn"t wear those high heels all the time, I wouldn"t have to strain to reach you,” Piper’s mother-in-law teased. “Happy birthday, dear."

The two women were quickly swallowed up by the crowd. Everybody knew her mothers and wanted to say hello. When the two women moved off to talk to some of Piper"s friends, Piper noticed a fourth woman standing in the doorway. She couldn"t help the huge grin that spread across her face, and she held out her arms for the older woman with the pixie haircut to receive her hug.

"Charlotte, I had no idea you were coming! I’m so happy to see you. Are you spending the night?"

Charlotte Potter returned Piper"s hug as she answered with a laugh. "I had to be here for my goddaughter"s fiftieth birthday. You couldn"t have kept me away if you tried. How are you, sweetie? A little stressed tonight? Surely you"re not worried about turning fifty?" A sly grin crept across Charlotte’s face and she nodded her head towards Piper’s mothers. "Or maybe you"re worried about your new neighbors?"

"Oh, you know me so well. I"m not really worried about the neighbor issue; everything will work out, I"m sure. It was just a little bit of a shock this morning, on top of everything else."

"Yes, Courtney told me about the job situation on the way over.” Charlotte paused. “I need to talk to you after the festivities are done. Seriously talk, Piper."

Piper gave a short nod. She knew that tone of voice and understood the conversation wasn"t going to be able to be avoided. Giving her godmother a quick kiss on the cheek, she waved to someone else who was coming in the room and excused herself.

The next few hours went quickly, filled with laughter, drinks and good food. Conversations ranged from jobs to the weather. Piper was pleased when she saw some of her coworkers come in and relieved that none of the new management showed up. It would be just like them to feel like they were entitled to attend her party.

When the gifts were opened, Piper found a wide range of gifts, from gag to sentimental gifts. When the hat box was opened, she lifted a pretty straw hat with a wide brim and a black bow out of the box and found a beautiful pair of teal high heels, her favorite color. The fun polka-dots that ran across the shoes made her smile. Things were beginning to wind down when Courtney pulled her aside and asked her to sit in a quiet corner with her eyes closed for just a moment. She ran out of the room, passing Mooney, who had come in to share in the festivities. A few moments later Piper could hear oohs and ahhhs and wondered what was going on.

"Piper, open your eyes."

Piper did as her friend commanded and slowly opened her eyes to find sitting in front of her, at attention, a beautiful cocker spaniel. The dog wasn"t a puppy, but Piper could tell she wasn"t very old either.

She looked at Courtney with confusion. "What"s this all about?"

"Okay, just hear me out. You"ve always said you wanted a dog but couldn"t have one because your job was so demanding. Well, that"s changed, hasn"t it? This is Daisy. She is a year old, fully trained, and desperately needs a home. Her owner just passed away, and I thought of you right away. The two of you would be a perfect match, Piper. What do you say, do we give her a try?"

Piper looked at her friend, dumbfounded. This was the last thing she’d expected to receive for her birthday. Courtney was right. She had wanted a dog for about forever, but she never would"ve gotten one for herself. But now, as she looked at the sweet little dog in front of her, her heart melted. Especially after Courtney"s explanation.

As if the dog knew that she needed to make a connection with Piper to find a home, she stood up and walked over to sit right at Piper’s side. In one slow, hesitant movement, she put her paw on top of Piper’s shoe, as if claiming her.

That was all it took. Piper"s heart melted, and she bent over to look the dog directly in the eyes. The two seemed to silently communicate with each other, and then Piper looked back up, grinning.

"As usual, Courtney, you found the perfect gift. Thank you so much. Daisy will be a great addition to the household."

A cheer rang up as everybody realized Piper was going to accept the dog. For her part, Daisy just looked around at the others in the room rather disdainfully, as if she were royalty. But when she turned her head to look back up at Piper, her tail wagged. She was accepting Piper, just as much as Piper was accepting her.