jumped in. “If that’s okay with you,” she turned and said to Vanessa.
“That sounds perfect.”
“It’s my favorite table.” The hostess gestured to a table set with lovely bone china with winter birds perched amid a wreath motif of pinecone, holly, and mistletoe and glistening shiny gold accents.
“I can see why.” Vanessa took a seat and Misty sat down across from her. “Thank you very much.”
A waitress came out from the back carrying a silver tea service, and set it on the side table next to theirs. “Today’s flavor is Paris tea. May I pour?”
Vanessa flipped over her teacup and nodded.
Misty followed suit. “This is one of my favorite teas.”
“Would you like to order off the dinner menu or do our popular North Carolina Tea Tray for two?” She leaned in. “I personally like the tea trays. It’s more than enough and you get to try a lot of the things on the menu. Plus, we do some specifically North Carolinian things like pork barbecue on the savory level, and a smack-your-momma banana pudding in a fine pastry added to the desserts. Mm-hmm.”
“Thank you for the recommendation. That sounds really good to me. Misty, what would you like to do?”
“The tea tray for sure.”
“There will be no smacking mommas or anyone else, but we’ll do the North Carolina Tea Tray.” Vanessa handed her menu back with a smile. “I think we’re all set, then.”
“Good choice.” The waitress collected the menus and went to the kitchen.
Vanessa said, “I know I said we weren’t going to talk about work at all, but I have to say one more time how impressed I am with you. I have college graduates working for me that don’t have the attention to detail and project-management skills that you display.”
“Thank you. I do take some college classes. I qualified for this Career and College Promise program we have. I don’t know if it’s just a North Carolina thing or not, but I really love taking the classes. I get high school credit and transferable college credits too. I’m concentrating on business and project-management-type courses.”
“A’s in all of them?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Vanessa lifted her teacup. “Here’s to you, Misty.”
Misty lifted her cup and tapped it to Vanessa’s. “Thank you.” She sipped her tea. “Have you ever been to Paris? Like the tea?”
“Yes. I have, but I’ll be honest: I didn’t get to experience it like a tourist. I’d love to go back.”
“What’s stopping you?”
“From going to Paris on vacation?” She lifted her teacup and saucer to take a sip, and to buy a moment to collect her thoughts before she answered. “I can’t say that I know why. I’ve got tons of vacation time saved up. I work all the time. I guess … I just haven’t … made the time.”
The waitress came to the table carrying a lovely three-tiered tray filled with delectables.
Vanessa sat wondering at the fact that she never extended any of her work trips to see the sights. She was always so eager to start the next project that it never occurred to her to stay on.
Thankfully the waitress pulled her from her reflection. “If you haven’t been to tea before, you start at the bottom for the first course of savories and tea sandwiches, then move to the scones. Our jams are all made in-house. Then, to top it all off—dessert.”
Misty clapped her hands together silently. “Thank you for letting me pick this place.”
“You earned it.” She lifted a small sandwich and took a bite. “This one is good. It’s like a really spicy pimento cheese.”
“That’s my favorite.” Misty took the other. “Yes. Just like I remember it.”
“So, tell me about school. Clearly you’re an honor roll student.”
“I am. I like the studies and everything, but I’d really rather be at work.”
“Why is that?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not very popular. I don’t do a lot of the things the popular girls do. It’s fine. I don’t care.”
“I know how you feel. I used to be the same way. I was even younger than you when I started Vanessa’s Fine Vintage Frills.”
“A business?”
“Yep. When I was in junior high school, I dreamed of being a fashion designer. All the kids teased me, but they all came to me for fashion advice. I guess it was the price to have friends. I wasn’t confident enough to say anything when they picked on me.”
“What did you make?”
“I’d go to swap meets and sales with my cousin, then I’d alter and embellish the clothing or handbags and sell