Come As You Are Ch. 10

Previously on "Come As You Are" - Four lifelong friends reunite for their ten-year high school reunion -- professional chef Brenda Lattimore, video game streamer Sadie Bedford, ski instructor Michelle Min, and local business owner Colette Hansen. Over drinks and dinner the night before the reunion, the girls discover that they all share a secret lover in one of their classmates, the quiet social outcast Garrett West.

The final day of Spring Break sees Michelle coaxing Garrett to ski his first triple black diamond ever, while the night brings Garrett beating Michelle's unwanted suitor Steve in a high-stakes game of nine-ball.

Back at the lodge, Michelle comes across Gio and Irina hooking up, which helps her finally realize that voyeurism is her thing. She watches them have sex while Garrett takes her against the wall. The four part ways the next afternoon, with Garrett and Michelle affirming their new friendship.

Before Colette begins her story, however, Sadie adds her two cents in the form of a scorching hot quickie with Garrett before he vanished for seven years...

X X X X X

Come As You Are

Volume IV - Colette's Story

Chapter One - "Day One"

X X X X X

Colette rubbed at her eyes in an attempt to force the weariness away. Semi-successful in her task, she told Ryan, "Let's go down the checklist, make sure we didn't miss anything."

Ryan smoothed the crumpled piece of paper against the wooden surface. "Coolers?"

"Up and running," she responded.

"Bulk candy?"

"Orders delivered and cases stocked." She pointed a finger towards the rows of clear containers mounted on a long wall. "Soaked the scoops, wiped them down, ready to go in the slots."

"Bathroom is done," the young man said, tapping the word on the piece of paper. "Scrubbed, mopped, checked the soap dispenser, checked the toilet paper, checked the feminine products." Ryan held up the piece of paper and shook it for emphasis. "Last thing on the list is the professional cleaning. They'll be here at 7 AM tomorrow."

Colette looked down at her iPhone. "That's less than five hours from now." Her head dropped onto the counter. "What's sleep anyway?"

"I'll let them in if you give me the keys."

Colette didn't look up from the counter while shaking her head. "You're the employee and I'm the owner. Besides, I gave everyone the day off." She rested her cheek against the polished wooden surface and flashed Ryan a tired grin. "Go home. Get some sleep. Come Monday morning be the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed sales clerk while I stumble around like a zombie."

"OK. See you Monday!"

Colette heard the front door open as she eased herself into a standing position. She rolled her neck, squeezing one shoulder to ease the tension. "Once this week is over," she groaned at the empty store, "the first thing I'm going to do is get a professional massage. Maybe two."

As best she could tell, everything that needed to be done to get the storefront ready had been done. The private health inspector that Brenda recommended had come in that afternoon from Denver and given both the commercial area up front and the storage area in the back high marks. Every countertop, table, and container had been wiped down and personally by Colette herself to make sure everything was sanitary. Napkins. Paper bags. Power strips. Flyers and handouts. Money locked up in the back office.

Candy by Colette, the product of five months of hard work, was as ready as it would ever be for its grand opening. The thought of said grand opening, however, brought another sigh. While Colette debated the benefits of lightly banging her forehead against the counter, she heard a familiar female voice call out from her phone. "Bend," the voice called out, "and snap! Bend and snap!"

Just saw Ryan outside my window, the text said. You better not be sleeping in the store.

Even with the benefit of Autocorrect, it took Colette a few moments to answer. Not yet. Will be soon. I have to be up in five hours to let the cleaners in.

Weren't you there at 10 AM?

Yeah. While she texted, Colette walked through the swinging door leading into the storage area. Light shone from the front of the store for several seconds before being cut off by the door, only to suddenly illuminate again before dropping back to darkness. Mind if I shower at your place tomorrow morning?

Colette opened a wooden door located at the rear of the storage area. Flipping the switch filled the air with harsh fluorescent light, revealing a cluttered office. A desk was pushed against one wall with a threadbare wooden chair tucked underneath. A worn and tattered couch sat against the other wall. Various office supplies were scattered on the desk and on top of two file cabinets in the back of the room.

Bring a box of donuts from Mile High?

Sure.

Get some sleep. I mean it. Night Colette.

Night Vienna.

Colette had just enough presence of mind to sit on the couch and pull her sneakers off. Flopping sideways, her head missed the throw pillow and landed squarely on the cushion itself. Still, it was soft, warm, and inviting enough that even as she curled up, Colette was already falling asleep.

X X X X X

Vienna grimaced as she opened the door for Colette. "I don't know which is worse. How you look or how you smell."

Colette walked into the apartment, a one-bedroom affair sitting over Vienna's place of employment, the local tattoo parlor Sins and Needles. "Thanks, you know how to... hey, you dyed your hair."

A long shock of dirty blonde hair fell along the right side of Vienna's head. The closely-shaved scalp was still dyed black, however, the strands shimmered as she parted them, revealing the colors of the rainbow flag. "It took five hours, but it was worth it."

"You mind?" Vienna shook her head. Colette reached out and ran her fingers through the piece of Vienna's hair. The hair was soft under her touch. "Wow. I'm surprised the colors soaked in like this. How long is it going to last?"

"Two, three weeks, since my hair grows out so damn fast." Vienna's blonde strands started on the left side of her head and fell over the top of her head to just above her right shoulder, leaving the dyed black scalp completely exposed on the opposite side while revealing the green five-pointed star tattooed behind her ear. "And when are you going to get your hair dyed?"

Colette gave a tired laugh. "Never." Her raven black hair was parted in the middle and hung down just below her ears. "I'm perfectly happy with my hair as is," she said, stifling a yawn. One thermos of coffee hadn't been enough to completely wake her up. Hopefully, a cold shower would tide her over until she could get a second thermos inside of her.

As Colette hung her black leather jacket on a wall hook, Vienna asked, "Did you bring a set of clothes to change into?"

"No," Colette sighed. "I left my bag in the store." She still had on the comfy work clothes from yesterday, a pair of faded blue jeans dotted with various stains from months of interior work, and a tank top that had turned off-white over time. The tank top was loose enough on her frame to reveal the black sports bra she wore underneath.

"And you forgot something else."

"Damn it. The donuts."

"You definitely need a shower, for both hygienic and mnemonic reasons." Vienna held out her hand towards Colette. "Keys. I'll get the donuts and your clothes. Unless you want to give people a thrill today and just go full frontal."

"I would be eternally grateful," Colette proclaimed as she thrust a keyring and a twenty-dollar bill in Vienna's direction, "if you brought back a fresh coffee from Mile High as well."

"It's going to be normal, run-of-the-mill black coffee, not that fucking abomination you drink."

"That's fine. I just need caffeine. The sooner, the better."

"Back in fifteen." Vienna grabbed her black long coat from its hook on the wall and left on her quest for food and clothing. The sound of Vienna's boots thumping against the steps resonated through the apartment while Colette turned and headed towards the bathroom.

X X X X X

Colette studied her naked body as the cold water cascaded over her. "I've got to start taking better care of myself," she groused.

With the events of the past two years, one would imagine that stress eating and excessive drinking would be the order of the day for Colette. Instead, she had gone the other way, wallowing in depression and despair before manically throwing herself into the renovation and imminent opening of the candy store, leading to days where she had been caught up in the emotions of the moment and simply forgot to eat. It was finally beginning to catch up with her, though. Not only was she feeling tired all the time, with sleep being a luxury she could barely afford, but despite five months of manual labor and renovation, there was little muscle definition on her body. She wasn't rail-thin, but a couple more weeks and Denver Pacific would be knocking on her door asking if they could use her body as a railroad tie.

A better diet and an exercise regimen that somehow worked around owning a candy store, that's what she needed. "Ask Vienna when she gets back," Colette said as she wrung out her black hair. "You'll start after this week. Yeah. You'll start on Sunday. Well... Monday." She nodded firmly to herself. "Monday. Who starts a diet on Sunday? No, wait. The reunion. Shit. OK, next week you'll ease into it, go to the reunion, and two Mondays from now you'll get your ass in gear. Got it."

The cold water helped to pull Colette from her grogginess. Her eyes began to focus and her mind began to catalog the events of the upcoming day. She was squeezing some of Vienna's tea tree body wash onto a washcloth when she heard the front door to the apartment slam shut. "You mind bringing that in here?" she called out while lathering up her shoulders. "I could go for a shower coffee right about now."

Colette heard footsteps against the wooden floorboards before the bathroom door opened. "How the hell did you know I had a cup of coffee?" She immediately froze. The voice was male.

The shower curtain was frosted, preventing Colette from seeing who was talking to her but also preventing them from seeing anything more than a vague, hazy feminine outline. "You want it on the sink or the toilet lid?" they asked.

"The sink," Colette replied hesitantly. She slowly turned, one arm rising to cover her exposed breasts as she presented her profile to the male speaker. The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

She could make out a form wearing a dark-colored t-shirt come into the bathroom and set what she assumed to be a tall plastic coffee cup on the edge of the sink. "I'll chill in the living... Did you grow your hair long?" Colette stood still, not moving, not answering, trying not to shiver as the cold spray of water collided with her body. "And... You lost weight?"

As Colette tried to formulate a response, she heard the front door open again. This time it was Vienna's voice that called out. "Alright, got your clothes and breakfast... What are you doing?"

The male form on the other side of the curtain turned around at the sound of Vienna's voice. "What am I doing? Giving you the cup of coffee you asked for."

"No," Colette heard Vienna answer. "THIS is the cup of coffee she asked for."

"Well, now she's got my cup of coffee that I was giving to her because I thought she was you."

"Then you should have double-checked to make sure it was me before giving your coffee away, shouldn't you?"

Laughing in disbelief, the male said, "Yeah, I'm going to open the shower curtain and hand you a cup of coffee."

"That's pretty much what I'm about to do."

"You're about to give you the cup of coffee that you asked for in the shower?"

"Yeah."

"Then who the hell is in the shower?" the male voice cried with mock frustration.

The sheer absurdity of the situation brought a smile to her face. The back and forth dialogue between Vienna and the newcomer answered the question of the stranger's identity. "It's Colette, Garrett," she said over the sound of the shower. "Colette Hansen."

Garrett West quickly backed out of the bathroom, his feet skidding against the floor. "Oh shit! Sorry, Colette! I thought you were Vienna!"

Vienna's voice got closer as she crossed the living room. "And why would you think that was me?"

"What are the odds of a woman not named Vienna taking a shower at your place at 10 AM on a Sunday in March?"

"You don't know my life."

"We both know that's not true."

"Shut it West." Through the curtain, Colette saw Garrett take a step to the side as Vienna poked her head into the bathroom. "Sorry about that," Vienna said. "My friend is an oblivious idiot. He didn't see anything, did he?"

"No, I didn't!"

"No, he didn't," Colette confirmed. "He put the coffee down on the sink and was closing the door when you came in."

"Your gym bag's on the counter, and since Garrett takes his coffee black too just take his. Sound good?"

"Sounds great. I'll be out in a few."

As the bathroom door closed, it sounded like there was a smirk on Vienna's face as she said to Garrett, "Only you. I swear to God, only you."

X X X X X

Colette walked out of the bathroom to see the pair of friends sitting side by side on the leather couch, with Vienna's black boots and Garrett's purple Converse on the coffee table flanking an open box of donuts. Garrett's face turned a light shade of pink when he saw Colette. "I'm sorry about that," he offered sheepishly. "I didn't know you'd be here."

"That's alright." Colette, wearing a pair of tan jeans and a black long-sleeved blouse, grabbed two chocolate donuts from the box before flopping into a nearby rocking chair. She put her bare feet up next to Vienna's. "Vienna didn't mention you might be showing up this morning."

"Because YOU weren't supposed to be showing up until next fucking weekend." Vienna lightly punched Garrett in the shoulder. "You specifically said you were skipping the Ski Festival and showing up next Friday for the reunion."

Garrett scratched the back of his head. He had on a pair of faded blue jeans and a dark gray t-shirt. His brown hair appeared freshly trimmed, but it was still the tangled thicket she remembered from high school. "I didn't have a choice. I lost my job and spent the past three days hauling a U-Haul across half the country..."

"What?!?" Vienna sat up straight, looking at him with shocked joy. "You're moving back here?"

"Maybe..."

Vienna reached over and this time joyfully punched him in the shoulder. "Took you fucking long enough! I've been telling you to come home for years!"

"What job?" asked Colette.

"I was a bartender at a pool hall in Orlando for... almost a decade." He sighed deeply. It seemed to Colette that Garrett's entire body deflated before he continued. "When I showed up to open Wednesday morning an Orange County sheriff's deputy was padlocking the front door. Turned out the owner didn't show up for a court summons regarding back property taxes. The deputy let me grab my stuff from inside, and since I was out of a job and my lease was up this week, I figured it was as good a time as any to get out of Florida." He spread his hands. "So now I'm back here trying to figure out what to do next."

"You're not in trouble or anything," inquired Colette, "are you?"

Garrett shook his head. "My boss was kind of sketchy, but not Florida sketchy. All I did was bartend and shoot pool. I don't owe anyone any money, and I don't think the people who owe me money are going to come to Emerald Pines looking to pay me."

Vienna sat up. "Did you go home yet?"

"Just to unhook the U-Haul. I figured you might want to go get a late breakfast or an early lunch."

"Pizza," Vienna said in a firm voice. "We'll go to your house, bring all your shit inside, have a pie from Joey R's delivered, and talk about how great it is to have you fucking back."

"I'm parked out back in the visitor's spot," Garrett told Colette. "Need a ride anywhere?"

"I'm good," Colette answered as she got up. "I'm just three blocks over."

Garrett's eyes narrowed in thought. "Three blocks... is that the yarn store or the greeting card store?" he asked.

"The yarn store closed a couple of years ago," Colette answered. "I took over the space last fall."

"I thought I mentioned it to you." Vienna grabbed her coat from the coat hook, as well as a faded purple parka which she handed it over to Garrett. "Colette's opening up a candy store. She's been working on it since around Halloween."

"Oh!" Garrett nodded. "You did mention it to me. Two days of driving, my brain's kind of frazzled."

"I'm going to be there all day today putting the finishing touches on the place," Colette said. "If you want to stop and say hello I wouldn't mind."

"Maybe." Garrett nodded towards Vienna, "once she's finished gushing over seeing me again." As Vienna playfully offered her middle finger, Garret extended his hand to Colette. "Guess we'll catch up tonight if you're not too busy?"

"Looking forward to it," she told him. "Welcome home."

X X X X X

Sarah Bedford looked around Candy by Colette and nodded her approval. "Well, this place looks as put together as it's going to get. Good job."

"Thanks, Miss Bedford," replied Colette.

"You, on the other hand, look like you're about to fall apart. You want to head down to the VFW, grab a drink?"

"Thank you but, no, not tonight. I want to be completely focused on the grand opening." Colette stood behind the long wooden counter at the back of the store. The location gave her a vantage to oversee the entirety of the store, which was filled with a mix of tables both long and round, along with several stands with stacks of boxes and plastic bags containing a variety of sweets. One wall held two rows of plastic containers with bulk candy while the other wall was taken up by a tall Plexiglas countertop awaiting tomorrow morning's shipment of fudge and baked goods. "I want to make sure I'm completely alert and on point for this week and next," she explained. "If I can make it through the first two weeks then I can throttle back a little bit."

"Just don't forget you've got a staff. Don't do everything yourself. There's a reason you keep good help once you find it."

"I could always use you here. You've got tons of experience and could help me keep everyone in line."

The older woman laughed. "Tempting, but I'm still seeing the movie-loving girl who drinks with my daughter, not the small business owner she's become. Besides, the VFW would fall apart without me." Sarah reached over the counter to give Colette a firm hug. Time to head home. You make sure to do the same. You're going to need your energy this week. Say hi to your grandmother for me."

"I will. Goodnight Miss Bedford." Once Sarah had stepped out into the brisk winter night Colette rubbed her hands on her face in an attempt to temporarily push back the fatigue embracing her entire body. She would have taken nervous tension in a heartbeat over the sense of bone-deep weariness. "Alright," she told herself, "time to lock up and get some sleep."

Even as she said those words out loud Colette heard the front door open. "Sorry," she began to say, "we're not open yet..."

"This place looks amazing."

It took a moment to place the voice. She looked up to see Garrett. Behind him was Vienna. As she pulled the front door closed Garrett took two steps forward, eyes wide as he took in the storefront.

"Hey Colette," Vienna called out. "We were on our way to Pike's and saw the lights were on. We bothering you?"

"Nope!" Colette waved the pair into the store. "Welcome to Candy by Colette."