Quilting 101

"Oh, they are. We just don't get many of them to take classes. At least I haven't. You'd be my first, Nick."

Nick tried not to laugh, and when Tiffany realized what she'd said, her alabaster cheeks turned a fiery shade of red.

"I can't believe I said that, and that is not what I meant," she said rather shyly.

"I'm sorry if I embarrassed you," he said sincerely.

"No. It isn't you. I'm thirty... well, I'm old enough that I shouldn't, but I still blush sometimes. And when I do, I'm aware I do, and that just makes it worse. And especially if...."

She paused, looked down, then said, "Especially when I'm around men who are...."

Karen was finished talking to Sylvia and walked over just as Tiffany was finishing her sentence, and 'saved' her from herself.

"Hi, Tiffany!" Karen said as she stretched out her arms.

"Hello, Karen. I heard Sylvia mention your quilt is the best one you've done so far."

"Oh, I don't know how good it is, but I had so much fun making it!"

"You did the Double Wedding Ring, right?"

"I did!" Karen said proudly.

"That's definitely an advanced-level pattern. I can't wait to see it."

"Well, if you're through talking to Nick, come on over and I'll show you."

"We're done, Mom," Nick told her as he smiled at Tiffany.

He looked right at her and said, "It was a pleasure meeting you."

"You, too, Nick. And thank you again for helping me in my hour of distress!"

Nick bowed gallantly and that made Tiffany laugh just as Karen hooked her arm and led her away, chattering about the new quilt as they walked.

He wandered around and looked at fabric and kind of 'got it' as far the color-coordination aspect. But the thing that intrigued him was the geometry; the way the pieces had to be cut and shaped and sewn together. As he took another look at the pictures on the wall, he could 'see' the challenge quilting presented. He was able to visualize how the fabric would need to be sliced up and precisely arranged to end up forming the design on a particular pattern.

The more he thought about it, the more it intrigued him. He wasn't playing any sport this spring, and a class like the ones Tiffany taught wouldn't take up 5% of the time that practice, road trips, and games had. So he slowly made his way back over to where she and his mom were and waited for the conversation to end.

"Oh, Nick. Hi again," she said with a smile. "Did you change your mind?"

It was a throwaway question in Tiffany's mind, but it was all she could think of to say.

"Actually...I have," he told her. "I'd like to take your beginner's class."

His mom was standing right next to him, and her eyes couldn't have opened any wider were someone to put toothpicks in them.

"Did I just hear you correctly?" his mom asked.

"You did. I like the geometrical aspect of quilting," he told her as he looked at Tiffany.

"The geometrical aspect. I've never heard it put quite like that, but okay," his mom said.

"I think we're getting a man's perspective," Tiffany said with a polite laugh and a sweet smile.

Nick also laughed then said, "No, it just looks very interesting to me. I think I understand the appeal. I've never sewn anything more than a button, so...."

He paused to let the pun sink in then said, "If sewing is a part of the basic class, I'd like to sign up."

"It's not unfortunately, but I'd be happen to give you a few lessons before it starts so you'd be ready," Tiffany told him.

""Is there any chance we could do that this week? If you're not too busy, that is."

"Oh, my goodness. I can teach you how to sew at home, Nick," his mother said.

"Yes, but you are my mother, and while I love you to death...."

"I'm not too busy," Tiffany told sweetly him during the short pause.

"Are you sure?" Nick asked.

"Yes. I'd have to work with you after the shop closes, and I'll have to go get my daughter, but I'd be happy to come back and do that," she told him.

"That doesn't seem fair to you," he said. "When would you eat dinner?"

"The shop closes at 4 o'clock, and I can have Ella, my little girl, back here by 4:30. We'll be done by 5:30, and I'll still be home for our normal dinnertime," Tiffany told him.

"Go ahead, honey," his mom said. "I understand why you'd prefer to work with someone else. And it can't hurt that Tiffany is cute as a button."

"Ahh! Thank you, Karen!" she said in her typically sweet voice.

"Well, it's true. You're a doll!" Karen told her.

"Just don't say 'kewpie doll', okay? I hear that enough," Tiffany said with a smile.

It wasn't that she looked like an actual doll of any kind, but between her very blonde hair, her perky little nose, the very fair skin, and two gorgeous eyes that kind of resembled those of a doll, Tiffany was a tiny bit sensitive about the comparison.

"So we're all set?" Nick asked. He wasn't being pushy, he was asking the way men tend to ask to wrap things up.

"That's it except for signing you up for the class which begins next Monday evening."

"That's my last day of Spring Break, so this all works out perfectly for me," he said. "And I'm very appreciative of you taking the time to help me get started, Tiffany. Just let me know how much you charge per hour for the sewing lessons, okay?"

"Oh, I won't charge you, Nick," she said, the smile still there.

"No. That's not acceptable," he said immediately. "I'm a struggling college student, but I'm not destitute."

"Well, we can discuss that during your first lesson. When do you want to start?"

"As soon as possible?" he said with a smile of his own.

"Okay. I can start tomorrow evening if that works for you."

"So...4:30 right here?" he asked.

"Yes. I'll be here. Well, if traffic's bad, I'll be here shortly after that," she assured him.

"Traffic's always bad, so I'll see you around a quarter 'til," he told her, that smile still glued to his handsome face.

There was no doubt about the fact that he had a great smile. But it was more the way he smiled at her was troubling. Tiffany was doing her best to ignore how it made her feel, and for good reason. She was 35, had a six-year daughter, and Nick was still in college. He was obviously handsome, but he was also very nice. On top of that, he had a good sense of humor which was something she valued highly.

She found herself having to admit that overall, she found him quite...appealing...even though there was nothing there in terms of any future relationship. But she also had to admit it would be rather nice having him in class as a little 'eye candy' was never a bad thing.

Tiffany was even more conflicted once she realized she'd even thought of the term 'eye candy', something she found disgusting. She didn't like being objectified, and here she was doing that to someone she didn't even know. Well, okay, she did know him now, she just didn't know him very well. At all.

Karen was ready to leave and hugged Sylvia goodbye.

"Do you know how much longer you'll be here?" Karen asked her.

"One more week, hon," she told her. "Then that good-looking, bald man I love so much and have been married to for 47 years, and I are gonna finally travel the world!"

"I'm so happy for you," Karen said.

"I'll miss working here and seeing friends like you, Karen, but it's time, you know? I'll still own the shop, but I won't be here day to day."

"Well, you take care, and I'll see you again before you officially hang up your thimble!" Karen told her.

Then she turned to Tiffany and thanked her, too.

"I can't wait to see that girl of yours again. You should bring her to work with you one of these days."

"I'd love to, but she's in school most of the time. But she is on her Spring Break, too, so maybe I'll bring her in once or twice this week, and give my sister a break."

"She is the sweetest little girl!" Karen said. "Anyway, I'm so happy you're working with Nick. He's a fast learner so he may be out-quilting all of us in short order."

"Okay, Mom. I think that's enough for one day," Nick said as he began gently prodding his mom toward the door.

"Well, you are very talented," she said in her defense.

As he led her out, she looked back over her shoulder and said to Tiffany, "Dean's list every semester and he plays two sports!"

"That would be one sport and past tense as in played!" Nick corrected just as loudly as he called out another 'thank you' to Tiffany.

"Bye, Nick! See you tomorrow," she said with a small wave and her very sweet smile.

Once they were outside Karen said, "I'm thrilled you're doing this, but what on earth convinced you to try it?"

"I don't know. Even though I'm not playing sports, my major is pretty demanding. That said, I will have a lot of 'extra' time, and the whole challenge of making everything come together looks interesting."

"If Tiffany was ten years younger, I'd say she was a big part of it," his mom said with a smile as they got to the car. "But she's not so it can't be that."

Nick laughed as he opened the door for his mom.

"She's what you'd call a 'cutie patootie'," Nick told her.

"I think she's a doll, and so is that little girl of hers. She's always dressed so well, and her mom does her hair every day. It's just so nice to see when so many children look like they just got out of a washer-dryer."

Nick laughed again then closed her door, went around, and got in, too.

"Hmmm. That reminds me of someone who used to make sure I was 'perfect' before letting me go to school every day," he teased.

"And look at you now. You still still dress nicely, your hair is always perfect, and it seems to me you turn pretty much every head when you walk in somewhere," his mom said, again in her defense. "Like today."

"I'm wasn't complaining, Mom. Just noting the similarities. That's all," he told her with a smile.

Nick showed up at 4:30 the next day just in case, but Tiffany didn't pull back in until closer to 5 o'clock.

"Nick! I am so sorry!" were the first words out of her mouth.

"Why? We both know how traffic is. It's no big deal," he told her as she went around to open the back door.

Moments later, the cutest little girl he'd ever seen got out and took her mom's hand.

"Nick? This is my daughter, Ella. Honey? Can you say 'hello' to Nick?"

"Hi, Nick!" she said cheerfully. "Are you learning to sew?"

He laughed, bent down, then said, "Hi, Ella. Yes, I am. Your mom has agreed to teach me."

"It isn't hard. I can sew, and if you need help, you can ask me," she told him.

"Talk about humbling," Nick said as he stood up.

"She's actually quite good. In fact, she'll be sewing while I'm teaching you. You ready?"

"Sure. It's now or never, right?" he said.

"You're not an Elvis fan, are you?" she asked.

"You know It's Now or Never?" he asked, not sure he heard correctly.

Tiffany opened the door, turned off the alarm, then let Ella in before quietly singing, "Kiss me darling, be mine tonight," the next words in the song.

Nick laughed then sang the next line, "Tomorrow...will be too late."

Together both of them sang, "It's now or never...my love won't wait!"

They also laughed and Tiffany asked him where he knew the song from.

"My grandparents on my mom's side loved Elvis. They had his music playing a lot when I was there, and for a couple of years, I was there every day. How about you?"

Tiffany smiled then told him, "My best friend's dad listened to Elvis along with a lot of other 50s and 60s music. She hated it then and still does, but I've loved it for as long as I can remember. I always have the 60s station playing in my car on Sirius XM."

"Wow. That's just...crazy!" Nick said.

"Well, I'm a little...eccentric," Tiffany told him. "Or so they say."

Nick laughed again as she set her purse down and said, "Well, they say a lot of things."

"Too true," Tiffany replied, enjoying his sense of humor again.

She then said, "Okay, how about we sit down and go over the parts of a sewing machine and then we'll talk about the basic types of stitches."

"You're the boss," Nick said with a smile.

For the next forty-five minutes or so, Nick got a crash course in new words like 'presser foot' and 'tension wheel' and a whole bunch of other parts he tried to keep straight.

Ella was already sewing away, and she laughed whenever Nick botched something.

"Hey, are you laughing at me?" he said, pretending to be very serious.

"Yes!" Ella told him after he confused a part of the sewing machine with a small animal.

"It's a 'feed dog' not a 'lap dog', silly!"

"I knew that," Nick said as though he really did. Ella 'got it' and giggled as she continued sewing.

"All right. Now let me show you how to wind a bobbin. Can you show me where the bobbin is, Nick?" Tiffany asked.

He looked over at Ella and said, "No laughing, okay?"

"I'll try not to laugh," the pretty little girl said. "But sometimes you make it really hard not to, Nick!"

"Hey! I resemble that!" Nick said.

Tiffany laughed, but that remark went right over Ella's head.

"She's very smart, but there are still a lot of things she hasn't heard," her mom explained. "So...show me the bobbin."

"Oh, right. I was hoping you might forget," Nick said as he pointed to it.

"Okay. While I show you how to wind it, tell me what the bobbin does," his teacher asked.

Nick did his best to explain it while he watched.

"So you were paying attention," Tiffany teased.

After a very quick, rapid-fire review of the parts, the bobbin was wound, and Tiffany told him they'd start with something called 'the running stitch'.

"It's the most common, most basic sewing stitch," she explained before demonstrating how to do one. "Okay. Your turn."

It was actually quite simple, and Nick felt proud of himself when his stitch looked a lot like hers.

"Very nice. Now let's try something slightly different," she said.

They'd barely gotten through a half-dozen simple stitches when Ella said, "Mom? I'm getting hungry."

"Okay, honey. We'll go in a few minutes. I was late getting here, and I owe Nick some extra time. Can you wait for maybe ten more minutes?"

"Okay," she said happily.

"No, we don't have to do that," Nick told her. "Ella's hungry, and we can catch up next time."

"I feel bad for showing up so late," she told him.

"Don't. It's one of those 'force majeure' kind of things," he told her.

"What kind of manure?" Tiffany replied.

Ella giggled and covered her mouth.

"Manure's not a bad word," her mom said. "It's just another word for fertilizer."

"I know, but that's not what Nick said," Ella told her.

Tiffany sighed then said, "Nothing gets past that one."

"Sorry. I wasn't trying to sound 'hifalutin'. It's just something I picked up from my grandfather. Well, so is 'hifalutin', for that matter. Force majeure means 'act of God'."

"Ah, okay," Tiffany said. "That's better than horse manure, huh?"

She said it knowing Ella would laugh again, and right on cue, the little girl giggled loudly.

She was such a sweet kid, and Nick found himself laughing, too.

"Hey," he said as though he was telling her a secret even though her mom could hear every word. "Do you know the difference between 'horse manure' and 'horse pucky?"

Ella hadn't heard that term, either, and laughed immediately.

"Are you trying to corrupt my child?" Tiffany teased as she started putting things away.

"Not at all," Nick told her. "I'm...investing in her education."

"What a load of horse pucky," Tiffany replied, thus drawing another round of laughter.

"Nick is funny!" Ella said.

"Oh. Did you just say I was funny-looking?" he asked trying to put on his 'mad face'.

"Yes!" Ella said, unable to stop laughing.

"I'm hurt!" Nick said, putting one hand over his heart as he threw the other one out to his side.

"I'm sorry!" Ella said as she tried to stop laughing.

"Really?" Nick asked, as he put his arms back in front of him. "Or are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

The little girl laughed again, then looked at her mom in a way that told Nick she was about to say something she shouldn't.

"My mom thinks you're very handsome," she said to Nick without taking her eyes off of her mom's.

"Ella Anne Collins! What in the world are you thinking?" her mom said.

Nick couldn't tell if she might actually be upset, and when Ella stopped smiling, he could see she was.

"Sorry, Mommy," she said quietly.

"No. It's okay, sweetie," her mom told her. "I...I did say that, so...."

"Are you mad at me for telling our secret?" Ella asked.

"No. Of course not, honey," she said, hoping against hope there wasn't any red in her cheeks this time.

Nick smiled then said, "Well, both of you are very pretty ladies, so how about them apples?"

Ella immediately smiled then laughed, and forgot all about her little faux pas.

"Again, I'm sorry for not having any more time, Nick," Tiffany said as she shut off the machines and got ready to leave. "But by the time we get home, it'll be getting close to her dinnertime."

"No problem at all," he told her. "Besides, I'm just glad I got to meet this other pretty girl tonight."

Ella smiled happily, and when Nick stood up, she surprised him by grabbing his hand.

"Oh. Hi there," he said when she took it.

"Honey, Nick might not want you to...."

"No. It's fine," he said immediately. "In fact, it's very nice to be able to hold a beautiful girl's hand."

Ella giggle then said, "Come on. I'll show you our car!"

Tiffany laughed when Nick exaggerated being pulled away.

"Exit...stage left!" he said like the cartoon character.

"Hold on tight, Snagglepuss!" Tiffany told him, referring to the cartoon character who often said that, as her daughter dragged him away.

She locked the shop back up, and by the time she got outside, Nick was in the backseat next to Ella.

"We only have one car seat, so you'd have to wear the seatbelt. I do, too, but I'm still not big enough to ride without a car seat. And I have to stay in the back seat."

Tiffany caught that exchange, and as she got in she said, "Are you trying to kidnap Nick or something?"

"Yes!" Ella told her mom. "Can he come home with us for dinner?"

"Oh, I'm sure Nick has dinner waiting for him at his house, honey," Tiffany said as she turned around to look at her daughter.

"Does your wife cook dinner for you?" Ella asked innocently.

"Um, no. I...I don't have a wife," Nick told her.

"Mom? Nick doesn't have anyone to make dinner for him," Ella informed her mother. "So can he please come to our house?"

Tiffany tried telling herself as soon as she replied she had no idea why she said it, but that wasn't true.

"He has a mother at home to cook for him, honey. But...if he wants to, I'm sure that would be okay," she said to Ella as she tried to crane her neck far enough to see Nick.

"Oh, I don't want to barge in and...."

"Please? Come to our house and have dinner with us. My mommy doesn't have a husband anymore, and you don't have a wife so she can cook for you," Ella said with childlike innocence.

"Nick. I'm so sorry," Tiffany said.

"No. I'm the one who's sorry. I had no idea that...subject...would come up. Maybe it would be better if I just headed back to my place."

"Did I say something wrong again?" Ella asked, her face suddenly sad and on the verge of tears.

"No. Not at all, honey. It was just a kind of misunderstanding. That's all."

"About Daddy?" she asked.

Tiffany put on a big smile then said, "It's no big deal, sweetie."

She spun around the other way and said, "You really are welcome to have dinner with us, Nick. If you're bored to the point where you could stand that."

Before he could answer, Ella was smiling again and said, "Please!"

"I guess that would be okay. If you're sure," he said mainly to Tiffany.

But before she could reply, Ella said, "Yes!" then almost immediately asked, "What are we having tonight?"