Want to Know a Secret? (6)

“Mrs. Reynolds.”

My heart leaps in my chest. “That’s amazing! That’s Bobby’s teacher. They’re in the same class!”

Maria clutches her chest. “That’s wonderful. I’ve been so nervous about Owen making friends, but it seems like he and Bobby are getting along great.”

This is incredible. I had been hoping to have a neighbor that I could be more friendly with than elderly Mrs. Kirkland, but I hadn’t dreamed of getting a neighbor with a little boy Bobby’s age in the same class as him. It will be so nice for Bobby to have a friend on the block whose mother isn’t… well, Julie. Not that I don’t love Julie, but she can be intense. And Leo is so overbooked with afterschool activities, he never has time to play.

“Are you planning to join the PTA?” I ask.

She hesitates. “I wasn’t sure. I got a flyer about a meeting this week. Do a lot of people join?”

“Oh my God, yes.” I’m embarrassed to tell her how much of my life is consumed by the PTA. But at least I’m doing work for a good cause—my kid’s school. “And Julie—she lives on the other side of you—she’s the president of the PTA this year and she’s going to push you to join. For sure.”

A funny smile plays on Maria’s lips. “Yes, I’ve already gotten a few notes from Julie. She says she’s the… block captain?”

I groan. “Yeah, she pretty much made that up to feel important. It’s not like we voted for her or anything. At least, I didn’t. She organizes all the stuff on our block, like yard sales and the book club… that’s next Thursday, by the way, in case you want to come.”

“Yes, I saw the book was almost six-hundred pages. That seems a bit… challenging.”

I lift a shoulder. “Honestly, I have no idea. We never discuss the book for more than a minute or two. We spend most of the time gossiping. Julie picks the books, and they’re always the longest, most boring books in the world.”

She laughs. “So it’s okay if I didn’t read it?”

“Heck yes. I sure haven’t.”

The coffee machine lets out an obnoxious buzzing noise that sets off a jab of pain in my left temple. I’m already planning to buy Maria a new coffee machine for Christmas. You can never start planning for Christmas too early. During all of December, I usually do Christmas-themed episodes of Sweet Secrets.

Maria pours me a cup of coffee in a white mug with a little crack on the side. I pour in some milk and a few teaspoons of sugar, then take a sip. Just as I suspected—it’s awful. Barely edible. I’m definitely buying her a coffee machine. Something amazing. It will change her life.

Her eyebrows bunch together. “Is the coffee okay?”

“It’s fine!” I pour in a little more milk in an attempt to make it tolerable. “Delicious. But you know, the secret to a really good cup of coffee in any machine is grinding your own beans. It’s never going to taste as good if you buy coffee grounds at the supermarket.”

Maria nods politely. “Oh, okay.”

“Sorry!” I say quickly. “This coffee is fine. It’s just… This is what I do, and it’s hard to turn off the tips, you know?”

“Of course. And thanks for the tip.” Maria takes a sip of her coffee and seems to be genuinely enjoying it. Huh. “Anyway, I would love to join the PTA. I’ll just have to see if I can fit it in with my work schedule.”

“You work?” I can’t disguise the surprise in my voice. Most women in this neighborhood are stay-at-home moms. With my weekly YouTube show, I do more than most.

She flashes me a self-conscious smile. “I manage Helena’s.”

Oh my God! So that’s why she looks familiar!

She raises her eyebrows. “Have you heard of it?”

“Heard of it?” I shake my head. “I love Helena’s! Your clothes look so great on camera. I could buy the whole store, except it would wreck my profit margin.”

That’s not an exaggeration. The last time I went to Helena’s, it was a hide-the-credit-card-bill situation. They have incredible stuff, and it’s also expensive. Whenever I look at the price tags, I want to cry. It’s like a tease to have such beautiful clothing that I can’t afford.

“Well,” Maria says, “I get a thirty percent employee discount that you’re welcome to take advantage of.”

“Are you serious?”

She nods.

Okay, this really is too good to be true. This lovely woman is my neighbor, and not only does she have a son the same age as mine, but she can get me thirty percent off at my favorite clothing store in the entire world.

“Thank you so much, Maria,” I say. “Believe me, I will pay you back in brownies. Or chocolate cake. Or scones. I make really good scones.”

She laughs, but I’m not kidding. I adore this woman. And I do make great scones. The secret is that you have to bake them close to each other. Scones like to be kissing.

I clear my throat. “So where is your husband? Is he at work?”

“Oh, no,” she says quickly, as if such a thing would be ridiculous. And it is ridiculous. I still can’t believe Elliot went to work after the scare we had. “Sean just stepped out to grab some groceries. He’ll be back soon.”