MR INTRO ALLISON - Down to the Waterline

[Nina]

The rain spattered against the window and Jessica Tombs looked up from the desk where she was working on the books. From where her desk sat behind the shop counter, she could see the Forge outside where Alli, Allison Shaw, her partner, was working. Looking beyond the Forge she could see the storage/work shed and beyond that the rocky drop off to the bay. It was grey and dismal out on the water, and she didn’t see any watercraft at all which was unusual.

 

Jessica was a very attractive woman in her late twenties, but she tried to downplay her good looks and usually, like today, went makeup free, had her long naturally wavy chestnut hair tied back and was wearing baggy cargo jeans. an open green and blue checked flannel shirt worn over a yellow tank top with a local band’s logo on the front. She was also barefoot.

 

She gazed back at the Forge and her partner. The forge or rather forges were located on a separate slab beside the house. The slab was raised to make a large patio. A short two-foot stone wall surrounded the patio, and the forges were set up on the north end with the cooling tubs in the middle and several worktables at the south end. The Forges were open to the sky, but they had special awnings they could put up to cover the forges and the work tables when it was raining and Alli wanted to work. They had discussed building a permanent roof, but Alli said that Shawn had said working under the open sky was best.

 

They had two forges, one, a commercial by Majestic with five gas burners and the other an ancient (built in the 1980’s) solid fuel forge hand made by Shawn sometime in the last century. That one was a masterpiece and the most valuable thing they owned.

 

Shawn Brendle had been their boss, their mentor, their father figure. He had taken both in, separately, when they had needed it, had taught them both in line with their individual talents and gave them purpose and a home. And he had never taken advantage of either them.

 

When he died, was murdered, he left both of them everything.

 

Jessica watched as Alli stoked the solid fuel forge and smiled as she watched Alli’s solid frame and muscles ripple as the younger woman began to hammer on a commission.

 

Because of the way the Forge had been built and even though it was close to the house the sound of Alli working was heavily muffled as if it were taking place somewhere far away. Because of that Jessica heard the bell  which indicated that someone had entered the shop.

Jessica knew the schedule and knew that they did not have any appointments, she looked up over the counter toward the customer entrance way and saw an elderly woman had entered the shop and was looking at the displays along the walls in the front room.

 

The woman was probably in her early sixties from the way she stood but could have been older maybe even in her seventies. She had pure white hair worn shoulder length which added to her youthful look and while her face was wrinkled with age it didn’t detract from her attractiveness. She wore a white silk blouse with a very tasteful off-white floral pattern embroidered on the shoulders. Her slacks were black and pleated her shoes simple flats that matched the rest of her ensemble. She carried a small clutch in her hand. Her makeup was minimal and from the cut of her clothes Jessica could tell she was fit.

 

Jessica stood and went up to the counter which was located at the rear of the front room. “Good morning, can I help you,” Jessica asked pleasantly but with a bit of edge to her voice. They weren’t the type of shop that had walk-ins.

 

The woman let her eyes circle along the displays again before settling on Jessica. She stepped up to the counter across from Jess. “Yes, my name is Nadia Cain, I’m looking for Shawn Brendle.”

 

Outside at the forge Allison Shaw felt a stirring, the flames suddenly burned hotter and a distant roar of waves crashing on rocks could be heard. She looked up at the house and saw Jessica through the window, standing at the counter talking to someone.

 

Jessica Tombs                                                                                                           Nadia Cain