Cheese and Serendipity

Evan Harris had a problem: he loved cheese. His cardiologist was quite certain that he loved it too much, but Evan figured the man had never even had proper cheese. Standing in front of the counter at McEvoy’s Imports and Gifts, he experienced the same thrill he always did on the first Saturday of every month. The new inventory was in, and with it came a whole new culinary adventure.

“Anything in particular, Mister Harris?” The woman behind the counter, Helen, had her long black hair pulled back in its usual bun, and the smile on her face made the lines around her kind brown eyes deepen. Evan had known Helen for years. She was his favorite clerk at McEvoy’s, mostly because her recommendations for pairings had always been spot-on.

“What do you suggest?” Evan watched as Helen bent down and pulled a tray of wrapped cheeses from the display case.

“I think you’ll like this one. It’s perfect for your pizza night.” Helen pointed to the blue and white wrapping of a rounded cheese. “Goat milk gouda. Soft, bit of a tang to it. This one,” she pointed to a wrapped triangle, “is our newest Blue Stilton. It would go great with some of our house-made honeyed pears and a handful of walnuts. Or....”

Thirty minutes later, Evan had a shopping bag full of gourmet treasures. Helen bade him goodbye with a cheery smile as he left, the shop door’s bell tinkling merrily. It was a beautiful October afternoon, the air crisp and the sunshine bright. As he walked down Main Street, Evan glanced through the large glass windows of Books on Main. A sign in the display caught his eye.

Today Only! Reading and Book Signing by Lynn Vanderbilt.

Immediately, Evan’s heart flip-flopped. He caught a sight of his reflection in the shop window and reached up to run a hand through his thinning silver hair. He thought he still looked good for his age, though compared to his younger years, Evan now wore black-rimmed “coke bottle” glasses, and he had gained about fifty pounds. He still did cardio every now and then but had long since accepted that only a severely restricted diet and harsh workout regimen might rid him of the soft padding on his stomach. There was no room for such a lifestyle, not when he had McEvoy’s in his life.

Opening the door to Books on Main, Evan stepped inside and glanced around. He knew these stacks well. The New Releases shelf was centered in the front of the store, and the different categories traveled down the long wooden shelves in neat and tidy rows. Evan preferred the Mysteries section himself, but he was a longtime fan of Sci-Fi, too. Instead of heading left to check out these shelves, he made a beeline down the center aisle toward the small open section of the store where readings and book signings took place. He spotted Jake Caulfield, the owner, standing next to the signing table where a dark-haired woman sat surrounded by multiple copies of the same book. The shop was by no means empty, but no one else currently seemed interested in the signing.

“...know a great place down in Chesterfield that serves the most amazing steaks. We should go after closing tonight.” Jake was bent over the table in front of Lynn Vanderbilt, monopolizing the space meant for her and her books. He was at least ten years younger than she was, Evan knew, but he couldn’t quite blame Jake for his interest. Lynn was just as beautiful as he remembered, maybe even more so. Approaching the table, Evan shifted his McEvoy’s bag to his left hand and gave a small wave. Lynn noticed him immediately.

“Hi, I was wondering if I could get a signed copy?” He stepped closer to the table, and Jake straightened up, tucking his hands into his pockets. Evan didn’t miss the flash of his wedding ring on his left hand.

Lynn sat up straighter in her chair and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. Evan wondered if she recognized him. She still had the same beautiful blue eyes, full lips, arched eyebrows. She even still had the same tiny mole on her cheek, just below the outer corner of her left eye. Age had touched her, though, much as it had touched Evan. He could see the hint of crows’ feet at the corners of her eyes, and there were a few lines of silver in the hair at her temples.

“How did you like the book?” Lynn was sitting there expectantly, a pen in hand.

Evan chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “If I’m honest... I haven’t read it yet. I’m behind on my reading.”

Lynn smiled and nodded. “That’s alright. I’m just glad you’re here today. It hasn’t been the most inspiring turnout. I thought I’d get a warmer welcome than this in my hometown.” She pulled one of her books over and opened the front cover. “Who should I make this out to?”

Evan took a breath. “Evan Harris, please.” He waited a beat. “It’s really good to see you again, Lynn.”

Lynn sat poised with the pen in her hand, the tip hovering above the blank page. “Evan? I thought I recognized you!” Lynn dropped the pen and stood up, moving around the table to Evan and putting her arms around him in an embrace. Still holding his McEvoy’s bag in one hand, Evan returned the hug one-armed. “Oh, Evan, how many years has it been?”

“Too many,” he replied, laughing. “I’d rather not count them, if that’s okay. Time has been much kinder to you than it has to me.”

She chuckled, too, and shook her head. Taking a step back, she held him at arms’ length. “You look like you have lived a good life,” she said. “And that’s all any of us can ask for, right?”

Jake took that moment to return from helping a customer. “You should have a few more coming back for a signing in a minute,” he said to Lynn. “Do you and Evan know each other?” He gestured to the pair of them.

“We do!” Lynn was all smiles. “Evan and I went to high school together. We dated for four years, until I left to study abroad during my second year of college.” She looked up at Evan, and he could swear he saw a touch of sadness in her eyes. “It’s been decades since I saw him last.”

“Well, I’m happy to facilitate this reunion!” Jake reached out to shake Evan’s hand. “I gotta say, she’s quite the catch. I imagine you were sorry to let her go.”

“You have no idea,” Evan said.

Two elderly women joined the space, small stacks of paperbacks in their arms. “Is this the book signing?” one asked. Jake leaped into action, guiding them over to the table and introducing Lynn, who had retaken her seat. She scribbled something into the book that still lay open in front of her, and just as Evan was about to step away, she stood up and handed it to him.

“It was great to see you, Evan.” She beamed at him.

“It was great to see you too, Lynn.” Their fingers brushed as Evan took the book from her. As he walked toward the front counter to purchase the book, memories of his time with Lynn flooded back.

Back home again, Evan unpacked his haul from McEvoy’s and pulled a box of crackers from the pantry, intending to make a snack of the garlic and herb cheese spread he had purchased. As he popped the first cracker into his mouth, savoring the smooth tang of the cheese, Evan grabbed Lynn’s book and opened the cover.

Evan, it was great to see you. Can we meet again, before I leave town? Please call me. I’m here until Monday morning. Lynn. 555-8002

It took him a moment to process the words on the page, written in the handwriting he knew so well from the love notes she had left in his locker for all of his junior and senior years of high school.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Evan pulled out his phone and dialed her number. She answered on the third ring.

“Hello?”

“Lynn, it’s Evan. I saw your note. Would you like to come over tonight? I’ll make us some dinner, and we can catch up.”

“I would love that! I’m still at my signing, can you send me your address? I’ll be over a little after six if that’s okay.”

“That’s perfect.”

When they hung up, Evan added her number to his Contacts list in his phone and sent her a text with his address in it.

As soon as he pressed Send, the reality of what he was doing settled in. Anxiety washed over him, and he wondered if it had been a mistake. The life he lived was no doubt wildly different from Lynn’s.

After Lynn had departed for her study abroad in Scotland, Evan had fallen into a sad stupor. He completed his degrees in accounting and business administration, and then had immediately moved into a career position with an insurance company. Along the way, Evan dated a few women off and on, but never found anyone with whom he wanted to spend his life. He had plenty of friends, most of whom he had met at his book club. That was part of the reason for his trip to McEvoy’s. Evan hosted their meetings in his house and always provided a charcuterie board that he put together himself.

As time ticked by that afternoon, Evan puttered around the house, tidying up the few things that were out of place and making sure nothing looked too dusty. He tried to imagine what Lynn’s life was like. She had published her first book shortly after returning from Scotland, and from there, her writing career took off. She traveled the world often, posting blogs and vlogs about her books and the adventures that inspired them. She was known around the world, and her books regularly sat at the top of Bestseller lists. Evan didn’t actively try to follow her career, but it was hard to miss the woman who made international headlines.

The doorbell rang about twenty minutes after six o’clock. Evan had been standing by the front windows, watching for Lynn’s arrival, so he was able to enjoy the small pleasure of watching her step out of her Uber and make the short walk up his driveway. As soon as the doorbell chimed, Evan turned the knob and pulled the door open. “Lynn, come on in!”

He took her jacket and hung it on the coat tree near the door. “Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes. I hope that’s okay.” He watched as Lynn stepped through into the living room, taking in the details of his home and his life.

“I’m so glad you invited me over, Evan,” she said, making a slow circuit around his living room. She looked at the paintings on the walls and the photos on the mantle above the fireplace. She stopped and pointed at a framed drawing on the wall by Evan’s easy chair. “Do you have kids?” she asked. He smiled and shook his head.

“No, no. I don’t. My nephew, Chris, drew that. We’re best buddies, as you can see.” He indicated the childish writing at the top of the drawing.

Lynn’s smile was radiant. “I have two nieces. My sister Jenny’s kids. We’re close. I take them all on vacation every year.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. After flipping through her photo gallery for a moment, she turned it around and showed it to Evan. It was a picture of Lynn sitting on the beach with her arms around two little girls, each one bright blonde with freckles and blue eyes.

“It looks like you were having the time of your lives,” Evan said.

Lynn nodded. “Oh, absolutely. Hanna and Izzy are so much fun.”

They moved through into Evan’s study where Lynn became quite animated, commenting on the quality of his small home library. “I did notice, though,” she said, after a few minutes of browsing his collection, “that you don’t have any copies of my books.” She gave him a small, teasing smile. He remembered it all too well from their time together.

It’s hard to believe it has been decades since we saw each other. It feels like only yesterday she was still smiling at me like that.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “If I’m totally honest... I only ever read the first one. I couldn’t do it after that. It just made me miss you too much.” He shrugged his shoulders and stuffed his hands in his pockets, unable to look her in the eye. It was awkwardly quiet for a few moments. He sighed. “I’m, uh, going to go check on dinner.”

“Evan, wait.” Lynn laid a hand on his arm. “I think we should talk. About everything. I know you had a hard time moving on. I did, too. If I’m honest... I don’t think I ever really did.” She flashed him a half-smile and sighed softly. “Evan, I’m not sorry that I had my adventures. My life has been incredible. But... I am sorry that my life didn’t include you. I’ve dated a few men over the years, but none of them were you. Seeing you today was like stepping into one of my dreams. It doesn’t hurt that you saved me from having to get dinner with Jake Caulfield.”

Evan grimaced. “You dodged a bullet there.”

The sound of the oven timer caught their attention. Evan reached out a hand to Lynn, who took it without hesitation, and led the way to the kitchen. When he pulled the pan from the oven, he heard Lynn gasp. “You remembered my favorite! That roast chicken your grandma used to make on Sundays!”

The steam from the oven made Evan’s glasses fog over, and he pulled them off so he could see Lynn as she stood by the counter, hands clasped together and grinning. It warmed him from head to toe. “You really are just as beautiful as you were thirty-five years ago. This feels like a dream. I keep wondering when I’m going to wake up.” Evan turned off the oven and reached for the carving knife and fork he had laid on the counter earlier. Lynn’s hand intercepted him, instead taking his hand in her own and turning him to face her.

“If this is a dream, it’s the best one I’ve had in a long time,” she said. Evan smiled. After a moment of looking her in the eyes, he bent low and placed a gentle kiss on Lynn’s lips. She kissed him back gently, one hand lifting to cup the side of his face. When they finally pulled apart, Evan kept one of Lynn’s hands in his, thumb stroking gently over her knuckles.

“That was better than I remember.”

Dinner passed by way too quickly for Evan’s liking. He and Lynn held hands across the table, laughing and sharing stories of their lives. After the main course, Evan broke into his precious charcuterie stash and made them a fruit and cheese plate for dessert. Lynn, he was pleased to see, loved cheese as much as he did.

“I should get going,” she said, when the clock in Evan’s living room chimed to announce the eleventh hour. “I have brunch tomorrow morning with some fans who won a contest.” Smiling apologetically, Lynn leaned over on the couch, where they had been sitting since dinner ended, and kissed Evan softly. “But maybe I could see you one more time, before I leave?”

“I’d like to see you more than that, Lynn. Do you think that’s possible?” Evan threaded her fingers with his, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “This feels like something more than just serendipity. It feels like a second chance.”

Lynn rose slowly, then bent over and kissed him again. “I don’t know, Evan. My life is chaotic sometimes. You deserve someone who can give you their full attention.”

“Maybe,” he said, “but I want you. I have never changed my mind about that.” He rose from the couch and walked her to the door, helping her slip into her coat. “I have a good life here, but I’d be willing to change it, for you.”

They stood at the doorway hand-in-hand until Lynn’s Uber arrived. She gave him one last kiss, and then stepped outside, hurrying to the waiting car through a soft flurry of snow. Evan waved goodbye and watched until the car was out of sight before going back inside. He went to the kitchen to put away the last of the dinner dishes, but his heart felt too heavy. Everything was in twos, the forks, the plates, the wine glasses. It was a small but sad reminder of what he didn’t have, and maybe never would.

Evan went upstairs and completed his bedtime routine with the same quiet efficiency he always did. As he sat down on the bed to plug his phone in for the night, it chirped at him, the indication of a text message. Evan’s heart leapt when he saw that it was from Lynn.

Evan, I had the best time tonight. Thank you for the incredible dinner, and the even more incredible kisses. I felt like a teenager again.

“Me, too,” he said aloud. “I was on top of the world tonight.”

Another chirp. Evan glanced down. He gasped. And then he grinned.

If you meant what you said about being together, then I think I’d like to give it a shot. I’ll come over after brunch tomorrow morning, and we’ll talk about it. XOXO. Lynn.