Read Online Harriet Beamer Takes the Bus by Joyce Magnin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joyce Magnin
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desk, and since he was so kind as to get her a phone charger she thought he might be able to suggest a nice restaurant. Nothing too nice, but nice enough.
“You could try our own Bistro 300,” he said with a smile. “It’s on level three.”
“Level three.” Harriet said. “The Bistro. It sounds delightful, young man.”
“I’m certain you will enjoy it.” He smiled again.
The restaurant was nice, and Harriet had to wait only a few minutes before a table was ready. She had to admit that she felt odd sitting at a table alone and even odder when the server attempted to remove the place setting meant for a companion.
“I was wondering,” Harriet said, “would it be such a bother if you left all of that there?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the server said. “Are you expecting —”
“No. No, it just makes me feel … not so alone.”
“I understand.”
Harriet figured the only thing he really understood was that Harriet was off her noodle and was entertaining an invisible guest, a pukka of sorts like Harvey. And so, after thinking about it for another minute and before she could even open the menu, she decided to allow the server to remove the place setting. And besides, the notion struck her that others might think she had been stood up. And that was worse than dining alone, even for a woman her age.
She caught her server’s eye, and he returned to the table. “I’msorry. I changed my mind. You can take the extra plates and water glass and … and stuff away.”
He looked at her kind of funny. “Are you certain?”
“Yes, I am. Please.”
And so Harriet enjoyed what she thought was her official first meal on the road. First real meal, now that she was out of Pennsylvania, totally committed and ready for adventure.
Harriet finished her meal around seven o’clock. Dessert was scrumptious. She always did have a soft spot for cheesecake. And the hotel’s cheesecake was something special, made with pecans, chocolate, and caramel. The server asked her to sign the bill. “You mean, no money. Just sign?”
The server smiled, although Harriet thought it might have been a kind of smirky smile. “Yes, ma’am, it will be added to your hotel bill.”
“Oh, that’s fine.” She took the pen and signed her name.
Harriet Beamer.
She thought about adding the word
Adventurer
after her name but figured that would cause trouble. But she did cross her
t
with a flourish she never knew she had.
Chapter 8
T HE NEXT MORNING H ARRIET JOINED THE EARLIEST TOUR group at the National Aquarium. Fortunately, she was able to check her suitcase at the coatroom inside the museum. She especially enjoyed the stingrays and sharks. She had hoped the souvenir shop would have jellyfish shakers, but she had to settle on a blue dolphin pair with the words Baltimore Inner Harbor on them. She tucked them safely into her tote bag, and set off to find a FedEx or UPS office so she could send the shakers. Harriet worried that toting brand-new souvenir shakers around could become not only a heavy ordeal but a dangerous one — they could break. Amelia helped her locate a FedEx a couple of blocks from the aquarium and Harriet overnighted the dolphins to California.
Then Harriet made her way to the first bus stop of the day just in time to catch the 1:07. The Baltimore bus was attractive: green along the bottom and then white with the usual advertisements splayed across the wide sides like traveling billboards. The destination display of the bus she boarded read: Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Harriet climbed aboard and smiled at the driver. “The bus station, please.”
The driver, a young man this time, said nothing, which made Harriet feel a little put off. So far, all of the drivers had been quitecordial. She chose a seat toward the middle and sat next to a woman who appeared to be about her age.
“Hello,” Harriet said.
The woman looked out the window, obviously not wanting to be bothered. Harriet didn’t press it. The ride to the
“You could try our own Bistro 300,” he said with a smile. “It’s on level three.”
“Level three.” Harriet said. “The Bistro. It sounds delightful, young man.”
“I’m certain you will enjoy it.” He smiled again.
The restaurant was nice, and Harriet had to wait only a few minutes before a table was ready. She had to admit that she felt odd sitting at a table alone and even odder when the server attempted to remove the place setting meant for a companion.
“I was wondering,” Harriet said, “would it be such a bother if you left all of that there?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the server said. “Are you expecting —”
“No. No, it just makes me feel … not so alone.”
“I understand.”
Harriet figured the only thing he really understood was that Harriet was off her noodle and was entertaining an invisible guest, a pukka of sorts like Harvey. And so, after thinking about it for another minute and before she could even open the menu, she decided to allow the server to remove the place setting. And besides, the notion struck her that others might think she had been stood up. And that was worse than dining alone, even for a woman her age.
She caught her server’s eye, and he returned to the table. “I’msorry. I changed my mind. You can take the extra plates and water glass and … and stuff away.”
He looked at her kind of funny. “Are you certain?”
“Yes, I am. Please.”
And so Harriet enjoyed what she thought was her official first meal on the road. First real meal, now that she was out of Pennsylvania, totally committed and ready for adventure.
Harriet finished her meal around seven o’clock. Dessert was scrumptious. She always did have a soft spot for cheesecake. And the hotel’s cheesecake was something special, made with pecans, chocolate, and caramel. The server asked her to sign the bill. “You mean, no money. Just sign?”
The server smiled, although Harriet thought it might have been a kind of smirky smile. “Yes, ma’am, it will be added to your hotel bill.”
“Oh, that’s fine.” She took the pen and signed her name.
Harriet Beamer.
She thought about adding the word
Adventurer
after her name but figured that would cause trouble. But she did cross her
t
with a flourish she never knew she had.
Chapter 8
T HE NEXT MORNING H ARRIET JOINED THE EARLIEST TOUR group at the National Aquarium. Fortunately, she was able to check her suitcase at the coatroom inside the museum. She especially enjoyed the stingrays and sharks. She had hoped the souvenir shop would have jellyfish shakers, but she had to settle on a blue dolphin pair with the words Baltimore Inner Harbor on them. She tucked them safely into her tote bag, and set off to find a FedEx or UPS office so she could send the shakers. Harriet worried that toting brand-new souvenir shakers around could become not only a heavy ordeal but a dangerous one — they could break. Amelia helped her locate a FedEx a couple of blocks from the aquarium and Harriet overnighted the dolphins to California.
Then Harriet made her way to the first bus stop of the day just in time to catch the 1:07. The Baltimore bus was attractive: green along the bottom and then white with the usual advertisements splayed across the wide sides like traveling billboards. The destination display of the bus she boarded read: Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Harriet climbed aboard and smiled at the driver. “The bus station, please.”
The driver, a young man this time, said nothing, which made Harriet feel a little put off. So far, all of the drivers had been quitecordial. She chose a seat toward the middle and sat next to a woman who appeared to be about her age.
“Hello,” Harriet said.
The woman looked out the window, obviously not wanting to be bothered. Harriet didn’t press it. The ride to the
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