Roseanne stopped on the side of the road and googled Bud's Burrito 'n Bait Shop, since she had no idea where she was going. Seemed like an odd combo for a store. Hopefully they didn't actually sell food and minnows in the same place. Once the address was programmed into her GPS, she merged back into traffic and headed down Paynes Road to Lilydale, a suburb of Yarra.
Tingles rippled down Roseanne's spine. She was about to get the lowdown on the lovebirds. This would be the most amazing thing she'd ever experienced, not to mention the fact that it would save The Tweet. The magazine would get national attention after this. Roseanne smiled to herself, thinking about the conniption fit Hoseok would have. Everything was falling into place...except for the cabin. Roseanne hated that she'd argued with Lisa. She never butted heads with anyone—except Hoseok—but the woman was beyond stubborn. Hopefully after some time and space, she'd be more reasonable and scram. Jennie would never sanction such a living arrangement, even for a few days.
Roseanne turned down a narrow gravel road and slowed when rocks pinged her car. Within a few yards, she turned on the headlights, everything suddenly dark from the forest of overhanging trees. This was certainly an out-of-the-way place for a store. Who'd drive this far for burritos and / or bait?
The sound of rushing water prompted Roseanne to stop. She rolled down her window and searched for the source, delighted to see a small, trickling waterfall. What a beautiful place. She grabbed binoculars out of the glove compartment and scanned the trees, spotting quail doves and killdeers. Roseanne's heart lurched. Perched on a branch was a great horned owl. It had a bulky body, white throat, and distinctive ear tufts. This was a good sign. Owls are thought to bring good luck, and that's exactly how Roseanne felt about meeting with Fran, which reminded her she'd better get moving. She always prided herself on never being late.
A half mile later the glint from a tin building caught Roseanne's eye. It was Bud's Burrito 'n Bait Shop. After parking between two muddy, beat-up-looking trucks, she got out of the car and climbed rickety steps, assaulted by a nauseating fishy scent when she creaked open the screen door. The store was packed with fishing poles, scads of colorful lures, a tank filled with minnows, and an aquarium jam-packed with creepy, crawly things.
Roseanne eyed an elderly man with a white, stubbly beard peering at her suspiciously from behind the counter. She approached and held out her hand.
"Hi. I'm Roseanne."
The man gave her a limp handshake. "Bud. Pleased to make your acquaintance. What can I do for you?"
Or at least that's what Roseanne thought he'd said since his speech was slurred due to a toothpick dangling out of the corner of his mouth.
"I'm supposed to meet someone here named Fran."
"Over there." Bud pointed.
Roseanne spotted a burly-looking woman wearing tattered, dirt-stained overalls and a lopsided straw hat. Fran looked to be over six feet tall and probably weighed close to three hundred pounds. She had one hand jammed into her pocket while the other stuffed a burrito into her mouth. If it hadn't been for large bosoms, Roseanne would have sworn Fran was a man. She could care less what the woman looked like, though. All that mattered were the lovebirds.
Roseanne practically skipped across the store. "Fran? I'm Roseanne. Oh my goodness. It's so nice to meet you. This is all so amazing. When my assistant got your call, I just couldn't believe it. I was sure he'd gotten it wrong. But no, he said Madagascar lovebirds."
Fran stood motionless, sporting the best poker face Roseanne had ever seen. She took another bite and chewed in slow motion, never taking her eyes off Roseanne.
