Alice Everly accompanied Nan to the Cut Above salon in Barry’s Bay, where stylists and a customer shared local gossip about retirements, businesses for sale, and the health and relationships of townspeople. A black Porsche driving past the window drew attention, and the staff identified the driver as Charlie Florek, noting he was now a banker in Toronto but still returned home after his mother’s passing.

The younger stylist, the older stylist, and a customer who had taught Charlie in high school characterized Charlie as intelligent and a longtime ladies’ man who broke hearts. The comments made Nan visibly disapproving, and she asked the women to drop the subject. Alice registered the information and later admitted she was not surprised by it.

Back at the cottage, Alice and Nan worked on a second kitchen curtain panel. Nan reassured Alice not to worry about the salon remarks, but Alice said the playboy depiction of Charlie aligned with her expectations.

That night, Alice lay awake watching the lights across the bay, noticing Charlie’s place shining brighter than the others. At midnight, just as her birthday began, Charlie texted “Happy birthday.” Alice rolled over to face the wall, choosing not to engage.

Alice then had a recurring dream: she ran up stairs with someone in pursuit, reached a dead end with a black rotary phone, dialed, and found herself unable to speak. The chapter closed on Alice’s unresolved anxiety and mixed feelings about Charlie.