Our car rolls around to the front of the restaurant. The place is already jammed with people. Everyone looks so elegant, too. Our doors are opened for us, and we step onto the sidewalk. I loop my arm through Hailey’s and peer up at the sign. I have to shake my head and look again. Did I just see that correctly? The sign clearly reads Desirez’ in red letters, curling over a shiny black surface.
I’m busy studying the sign and barely notice the trendy artwork lining the hallway. We reach the elevator at the end, and the sign to my left also reads Desirez’. How is that possible?
I’m still marveling at the coincidence of the name, when Elliott nudges me. “Paige, the elevator’s here.”
And Hailey adds, “You’re planning on taking it, right? Otherwise, it’s kind of a long hike up to the top.”
Only, I can’t move. Something begins to stir within me. It’s as if I can sense a storm is coming. Hailey edges me into the elevator and suddenly, I realize she is staring at me.
“Are you paying attention to anything?” she says and raises her eyebrows.
“I don’t recall you ever mentioning the name of the restaurant to me before. Where did it come from?” I ask Hailey.
“Why do you have that strange expression on your face? Are you okay?” she asks and places her hand on my shoulder.
“It’s nothing. I was just wondering. It’s not a very common name. It’s asking, what you desire, in French,” I say.
“I’m impressed. I didn’t realize you understood the language of love,” Hailey says, stepping out of the elevator. When we reach the main foyer, she peers anxiously around the room. “I don’t see him, yet.”
“He’s probably just busy greeting people,” I offer.
She lifts her body up to her tip-toes, searching over peoples’ heads. Her eyes shift erratically around the area. On the other side of the foyer, four girls, each in trendy black shirts and pants, stand behind a dark-brown box. They wear headsets, and although they smile, their eyes are anxious. One of the girls is directing guests toward the bar.
The floors are a mixture of travertine and wood. I’m taking in the pattern of the carefully arranged boards beneath my feet, when I bump into someone. I glance up and realize it is Hailey’s assistant.
“Sorry, Stacey, I wasn’t watching where I was going. There is so much to take in here,” I say, still peering around the room.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve been here a million times and I’m still taking it all in. It turned out pretty fantastic! I mean, I saw the sketches before, but I still had no idea it would be this cool!” Stacey offers excitedly.
“Hi Stacey, what do you think?” Hailey asks, moving closer towards us.
“You truly outdid yourself. I can see a mixture of the original plans along with your subtle flair for detail sprinkled throughout. Gee, I wonder what inspired you to create a space like this,” Stacey says, nudging Hailey lightly.
Hailey nudges her back, and when she looks up her smile brightens. About a hundred feet away stands Julian, talking with a petite woman.
“There he is! I can actually feel butterflies in my stomach!” she exclaims. “I suppose in time I won’t feel them anymore.”
“That’s not always true,” I say, peering over to where Elliott is standing; he’s having a conversation with a co-worker of Hailey’s. Do I still have flutters when I see him . . . yeah, there they are. Perhaps they aren’t as noticeable as when we first met, but they’re still there. “They may not be there all the time, but hopefully, they never go away.”
“Come on, let me show you around!” Hailey says, eagerly tugging at my arm.
She leads me into the fashionable dining area. There are tables arranged throughout, partitions made of etched glass and dark wood divide them. I hear a loud whoosh come from the kitchen area and look over in that direction. Discretely hidden between the guests and the chefs are walls of glass. I can see people wearing white aprons and hats, busily preparing gourmet meals. I’m actually beginning to feel a little hungry and would love to see a menu. Suddenly, I feel a strong arm around my shoulder.
“Good evening, ladies.” I hear from behind us.
I turn around and see Julian, lightly placing a kiss onto Hailey’s cheek.
“Julian this place is amazing! Hailey told me the desserts are exquisite. I can’t wait to sample some of them,” I say, pulling Julian’s gaze away from my sister. Lately, I seem to be interrupting a lot of their lovey-dovey moments.
“Would you like for me to have a plate made for you?” he offers.
“No, you’re busy enough, but I’d love to see a menu,” I say peering over to where I believe the food is located.
“No problem. I’ll be right back,” Julian says and runs off in the direction of the hostess.
“Oops, I could have gotten it myself,” I say, feeling slightly guilty.
“Don’t worry about it,” says Hailey.
“Here you are,” he says, wearing a proud grin on his face.
“Thanks,” I say and look down at the menu. It’s made of black leather with the name Desirez’ scrolled across the front in red. “Julian, where did you come up with the name for the restaurant?” I ask, running my fingers over the surface.
“My business partner came up with it years ago. It’s the same name as the Palm Beach site,” he explains. “By the way, she’s here. In fact Hailey, she was asking to see you earlier.”
“Paige, you’ll just love Mrs. B! I only just met her a few weeks ago, but I feel as if I’ve known her for years,” says Hailey.
“She’s over by the bar; I was just talking with her,” says Julian.
“Oh, let’s go!” squeals Hailey.
“Right this way,” Julian says and escorts us to another section of the restaurant.
It doesn’t take long for me to see my husband. “Hailey, I’ll catch up with you. I need to speak with Elliott for a sec.”
“All right, we’ll see you in a bit,” Hailey says.
“Hello there stranger,” Elliott says after seeing me.
“Hey, are you having a good time?” I ask.
“I’m having a great time. I was just talking with Roger; he’s a riot.”
“Do you mean the president of Hailey’s company?” I cringe while imagining all of the ‘funny’ things Elliott must have said to him.
“Yeah, great guy.”
“Listen Elliott, something strange is going on here.”
“Uh-oh, are you about to go somewhere?” he asks, sounding concerned.
“Not at the moment. It’s probably just a coincidence, but the name of this place is the same name Delilah chose for her restaurant.” I wait for Elliott’s reaction.
“You didn’t mention that before.”
“It didn’t think to mention it before. Besides, I just found out what this place is called. Don’t you think that’s kind of weird?”
“I don’t know. I mean, everyone has desires,” he says, appearing thoughtful. “By the way, who is Julian’s partner?”
“Her name is Mrs. B.”
Elliott and I both stare wide-eyed at each other.
“So you don’t really know her name?” he asks.
“Not yet, but she’s with Hailey. Just over there.”
“Well, I say we need to meet her. Maybe Mrs. B knows Delilah or something. Although, it is highly unlikely.”
Anxiously, I grab Elliott’s arm and glide through clusters of people. I’m almost to my sister, when I hear someone from my right side holler, “Delilah, you’re needed in the kitchen ASAP!”
The woman talking with Julian and my sister turns toward the voice.
I gasp when I see her! It’s her! It’s Delilah Jones, only 24 years older! The space between us seems to stretch, appearing like a transparent tunnel. My throat tightens and my breathing is strained. I reach for Elliott’s arm.
“Darlin’, are you all right, you look like you've seen a ghost?” I hear a familiar southern accent say to me.
It’s Delilah and her stra
wberry-blonde hair, she’s staring down at me, concern on her face.
“Can you speak?” Delilah asks, motioning towards her throat. “Do this if you’re choking?”
“I’m fine . . . thanks,” I force my reply.
“Good thing, I can’t have someone choke opening night.” She smiles brightly and taps my shoulder. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“I will, thanks,” I respond weakly.
She smiles again and walks away.
My sister is the first to reach me. “What was that? Are you all right? I thought for sure, at any moment, Mrs. B was going to give you the Heimlich!” says Hailey, sounding both concerned and amused.
This is embarrassing! I have to pull myself together!
“What’s going on, Paige?” Elliott asks, rubbing his hand over my back.
I peer up and can feel tears prickling my eyes. “That was Delilah!” I exclaim.
Elliott understands, but Hailey appears confused. I look over toward Julian; he is leaning over the bar explaining something to the bartender.
“What are you talking about? Who are you talking about?” Hailey asks.
Elliott interjects, “Hailey, Julian’s partner happens to be the same Delilah from Paige’s vision.”
“No, it can’t be!” Hailey exclaims.
“Delilah is from Lewisburg, West Virginia, and she used to dream about opening up her own restaurant,” I say peering around the room. “And it looks like she did just that.”
“I thought Mrs. B was from somewhere close to D.C. Hold on a sec,” says Hailey. She scurries over to Julian and says something into his ear. He responds, before running his hand affectionately along her arm, and she smiles brightly up at him. Another cutesy moment passes before she shakes her head and her eyes widen. She pulls away from him and rushes back to me.
“She is from West Virginia. How did you know? You’re sort of freaking me out,” Hailey says.
“You’re freaking out! How do you think I feel? I saw that woman less than a month ago, only she was only seventeen years old. Now, I find her here opening a restaurant with your boyfriend!” I exclaim; my breathing is frantic. In fact, my head feels light. “I need to sit down.”
Elliott and Hailey find a nice leather chair for me. I use the oversized menu to fan my face. I realize I look ridiculous, but at the moment I don’t care.
Twenty-One
Glasses clink, and laughter erupts sporadically from all around me. Hailey and Elliott are still trying to figure out what to do next. I can hear what they are saying, but in my mind, I’m replaying my interaction with Delilah over and over.
I glance up, and watch as Hailey’s and Elliott’s lips move. I’m having trouble understanding what they are saying because of their muffled voices. Hailey paces back and forth, while Elliott’s hand fiercely rubs over his red and blotchy forehead.
Geesh, they really appear worried about me. I lean in a little closer and can finally hear what they are saying. I think maybe I can finally speak, too. “You know what will make me feel better, some of those yummy looking desserts. Do you think we could have someone load up a plate for me?” I ask Hailey, wearing my nicest grin.
“Oh, so basically you have been sitting there comatose for 15 minutes, and the first words out of your mouth are that you fancy a plate of pastries,” states Hailey, giving me a stern look. “Do you realize how worried we’ve been? What’s the matter with you?”
“Sorry. I didn’t realize I was quiet for so long. I guess I’ve been shell shocked by meeting Delilah. Boy, that was a complete surprise,” I say.
“Well, pull yourself together. We still have a long night ahead,” Hailey says. “And Paige, I want to help you with your problems, really I do. Only, can we deal with them later?”
“Sorry, of course we can. After pretty much ruining your shower, I definitely don’t want to upset this night for you,” I say.
“Look, you didn’t ruin my shower. In fact, if it weren’t for you, I could very possibly have married Derek and let the true love of my life go. I’m happy now. Julian is perfect for me. It just took me a while to see that,” she offers.
“Well, that’s a relief. I promise to behave at your and Julian’s wedding,” I say, smiling.
“Good thing. I wouldn’t want Derek to show up and cause a scene,” she says and smiles back.
“Does that mean you and Julian have talked about getting married?” I prod.
“Sort of, I mean, the subject has been alluded to,” she says while blushing. She then stammers, “You know, it’s not like I’m wearing a ring or anything. I just have to wait until he’s ready. I wouldn’t want to push him or anything.”
“Hailey, don’t worry. Julian isn’t going anywhere,” I offer, trying to calm her.
“Why do you say that? I mean, what makes you so sure?” she asks.
“I can see it in his eyes every time he looks at you. It’s very sweet, actually,” I say and can hear Hailey sigh.
“All right, I’ll get you a plate of desserts. Can I offer you anything else, my dear?”
“No, that will be all for the moment,” I tease back.
Hailey gives an unconvincing scowl before leaving. I peer up at Elliott. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen him wear that sort of expression before.
“Paige, are you going to be all right?” he asks, kneeling down to my eyelevel.
“I suppose so, but I’m still a little light headed. I think my blood sugar level just dropped or something.”
“Well, I’m relatively certain the sugary desserts will help with that,” he says with a half-grin.
“You think? I like the sound of that,” I begin and realize he was just kidding. “Not funny. Unlike you, I do believe desserts will help me. I can feel it deep inside. I know they will do the trick.”
Elliott’s face suddenly doesn’t appear as amused. It has reverted back into looking serious. I don’t really like the transformation. I can only guess at what he is about to say, but I’m pretty sure I’d much rather discuss something fun, like pastries.
“Paige, you must understand this situation is very bizarre. Honestly, Hailey and I don’t know what to do with all of this,” he says, running his hand affectionately over my cheek. “It was one thing for you to tell us you were having visions; now, we’re in a completely different league. To me, Delilah didn’t really exist before, now she does. She is here in the flesh. I’m sorry, but I’m just having trouble grasping this.”
“Elliott, I appreciate that you’re trying to,” I sigh. “How do you think I feel? I just made a complete fool of myself in front of Delilah! How am I supposed to show my face to her again?”
“Let me get this straight. Your visions have basically just been confirmed, and all you care about is that you choked a little in front of her?” he says exasperatedly.
“Well, yes,” I say, running my hand soothingly over his back. “I accepted my new talent a long time ago, and although I enjoy my new gift, I never expected to actually meet Delilah.”
“Here’s your plate of goodies,” Hailey has reappeared and sets the plate on my lap. “You’re looking better. Do you think you’re up to socializing?”
“Wow, this is delicious! You must try one of these!” I exclaim and shove a second mini pecan pie into my mouth.
Hailey lets out a loud sigh and stares at Elliott. The two seem to have a private conversation through their eyes.
“All right guys, remember me? I’m sitting right here. What’s the plan?” I ask and pop in a chocolate truffle. “Seriously, you have to try this.”
They look down at me and stare as if I’m from another planet. Elliott reaches for a cocktail napkin and swipes it across my chin. “If you keep plastering your chin with chocolate cream, I’ll have to start carrying a roll of paper towels,” he says with a smile.
“Ha-ha, very funny. Really, what should I do about Delilah? I’m thinking, I should probably run out of here and wait for you two in the car,” I say.
> Hailey is quick to offer, “Paige, you can’t run away from this. You need to face her. It would be better if you didn’t have food on your face and try not to choke this time.”
I can’t believe my sister’s actually wearing a serious expression. I quickly exclaim in horror, “Hailey, I can’t talk to her! Didn’t you see my reaction last time? It was mortifying, really it was.”
“Paige, I think Hailey is right. You can’t run away from this. We’ll be with you. Just act natural,” Elliott says in an overly soothing tone.
“No, don’t act natural. Just keep quiet and let me do the talking,” Hailey says, and Elliott narrows his eyes at her. “What?”
“Paige will be fine. In fact, I think we should just explain to Delilah why Paige acted like that. Delilah seems nice enough. Maybe she’ll understand, and she can help us fill in the gaps of Paige’s glimmers,” Elliott says. He quickly notices Hailey and I share an expression of pure shock, mouths hanging open and all. “What’s wrong with telling the truth?”
“Oh, only that Paige will look like a complete psycho. Have you even considered that Delilah is Julian’s business partner? I can’t have her thinking my sister is crazy. Believe me, that is a very bad idea. Paige has been rambling on about this new special gift of hers to me for a month, and I’m only just now starting to believe it!”
“Gee, thanks Hailey,” I say in between bites of chocolate mousse and Crème Brule.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I am supportive of you. I just don’t understand what exactly is happening here,” she offers, reaching down and plucking the raspberry tart. “Mmmm, this really is good.”
“I know. Try the chocolate one there,” I say, pointing to the yummiest looking dessert on the plate.
“Can we focus a little more here?” Elliott chimes. “I say we walk over to the bar, get a drink, and enjoy ourselves.”
Hailey and I look at each other and shrug our shoulders.
“Okay, but if Delilah returns, you can’t leave my side,” I say and turn toward Elliott. “See, I told you a few desserts would make me feel better. I just needed a little sugar.”
There’s a band in the corner playing some fun jazz. From what I can see, this place is a real hit! I’m beaming with excitement for Hailey and Julian.
Glimmers Page 20
