by J. J. Cook
All my hopes were deflated like a big hot air balloon. In other words, this wasn’t a romantic proposal. He was thinking about business, and figuring out how he could help Delia.
On the other hand, he’d said no girlfriend. I figured the no-dating part was only there because he hadn’t met the right person. Also, a business dinner could lead to something more.
“Sounds good,” I accepted. “The way things look right now, anytime would work for me.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
With that settled, we watched the rain, and my business, flow down the streets of Mobile and into the drain. I didn’t wait much longer. The sky looked heavy with water, and the weather forecast was calling for much of the same the rest of the day.
Suzette’s Crepes left before the Dog House. Delia rode back to the diner with me in the Biscuit Bowl, and Ollie rode with Miguel.
Delia had organized that switch. I wondered why—until we left the parking lot and she slapped my thigh.
“Girl, you got it going on with the handsome lawyer. I don’t blame you. Who wouldn’t want to play house with him?”
“It’s only dinner.” I assumed she’d heard our conversation. “Business dinner, at that.”
“I think that’s up to you, Zoe. I could glam you right up and Miguel’s eyes would pop out when he saw you. You’re beautiful. I love your hair, and you have great skin. Let me do this for you. He won’t think about you as a business deal ever again.”
I was tempted. After all, that’s what I wanted. Knowing Delia as I did, I wasn’t sure if that was the right way to go. I wasn’t a glam kind of person. Probably more often than I liked to think about, I smelled like old grease, too.
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m going to visit Tommy Lee at the hospital. He’s been texting me like crazy all day. He was trying to help me last night when he was hurt. It’s the least I can do.”
Delia stared at me with knowing eyes. “Now’s not the time to get cold feet, if you know what I mean. You want it, you gotta take it. Maybe if you don’t want my lawyer, I do. You go visit Tommy Lee and think about it.”
I drove back to the diner, thinking about all the strange turns my life had taken since I’d decided to follow my dream. In some ways, I guess I could see why my parents were upset. I’d done some crazy things before, but never anything this drastic. It was as though I’d become another person.
Miguel and Ollie were at the diner, waiting. Ollie had once again opened the door and blocked it for easy access. I didn’t mind him being ready to unload the food truck. He was making it a little hard not to become dependent on him.
It was still pouring rain as we unloaded everything. The biscuits and the rest of the chili went to the homeless shelter. Marty thanked me many times over. He took me aside as Miguel and Ollie put the food out for the hungry men.
“I’m sorry if this seems like I’m butting in,” Marty said. “I’m just worried about you, Zoe. You’ve had a lot going on the last few days. I hope you’re okay.”
I thanked him for his concern. “It’s been crazy, that’s for sure.”
“Ollie told me that the man who held the gun on you yesterday was demanding something he thought you’d taken from the other man the police thought you killed.” He smiled and shook his head. “Is that right?”
He looked scared. It made me feel bad that I might have, however inadvertently, brought this into his life. “It’s true, but it’s going to be fine. The police will figure it all out. I might have an idea for them, too.” I told him what I’d found out from Reggie that day. “I know it’s not a lot, but it takes us one step closer.”
“I’m not sure I understand what that means,” he admitted. “I hope things get back to normal for you, and the rest of us. If you need any help, don’t hesitate to ask. You’ve been such a blessing to the shelter. We’d all like to repay you.”
I thanked him. I didn’t really understand any of it, either. How could I expect him to?
I left the shelter, got everything off of the food truck and in its appropriate places. Ollie, Miguel, Delia, and I were soaked.
I tried to give Ollie something for his time. He refused. I didn’t offer Miguel money, but I thanked him for being there.
“I’m glad nothing unusual happened,” Miguel said. “I’m going home to catch a shower. I’ll see you later.”
Ollie and I stood at the door to the diner, watching Miguel get in his car and leave.
“You know he likes you, right?” Ollie said. “I don’t mean like a client, either.”
A little thrill went through me. Maybe Delia was right. Maybe the business dinner wasn’t only about business. Men have a way of hiding their intentions sometimes. I hoped this was one of those times.
“I like him, too. Not like my lawyer.”
Ollie turned and stared at me. “What about Tommy Lee? I don’t want Miguel to get hurt in some kind of scheme to make your boyfriend jealous, Zoe. Best you make a choice and stick to it.”
He walked casually out into the streaming rain. I watched him go, wondering if he and Delia were either telepathic or had discussed us while Miguel and I were questioning Reggie.
I counted my money when I was alone. I’d made enough to cover my expenses. That was all. Crème Brûlée meowed at me from his bed on the floor.
“We’ll be fine,” I assured him. “You’re not going to starve.”
I think he believed me. He climbed out of his traveling bed and made his way onto my bed where he snuggled down into the sheet and blanket.
It had been a trying day for us both. But there was always tomorrow. All I could do was keep making the best biscuit bowls I could, and hope my dreams came true.
I took a quick shower and changed clothes. I had a flirty little red dress that I sometimes wore to parties. I thought about wearing it now. The problem was that I wasn’t sure if I was going to have time to change after going to visit Tommy Lee. It was perfect for a date with a prospective boyfriend. Not so perfect for an obligatory visit to an ex-boyfriend. It could certainly give Tommy Lee the wrong idea.
Instead, I wore dark pants and a jacket that I’d usually reserved for the office. My pink top had a frothy neckline that verged on being flirty. I could wear the jacket when I saw Tommy Lee, and take it off when Miguel came to get me. That seemed like the best idea.
I was careful with my makeup, and packed some of it away in my bag. I could freshen up before I left the hospital. My curls were a little frizzy, even after I’d used gel on them. I sighed. They were going to have to do.
When I was through, I took one last look in the mirror and decided I was as good as I was going to be.
I called a taxi and waited inside until the driver showed up. With my only vehicle being the food truck, I had no choice. Gas was too expensive to drive it all over town.
I pulled the hood up on my rain poncho when the taxi arrived and dashed out of the diner, quickly locking the door behind me. I wasn’t sure where Delia was. Maybe she’d gone down to see Ollie. They’d make a nice couple.
As we drove through the wet streets of the city, I thought about Delia’s offer of helping me look better for Miguel. I still didn’t think that kind of mojo was for me. Either Miguel and I had something between us, or not. I’d find out.
The taxi driver, a man named Cole, who happened to know Uncle Saul, agreed to wait for me while I went inside to see how Tommy Lee was doing. I thought I could use that as an excuse, if I needed one, to leave after a few minutes. I wasn’t sure what Tommy Lee was going to be like.
The driver and I had a pleasant conversation about gator stew that made me want to pay my uncle a visit. The weekend was in front of me. Why not? Maybe he’d have some savory recipes he’d want to share.
I checked in at the front desk. The gray-haired woman there smiled and gave me Tommy Lee’s room number. I made a
quick stop at the gift shop and reluctantly purchased a get-well balloon for him.
It was hard not having the resources I’d had before. A ten-dollar balloon made me wince. I had to remind myself that Monday would be the start of a new week for my business. It could be the week everything turned around for me.
I told myself that every week.
The door to Tommy Lee’s hospital room was open. I knocked anyway, and went in. It was a surprise to see both my parents—and his—standing on opposite sides of his sick bed. All of them glared at me as I put the weighted balloon on the bedside table.
I ignored them. “Hi, Tommy Lee. How are you feeling?”
He didn’t look so bad. He had a bandage on his forehead. Otherwise, he looked fine. I felt guilty that he’d been injured trying to save me from Don. He’d meant well.
I didn’t feel guilty enough to get back together with him, but enough to get me to the hospital and make me smile at him.
“Hello, Zoe.” His voice was a whisper. “I’m glad to see you’re still alive. I don’t mind that I was almost killed trying to help you.”
“How do you think he’s feeling?” his mother (a great deal like mine) demanded. “You’ve ruined your life, Zoe, and now you want to kill my son. Have I ever told you the story of when my precious Tommy Lee was born? You know I could never have more children after him. He’s all I’ve got.”
To my dismay, Martha Elgin started crying. Herb, her husband, put his arm around her and shook his head at me. I felt terrible.
Daddy was visibly upset. My mother never cried, but she was very stern looking. I thought maybe she was practicing for being a judge. If that was the case, she’d been practicing my whole life.
“I’m very sorry about this, honey,” Daddy said. “We’ve all agreed. You need an intervention. Try not to get upset. This is for your own good.”
I started to ask what he was talking about when a dark blanket that smelled like wood shavings came down over my head. I tried to push it off, but the person holding it was much stronger than me. He picked me up and slung me across his shoulder.
“It will all be fine, Zoe,” I heard my mother call out. “We love you.”
FOURTEEN
I screamed. I kicked my feet and tried to pound on my abductor’s back with my fists. I couldn’t imagine why no one stopped him. Where were the cops, security guards, and hospital personnel?
I felt the elevator start down. Why was this happening to me? Wasn’t it bad enough I’d had to shut down the Biscuit Bowl early and come back with almost a full load of food? Did my parents have to gang up on me, too?
Assuming Daddy had hired someone to kidnap me, I knew my only hope was reasoning with the person once I managed to get out of the blanket. This whole intervention routine was extreme. I had no doubt that it was my mother’s idea.
I was bounced unceremoniously into what felt like a car seat. The driver of the car started forward right away. After a few minutes of driving, my abductor pulled the blanket from my head. I didn’t even want to think what my poor, abused curls looked like at that point.
My eyes needed a moment to adjust to the light again. It appeared that I was back in the taxi. I started to ask what was going on when I heard a familiar voice beside me.
“You been a bad girl,” Uncle Saul said with a chuckle. “I know times are desperate when your daddy calls me for help.”
I hugged him, glad that my kidnapper wasn’t some hired hand. I’d had a friend at Auburn who’d been through an intervention for smoking pot. She’d been held against her will for three days before escaping. She still smoked pot—she just never said anything to her parents again.
“What’s going on?” I asked him. “What kind of intervention is this? Why didn’t anyone stop you?”
“Your mother and father paid everyone to look the other way, of course. It was a brilliant plan—except for asking me to execute it. I suppose I was as close as they could imagine to the kind of person who’d do such a thing.”
Uncle Saul was a tall, strong man, used to chopping firewood and living in the wild. He didn’t look much like my father, either.
Where Daddy was smooth and always well-groomed, Uncle Saul had wild curly hair that looked like he’d dyed it in wide streaks of black and gray. His clothes were handmade and could have been something from the Middle Ages. He insisted store-bought clothes had poisons in them that caused premature death. Too bad he’d never really learned to sew.
“The best kind of intervention you’re gonna get, Zoe.” He grinned and messed up my curls even more than they were. He looked at his hand after he’d had it in my hair. “What is that junk you put in there? You need to wear your hair like mine—natural. Curly hair has magic. It shouldn’t be tamed.”
Uncle Saul hadn’t always been this way. Daddy said he’d snapped one day about twenty years ago at his popular restaurant in downtown Mobile. I could barely remember him before. After that, he’d sold everything and bought some land in the swamp where he’d built his log cabin.
“I know you’re not here to give me a curl intervention.” I was happy to see him, like always, especially since I’d been thinking about him. He rarely came to town. On the other hand, I wanted to know what was going on.
“No. I’m here to save your life. You don’t want to become like me, do you?”
There was a glint of humor in his bright blue eyes. I never knew when he was serious.
“My mother was looking for some way to make me quit my business, right?” I guessed. “Daddy came up with a plan to get me out of town and forget about it.”
Uncle Saul laughed and slapped his thigh. “You must be getting psychic, child. Your daddy drove out to see me and begged me to take you back with me. He said your mother was thinking about having you committed to some fancy-pants clinic in Switzerland or something. She thinks you’ve lost your mind.”
I laughed at that. “And somehow Daddy convinced her that you could help me find it? That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. Maybe she needs an intervention.”
“That’s about what I was thinking.” He shrugged. “I wasn’t gonna argue with him. I set this up and told him I’d take you back to the swamp with me for a few weeks. Your mother thinks that will be enough time to make you want your old job back, and to make up with your boyfriend.”
I’d heard some crazy things in my time. This had to be the craziest.
“I don’t want to go to the swamp, Uncle Saul. Even if I have to spend a month there, I’m not giving up on my dream. I love what I’m doing. My mother doesn’t get it. I think Daddy would be okay with my decision if she’d quit bugging him about it.”
Uncle Saul hugged me again, almost cracking my ribs in his enthusiasm.
“I’m not taking you anywhere, except your place. I brought some food to make a mighty fine dinner for my friend, Cole, here.” He patted the driver on his back. “Besides, I want to see what you’ve done with the food truck. How are your biscuit bowls going over?”
In short, my father’s visit had prompted Uncle Saul to come and see me to find out what was going on. I was surprised Daddy or my mother didn’t realize what a sneaky man he was.
“Did they pay you to do the intervention?”
“Why yes, ma’am, they did.” Uncle Saul grinned. “I’ve had my eye on a log splitter for a while now. I ordered it before I left home. I have the Internet now, you know.”
Talk about things not going the way people planned! The taxi driver, Cole, took us back to the diner. As though the weather was smiling at the joke, too, the sun came out and chased all the rain away.
I helped Uncle Saul and Cole take cloth bags of roots, herbs, and vegetables into the diner. I took them on a grand tour of the diner and the food truck. Uncle Saul commented here and there about what I’d done.
“I like the chalkboard on the sling-up door,” he told me. “I
used to have a little sign I put on the ground. This is much better. When are you going to make me some biscuit bowls? I think I have some ideas for you on what you can serve inside.”
We talked nonstop while Cole sat at the counter drinking coffee. It wasn’t long before Ollie and Marty came down to see what was going on. Uncle Saul invited them both to dinner as he chopped vegetables and sautéed some fish and chicken. No wonder those bags had smelled so bad.
Delia had come back. She’d gone out shopping with some friends. She had several large bags of clothes. I didn’t ask where she got the money. That would have been rude.
There were introductions all around. Ollie reminded me a lot of Uncle Saul. He wasn’t as outgoing—Uncle Saul had been known for his hospitality at his restaurant before his breakdown. Ollie helped Uncle Saul at the grill while I went to work on my hair.
It was almost seven P.M. I didn’t know what Miguel would make of all this. I couldn’t leave Uncle Saul, even for the possibility of a romantic dinner out.
I waited by the front door until I saw Miguel’s Mercedes pull up. With one last pat on my hair, I went out to greet him and explain the situation.
“I can’t go out. I’m sorry. I was looking forward to dinner.”
“That’s fine.” Miguel smiled and didn’t look upset at all. “Am I invited to the feast?”
I was a little put out that he didn’t seem disappointed that he couldn’t be alone with me. Maybe I’d overestimated the romance part of the meal. “That would be great. I’d love to have you meet my uncle.”
My personal radar that could spot bad people was nothing compared to Uncle Saul’s. Of course, he’d had years to get his working. I was still new to mine.
Miguel and Uncle Saul shook hands. I could see Uncle Saul’s eyes narrow as he talked to Miguel. I knew he was assessing his personality. I was eager to find out what he thought.
Somehow, Uncle Saul got Miguel to put on a big white apron and had him cooking crawdads on the stove. I stayed at the oven making biscuits and then frying the biscuit bowls in the deep fryer. It was fun watching the three men make food. The diner was beginning to smell wonderful. I couldn’t wait until the food was ready.
