by Harper Lin
“Sure. You might want to enjoy a drink in our Signature Bar. It’s just around the elevator bank to the right.”
“Thanks. I think I will.” Amelia smiled. If Luann went to a room, Amelia was out of luck. But maybe she’d hang around for a little while and see what happened.
The Signature Bar was an elegant room. It had dark wood along the bar and several tall table and stools scattered around the room. Along the far wall were much more intimate tables for two that were like scalloped clamshells, allowing their occupants to sit intimately close to one another.
In one of those cozy seats, Amelia saw the back of Luann’s long blond mane. She was by herself. Amelia quickly glided as close to the booth as she could without being noticed and took a seat perched high up on a stool at one of the tall tables.
She watched the back of Luann’s head, and it looked to Amelia as if she was texting on her phone. Every man who walked by looked at her, but she didn’t seem to notice. She had to be extremely used to it by now.
Just then, a guy came stomping in, wearing tight-fitting jeans and a Harley-Davidson T-shirt. He looked completely out of place among the starched white collared shirts and crisp polos the other men were wearing. Even the waitstaff was dressed better.
“Hi. Welcome to Signature Bar.” Speaking of waitstaff. The toothy waiter shocked Amelia out of her surveillance mode and made her jump. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shock you.” He chuckled pleasantly. “My name is Pi. I’ll be your server. Can I start you off with some water or perhaps a cocktail?”
“Hi, Pi,” Amelia said awkwardly. “Um, I’d like a water and a menu, please.”
“Absolutely, coming right up.”
Amelia picked up the drink card that was underneath the pretty crystal votive candleholder on the table and held it slightly in front of her face while she studied Luann.
The shabby young man flopped into the booth across from her with a greasy smile on his face. He wasn’t ugly, but he had sort of an oily sheen to him that made Amelia wince.
“Waiting long?” she heard him ask. She couldn’t hear Luann’s answer, but judging from the guy’s reaction, Luann was not impressed.
“What are you talking about?” He leaned in toward Luann. “You didn’t seem to have a problem with it before.” He licked his lips.
“Here’s your water and a menu,” Pi interrupted again. “I see you’ve had a chance to look at our drink menu.”
“I’d just like a couple more minutes,” Amelia smiled pleasantly.
“Sure, take your time. I’ll be back.”
Pi whisked away like a feather on a breeze. Amelia looked down and saw a cosmopolitan on the drink menu. It was twenty-one dollars.
“They’ve got to be out of their minds,” she mumbled before putting the small drink menu down and swapping it out for the larger food menu. She peeked over the top, still watching Luann and her guest.
“No one has said anything to me,” the man answered. “No one has called.”
Then Luann said something.
“I’m positive. Lu, you’re just being a little too paranoid. The hard part is over.”
Amelia leaned even farther toward Luann’s booth. Of course what she was hearing sounded dubious. Of course this stud was talking about landscaping or refurbishing or some other custodial project. It was only from hanging around Bud all afternoon that it sounded like murder.
“Babe, it’s done. Now, what do we do next?”
The stool Amelia was sitting on was just too far away. She’d have to take the booth next to Luann’s in order to hear her, and that was just too risky. As she thought of her next move, she didn’t realize she was staring right at Luann’s companion.
He looked her straight in the eye then let his gaze blatantly feel her up. He smirked and gave her a greasy wink. It wasn’t anything like Dan’s wink. Not even close.
But Amelia blushed. Not from the wink but from embarrassment. What was worse was that the man seemed to enjoy it. But Luann didn’t. She whirled her head around and clenched her teeth.
With all the drama of one of Meg’s classmates, Luann pushed herself out of the booth and stomped up to Amelia.
Fearing the worst, Amelia picked up her glass of water and took a long gulp then set it out of Luann’s reach.
“How funny to see you here.” Luann snarled. “Todd, this is the woman I told you about. She owns the Pink Cheesecake or something. Totally ruined Greg’s luncheon.” She started to get choked up. “A businesswoman taking advantage at a funeral luncheon. There is no name for it.”
Amelia’s heart was racing. What did this woman expect her to do? Did she want to fight? Was this going to have to move outside?
“Don’t worry, Luann. Your daughter paid your bill for you,” Amelia replied with as much kindness as she could muster. “As far as I’m concerned, the matter is closed.”
Judging from Luann’s response, Amelia knew that she had no idea Colleen had done this. The tears managed to stop rather quickly.
By now, the entire bar was staring at them as though they were watching a hornet buzz around, waiting to see who it would sting first.
“You need to quit following me, Mrs. Harley!” Luann shouted. “It’s really pathetic.”
“Miss, is this woman bothering you?” a man in a lovely gray suit and name tag that read “Nigel Frange, Manager” asked Luann.
“Are you kidding?” Amelia choked. She was at least a whole foot shorter than Luann and wasn’t the one who started shouting.
“Ma’am, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” Nigel said before Luann could properly answer him.
“You’re asking me to leave?” Amelia almost laughed. She couldn’t control the smile of disbelief on her face. Wait until she told the kids their mom got tossed out of the Four Seasons Hotel. “This woman approached me.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, you need to leave.” Nigel took a step toward Amelia while Luann stood behind him for safety reasons, of course.
“Fine.” Amelia was mortified that everyone was looking at her, yet she felt like a rebel. She’d never been thrown out of a place before. Plus, the fact that her ex-husband still utilized the hotel and would probably find out about this made it even more exciting. For a second, she contemplated knocking her glass to the floor or kicking over her chair. But she changed her mind.
Keeping it classy, Amelia.
She walked out of the Signature Bar and out of the Four Seasons lobby with Nigel trailing close behind. Once outside, she fished in her small bag for her keys when she noticed a Harley-Davidson motorcycle parked near the front entrance. The license plate read TODD.
“There are no coincidences,” Amelia said to herself as she wrote down a quick description of the bike and the plate name. “I should go buy myself a lottery ticket. It might be my lucky night.”
She never imagined getting thrown out of a five-star hotel would be lucky, but she sure felt it. Luann was definitely up to something. That guy was the complete opposite of the man who was in all those pictures on the wall. His hands were permanently dirty. That Harley was not new and looked as if it had seen its fair share of Sturgis weekends. Plus, it had a set of metallic men’s testicles hanging from the hitch. Talk about keeping it classy.
It was also a polar opposite for Luann’s Lexus. Yes, Luann and Todd were as odd a pair as Colleen and Greg were. But up close, Colleen and Greg looked happy. She wasn’t dragging him into an environment that he didn’t fit in like a silk hat on a pig.
Turning around, she saw Nigel The Manager talking on a cell phone, staring out of the glass lobby windows at her. Nigel The Manager sounded like a pitiful superhero name. But his superpower was probably summoning the police with one quick call, so she hurried to her car and left.
On the way home, she called Dan but got his voicemail.
“Hi. It’s me. Well, my night was just as thrilling as my day. Call me when you get a chance, and I’ll tell you all about it.”
Chapter Elev
en
“Wait a second.” Lila looked wide eyed at Amelia. “I know that guy.”
“You know Luann Jameson’s Todd? How?” Amelia gasped as she finished adding the glaze and one giant almond to the top of her apricot-walnut cupcakes.
“That bike you described is parked at Rusty’s several times a month. Rusty doesn’t like him. His full name is Todd Coz.”
“Really? Why not?”
“As if the testicles on the back of his bike weren’t enough. Rusty said he’s one of those guys that no matter what story you tell, he’s got one better. No matter what it is. He’s a know-it-all.” Lila took a drink of water. “He’s been in prison a couple of times. A lot of those bikers have. But unlike normal ex-cons, Todd likes to relive the stories that got him sent there. He likes to see people’s reactions. According to Rusty, he talks way too much. So how many of his yarns are factual is anyone’s guess. But no one likes a guy who doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut.”
“So there’s a chance he might be at the Twisted Spoke.”
“I’d say it’s a pretty good bet. He’s more likely to show up when Rusty isn’t there because, well, you know how Rusty is. He won’t put up with some blowhard disturbing his customers.” Lila smiled devilishly.
“You really like that Rusty, don’t you. Talk about complete opposites.” Amelia winked.
“We aren’t really all that different.” Lila looked off in the distance. “He’s really just a scruffier version of my ex-husband. He’s ambitious and financially secure and has a charm about him that is darn near irresistible.”
“Irresistible?” Amelia teased. “Why, Lila, you really are twitterpated. Do you miss him?”
“Not enough to sleep on the ground for him. But yes. I can’t wait until he gets back. It’ll be about two or three more weeks.”
“Ever think that maybe you might like to be Mrs. Rusty Twisted Spoke?”
Lila laughed.
“I don’t think so. I’m having too much fun being Lila Bergman.”
“Well, Lila Bergman, since we have to wait for Dan before we can make any moves, how about we go over that job description.”
“Yes, one of my finest works thus far,” Lila joked as she grabbed her bag and pulled out a folder. “In my spare time, I typed up a rules and regulations sheet, dress code, our views on firearms in the workplace…”
“What?”
“Don’t worry, I had my lawyer look over it. It’s all legal.”
“You worry me sometimes, Lila.” Amelia looked her friend up and down. “Do you have a weapon on you right now?”
“See, it’s the wondering that makes them think twice. Always keep them guessing, Amelia. That goes for love and war.”
In between another delightfully busy day, the ladies ironed out the ad that Amelia would have Adam upload to whatever job sites most applied to people searching for work on a food truck. Dan called back and said he’d meet Amelia after work to discuss what she was talking about in the message she left him the previous night.
“Well, another day in the black, Amelia.” Lila smiled as she finished the receipts for the night. “I’ll take these to the bank tonight. You said Dan was meeting you here?”
“Yeah. He said he’d be here in about an hour. I’ve got some scrubbing to do, so I’ll be busy until he gets here,” Amelia replied as she scrubbed the counter and sprayed it with disinfectant. “I’d appreciate your dropping off the bag. Tomorrow, the ad will be posted, so hopefully we will have a couple decent people to pick from.”
“I’ll keep my fingers crossed. You want me to wait with you until Dan shows up?”
“No. Go on home. We’ll have a busy day tomorrow. I’ll need you to run the truck while I sleep in the front seat,” Amelia joked.
The last few things to be cleaned were the last batch of cupcake tins, and a slew of paper boats needed to be folded and ready for the next day. Amelia liked being in the truck at closing time. It was quiet, with just the sounds of a couple of the other vendors talking quietly and maybe a few stragglers weaving their way through the park on their way home.
It was at times like this Amelia would have liked a glass of wine and a good book. She could easily sit at the counter with the heat from the ovens all but gone and the fresh air wafting through while reading a romance set in some faraway place.
“All alone here?” The stranger’s voice made her yelp. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I scare you?”
“We’re closed. Come back tomorrow.” Amelia stared at the man and instantly recognized his greasy profile. It was Luann’s Todd. He took one step up to completely block the back doorway.
“Did I just hear your friend say that your little business here was operating in the black? That’s good, right? In the black means you’re making good money.”
“You need to leave, sir.”
“Oh, I’ll go. I just wanted to make a suggestion.” His face was sickly slick as though he had a fever or something. “My good friend told me that you screwed her when she hired you. She wants a total refund as well as damages. It’ll all be in the paperwork her lawyer will deliver. I’m just here as a courtesy. She’s willing to drop everything for five thousand dollars.”
Amelia didn’t speak.
“I’ll give you a couple days to think about it. But I’d hate it if anything happened to your business and you couldn’t make any more of these cupcakes. I hear people really like them.”
Amelia’s fists clenched. Aside from her children, whom she’d walk through fire for, the most important thing in Amelia’s life was her truck. It was hers. She spent more time in it than in her own home.
“You tell Luann Jameson the next time she wants to threaten me, she can come try and do it herself.”
“Luann who?” Todd smirked. Slowly, he backed off the truck. “You just remember what I said. I’ll be back.” He waved his fingers and disappeared.
Amelia let out her breath and put a hand to her stomach. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to scream or puke. Instead, she splashed some cold water on her face and slammed the back door shut, locking it from the inside. She sat at the service window, waiting for Dan.
“Could you identify him if you saw him again?” Dan asked with clenched teeth, smoothing Amelia’s hair away from her face.
“Yes. And I think I might know where he is. Lila said that Rusty knows the guy and doesn’t like him.”
“Of course. If he’s a real biker, he’s probably at the Twisted Spoke.” Dan scratched his chin then pulled Amelia to him and hugged her tightly. “Sometimes I really don’t like the fact you are out here by yourself.”
“I understand, Dan.” She nuzzled into his chest. “But it’s my job. Just like it’s your job to catch the bad guys. Keep us little guys safe.”
“Hmm. I didn’t do such a good job of it tonight.”
“Look, I know a shakedown when I see it. Whether Luann put him up to this or not, he’s a guy looking to make a few quick bucks, thinking he can scare a woman more than he could Gavin over at the Philly Cheese Steak truck or Matthew at the Burrito Wagon.”
“Especially Matthew at the Burrito Wagon!” Dan exclaimed, as Matthew was built like those old-fashioned refrigerators from the 1950s.
“So.” Amelia slipped her arms around Dan and squeezed. “Let’s go take a chance he’s at the Twisted Spoke. Luann thinks her guard dog is scary. Wait until she gets a load of mine.”
Dan looked down at her and winked.
“You said it, kid.”
He took Amelia by the hand to his car, and within minutes after locking up The Pink Cupcake, they were pulling up in front of the Twisted Spoke restaurant and bar.
The place was busy. Rusty, still being on his sabbatical, had left a huge guy by the name of Roy in charge. Where Rusty was pleasant and enjoyed chatting with regulars and flirting with the girls, Roy was all business. Quick to get the food and drinks served, he didn’t mind if someone wanted to kill a few hours at the bar, but they better be buying.
; The same went for the fellows who hogged the pool tables. They would play until closing time as long as the waitress was bringing up an order every half hour or so.
“Otherwise, go find a Starbucks to sit in!” Roy often barked. There were still a couple of fights that would break out late on Friday and Saturday nights. But Roy had no problem using Rusty’s peacekeeper under the bar. A Louisville Slugger had an almost instant calming effect on those around.
The parking lot was full of cars, pickup trucks, and a couple dozen motorcycles. Bob Segar’s “Old Time Rock and Roll” played on the jukebox.
The smell of pulled pork, flame-broiled burgers, and beer filled Amelia’s nostrils as they approached the entrance.
“Wait.” Dan took Amelia’s hand. “Let’s scope the place out first. Do you see his bike anywhere?”
“There.” She pointed to the exact same bike she had seen at the Four Seasons. Its one distinguishing detail shone in the light of the streetlamp.
“I hate this guy already,” Dan muttered. “Would you do me a favor and wait in the car?”
“What? You want to go in there and get him without me? But I want to see his face when you tell him you want to talk to him.” She rubbed her stomach.
Dan sighed and scratched his head.
“Okay. Follow me.” Instead of going in the front door, Dan walked to the alley where the music wasn’t so loud and the back door to the kitchen was wide open to let cool air in.
Politely, Dan knocked on the back door before stepping in. A beefy man in a black T-shirt with no sleeves, and an apron covered in beef and pork blood and sauces turned as he scowled. He held a spatula in his hand while a couple of burgers sizzled on the grill.
“Dan Walishovski,” the man croaked. “What are you doing sneaking around here?” He wiped his hands on a towel that was draped over his shoulder and flashed a yellow, crooked smile.
“Hey, Pete.” Dan smiled and shook the man’s hand before he introduced Amelia.
