Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 139147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
He chuckled.
Then he asked, “You sure?”
I knew what he was asking.
“I’m sure.”
“Okay, I’ll set it up and let you know.”
“Thanks.”
“I gotta hit it, so I’ll let you go.”
“Groovy,” I lied.
His voice wasn’t as sleepy anymore. But I liked listening to it.
“Have a good day, babe.”
“You too, Cap. See you later.”
“Later.”
He disconnected.
Cleo and I continued on our way to work.
We made it through the morning and lunch crushes without Dream dumping her kids on us for her Reiki or cupping, or whatever appointment (fortunately), or Hunter, who was bi, so his array of targets was larger than most, hitting on one of the customers (unfortunately—Hunter was a master at flirting and it was always extraordinary to watch).
Though, I’d received a text from Cap asking if he could pick me up at 5:30, rather than 6:30, for our date, so we could swing by Elsie Fay’s house for a visit on our way to the restaurant.
I knew his tactic.
We had something to do and somewhere to be, and if it was a nice somewhere, he’d have reservations we wouldn’t want to miss, so the visit would have to be short.
That was sweet. Unnecessary, but sweet.
And although this would cut into my primping time (since my shift ended at four, it was cutting it close), I’d confirmed that was a go.
Cleo was snoozing on her back with all four of her paws up in the air on the bench seat next to Tito. I was at a table dropping some of Lucia’s carne asada crepes. Jessie and Luna were behind the bar—Luna making someone a coffee, Jessie whipping up a couple of her signature Jessita Mojitas—when Scott and Louise came in.
My gaze shot to Luna at the exact same time her gaze shot to me.
Scott and Louise were her parents.
Scott and Louise both had jobs, working together—Scott as Managing Director, Louise as Development Director—at a nonprofit that dealt with affordable housing initiatives and helping with the homeless.
So neither Scott nor Louise showed at SC on a workday at two thirty in the afternoon.
In other words…
This couldn’t be good.
“Eat hearty,” I muttered to my customers as I hightailed it behind the bar.
Jessie had already cottoned on and, still mixing drinks, smoothly transitioned to take a position closer to Luna, who had left the espresso machine to stand opposite the bar from her parents.
This had to do with moral support.
It also had to do with being closer and hearing better.
What could we say?
The whole place was filled with busybodies (except Otis, he was the kind of If you want me to know, you’ll tell me guy).
“Hey, guys,” I greeted when I got there.
Scott shot a grim smile at me.
Louise gave me a weak wave and said, “Hi there, honey.”
Oh boy.
I approached Luna. “I’m on the coffees. What we got?”
“Another dirty for Byron. An iced skinny vanilla, sugar free, for the chick in the basket chair.”
“Got it,” I said and moved to the espresso maker to finish up Byron’s dirty chai and the skinny vanilla latte with sugar free syrup she’d started.
And I tried not to brazenly listen in, but that was difficult with the machine gurgling loudly. At least I wasn’t steaming milk. That would make it impossible.
“Sorry to disturb you at work, sweetie,” Louise was saying. “But we need a family meeting.”
“We need an intervention,” Scott corrected.
“It’s not that bad,” Louise snapped.
“She owes us over seven thousand dollars. It’s that bad,” Scott snapped back.
Oh Lord.
“Is this about Dream?” Luna asked after the obvious.
“She’s pregnant again,” Scott announced.
“Whoa doggies,” Jessie muttered as she put back the bottle of rum next to me, then loitered there for better eavesdropping positioning.
“Feather isn’t even six months old,” Luna noted irritably.
“A woman is fertile within weeks of delivery, snook’ums,” Louise noted.
Louise, by the by, was proficient in endearments. Her daughter had a vocabulary of maybe twenty thousand more words than the average person. Louise had the same in sweet nothings she’d call you.
“This is unbelievable,” Luna groused.
“My sentiments exactly,” Scott agreed.
“Babies are wonderful,” Louise said.
“The girl doesn’t have a job,” Scott returned. “If it wasn’t for the ACA, she wouldn’t have insurance to birth those babies.”
“Scott,” Louise said soothingly.
“She’s into me for over fifteen hundred,” Luna told them, and I whirled around, because this was news to me.
“Say what?” I demanded.
Luna turned to me and pressed down both her hands in front of her. “Cool it, sister. I didn’t tell you because I knew it’d piss you off.”
“Damn straight,” I replied. “I take it this isn’t money she owes you for babysitting her kids all the time.”
Luna shook her head slowly.
I harrumphed.
“Raye, they’re my niece and nephew,” she explained. “What would you do?”
I got her.
But tarot readings, Reiki and cupping, not to mention acupuncture, IV therapy, the occasional séance and entry to taco festivals cost cake, so Luna wasn’t just helping to keep those cute kids in cloth diapers.