Page 70 of Grounded
“You two girls have a good time!” Jake hit the hood with his hand and waved as Annie backed around.
“Bye, honey!” Camille called out the window, her arm waving and bracelets singing a goodbye tune. Annie wanted desperately to roll her eyes, but she fought the urge, chastising herself once again for her immaturity.
Lindy had been buried in work with a case this past week, and Annie had barely had reason to hope she could peel away for lunch. When she called to check and Lindy said she could meet them, it had given her a tremendous sense of relief. For once, she felt at a loss for making conversation. Having Lindy there would keep things going.
“What’s that growing over there?” Camille asked, pointing to a leafy green crop. “It’s so pretty.”
“Tobacco.”
“People still grow it?” Camille asked, looking as if she smelled sulfur.
“Some do. I asked my grandma that a couple of weeks ago. She said the buyout took out most of it, but a few people still plant and sell directly to the buyers.”
“That’s terrible. I think it should be banned altogether,” Cam said. “Whoever grows that stuff should be tried as criminals.”
Annie felt a bubble of anger rise. “Well, you’ll have to try the members of mine and Jake’s family, plus every neighbor and friend on our road.”
Cam looked at her, stricken. ‘You mean Jake’s family grew tobacco?”
“Of course. We all did, among other things, until the buyout. It’s all our farming families have known for generations. We depended on it for survival long before anyone realized tobacco caused cancer.”
“But as soon as people realized how bad it was, they should have stopped!”
“It’s complicated. You can’t stop farming one crop without something to take its place. Farmers have made substitutions but it’s not that easy. There has to be a market for the crops that will make it worthwhile…. Here we are,” Annie said, parking next to the diner, and vowing to keep the conversation light and pleasant for the remainder of the lunch, fifty-nine minutes and counting.
As soon as they were out of the car, she saw Lindy coming from across the street. Annie wanted to hug her friend, she was so relieved. She made the introductions before they moved into the diner. Lindy and Camille went through the door while Annie hung back to look at the chalkboard sign on the sidewalk. It read:Locally Grown Heirloom Tomatoes Served Here
Annie smiled to herself. Even Bill was making an effort to serve local food, although she suspected the tomatoes were the only local produce offered on the grease soaked menus.
Inside, they found a corner booth. The waitress reminded Annie of herself when she worked at the diner. She was probably on break from college and starting her summer job. She asked for their drink order.
“Do you have any sparkling waters?” Cam asked.
“Huh?” the waitress said, clearly confused.
“San Pelligrino or Perrier?”
Compassion for the waitress compelled Annie to intervene. “It’s just tap. They don’t offer any kind of bottled water.”
“Okay, plain water is fine. Is it filtered?” Cam asked as the waitress marked on her pad. “I’ve been reading about all the chemicals,” Cam said to Annie and Lindy.
“No, it comes right out of the faucet in the back,” the waitress said. “If I was you, I’d get a Diet Pepsi.”
“That’s okay, I’ll take my chances with the water, but no ice please and lots of lemon.” Cam smiled sweetly at the waitress as if to apologize for the trouble.
Out of the corner of her eye, Annie could see Lindy’s raised eyebrows, but she forced herself not to look, afraid of what might happen if they made eye contact. When the waitress finished with their drink orders, Annie said, “Lindy is working on a big case. How’s it coming?”
“Good. I just had a deposition down the street. It’s probably going to go to trial, so it’ll be my first one. I’m excited and nervous.”
“Oh, what kind of case is it?” Cam asked.
“I’m prosecuting a guy who took pornographic pictures of his foster daughter and sold them on the Internet. That’s all I can say for now, but it’s going to be a big trial for us,” Lindy said. “So what do you do in Cincinnati?”
Annie mentally patted herself on the back again for thinking to invite Lindy.
“I’m in hotel sales. I book meetings and conventions,” Camille said. “It’s a blast, but I’m dying to get out of Cincinnati and go to a bigger market.”
The waitress brought Cam a water, Annie a sweet tea, and Lindy a Diet Pepsi. “Know what you want yet?”
