Page 112 of Fish out of Water
That was an image that I would never be able to burn from my frontal lobe. “I didn’t need to know that.”
“You deserved it.” She pulled her cup free and peered down at the black liquid. “You got anything to festive this up?”
“I hope you’re not talking about whiskey.” She looked surprisingly spry after last night, but I didn’t want to have to trash another shirt because she decided her golden years were the best time to make up for what she missed out on.
Her frosty pink lips flattened. “I’m talking about those sweetened creamers. What do you think I am? Some sort of alcoholic?”
The woman drank her body weight in White Claw last night, so I was genuinely questioning it. “What are you two doing here?”
“We came to see how your day was going.” My grandmother found her way to the bowl of single-serve creamers Helen stocked the coffee bar with. “And to see if you’d heard anything from anyone about Vito.”
I glanced my mother’s way. “You think I’ll be the one to hear something?”
“They’ll probably prefer to deal with you instead of me.” My mother leaned Helen’s way. “Most men are scared of me.”
“Lucky you.” Helen frowned. “Most men act like idiots around me.”
“Most men are idiots, dear.” My grandmother poured five cups of French vanilla into her small cup of coffee. “They can’t help it.” She took a sip and bobbed her head in a little nod before pointing Helen’s way. “Especially when you look the way you do. You’re so pretty they get extra stupid.”
Helen’s frown lifted a little. “Thank you.”
My grandmother waved her off. “It’s the truth.” Her waving hand motioned down Helen’s tall frame. “You look like a beauty queen.”
Helen’s smile turned a little sheepish. “I was a beauty queen.” She sat a little straighter. “I was the runner up in the Miss Florida pageant.”
“Well you should have won.” My grandmother reached out to pat Helen’s shoulder as she looked my mother’s way. “We need to take Helen out to lunch as a thank you for putting up with this one’s drama today.”
“There is no drama.” The last thing I needed was my grandmother corrupting all the women in my life.
“Then what do you call forgetting to tell one woman that you started dating another one?” My grandmother leaned Helen’s way, propping one hand along the side of her mouth like she was telling her a secret I couldn’t hear perfectly well. “Drama.”
“Go.” I pointed to the door. “Take her and go.”
Helen’s eyes moved between my mother and grandmother.
My grandmother didn’t miss a beat. “Grab your bag. We’re going somewhere nice.” She held out her hand, wiggling her fingers.
I dug into my pocket and pulled out my wallet, handing over a credit card.
She snatched it away and shot me an air kiss. “Enjoy your lunch, Granty.” She looped her arm through Helen’s. “We’ll bring her back at some point.”
And now I was down an assistant for the rest of the day.
So much for getting to sneak out to take Julia lunch.
I went back to my office and snagged my cell. Julia answered right as I was sure it was going to voicemail.
“Hello.” She practically yelled it into the phone, which made sense considering the amount of background noise filtering through the speaker.
“What’s going on?”
“Water main break. Hang on.” The chaotic sounds muffled a little. When the line cleared I could hear her much better. “Hey.” She sounded out of breath.
“How did a water main break?” I reached for my laptop as I propped the phone between my shoulder and ear.
“It’s the assholes behind us. They dug into the line with a backhoe while they were working on a foundation.”
“Does this mean you’re skipping lunch again?” I pulled up one of the food delivery services.
