Chapter 17
A s soon as I returned to my quarters and I’d smooched Harry, I started getting ready for dinner. I happily stripped off my jumpsuit, putting it and the one from the day before into one of my laundry totes along with the clothes I’d worn for walking last night, and sent them off through the laundry chute.
I went back to the bedroom, where Harry was sprawled on the bed, to get my dress out of the closet. If it needed pressing, I wanted to know now. “Harry, I’m headed out for a lovely evening with your favorite person, Frank.”
He stretched one paw toward me. “I like Frank.”
“I know you do.”
“Do you like Frank?”
Immediately, I thought about the kiss we’d shared. “I do.”
The dress looked all right. The fabric was a synthetic blend that draped beautifully and generally didn’t wrinkle, but I wanted to be sure it was in good shape. I hung it on the wall hook next to the closet, then went off to shower.
I used the fancy shower gel Hazel had given me for my birthday, and I shaved my legs. Not because I expected anything to happen this evening. Nothing intimate would be taking place because I was not doing anything of that nature with a man I’d just met. But I was going to be in a dress, and I had no desire to wear tights.
As soon as I got out and put on my robe, I went to work on my hair. It wasn’t super curly, but it had a lot of natural waves. If I worked on it (instead of just letting it air-dry and tying a scarf in it), I could really bring the waves to life.
That was my plan. I scrunched some styling mousse into it, then used the diffuser on my dryer to give the waves definition.
It took longer than I usually like to spend on my hair, but Frank was worth it. Dinner at Luna’s was worth it.
I turned my head side to side, admiring my work. I should do my hair like this more often, even if it was extra effort. I added a touch of perfume, then did my makeup, taking the same amount of care. I even curled my lashes.
Still in my robe, I went out to the dining table with my manicure supplies and did a little work on my nails. I tried to keep them in good order, but as tonight was special, I applied some polish powder, leaving them a soft, neutral pinky-taupe. Finally, I got dressed.
I was trying to decide between kitten heels or slingbacks when my doorbell chimed. Had Frank come here? I thought we were meeting at the restaurant. I hoped I wasn’t wrong.
Barefoot, I went to the door and opened it. I blinked in surprise. “Hazel.”
She gave me the same expression I imagined I was giving her. “You look nice. Did I interrupt something?”
“No, I, uh, I have a date.” I moved to let her in.
Her brows shot toward her hairline as she entered. “You have a date?”
The door closed behind her, and I followed her into the living room, praying Harry would not speak in front of her. “Why is that so surprising? I’m older, not dead.”
“I know that. I just thought—I don’t know.” She laughed. “Good for you. Who’s the date with?”
“A nice man who works in engineering. You don’t usually just drop by, so what’s up? No judgment. I know you’re busy.”
She nodded and took a seat on the couch. “Have you been trying to get information out of the ASF?”
I sat down, sighing loudly in disapproval. “I haven’t been trying to get information out of them. I just wanted to know when I could have the book back. It’s library property, you know. And I asked if they had a cause of death yet. And if I was still considered a suspect. They could at least tell me that much.”
“Mom, it’s an ongoing investigation. They can’t share any kind of information with anyone.”
“Why not?” I smirked and repeated what I’d said to Officer Lu. “Nothing stays secret on this ship for long.”
Hazel frowned. “We’re working on that.”
“Seriously?” My thoughts returned to the elevator and what Frank had told me about the surveilling.
“Leaks aren’t good, Mom. They cause trouble and rumors. You have to understand the scope of this endeavor. I know everyone thinks this is just a big cruise ship, but it’s not. Take away the entertainment and the buffets and we’re a military vessel with a scientific contingent. We’re here to extend diplomatic relations, yes, but we’re also … doing things I can’t really talk about.”
“Oh? Like what?”
She cut her eyes at me. “Please just stop bothering the ASF and let them do their job.”
“Hazel, I am not bothering them. I called once to see if the book could be returned. That’s it.” I was mildly irritated with my only child. Sometimes, she got a smidge too big for her britches. I knew she had a difficult job with a lot of responsibility, but I was her mother, for crying out loud.
“What’s this guy like that you’re going out with?”
“That’s not information I can share at this time.” What was good for the goose was good for the gander.
She held her hands up. “Okay, I get it. Don’t tell me.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“I was going to tell you about Woolsey’s cause of death, but if you’re not interested?—”
“Oh, that is dirty pool, Hazel Winsome McFadden.”
She chuckled, the sly thing. She’d known exactly what she was doing.
I rolled my eyes. “His name is Frank. He’s my age. And we’re going to Luna’s.”
She made a cooing noise. “Luna’s? This must be serious if he’s spending credits. Trying to impress you, huh?”
“He’s already impressed me. He’s a voracious reader. And he’s extremely intelligent.”
“Most people on this ship are.” She winked at me. “I think it’s nice you’re going out. You’ve been alone for a long time. Dad would want you to be happy.”
“Well, thank you, but I’m not exactly husband-hunting. Just looking for a little companionship.”
“Speaking of, where’s that droid of yours?”
“Sleeping on the bed. He had a hard day of napping at the library. Now what’s the skinny on cause of death?”
“I can’t tell you much, you understand, but it looks like he was poisoned.”
I gasped. I had not expected that. “Then it was murder?” That wasn’t good for me. I had to be a suspect.
“Looks that way. You can’t tell anyone I told you that.”
“I won’t.” Thankfully, Frank wasn’t just anyone.
Harry strolled out, stopped in the middle of the living area, did a big, dramatic stretch that somehow managed to make him look both longer and rounder, and yawned. With that performance over, he jumped onto the couch, then onto the back of the couch, lay down, and appeared to go back to sleep.
Hazel snorted, clearly amused by his antics. “Sometimes, I think I should have gotten a companion, but there are days when it feels like I’m hardly in my quarters. The poor thing would probably shut down out of loneliness.”
I smiled, sympathetic to my daughter’s hectic life. “I don’t think they work that way. If you want one, I’m sure?—”
She quickly shook her head. “I’m all right.”
“You work awfully hard.”
She sighed, then smiled. “It’s my job.” She got up. “I should let you finish getting ready. Promise me you’ll give the ASF a break?”
It wasn’t worth arguing over. I nodded. “Promise me you’ll take some time off once in a while?”
“I can’t do that, Mom. But trust me, I’m fine.”
I stood up, smoothing the skirt of my dress out. “A couple hours at the Celestial Spa would do you wonders.”
“I’m sure it would.” She headed for the door.
“What if I make an appointment for the both of us? A mother-daughter day?”
She opened her mouth, probably to tell me why she couldn’t, then seemed to hesitate. “Yeah, maybe.”
“Sunday? A nice massage, a facial, maybe a little time in the steam room?”
She pursed her lips. “That does sound good. Two hours. No more.”
“I’ll see what I can arrange.” I did my best not to overreact, but I was thrilled she’d agreed. “Thanks for the visit.”
“You’re welcome. Have a nice date.”
“Thanks. I’m sure I will.” As she left, I let out a happy sigh. Hazel did work too hard, but she was right that it was also her job. She’d known what she was getting into when she agreed to the promotion to vice-admiral. She was a grown woman who’d already been through a lot in her life. She was a widow, just like I was. I had to stop worrying about her. Easier said than done.
I went back to the closet and the big decision on shoes. I put on one of each and looked into the wall mirror. I went with the slingbacks. After one final look in the bathroom mirror, during which I removed a wayward speck of mascara and dabbed on a touch more lipstick, I declared myself ready.
“See you when I get back, Harry.”
“M’kay,” he mumbled sleepily.
“Love you, little one.”
“Love you, too, Mum.”
Smiling, I turned the lights off except for the small table lamp in the living room area and left for Luna’s.
I’d been unsure about Harry’s new ability to speak at first, but it had really grown on me. It was nice being able to talk to him and get a response. Nicer than just talking to myself. He was excellent company, always had been. But now, he was something special. I made a mental note to thank Frank again.
I arrived at Luna’s a few minutes early, so I waited outside, but I didn’t wait long.
Frank walked toward me, his brows lifting as he looked at me. “Wow. You look incredible.” He kissed my cheek. “You smell great, too.”
Not a bad way to be greeted at all. “You look very nice, too.” He did. Dark trousers, white dress shirt, tweed sport coat. “Very nice,” I repeated, because it was true. He cleaned up well. I couldn’t stop looking at him.
“Hungry?”
“Yes.” I was, but my nerves had dulled my appetite slightly. Wasn’t like this was our first time doing something together, so there was no logical explanation for how I was feeling. Maybe this just felt more official? Like a real date? Or maybe it was the fact that Hazel knew about it and would probably be asking how things went at some point.
He opened the door. “After you.”
We went in. The restaurant was decorated with a rustic, Old World feel: fake stone walls in soft, creamy tones, big terracotta tiles on the floor, dark wood tables and booths that had been patinaed with scars and dings to give them age. LED candles flickered in jewel-toned glass pots on every table, and romantic, instrumental music filled the air, the perfect accompaniment to the delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen.
For an added touch of authenticity, digital screens dressed as windows showed the exterior of a small Italian village with the sun sinking toward the horizon and people going about their lives.
After being surrounded by so much tech and the sleek lines of the ship’s modern décor, Luna’s was lovely.
We were shown to our table, a quiet corner booth that was about as perfect a spot as could be. We were handed menus by a man only a few years younger than us. He put a basket of bread on the table, a little dish of seasoned butter tucked inside.
“Good evening, folks. I’m Robinson, and I’ll be taking care of you this evening. Welcome to Luna’s. What can I bring you to drink? We have a full bar.”
He looked at me first, so I answered. “Do you have sparkling water?”
“We do. We have a special variety made just for us that mimics the exact mineral composition of naturally carbonated spring water from Italy.”
“That sounds good. I’ll have that.”
“Same,” Frank said, surprising me. I assumed he’d have wine.
“I’ll be right back with that while you look over the menus. We do have a couple of specials this evening to celebrate the new crops of tomatoes and basil that have arrived. We’ve got spaghetti served with beautiful, fresh sauce made with heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil topped with shaved Parmesan. Simple, but amazingly flavorful.
“Next, we have a Margherita pizza, which is on our daily-made pizza dough topped with the same fresh tomato sauce and medallions of mozzarella and a chiffonade of basil. That’s cooked in our stone oven.
“Finally, we have eggplant Parmesan made with many of those same ingredients and featuring eggplants from today’s harvest. You can’t go wrong with any of them, but then, there’s nothing on this menu that isn’t top-notch. I’ll give you some time to decide.” With a quick smile, he went to get our drinks.
“Wow, now I’m really hungry.” I was, too. Hearing about the specials had brought my appetite back. I eyed the bread. I didn’t want to overindulge, but it smelled good.
Frank set his menu down, a shy smile on his face. “How do you feel about sharing?”
“You mean so that we can try more than one entrée?” I laughed. “I’m all for that.”
Every time the man opened his mouth, I liked him more. There was one thing I needed to know, however. “Quick question before we get back to the food. Did you tell Scotty about me? By name, I mean? Because he came to see me today, and honestly, he kind of scared me a little.”
A dark light came into Frank’s gaze. “No, I didn’t use your name at all. Did he do anything to you? Threaten you?”
I quickly shook my head. “No. It was just a feeling, really.”
A muscle in Frank’s jaw twitched. “Looks like I need to speak to him again.”