7. Mallory
Chapter 7
Mallory
Gumshoe.
He meant it in a friendly way. Teasing, even.
I can't help the flicker of warmth it puts in my chest.
"Are you blissed out?" Jolene's image is outside her phone's frame, but I hear her voice, and the hard close of a cabinet.
"It was incredible," I answer, adjusting myself on the hotel bed. "You missed out."
"I'll make it there eventually." Jolene steps into the frame, a microwave dinner balanced in her hand.
"Chicken marsala or burrito bowl?" I ask. I'm hungry again. The fare at the spa was delicious, but I need more than a harvest salad with salmon. As Hugo promised, the dressing was delicious.
"Burrito bowl." She takes a bite, then says, "Tell me more about Hugo."
"What else is there to tell?" We've already covered what happened at Sammich, and this morning at breakfast.
She shakes her head, chewing. "Less recitation of events. More personal observations."
"Personal observations?" I reach behind myself, adjusting the pillows. The reel in my brain rolls back, serving up what little time I've spent with Hugo. "He's nice. Funny. Irreverent." The way he gently touched my hands, peeling my fingers off the teacup. "He's kind."
Jolene's nodding and chewing, so I keep talking. "I'm looking forward to meeting his mom."
"I still can't believe he asked you to come over." She pops the top on a ginger flavored soda water. "What kind of voodoo magic did you work on him? Are we sure this is the same person who ignored all your emails?" She gasps, eyes wide. "You showed him your boobs, didn't you? You hussy."
"He seemed apathetic toward my boobs, but when I showed him my pregnant belly, that's what did the trick."
Jolene laughs as she's taking a drink, and now she's sputtering. "Some dudes get turned on by pregnancy."
I run a hand over my belly. "He hasn't asked me anything about the baby since he saw my prenatal vitamins."
"Yeah, because he thinks you have a husband. Or partner. Or whatever. He assumes the person who got you pregnant is in the picture."
Something tells me if I told Hugo my situation, he'd be furious. I don't know him well, but a part of me understands he would never make the same choice as Peanut's father.
I can't dwell on that, though. It's me and Peanut, and that's it.
"I'll see if I can book this room for one more night. Go to Summerhill tomorrow evening and speak with Mrs. De la Vega."
"Will you take the recorder?"
I consider her question, but immediately reject it. "No. I want the tone of tomorrow evening to have a friendly vibe. Unassuming. If Hugo's mother is anything like him, she'll be hesitant." I need to be respectful of the various feelings she might have, while gaining her trust.
We talk for a few minutes, and Jolene tells me about a new client she's seeing this week. "A chic little marketing firm in Scottsdale."
"Ooh, sounds fun. You should take them out for a client lunch at Obstinate Daughter. You know I can't get enough of their food." Mediterranean is my favorite, closely followed by Mexican. I could eat souvlaki right now. Maybe a gyro. Followed by baklava.
Yeah, I'm hungry.
Jolene finishes her bite. "Anything beats this frozen dinner." She frowns and pushes away the food. "Eat some olives for me tomorrow."
I promise her I will, and we hang up.
I spend the next two hours poring over every piece of information I've gathered about the De la Vegas. Tomorrow is a big deal, and although I'm shooting for casual vibes, I won't bring anything less than my A game .
When dinnertime rolls around, I take a break and venture out. I spend a little time acquainting myself with Olive Avenue, the heart of the town, before heading back to Good Thyme Café. I'm a creature of habit, and when I find something I like, I stick with it.
Annie, my server from this morning, is still working. She spots me as she's refilling waters at a table, sending me a wave. When my to-go order is ready, she's the person who brings it to me.
"Are you working a double?" I ask, the restaurant shorthand coming back to me. I put myself through college waiting tables at a restaurant in Phoenix.
"Short-staffed," she shrugs. "Plus, I need the money."
A guy at one of Annie's other tables waves a hand her direction, like he needs something. She gives him a signal for one moment and turns back to me, giving me a look that says did you need anything else?
"I'll pay my bill and be out of your hair," I remind her. "I'm sure you have a million things to do."
"Oh!" Her eyes are wide. "I forgot you don't know."
"Know what?"
"Hugo said you don't have a bill here." Annie grins, like Hugo's sly move makes her happy. "Everything goes on his tab."
Shock flutters through me. And then something warm, and a little fuzzy. Hugo was taking care of me. And Peanut.
"Have a nice night," Annie adds, pivoting on her heel and hurrying back to her section .
I don't have Hugo's phone number, so I send him an email as soon as I'm back in my room.
To: Hugo De la Vega
From: Mallory Hawkins
Thank you for dinner.
Mallory & Peanut