Chapter 18
The Seven of Swords warns of self-deception and lying.
JULIET
Juliet Morrison was enjoying a late afternoon lunch with friends. It was a gorgeous spring day and they had chosen a table on the covered patio.
“I’ve heard the food at this restaurant is amazing! Why don’t we all order something different and share it.”
Darryl agreed as long as everything was gluten free.
“I came here just for the truffle pizza and that’s what I’m going to have.” Marlene took out a cigarette and started to light it.
“You can’t smoke here, Marlene! This is a non-smoking restaurant. Where have you been for the last 25 years? And sure, go ahead and get the pizza, you selfish witch. I’ll just blow up like a pufferfish and shit for days.”
Juliet didn’t want this special day with her best friends to be ruined so she said to Marlene, “Go ahead and get the truffle pie, sweetie.” To Darryl she said, “Man up and eat the pizza. You don’t have Crohn’s Disease; you’re a hypochondriac.”
She had wanted to celebrate her engagement to Paul, show off the beautiful ring he gave her, and talk about her wedding and honeymoon plans. She wanted the day to be about her, for once. But no, Darryl and Marlene always hijacked their get-togethers with their whining and complaining.
“Why do you two have to be so difficult? Just once can’t you get along?” Juliet was beginning to think this was a stupid idea. Darryl and Marlene always fought and never got along. Why had she thought today would be any different?
A waiter approached the table. “Ma’am, will there be anyone else joining you today?’ There were three place settings but only one guest seated at the table.
“No, we’re all here. Let’s order, shall we?”
She ordered a pizza in a very gravelly older woman’s voice. It sounded like the woman had smoked for decades, even though she looked to be about 35.
After the pizza order was placed, she addressed the waiter in a very deep voice that sounded like a man, “Just keep the damn pizza away from me. I’m allergic to wheat.”
Then in a normal voice she apologized to the waiter for the rudeness of her “friends” and ordered two more entrees, a roasted beet salad and a hamburger with extra fries to “share” with the table.
He hurried to the kitchen to enter the order and tell the rest of the waitstaff about the lady at table 8 who ordered three entrees in three different voices. She had even argued with herself about one of the meals.
Marci saw a group of her staff huddled outside the kitchen and whispering among themselves.
“You kids don’t have enough to do? There’s a grill that needs a good scrubbing and a deep freeze to be cleaned out.”
Carlo, the waiter, told her about the three orders he had just carried to the table. Just then, a commotion erupted in that direction.
The customer at Table 8 was shouting at a patron at another table. “How dare you insult my Aunt Marlene, you snotty bag of putrescent wind.” As Marci reached the table, Juliet was pelting the patron with French fries. Helene, the president of the bank next door to the restaurant, sat in shock as French fries hit her face and ketchup dripped down her Chanel suit.
Marci signaled her staff to call 911 and attempted to calm down Juliet. “Honey, let’s just step into my office.” Juliet was crying and babbling at this point. “Yes, honey, I know,” Marci adopted a soothing tone. “Shhhh, shhhh.”
She sent a quick text to her floor manager. TAKE CARE OF HELENE! COMP THE MEAL FOR THE TABLE, GIVE HER A GIFT CARD, AND TELL HER WE WILL BUY HER A NEW SUIT.
“There, there, sweetheart. Tell me what’s got you so upset now.”
Although Marci wanted to slap some sense into the woman who had caused such a scene in her restaurant, she recognized the signs of mental distress and remained calm. The Decatur PD would be here in a few minutes.
Suddenly, the woman stopped crying and spoke. The timbre of the voice was deep, like a man’s.
“Marlene is such a troublemaker. She makes a scene everywhere we go.”
Her office intercom squawked, “Um, Ms. King, some uh…. Friends…. are here to see you.”
“Thank you, Carlo, send them in.”
As Juliet was being led away in handcuffs, she turned back to Marci and said in a raspy voice, “Tell your little friend Juliet says ‘hello.’”