“Yes, Wilma. I’m sorry.” Before Suzie could properly resume her position, the muffled sounds of Imagine Dragons’sWhatever it Takesstarted coming from her purse. Suzie groaned. “I’m sorry, but I have to get that. It’s my partner, and she wouldn’t be calling on a Saturday afternoon if there weren’t a problem.”
Wilma sighed. “If you must, you must.”
Suzie got to the phone before it rolled into voicemail. “What’s up, Sonja? Everything was fine when we left each other two hours ago.”
She paused, and Yvonne could hear bits of the other woman’s voice sounding anxious as she explained the problem.
“What do you mean, we need another server? Wasn’t Krystal going to cover the party?” Suzie massaged her temple while she listened to the other side. “Damn, and you’ve called everyone else?” She started pacing. “Of course you have, I’m sorry.” Another pause from Suzie. “I know, I know. We’ll find someone. Relax. Take a deep breath. I’ll see who I can think of. We’ve got till Friday. We’ll find someone.”
She ended the call and sighed. “I’m sorry, Wilma. Sonja just found out that one of our servers has broken her wrist,and apparently none of the others are available. She was wondering if my kids were mature enough to help out yet. As if. We’ll find someone. I know a caterer who can probably loan me some help. I bailed her out last month when she over-booked herself.”
“What about my Yvonne, here?” Wilma patted Yvonne’s hand, and Yvonne’s heartbeat sped up. “She’s been trapped in the house since she got here. It would be good for her to get out, and it would give her a chance to meet people. I don’t need her in the evening.” She turned her attention to Yvonne. “What do you say? You waited tables when you were younger, didn’t you?”
“Ja,TanteWilma. I did. B-but Suzie already knows who she’ll ask. She doesn’t need a stranger.” She turned to Suzie. “I’m sorry, but my aunt likes to make everyone’s plans for them.”
“No, you’d be perfect, Yvonne. You’ve had experience, you say?” Suzie squinted.
“It was years ago. I’ve mostly been a shop assistant, but I think I can manage to serve tables again.” Yvonne cleared her throat. “What kind of affair is it?”
“Normally, we’re only open for breakfast and lunch, but Friday night we’re catering a party. It’s not that fancy, and the service will be easy. You just have to pass hors d’oeuvres and drinks around and pick up the empties. We’ll pay you, of course. Let me get you a card. Here is the name and address of the café. Why don’t you drop by one day this week around 2:00 pm and we can discuss what you’d be doing?”
Before she knew it, Yvonne found she had agreed to help at a party for a café full of strangers. Maybe her time in the States would have a little more excitement than she’d anticipated.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The next afternoon at a quarter to two, Yvonne entered the café holding the card Suzie had given her. A confident-looking dark-skinned woman in a beautiful red dress greeted her. “You’re just in time for lunch. Table for one?”
Yvonne shook her head. “Umm, no, I’m sorry, but I’m looking for Suzie. It’s about the job.”
The woman squinted. “I didn’t know Suzie had planned a job interview.”
Yvonne shook her head again. “It’s not really a job. I’m supposed to…”
“Oh, good, there you are, Yvonne!” Suzie’s voice had them both turning her way. “I see you’ve already met my partner, Sonja.”
Yvonne started to laugh. “Well, not exactly. I was trying to explain why I came in.” She held out her hand to the woman, who must be Sonja. “I’m Yvonne Van Dijk, Wilma McGruder’s niece.”
Sonja took her hand and opened and closed her mouth a few times. “Oh, Yvonne!” she exclaimed as the puzzlepieces clicked. “You’re going to help us out on Friday. Good to meet you.”
Suzie ushered Yvonne to a small office at the back of the café. Sonja would join them after the lunch crowd had cleared out, and the servers could deal with the few die-hards.
Suzie explained how she and her husband Connor had bought out Sonja’s former partner in The Savory Table. “I love to bake and try new recipes, and Sonja wanted to expand and add breakfast to the menu. When I met Sonja at the mun—” Suzie amended, “When I met Sonja, I was working in a lab developing new products for a company that makes frozen food. Sonja gave me a chance to become a partner. So, with the added sweets, The Savory Table isn’t a great name, and my Connor came up with the new name, The Sweet and Savory Table.”
Yvonne smiled at Suzie’s excited explanation. It was apparent to her Suzie loved her job. “And what is this party?”
Suzie slapped her forehead. “Here I go prattling on. Friday night, we’re celebrating the new name with friends, family, and regular customers. As I told you yesterday, one of our servers injured herself. Will you help us out?”
Yvonne had taken an immediate liking to Suzie and found her enthusiasm contagious. “Sure, I will, but what does Sonja think? You don’t know me.”
“Sonja thinks you’re a gift from heaven.” Yvonne jumped at the voice coming from behind her. She turned in her chair with her hand to her chest.
“That was a very sadistic thing to do,” Suzie reprimanded her partner.
“Nah, I leave that to Connor.”
Yvonne turned back to Suzie, who had turned brightred, and cocked her head.Do Suzie and I have something in common?She studied the woman carefully, as if she could see on her face if Suzie might be a masochist like herself. Even so, it would be strange for Sonja to know such an intimate detail about her business partner. Yvonne dismissed the idea.Girl, your imagination is running away with you.
CHAPTER EIGHT
