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“No, no,” she rushes. “That’s all right. Let me think about it.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Amber yawns. I don’t think it’s fake, either.
“Tired?”
“Not bad.”
“You want anything else?”
“No, thanks.”
“Shall we go?”
She nods.
I rise from my chair, flag down Mamma and shower her with well-deserved praise. She hugs me and then Amber and tells her to come back. I pay the tab, and we head for the door. Henry is still sitting at the table with the curvy young brunette. I wave at him, and he offers me a thumbs-up.Henry’s getting lucky tonight.
The car is waiting for us when we step outside. Frank, the driver—Ted has the night off—opens the door when he sees us coming. Amber slips in first, and I follow. Frank closes the door and gets in. Looks in the rearview mirror. “Where to, sir?”
“Where do you live?” I ask Amber.
She clatters off the address. Frank’s eyes shift. If memory serves, it’s not the better part of town.
“Take us there,” I say to Frank.
“Yes, sir.” He puts the vehicle inDrive, and we roll away.
* * *
The car pulls to a stop at the curb in front of a pizza joint with bars on the windows. Yes, bars. The lights are off, so I assume they’re closed. Could be out of business.
“You live here?” I ask.
“Yes.”
My upper lip curls back.
“Up there.” She points at the floor above the pizza joint. “There’re two tiny apartments, and I live in one of them with my cousin.”
The apartments would have to be small because the pizza place is microscopic.
I say, “Huh,” because nothing else comes to mind. This part of town makes me uneasy. Probably wouldn’t be so bad if I carried a baseball bat.
Amber taps my leg. “Could you please let me out?”
Frank hears her, and he’s out of the car like a shot and opening the back door. I spill from the back seat, take Amber’s hand, and help her. I state the obvious, “This isn’t the best part of town. You feel safe here?”
“It’s fine.” She digs in her purse for a set of keys. “Thanks for supper.”
“You’re welcome.”
