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“I’d love one. It’s my go-to salad lately when I go out to eat.”
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Pam said, assembling their lunch.
“My father used to say you were always trying to fatten him up, to get him to eat healthier.”
“Aw, Randy. Wow. He was a great guy.”
“Yeah, I wish I’d known him better,” Laura lamented. “Who else knew Randy?”
“His driver and his bodyguard.”
“I forgot all about those two. I think you’re the best bet for real information about my dad.”
“You’re so nice,” Pam said. “It’s good for me to be around nice people today.”
Chuckling, she took out another plate, arranged a bed of butter lettuce and then sliced cherry tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, olives, capers, anchovies, green beans, and crab meat with a vinaigrette dressing.
“Pam, this looks just delicious.”
“You’re driving, so I won’t serve wine. How about lemon water?”
“That’s perfect. This is so much better than what I was going to have.”
“And what was that?”
“Jake was ordering.” She laughed, thinking this was the perfect time for the conversation about Jake to surface if it was going to.
She watched Pam fix their water, squeezing lemon juice into it, and suddenly felt sad that she’d put her in that spot.
“He had his first radiation today.”
“Is that right?” Pam asked, clearly saddened by the news.
“You didn’t know?”
“No. He broke up with me. That sound so juvenile, but it is what it is. I had to chase him down like a teenager and found him with another woman at the roadhouse. It’s where we always went to dance. I wonder if she dances.”
“I’m so sorry.” Seething, Laura was going to give Jake another piece of her mind.
“It’s okay. I didn’t love him, Laura. I loved Randy and Dan and Jack. That’s all I’m capable of loving.”
“You loved Dan?”
Voice not more than a whisper, Laura felt her emotions growing. Everything was so sad; she willed herself not to start sobbing, one errant tear making a path down her cheek. She was sorry if she’d had anything to do with them not staying together as a couple. Dan and Pam looked perfect together. The stud and the queen.
“Oh god, I loved Dan. IloveDan. Just look at him. He’s physically beautiful. Dan’s family to me. Dan will always be in my life.”
Taking a big breath, Pam let it out slowly, doing her best to maintain her composure. “Let’s eat. I’ve been dying to try this vinaigrette recipe, and it’s more fun to enjoy it with my daughter.”
Lifting her glass, she held it up to Laura’s. They clicked glasses and said, “Cheers.”
Chapter 8
The coffee shop was empty midmorning, the early morning rush over, Adam probably on his way home to say hello to his family, Hocus not due in to do palm readings until dusk.
Hesitating at the entrance, Lisa watched Lily working behind the counter, pouring water into the coffee machine, measuring out beans, doing other tasks, all the while unaware that she was being observed.
The door opened, and Lily finally looked up as beautiful Lisa walked through. The look of shock on Lily’s face gave Lisa even more courage. She didn’t exactly have a plan. What she’d address with Lily was not thought out completely, but there was a hint of a plot brewing, and she wanted to see if it would go anywhere.
