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The hostess greeted the frequent diners, reminding Cullen she had an old china cabinet she wanted him to look at. Luna gave Chi-Chi an eye roll. Both women knew the perky hostess was always flirting with Cullen. But Cullen never took the bait. He had other interests, even if the “other” person didn’t know it. Yet. Soon. Maybe.
As they settled in their seats, Gaines began the conversation. “So, what kind of trouble are you getting yourself into these days?” Everyone knew he was joking. It wasn’t necessarily trouble, but there was always plenty of activity swirling around Luna. She was a force of nature. Yet she navigated through it with aplomb. She was the calming center when things got a bit lively.
All eyes went to Luna. “What?” She slumped back in her seat, faking a pout.
“Well, that certainly tells me there is something afoot.”
“Says Sherlock Holmes,” Luna teased back.
Cullen jumped in. “Yes, there is something very puzzling going on. I received a very old trunk. A steamer. I’m thinking maybe 1920s. There was no return name or address, but there was a letter and a money order.”
Luna couldn’t contain herself and sat upright. “And it had been near a fire!”
Cullen leaned in toward the others and described the mysterious delivery. He went on to describe the contents, what little there was of them, and Gaines immediately knew what was going to come next. Luna was going to try to solve the puzzle. Who sent it? Who owned it?
“Of course, Luna has already tried to get a vibe off the wood and the letter.” Now Cullen was being serious. They could tease her, but not question her.
“So what did you get?” Gaines turned his attention to her.
“I drew a sketch of peaks and a boy. He was unhappy. Abandoned. And at some point terrified.”
“Could have something to do with the fire that the trunk was exposed to.”
“Well, yeah, sure. But the kid. It was a very sad feeling. I didn’t get a vibe that he had crossed over. So I’m thinking maybe he was around the fire?” Luna stared off in the distance, then shook it off. “No shoptalk.”
“As if,” Cullen joked. He turned to Gaines. “But I do happen to have a nice wardrobe closet that would be great for Carter’s baseball equipment.”
“That might work. Right now the laundry room looks like a grenade went off from a sporting goods shop.”
Luna giggled. “No shoptalk.”
“For now.” Cullen began pouring everyone a glass of wine, starting with Chi-Chi. Cullen had called earlier and asked for a bottle of La Crema Pinot Noir to be opened and left on the table. It would give the wine a little time to “breathe.” Not that Cullen was a wine expert. Far from it. But he knew the basics. And the La Crema was reasonably priced at around $25 a bottle. No sticker shock there. He knew not to commit that faux pas again.
After they toasted seeing each other, Cullen told them the story of when he was just out of college and on a date with a debutante. He wanted to impress her. He ordered a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, not realizing the price could range anywhere from $30 to $900 per bottle depending on the vintage. Luckily, that particular restaurant’s highest priced bottle was $135. Still, he almost vomited when he got the check.
Everyone roared with laughter.
“Boy, do I know that feeling.” Gaines added his own story about the time he was best man at a wedding. After the festivities, the wedding party went to the hotel where many of the guests were staying. They had congregated in the lounge area when he told the waiter to “bring the most expensive bottle of champagne you have! That’s when I was introduced to Dom. Dom Pérignon. I had to call my credit card company and ask them to raise my limit. I think I’m still paying it off!”
Cullen was almost in tears. “Men can do some very stupid things to puff up their egos.”
Luna and Chi-Chi looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
“Oh, and I don’t suppose either of you have done anything stupid?” Cullen mocked back.
“Nothing like that.” Luna smiled.
“Oh, I can think of... ouch!” Cullen was stopped short by Luna’s foot on top of his under the table.
“Something wrong?” Chi-Chi asked innocently.
“Nah. Just a little charley horse.” Cullen replied by kicking his sister in return. But this time it shook the table.
Chi-Chi placed both hands on the table. “I do hope we are not having an earthquake,” she said with a straight face.
“I think it’s called a sibling seismic situation.” Gaines chuckled.
Both Cullen and Luna sat up straight. It was reminiscent of when they were kids, after their parents would scold them during a squabble at the dinner table.
