She nodded and went on. “You go to restaurants flashing your money and fancy cars. You hit on the hottest waitress. You all really do love a woman that has to attend to you. I think it might be the whole waiting ‘on your every damn desire’ that gets your mans up. You come often, leave large tips, say nice things, the beautiful waitress thinks she’s found her knight in shining armor, next thing you know she’s either drugged out, pimped out, or just out…dead, sometimes just lying on the corner of the street.”
Interesting. “You also think very highly of yourself—”
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” she sang proudly. “If I don’t think highly of myself why the hell would anyone else? Don’t you think highly of yourself?”
My eyebrow rose at that question. “Do we look like we are on the same level?”
She looked around the diner and then out the window and said, “We are on the same level, in the same building, at the same table, at the same time. What makes you think I’m not on your level? I’m beautiful—”
“You’ve call
ed yourself beautiful three times now—”
“Proverbs 8:7. For my mouth will utter truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips,” she shot back quickly. “I am beautiful. I am intelligent, hardworking, and passionate in everything I do. Are you? What makes me different than you? Money? How do you know I don’t have all that I need already? Is it your goon squad? I can say with almost certainty I’m a much better shot then they are… and I do it in heels.”
She put the money back on the table, sliding it over to me.
“I don’t need a knight in shining armor. I don’t want a knight in shining armor. I save myself. Always have, always will.”
“Perfectly acceptable,” I responded, lifting the money off the table. “I would never have even put the money down had you not said, and I quote, ‘I’ll make sure María Paula charges you by the minute.’ I was paying per your request, not because I have any interest in you, you’re a dime a dozen in these parts. I’m ready to make my order now,” I sneered, handing her the menu.
She glared at me, rising from her seat. “Brilliant. Give it to me tomorrow. When. We. Are. Open. If you’re very hungry…since I am dime a dozen in these parts, I’m sure someone else would love your company. Who, I’m not sure, but everybody has somebody. Peace be with you.”
She made sign of the cross over me before turning on her heels and marching back down the stairs.
I looked Tobias, who was biting back a smile. “Is something funny?”
“Not at all.”
“I didn’t think so.”
Why the hell did she bother me and amuse me so much?
* * *
Monday, June 25th
When I arrived at the restaurant the whole place smelled sweet. Walking up the stairs, I saw her behind the counter, a bandana over her hair and clear gloves on her hands rolling out dough. She didn’t look up at us as we arrived, and it didn’t seem to be out of spite, but because she was focused. Moving from the dough, she dusted her hands on her apron, grabbed mitts for her hands and took the meat from the oven. Tossing the meat to the side, she pulled out two cleavers, spinning them in her hands. In a swift motion she speared the meat from the bone. A real smile appeared on lips as she hacked the meat into small pieces.
Sitting in my seat in the corner chair, I pretended not to notice or care, completely unaffected, but I was annoyed something else had occupied her attention and yet strangely amused she had so much fun hacking up meat. It was then her voice came back to mind.
“I’m passionate about everything I do. Are you?”
Easy for her to say. She didn’t have complicated life. She woke up every day, cooked and cleaned and went back home happily.
Tobias and I spoke quietly, and I was about to start writing out new plans when a plate of empanadas and a bowl of something I didn’t recognize was placed in front of me. I looked up at her and she shrugged, saying, “You didn’t order it, so it’s on the house. We don’t want to cheat you out of your millions. It’s empanadas and a bowl of Arroz atollado.”
I stared at it again not really sure what she was getting at.
“Seriously?” she questioned. Taking the spoon off the tray, she took a scoop full of the Arroz atollado and ate. “It’s not poisoned.”
“I didn’t think it was.” However, for her to think that made me wonder. “Exactly how many men like me do you meet?”
“This is a very personal question. Are we close enough to have this conversation?” She shot back, and I wasn’t sure what face I made, but she laughed, taking the seat across from me again. “Men like you? I don’t think there are very many men like you. If you are talking about what I think you’re talking about I’d say…I’ve had a few unfortunate encounters. It’s one of the downsides to being so damn gorgeous.”
That told me nothing, and I’m sure that was the point. “And yet you still walk around town and go about all by yourself, Cordelia. You seem like you enjoy flirting with danger.”
Her lips turned up,“You’ve been spying on me? No, I doubt it was you personally; that’s beneath a man such as yourself. Well, what did your spy find out?”