Still Just a Friend?
“Where are we going, Jeremy?” Top down, breeze ruffling everyone’s hair, Jeremy steered his silver 2018 Porsche smoothly onto the highway. An unfamiliar route, Dez seldom took this bypass to the highway. “It’s a new out of the way restaurant ~ El Con Carne ~ Everyone at the hospital is talking about it. Nurses, doctors, cleaning staff…..” He zipped past a fully loaded semi. Em held tightly onto her scarf, her hat long gone. “That was brand new!” Jeremy just seemed amused. “You can get a new one, Em. I like your hair blowing in the wind.” In the back seat, Dez put her head back on the soft leather seats and relaxed. “I hope it’s muy caliente!” Dez missed the glance that shot between her sister and her husband. Jeremy leaned back and called out over the wind. “I checked it out online. The menu is ‘authentic Mexican’. We’re coming up on it now. See that gas station off to the left?” The double lane highway open, he put his blinker on and cruised left, slowed for the turn across the other lane. The full parking lot was well lit. People entering and leaving carrying take out. Mariachi music blaring into the night. Lights from the dining room a complement to it all. Dez sat up straight. “This looks great!”
~~~~~
Jeremy and Emelina had noticed that Dez lit up at the mention Matt’s name. Whenever she called him to help her with the orchard, he was there as soon as possible. Most things Samuel could have helped with. If it wasn’t about the orchard, Matt also had a small apiary ~ another bit of experience Dez relied on. For all of her self confidence and independent spirit, she got all mushy about her old friend. Sometimes she had even noticed butterflies in her stomach. In the early days of their friendship, Matt was married so was not available. He’d been divorced for quite some time now. Although his orchard was on the other side of Hartley, he did come whenever Dez needed him. When he did come to the Estate, whenever Dez called, he visited with Samuel or with Giles, the chauffeur. Those two men had also seen Matt’s reactions to Dez’s presence. Later, around the kitchen table with Cook and Martha, small talk turned into gossip. Digby, coming out of his office, heard Samuel “Sometime they were so darn polite to each other, I almost felt sick.” He filled up his coffee cup and turned “Who was polite, Samuel?” Setting his cup down and sitting at the table, he leaned into the conversation. “Miss Dez and that Matt Hamilton. They say they’re just friends, but they sure act strange.” Cook had been just a bit too quiet. Samuel turned to her “Elizabeth, that look on your face. Have you got somethin’ up that sleeve of yours.” Martha piped up. “Yes we have ~ not just Elizabeth, but the both of us. Dr. Jeremy and Miss Emelina are taking care of it.”
~~~~~
Jeremy, Emelina and Dez had been in line for about 10 minutes. The door to El Con Carne stayed open to the night air and a steady stream of customers. Jeremy leaned down to Em and whispered “Not exactly a romantic getaway.” He righted himself quickly when he heard his name being called from outside. “Jeremy! I finally made it. Did you bring Emelina and her friend?” Jeremy grinned before he turned to greet Matt. “Sure did, Matt. Em, you do the honours.”
Before her sister could say anything, Dez had turned. “Matt? What are you doing here?” Hand in hand, Jeremy and Emelina said “We invited him.” Emelina continued. “We wanted a foursome. If we asked either of you your permission, it would have ruined the evening. And one of you may have refused.”
“Your table is ready, sir.”
The foursome were led to a table in the corner of the room. Conversation filled the room, music played in time to the waiters weaving through the crowded room, platters and plates filled with enchiladas, tamales, sopapillas, tortillas, and beverages of all kinds. As the evening wore on, Emelina feigned tiredness. “Jeremy, I need to get home. This has been such a lovely evening. Matt, would you please see that Dez gets home?” She stood up, grasping her husbands hand. “Please, Jeremy.” He ate up the last of his sopapilla. “Let’s go then, Em. Matt, thanks.”
~~~~~
Matt’s voice was like gravel. “Dez, let’s get out of here.” They had talked until the restaurant was almost empty. Waiters were clearing the tables, wiping them down, setting them up again for the next day. The door was closed now. The stream of patrons had slowed. Mariachi’s had become part of the clean up crew. Outside and away from the city, only the smell of the far away ocean and the occasional call of a lost gull greeted them. “I can drive you home now, or we can………”
“We can what, Matt?” He seemed stuck for words. “I don’t know ~ go for a drive….the long way around the city? I’m not doing this very well.” Matt held the truck’s door open for Dez. He was suddenly ashamed of his old truck. Knew it was dusty and dirty inside. He had wiped it down, expecting Emelina’s ‘friend’ and a possible date. But Dez looked so different. So pretty ~ something he’d never seen in her before. She had just been a friend. Tonight there was something different.
“Yes, a slow drive around the city would be nice. You know that I live on the Estate now? I’ve been renting Martha’s duplex. We could……” she hesitated…… “we could, I mean you could come in for coffee …. or something.” The sky cloudless, stars bright. It would be easy to say most of those pinpricks of light were satellites, but tonight they were all stars.
“The very essence of romance is uncertainty.”
~ Oscar Wilde, the Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays
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