Part 14 (1/2)
Can Ida be far behind? ”Perfect,” says the third conspirator.
”Psst.” I hiss at the three of them as I lift myself up from my padded table, holding my towel around me as best I can. Evvie does so, too. We glare at them.
”What the heck are you doing here?” Evvie whispers angrily.
The girls stare at us in horror. The mud is dripping down our faces.
”Who's there?” Bella is about to scream.
”What do you mean, who's there. It's us. Ev and Glad.” We pull off our eye masks.
Bella grins. ”I didn't recognize you with all that gunk on your face.”
”What are you you doing here?” Sophie is belligerent. doing here?” Sophie is belligerent.
”You're supposed to be working,” Ida sneers.
”We are working,” Evvie sneers back.
Hope calls gaily from the hallway. ”Ladies? There's so much more to show you.”
”Meet us in the parking lot as soon as your 'tour' is over!” I demand.
”We're coming,” Sophie trills toward Hope.
Bella sticks out her tongue at us as they rush from the room.
We stand off to one side of the parking lot, behind some shrubbery, so no one can see us. It is a hot argument on both sides. We've been round it twenty times and everyone is still mad.
”How did you get here?” Evvie wants to know.Sophie snarls. ”We took two buses. Like you care?”
”What are we supposed to do? Let you have all the fun?” Ida is next.
”Yeah. Some work. Facials? I didn't see Romeo in the 'relaxation room.' ” Bella's turn.
”We don't have to tell you how we do our job.” Evvie is indignant.
”Days go by. You don't call,” Ida chastises us.
Evvie snarls. ”We've only been here three days!”
”If we had something to report, you'd hear from us.” That's me.
”You could ruin our cover.” Evvie is furious. ”Just get yourselves home.”
”What? And miss the free lunch? It's part of the tour.” Sophie crosses her arms in protest.
Bella giggles. ”We should visit every retirement place and get a free lunch every day. Let's do it.”
Now I feel guilty. They are having such a good time and I'm spoiling it. What's the harm? I look at my watch and calm down. ”Then get inside. Lunch is about to start.”
”And don't you dare look at us or talk to us,” Evvie demands.
Sophie is annoyed. ”Yeah, we got it. We've never seen you before.”
”Will you drive us home afterward? In the Caddy?” Bella pleads.
Suddenly a snazzy red Mercedes convertible whips past us.
”It's him!” Evvie whispers excitedly. ”With three women!”
Almost as if on cue, we duck down behind our shrubbery. We are actually close enough to hear any conversation.
Philip opens the car doors for each of his pa.s.sengers. The women pile out, pulling many shopping bags along with them, all bearing designer store logos. They've obviously been hitting Worth Avenue.
His pa.s.sengers are practically drooling over Smythe.
A sixty-ish blonde, whose gray is showing, simpers, ”Phil, you are such a darling to take us shopping. So patient.”
”And the lunch at Bice was exquisite.” The others gurgle their syrupy thanks as well.
Philip doffs his Marlins baseball cap and bows. He's dressed in at least five hundred dollars or more of very casual wear. ”My pleasure, pretty ladies.” The parking attendant takes his car. Philip and the shoppers happily make their way inside.
A moment of silence, and then the girls and I all pile out of our silly hiding places.
”Hmph,” Evvie sniffs. ”Talk about corny acting.”
”Wow!” says Sophie. ”He can put his slippers under my bed anytime.”
That about sums it up.
My cell phone rings as I am getting into my pajamas. I rush to get from the bedroom to the living room where I left it. For a moment I fantasize it's Jack calling. To apologize and make up.
”Hi, it's only me.” Evvie laughs. ”Just like home.”
”I almost broke my neck running to answer. Why didn't you use the house phone or just walk through our adjoining door?”
”No reason. I like to respect your privacy. Want an update on tonight's mah-jongg?”