Part 35 (1/2)
”I'd like a very generous pour of Grey Goose on the rocks, and please bring it to my office as fast as you can,” Bob said.
”Yes, sir!”
”And bring the bottle,” Olivia said, knowing Bob well enough to know if he was drinking vodka to deal with his mother-in-law, he was going to need additional reinforcement.
As quickly as it was humanly possible, Bob looked up Maritza's mother's phone number and dialed it from his satellite phone, because it gave him a superior and clearer connection than his smartphone. He put the call on speakerphone so that Olivia could help if needed.
”h.e.l.lo?”
”Martha Ann? It's your son-in-law, Bob. I'm here with Olivia Ritchie.”
”Bob Vasile. Well, what do you all know? Oh, h.e.l.lo, Olivia! I hope you're well?”
”I'm okay, all things considered. You?”
”I'm fine, thank you.”
Bob was getting antsy and said, ”Martha Ann? Do you have a moment?”
”Bob? Should I try and take a wild guess why you're calling me? I've got a kitchen full of ca.s.seroles and every woman I know in this town is in my living room. Do you think we don't watch the news down here in Mississippi? I almost had a heart attack! I turned on Anderson Cooper and there you were running your mouth like a teenage boy!”
”I'm so sorry I didn't call you first, Martha Ann. Please accept my deepest apology.”
”Your deepest apology ain't worth diddly-squat to me. The one you owe the apologies to is Maritza! Tell her!”
”Believe me! That's exactly what I want to do!”
”How's my granddaughter, Bob?”
”She's fine, but she really misses her mother. I've been such a fool!”
”Hmmm. Yes, you certainly are! About the biggest fool I ever met in all my days. Let me see if she'll talk to you.”
”What? She's there?”
”Where else would she be? I'm her mother! Who else should she go to for solace and succor? Some stupid shrink that would charge her a thousand dollars a minute? That's probably what you do! Like it would ever do you a lick of good. You'd probably lie like a cheap rug to them too! Hang on.”
Martha Ann slammed the phone on something, probably a wooden table, and walked away calling Maritza's name at the top of her lungs.
”Thank G.o.d she's safe!” Olivia said and burst into tears. ”Oh! What a relief!”
”Oh G.o.d yes! But I'm astonished that she's there! How in the h.e.l.l did she get back into the country?”
”Bob?” Olivia s.n.a.t.c.hed a tissue from a box on the side table, blotted her eyes, and cleared her throat. Then she chuckled, thinking about Maritza and how clever she was. ”Maritza is a lot smarter than everyone thinks. Don't let the magnolia-speak fool you.”
”True. I know. But boy, Martha Ann's p.i.s.sed,” Bob said to Olivia.
”Which means Maritza is beyond p.i.s.sed. That's her only child, you know.” Olivia sank into a chair, thinking about how she was back in the money hole again. But there was just no way she could've worked with Colette. She could work with tough clients, but Colette was too horrible. ”You can't blame her for taking her side.”
Bob's drink was delivered then.
”Thanks,” Bob said and had a sip. ”I don't. Did you like the way I played the guilt card?”
”About Gladdie? I hate to admit it, but that was a stroke of genius.” Olivia looked at the crew member and said, ”You know what? I think I'd like a big fat vodka on the rocks as well.” Bob had said he would find her work, but where and how soon?
There was a lot of noise coming from the background in Martha Ann's house as though troops were marching through the rooms, but through all the racket, there was no Maritza coming to the phone to speak to Bob. Then it got quiet.
”Just how in the h.e.l.l did she get the whole way to Mississippi? Was she a stowaway?”
”I have no earthly idea,” Olivia said. ”I am just as surprised as you are!”
They heard footsteps again through the telephone receiver and the phone was picked up.
”Bob?”
”Martha Ann?”
”She says she doesn't want to talk to you. And I don't blame her.”
”What do you mean? She has to talk to me! I'm her husband!”
”Only on paper, sonny boy! Only on paper! Maybe you should call another time.”
The next thing they heard was the dial tone.
”That old b.i.t.c.h hung up on me!” Bob said.
”I know. Bob, let's not lose sight of the fact that Maritza is alive,” Olivia said. ”That's what really matters.”
”You're right, of course, but can you believe what just happened?” Bob said. ”She actually hung up on me!”
”Bob, n.o.body behaves like they're supposed to behave anymore. People are rude and horrible. Now, drain your gla.s.s and let's go tell everyone the good news, especially Gladdie.”
”I guess I'll call her back later?”
”After you call the florist down there and fill her mother's house with flowers!”
”Right! She called me sonny boy!”
”It could've been a lot worse!”
”You're right. I'm surprised she didn't call me every curse word she knows. Come on. Let's go tell everyone,” Bob said. ”Thank you, G.o.d! I am so relieved!”
”I am too!” Olivia said and meant it.
”I'll tell you one thing, Olivia.”
”What's that?”
”If I can get this mess sorted out? I'm going to be a changed man.”