Page 25 of Sultry Nights

There were floral arrangements on the tables, and the home was inviting, but it looked expensive. Once again, the thought that Tisha was way out of her league raced through her mind, and she got a little nervous before exiting her vehicle.

She strolled up the sidewalk from her car, trying not to look like a total newbie who'd never seen a beautiful home before, in case Tisha was watching out the window.

Before she got to the front door, it opened and Tisha stood, always with her back ramrod straight, and her shoulders pulled back. But the semblance of a smile on her red-painted lips was welcome.

"Thank you for coming out to the house, Hanna. Come on in, please."

Tisha stepped back, and Hanna entered a huge foyer area. Bright, light-colored walls, a round mahogany table sitting in the middle with a beautiful floral arrangement gracing the center.

That was one of the things she'd always wanted, a large enough foyer to have a floral arrangement in the middle greeting her guests as they walked in.

"Well, your home is beautiful, Tisha."

Tisha looked around as if she hadn't seen it in a while, and then nodded. "Thank you. I've worked very hard. My ex was never home. It was all on me. He would, of course, write the checks for anything that I wanted to have done, but he didn't really care about what I did. So this is all my design idea."

Hanna felt sorry for her. She seemed lonely.

"I have lunch set up on the back patio. If you'd like to join me."

Hanna followed Tisha through the foyer and to the left. They stepped into a beautiful kitchen. My gosh, there was even a brick fireplace in the kitchen. Hanna's eyes lovingly caressed the fireplace. It was a beautiful, big, open-arched fireplace. The logs that were sitting in the grate were never used, and of course, positioned perfectly.

The cabinets were a dark, rich mahogany. The granite countertops were light, with mahogany-colored swirls running through. Everything matched perfectly. There were light fixtures over the counter, which screamed money. It made her nervous for some reason.

There was a table sitting across from the counter that also had a beautiful chandelier hanging over it. And then she saw the glass door that led out onto a small sun porch.

Tisha opened the door and held her hand out for Hanna to precede her. "I made a pitcher of lemonade. I hope you like lemonade."

Hanna smiled. "I do. Thank you so much."

"Please take a seat."

Tisha sat uncomfortably in her chair across from Hanna.

Hanna sat perched on the edge of her chair, not sure what to think of this whole lunch thing now that she was here. Tisha did not exude warmth. That was a fact.

"Well, thank you for inviting me over here, Tisha. I'm so happy to see your home, and it's really nice to be able to get to know you a little bit better."

Tisha smiled. "It's nice to get to know you a little bit better too, Hanna. My son, as I've said, loves your cinnamon rolls, and he speaks so highly of the bakery. So I thought the least I could do was come in and see it for myself and then invite you to lunch. So here we are."

She lifted the lid on a container, which held a variety of sandwiches. "I had these made up this morning for us at the deli. I have tuna, smoked chicken, smoked turkey, and roast beef. Please help yourself. I wasn't sure what you would like."

"Oh, thank you so much. I'll take a turkey."

Hanna reached in and pulled a turkey club sandwich out of the container. Tisha pulled one out for herself and then closed the lid.

She poured them each a glass of lemonade and then stared at Hanna. For her part, Hanna set her sandwich on her plate and waited to see what the protocol would be. She also wasn't sure what to say. If she should start to eat, was there going to be a prayer? She folded her hands in her lap.

Tisha nodded. "No, no, please, go ahead. I was waiting for you to take the first bite."

She swallowed. "Oh, I'm sorry." Hanna picked up her sandwich and gently bit into it. She was relieved when Tisha picked hers up and did the same. Weird.

Hanna nervously asked, “Are you from Blossom Springs?”

“Not really. I was born in New York. My parents moved to Tampa about thirty years ago. I followed them there because I hadn’t selected a college yet and wasn’t sure what I was going to do. My father is an investment manager. He started his business after moving to Tampa and still lives there today.”

“Do you get to see him often?”

Tisha sniffed lightly and shifted in her seat. “Not that often. We don’t always see eye to eye, and I like to avoid the arguments.”

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