Page 34 of A Spot of Tea
“Oh!” Cora’s expression brightened. “Is he a pilot to the stars?”
“Sometimes, I guess? He flies the whale researchers and contractors and painters—”
Cora put up a hand. “Ugh, boring.”
“If it’s so boring here, why did you beg me to bring you along?” Mackenzie asked, arms crossed.
Uh oh.
Mackenzie and Cora clashed on a good day. A visit with both of them being so much themselves could go wrong quickly.
It was Eliza’s own fault. She’d wanted to see them. She had been greedy and now she was sitting at the table with a hot frying pan full of oil and a glass of cold water.
“Probably because she’s flat broke,” Eliza said with a teasing smile. “Be careful she doesn’t try to rob you.”
Cora covered her face with her hands and laughed. “I’m still sorry I stole our rent money, Eliza. I’m not just broke. I’m in debt! I took out all this money and it’s just been so bad.”
“I thought you were working for your dad’s company?” Eliza asked.
“No, he fired me. Can you believe that?” She paused, a smile dancing on her lips. “I mean, I deserved it, but howrude.”
Mackenzie turned to her, an astonished smile on her face. “How bad do you have to be at your job for your own father to fire you?”
“Extremely bad,” Cora said with complete sincerity.
Mackenzie erupted into laughter. “I like your honesty, at least.”
“Anyway, enough about me. How are you doing, Eliza? Are people still bugging you about the robbery?”
She shrugged. “You know, not as much anymore.”
“It’s horrible, what happened to you.” Cora shook her head. “When you think about it, we’re so out of control of our lives, aren’t we? You went to the bank, a totally innocent move – responsible, even, because that’s where normal people get money, not from shady bookies.”
Mackenzie took off her sunglasses. Her eyelids were puffy. “You’ve been going to shady bookies?”
Cora waved a hand. “Just some of those payday lenders. Have you ever had to use one of them?”
Her mouth dropped open. “No!”
Eliza had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. “Cora likes to live on the wild side.”
“I’m just a woman who was coddled too much growing up,” Cora said, shaking her head. “Now I’m catching up. It’s honestlyfascinating,the things people do.”
“I need to hear more. For my mental health,” Mackenzie said, leaning in.
An idea kept nagging at the back of Eliza’s mind. She had to say something. “Are you really running with a rough crowd?”
“More like runningfroma rough crowd. I owe a lot of people money. I’m definitely going to get a job now, though. No more messing around. I’m waiting to hear back on an interview for a position as a therapist.”
“You’re going to be a therapist?” Mackenzie shook her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but—”
“I know, no offense taken. I get it. I’m a screw up, but I’m a self-aware screw up. I have my master’s in counseling! Once I get this job, I can pay everyone back.”
Normally, Eliza was good at keeping secrets. She knew she shouldn’t say anything about Joey, or their search, or their silly plan…
“Would you happen to know anything about the bank robber? Maybe heard whispers about who he was?”
Cora’s eyes widened. “Everyone is talking about it! And no, if I found out who’d embarrassed my best friend at the bank, I’d have already turned him in.”
