Page 45 of Win Some Love Some
Nick
Iwalked into Petite III and immediately realized I should have made a reservation. This place was always packed, but I figured off season, later at night, I might have had some luck. I knew Nora had been working here for a few days and wanted to see how it was going. If I came too soon, I’d make her nervous, but by now she should have been settled in.
In town, no one was talking about her working here – which was a little odd. Sheriff Bobby liked to wander past my open bays and give me all the gossip I did not care about, but he hadn’t been around for days.
When I saw Jolie, owner of Petite herself, the other day at the gas station and I asked her how things were working out with Nora, she got very flustered and drove away with the door to her gas tank open.
So, I came to see for myself.
A young man, I’m pretty sure was Ani Wong’s youngest son, stood behind a sleek podium. It had one of those penlights curved over a book which I knew was filled with actual reservations.
“Can I help you?” he asked me with a smile. There was a tremendous crash in the back and he flinched. “Apologies for the noise.”
“I thought Nora was working the host station?” I craned my neck, trying to see what that crash had been about, but the place was too busy.
“Oh, well. Ha. I mean. Sometimes? Tonight she’s ah…. pouring water.”
“Is that like a promotion?” I asked.
“It’s not, not a promotion,” Sunny said, with a cough. His pinky finger was bandaged to his ring finger.
All my Nora senses were tingling.
“Don’t suppose you can fit me in?” I asked,
“No reservation?” he asked.
I shook my head.
“I’m sorry, but we’re full up tonight.”
“What’s the occasion?”
“Oh,” Sunny laughed awkwardly and glanced behind him. “Just a lot happening here.”
“He can eat with me, Sunny.” I turned to find Mal Bettencourt, standing in the corner patiently waiting for a table. “I have an in with the owner.”
I snorted. “You mean your wife?”
“I’m in the mood for her finer cuisine. The kids are at a friend’s overnight, so I’m solo. And I, unlike some, had the forethought to reserve a table for this evening.”
Mal wore a suit jacket and white shirt unbuttoned at the neck beneath it. The scars that licked up from his neck to his face were no longer the most eye-catching thing about him. The guy exuded happiness. Contentment. He stood there like the Cheshire Cat with all the secrets to a good life. “You sure thisisn’t a set up for all that money I took off your hands at poker last month?”
“Oh, you’re absolutely paying for the privilege of eating at my table. Are we dining or not?” He gestured towards the restaurant.
“Yeah, that works if you can stand my company.”
“Nick, having observed your company these many years, I don’t imagine you’ll be talking my ear off.” Mal leaned forward and had a word with Sunny who nodded and made a note in his book.
I wasn’t known as much of a talker at poker. I was, however, known as a winner. I was surprised the group still let me play when the odds were good I would win the night every time.
What they didn’t know was that every once in a while I would tank a hand because nobody wanted to play with the guy who always won, and I wanted them to keep inviting me.
But as I once told Antony, winning came to those who wanted it more.
“Any chance we can sit in Nora’s section?” I asked Sunny as we followed him through the small restaurant to a two top near the back.
“Ah, I see. An ulterior motive,” Mal said.
