The Honeyed Taste of Deception

by CeeCee James

  “Ahh, ahh,” Sonya scolded. “It’s what we’re here for. Making the romance and magic happen.”

  “Snookums?”

  “The sappier the better. That’s how I know I’ve truly done my job. We take pride in making them melt into baby talk.” Sonya raised her eyebrow with a smile.

  “You really are amazing. I can’t believe you just pulled this off.”

  Sonya shrugged. “After doing it for as long as I have, you get to read your clientele. It really isn’t that hard. Sometimes, you have to maneuverer things around until you get them to want what they need. Make them think it’s their idea.” She waggled her fingers in the air. “Smoke and mirrors.”

  Catalina giggled loudly, and they watched her return. She clicked her phone away and dropped it into her shiny purse. “He’s so excited!” Catalina smiled. “Just four more days! I can’t wait!”

  “We have a lot to do in that time,” Sonya warned. “You did pick your cake options the other day with your Uncle? Did you finalize your menu options?”

  “Yes, I filled out the menu at the caterers. There was so much yummy food it was hard to decide.”

  “But you did.” Sonya deadpanned.

  Catalina nodded.

  “Did you follow the chef’s suggestions, or…”

  “Oh, we followed them,” Catalina answered, before looking guiltily at the floor.

  Sonya paused, subtly scratching her arm. Elise remembered the new tattoo. “It’s okay to vary the menu somewhat, but you should have a general fare. It’s a reception, not a potluck. You want to pair together foods that will enhance each others’ flavors.”

  “I decided on the complete menu the caterer suggested for the prime rib. I just added candy corn.”

  Sonya looked startled, as if she’d never heard of candy corn before.

  “And Doritos.” Catalina added, looking guilty.

  Sonya rubbed her forehead. “Dear heavens, I sent a pregnant woman by herself to pick out the menu.” She gave a big sigh. “Okay. I’ll track down the chef and just have a little look-over at what he’s serving. Will you trust my judgement if I find anything missing?”

  “I really want the Doritos.” Catalina said earnestly.

  “I’ll make sure you have them. But maybe after you change out of your white dress.” Sonya gave a brittle smile. “Okay, ladies. Since this is concluded, let’s get out of here so I can continue my job.”

  Chapter 17

  After they dropped Catalina off back at Denny’s, things really kicked into high gear back at the boutique. Sonya had two contractors that she worked with exclusively for the manual labor of setting up and tearing down the wedding venues. She was on the phone as soon as she walked through the door, her shucked sweater dangling haphazardly from where she’d tossed it on the coat tree. Relentlessly, she paced the boutique as she hammered out the details of assembling the trellis, rug rentals and stringing up lights.

  Elise was on the other end of the room on her cell, one finger in her ear so that she could hear, attempting to locate and reserve chairs, linens, and a limousine rental.

  Two hours later, they both had a break. Sonya glanced over at Elise and laughed. “Quite a bit of leg-work, eh? All right, I need to call the florist again. I’d put in an order last week but, like everything in the business world, you have to babysit, to make sure it’s done correctly. Oh, that’s right. I need to get a call in to the caterer.” She rubbed her arm where her tattoo still seemed to itch. “Find out how messed up the menu is. Also, I need to decide where the bridal party will be getting ready.” She tapped her paper. “Do we try to rent one of the empty stores down at the mall?” She picked up her phone to text. “I’ll ask Catalina, but I think we need to get on the horn to the furniture rental company and get a couple couches, curtains, and mirrors to spruce the store up into a proper changing room.” Sonya sent the text then watched the phone as if expecting an immediate answer. When it didn’t come, she uncharacteristically slouched into one of the lounge chairs. Her face suddenly drooped wearily in a way that alarmed Elise.

  “Hey, you doing okay?” Elise asked. “Can I get you some coffee? Water?”

  The tall woman closed her eyes and shook her head. “Sometimes, this job gets to me.”

  “I hear you. It’s pretty amazing, the work that you do. How long have you been a wedding planner? Is it something you’ve always wanted to do?”

  Sonya’s lips curved with a slight sardonic smile. “This wasn’t my dream. My dream was to travel the world like a nomad. Never stopping, always discovering. Answer to no one. But instead, I found myself here.”

  Elise was shocked. Who would do this if they weren’t driven? “You’re kidding me? You’re like a natural.”

  “I told you, I had a whole other life before this. I ended up totaling my Harley on Blewett Pass. Totally my fault, a rookie move, really.” Her gaze traveled to the floor as her face grew even more somber.

  “What happened?”

  “Deer jumped out in front of me. I swerved, over-corrected. Wiped out. Ended up tweaking my shoulder so badly I couldn’t hang on to the handlebars anymore.” Her hand went up to massage the shoulder at the memory. “There went my big dreams of travel. My ol’ man left me and suddenly I was alone, nearly forty, with no way out. I found this place for sale, and with the insurance money, I bought it. This was something I ended up being good at, so I’m here. But, I finally landed a job that’s big enough to help get me out of here. That’s been my goal all along.” A hard glint came to her eyes.

  “You mean the Petrovitsky wedding? So that’s why you’re so willing to put up with all the craziness.”

  “Exactly.”

  “What made you decide to buy a wedding boutique?”

  “I figured if I wasn’t going to have my own wedding, I’d help arrange others. Besides, the job called for a bossy woman who looks grouchy all the time if she’s not smiling. My face was perfect for the job.” Here, she laughed.

  “Aw, you aren’t the only one. I get asked what’s wrong all the time, and I’ll just be thinking about what I want for lunch.” Elise smiled in return. Her stomach growled at the world lunch, which made both the women laugh harder.

  “Why don’t you run across the street and get us a couple sandwiches,” Sonya said, climbing slowly to her feet. “It’ll probably do us both some good. Do you mind doing that?”

  “Not at all. What do you want?” Elise grabbed her purse from where she’d dumped it unceremoniously, on the ottoman when she’d first arrived.

  “Turkey, avocado, light mayo. Here, use this.” Sonya fished out a credit card and passed it over. “It’s on me. Or rather, on the business.”

  Elise took the card and tucked it into her pocket. “Fries? Anything to drink?”

  “Nope, that’s all for me.” Sonya was back on her phone again with her pen on her notepad. Elise quietly opened the door to keep the bells from chiming too hard.

  The breeze was quick and knife-like across her bare legs below her skirt. Dang, still cold. Elise buttoned her business jacket and crossed her arms, shivering. She looked both ways as she waited for the traffic to clear. When it was apparent it wasn’t going to let up, she resignedly walked up the block to use the crosswalk.

  She hit the pedestrian button and waited, trying not to look like she was freezing. Straight across from her was the alley opening and, of course, her eye was drawn there again.

  Her spine stiffened. This time, there was somebody in there. A dark shadow, bent over.

  Waif-like.

  The crosswalk bleeped a signal to say it was safe to cross. Elise jumped at the noise and then, blowing on her hands to warm them, hurried across the road.

  She approached the alley’s opening and squared her shoulders. Just act confident. Her steps were firm, heels clacking loudly on the sidewalk like she meant business. As she walked by, she gave it a quick perusal.

  Her heart stopped in her throat. There she was. That little teenage girl, huddled down in a b
rown, ratty coat. Elise’s steps slowed but the girl didn’t look up. The teen’s dark hair hung lankly across her face as she held her hands in her armpits.

  “Hello,” Elise called, hoping her voice sounded soothing. “I’m just going to get a bite to eat. Want to join me?”

  The girl jumped and looked up. Her dark eyes looked like oversized pools in her pale face. She stared for a moment, as if not knowing how to respond.

  “Turkey sandwich with bacon?” Elise added, hoping the sound of food would spur the teenager to movement.

  The girl licked her lips and started to stand, jerking hesitantly as if she were a brand new foal making its first steps. She gripped the edges of her frayed jacket more tightly around her and shuffled out in hiking boots that looked a size too big.

  Elise stepped back from the opening. “It’s cold out here,” she said quietly. “You’d never guess it was spring. By the way, my name’s Elise.”

  After that first glance, the girl kept her eyes locked towards the ground. “Lucy,” she mumbled.

  “Hi, Lucy. You like bacon?”

  Lucy flinched, as if shying away from the question. Okay, no questions then. Elise gripped the cold handles of Kelli’s Diner and opened the door. “Well I like bacon, and I’m ordering extra. You can too.”

  The girl’s glance skated quickly over Elise’s face. She nodded and tucked her hair behind her ears.

  Elise produced the credit card from her pocket. “My boss’s treat,” she whispered conspiratorially.

  They stood by the counter waiting to be seated. A waitress came over with a big grin that faltered slightly at the sight of Lucy. She hesitated with the menus until Elise urged, “We’d like to sit down.”

  With her grin turned up again, the waitress nodded. “Right this way.” She led them to a booth in the far back, away from the other customers.

  Elise sat on one side, with Lucy on the other. The waitress placed their menus before them, saying with a southern twang, “I’ll be right back with some water. Ya’ll want some sweet tea?”

  Elise looked over for a response, but Lucy had buried her face in the menu as if trying to hide. “Not right now, thank you,” Elise said. “Actually, maybe some hot tea instead.”

  The waitress nodded and walked away, hips swaying.

  “Okay,” Elise started, trying to keep the atmosphere light. “You see anything you like? Hamburger? Sandwich?”

  “I’d like some pancakes,” the girl’s voice sounded raspy, as if she hadn’t spoken in a while.

  “Pancakes?” Elise searched for them on the menu and found them. “You want bacon with that? Sausage?”

  Lucy nodded, not indicating which one.

  “Okay then,” Elise said, shutting the menu. “We’ll have both.”

  The waitress returned with a tray that held two white ceramic teapots, a container full of tea bags, and two coffee cups. She arranged the items on the table and then reached for her pad from her apron pocket. “What can I get ya’ll?”

  “I’d like a turkey sandwich with avocado, light on mayo to go. And then a turkey club for me, and a stack of pancakes with a side of both bacon and sausage for my friend.”

  The waitress glanced warily at Lucy, but wrote it down. She scooped up the tray and the menus, saying “Okay, that should be out shortly,” as she turned to go.

  Well. Now what? Without menus to distract them, the silence seemed to be even more awkward. Elise entwined her fingers and rested her hands on the table. She found herself studying the teen. Don’t look at her and freak her out. Quickly, she glanced out the window.

  “You don’t have to ignore me. I don’t bite,” Lucy mumbled. “And I might be able to help you, too.” She reached for the sugar packets and laid them out in front of her as though they were a deck of cards. One by one, they disappeared into her pocket.

  “I don’t think you’ll bite. You think you can help me?” Elise was instantly curious.

  “I know things.” Lucy spun the spoon in a lazy circle on the table.

  “Like what?”

  The teenager shrugged. “Secrets. Like maybe about the Craigslist Bandits.”

  Elise leaned closer, instantly drawn by the statement. “Is it gossip from the circus? You’ve been trying to get on with them, right?”

  Lucy jerked in the seat as if she were about to bolt.

  “No, wait. I’m not going to say anything. Or do anything,” Elise quickly amended. She held her hands up, and again tried to speak soothingly. “You don’t have to talk with me. Just eat your food and then go, if that’s what you want.”

  Slowly, the teen settled back in the seat. She eyed Elise warily, then went back to the sugar packets, picking the bowl clean, until none remained. Soon, the tea bags had disappeared too.

  The waitress returned with two plates of food before leaving again. On her return trip she had syrup, butter and a styrofoam container of what Elise assumed was the turkey sandwich. Quietly, the two dug in. Elise watched under hooded eyes with fascination as Lucy used every bit of butter and then flooded the plate with syrup. She also noticed the napkins were missing from the table, probably squirreled away too, and scooted to the next table to remove the ones sitting there.

  They both made quick work of their meals. Lucy ate everything, using the last bite of pancake to finish mopping up the syrup. She drank her tea and slowly melted back against the padded booth with a sigh. She glanced up at Elise and graced her with a smile.

  Elise smiled back, feeling her heart squeeze. This was her first real look at the girl, and she appeared no older than fifteen. Her face was dirty, but still held some of the baby fat of girlhood. “Is there anything I can do for you? Any place I can take you?”

  Lucy shook her head and stood up. “Thank you for the food,” she murmured, with another smile. Bundling her jacket around her, she headed to the restroom. Elise watched her disappear inside and blew out a big breath. Wow, that was interesting. What am I supposed to do now? Just let the poor girl go on her merry way? Who can help her? The street is no place for a girl like her. She closed her eyes, feeling overwhelmed by a tidal wave of both sadness and helplessness. When she opened them again, Lucy was just passing by on her way to the exit.

  “Lucy,” Elise called and reached out her hand. Too late. The teenager was already through the front door and running down the sidewalk.

  After Lucy had left, Elise went into the bathroom to clean up. As she washed her hands, she stared at her reflection. “Well, that was like trying to feed a stray dog. One wrong move and the dog takes off.” She made a face at herself and shook the water off her hands. Still staring in the mirror, she suddenly froze.

  Slowly she turned to look behind her. There, hanging off the stall’s door by one elastic strap, was a white painter’s mask.

  Chapter 18

  Elise reached for the painter’s mask and untangled it from the metal door. What does this mean? Had Lucy left it? Elise found it hard to believe that it had been hanging there all this time since the robbery. What if it was some weird coincidence and someone was actually painting here in the restaurant?

  That can’t be right.

  Back at the bridal shop, Sonya was still on the phone. She held it against her chest as Elise walked in. “Took you long enough.” Sonya glanced at the mask in Elise’s hands. “What’s that?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I met this homeless girl and ended up getting her a meal. I’ll pay you back.”

  “No worries.” Sonya took her styrofoam container. “But what do you have there?”

  “I found it in the bathroom. I want to show Brad.” ” Elise laughed, realizing how silly it sounded. “I mean, it’s probably nothing, but weird right?” She held the mask back and studied it. “Man, that was a scary day.”

  Sonya nodded and returned to her call. “Yes. That’s right.” She carried her sandwich with her into her office and shut the door.

  Great. Now what?

  Elise hadn’t needed to worry. There at her desk was a lis
t written in Sonya’s cramped handwriting. She sat in the chair, making it squeak in protest, and read the first one.

  1)Get your rear to Divinity flowers on 3rd. The florist screwed up the order and we have 4000 green carnations. Find out what flower is in season that she can get abundantly in white.

  Elise realized this was the second mistake the florist had made in two weeks as she remembered the juggling act of wedding fiasco number one. Green Carnations? Who’d order those?

  She scanned to number 2.

  2) Call Cozy Clippers and beg, grovel, or offer your first born to convince them we need a stylist early Saturday morning. Peggy canceled, citing PTSD or something. If they say no, FIND ONE.

  3) Keep an eye on your email. I put up a Craigslist ad for people to help us set it up. Ronnie, our normal construction guy, has the flu- typical of a man. I’ve emailed you a few questions to ask the applicants. If they seem reputable, Hire them!

  Elise turned the paper over to discover the list continued down the back side. She sighed and searched up the number of Cozy Clippers and dialed them.

  “Hello!” a bright voice answered. “How can I help you today?”

  “Hi, there. I’d like to schedule a beautician for a wedding on Saturday.”

  The voice was immediately cautious. “What time will she be needed?”

  “Umm,” Sonya hadn’t written that down on her list. “I’m thinking at seven am?”

  “Is this for the Petrovitsky wedding?”

  Whoa. How did they know? “Yes?”

  “I’m sorry. We’re booked at that time.”

  “Well, hang on a second. We had confirmation from you that one of your beauticians was committed to being there. She backed out at the last second.”

  “She backed out because she doesn’t want to be held responsible for anything happening to that woman’s hair. And frankly, no one else here is interested in working with carnies.” The last word sounded like it had been spit out.

  Elise blinked hard. Seriously? “That doesn’t seem very professional. In fact, it seems quite judgmental….” The phone line went dead. Sighing, she grabbed her keys and headed out for the florist.