Belly Up in the Koi Pond

by Cheryl Zelenka

  “We know!” exclaimed Lilly. “We’re attending the class. Dora, I mean Detective Flores wants to install her very own Koi pond this spring and we thought she needed some helpful suggestions.”

  Sadie razzed her friend, “It’s an ambitious undertaking and we don’t want her front yard destroyed by this DIY project.” Dora smirked and shrugged her shoulders at the snickering young man.

  “Well,” shooting them all a smile resembling a grimace, “he’s full of ideas and opinions! I mean all the time! Some would call him a know-it-all, but if you ignore his arrogance you’ll certainly learn a lot from Professor Drainer. He asked me to help out tonight with some final touches to the exhibit. He’s not happy with the plants the nursery installed and wants my help switching them out with different ones. I’m glad I brought my swimming trunks. I never thought I’d be taking a midnight swim in a Koi pond!”

  “Are you going to be at the demonstration tomorrow?” Dora asked.

  “Yes, detective, I am. I’ll be sure to look for you ladies. The scholarship ceremony is afterward, around 9:30 am.” Sadie told Zachary they were all looking forward to it, then sent him on his way with a wave.

  “We better change quickly so we don’t miss our seven o’clock dinner reservations,” coaxed Sadie. “We’ll have to drive to Le Pigeon since we are now running late.”

  Once inside the hotel room, Sadie plopped her purse on the right side of the queen-sized bed while Lilly claimed the double bed by the window. Dora, the last to enter the room muttered, “I guess I’m sleeping on the left side of the bed next to the snore monster.”

  “Hey, I heard that, Detective! I don’t snore…much.” Sadie winked at Dora then looked around the lovely hotel room. It was tastefully decorated in shades of cream, elegant but comfortable. Since her suitcase was too heavy to lift onto the bed, she wheeled it into their sitting area. Wasting no time with modesty, she undressed then danced her way into a pair of control top pantyhose and a dark lavender dress. Adding a velvet jacket, she took a moment to glance in a mirror. “Am I really 54 years old? I feel so much younger.”

  Lilly came out of the bathroom dressed in a pretty black lace pantsuit while Dora was decked out in a ruby red pencil skirt and a cream silk blouse. Sadie whistled at both her friends then typed the address for Le Pigeon into her iPhone GPS. As they walked out the doors of the hotel lobby and settled into Dora’s Jeep Cherokee, Sadie noticed a smile on her friend’s face as she placed the portable siren on top of her vehicle.

  “What?” Dora raised her eyebrows at the front seat driver. “You want to be on time, don’t cha’? Have siren, will use!”

  “Um, what you really mean is, ‘Have siren, will abuse,’ protested Sadie.”

  Giving Sadie a sideways glance, Dora did her best James Brown impression and blurted out the lyrics to “I Feel Good”.

  Irritated, Sadie crossed her arms. Noticing her friend’s annoyance Dora asked with a smirk, “What did you say, Ms Spice?”

  Lilly giggled from the back seat and joined in on the singing.

  This is going to be a very long, seven minute drive, Sadie thought. Realizing there was no way to win this battle of words, she snapped her fingers and belted out the next line of lyrics.

  “Aww, girlfriend… you’re so nice,” Dora gushed.

  “Yep,” Sadie hooted. “I’m sugar and spice and everything nice! That is what most girls are made of, ya know.”

  “Uh huh, but you’re heavy on the spice. Let’s hope you haven’t ruined your pallet with all that inner seasoning. We have a dinner to eat and some good food to enjoy.”

  Sadie smiled at her best friend and was amazed how quickly they arrived at Le Pigeon.

  “I guess I should sing James Brown every time I want to get somewhere fast,” remarked Sadie.

  “Why not?” joked Dora. “At least you’ll feel good while singing your way there.”

  CHAPTER TWO: Le Pigeon

  When all three ladies stepped into La Pigeon, they found the quaint and intimate atmosphere most agreeable. Greeted by an attractive hostess, she guided them to a private table near the bar.

  While looking over the menu, Sadie noticed an good looking man in his 40’s sitting at the bar. His dark curly hair brought Mark to mind. Thinking to herself, I’ll have to call him the minute we get back to the hotel. I sure hope he’s won Bosco and Willow over. Gazing back to the bar, she noted his companion was young, very young. She was dressed in a classic white blouse, black leggings, and stylish black leather boots with stiletto heels.

  “I’m guessing she’s barely out of High School,” Lilly groused.

  Taking a long hard look, Sadie asked,” Do you recognize her, she looks familiar?”

  “No, but she could be a former student of ours. You know how much third and fourth-grade students change in appearance by the time they’ve graduated from High School.”

  Sadie nodded at Lilly and went back to perusing her menu. Everything looked scrumptious. Looking over the desserts, she was tempted to try the Foie Gras Profiteroles with Carmel Sauce but decided to stick with the Creme Brulee. She wanted to save the Foie Gras Profiteroles for Mark, should he follow up on his invitation to wine and dine her himself.

  Since the restaurant was small and intimate, voices carried. So, when the dashing man with curly locks raised an irritated voice, the three friends couldn’t help but overhear his comment.

  “Ashley, I’m tired of his egotistic attitude and constant complaining! I know he’s a professor, but so what? I’m a landscape architect and a businessman. The Koi pond is one of the best exhibits at the Convention Center. Many of the retail and wholesale vendors came over and shook my hand today, praising my work. My store sales will skyrocket when this Garden Show ends. If professionals are impressed with the waterfall and plant choices on display, can you imagine what the home gardener will think? They’ll be dazzled!”

  His young dinner companion nodded her head and patted his hand. Sadie noticed a diamond tennis bracelet on her wrist. Then, with a gush of admiration the young lady exclaimed, “Joey, of course, they’ll be amazed. Your talent is unquestionable.”

  Noting a change in the restaurant’s atmosphere, the hostess stepped into the bar and politely motioned to the couple that their table was ready. She led them to the other side of the establishment.

  “Did you hear that? He was complaining about the Koi exhibit!” Lilly still had her eyes on the couple.

  Dora put her fork down and wiped her mouth on the linen napkin. “Er, to be exact, he wasn’t complaining about the design of the Koi exhibit, Lilly. He was irritated with someone who didn’t like how the exhibit turned out. If my guess is correct, the boisterous gentleman we just overheard is the nursery owner in charge of setting up the display that Zachary is now reworking.”

  “I concur, Detective Flores,” Sadie ribbed. “I wonder if our fellow diner knows about the changes taking place as we speak. There is definitely a conflict between this man,” nodding to the opposite side of the building, “and the OSU professor who’s giving the lecture tomorrow about Koi Ponds and Water Gardens. Ladies, I know I wasn’t keen on taking this class, but now I’m intrigued. I can’t wait to check out the exhibit, especially the plants selected by Zachary’s OSU Professor. We’ll have to ask him which specimens were replaced and if any changes were made to the overall design. Just keep the fish away from me! My Ichthyophobia is very real!”

  “We know, we know,” groaned Lilly and Dora in unison.

  A few seconds later, the waiter arrived with their starters. Dora grinned at Sadie when her Diver Scallop Crudo was placed before her, and Lilly giggled as she poked at her grilled pigeon breast. Sadie’s mouth watered as the scent of her beef rib ragu with whipped ricotta reached up and tweaked her nose.

  As they enjoyed their first course and sipped glasses of fine wine, the ladies planned their first day at the Garden show. They decided to view some retail booths showcasing water features, pergolas, and gazebos after the Koi Pond class and
Zachary’s scholarship presentation. “In the afternoon,” Sadie announced, “we’ll be attending the class, Deer-Resistant Landscapes. I think we will all benefit from that lecture!”

  Their entrees arrived a little after 8:00 pm. The ladies decided they’d order different things and share. Hoping not to be noticed, each woman took a few bites from their entrée then waited for Sadie to quietly whisper, “It comes! It comes!” As inconspicuously as possible, they subtly handed off their dish to the person sitting on their right. By the end of the evening, the women had sampled the delicious Pork Belly, Mushroom and Wild Rice stroganoff, and the Crispy Chicken Thigh with gnocchi.

  “THAT was fun,” chuckled Lilly. “I’ve never played that old timey game before. Too bad we had to move so fast. I would have liked asking, “What do you come by?”

  Putting her napkin aside, Dora added, “I guess it would have been P for Pork Belly, S for Stroganoff, and C for the Crispy Chicken Thigh.” Sadie smiled, remembering the game she played with her cousins during summer visits with Grandma and Grandpa Sunshine. “Yes, but our answers would have been way too easy since we already knew the entrée headed our way.”

  When their waiter arrived with the dessert menu, they waved it aside.

  “We already know what we want,” grinned Dora. Together, the women softly spoke their words in unison. “Crème Brulee, if you please!”

  Shortly after ordering, their dessert arrived. A few minutes later, the animated couple from the bar got up and left the restaurant, arm-in- arm. From her table, Sadie observed their romantic embrace outside the entrance. To her surprise, a man with short red hair jumped out of a parked car and handed Ashley a large envelope. He then shook his fist in her direction and returned to his car. After driving off, she opened the envelope and inspected the contents. It appeared to be money. She gave Joey the envelope and he slipped it inside his coat pocket. Then, kissing his blonde companion on the cheek, he walked down the sidewalk and out of sight. Ashley got into a blue SUV parked directly in front of Le Pigeon and drove off in the opposite direction.

  “That was interesting,” remarked Dora, who had also witnessed the embrace through the front window. “I think that envelope had money in it!”

  “Yes,” agreed Sadie “and I think the man with ginger hair was mad about something. Did you see how he shook his fist at the couple?”

  Dora nodded while Lilly sputtered, “Did I miss something? What did you guys see?”

  Dora told Lilly about the melodrama that had just played out in front of the restaurant. Groaning, Lilly remarked, “Gee, I can’t believe I missed the free dinner theatre.”

  Refocusing their attention back on dessert, they playfully cracked through the sugary top of the Crème Brulee. Savoring every last bite of their fine meal, the ladies tipped the waiter and said a fond farewell to Le Pigeon. Within 10 minutes they were back inside their hotel room getting ready for bed. Since their Koi Pond class started at eight in the morning, they reluctantly passed on a late night swim.

  Sadie put in a quick call to Mark and was assured her dogs were doing great. “Bosco is still giving me the stink eye. He wouldn’t get up on the couch, but he did come into the living room and laid by the fire. Willow has dubbed me her new best friend. I only had to throw the Frisbee 15 minutes to win her over. That dog sure has a lot of energy!” Sadie agreed and then thanked him for hanging out with her fur-kids. “I’m sure Bosco will warm up to you, just give him some time.” She promised to call at an earlier time the following day, secretly hoping they would have more time to chat and connect.

  By the time Sadie ended her conversation with Mark, Dora and Lilly were already in bed. She quickly changed into her pajamas and brushed her teeth. Within minutes, she was also stretched out on the plush pillow-top mattress. Turning on her side, she soon drifted off to sleep, never expecting a brand new mystery would greet her in the morning.

  CHAPTER THREE: The Ginger Haired Man

  Sadie’s last name did not reflect her mood or personality first thing in the morning. She was slow to wake up and grumpy until she had downed at least one cup of coffee. Thankfully, their hotel room was equipped with a portable coffee maker and she was able to sip a cup of Joe before hopping in the shower. Dora and Lilly both knew better than to strike up a conversation with the sleepy Poppy as she crawled out of bed. Instead, they quietly went about showering and dressing for the day. When Sadie finally finished her second cup of coffee, she rose from the comfortable loveseat in the sitting area.

  Lilly and Dora both smiled at her but Dora was the first to test the waters. “So, do we have Sunshine on a cloudy day?”

  Sadie was not amused and glared.

  Hmmm, not a good sign, thought Lilly.

  “What time is it?” queried Sadie, stretching out her arms.

  “Time for a shower,” replied Dora

  “Oh, Come on! What time is it, Dora?” There was a whine her voice.

  “Seven o’clock,” cooed Lilly. “You need to hurry up if we’re going to make the eight o’clock class on Koi Ponds and Water Gardens.”

  Sadie gave Lilly a nod but punched Dora on the arm as she made her way into the bathroom.

  “Geesh, that lady is a prickly pear in the morning,” complained Dora as she rubbed her arm. “Tell me one more time why we put up with her, Lilly.” Dora poured herself a cup of coffee while Lilly touched up her makeup.

  “Only two more mornings with our beloved grump, Dora. We can do it! Remember, she’s paying for our entire trip.”

  Throwing her head back in a gesture of aggravation, “I suppose, but she should really think about changing her last name. It gives everyone a false impression.” Dora liked living across the street from Sadie but knew they’d become mortal enemies if they were ever forced to become long-term roommates.

  While in the shower, Sadie reminisced about the evening before. The French food had been delightful, but the real life drama they witnessed was equally delectable. In fact, she was hungry for more. There were so many questions floating inside her head. She wanted to know the identity of the redhead and why he had passed an envelope filled with money to the blonde bombshell. I wonder if he’s in the garden business or associated with Joey’s nursery. Maybe he has a retail booth at the Convention Center. Or, he could be a Master Gardener and a Professor at OSU. It would be incredible if he were offering a class at the Garden Show. I need to keep my eyes open for Mr. Ginger!

  A loud knock on the bathroom door brought Sadie back to earth. “Girlfriend,” Dora’s voice was firm, “I need to be at that Koi Pond class. It starts in 30 minutes. Are you finished with your shower?”

  Sadie knew she was stretching her friend’s patience to the breaking point. “Yes, yes I am. I’ll be ready in 15 minutes, Dora. I Promise!” Thanks to short hair and the need for very little makeup, Sadie was dressed in a timely manner showcasing a cute maxi skirt, cotton t-shirt, and fitted jeans jacket.

  Emerging from the bathroom, she tried to smooth things over with a little humor. Smiling at Lilly and Dora she asked, “Did you ladies know cotton is now my new best friend?”

  Dora feigned heartache. “Yep, she serves me well, even in cold weather. Best of all, she hates Dot Flash as much as I do!”

  Lilly giggled. Sadie was referring to her constant battle with hot flashes, due to peri menopause.

  “How does your friend cotton feel about lighthouses?” Dora was teasing Sadie, who frequently complained about her lighthouse impression when a hot flash hit.

  Smirking, Sadie replied, “My friend cotton enjoys the coast but isn’t a fan of bright lights or comedy clubs. I’ll have to keep my lighthouse impression on the back burner for this trip.”

  “Is that possible?” Lilly questioned.

  “I don’t want to think about it.” Picking up her purse, Sadie walked out the door, down the hall, and to the elevator. Her friends followed close behind. When the elevator arrived, the ladies filed in.

  Once the doors were closed, Lilly remarked, “
I wonder if Zachary had to stay up all night working on the water garden exhibit. He would certainly need to change before the ceremony. I don’t think showing up in a swimsuit would sit well with the Oregon Nursery Foundation or the scholarship committee.”

  “I’m sure he made it back to his room, eventually,” Dora replied.

  “He’ll be stoked today, even if he didn’t get much sleep,” added Sadie.

  The hotel transit drove the ladies directly to the Convention Center. A large attractive banner above the entrance welcomed them to the Portland Yard, Garden & Patio Show. Even in the early morning hour, hundreds of gardening enthusiasts were already inside the Convention Center.

  A membership sign-up booth, representing the Oregon Association of Nurseries, was at the top of the steps next to a six-foot map listing all the exhibits, retail booths, and bookstores. Dora went directly to the map searching for the location of the Koi and Water Garden class. However, Sadie had stopped dead in her tracks, doing a double take when she noticed the person behind the OAN membership booth. A man with short red hair, in his late twenties, had caught her eye. She was positive it was the man they had seen outside Le Pigeon the previous night. “This is luck!” she thought as she grabbed Lilly’s arm and led her over to the membership booth. Lilly was confused because Sadie was already a member.

  “Are you trying to sign me up?”

  “No! Look at the man behind the booth. I think he’s the guy Dora and I saw last night outside Le Pigeon.”

  “The guy who handed the young blonde an envelope full of money?”

  “Yes, well, I’m pretty sure but I need a closer look,” squeaked Sadie.

  They got in line and waited while the man in front of them asked the redhead questions regarding membership perks.

  By this time Dora had identified the location of the Koi exhibit. “We have to go to the lower level.” Turning around, she found a middle-aged woman with a surprised expression on her face. “We do, how come?” Blushing, Dora apologized, “I’m sorry! I thought my friends were right behind me, but it appears they’ve pulled a magic trick and vanished.”