Blue with Black Dots (The Caprice Trilogy Book 2) (8 page)

              “What happened last night?” asked Yvette.

              “Yvette, come on,” said Georgia.

              “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” said Yvette, “That doesn’t extend to Hertford, North Carolina.”

              “Yeah,” said Tanis, “It’s not gagged.  What went down?”

              “Diane,” said Georgia, “You don’t have to answer that.”

              “But if she doesn’t, she’s no fun,” said Tanis, “Besides, we’re four chicks sitting in a diner booth.  If we’re not talking about guys we’ll look suspicious.”  Georgia grabbed a card menu from the middle of the table and handed one to Yvette, in an attempt to change the subject.

              “Well,” said Diane, “If I don’t say anything, you’ll never know.”

              “Exactly,” said Tanis with her head on the table, “Tell us about Bama Boy.”

              “I will say,” said Diane, “I will say he’s a Southern Gentleman who’s good with his hands.”

              “Ok,” said Tanis, “And what’s more?”  Diane smiled and took a sip of coffee.

              “Use your imagination,” said Diane, “It’s your best weapon when you’re out there.”

              “Yeah but we’re not out there yet,” said Tanis.  Diane laughed.  Her laugh was always welcome.

              “I’m going with a waffle and a milkshake,” said Georgia, changing the subject.  Tanis brought her head up from her arms.

              “You know something, Gigi,” said Tanis.

              “What?” said Georgia.

              “Just now with my head down I noticed your accent,” said Tanis, “It’s not really Waspy south and you’re from Virginia.”

              “What do I sound like?” asked Georgia.

              “You sound like Irene Dunne,” said Tanis.

              “Irene Dunne,” said Georgia, “That’s a first.”

              “I never thought about that before,” said Diane.

              “That I sound like Irene Dunne?” said Georgia.

              “Some where around there,” said Diane, “Like a cross between Irene Dunne and Rosalind Russell.  Very classic Hollywood.  Very nice.”

              “Yvette?” said Georgia.

              “What?” said Yvette, “You want me to weigh in?”  Georgia nodded.

              “Now that I think about it,” said Yvette, “You do kinda have that transatlantic accent.  It’s nice.  You don’t hear it that much, at least not in North Carolina.  Probably not in Virginia either.”

              “A transatlantic accent in Virginia,” said Georgia, “That would take you quite a while.”

              “Well,” said Yvette, “You can’t be the only person with British parents to grow up there.”

              “Statistically impossible,” said Diane.

              “If we start talking like that we’re going to give ourselves away,” said Georgia.

              “Like what?” asked Diane.

              “About statistical probabilities,” said Georgia.

              “I agree,” said Tanis, “We’ve had enough of that to last a lifetime.”

              “We hope not,” said Yvette, “That would be a pretty short life time.”

              “Well,” said Tanis, “Our life expectancies decrease somewhat after today.”

              “Tan,” said Georgia, “I love you, but shut it.”  The table went silent.  None had heard Georgia be so direct.  It was the side unseen.  There had been something in all their files that made them desirable for
Project Full House
.  For Georgia, it had always been assumed that her centerfold-size, maple syrup eyes and wavy brunette hair complemented her academic record.  But there must have been something else.  Diane, Tanis and Yvette now knew there was something else.  There was a side to her that was quick-witted, not in the joking sense but in the judging sense.  She was fun to be around but didn’t do nonsense. 

              The silence was broken by the waitress’ arrival.  She had two black coffees and two waters for Georgia and Yvette.  The sugar and powdered cream were in the middle of the table.  Yvette helped herself.  Georgia drank hers black.

              “Can I get a stack of waffles with butter?” asked Georgia, “And a vanilla milkshake.”

              “Of course,” said the waitress.

              “What about you?” asked Georgia.

              “I’m gonna go for a ham and cheese omelet,” said Yvette, “And I’ll double up that milkshake if you don’t mind.”

              “Don’t mind at all,” said the waitress, “Anything for anybody else?”  All heads shook.

              “Young good-looking men who do everything together,” said Diane, “Questions will be asked.”  Georgia turned her head to see Bryan leading the pack.  The waitress took her leave 

              “Well,” said Bryan, “We weren’t blaring David Bowie on the ride over so everything should seem on the level.”

              “Maybe you just turned it off when you got in towards the diner,” said Tanis.

              “Maybe,” said Bryan.

              “Maybe we should have been blaring it all along,” said Alan, “Clandestine, know what I mean?”

              “His cover’s that he’s gay,” said Tanis, “That’s so boss!”

              “That might be the Honest-to-God,” said Yvette.

              “It might be,” said Bryan, “But then I slide next to Gigi and throw my arm around her like so.”  Bryan did exactly what he said.  Georgia kissed him on his left cheek.  It got a reaction.  Alan sat next to Bryan.  Hagan was looking for a place to sit.

              “Is it alright if I sit next to the Mrs.?” said Hagan to Patrick.

              “Sit where ever you like,” said Patrick.

              “You’re retarded,” said Diane to Hagan.

              “I’m glad you recognize that,” said Hagan, “You can feed me then.”

              “Give him a knuckle-sandwich,” said Tanis, “Full of protein.”

              “I’m a vegetarian,” said Hagan, “Starting today.”

              “Good for you,” said Diane.  Hagan sat down.  Patrick sat down next to him. 

              “What is everybody having?” asked Patrick.

              “Omelet here,” said Tanis, “Bacon, eggs, hash browns here.  Waffle there.  Ham and cheese omelet there.”

              “How did you catch all that?” asked Patrick.

              “She’s been trained,” said Yvette, “And she’s had her head down the whole time, just listening.”

              “That’s gotta be what it’s like to be blind,” said Alan, “You see the world by listening.  When the plates come, you know what everyone is chowing down on.”

              “Let that be a reminder,” said Hagan, “Keep your ears open.”

              “Aren’t they always, Genius?” said Tanis.

              “Welcome back Tanis,” said Hagan, “You were quite blitzed last night but I see you’re back with us.”

              “What order did we go in last night with the booze?” asked Bryan.

              “Vodka, whiskey him,
SoCo
him, tequila me, we scattered some
Olympia
here and there, then we broke out the wine coolers.  Then we finished part of Gigi’s gin,” said Diane.

              “Yeah,” said Hagan, “But some of you guys bowed out a bit early.  Gigi you bought the most expensive bottle and barely drank anything.”

              “It’s what’s called a send-away,” said Georgia, “It’s my dime but you do the crime.”

              “Cheers,” said Hagan.

              “Not at all,” said Georgia with a bolted-on British accent.

              “There’s that transatlantic,” said Tanis.

              “What transatlantic?” asked Bryan.

              “You guys missed it,” said Yvette, “Before you guys got here, we all decided Gigi doesn’t sound like the rest of us.”

              “How not?” said Hagan.

              “She’s got that transatlantic accent à la Cary Grant and all the Hollywood legends,” said Diane.

              “If it gets me in the same sentence with Cary Grant I’ll wear it like a badge,” said Georgia, “I’d do a lot to be next to that man.”

              “Girl’s got taste,” said Patrick.

              “You mean to tell me you’d do anything to be next to Cary Grant too?” said Diane.

              “Yeah,” said Patrick, “Well, I was listening to David Bowie on the way over here.  Cary Grant would be a step up.”

              “Wait,” said Bryan, “I thought I was the one listening to Bowie.”

              “We were all listening to Bowie,” said Patrick.

              “Except me,” said Hagan, “I was listening to the
Wheels on the Bus
song cuz I’m retarded.” 

              The waitress came back with food.  She took the orders of the boys but the girls didn’t wait for them.  They sat for almost two hours by the time everyone was finished eating and drinking.  They split the bill eight ways to keep it simple.  Training told them to keep things simple.  What wasn’t simple was leaving.  They had been trained for that also.  After tab and tip, a high-density silence changed the air at the table.  It was thick and harder to breathe.  It made everyone’s lungs feel heavy.  But someone had to break the seal.  They couldn’t all go together.  They had to leave one-by-one, staggered at eleven minute intervals.  Patrick, being on the end, stood up.  Alan, being on the other end, stood up as well.  Alan was closest to the door so he started to walk.  Patrick stood at the table and let Hagan stand up.  As Diane stood, her eyes met Patrick’s.  He smiled, so did she.  Bryan stood and headed out behind Alan.  With Bryan gone, Georgia slid to the end of the seat and stood up.  She scanned every face at the table without saying a word.  Turning around, she walked toward the door.  Patrick started walking as well, with Hagan behind him.  Diane stayed and stood at the table.  Yvette pushed Tanis toward the right side of the booth.  Yvette exited on the left side.  Diane helped Tanis to her feet.

              “You good Tan?” asked Diane.  Tanis didn’t say anything.  She held her head low and nodded as if still feeling the hangover.  She wasn’t.

              “Let’s go girls,” said Yvette.  Yvette walked toward the door.  Diane let Tanis go before her.  Diane brought up the rear.  Outside they were all assembled.  Alan was hugging Hagan and Patrick in a Gridiron huddle.  He moved toward Georgia.

              “Take care hot stuff,” said Alan.

              “I will,” said Georgia.  As the other girls came out of the diner Alan made sure to give each a long bear hug.  The four boys and four girls formed an intuitive circle in the middle of the parking lot near the door of the diner.  The circle gave each a good view of all the others.  It was a defining moment for all.  There was a small amount of bravery, no more than a crumb.  It took guts for them to all admit that forty-one weeks and three days had taken them from strangers to bonded siblings.  No one really knew what to say, even though they knew exactly what to do.  Director Witt could imagine they would likely be somewhere sharing a last meal before they left for their individual briefings.  So, he gave them specific instructions how to do it.  They had to leave in alphabetical order by last name, leaving eleven minutes apart.  Some of them would be driving in the same direction.  The staggered time was meant to insure they would not see each other on the road.  From the parking lot forward, they were on their own.  Yvette, whose last name was Blanco, was first.