The goodbye cafe, p.14
The Goodbye Café, page 14
It was so cute that Nik wanted to catch her father’s dinner, Allie thought, certainly not something that your average L.A. teen girl would do. Then again, Nikki wasn’t an average girl. All the Hudsons knew that. Allie hoped that if in fact the kids were lucky and caught a trout or two, Clint would express the proper amount of appreciation for the effort.
Sometimes he could be a jerk. Allie hoped today wouldn’t be one of them.
Nikki blew into the house at 2:25, sweaty and smelling like fish.
“Smells as if you caught one,” Allie remarked when Nikki ran past her.
“We did. We caught the limit! Out at the lake. Our lake.” Nikki paused at the sink to pour a glass of water from the spigot and down it. “Compton Lake. We dropped them off at the café. Chef George was so excited. He said they were the most beautiful trout he’d seen all season. He’s going to serve Compton Lake trout tonight. I’m so excited.”
“You couldn’t possibly have caught that many,” Allie said.
“There’s a limit on how much you can catch. It’s five. Mark caught five and Seth caught five. And they’re big! I couldn’t believe it. And pretty! I almost felt sorry that we’re going to eat them.” She grabbed her bag from the chair onto which she’d dropped it and was gone in a flash.
Allie could hear Nikki’s footsteps running up the stairs, fading as she went into her room.
“Was that Hurricane Nicole?” Barney asked as she came down the back stairwell into the kitchen.
Barney was, Allie noticed, dressed to intimidate, in a black linen sheath, and large South Sea pearls around her neck and on her ears. On the middle finger of her right hand she wore a ring with a huge blue stone solitaire.
“Barney, what’s that ring?” Allie grabbed Barney’s hand.
“Oh, this old thing?” Barney teased. “My mother’s engagement ring.”
“Is that a real—”
“Ceylon sapphire, yes. Indeed it is.” Barney held it up to the light. “Flawless. It was in a brooch my grandmother wore, and when Dad decided he was going to ask Mother to be his bride, he wanted a family piece. He knew Mother didn’t particularly care for colorless stones, so he took the brooch to a jeweler, had the stone taken out, and had the ring made. She never took it off her finger, and often said she was going to be buried with it, but when push came to shove, I couldn’t let this baby go six feet under, never to see the light of day again.”
“So you took it right off her hand?” Allie lifted an eyebrow.
“Don’t be silly. Of course not.” Barney dismissed her comment. “The mortician did.”
Allie rolled her eyes.
Barney changed the subject. “How did our little fisherman do today? Did she actually catch anything?”
“She said they did, not necessarily that she did. She did say both Seth and Mark caught the limit, whatever that is.”
“I believe it’s still five fish.” Barney went on to explain the fish and game laws in Pennsylvania. Allie’s head was beginning to swim by the time Barney finished. She thought perhaps Barney might be a teensy bit nervous about Clint coming to see Nikki. Perhaps she was afraid Clint would spirit Nik away, or talk her into going back to California with him.
Allie knew neither of those things would happen.
“Anyway,” Allie said when Barney had completed her monologue, “Nikki said they were big trout. I didn’t see them. Before Seth brought Nik home, they dropped the fish off at the café. Nikki said George was really happy.”
“My goodness, if you give a cook ten big Pocono trout—”
“Nikki called them Compton Lake trout.”
“Oh, that’s where they went? My dad used to take Fritz and me out there to fish. Of course, that’s been many years. I’m not surprised the fish were large. We’ve never opened the lake up for public fishing, so I imagine those trout have had plenty of time to grow big and fat. Of course, I let the boys—Joe and Ben and Seth—use the lake whenever they want, to swim or canoe or fish, whatever. And I suppose the bears have caught and eaten quite a few trout over the years.” Barney began to take lemons out of the refrigerator, then stopped. “Does your ex prefer lemonade or iced tea? I thought I’d have something cool to offer him when he gets here.”
“He’d be happy with either, I’m sure, Barney. And that’s very thoughtful of you.”
“I’ll do lemonade, then, because it’s Nik’s favorite. I’m thinking we should make it for the café on these hot nights.”
Barney got out her old-fashioned glass juicer and a knife and lined up the lemons on the table.
“Want me to do that?” Allie offered.
“No, that’s okay. I like to keep busy.” Barney proceeded to halve and juice the lemons. “Besides, you’re dressed for work and I’d hate to see that nice crisp white shirt spotted with lemon juice.”
“I’m not sure what Nikki’s agenda is for this afternoon, but I thought if Clint’s late getting here and we chat for a few minutes, I wouldn’t have time to change into my Goodbye uniform.” Allie looked down at the shirt she’d ironed before putting it on. She wasn’t accustomed to pressing her own clothes. For years she’d sent everything to the dry cleaners. Her first day or two as hostess, she hadn’t bothered with the iron, but she’d decided yesterday that the slightly rumpled look she’d been sporting was not only unprofessional but so not her. However ambivalent she might feel about her hostessing duties didn’t extend to her appearance.
“Mom, a car just pulled into the driveway!” Nikki called from the second floor just before she flew down the steps. “I think it might be Dad.”
Barney and Allie went into the front hall, where Nikki was looking in the mirror.
“How do I look?” She’d changed into a cute white sundress with red cherries on it, and white leather sandals that tied around her ankles. Her hair, still damp from the shower, hung straight down her back, much like her mother’s, a waterfall of a perfect shade of blond. Barney once had called it Hudson blond, since it matched not only Allie’s hair but Barney’s as well.
“Like you’ve been fishing all morning,” Allie said.
“Mom! That’s so mean!” Nikki laughed despite her protest. “Aren’t you going to wear shoes?”
“Oh damn. Be right back.” Allie ran up the steps just as the doorbell rang.
She heard voices in the hall as she pulled on her black sandals and made her way back down the steps. She wasn’t nervous about seeing her ex again—she was long past the point where she felt much of anything for him other than as Nikki’s father—but she was slightly on edge for Nikki’s sake, hoping that everything went the way she wanted. She needed time with her dad, and Allie prayed Clint didn’t blow the conversation about his relationship with Courtney’s mother.
Allie was halfway down the stairs when she realized she heard more than one new voice in the mix. She reached the first floor in time to hear Clint say, “Wow, this is quite a place you’ve got here, Miss Hudson.”
“It’s really gorgeous. There are no homes quite this grand in our town,” a woman was saying.
Allie paused before continuing down and stopping on the bottom step, behind Cara, who half turned and whispered, “Did you know . . . ?”
“Uh-uh,” Allie whispered back.
She peered over Cara to see a very pretty, petite, pleasant-looking woman, her short blond hair perfectly coiffed. She wore a light blue linen shirt over a matching tank and white ankle pants. Allie couldn’t see her feet, but she’d bet she was wearing designer sandals. The woman had the demeanor of someone who was well-bred and wealthy. Of course. She was with Clint, and he had no time for anyone who wasn’t.
“Clint,” Allie said. “You’re looking well.”
“Hello, Allie.” He stared at her for what seemed like a very long time. “You’re looking—very well. I guess the mountain air agrees with you. Have you met Marlo Davenport?”
“I think so, at a school function last year. Marlo, it’s good to see you. Did you have a pleasant trip?”
“We did, thank you. And Clint’s right,” Marlo said. “You do look wonderful.”
“And . . . Courtney.” Allie plastered a meaningful smile on her face. She knew it was fake and could tell by the way Courtney was staring that she knew it was fake, too.
“Hi, Miz Monroe.” Courtney’s voice barely rose to a whisper.
“Clint,” Allie said pleasantly albeit pointedly. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing Marlo and Courtney.”
“I thought it would be a nice surprise for Nikki.” His voice was just a shade or two more cheery than it needed to be.
“A nice surprise?” Barney went full-blown, no-filter diva. “Is this the same child that spread those horrid lies about Nikki?”
Barney peered at Courtney through her glasses, which she’d allowed to slip to the edge of her nose. Courtney seemed to shrink slightly under Barney’s scrutiny.
“Well, about that . . .” Marlo’s face flushed beet red. She poked her daughter in the back and said, “Courtney, I believe you have something you wanted to say to Nikki.”
Courtney took a deep breath, and it was apparent to every adult in the hall that the forthcoming apology would be rehearsed and insincere. She stepped forward, her linen shorts and matching shirt wrinkled from the flight and the drive from the airport. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she wore her attitude as if it were a name tag: right out front and bold so as not to be missed.
“Nikki, I’m sorry I said those things about you. I texted everyone and told them it wasn’t true.” Her eyes were welling with tears but her voice was flat. “That I made it up.”
It wasn’t a good performance. Even her mother didn’t appear to be buying it.
“Why would you do something like that? I thought you were my best friend, Courtney.” Nikki was doing her best to not cry, but to Allie it was clear she was struggling. Even so, her voice was strong and her back was straight.
“I was your best friend.” Courtney’s eyes flashed and she appeared to forget about the adults in the hall. “Then you came here and all you talked about were your new friends and Mark and how cute he was and how smart and how funny. I got tired of hearing about him and all the stupid, dorky things you guys do. And those stories you tell were getting on my nerves, like you were living in your aunt’s house, which was this beautiful old mansion—” Courtney stopped, apparently remembering where she was. “Okay, so that part’s true, I guess. But that goofy story about a priceless emerald necklace that was given to your great-great-grandmother or something by a Spanish prince and was missing, and how you were looking for it because your aunt said whoever found it could keep it?” Courtney rolled her eyes. “Like I’d believe that.”
“Is this the necklace you mean?” Barney’s smile was solid ice as she stepped aside and pointed to the portrait of Althea Brookes Hudson wearing the emeralds.
Courtney’s eyes widened. “It’s real?”
Barney sniffed indignantly. “Obviously.”
Courtney turned to Nikki. “And that fancy theater . . . ?”
“. . . is right in the center of town. You know it’s real. I sent you pictures. My mom and her sisters are still working on it. There was a big storm earlier in the summer before I got here and a part of the ceiling got damaged. My mom is painting it. We can walk over and I’ll show you.”
“Good idea, Nik. I was hoping to have some time to talk to you, alone, while I’m here.” Clint had been watching the interchange between Courtney and Nikki. Allie hoped he was smart enough to second-guess his decision to bring Marlo and her daughter.
“Could I offer you something to drink?” Diva Barney could also be an incredibly gracious hostess.
“No, thank you, Miss Hudson. I think I’d like to go on over to the theater. Nikki seems eager to show it off,” he replied. “And as I said, I’ve been wanting to speak with her alone for a few minutes.”
Allie gave him points for being polite. He wasn’t always.
“We can go into the projection room,” Nikki said. “We’ll have privacy there. Courtney and Mrs. Davenport can look around while we’re upstairs. The theater is beautiful and there’s a lot to see.”
“And then I thought the four of us”—Clint motioned to Marlo, Nikki, and Courtney—“would drive back to Scranton and have dinner. I went online yesterday and found a suitable restaurant and made reservations. We have rooms at the best hotel in town, and I thought we’d stay over and tour the city tomorrow.” He smiled as if proud of himself for thinking ahead.
Nikki’s face went white. “No! No, Dad, we can’t. We have to have dinner at the Goodbye!”
“The what?” Clint asked.
“The Green Brier Café. Everyone calls it the Goodbye. I told you about how Aunt Barney’s friend had this great little café but she was selling it and moving across the country and how Aunt Barney’s buying it. I’m going to work there as soon as I get my working papers. You have to have them if you’re not seventeen yet.”
“Nik, we already have reservations at Le Petit Chat. It’s five stars, it’s French, and the menu looks phenomenal. You’re going to love it.” Clint moved to grab the door handle, as if the discussion was over, because of course Nikki would rather eat at the restaurant he’d selected.
“No. We have to go to the Goodbye.” Nikki looked at Allie, pleading. “Mom . . .”
“Clint, it was nice of you to include Nikki in your dinner and evening plans, and I know she appreciates it, but she has a very special surprise for you at the café here in town.”
Clint glanced at Nikki. “A surprise? You do?”
Nikki, close to tears, nodded.
“What kind of surprise?” Clint asked.
Allie could have smacked him.
“Clint . . .” Allie knew he’d recognize the tone of her voice and realize it was time to take a step back. “If she told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise.”
“I’m sorry, Nik. I should have checked with you first. I thought maybe you’d want to go someplace different. But of course we’d love to go to your café, wouldn’t we, Marlo? Courtney?”
Courtney was silent, but Marlo smiled graciously. “I think it’s a great idea. I can’t wait to see your café and the surprise you have in store for your dad.”
“Well, I’ll catch up with you all there later,” Allie said as she stepped down from the bottom stair.
“Of course, you’re welcome to join us,” Clint said somewhat magnanimously. “You, too, Miss Hudson. Des. Cara.”
“I’ll be there,” Allie told him, “but I’m working.”
“You’re what?” He raised an eyebrow.
“I handle the hostess duties from around four until we close or someone remembers to come and take her turn.” She side-eyed Barney. “It’s actually been fun. Sort of.”
“I should warn you I’m having a goodbye party for the friend from whom I’m buying the restaurant,” Barney said. “So I expect it to be quite busy.”
“Cara and I are helping Barney,” Des told him. “But thanks anyway.”
“Well, in that case . . .” Clint gestured to the door. “Shall we go? Nik? You ready?”
Nikki nodded. “Mom, I’ll see you at the Goodbye.”
“See you all later.” Allie watched the four of them leave, then closed the door behind them.
“Well, that was . . . interesting.” Barney turned to Allie. “You did tell me he was a bit of an ass. However, he did seem to defer to Nikki, so that’s a point in his favor.”
“And Marlo actually seemed quite nice,” Des said. “I admit to being surprised, since her daughter is such a brat.”
“That happens sometimes when the parents are divorced,” Allie replied. “Nik said Courtney’s father gives her whatever she wants and lets her do whatever she feels like doing. I expect he’ll give her a very expensive car when she turns sixteen this fall. He’s a surfer dude—trust fund baby—who lives in a house on the beach in Malibu with his girlfriend du jour, who is something like twenty-two.”
“Courtney’s older than Nikki?” Barney asked. “I was under the impression they were in the same grade.”
Allie nodded. “They are. She was held back at one point when she changed schools. I’m not sure why.”
“Marlo impressed me as thoughtful and smart, and she’s definitely attractive,” Cara said. “Funny how a guy like Clint always seems to attract smart, beautiful women.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment to me as well as to Marlo.”
“What did you think of Courtney’s apology?” Des asked.
“I thought Courtney should have practiced looking sincere while she was memorizing her lines,” Allie said.
“Yeah. Even her mother didn’t appear convinced,” Cara said. “I thought Marlo looked embarrassed.”
“I find it hard to believe Nikki ever wanted to be friends with that little brat.” Barney, as usual, pulled no punches. “Her apology was as phony as her friendship.”
Allie searched her bag for her phone before she swung it over her shoulder. “Even though I personally never warmed to her, Nikki really liked her and they always seemed to have fun together. She was the first person Nik met when she moved from my house to Clint’s so she could go to Woods Hall. Courtney introduced her to the other kids, and they did everything together. But you heard her in the hallway. Maybe she’s feeling left out since Nik left for the summer and met new kids and made new friends. And another thing: Nik told me that Courtney prays every night that her father and mother would reconcile, so seeing her mother with Clint might be upsetting her. And maybe she sees Nik abandoning her the way her dad did.”
“Wow, Al. That was deep,” Des said.
