Preston's Honor(54)

Surprised, I looked up to see Alicia Bardua standing a few feet from me. There was a hostess standing behind her where she had been about to seat Alicia and another blonde at a booth across from us. The hostess handed the menus to Alicia’s friend and smiled politely before walking away.

“Alicia,” I said, the surprise I felt obvious in my tone. I’d managed to hide the displeasure. “I didn’t know you were back in town.”

“Oh, just temporarily. I’m here for my sister’s wedding.” She walked closer to our table and gave a snooty smile to Tracie, holding out one hand with long, hot pink nails. “Hi, I’m Alicia.”

Tracie smiled politely and shook hands. “Tracie.”

Alicia put her hand on my shoulder. “I heard about Cole. I was absolutely devastated. I had to leave work early I was so distraught. I work for Vera Wang in New York City now if you didn’t hear,” she added.

I wasn’t sure which part she meant for me to address but preferred not to discuss Cole with her. “I’d heard you’re doing really well, Alicia. My mom runs into your dad pretty often at different social events.”

Alicia swept her pale blonde hair over her shoulder and preened for a moment. “Daddy’s real proud of me.” Daddy had spoiled her rotten, but I didn’t care enough about Alicia to be anything but cordial to her, and so I simply nodded, giving her what I hoped looked like a sincere smile.

She’d expressed her forgiveness for me breaking our prom date at our high school graduation. Of course, I knew it really had more to do with the fact that she’d gotten another date immediately with the captain of the football team—whom she considered a step up from me and was still dating at graduation—than with any true soul-searching about her disgusting behavior.

“I also heard you have a kid with that girl who used to hang off you and Cole.” She went on, giving me a smile full of fake sympathy. “Then I heard she ran off and I thought, well, doesn’t surprise me. But I’m glad to see you haven’t let it bring you down.” She glanced at Tracie and gave her a bigger smile.

I felt a small jolt of anger. Lia had never hung off Cole and me. If anything, she’d made a concerted effort to avoid us in public. It had pissed me off actually. “Thanks for stopping by,” I said tersely, hoping she understood the dismissal.

She looked slightly off-put but nodded and smiled back. “Have a nice dinner. I sure do hope I see you around while I’m here.”

A water glass was set down in front of me and Alicia moved to the side slightly. She looked at Lia and her eyes shot open so wide she looked like a shocked owl. For a second I almost wanted to laugh. “You have got to be kidding me,” she said. “You work here?”

Lia’s eyes widened as well when she saw Alicia, but she gathered herself quickly and nodded. “Hi, Alicia.” I remembered that long-ago day Alicia had been so cruel to Lia at school and felt the weight of sadness fall over me. Of course, Alicia had been even uglier to Lia with her words after Lia had run to the nurse’s office, but I’d never told Lia that. She had enough hurt to contend with as it was.

Alicia looked over her shoulder to where her friend sat waiting for her and smiled tightly. “I’d better go. See you later.” She nodded to Tracie and me and then turned and sashayed the short distance to her table.

“Are you ready to order?” Lia asked. I heard the tremble in her voice. Lord knew how many times I’d caused that tremble. I once again wished I could draw her close and provide comfort.

“I am,” Tracie said. “Are you?”

I hadn’t even taken in any of the words on the menu but at this point I just wanted to eat and get the hell out of there. “Yeah.”

Tracie ordered and I pointed to something on the menu, hoping it was an entrée of some sort. Lia’s hand paused where it had been writing on the small pad of paper she held. “You want an order of tripitas?”

“Uh . . . sure. What is it?”

“It’s pig intestines. It’s considered a delicacy, but . . . I’ve never known you to be a very adventurous eater.”

Pig intestines. My stomach roiled at the thought. “Just bring me whatever you think I’d like.” I closed the menu and handed it to her. She took them and walked away.

Tracie and I talked stiltedly for a little while. I didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable. I didn’t think either of us were under the impression the date—if it could be called that—hadn’t been shot to hell. I just hoped we could make the best of it, get out of here and . . . what? Did I even want to try again somewhere else? Another time? I was too mixed up to even think right then. I should have stuck with the tripitas. If anyone deserved to eat pig innards, it was me.

I started to say something to Tracie but was distracted by Alicia’s loud, snooty voice coming from behind me. When I glanced back, she was talking to a busboy and asking for a manager. Not thirty seconds later an attractive older woman with her black hair in a twist at the back of her head and wiping her hands on an apron, came out of the back and approached Alicia’s table.

“I’d like to request a different food server than the one I have.”

“Was there a problem, ma’am?” The woman’s voice was soft yet firm. The people at the tables around us seemed to quiet slightly as if they, too, were listening to the exchange.