Surfside Sisters(65)
“You got it.”
As they settled at their table and studied the menus, Keely knew she’d made the right choice. Several of the other diners were either women Eloise’s age or nurses. By the time Keely had ordered prosecco for herself and her mother, some people had waved at Eloise, and Priscilla Hart was headed toward their table.
“Eloise! I haven’t seen you in such a long time! Is it true you’ve retired?”
Eloise blinked several times, as if a spotlight were suddenly shining in her eyes. “Yes,” she said softly. “I have.”
“I’m so glad! You have to join our bridge club! We meet every Monday evening, and we take turns hosting it, and we always take a break in the middle of the evening for dessert and coffee. You’d love it.”
Sadly, Eloise admitted, “I don’t know how to play bridge.”
Priscilla waved Eloise’s objection away. “Don’t worry about that! You’ll pick it up in no time. Learn the basics on your computer. Come on Monday and observe. We’ll be at Nancy Grossman’s.”
“Well,” Eloise began.
Keely kicked her under the table.
“I’d like that,” Eloise finished.
“Good! Six o’clock.”
After Priscilla returned to her table, Eloise took a long sip of her prosecco.
“Good for you, Mom!” Keely said quietly. “You’ve always liked Priscilla. And Nancy Grossman.”
Eloise took another sip of her drink. “I was Priscilla’s nurse when she gave birth to Peter.” She smiled. “Priscilla cursed like a sailor. And when Peter was finally in her arms, she said to Harold, ‘Meet your only child.’?”
Keely laughed with her mother. “Gosh, Mom, I never thought about it this way, but there must be scads of people on this island you helped give birth.”
“Not only that. Years ago, I wasn’t just a labor-delivery room nurse. I did a bit of everything.” She looked around the room. “I’ve probably seen the hind ends of half the people here.” She giggled, her cheeks flushing.
Keely’s spirits lifted. It was working. Her mother was out of the house and had plans to be with friends. “What was the craziest thing you ever saw when you were at the hospital?”
Eloise thought. “Once, long ago, I was taking the pulse of a woman who’d had a hysterectomy. A movement caught my eye. I looked down, and a snake was sliding out from under the bed. It probably came in with a pot of flowers from someone’s garden.”
“Eeek,” Keely said. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t blink an eye. I recorded the woman’s pulse—it was one of the Stanley sisters—and slowly left the room. Then I ran to the nurses’ station and told them to get a custodian up to the room right away.” Eloise laughed. “But Jessie, she grew up on a farm here, you know, back when people actually had real farms. She went in, bent down, scooped it up, and put it in a pillowcase. ‘For heaven’s sake,’ she said, ‘it’s only a harmless garter snake.’ She took it outside and let it loose. We don’t have any poisonous snakes on the island, so I wasn’t really terrified, but I was glad when that thing was gone.”
Keely laughed. The waiter came for their orders, and when he went off, Keely asked for another hospital memory. The food was delicious and her mother was brightening, at last almost her old self. They’d have to go out to dinner more often, Keely decided.
Sebastian walked into the restaurant, accompanied by a tall, curvy blond wearing Manolo Blahniks and a fabulous black dress.
“Oh, look, dear, there’s Sebastian,” Eloise said, starting to wave.
Keely caught her mother’s hand, brought it to the table, and held it there. “Don’t wave, Mom. He’s on a date. He doesn’t want to say hello to us.”
“Why wouldn’t he? We’re friends…”
“Mom, stop staring. Look at me. Look at me now.”
Eloise frowned. “I thought Sebastian and you…”
“It’s fine, Mom. We’re just friends. Enjoy your dinner. Isn’t it delicious?”
Keely smiled, but her food had turned to chalk in her mouth.
* * *
—
The moment she got home that night, Keely called Gray.
“Hey,” he said.
“Is this too late?”
Gray laughed. “Keely, it’s only nine-thirty.”
“Oops. Well, that tells you everything about my life with my mother. I just took her out to dinner at the Seagrille. Reservation time: six o’clock.”
“It’s good though, that you’re getting her out to dinner.”
“Yes. Yes, I think I am cheering her up.” She fell back on her bed, stretching out as she told him about the excitement of sorting through her mother’s treasures. “Tell me, how is your visit with your parents?”
Gray laughed. “Mother’s cooking more food than I could eat in a month. Prime rib, twice-baked potatoes, carrots in brown sugar, apple pie with ice cream…I’m sure I’ll split all my trousers when I get back to New York.”
Keely laughed. “You could use a few pounds.”
“Really? Would you like to elaborate?”