Lie, Lie Again(101)
So no, she’d manifested nothing.
She was simply very good at discovering people’s motivations. If you knew what they held dear, they became quite predictable. In this case, Sarah was motivated to pin down Sal, so she’d agree to any meeting place he suggested. And Sal, of course, needed to be close to his daughter so he wouldn’t be late picking her up.
Wearing a friendly smile, she greeted the barista—this time, a youngish guy with a scruffy beard and eager green eyes. “Hi. What looks good to you tonight?”
She let a hand drift to her chin and ran her fingers down to her neck as she focused on the menu with a furrowed brow. “Hmm. It’s so hard to decide.” She looked away from the menu and focused on his eyes. “I’m in the mood for something hot. Do you have any recommendations?”
He cleared his throat and ran a hand across his mouth. Unlike the brooding girl with the bleeding-heart tattoo, his skin was tattoo-free. The only adornment was a thick silver band on his thumb and another on his middle finger. The sign of someone who was trying too hard. It was fine—she had no use for him other than to make sure he was looking at her with interest in case Sal looked up and spotted her. Jealousy was a consistently reliable ally. “The caramel latte is good if you like your drink sweet.”
“Umm. I love sweet. I’ll have it to go, please.”
She stood to the side, where a few people were congregated waiting for their drinks, and turned her head, her eyes fixed on Sal. As though feeling the pull of her gaze, he turned. Feigning a surprised look, she smiled and walked toward him.
“Hi there! Fancy meeting you here.”
“Hi!” He stood to greet her with a friendly peck on the cheek before resuming his seat. “What a nice surprise.”
With a broad smile, she said, “Nice to see you too. I usually only stop in early, but a big night awaits me, and I need the caffeine.”
Before he could ask what she was up to, she turned toward Sarah. “Why, hello! I had no idea you two were friends.”
“Hi. Um, we sort of just met. You know each other?”
Sylvia met Sal’s eyes with a smile before turning back to Sarah. “We do.”
Sal cleared his throat. “I guess introductions aren’t needed, then.” He looked to Sylvia. “What are your big plans for the night?”
She waved a hand and sighed. “There’s a Diana Krall concert tonight. It’s sure to be amazing. I’m just feeling a bit tired after my power yoga class.” Flicking her gaze to Sarah, she said, “I left work early because I wasn’t feeling well. I’m afraid it turns out it was just stress. The yoga did wonders.” That should cover her bases. And it was a good thing she had heard an ad for the concert on the radio this morning. She hadn’t lied, had she? She’d only confirmed that there was indeed a concert. She never once said she was attending.
“Diana Krall,” he said, his eyes brightening. “Are you a fan?”
Sarah interrupted before she could respond, her squeaky voice as annoying as an animated chipmunk. “Who’s Diana Krall?” she asked, leaning so far forward, a strand of her hair just missed her foamy latte.
“A jazz singer,” they said at the same time. Their eyes met again, and they shared a quiet laugh.
“She’s great,” Sal said.
“The best.” So Sal liked jazz too. Interesting.
“What do you think of Dave Koz?”
“One of my favorites.” Sylvia smiled. It was lovely how Sarah was blocked out of the conversation.
“Mine too. I might have a connection for tickets to his concert. It’s at the Bowl in June. You interested?”
“I love the Bowl, and I love Dave Koz. Count me in.” She wondered if they would still be in touch in June. It probably wouldn’t take her that long to get pregnant. And whether she decided to let him know and stick around? Well, that was something she’d feel out later.
“I’ll keep you posted.”
She glanced at the counter and saw her cup sitting there. “Looks like my drink is waiting for me. So great to see you. Sarah, a pleasure as always.”
Sarah looked like a kicked dog wearing a frilly collar. It was sad but funny at the same time.
Sal’s entire body was pointed away from Sarah and toward Sylvia. She could hardly blame him. Her company was so much more dynamic than the lacy lump sitting across from him. She strode away, smoothing a hand down the back of her sleek yoga pants.
With any luck, he would be so distracted that in his mind, he’d follow Sylvia home and press her up against the door as he kissed her with wild abandon.
She collected her coffee and left the shop without a backward glance. Time was of the essence. There was a lot left to do tonight.
Fifteen minutes later, she was home. She bustled to the kitchen and shouldered her reusable shopping bag, which was packed with all the essentials, before picking up the fishbowl. Grabbing the key to Nadine’s apartment from her catchall drawer, she headed for the door, moving carefully so water didn’t slosh from the bowl. She paused to scan the carport. Empty. Here we go, she thought. She crossed the driveway and climbed the stairs. The air in Nadine’s place was stale. Jonathan had been by a few times, but other than that, it had been untouched for four months. A fading flicker of sunshine lazed on the floral-patterned sofa. If this had been anyone else’s apartment, Sylvia would’ve cringed at the ruffles and rosy tones. The place looked like an old English tea shop, complete with hobnail milk-glass table lamps and vintage crystal candy bowls, but admittedly, it was quintessential Nadine. She scanned the room, looking for the perfect spot for Fishy, as she had taken to calling him. Someone who paid less attention to detail might’ve elected to simply bring fish food over. But questions could arise. Everything had to be in place. A small glass-topped side table sat between the sofa and matching upholstered rocker. She shifted the lamp to one side and used a tissue to wipe away the dust before placing the bowl next to it. Perfect.