Midas Touch (20 page)

“I don’t think so. I’m new to San Antonio,” Sandra explained.

Nelda started to speak, but Cory calling them from the dining room stopped her.

Sandra liked Cory’s house. It was a hodgepodge of furniture carefully selected to blend without screaming perfection. Cory would have made a great interior designer. The house had the same comfortable feel as Laura’s home. Cory and Laura could be friends. The thought pleased Sandra.

“Sit wherever you want,” Cory instructed them from the side board where she was fussing with the wine.

Sandra moved toward her. “Can I help?” she asked. Cory seemed nervous. “What’s wrong?” Sandra asked, reaching for Cory’s hand.

“Nothing. Go ahead and take your seat.”

Sandra did as instructed. Dinner was comprised of baked fish, a creamy pasta dish, and broccoli. It smelled delicious. They began to eat. An awkward silence seemed to fall over the table. She

remembered that Nelda had told her to ask JJ about jewelry.

“I understand you have an interest in jewelry” Sandra said to JJ.”JJ is a jewelry designer,” Cory said.

“Do you specialize in anything in particular?” Sandra asked.

“I’ll make any kind of jewelry, but I prefer designing rings.”

“JJ has sold her jewelry all over the United States,” Nelda informed Sandra proudly. Again, Sandra felt the love pass between the two women.

And Nelda spreads her fame,” Cory said, reaching across the table and squeezing Nelda’s hand. Sandra glanced away quickly, confused by her pangs of jealousy.

“I’ll have to look for your work the next time I’m out,” Sandra said, turning her attention to JJ.

“Actually, you’re already acquainted with it,” Nelda replied.

Sandra shook her head. “Sorry, I don’t believe so, but I’m not much for jewelry.”

“What Nelda’s rather rudely
trying to tell you is I designed the ring you’re wearing,” JJ said, throwing Nelda a sharp glance of disapproval.

Sandra gaped at the ring on her finger. “I purchased this several years ago in New York.”

She saw the looks the other three exchanged, and remembered how much she had paid for the ring. It would take her about two and a half years to pay for it on her current dishwasher’s salary.

Cory began to nervously push the fish around on her plate.

“Sandra was telling me she loves to ride horses,” JJ
said, breaking the awkward silence. “Cory, since Sandra is off Monday and Tuesday, and you’re the boss and can take off whenever you like, why don’t the two of you come down next Monday and spend the night with us? We can go riding and maybe work in a little night fishing. The rest will do you good.”

Cory started to speak, but JJ cut her off by directing her attention to Sandra. “Do you like to fish, Sandra?”

“I’ve never tried it,” she admitted.

“Never been fishing! Lord, woman, there’s probably a

Communist plot lurking there somewhere,” Nelda exclaimed.

“So it’s settled,” JJ said, slapping the table.

Sandra smiled, liking these women. The rest of the meal passed in small talk about the unpredictability of the Texas weather.

Afterwards, Sandra and JJ cleaned up the kitchen while Cory and Nelda broke out the Scrabble game and opened another bottle of wine. The evening slipped away much too quickly for Sandra. She put off leaving as long as she politely could.

Hours later back in her motel room, Sandra sank into her bed with an odd sense of contentment.
Maybe I should move
down here,
she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

Sandra found herself caught between conflicting desires. She longed for the week to be over so that she and Cory could head for Rockport. At the same time, every minute slipping by was one less in which she might be able to get even a glimpse of Cory.

Since the night of the dinner, Cory seemed to be deliberately avoiding her.

As Sandra’s early shift was ending on Friday, Wilma the heavy-set cook came in shaking her head.

“What’s wrong with you?” Maria asked as she stirred a large pot of soup.

“Anna told me Cory got a call from her realtor. Seems some land investors are looking at her dream house. They want the property to build a subdivision.”

“That means they’ll tear the old house down,” Sandra moaned. She felt a deep sense of loss for the stately old home.

“Cory must be devastated.”

“Yeah,” Wilma said with a sigh. “Either way the boss has lost it. She’s sick with disappointment.” She shook her head wistfully.

“Sure wish I had the money. I’d buy it for her myself. I ain’t never seen anybody want something so bad.”

Sandra hung up her apron. “I’ll see you two later.” She left the diner through the back door and went to her bike. The loss of the house would devastate Cory. Sandra sat on her bike, gently revving the motor. It was wrong for Cory to lose her dream home. One of the things that Sandra admired most about Cory was her tenacity. Being a business owner herself, she knew how hard Cory worked. She knew the stress and heartache that went hand-in-hand with owning your own business. That house was meant for Cory.

Sandra considered her options. She could offer to loan the money to Cory, but she’d never take it. Or she could buy the property and sell it to her at a price Cory could afford, but somehow she didn’t think Cory would see the act as anything but charity. Or she could buy the house herself. Sandra smiled and went back into the diner for a phone book.

Twenty minutes later, she was in her room calling Allison.

She gave her the realtor’s name and number.

“I don’t care what you have to pay,” she instructed. “Pull every string necessary. If things aren’t moving fast enough, call in a few favors, but close the deal today before those investors get wind of it. Buy it through Lone Star Construction. I don’t want it to be common knowledge that I’m the buyer.”

“This must be some place,” Allison said. “You aren’t planning on moving to San Antonio, are you?”

“No. Its an investment.”

Sandra could barely contain her excitement. The evening shift seemed to drag out forever. Cory’s loss affected everyone at the diner. The tension exploded when Ginny dropped a steak dinner.

The sound of shattering porcelain startled Sandra.

“Damn,” Ginny shrieked. “Maria, the plate was too hot.

Don’t sit them so close to the stove.”

“Stop being so clumsy,” Maria snapped back. “I’ve got enough to do without having to re-do the order because you can’t hold onto the plate.”

“It was too hot,” Ginny complained.

“Should I buy you some gloves to protect those soft little hands of yours?”

Before Ginny could counter, Cory stormed through the kitchen door.

“What’s going on in here?” she said in a harsh whisper. “I can hear you two all the way to the front door.” Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed two orders from the warming tray.

“Ginny, get these orders out there now.”

“Those are Anna’s,” Ginny protested.

“I don’t give a rat’s ass if they belong to the King of Siam, get them out there now!”

Shocked by Cory’s outburst, Ginny, Maria, and Sandra all stared. Their shocked silence seemed to penetrate Cory’s anger.

She took a deep breath and sat the plates down. “I’m sorry.

I’m tired. I’ll take the plates out myself, Ginny. You have enough to do with your own stations.”

Ginny ran forward and gave Cory a quick hug before Cory could pick the plates up again.

“Go to your office and lie down for a while,” Ginny prompted.

“You know Maria and I are all bluff. We can handle things. Right guys?” She turned to Maria and Sandra for confirmation.

“Sure we can. Ginny and I were only blowing off steam. You know she thinks I’m the world’s greatest cook,” Maria teased, winking at Ginny.

“Just like Maria knows I’m the world’s greatest waitress,”

Ginny teased back.

“Yeah,” Sandra called, joining in the banter. “And everyone knows I’m the world’s greatest dishwasher.”

At that, the other three women turned to her as one and burst out laughing.

“I think we all need to get back to work,” Cory said, shaking her head. Without waiting for a response she took Anna’s orders

0

and headed back into the dining room.

Ginny gave Maria a quick wink. “I need another T-bone, rare with a dry potato.”

Maria tossed the steak on the grill. “I need a pitcher of margaritas and a foot massage.”

Anna swung through the door calling out, “I need a number seven and three specials.”

The crisis blew over. Sandra went back to her piles of dirty dishes, but not before she sent up a small prayer that Allison would not run into any major roadblocks. In all her years in business, she had never wanted a deal to close so badly as she did this one.

By the time Sandra arrived at work for the dinner shift the following evening, the deal had closed. The deed had been air expressed down to her and was now in her motel room. The house and property had cost more than market value, but to Sandra, it was well worth every penny.

The staff was moving about, quietly preparing for the dinner rush. “Did someone die?” Sandra asked Anna, meaning it as a joke. She had tried to avoid Anna after that first night, but tonight she felt too good.

Anna did not bother looking up from the napkins she was folding. “May as well have. Someone bought Cory’s house today.”

“That’s too bad,” Sandra said, struggling to keep the excitement out of her voice. “How’s Cory?”

“How do you think she feels?” Anna growled. She slammed a silverware setting inside a napkin and wrapped it furiously.

“Damn, it’s not fair. I hate those bastards!”

Sandra flinched at her bitterness and started toward the office. “She doesn’t want to see anyone,” Anna snapped.

“I need to talk to her.”

“I said, she doesn’t want to see anyone, and that includes you.”Sandra knew Anna’s inability to help Cory was causing her aggression, but she wanted to talk to Cory. “I’ll only be a

minute.”

“Get in the kitchen and do the dishes you were hired to do,” Anna ordered. “You aren’t going in there. She’s been hurt enough already.” Anna rose from the table. Ginny and Louise joined them.

“I wasn’t asking you for your permission,” Sandra shot back.

Anna’s attitude was taking the fun out of her accomplishment.

Anna started toward Sandra, but Louise stepped between them. “Stop it. Both of you. We’ll have customers any minute, and Cory doesn’t need this.” She pointed to the napkins Anna had been folding. “Please, take those to your station and cool off.”Anna reluctantly stepped away and grabbed up the tray she had been working on. Ginny went to help her.

Louise turned to Sandra. “Don’t let Anna bother you. She’s just so frustrated about not being able to help Cory. Hell, we all are. Cory has done so much for all of us.” She took a deep breath and shook her head. “If you really need to talk to her go ahead, but if you make matters worse by going in there and talking about the house, I’ll personally kick your butt.”

Sandra stared at her, shocked. She had considered Louise to be a rather mousy, spineless thing.
Was I ever wrong,
she admitted to herself.

The door opened and a family of five walked in. “Everyone to work,” Louise said with her normal cheery smile in place. Sandra abandoned her trip to see Cory and headed for the kitchen. Her thoughts of seeing Cory were soon lost in the dinner hour rush.

Cory came by an hour or so later and spoke with Wilma and Maria. Sandra saw her hesitate before coming over to her.

“Louise said you needed to talk to me. I’m going home now. Is there something you need before I go?”

I need to tell you I love you and want to hold you and make all of
your pain
disappear,
Sandra wanted to say, but could only shake her head. “It can wait.”

Cory stepped closer. “Sandra, about this weekend.”

“Go with me on my bike.”

Cory stared at her, horrified. “Not on your life,” she said.

“It’ll be fun.”

“I’m not going,” Cory confessed, turning her head to avoid meeting Sandra’s gaze.

“Why?”

Cory shrugged. “I wouldn’t be very good company.”

“Is it because of the house?”

A look a pain crossed Cory’s face. “Partly.”

“Am I the other reason?” Sandra managed to ask around the knot building up in her throat.

Cory stared at the floor.

“Would it make any difference if I weren’t leaving after next week?”

Cory looked up.

Was that a look of hope that flashed in her eyes?
Sandra wondered.

“Is that an option?” Cory asked.

Sandra gave the thought a moment of consideration. What would need to be done to move her office to San Antonio? Maybe she should expand, leave the main office in Dallas and let Allison run it. Allison had more than proven herself capable.

“I thought not,” Cory said and sighed, taking Sandra’s hesitation wrong. She started to turn away.

“Come with me this weekend,” Sandra pleaded.

“It’ll only make it harder,” Cory hissed, looking up to find Wilma and Maria watching them. “Look, let’s talk about this tomorrow. The whole place has enough to gossip about already,”

Cory said.

“They’re concerned about you because they care. They would do anything for you. Can I come by tonight after work?”

“No. That’s not a good idea.”

“If the lights are on, I’m stopping, and I’d like to stay,” Sandra persisted. She swallowed, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

She could not believe she was pushing so hard.

Cory’s eyes blazed, but not before Sandra saw the glint of desire in them. “You can drive by all you want, but the lights