date?” She glanced around the lobby.
“Joaquin’s going to be late, and he’s not my date.”
“So who’s this Joaquin guy again?” George asked, looking mighty handsome in khaki pants, a pin-striped shirt, and a navy blazer.
“Oh, he’s an old friend of ours,” Janice quickly explained. “That’s why I booked this hotel. I found out he’s the manager. We haven’t seen him in ages. He and Suzie used to go out.”
“Is that so?”
“Oh, it was nothing. That was such a long time ago.” I wanted us to get our table, sit down, and start looking at menus. Anything to get my mind off of Joaquin and what we needed to discuss.
Janice eyed me carefully, “What’s wrong with you, Suze? Still green in the gills from kayaking?” She grinned. “Or maybe you need a stiff drink.”
“I’m fine. Just a little tired is all. Remember? You got me up before the crack of dawn.”
“It was seven o’clock!” She gave George a look that said, can you believe this girl ?
“I’ll have one margarita before dinner. But that’s it.” I remembered all too well the effect of several margaritas on our first day in Acapulco.
“Yeah, and then you’ll have a few shots of tequila, and maybe a Mai Tai,” Janice laughed, leading our little threesome to the podium where a tuxedoed maitre d’ waited for us.
Some of my uneasiness disappeared around goofy, but lovable, Janice. She had a way of making me feel better in any situation. As we waited for our table, the knot of worry in my stomach loosened a little bit. Maybe a margarita or two would take the edge off my nerves.
It sure couldn’t hurt.
*
“When did you say he would get here?” Janice slurred, sipping on her third mixed drink of the night. Empty glasses with teeny umbrellas littered our table. An empty plate that had once held some very tasty appetizers lay bare in the middle of the table.
Where did our waiter go? The clutter bothered me.
“Eight. He said he could be here by eight.” I looked at my watch. Eight-thirty. Where was he?
George held up his margarita glass, “To Joaquin, who will be here by eight.”
Janice raised her glass a little too quickly, and some of her drink sloshed over the rim. She didn’t seem to notice. “To Joaquin!”
“Did I hear someone calling me?” Joaquin smiled, teeth perfectly aligned, hair tousled yet stylish. He could still take my breath away.
“Have a seat, sweetheart,” Janice crowed. She waved her hand at me. “Make room, Suze. He doesn’t bite.”
We were seated at a large booth, so I slid toward Janice making sure there would be plenty of space between me and Joaquin.
“Thank you.” Joaquin unbuttoned his suit jacket. “It seems you haven’t ordered yet?” He raised his eyebrows at the un-cleared table. He snapped his fingers and instantly a waiter appeared at his side.
“ Si, señor ?”
In Spanish Joaquin made clear his disapproval of the state of our table. Two busboys appeared out of thin air, whisking away the drink glasses and the empty appetizer plate. Then, he gestured to the waiter to come closer. He whispered in his ear.
“Dinner will be here shortly,” he announced with satisfaction, clearly wanting us to be impressed with his authority.
Janice ate it up. Maybe not the admirer he was looking for, but an admirer nonetheless.
“Wow. Hard to believe the last time we saw you, you were a college kid like the rest of us.”
Joaquin flashed a smile at her.
I thought George wanted to punch him. Joaquin caused this reaction around other men. He was handsome, flirted with almost any woman, and managed to get his way most of the time. A less secure man than George might have backed down.
George slung his arm possessively around Janice’s bare shoulders. She drunkenly leaned into him. “Oh, George! What are people going to think?”
Janice seemed more affected by the alcohol now than she had been ten minutes earlier. I wasn’t sure she could make it to the door, much less wait
“Joaquin’s going to be late, and he’s not my date.”
“So who’s this Joaquin guy again?” George asked, looking mighty handsome in khaki pants, a pin-striped shirt, and a navy blazer.
“Oh, he’s an old friend of ours,” Janice quickly explained. “That’s why I booked this hotel. I found out he’s the manager. We haven’t seen him in ages. He and Suzie used to go out.”
“Is that so?”
“Oh, it was nothing. That was such a long time ago.” I wanted us to get our table, sit down, and start looking at menus. Anything to get my mind off of Joaquin and what we needed to discuss.
Janice eyed me carefully, “What’s wrong with you, Suze? Still green in the gills from kayaking?” She grinned. “Or maybe you need a stiff drink.”
“I’m fine. Just a little tired is all. Remember? You got me up before the crack of dawn.”
“It was seven o’clock!” She gave George a look that said, can you believe this girl ?
“I’ll have one margarita before dinner. But that’s it.” I remembered all too well the effect of several margaritas on our first day in Acapulco.
“Yeah, and then you’ll have a few shots of tequila, and maybe a Mai Tai,” Janice laughed, leading our little threesome to the podium where a tuxedoed maitre d’ waited for us.
Some of my uneasiness disappeared around goofy, but lovable, Janice. She had a way of making me feel better in any situation. As we waited for our table, the knot of worry in my stomach loosened a little bit. Maybe a margarita or two would take the edge off my nerves.
It sure couldn’t hurt.
*
“When did you say he would get here?” Janice slurred, sipping on her third mixed drink of the night. Empty glasses with teeny umbrellas littered our table. An empty plate that had once held some very tasty appetizers lay bare in the middle of the table.
Where did our waiter go? The clutter bothered me.
“Eight. He said he could be here by eight.” I looked at my watch. Eight-thirty. Where was he?
George held up his margarita glass, “To Joaquin, who will be here by eight.”
Janice raised her glass a little too quickly, and some of her drink sloshed over the rim. She didn’t seem to notice. “To Joaquin!”
“Did I hear someone calling me?” Joaquin smiled, teeth perfectly aligned, hair tousled yet stylish. He could still take my breath away.
“Have a seat, sweetheart,” Janice crowed. She waved her hand at me. “Make room, Suze. He doesn’t bite.”
We were seated at a large booth, so I slid toward Janice making sure there would be plenty of space between me and Joaquin.
“Thank you.” Joaquin unbuttoned his suit jacket. “It seems you haven’t ordered yet?” He raised his eyebrows at the un-cleared table. He snapped his fingers and instantly a waiter appeared at his side.
“ Si, señor ?”
In Spanish Joaquin made clear his disapproval of the state of our table. Two busboys appeared out of thin air, whisking away the drink glasses and the empty appetizer plate. Then, he gestured to the waiter to come closer. He whispered in his ear.
“Dinner will be here shortly,” he announced with satisfaction, clearly wanting us to be impressed with his authority.
Janice ate it up. Maybe not the admirer he was looking for, but an admirer nonetheless.
“Wow. Hard to believe the last time we saw you, you were a college kid like the rest of us.”
Joaquin flashed a smile at her.
I thought George wanted to punch him. Joaquin caused this reaction around other men. He was handsome, flirted with almost any woman, and managed to get his way most of the time. A less secure man than George might have backed down.
George slung his arm possessively around Janice’s bare shoulders. She drunkenly leaned into him. “Oh, George! What are people going to think?”
Janice seemed more affected by the alcohol now than she had been ten minutes earlier. I wasn’t sure she could make it to the door, much less wait
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