Chapter Twenty-One
“Hey, Marcus,” Eva called as she walked into the office, “When are you guys leaving?”
“Shortly,” Marcus replied as he struggled to unplug his laptop. “Tom’s packing the car now and I need to get out of here. Will you be okay?”
“Yeah, we’ll be fine. It’s slow. The Whites are gone for another week. The Reardons have taken off for a month so I just have Sam and Mrs. Elkins, and I’ll manage the office. Ruth and I can handle the wedding this weekend. There are only thirty guests. We might have to decline any major last minute catering jobs, unless you want me to call you two to come back.”
“No cell phone service up there,” said Marcus. “We’ll be camping on the river. I’ll try to get into Guerneville a couple times to check in with you. Is lover-boy still out of town?” came Marcus’ voice from beneath his desk.
“Yes… yes he is,” said Eva, her cheeks turning pink. “You just asked me that this morning. Here, let me get that for you.” Eva crawled under the desk and untangled the cord. She handed it to Marcus.
“You miss him?”
“What do you think?”
“I think you’ve got it bad, Miss Eva. Very bad.”
“Yeah, well, it’s only been a week and I’ll see him when I go back to Iowa. He’s bringing his brother to the farm for a few days.”
“Oh, so your family can put him to the test?”
Eva laughed. “Something like that. They’ll probably make him run the gauntlet. I’m hoping they don’t beat him with farm implements.”
Marcus stuffed his laptop into its carrying case. He rose from the desk and slung it over his shoulder. “I doubt they’ll be that hard on him,” he said. “Besides, Gabriel Abbott strikes me as the type of man who might enjoy running the gauntlet. Perhaps even naked.”
“Marcus!” Eva shrieked.
“Hey, I may have my favorite cake, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy looking at the different flavors of ice cream.” Marcus grabbed his car keys and tossed the office cell phone in Eva’s direction. “Be good.” He headed for the door. “Oh, here’s the portable credit card unit, but Tom locked the business check book in the safe and he has the key, so do you think you can you cover if anything comes up? We’ll reimburse your expenses of course.
“No problem,” Eva called after him. “Have fun.”
* * * *
Friday afternoon, as Eva put the finishing touches on the two-tier wedding cake, her cell phone rang. She glanced at the number, wondering if it was either Tom or Marcus. Neither. The area code was 415.
“Hello?”
A man’s voice asked, “Is this All Things to All People?”
“No, this is a personal cell phone number, but I work for All Things to All People.”
“Is this Miss Eva Raines?”
“This is Eva.”
“Just the person I wanted to speak with. I hear you’re a fabulous caterer.”
“Oh,” said Eva, “that’s very nice of you. But if I may ask, how did you get this number?
“A friend of mine, Gabriel Abbott. Listen, I’m having a little get-together at my home in Yountville on Sunday night. I know it’s last minute, but I hear you’re a genius when it comes to putting something on at the last minute.”
“Thank you again for the compliment,” said Eva. “May I ask with whom I’m speaking?”
“This is Jerry Harding. I’m with the firm of Harding and Harding in San Francisco. I have some out of town guests and I’d like to bring them up to the Napa Valley for the day. I thought we might finish off with a small buffet, you know, appetizers, cheeses, desserts, that kind of thing.”
Something about the man’s enthusiasm seemed a little off. Eva couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she didn’t want to turn down a job if it could mean more exposure for ATAP.
“I don’t usually take work related calls on my personal cell,” Eva stated. “How did Mr. Abbott happen to give you this number?” She asked, keeping her tone matter of fact.
“Oh, Gabe and I go way back. We’ve worked on projects together for years. He’s spoken so highly of you. He said you’re always up for a last minute event, especially if the money’s good.”
That didn’t sound like Gabe at all.
“Mr. Harding…”
“Oh, please call me Jerry.”
“Jerry, I’m acting manager until next Wednesday. I’ll be happy to take some information from you and see what we can do, but I will need you to use our office number from now on.”
“No problem, Miss Raines. May I call you Eva?”
“Sure,” she replied, trying to keep the uncertainty out of her voice. Why would Gabe give my personal cell phone number to anyone? “I’ll need a few more details from you before I can decide whether or not to accept this job.”
Eva reached across the counter and grabbed a pen and a sheet of paper. The man, Jerry, answered all her questions without hesitation. Within five minutes, Eva knew the date, time, place, number of guests and the amount of money the man was willing to spend. It was an exorbitant amount for eight people. But then, he did insist upon one very specific caviar to go with a very specific wine. Eva would have to interrupt her prep for the wedding in order to make a trip into the city on Saturday morning to purchase the caviar and she’d personally have to contact the small, boutique winery to get the wine. They didn’t sell to retailers.
The man apologetically offered her double their usual fees and he made a deposit of half the amount via his wife’s credit card. His wife spoke with Eva directly and gave her the okay. The deposit would more than cover her costs. Eva ran the number through Tom’s portable credit card unit and the amount cleared. She informed Jerry that she would charge the remainder to the card after she’d set up his buffet. She also requested a fax number so she could fax him the ATAP contract to sign. He said he didn’t know the fax number by heart so he’d have to call her back as soon as he got it.
“Oh,” the man added before he hung up, “I won’t be there until around six-thirty, so I’ll arrange to have the housekeeper let you in. She’s there twenty-four-seven. Her name is Louise. She’ll clean up. That way, you won’t have to make another trip, so feel free to buy any serving items you might need and just leave them.”
“Would it be possible for me to drop by tomorrow? It’s better for me to get a look at the dining room and the kitchen, just to get an idea of what you have on hand, to see how I’d like to arrange the space, that kind of thing.”
“Oh…sorry, no, that won’t be possible. Some of my guests will be staying at the house and I’ve promised them complete privacy. I’d prefer that they not be disturbed. I’m sure you understand. But you don’t have to be concerned. My kitchen is fully stocked and as I said, if there’s anything out of the ordinary you need, buy it. Add it to the final bill.”
“I’m not entirely comfortable with that, Mr. Harding. I’d really like to get a look at the space.”
“Eva, please call me Jerry. You know, Eva, I have a lot of confidence in you. If you can satisfy a man like Gabriel Abbott, I’m sure you won’t have any problem satisfying me.”
Eva bristled at the implication. She told herself to calm down. Don’t read too much into what he says. He obviously has a flair for the dramatic and he’s a bit socially inept. Chill, Eva. But he doesn’t seem like the type of person Gabe would speak to about me… ATAP, maybe, but not about me. I just can’t see him giving a man I’ve never met my number.
“All right,” Eva agreed. “Please call me back with the fax number.”
She’d have to drive over to the office to use the fax machine. At least she wouldn’t have to meet the guy. She’d be long gone before he and his guests appeared. Eva clicked on her lap top computer while she waited for his call. She googled Harding and Harding. Sure enough, they had a law office off
Market Street
. She tried to look up a phone number for Jerry Harding in Yountville, but she couldn’t find anything. Well, it wasn’t unusual for people to be unlisted and if this was a second home, the guy probably just used his cell. The office cell rang this time. It was Jerry Harding. Eva relaxed a little. He gave her a fax number. Eva told him she’d fax the contract to him within the hour. He assured her he’d watch for it and fax it back to the ATAP office.
Eva finished up with the wedding cake and slid it carefully into the oversized refrigerator at the church. She drove to the office, her stomach churning, hoping she’d done the right thing in accepting this job. It was a lot of money and exposure was exposure, but something about the situation made the hair on the back of her neck prickle. She was tempted to call Gabe and ask him if he actually knew Jerry Harding, and if he did, why on earth he’d given such her cell phone number to such an odd man, but she knew Gabe was tied up with interviews and his brother. It was even possible he was on his way to another city right now. She hadn’t spoken to him today. He’d called yesterday morning and awakened her. Eva smiled. He said he just wanted to hear her morning voice. Thinking of Gabe made her feel better. He would never give her number to someone who was dangerous in any way. Maybe he’d meant to give the guy the ATAP number and inadvertently given him her cell. Whatever. It would be fine.
* * * *
“I need to get a fax number from Kinkos,” said Paul. “She wants to fax me the contract and I can’t use our fax.”
“No, you can’t use Kinkos either,” replied Stephanie. “It will say Kinkos when you fax it back. Here’s my father’s personal fax number,” she handed him a sheet of paper. “Use that. I’ll give him a call and go pick up the contract at his office. I’ll sign Jerry Harding and fax it back to her.”
“You know, I feel like a louse, Miss Lindstrom. Don’t ask me to do this again. I told you before, I don’t want to be involved your scheme.”
“Oh, c’mon Paul, have a sense of humor. It’s a joke. I’m not going to hurt her. I’m just going to inconvenience her, make her doubt her boyfriend a little bit. That’s all. Make her show her true colors.”
“And those are?”
“I don’t know,” shrugged Stephanie. “What color are gold diggers? That’s the point. Women like Eva Raines don’t come with a caution flag. Guys fall for these women and by the time they know what they’ve gotten themselves into, it’s too late. I should know. I handled enough nasty divorces before I went corporate.”
Paul picked up the disposable cell phone Stephanie had given him to use and dialed the number for ATAP. “Quiet,” he said, “I’m calling her back. And Miss Lindstrom, this is it. This is as far as we go.”
“I’m thinking partner by the end of the year,” Stephanie said, sounding like a fisherman baiting a hook with a new lure.
Paul hesitated. Finally, he replied, “No, this is it.” He pointed the phone at her. “After this call, you’re on your own.” He pressed the call button.
Stephanie glared at him. “Be careful, Paul. I might say the same to you.”
Stephanie stepped to the other side of the room and listened to Paul give Eva the fax number while she used her own cell to call her mother.
“Hi, mom. How are you? …Oh, that’s good. Listen, mom…you know that credit card you loaned me? Yes, the new one… Well, so sorry, I lost it… Yes… While I was shopping… No… No… I’ll call the bank and cancel it… No, don’t worry… It’s not any trouble… I’m so sorry I lost it when you were so sweet to think of letting me pick out a birthday gift… Yeah, don’t worry… I’ll see you this weekend… Bye, mom.”
* * * *
Eva rushed into San Francisco early Saturday morning. She was back in Napa by ten. She tossed the caviar in her refrigerator, wondering if she should put a padlock on the stainless steel door, since the stuff was almost as expensive as gold. She left to pick up Ruth so they could finish the prep and set up for the wedding. Eva was in charge of the food, Ruth the bar. The bride and groom had chosen a simple, elegant tasting menu. Eva enjoyed making the small plates for the intimate affair. Nonetheless, it would probably be a late night. She and Ruth would have to stay until everyone had gone home in order to clean up the church kitchen and pack everything away. The bride’s mother had hired a janitorial service to clean the reception area, so at least she and Ruth wouldn’t have to be on garbage duty.
Eva had already spoken with the winery and they’d set aside six bottles of the wines Jerry Harding had requested. Eva would run up the Silverado Trail in the morning to retrieve them. She’d pay for it out of her own pocket, as she had the caviar, knowing she’d be reimbursed when Tom and Marcus returned. The rest of the set up would take three, four hours, max. The job should be quick and easy. Not a whole lot of work when you considered the money Harding was putting out. Eva figured the man wanted to make a big impression on his guests. She hadn’t heard from Gabe. She’d kept her cell phone shut off during the wedding and the reception, but she’d left him a message before the ceremony began. She simply told him she loved him and missed him. She didn’t want to bother him with the Jerry Harding business. She’d bring it up when he got home, or maybe if something like this happened again. It had to be a mistake. Gabe would never have deliberately given out her private number. At least Harding had signed the contract and faxed it back almost immediately. She’d left it sitting on Tom’s desk.
Eva checked her watch. Ten p.m. in California. Midnight in Chicago, and she had another three hours to go, at least, before the wedding guests departed. She was about to switch on her cell and discreetly check for messages when she saw the maid of honor motion to her. The bride and groom were probably getting ready to cut the cake. Eva stuck the phone into her back pocket and followed the young woman into the kitchen to discuss logistics.