“All right, here we are.” He got out when the carriage came to a stop and held his hand out to her. She took it and stepped down. She looked back up at the sign above her head. It also said, “best food in Flagstaff” under the name.
If it wasn’t the best food, it certainly had an atmosphere that made up for it. The inside was lit up with gas lamps. The tables in the middle of the room were round and had soft cushioned chairs to sit in. They looked to be made of deep mahogany wood. The sides of the restaurant were lined with shiny wooden tables with chairs for four people on either side. They were also cushioned.
There was a bar at the end of the room, with a bartender behind it. He looked up when they came in and lifted one hand. “Hello, George!” He called out.
The two of them walked to the bar.
“Hello, Sam. It’s good to see you today. How have you been?”
“Doing well, sir. We’ve been doing good business, too, no problems there.”
“That’s good to hear, Sam, good to hear.” George nodded. “I’d like to introduce Caroline. She has come all the way from Virginia to be a companion for me.”
Sam turned impressed eyes to Caroline and she could see that he approved. The corners of her lips raised in a soft smile.
“Hello there, Caroline. It’s good to meet you. I hope you enjoy it here in Arizona. Virginia is nothing like this.”
“So I have noticed.” She nodded. “But I like it so far.”
“Good to hear!”
She could see George smiling in her peripheral vision. It gave her a good feeling in her chest.
“I think you’ll like ol’ Red here, too,” Sam said with a smirk, looking at his boss. “He’s one of a kind that’s for sure!”
“Hey now. That doesn’t sound too good. What are you trying to do, scare her off?” George laughed.
“He can’t scare me off,” Caroline said, giving George a bigger smile than she had Sam. He noticed her eyes sparkled when he smiled at her. It gave him a pleasant warm feeling. He reached out instinctively and put his hand on her back. She felt it there and was embarrassed to realize her cheeks were flushing. Just his fingers and hands felt strong to her and it made her heart flutter slightly.
It was a wonderful feeling. She wished he would never take his hand away.
“Yep, she’s here to stay,” George announced. “Send us the best serving girl so I can get her the best food that she wants and make sure the best cooks are making it, would you?”
“Oh, I’ll be sure to tell them you are here with a very special guest, boss. You got it.”
“Thanks.” George nodded and turned to steer Caroline in the direction of a table in the middle of the room. “This is where I always sit,” He said as he pulled her chair out for her. “I like to look around and make sure I see that things are going well.”
She sat down, saying, “Yes, I read in your letter that you are very conscientious about your business. I’m glad of that, I must say.” She spread her napkin on her lap and looked back up at him. “In my work as a secretary, I was always told I had a head for business, but you know…women aren’t in the position to do business like you men.”
He shook his head sitting in a chair that was closer to her than across the table. “That’s nonsense, in my opinion. Women are just as capable of running a business.”
“I do like that opinion.”
He hesitated for a moment, gazing at her. His stare didn’t make her feel uncomfortable. Instead, she felt exhilarated.
“You said that your parents own a restaurant in Virginia?”
She suddenly felt nervous. She had forgotten about her pledge to ask him for money to help their restaurant and save it. “Uh, yes, they do.”
“Is it successful?”
“It’s been successful for many years,” She responded.
“In that case, perhaps you can help me run one of my restaurants and take some of my burden off of me.”
“I can do that.” She nodded with a smile. “I certainly can do that.”
Chapter Four
She picked up the plates from the table, resting the eating utensils and resting them on top. She carried them to the back, passing through the door quietly.
It had been three weeks since her arrival in Arizona and as she suspected, she had assimilated well. She was used to the drastic difference in weather and had made several friends in the Flagstaff restaurant.
George had taken her to the other restaurants he owned and gave her a tour of his casino. He was told her he had gained his wealth by gambling in the first place. He was excellent at it. She had watched him in action and was very impressed.
He only gambled for fun now, because all the money he used at the casino went back into his own pocket. He had thought that was hilarious and she laughed with him about it.