As Dave closed his eyes, trying to relax, I went to the bathroom to finish putting on my makeup.
After I slicked on my lipstick I took a look in the full length mirror. I thought I looked pretty good. My dark denims set off my baby pink sweater perfectly, and I had paired the outfit with the new red shoes. They were a little high, but super sexy. I’d styled my hair in curly waves and it bounced playfully off my back. I loved having good hair days. Several bracelets and my ‘go to’ giant silver hoop earrings completed the look. I patted a few strands of my hair into place and went back into the living room.
“Dave, honey, I’m going to get going.”
“I’ll walk you down,” Dave said as he started to get up.
“You look exhausted. You stay here and rest—get ready for your interview.”
Dave sunk back into the chair. “Where’s Todd?”
“I’m meeting him downstairs. Hey, the driver will be here soon, so I have to get going.”
I gave Dave a sweet kiss. “Good luck on the interview. Call me right after and tell me how it went!”
“I will. Have fun baby. I’ll see you this afternoon.”
I grabbed my bag and made my way to the elevator and down the back of the building. My stomach flip flopped as I saw the black, luxury stretch limo. It was huge, but Todd was nowhere to be seen. As I neared the limo, my cell rang. It was Todd.
“Beverly, Jason’s late and I can’t leave the restaurant till he gets here. Will you and Dave be ok without me? Hopefully it will only be an hour or two. I will drive to Virginia as soon as Jason clocks in.”
Ugh. Jason was the assistant manager from the Frederick Slice of the Pie. Sal had sent him to the University of Maryland location to give Todd a break for a few days. Apparently, he was going to be late for some reason or another, and Todd couldn’t leave the restaurant until he arrived.
“Love you baby,” Todd said, “see you in a few hours.”
“Love you,” I clicked off my cell. I hadn’t told Todd that Dave had gotten a last minute interview so he wasn’t with me either. I knew if I told him he would try to talk me out of going by myself.
I wasn’t sure what to do. I didn’t really want to go by myself, but I wanted to find out what Cal had in mind for us. Plus, he’d seemed like a totally normal, nice guy at the hibachi restaurant.
“Welcome, Miss,” the driver said reaching for my bag. I hesitated … should I get in or not?
What the heck. We really needed the money, and it sounded like Cal could help us a lot financially. I took a deep breath. “I will be riding by myself.” The driver raised a quizzical eyebrow. “My friends will be along later,” I said as I climbed in.
Wow! It was so luxurious inside the car. The interior boasted cushy leather seats, a wet bar with crystal glasses, and a variety of drinks along with several TVs. Little lights danced along the sides of the car and the roof. I settled into one of the comfy seats, my hands clammy as I gripped the arms.
The ride out to Cal Peet’s estate near McLean, Virginia was only about a half hour, but it was like being in a different world. Whereas the University of Maryland campus was surrounded by smaller, older homes, many of the homes we passed as we neared Cal’s were huge mansions on beautifully landscaped lawns. As we neared his home, I was struck by the sheer size of the mansion and the privacy afforded by the vast acreage surrounding it.
The driver pulled the car to a stop in the circular driveway. A burly man near the front of the house opened the door for me and pulled my bag from the trunk. As we walked into the house, Cal Peet rushed over to greet me.
“So lovely to see you, Beverly. My driver has informed me that you are alone. I am so happy to have you, but where are Todd and Dave?”
“Dave got a last minute interview and Todd had to wait for his assistant manager to show up. They will be coming later.”
“Very good. Let me show you to your room, and then perhaps a light lunch?”
I nodded. “That sounds great,” I replied, feeling relieved at how comfortable I felt.
“Karl, take Ms. Collingswood’s bag to her room.” As the man left to take my bag upstairs, Cal walked me around part of the house. I was in awe at the sheer enormity and beauty of the home. We walked through a massive, modern style family room with an oversized sectional sofa and huge TV screens, but the rest of the house was decorated more formally in rich oriental rugs, dark mahogany, and cherry Queen Anne style furniture. As we finished up the tour of one section of his home, Cal walked me to one of the rooms on the second floor. “We have an elevator, but I prefer to walk.”
“Yes, better for our health and the environment. It saves energy.”