Can't Fool Me Twice: Sweet Contemporary Romance: Belles in the City Book 1 (6 page)

When she got to her room, she pulled her phone from her handbag to charge it. As soon as she glanced at it, she saw that she had a missed call from Mama.

"I hope you don't mind, sweetie," Mama said. "I know it's last minute and all, but your Aunt Sadie's airline points are about to expire, and she can't use them, and—"

"Of course I don't mind if you come up and visit me," Sunny said. "I'll have to check with Miss Lucille and make sure she's okay with it, though."

"You said she told you it was okay to come visit any time." Mama's voice sounded hurt.

"She did say it was okay, and I'm sure it's still fine, but she just got back from rehab."

"Oh, that's right." Mama paused for a split second. "You know I used to do private duty nursing, so maybe I can help out while I'm there."

There was no way Sunny could ask Mama to wait a few weeks—at least until they got back into a routine. Mama had always worked so hard to keep them afloat, and she'd never asked Sunny for anything.

"That would be helpful."

"I'd like to see that place where you work. I bet it's nice, bein' in New York City. I've seen all the beautiful restaurants on TV."

"But it's—"

"Sadie told me that when you're in New York City, you see famous people all over the place. Have you seen any famous people?"

Sunny thought for a moment. "Well, yes, I have seen a few. In fact—"

"I can't wait to see that place for myself. I gotta run, sweetie. I'll call you later with the exact date and time. Love you."
Click.

Sunny held out her phone and stared at it before she plugged it into the charger. She was pretty sure Miss Lucille wouldn't mind having Mama stay in the house. After all, there were two spare rooms, both of them furnished. But the timing was off, with Miss Lucille having just returned and Dante … well, trying to figure things out and not knowing up from down when it came to matters of the heart.

If she thought she could get away with it, she wouldn't even mention Dante to Mama, but there was no way she could expect Miss Lucille to keep quiet about him. In fact, Sunny wouldn't be surprised if the two of them conspired. She shuddered. Mama and Miss Lucille would make quite a formidable matchmaking team, and there was no doubt Mama would love him. He was not only a gentleman, he made eye contact when chatting with someone, which was the first thing Mama looked for in a man, and he was quite handsome. Those were all important traits to Mama.

Since it was late, Sunny skipped the bubble bath and took a hot shower instead. Then she crawled beneath the covers in her double bed and fell asleep right away. She awoke to the aroma of brewed coffee.

By the time she got to the kitchen, Miss Lucille was already sitting at the table with coffee, toast, and jam in front of her. "Well, if it isn't Miss Sleepyhead."

"Long day yesterday." Sunny poured herself a mug of coffee and carried it over to the table. "There's something I'd like to talk to you about." She told Miss Lucille about Mama wanting to come.

Miss Lucille's eyes lit up as she clasped her hands together. "I can't wait to meet her. When will she be here?"

"We're not sure, but it won't be too far in the future. She has to use Aunt Sadie's airline points before they expire."

"Why don't we plan a party and invite everyone—Bethann, Judd, Cissy, Charlene, their guys, and anyone else you can think of."

"So you're okay with it?" Sunny said. "I mean, if you're not ready yet, I'm sure Mama will understand."

"Don't be ridiculous, Sunny girl." Miss Lucille bobbed her head. "Parties are healing. One of the best ways to get over something is to have a good time. And in case you haven't figured it out by now, I love being around people."

"You are such a sweetheart," Sunny said as she stood up, went around the table and gave the older woman a hug. "I'd better grab something to eat and get ready for work. What time will the therapist be here?"

"The physical therapist gets here in about half an hour, so I need to get everything ready for her. She likes to put me through the paces, and then the occupational therapist will be here right after lunch. I might be taking a nap when you get home from work."

Sunny got ready quickly and got a cab. On her way to the diner, she called her mother. "Miss Lucille not only said she'd love to have you come up for a visit, she's planning a party."

"Oh my," Mama said softly. "I don't know how to act at a high society party. Can you give me some lessons?"

Sunny laughed. "This isn't exactly a high society group of people. They're all just like us … well, everyone except for the guys."

"Do you think … I mean, will you be … Sunny, honey, are you gonna be embarrassed for me to meet your friends up there?"

"Mama! I've never been embarrassed of you. Why would you even say such a thing?"

"You know I'm not all that refined, and I do sound like a country girl."

"That's because you
are
a country girl, and there's absolutely nothin' wrong with that."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Now get busy bookin' your flight and call me back. If I'm slammed at work, I won't be able to answer my phone, so leave me a message."

"Okay, sweetie." Mama let out a little giggle. "This is gonna be so much fun, even though I'm scared out of my gourd."

"I totally understand, but there's no need to be scared. You'll have me and Miss Lucille and Bethann and—"

"I get the picture. You and your friends will look after me."

"Maybe we can even go to a Broadway show while you're here."

"Oh, I don't think I can afford one of those. Aren't they expensive?"

"They are if you pay full price, but there are ways to get cheaper tickets."

"All right, let me run and get this flight booked before I get too excited to do this. I'll call you soon."

After Sunny hung up, she let out a long sigh. Ever since she'd been in New York, she'd wanted Mama to come up for a visit, but it would have been extremely difficult if she still lived in her apartment. God was amazing in how He orchestrated everything. She knew she was blessed way beyond anything she deserved. The small amount of trepidation she felt when Mama first said she was coming had completely faded.

"Thank you, Jesus," she whispered.

The cab driver made eye contact in his rearview mirror. "Amen," he said with a smile.

As soon as Sunny arrived at the diner, she put on her apron and got right to work. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and when she checked it, she saw that it was Mama. The crowd was steady throughout most of the day, so she didn't have time to return the call until she was on her way home.

Mama picked up before the first ring ended. "Hey, Sunny! I am so excited. My flight is booked, and I'm already lookin' for some big-city outfits. Is it true all they wear in New York is black? That's what Sadie says, but I don't believe her because on TV—"

"Whoa, Mama, slow down. First of all, I'm excited about havin' you here too. What day are you coming and how long are you staying?"

Sunny jotted the dates and times on the back of a slip of paper she found in her purse. Mama said she would only be here for a week, which could be good or bad, depending on how much she interfered with Sunny's life.

"Now tell me what kind of clothes I'll need," Mama said. "I don't want to stick out like a sore thumb."

"You won't." Sunny thought about all of the strange characters on Times Square and how everyone she'd met in the city was from someplace else. "You can wear just about anything here and get away with it."

"I don't want to get away with anything. I just want to look like I fit in and not some hayseed from—"

"You have never looked like a hayseed." Even though Mama did most of her shopping at thrift stores, she always looked amazing.

"Do I need to wear all black?"

"Why don't you bring a couple pairs of black pants, tops to go with them, and some scarves? You can borrow anything in my closet."

"Are you sure there's enough room for me in that house? Sadie said she could give me the names of some places where people rent out rooms."

"There's plenty of space for you. In fact, we're trying to decide which of two rooms you'd be more comfortable in."

"Two spare rooms?" Mama's voice lifted an octave. "I can't even imagine what that must be like." She made a gasping sound. "Oh, please don't tell me your Miss Lucille is a snob. Remember that one woman I used to work for? The one who was so stuck up she could drown in a rainstorm?"

"She's not a snob at all," Sunny assured her.

"I certainly hope not. Because if she is, she won't like me."

"Trust me, she'll love you, and you'll love it here." They were less than five minutes from the house. "I'm almost home. I'll call you tomorrow, and we can talk some more."

*

Lucille Chambray had called Dante and told him that Sunny's mother would be visiting soon. Her visit couldn't have come at a worse time for him since he was in the middle of negotiating the lease on the new restaurant. But he intended to do whatever he could to make a good impression on Ms. Tatum.

"Don't feel like you have to impress her," Ms. Chambray had advised. "Based on what I know about her from Sunny, she's a sweet woman who has always had to scrape by."

"I just don't want her to think I don't care about her daughter enough to give her my time while she's here."

"Oh, I'm sure Sunny will keep her plenty busy, and when Sunny's working, I'll chat her ear off. You know how I am."

Dante laughed. "Chatting with you is always delightful. You just brought up something else that concerns me. Under any other circumstances, I would give Sunny a few extra days off to spend with her mother, but considering all the things I have on my plate, I'm not so sure that'll be possible."

"If you can't spare her for entire days, maybe you can encourage her to cut her hours … that is, only on non-catfish special days."

"Yes, based on what I saw, we can't spare anyone on catfish days. It's all hands on deck."

"Too bad I'm not able to move about more, or I'd go in and help her out."

The image of Ms. Chambray waiting on tables was hilarious, but he stifled the urge to laugh. He didn't want to hurt her feelings. "I'm sure you'd be a great asset."

"Maybe I can get a job after I finish all of my therapy sessions. It would do me some good to have someplace worthwhile like your diner to go to everyday."

Dante was flattered that she called his diner worthwhile, but the very thought of her working in such a fast-paced environment didn't make an ounce of sense. "I'll talk to Estelle and the rest of the servers about taking extra hours for Sunny. She's always the first to bend to their needs if they need time off."

"Now you're talkin'. Okay, so let's talk about the big party I'm plannin'."

After Dante hung up, he thought about what he could do while Sunny's mother was in town. He'd definitely take her out to dinner to one of his family's restaurants. He'd somehow manage to work in some time to get to know her better in a quieter environment. And of course he'd be at the party Ms. Chambray was planning.

The phone rang off the hook all day—most of the calls related to the new Harlem location. Judd had spoken with the realtor who balked at a lower price. But when Judd said he'd get back with him later, he quickly changed his tune and said to make a formal offer.

"Are you sure we shouldn't go in and offer the original amount I had on my last contract?"

"I've thought about that some more. I think you're safe with what we have on the table since it's just slightly lower."

"Okay, I trust you with this."

After Dante got off the phone, he left the office for the diner. He wanted to see if there was anything he could do to help and talk to Sunny about her mother's visit. It would be easier to know how she felt about his plans if he could look at her extremely expressive face.

Sunny wasn't in the dining area when he walked in, but Estelle glanced his way, grinned, and gestured toward the kitchen. He mouthed a quick, "Thank you," before heading toward the back.

Riley glanced up from the counter where he was rolling out biscuits. "She's over there," he said, tipping his head toward the pantry.

Dante walked up to the pantry door and stood there, waiting until she got whatever she was looking for. When she turned around, she bumped into him, jumped, and let out a tiny shriek.

"Sorry," he said as he steadied her. "Didn't mean to scare you."

She glanced around nervously, probably worried about what her coworkers would think. So he pulled his hands back and shoved them into his pockets.

"Tell you what," Dante said. "I'll go grab us a table, and you can join me when you have a few minutes."

Her lips quivered into a half grin as she nodded. "It'll only be a few minutes. I just have to fill a couple of ketchup bottles, and I'll be right with you."

After she walked away, Dante looked around the diner and settled on the least desirable table for customers—one around the corner and near the kitchen. He sat down and pulled out his phone to check messages.

"Ahem." The sound of Sunny's voice made him glance up. She grinned down at him. "You came at a good time. Most of the lunch crowd has left, and it's a little early to start prepping for the dinner guests." She looked at his phone. "Any news on the Harlem location?"