Let Them Have Cake (24 page)

             
“I love what you do to me, Dr. Andrews.”

             
“And I love you,” Jeff said as he tucked the blankets around Anna.

***

             
“Wake up, sleepyhead. Our dinner is here and I’m famished,” Jeff said as he gently shook Anna’s shoulder.

             
Anna sat up in bed and yawned widely. She brushed her hair back from her face and rubbed her eyes.

             
“Is it morning?”

             
“No. The evening is just about over though. I got tired of waiting for you to wake up,” Jeff said as he positioned chairs around the desk he was using as a dining table.

             
“I’m hungry, too. I just need to brush my teeth.”

             
Anna got out of bed and put on her chenille bathrobe. She slipped her feet into fuzzy slippers and headed for the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and ran a hairbrush through her hair before once again joining Jeff.

             
“Please be seated, Madame. I took the liberty of ordering for you.”

             
Anna was amazed to see a hamburger and French fries on her plate.

             
“How did you guess I was hungry for something American?” she asked.

             
“It was pretty easy since I’ve been craving a hamburger,
too. Let’s eat before it gets cold.”

             
They ate ravenously. No words were exchanged until the hamburgers had been devoured.

             
“Boy, that hit the spot. I don’t know why I was so hungry. You chose well,” Anna smiled her thanks at Jeff.

             
Jeff smiled back and poured more champagne into her empty glass. He filled his own, raising it in a toast.

             
“Here’s to us, to
Paris
, and to many more years together now that we’ve found one another.”

             
Anna clinked her glass to his, “Yes, many, many more years together.”

             
Jeff gathered up the empty dishes, stacked them on the tray and put it outside the door. He joined Anna on the sofa.

             
“I think it would be a good idea to get to know more about each other’s pasts. What do you think?” Jeff asked.

             
“I think it’s a good idea, but I want to hear about you. I’ve already told you a lot about me.”

             
“Fair enough,” Jeff settled back against the arm of the sofa. “I told you a little about my parents. I grew up in Eagle Rock but my parents moved to
Huntington
Harbor
after I left home and started college.”

             
“That’s a wealthy area. Are your parents rich?” Anna asked.

             
“Not rich. They just invested well. My Dad inherited a vacant lot there about twenty years ago. Then, fifteen years ago
they sold their Eagle Rock house, took all the money they made from that sale, and built a custom home on the lot.”

             
“That’s great. Do they still live there?” Anna asked.

             
“They love the beach and they love their house. Dad designed it. He’s an architect, remember?”

             
“Yes. I remember. Are they retired now?”

             
“Dad’s retired, and Mom never worked at a formal job. She was always a homemaker. She does a lot of volunteer work now.”

             
“What kind of a little boy were you?”

             
Jeff laughed. “I’m embarrassed to say.”

             
“Don’t be. I know what kind of man you are and that’s what’s important.”

             
Anna took his hand. “Please tell me.”

             
“Oh alright. I was a little nerd. I was the best student in the class and wore these thick glasses. No one would pick me to be on their teams during recess, but they all wanted me as their partner when we had to do a group project.”

             
Anna chuckled. “Our class nerd was Dwight McCormick. His glasses were always on the end of his nose and he wore white shirts everyday with a pocket protector.”

             
“Is old Dwight a success now?”

             
“He sure is. He’s a scientist and works at NASA. I saw him at my high school reunion. He still looks like a nerd and wears button front white shirts.”

             
“How about you? What kind of a little girl were you?” Jeff asked.

             
“I was a sweet, angelic little girl. I always did just what my parents and teachers told me to do. Oh, except one little instance when I was less than perfect. I’m embarrassed to tell you about it.”

             
“You have to. I told you about my life as a nerd.”

             
“Okay, but you have to promise never to tell anyone.”

             
Jeff held up his hand in the two fingered scout salute. “Scouts honor...I was an Eagle Scout, too.”

             
“That’s impressive. Now for the awful story. When I was five years old I was in a Sunday school class with Nancy Allen. She sat right in front of me. Her mother had done her hair that morning in long sausage curls.
Nancy
had lots of bright red hair. Anyway, we were using scissors to cut out figures we were pasting in another book, and suddenly the urge hit me...”

             
“Don’t tell me!” Jeff was convulsed in laughter before Anna even finished.

             
“Yes, you’ve got it. I reached up, grabbed one of those curls and cut it right off. I’ll never figure out what possessed me.”

             
“You must have been in a whole lot of trouble,” Jeff managed to say in between fits of laughter.

             
“That’s putting it mildly. It’s funny, though. I don’t
remember what my punishment was, but I remember how ashamed of myself I was when I came to my senses. I still feel badly for my poor mother. She must have been mortified.”

             
“What about poor
Nancy
?” Jeff asked.

             
“Her mom had to take her to get a short haircut. It grew out again and they eventually forgave me.”

             
“Really? I’m surprised.”

             
“We moved right across the street from them when I was in Junior High and they even hired me to baby-sit for the younger kids a few times when Nancy had to go somewhere with her parents.”

             
“I guess they realized you were really a good kid.”

             
“I suppose they did. We’ve gotten off track. You were supposed to be talking about you.”

             
“There’s not a lot to tell. I was a driven kid. All I thought about was getting good grades so I could get into a good college and medical school.”

             
“Did you play any sports?” Anna asked.

             
“No. I was in the band, though. I played the trumpet. Pretty poorly, I might add.”

             
“Where did you go to school?”

             
“I went to
University
of
Southern California
for undergrad and then to the
University
of
San Francisco
medical school.”

             
“Wow. I hear that’s the number one medical school in the
US
now,” Anna said.

             
“It is. After medical school I came back to
Southern California
and did my ER residency at good old LACUSCMC. Otherwise known as
General
Hospital
.”

             
“Did you do a rotation at
Martin
Luther
King
Hospital
?”

             
“I sure did. That’s where I learned how to treat gunshot wounds. Docs come from all over to train there. It’s a sad commentary about the area the hospital is located in,” Jeff answered.

             
“Sad but true. We get our share of gunshot wounds in
Long Beach
,” Anna offered.

             
“That we do. Look at the time. It’s almost
midnight
. We better get some more sleep. I have a big day planned for tomorrow.”

             
“What are we going to do?” Anna asked.

             
“It’s a surprise.”

             
Anna nuzzled his neck. “Please? Just a hint?”

             
“Okay, but just a little hint. I called Maggie O’Reilly to ask her something and she told me about a special little museum that tourists don’t know about. That’s all I’m telling you now.”

             
Anna sighed, but could tell by the look he gave her that he wasn’t going to tell her anymore.

Chapter 22

             
“Where is this antique store?” Anna asked Jeff as he studied a hand written set of directions.

             
“Maggie said it was two doors down from this market.” Jeff pointed in the direction of the store they were standing in front of. “We’re on the right street, but I don’t see it.”

             
They walked up and down the sidewalk and looked at all of the signs they’d already read twice. Nothing jumped out at them until Anna finally spotted a tiny brass sign that read
Antiques.

             
“
Look, Jeff. There’s a sign pointing down that hallway at the end of those stairs
that says
antiques
? Do you think it’s down there?”

             
“It isn’t one of the stores that are right on the street. There’s a door down there. That must be it.”

             
Jeff placed a cautious foot on the first step leading down. “Come on. Let’s go look.”

             
Anna stood rooted to the ground. “I’m not sure I want to go down there. It’s really dark.”

             
Jeff held out a reassuring hand. “It’s broad daylight. What could happen?”

             
Anna took the offered hand and started down the stairs. “I don’t know. I just have a creepy feeling.”

             
There were no lights along the hallway and it took awhile for their eyes to adjust to the darkness.

             
“I think I see something on the door,” Anna offered.

             
“There’s a sign with lettering on it, but it’s too dark to read.”

             
“Do you have a lighter or some matches?” Anna asked.

             
Jeff gave her a quizzical look. “I don’t smoke. Why would I have matches?”

             
“I thought boy scouts were always prepared.”

             
They burst into fits of nervous laughter and collapsed into each other’s arms. The door suddenly opened, causing them both to jump.

             
“Madame, Monsieur? May I help you?”

             
They turned to find an ancient, tiny man standing in the now open door. He wore pin-striped trousers, a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a black vest. A pocket watch chain was dangling from a buttonhole but there was no watch attached. He was hunched over and gazed at them over a pair of glasses perched on the end of his nose. His unruly white hair flew around his head in a halo.

             
Jeff spoke first. “We’re looking for the antique store that specializes in French Revolution artifacts. Would you know where that is?”

             
“But of course. You have found it. Please come in.”

             
The old man stood aside and motioned for them to enter. Anna glanced at him as she passed and decided he looked like a frail, elderly vulture.

             
“Is there anything that you are particularly interested in?” the old man asked.