Her phone buzzed again. It would be no one else but Addison. She started her car and pulled out of her spot. It wouldn’t take long for her to reach the café. She probably could have walked, but the breeze off Lake Erie was just a tad too chilly for her liking.
During the drive, her stomach fluttered. Her nerves were in overdrive, not because of Addison’s text but becauseshe had been keeping a secret for a while. Addison had a knack for sniffing out confessions like a bloodhound.
But Tachina wasn’t sure she wanted to say the words out loud. They would probably sound borderline unhinged, but Addison would let her know if she was crazy.
She finally reached The Iron Kettle. It was one of her favorite places to eat because the pastries were sinful and the iced tea was brewed by the angels. She found a parking spot on the street and hurried inside. Addison was already at their usual booth by the window, impatiently tapping a straw on her glass.
“You’re late,” she announced. She held the straw like a weapon directed toward Tachina. “I could have died of starvation.”
“You are literally halfway through your drink.” Tachina chuckled at her. She slid into the seat across from her.
“That’s hydration, not food.”
“You can live longer without food than you can without water.” Tachina arched an eyebrow at her.
“Don’t try to come at me with of that sciencey stuff. My brain is barely functioning without the calories and energy it needs.” She leaned back in her chair with her hand resting on her forehead.
So dramatic.
“Girl, whatever. What do you want?” Tachina picked up the menu and opened it. Not that she would be ordering anything new today. She was hungry and didn’t feel liketrying a dish she hadn’t had before. She was going to go with what she knew.
The Iron Kettle was a popular spot that was nestled in the heart of Downtown Cleveland near West 4thstreet. It was a bustling area with plenty of restaurants for Clevelanders to choose from. Today, it would seem their favorite café was extremely busy. Most of the tables were taken, and they now had a line at the door.
She glanced down at the menu and bit her lip. She was in between two of her favorites. Which one should she choose?
“Okay. What is going on? You’re in a mood!”
“A mood?” Tachina looked up from the menu at her longtime friend.There goes that nose of Addison’s.She had figured out that Tachina was keeping a secret.
“A mood. An energy. An aura. Something is going on in that big, beautiful head of yours.” Addison folded her arms across her chest and stared at Tachina.
“My head is not big,” Tachina muttered. She shrugged. “I’m just hungry.”
“Nope. That’s not it. You’ve got that look on your face. It’s the ‘I’ve been thinking too much about something’ expression.”
“Do I really have a ‘I’ve been thinking too much about something’ look?” Well, that was news to her. Tachina reached up and tucked her thick hair behind her ear.
“Yes, ma’am. Your forehead gets all serious. A long lineappears across it.” Addison drew a line across her own forehead.
Tachina grimaced and waved her off. “Stop trying to read my face.”
“Just spill it already.”
Monica, one of their favorites waitresses, arrived at the table. She wore bright-pink lipstick, short pixie blonde hair, and had a personality big enough to fill the café. She pulled out her notepad and flashed them a grin.
“What can I start you with, darlin’? Tea? Coffee? Wine? A little Jack?” She chuckled and motioned to Addison and Tachina. “You two are over here whispering fierce, and by the looks of it, you should order the Jack.”
“It’s her.” Addison pointed to Tachina. “She’s the problem.”
“Woooow…” Tachina shook her head. How was she the problem?
“She sure threw you under the bus. Bless her heart. What’s wrong, babe?” Monica turned her kind eyes on Tachina. She had been working at The Iron Kettle for as long as Tachina and Addison had been coming there. She always tried to help and offer motherly advice. She was in her early sixties and didn’t bite her tongue when it came to nonsense.
“Nothing is wrong,” Tachina said quickly.
Two sets of eyebrows lifted at her.
Liars were rarely safe around women who made it theirbusiness to be in other’s people’s business. A best friend and a waitress were two of the most dangerous species to try to get away with something. They would figure it out.