“Sounds messy.”
“Yes. It’s definitely messy, but it’s the best way to go forpeople with time constraints.”
“And you do that yourself?”
“With my crew. We have a ditchdigger that creates the path for thePVC pipe. After we lay that and connect it all together, we put on thesprinkler heads.” Dex stopped when she noticed Elena’s attention swerve to thecouple at the next table. “But you don’t really want to hear about that.”
Elena’s gaze snapped back to Dex. “Do you take the winter monthsoff? I wouldn’t think you’d have much business then.”
“Starting in mid-October through December, I create and installholiday displays for homeowners.”
Elena’s eyes lit up. “Like those beautiful decorations in OakPark?”
She nodded. “I have a pretty good clientele in that area. I domost of those.”
“Wow. You’re an artist in your own right.”
Dex had always thought her art skills showed up more inlandscaping than in Christmas lighting.
“How do you come up with your ideas? I’d love to use those vibrantcolors to bring more vision into my art.”
“I can’t really explain it. There’s no formula. They just show upin my head.” Dex took the opportunity to steer the conversation to Elena. “So,tell me about your art?” Grace had mentioned a few things about it already, butDex had been waiting for the right moment to move the conversation from herself.
“I dabble in paint here and there. Mostly abstracts.” She pickedup her fork and set it on the inside of the rest of the silverware and thenseemed to absently continue moving each piece in a repetitive pattern.
Dex hoped she wasn’t making her nervous. Most artists enjoyedtalking about their work. “Modern art is my favorite. Are you being shownanywhere currently? I’d love to see your work.”
“I’m kind of in a slump right now. Nothing’s really selling.”
“Oh. Grace told me you had art in a gallery in Wicker Park.”
“That’s been sold.” She glanced away. “I need to replace it withsomething new.” She sipped her water. “I’m actually on the hunt for a newstudio. You know, one of those lofts where I can paint and sleep all in thesame space. Do you know of any place like that?”
“Not off the top of my head, but I can keep an eye out for you.”
“That’d be great. Even a guesthouse in Oak Park or anywhere closewould work.”
The waiter approached the table, and Elena relaxed into her chair.“Welcome to Maple & Ash,” he said as he handed them the dinner menus. Hethen proceeded to recite the dinner specials before leaving them to read overtheir choices.
Elena focused on the menu as she opened it. “Everything here looksso yummy.”
“You’ve never been?”
Elena shook her head. “My first time.”
“Oh, well, you’re in for a treat. I’ve only been here a few timesmyself, but I’ve never had anything that wasn’t absolutely wonderful.” Dex hadbeen here exactly twice before with Grace.
When the waiter reappeared to deliver the bottle of wine and taketheir order, Elena went first. “I’ll start with the Maple and Ash Wedge, thenthe Twenty-Eight Day Dry-aged Bone-in Rib Eye with the Roasted AutumnVegetables and the Whipped & Buttered Potatoes.” She handed the waiter hermenu. “Oh, and can we start with a Prawn Fire Roasted Seafood Tower?” Sheglanced at Dex.
The amount of food she’d ordered had just settled into Dex’s head.“Sure,” she said. Whatthe hell? She’d ordered enough food to feed them plus the tables oneach side of them. Why not top it off with seafood?
“And for you, miss?” the waiter asked.
She closed her menu and said, “I’ll have the I Don’t Give a F*@k.”That was a completely appropriate menu item for the way Dex felt right now.
They didn’t mention landscaping or art again, and the discussioneventually drifted to idle chitchat about the weather, the Cubs, the impendingholidays. Those subjects seemed to keep the dialogue going smoothly. Dex hadn’twanted to go further with the housing situation or she might end up with an unwantedhouseguest.
By the time Dex had finished the last of her meal, Elena hadbarely touched half of hers. Not a surprise. Who could actually eat that muchfood? The waiter had boxed up the remainder to go and packed it neatly in abag. Dex was quite sure this would be Elena’s dinner for the rest of the week.
When the waiter returned to ask about dessert, Dex quickly wavedhim off. She refused to throw another dime into Elena’s take-home feast. She’dbeen there before, unemployed and too broke to even afford a loaf of bread, letalone groceries. Dex hadn’t held it against her until the bill came and Elenahad disappeared into the bathroom for a full fifteen minutes—a clear sign shewasn’t kicking in on the check. Dex was sure that if Elena hadn’t had to leavethe food at the table to go to the restroom, she probably wouldn’t have evencome back to the table. Dex had planned to pay but didn’t like to be pushedinto it. It made up for the free dinner she’d received from Suzanne on her lastdate.
Neither one of them indicated they would do this again. ClearlyElena had done this before and had merely suffered through the night with Dexfor the free meal. Dex was going to kill Grace for this one.
* * *
Grace couldn’t wait to hear about Dex’s date last night. She’dtold her on the phone that it hadn’t been all bad, that Elena had shown someinterest in Dex’s landscaping business and light-stringing work as well. Butwhen Dex had reversed the conversation posing the same questions to Elena,she’d talked only briefly about her art and the galleries in Wicker Park andnothing specifically about pieces she was showing anywhere else, which wasstrange for an artist. She mentioned that Elena had described a couple of herpieces, but when Dex had asked her where she could view them personally, she’dgiven vague answers. A huge red flag had gone up for Grace when she’d heardthat. What
