Page 34 of Proof
Chi-Chi had a slight smile on her face. She placed her hand on Jennine’s. Jennine’s head began to bounce up and down. Chi-Chi put her hands in a prayer position, bowed, and glided back to the café. She could barely contain her jubilation.
Chi-Chi took a very deep, relaxing, cleansing breath as she entered. “As you would say, ‘mission accomplished. ’ ”
Luna and Ellie remained impassive. They didn’t want Jennine to see them overly excited. Just another day in the center.
“Bravo,” Ellie said with a straight face.
“Ditto,” Luna added. She looked over at Jennine’s shop. “She must have gone in the back. Spill,” Luna instructed Chi-Chi.
“I told her that my brother was coming into town unexpectedly and I had plans, so would she be so kind as to entertain him for the evening?”
“Entertain? I guess that’s a euphemism for Jennine and her man-eating tendencies.” Ellie continued to keep a straight face. “No pun intended.”
Luna couldn’t control herself. She got up, walked behind her easel, and howled.
Chi-Chi sat primly in her chair. “Please. I still have terrible visions from their last encounter. I prefer to think of something else now.”
Luna peered from behind the large sketch pad. “Okay, but you still haven’t figured out how you can get the two of them to stay at Jennine’s.”
“Do not worry. I will tell him. He must ask if he can see her place. I will tell him to flirt with her.”
“Do you think he’ll be okay with that?” Luna returned to her chair.
“It doesn’t matter. I am okay with that, and that is all that matters.” Chi-Chi gave a sly grin. “Besides, he is a man.”
As the three finished their morning ritual, then cleared their cups, Alex walked through the atrium with the three dogs following him. Ellie went to speak with him. “Good morning, Alex.”
“Morning, Ellie. I’m about ready to start hanging the lights. I figured I’d get it done before the center opens. Devon is going to put up a few tinkling chimes, since I’ll have the ladder out.”
“Good idea. Do you have everything you need?”
“I think so. I’ll give you a click when I’m done.”
Suki ambled over with a huge box filled with three-inch origami cranes. “I have one hundred. Each guest can take one home.”
“How lovely! Thank you, Suki. They will be thrilled. How on earth did you manage to make so many in such a short time?”
“It is my pleasure, but I am not to get all the credit. My advanced students helped. Please tell me—shall I place all of them in the trees?”
“Put a few dozen in the trees and plants, and we’ll get a table and line up the rest near the door. I’ll make sure there is a sign telling the students they may have one when they leave. Thank you again, Suki.”
Ellie walked back to the café, carrying one of the paper cranes. “Suki made one for each attendee.”
“That’s so nice. Gee, I wish I had something to give them.”
“How about a raffle for a reading?” Ellie suggested.
“Really? I was trying to stay on the down-low.”
“Do not make me laugh,” Chi-Chi replied. “You have so many clients, you can hardly keep up with them.”
“True, but they are all referrals.”
“The word is already out,” Ellie said. “Unless you don’t want to do it.”
“Oh, sure! I’d be happy to. But how do we do it? Don’t we need a license or something?”
“Probably, but I doubt they’ll send the vice squad here.” Ellie chuckled. “We can ask the kids to buy a ticket for five dollars. The money will go to the food bank.”