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Tatiana looked up from her spot behind the information desk to see Maya walking towards her. Maya gave Tatiana a huge smile, and even though she didn’t want to, she couldn’t help but smile back.
Tatiana wanted to hate Maya, she really did, but with Maya’s grin so open and friendly she just couldn’t bring herself to hate her.
Taking in Maya’s whole person, Tatiana could only think, life is so unfair. Maya wore black yoga pants with a navy and black long sleeved top, with the cutest black and navy tennis shoes Tatiana had ever seen. Even her wool cap matched her outfit.
“She even looks gorgeous when she sweats.” Tatiana mumbled.
“Hi.” Maya said, pulling her cap off. Her hair had that sexy bed-head that made men all hot and bothered, thing going on. Figures.
“Hey Maya.Ready for lunch?” Tatiana mentally rolled her eyes.
“Thank you for going with me. I know you don’t want to talk, but this is important.”
Tatiana groaned inwardly. “Uh, well...”
“Please. It's very important. I know you don’t like me. You have no reason to, and I understand that. But what I have to talk with you about is urgent. I promise.”
Tatiana hesitated. Maya wasn’t being obnoxious like Trent was when he was asking Tatiana to meet him. She was just asking for a few minutes of Tatiana’s time. And if Tatiana didn’t like where the conversation was headed, she could always walk away.
“Okay. Sure” Tatiana said.
Fifteen minutes later, Tatiana, with Amanda in tow, was on the way to the sandwich shop with Maya for lunch.
To Maya’s surprise, on her way out of the travel agency building, Tatiana had spotted Amanda and asked her to join Tatiana and her for lunch.
After placing orders of cob salads all around, and water for Maya while Amanda and Tatiana had iced tea, Maya got right down to business.
“Tatiana?” Maya paused, “How do you feel about Trent.”
Both Tatiana and Amanda stared for a moment and then Amanda burst out laughing while Tatiana continued to stare.
Realizing what her question probably sounded like, Maya back pedaled. “I didn’t mean that the way it probably sounded. I’m not asking because I’m jealous or anything. I just need to know if you hate him?”
“Hate is a strong word.” Tatiana said slowly.
“I hate him.” Amanda quickly offered.
Maya sort of frowned at Amanda then she smiled and turned back to Tatiana. “And you?”
Tatiana sighed. “Why are you asking me this?”
“It's something I must know before I ask my next question.”
“I don’t hate him.” Tatiana paused, “Well not anymore. I sort of feel sorry for him.” Both Maya and Amanda looked shocked by this. “He’s the way he is because of his mother. She’s so... dominating.”
“And nasty.” Amanda said.
“And hateful.” Maya added. Tatiana and Amanda gave Maya a surprised look. Looking around as someone was listening Maya whispered, “Between the three of us,” she paused. “I wouldn’t spit on that vile woman if she was on fire.”
Amanda harrumphed. “I wouldn’t piss on her if she was on fire.”
Tatiana poked at her salad with her fork. “If she was on fire, I’d probably throw a Molotov cocktail at her.”
Maya and Amanda burst out laughing. After a few seconds Tatiana joined in.
Once they all settled down, Maya proceeded to tell Tatiana how Trent purchased the engagement ring from a friend that he went to high school with, Warren Davis, who went by “Tiger”. Apparently Warren had stolen the ring from the Anthony crime family while in New York. Now Trent had five days to get the ring back to them or it could cost him his life.
Tatiana was horrified at such a thing. She didn’t want to see anyone get hurt over something so trivial. Of course she said she’d give the ring back. All Trent had to do was tell her what was going on and she’d have gladly given it to him.
Amanda’s suggestion was to take that ring down to the ocean and thrown it in. Hopefully the mob would make concrete boots for Trent and throw him in to retrieve it. She told Maya that she was starting to like her, and she thought that Trent at the bottom of the ocean would save Maya a lot of heartache in the long run.
Tatiana frowned slightly. “Amanda, do you remember a Warren Davis going to school with us?”
“Nope.” Amanda said without hesitation. She’s forked up some of her own salad chasing it with a swallow of iced tea.
Tatiana hesitated, “You sure?”
“Yep.”
Maya frowned. “Maybe he moved away—”
Amanda shook her head. “Even though Davis is a common name, there aren’t many Davis’s in town. We had no Warren Davis in our high school.”
Maya looked to Tatiana and she saw a look asking for assistance in the other woman's face.
Tatiana shook her head. “Amanda is better than the census. She knows everybody. If she says there wasn’t a Warren Davis in school with us. Then there wasn’t.”
Maya remained silent for a moment. Then she proceeded to tell Tatiana and Amanda of her plan to get the ring back to the Anthony family and save Trent.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” Tatiana said.
“Trent only has a few more days to get the ring back to them.” Maya said.
“Why not leave it with the desk clerk?” Amanda offered.
“This is too important to take that chance.” Maya was shaking her head.
Shaking her head, Tatiana still insisted, “I still think this is a bad idea.”
“Well,” Amanda said thoughtfully. “We could always go with her.”
Tatiana snorted. “No, we can't.”
Amanda was nodding, saying, “Sure we can.”
But Tatiana was adamant. “Uh! No! We Can't!”
