and this time around, Hannah ignored her mind’s warning. “Is there something wrong, Lynne?”
Lynne nodded and a tear slipped down her cheek. And even though Lynne was an actress and Hannah knew that her friend could cry on demand, this tear was no act. “What’s wrong? Can you tell me?”
“I . . . just a minute,” Lynne said, pointing to the curtain, which was being pulled back by a feminine hand.
“Hi!” Dot, Sally’s receptionist, head waitress, and dining room manager, stuck her head inside. “Are you two ready for menus?”
“Yes, we are,” Lynne said, smiling the sunniest smile that Hannah had ever seen. Lynne was, indeed, an excellent actress, and Hannah felt almost as if she’d imagined that tear and the quaver of distress in Lynne’s voice.
“Good to see you again, Mrs. Larchmont,” Dot said, pushing the curtain back and stepping in. “We have several specials tonight and I’ll let you read all about them. And please, if you have any questions, just ring for me and I’ll be glad to answer them.”
“Oh!” Hannah commented as Dot set a small intercom on the table. “That’s new!”
“Yes, it is. Sally thought it would be convenient and she was right. Otherwise people in these booths have to wait until the busboy or the waitress comes by to ask questions about the food or request additional service. With this,” Dot tapped the intercom, “you just press the red button and I’ll answer.”
“Very nice,” Lynne agreed, “but do you find many people abuse the fact that they can contact you?”
Dot shook her head. “No, not at all. This is Lake Eden. People here are usually very polite and patient. They’re not going to buzz me if they don’t get a second bread basket right away, or if they want a refill on their iced tea.”
“You’re lucky,” Lynne said with a laugh. “You couldn’t use something like this in Los Angeles. People would call for you if they dropped their napkin and didn’t feel like picking it up themselves.”
Dot laughed. “I’m glad I don’t work there. Our customers use the intercom mainly for questions about the items on the menu.”
“Actually, I do have a question, and since you’re here, I don’t have to use the intercom,” Lynne told her.
“Okay. What is it?”
“Which white wine would you recommend for us tonight?”
“That may depend on your entrée. What were you thinking of ordering?”
“Hannah?” Lynne asked, turning to her.
“I’ll probably have the Cornish game hens. I love the way they do those out here.”
“With apricot glaze? Or raspberry glaze?” Dot asked.
“Apricot, please.”
“Then white wine would be all right for you tonight?” Lynne asked Hannah.
“Yes, I’d prefer it. The only time I really want red is when I have an entrée with beef.”
Lynne smiled. “Good! I prefer white wine with any entrée.” She turned to Dot. “Do you have a white wine that’s a bit dry and fruity?”
Dot opened the wine list and pointed to a wine. “How about this? Dick says it’s excellent with chicken or pork.”
“We’ll try it, then,” Lynne decided. “Thank you, Dot.”
When Dot had left and the privacy curtains were closed again, Hannah turned to Lynne. “Would you like to talk about what’s happening with Tom?”
Lynne nodded and Hannah could tell that she was close to tearing up again. “It’s just that we don’t talk anymore. Tom doesn’t seem to care what I think or how I feel. We used to be close, but now we’re like strangers who barely know each other. He’s always gone, Hannah. And his business is more important to him than I am. That’s why I wanted to come here early. I was hoping we could work things out.”
Hannah was silent, but she squeezed her friend’s hand. Sometimes it was best to be silent and let the other person speak.
“Tom gets a phone call and he leaves. He already has a bag packed in the closet and he adds a couple of things and goes to the airport. He doesn’t even ask me to take him there like I used to do. He just puts his car in long-term parking and gets on a plane. And sometimes . . .” Lynne stopped speaking and cleared her throat. “He doesn’t even tell me where he’s going. All he says is that he’ll be back in a couple of days, but there have been times when it’s a week or longer. He calls me every once in a while, but usually he can’t talk long. I know it has something to do