I'm borrowing and altering a bit
Note: I renumbered the earlier chapters. Sorry.
Eyes to Remember
CHAPTER 3
Carlos Manoso was sitting at a back table in a local Trenton Italian restaurant. He had eaten in Pino's before when he was in town. Tonight, sharing pizza and salad with two of his workers from Miami who were assisting with the security job tomorrow night and the Mayor of Trenton, Joe Juniak, going over any last minute security issues.
The Trenton Mayor was a middle-aged man in a shirt and tie with grey hair in a short crew cut.
He watched as the owner was greeting an older couple with a teen-age girl and fussing over a toddler in the man's arms. Mr. Pino showed them to a large corner booth taking their drink orders.
The man walked over to the Mayor with the small little girl leading the way. Carlos watched how her wild curls swayed as she bounded over, pale blue dancing eyes. Smiling, you could see dimples.
"Hi Unkie," climbing up on the Mayor's lap and taking a French fry off his steak salad.
"Did you steal my French fry, Princess?" chuckling at the little girl.
"Yep, Mmmm."
"Hi, Frank. You got the live wire tonight. Hey, I called you for lunch last week, Ellen told me you were out of town."
A smile came across his face expressing his pride, "Yes, Allie and I spent part of the day in the park flying kites. Out of town doesn't begin to describe it. No, it was more like an adventure across the country. I didn't like the idea of Stephanie and the girls driving by themselves home from Denver so I flew out to come home with her. It's just that I didn't know in order to get here from Point A to Point B," holding up two fingers spaced apart, "you had to go through the Grand Canyon, Santa Fe, and Graceland to get to Trenton. It took us almost two weeks."
The Mayor was laughing, "That's Stephanie."
"I haven't told you the best part. My crazy daughter sold her home in less than a day. All her stuff is in storage. So all they had were clothes and personal stuff living in a motor home in a campground outside of Denver so Katie could go to school until Stephanie's contract was finished up at the magazine. So we drove here is one of those 40 foot monster motor homes towing her Volvo. I watched a big screen TV in a motor home with a Satellite for two weeks! I don't have a big screen TV at home! Stephanie and the girls were sleeping in a king size bed. She drove most of the way. It seems my daughter learned to handle an 18 wheeler from an article in her magazine she did. They're living in it behind my house." He leaned in closer to him and in all seriousness, "Joe, the damn thing has a bathroom that is bigger than the one I have in my house with a shower head that feels like it's raining. And an electric fireplace. We have to take a road trip before she sells the thing," chuckling to his friend.
"She hasn't changed, still crazy after all these years. It sounds like you're enjoying it from that smile on your face," the Mayor laughed.
"My crazy, unconventional Baby Girl is home."
"Frank, this is Carlos Manoso. He's in charge of the security tomorrow and his associates, Lester Santos and Bobby Brown. Frank Plum, our Citizen of the Year."
"Mr. Plum, Congratulations," Carlos shook his hand.
Something registered in his mind. Stephanie Plum, the woman with the blue eyes he has never been able to forget. Her father's name was Frank he remembered from the background file he put together once he found out her name and was indeed from Trenton. The little girl is her daughter from the magazine photograph. Stephanie was here in Trenton!
"Thank you, but I think they could have found someone else more deserving."
"Frank, you deserve it. Stephanie coming for her favorite pizza?"
"She took the Ferrari and is in New York today meeting with her friend, Matt, to discuss another restoration project. Grandma went with her and I hope they don't let that crazy old bat out of the city. She was going to take some time off after leaving the magazine, but she can't sit still, she's even been up at the cabin redecorating. We still going fishing soon?"
Joe said tickling the little girl in his lap, "Yes. I'll keep a weekend free, I think someone takes after her."
"Someone has a Ferrari?" Lester spoke up at the mention of a fast sports car.
"Yes, my daughter, Stephanie. She won it in a road rally, but I've stored it while she was working in Denver, Miami, Milan, and other places around the world."
The little girl held up her arms for her grandfather. He picked her up and kissed her forehead.
"Gampy, Mommy come," nose to nose as she said it.
"Allie, Mommy will be here soon."
"Gampy, Mommy come!" pointing toward the door.
"There is no way you could hear that car coming. We're in a noisy restaurant."
Seconds later there was a low rumble that kept getting louder and louder getting the attention of the customers. People were turning their heads towards the sound looking out the windows. Finally stopping in the parking lot.
"How do you do that? I'm getting my hearing checked."
"Mommy here,' squirming to get down.
The door opened. Mr. Pino was standing there to greet his new customers.
Since Carlos always sat facing the door, he had a clear view of everyone coming and going. Allie was running towards the door.
A small pink haired woman came in first followed by a woman with wild brunette curls hugging the little girl. As soon as she stepped in the door, he felt the tingle in his spine.
"My beautiful Bella," Mr. Pino greeted her as she kissed his cheek. Carlos noticed she casually glanced around the restaurant, maybe she felt it, too.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Joe. They rest of my family is here. Gentlemen."
He watched as she walked to her parent's booth kissing her father before sitting down. She had on black leather pants with high heels and a matching leather jacket. Before sitting down, she took off her jacket revealing a white silk shirt underneath that showed her curves. She hugged the older girl then turned her attention to the younger one. The little girl's hands were waving and her mouth was moving rapidly telling her mother about her day. Her attention never off her daughter's face. Carlos could see the sparkling blue eyes he remembered. She was here sitting across the restaurant from him.
Trying to sound nonchalant, "The little girl is very cute."
The Mayor looked up from his food, then at his friend's booth, "Yes, she is. Aliyah was born prematurely and Stephanie could have lost her. She has her mother's spirit. It's a shame her father never got to see her. Stephanie's fiancée died before she was born. The older girl is his sister. Stephanie's raising her since he was Katie's only family."
"That's a shame," attempting to turn his attention back to his food, but he couldn't take his eyes off her. If her father was Citizen of the Year then she would be at the ceremony tomorrow night in the City Building.
Carlos watched as she ate her pizza, thoroughly enjoying it. There was a smile on her face with each bite she took. Stephanie was wiping her daughter's sauce smeared face and hands. She picked her up carrying her back to her front trying to avoid wearing the pizza sauce.
Allie ran over to the Mayor showing clean hands coming from the bathroom, "I clean, Unkie."
The tingle was back in his spine as Stephanie came to their table.
Joe was leaning over to the curly haired girl, "Did you enjoy your pizza?"
Nodding, "Uh huh."
'Hi, Sweetie," kissing the blue-eyed beauty.
"Hi, Uncle Joe. Do you think I could drop by your office tomorrow. I want to find out about a city property."
"How about you stop by in the morning? I don't have a lot going on."
"Don't tell Daddy. Cause, he may just think I've lost it with this crazy idea, if he hasn't already."
"He told us about your drive from Denver. Where did you get the motor home? Stephanie, this is Carlos Manoso, Lester Santos, and Bobby Brown. They are part of the security for tomorrow?"
"Hello," shaking Carlos' hand. She giggled, "Are we being invaded?"
Instantly he felt his fingers tingle.
She turned back towards Joe, "What can I say, my father didn't like the idea of me driving us across the country with the girls. He did enjoy the big screen TV. I decorated a man's home so he gave me the motor home as payment. I have the title. Mom's a little jealous, it has a breakfast bar."
"Most of the police will be off-duty for the department recognition awards. Do you have your speech ready?"
"Can they keep Joe out?", nodding her head in Carlos direction. "Just kidding, Uncle Joe," rolling her eyes. "I was practicing on my way home from New York. I'm working off the top of my head."
"Mommy, icy cream."
"Good night, Gentlemen. Dessert's here. I'll see you tomorrow, Uncle Joe," kissing his cheek before following her daughter back to their booth.
"Mayor Juniak, if that's what your Trenton girls look like, I may have to consider working here more often," Lester said. He was of Spanish ancestry with skin lighter than his Boss. Short light brown hair with the look of a jokester mixed in.
"Don't let that beautiful face fool you. She's a spit fire. Stephanie almost got married right out of college. Two weeks before the wedding she caught her intended with an another woman. She flattened all their tires. How the compromising pictures of him and the woman on the dining room table ended up in the newspaper and the television station I could only guess, but he's never going to be the district attorney he wanted to be. The Joe she mentioned. They dated through high school. He pissed her off for some reason. After she got her driver's license, she accidentally clipped him with her father's Buick and broke his leg. They began dating again while she worked for a lingerie designer in New York. They had a big breakup in this parking lot. He's a cop. Left him in the parking lot with a bloody nose, butt naked, but threw his service revolver out as she drove away," laughing just thinking about her antics. "Now, she's living in a motor home at her parent's house. Only Stephanie would do something like that and it makes perfect sense. Trenton was never the same when she was gone."
"Spunk is good."
"Santos, she's way out of your league," Carlos chuckled. He could imagine her being a handful specially if she's mad. He saw it.
"Hey, Joe," the small pink hair woman with Stephanie greeted him.
"I heard you were in New York today, Edna."
"That sports car is a pip. I love that speed under my doodad."
The Mayor was chuckling, "Sounds like you had a good time."
"My Baby Granddaughter got me one of those fancy designer dresses for tomorrow from some designer guy. Even some of that fancy little designer under goodies to wear. Never know when a girl could get lucky." Edna kept going on never letting the Mayor get in another word. "Hey, you got to see that motor home out back! Never saw anything like it. I got to find me some lovin' so I can rock it off it's wheels. You got some hotties here," waving as she walked off to the bathroom.
Lester jumped, "She pinched my butt!"
"You got to watch Edna. She's the Hungarian part of Stephanie. They have gypsy blood in them."
Carlos looked at Stephanie putting on her jacket. She and her father traded car keys, then picked up her daughter. Before turning towards the door, her eyes caught his.
Driving her father's car home, Stephanie asked Edna, "Grandma, what do you think it means. Tonight, when we walked into Pino's I got a tingle up my spine, then again, but it was stronger when I was talking at the table Uncle Joe was at. When I shook the Spanish man's hand, my fingers tingled. I've gotten this tingle a few other times I noticed in the Miami airport."
"Sounds like your body is aware of his presence. Maybe, he's your soul mate. Have you ever had that feeling with The Dick, Joe, or Robert."
"No."
"Maybe, he's the one you are meant for."
"Grandma, I don't do well in that department."
"It could be your time, maybe your heart is ready."
