“Ayiyiyi, Maxie. Let the poor things sit down before you start badgering them,” said Juanita, who hadn’t gone to the trouble of hoisting her generous bottom from the chair on which it sat.
Before she could react, Teddy, along with Oscar, was ushered to the large, round table in a prime spot in the tea shop. In the center was a Scrabble board, obviously in mid-game. Along with Maxine and Juanita was another woman, probably in her sixties. She had round apple cheeks and cotton-candy-white hair in a modern style. Pleasingly plump and petite, she was dressed in a neat pale blue outfit and wore a large yellow diamond on her left ring finger.
“Sit down, sit down—mind you, now don’t bump the board. I’m kicking Juanita’s patootie right now, and I don’t want her using any excuse to call off the game.” Maxine grasped Oscar’s arm and yanked him unceremoniously into the chair next to hers, narrowly missing bumping him into the table.
“Maxine, you’re the only one who ever tries to cancel a game—when you aren’t winning.” Juanita looked up as Teddy took another empty seat at the table. Today, her nail polish was magenta, matching her bright lipstick (of which only remnants remained at the edges of her lips, likely due to the plate of half-finished scones in front of her). Her bright orange-red hair clashed furiously with the lip color and nail polish, but was offset a little by the dark blue eyeshadow she wore, which matched her paisley top.
The large leather bag with beady-eyed Bruce Banner in it sat on the deep-set window sill next to the table, likely so the little dog could have a good view of both interior and exterior. “You should see all the crafty ways Maxie tries to forfeit a game without actually forfeiting it,” Juanita explained.
“Lies,” Maxine said, pointing a dark, gnarled finger at her friend. “All lies.” But her eyes glinted with humor. “You missed my birthday party, Teddy Mack.Eighty-one, and I’m still as sharp as a tack. Worth celebrating, don’t you think?” Her question was more of an accusation.
“Oh,” Teddy said, genuinely confused. “I’m sorry. I’ve been working so hard on my book I didn’t realize—I don’t even think I knew about it. When was it?” She looked at Oscar for help, but he wasn’t doing anything but ping-ponging his attention between them. He looked as if he were afraid to open his mouth.
“Don’t worry about Maxine,” said the third woman, who’d been silent until now. “She just likes to fuss—and to get presents. The prettier the wrapping, the better. Anyway, I don’t think you were even in town for her birthday—which was back in June.” She smiled at Teddy, reminding her of a softer, less formal Queen Elizabeth II. “I’m Iva Bergstrom. It’s a pleasure to meet you—youareT.J. Mack, right? Declan’s cousin, the famous writer?”
“Of course that’s who she is. Why do you think I asked her to sit down? And her companion here.” Maxine sniffed and made a show of eyeballing Oscar. “What’s your name there, boy?”
“Maxine, Juanita, and Iva—I’d like you to meet my friend Dr. Oscar London,” Teddy said. “He’s a microbiologist who teaches and researches at Princeton.”
The tips of Oscar’s ears turned a little pink at her pompous announcement, but Teddy didn’t mind. She figured the best way to nip in the bud any commentary from Maxine was to come out with guns blazing.
And it worked.
“Princeton, you say?” Maxine asked with genuine interest. “Microbiology?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.
“Oscar brought his own lab with him,” Teddy added, casually tossing her housemate to the wolves. “He set it up in the keeper’s cottage. He even brought his own refrigeratoranda centrifuge. And what’s the other thing? Oh, a shaker.”
“You brought your own refrigerator?” Juanita exclaimed, her Hispanic accent particularly thick. “That’s a man who’s prepared. Ilikea man who’s prepared.” She gave him a very warm smile, and Teddy smothered one of her own.
“Stop flirting with the boy, Neety,” Maxine said. “You’ve had Melvin Horner in your sights for years now. He’s the town veterinarian,” she explained for the newcomers. “Too bad you can’t get him to put a ring on it like Iva here did.”
“Now, Maxine, I told you it’s only a gift, not an engagement—”
“What if I don’t want a ring?” Juanita shot back, cutting off Iva’s protest. “What if I just want to jump his bones whenever I want—then go back to myownhouse afterward?”
“Or better yet, do it at yours and kick him out after,” Maxine said with a nod. “That’s the way I always did it.”
“Exactly.” Juanita sniffed, and the two smiled at each other like the old friends they seemed to be. “Isn’t that what Cherry’s doing with that hot and sexy William Reckless?”
“He sure is ringing her bell,” Maxine said, shaking her head. “That man’s one long, tall, cold drink of water.”
Whatever might have come next was forestalled when Orbra elbowed her way into the conversation. She towered over them, all six-foot-plus of her, and offered menus to Teddy and Oscar. “All right, you three wildcats, let them alone so they can order. I can see poor Ms. Mack is—er, is it all right if I call you T.J.?”
“Call me Teddy. All my friends do, and that’s my real name,” Teddy said.
“Thank you, Teddy.” Orbra seemed particularly tickled by this. “Now, what can I get the two of you? It’s on the house today, so get whatever you like—you’ve given me so many hours of enjoyment, reading and listening to Sargent Blue and his adventures. I’m just honored you’re here. Maybe we could take a picture and I could frame it and hang it on the wall?”
“Of course,” Teddy replied, looking up from the menu. “I’ll be happy to sign it if you want.”
Orbra looked as if she might float away on cloud nine. “That’s very nice of you, T.J.—er, Teddy.”
“The scones are good today,” Maxine said—implying they weren’t always, and clearly needing to reinsert herself in the conversation. “She ain’t serving those lavender-blueberry ones she tried out on us one time. Thought I was gonna choke on ’em, even with the clotted cream to help ’em go down.”
“You ate three of them,” Juanita said, rolling her eyes. “And I thought they weredivine, Orbry. I do wish you’d make them again.”
Orbra turned a cool smile on her friend. “I happen to have a batch coming out of the oven in a few. I’ll make certain not to put any of them onyourplate, Maxie.” She gave Teddy an arch smile as Maxine sputtered. “What kind of tea would you like, dearie? I’ve got a lovely zhen vin pearls white tea that’s delicate enough for summer, but has a bit of a caffeine kick. The gunpowder green is very smooth, if a bit grassy if you like that style. Or if you want herbal, there’s a cherry-mint blend I’m trying out that seems to be going well. Blended with rooibos leaves.”
