When she returned, Matt opened the car door and waited for her to get inside. Instead, she looked at him as if he had grown a second head. He was used to getting a variety of looks from people, but this one was a first. “Is something wrong?”
“No, everything’s fine. Why?”
“You look a little concerned.” Although not accurate, it sounded better than “you’re looking at me as if I’ve grown a second head.”
Liv shook her head as she tucked some hair behind her ear. “Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind today.”
If you say so.
They both remained silent as he pulled away from the curb and headed north.
“How many people are they expecting at the party tonight?” Matt asked when it became apparent that Liv wasn’t going to start a conversation.
“They ordered food for twenty-five, but the guest list might be smaller. It’s not unusual for clients to order a little extra just in case. Then they take any leftovers home.”
It sounded like a small party, but then again, they were talking about Orchard Harbor, not Portland or Boston. At least he assumed the party was for a resident of Orchard Harbor since it was being held at the VFW in town.
“Who’s the party for?” Matt doubted he knew the guest of honor, but it seemed like an appropriate next question.
“Irene Carr. She’s worked as the director of the parks and rec department for thirty years.”
Not only didn’t he recognize the name, but he’d never known the town had a parks and rec department.
“Her husband was a high school science teacher. I had him for chemistry and physics. He retired two or three years ago.”
Maybe if he put some serious thought into it, he’d be able to recall the name of a teacher from high school, but he doubted it.
Matt turned left at the intersection and stopped so two middle-school-age kids could cross the road on their bikes.
“Is that the typical size event you cater?”
“So far, our largest event was a fiftieth wedding anniversary with one hundred guests. But we have two—actually, after this afternoon, three—events this summer with more than one hundred guests. Two are in July, and the other is in August.”
“How many events do you typically do in a month?”
Liv considered his question before answering. “It varies. We were doing one or two events every weekend until about New Year’s. Things slowed down in January and February. But since about the middle of March, things have picked back up again. I think we’ve only had one weekend in the past six weeks with only one event booked.”
Ocean View Catering sounded busier than he’d expected, considering its location.
The sound of an oven timer erupted from Liv’s purse, and she pulled out her phone. Matt glanced over in time to see her frown and then type a message.
“The events we do aren’t always in town,” Liv said, as if reading his mind. “The closest catering company is about forty miles away, so we get business from all the neighboring towns.”
“Is tonight’s party your only event this weekend?”
“No. We have another one tomorrow,” Liv replied as the sound of an oven timer once again filled the car. Something between a sigh and a groan soon followed.
“Is everything okay?” Matt asked as he turned and drove down the long driveway to his house.
“Bad news seems to be the theme of the week. Marissa was supposed to help me tonight. She just sent me a text letting me know she tested positive for strep this afternoon.”
He had no plans for the evening. “I’m free to help.”
“I appreciate the offer, Matt. Really, I do, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’ll find someone to fill in for her.”
Matt was prepared to argue his case but then reconsidered. She was probably right. If word got out that he was doing whatever Liv needed help with, fans might descend on the place and ruin the evening for the guest of honor.
“Well, if you change your mind, call me.” He gave Liv his phone number, something few people had, as he opened the garage door. “Do you want to come in, or are you in a rush?”
