“I promise not to wake you up in the morning,” said Hazel.“Now, let’s see what food my mother sent.”
Hazel unloaded frozen containers of gumbo, crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice, a box of pralines, and even a box of well-packaged beignets.
“Let’s skip the chicken.I’ll make us some rice, and we can choose what New Orleans food we want for dinner,” said Hazel.
“That sounds both delicious and easy,” said Elliott, taking another bottle of beer out of the refrigerator.“One of these nights I’ll make you some barbequed shrimp.”
“I think I’m in heaven with all this delicious food,” said Hazel, gazing at the packages of food he’d brought.
###
After dinner of rice and crawfish etouffee, Hazel quickly cleaned up.After seeing that Elliott was comfortable for the night, she went into her bedroom to read.She found reading was the best way for her to fall asleep, and she didn’t want to be late in the morning.
Sometime in the night, she heard a noise coming from the guestroom and reminded herself it was just Elliott.Soon it was quiet, and when she opened her eyes, it was morning.
Quietly, Hazel got out of bed and dressed for tennis practice with Jed.The practices had become very important to her for several reasons.Her appearance meant that Jed could trust her to keep her word and her interest in him.Having Mike back that up from time to time with his presence was priceless.
When Hazel walked into the kitchen, she was surprised to see Elliott sitting at the table.
“You’re up early,” she said.“Couldn’t sleep?”
“A couple of different kinds of birds were singing, and in the quiet, they woke me up.But it’s all good.I’ll relax around here today and take a couple of naps.”
“If you feel up to it, we can have dinner at Jake’s, the place where I hang out with my friends.It’ll be an enjoyable way for you to meet some other people,” said Hazel.
“Okay.Sounds good.You’re off to tennis?”
“Yes, and then I’ll go right into my office.While you’re here, I’ll try to take some time off so we can do some things together.”
“Don’t let me interfere.Your mother says you have a boyfriend here,” said Elliott.
Hazel groaned and gave him a helpless look.“Not really.It’s something that slipped out while I was trying to get her off my back about you.”
He winked at her.“You can introduce him to me.”
She laughed.“ ‘Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.’”
“Oh, yes,” he said, and Hazel caught bitterness in his tone of voice.
###
When Hazel rushed to the tennis court to meet Jed, he wasn’t there.She checked her watch.Usually, he came a few minutes early, and today she was a little late.
Frowning, she took a seat on the bench to wait for him.
After fifteen minutes had gone by, Hazel tried Lisa’s number, but Jed’s foster mother didn’t answer.
Hazel decided to go to the house to see why Jed hadn’t come.
Concerned, she swiftly walked the block and a half to Lisa’s house.Before she even climbed the front porch steps, she heard crying children.
Worried, she walked to the front door and rang the bell.
Jed answered the door carrying the youngest while a toddler followed behind.
“Hi, Jed.What’s going on?”Hazel asked, seeing the frantic look on his face.
“Lisa is sick in bed.I need to stay here,” Jed said.
