“Fair warning…Yvonne is basically blaming your food.” Elvira snapped her fingers. “Seeing how cleanup is out of the way, I would like to show Luigi and Dernice my engagement / wedding gift. It’s over at my place.”
“You got us a gift?” Dernice playfully pressed her palm against her sister’s forehead. “Are you feeling okay?”
Elvira pushed her hand away. “You won’t be laughing when I show it to you.”
“I’m curious,” Carlita said. “How big is it?”
“Bigger than a breadbox.”
“And smaller than?” Mercedes joked.
“Planet earth.”
On her way out, Carlita swung by the kitchen to let Arnie know they were leaving. She updated him on Sonny’s condition. “It looks as if he’s going to be all right.”
“What about the other person, the woman?”
“Yvonne? She left, claiming she was feeling better. I still want to keep the food separated in case there is an issue. Thank you for all your help.”
“Other than the people getting sick, it turned out to be a great party,” Arnie said. “I’m happy for Luigi and Dernice.”
“Me too.”
Elvira appeared. “Are you coming with us?”
“I am.” Carlita grabbed her purse and jacket and caught up with the others who stood waiting for her in the back alley.
Elvira unlocked her back door and ushered them inside. “We’re going upstairs.”
Dernice wrinkled her nose. “Our gift was so big you had to hide it upstairs?”
“Sort of.” Elvira flipped the light switch and led them up to the second floor landing. “This.”
“Is what?” Dernice squeezed in next to her.
“Your engagement / wedding gift.”
“An empty upstairs?” Luigi laughed.
Elvira tapped her foot on the floor. “An apartment.”
“Hang on.” Pete held up his hand. “I think what Elvira, in a very roundabout way, is trying to say is that she’s putting in an apartment and giving it to Luigi and Dernice.”
“Hold your horses.” Elvira made a chopping motion with her hands. “I never used the word ‘give.’ I said I had their engagement / wedding gift.”
“You plan to finish the upstairs by turning it into usable space and then rent it to them,” Carlita said. “There…I fixed it for you.”
“At a discounted monthly rental rate?” Dernice pressed her palms together, giving her sister a pointed stare.
Elvira’s eyes slid to the side. “I’m gonna have some steep renovation expenses.”
“You’re a trip.” Her sister shook her head in disgust. “There’s always an angle with you.”
“Always,” Carlita echoed.
Elvira frowned. “I thought you would be excited.”
“I was until I realized you plan to charge us full price,” Dernice sighed.
