“Elvira helped with the list. Therefore, I believe she has some responsibility to ensure this party goes off smoothly without us having to call the cops.”
“I already told you my security services team will make sure nothing bad goes down.” Elvira grasped her sister’s arm and propelled her toward the door. “You have nothing to worry about.”
The siblings exited the bathroom. Carlita watched them go, briefly closing her eyes as the uneasy feeling that she was standing on the precipice of disaster returned full force. If they made it through this party incident-free, it would be a miracle.
Chapter 4
“We ran out of meatballs.” Carlita grabbed the empty serving dish and trekked toward the kitchen. “I figured the first thing to go would be the manicotti.”
“Your creamy Alfredo is gone too.” Mercedes hustled to keep up with her mother’s quick steps.
Arnie circled the prep station. “They polished off the rest of the meatballs? Nothing wrong with a party filled with hearty appetites.”
“We have some good eaters, for sure.” Carlita set the tray on the counter, noticing that the kitchen was empty. “Where is everyone?”
“I figured we could start cleaning up soon and now would be a good time for the workers to take their break.”
Carlita glanced at her watch. “Sounds like a plan. We can remove the entrees and maybe leave a small table with a few snacks. I see we still have plenty of bruschetta. We’ll leave what’s left along with the red velvet cake.”
“I was thinkin’ the same.”
The door swung open. A guest appeared, abruptly stopping when he realized he was in the kitchen. “Which way to the restroom?”
“Back up about ten steps and take a right,” Mercedes said.
“Thanks.” The man disappeared.
“That’s the fourth person who has gotten lost,” Arnie said. “I think it’s time to replace the bathroom sign.”
“I agree,” Mercedes said. “At least once a day a customer stops me, looking for the restroom. Maybe if we add strobe lights it will stand out.”
“I’ll work on finding a new sign.” Carlita made a mental note to track down a more prominent sign and returned to the main dining room. She hosted the trivia, all about the couple, and awarded the prize to Elvira, who answered almost all the questions correctly.
Despite her fear the biker group would cause trouble, all the couple’s friends appeared mellow and to be enjoying themselves.
All too soon, the first guest said their goodbyes, thanking Carlita before leaving. With the party on the downhill swing, she started gathering up the gifts and carrying them to the bench near the exit.
Turning back around, she nearly collided with Elvira, who came barreling through the doorway, an unreadable expression on her face. “We have an issue. It’s Sonny.”
“What about him?”
“He’s slumped over on the bathroom floor, complaining about not feeling well.”
“How do you know…” Carlita waved dismissively. “Forget I asked. I don’t want to know how you came across this information.”
“I haven’t been in the men’s restroom,” Elvira indignantly replied. “One of my employees told me about it.”
“I’ll have someone check on him.” Carlita tracked down Tony, who stood talking to Luigi. “Elvira said a guest is on the floor in the bathroom, claiming he’s not feeling well. Can you go see if he’s still in there?”
“Jerry, one of my friends, is a paramedic. I’ll have him check on the guy.” Luigi, with Tony by his side, hurried off.
After they left, Carlita finished moving the gifts to the front. Concerned Tony and Luigi hadn’t returned with an update she hurried to the hallway where the restrooms were located.
Elvira and Dernice stood nearby, talking in low voices.
“How is Sonny?”
“We don’t know. Tony, Luigi and Jerry haven’t come out.”
