“I’m checking to see if any of these windows are open.”
“I’m afraid to ask why.”
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to climb in and steal the curtains.”
“Exactly how much did you have to drink?”
“Enough to make me think this is a really good idea. Are you with me?”
Before he answered, I found what I was looking for in the rear of the building. “Look at that window up there—it’s only got a screen. I can easily knock it out. I’m good at that—I’ve had practice.”
“Lori, this is a really dumb idea. Come on, let’s go back to the bar.”
“You go ahead. I should be able to climb on that dumpster and jump down into the kitchen.”
“How will you get back out?”
“I don’t know, but I’m sure I’ll figure something out.”
He looked at me for a second and said, “Okay, come on, let’s do this.”
“You’re in?
“I’m not sure why, but yes, I’m in.”
“Okay, then I need you to boost me up so I can reach the window.”
I kicked off my black kitten-heeled mules and stepped onto Teddy’s cradled hands. I braced one hand on his head, the other on his shoulder. He lifted me and I was able to push the screen into the diner. I heard a dull thud.
“Can you climb in?” Teddy asked.
“I’m not strong enough to pull myself up. Move closer to the wall so I can step onto your shoulders.”
As Teddy maneuvered us, my skirt hiked up over my hips. “I’m not properly dressed for burglarizing.”
“Clearly this break-in was not premeditated. You can use that in your defense if we get caught.”
I’d already committed the breaking and was about to do the entering. I managed to heave my butt onto the windowsill and from there I threw my legs over and into the diner’s kitchen. Easing myself onto the butcher-block table below the window, I jumped down onto the floor, pushed through the kitchen door, and stood in the middle of the diner. There was light streaming in from the lamppost in front of the restaurant.
I stepped onto the red vinyl seat of the booth I’d shared with Gilda. My heart was racing and my hands were shaking, but I managed to detach the rod from the hooks and slide the curtains off. I ran across the room and did the same thing in the opposite booth. For some reason it made sense to keep the diner aesthetically balanced. With both sets of curtains rolled up under my arm, I calmly walked back through the double doors into the kitchen and sat on the butcher-block table. I called out as I stood up, “Teddy, are you still out there?”
“Of course, I am. Did you think I was going to leave you stranded inside?”
I couldn’t lift myself up high enough from the table. I looked around the kitchen and found a box of potatoes. I heaved it onto the counter and was able to climb back out by stepping onto Teddy’s shoulders and shimmied my way down so that he was carrying me piggyback. He walked over to a car and sat on the trunk so that I could easily slide off him.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe what I did. Stealing curtains because I almost burned down a building.” I nervously giggled. “What has my life come to?”
“Well, I don’t know about that, but I haven’t gotten into this kind of mischief in forever. I feel like one of those twenty-somethings I reprimand for doing stupid things like breaking intodiners. Let’s head back before people start wondering where we are. Where’s your car so we can stash the evidence?”
I looked around, trying to get my bearings. “It’s over there.”
I unlocked my trunk and Teddy tossed the curtains in. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a shiny white bag with a red rose on it. I picked it up, looked inside and said, “I have another idea. I’ll need your help again.”
“Now what?”
“Come back with me to the diner. I want to hang these curtains.”
“Why?”
