Sunset Shadows -- 2
Date: 7/26/98
From: DSRules

{I can't believe what my mother just told me,} Maria thought as she stared blankly at her menu. {Of course I believe it. When has she ever been wrong about one of her predictions? But Ben --? I'll never believe that Ben is capable of something like that.}

"Earth to Maria," Annie called, finally wrenching Maria's attention away from her mother's latest prediction.

"What will you have, Maria?" Elaine asked.

"Just a salad. I'm not feeling very hungry today."

After the proprietress of the Waffle Shop noted the order, she turned to Annie. "And you?"

"Ummm. . . I think I'll have the BLT with extra mayo and fries."

Elaine wrote down Annie's order. After she left the table, Maria said, "I wish I knew why she doesn't like me."

Elaine's 18 year old daughter, Paula, who was waiting on the next table, overheard the comment and replied, "It's not you. She doesn't like Ricardo. He reminds her of my father."

"Well, I guess Elaine's not going to be too pleased with me, then."

"Why not?"

"Because Ricardo is meeting us here for lunch."

"He is?" Paula positively bristled with excitement. Unfortunately, Ricardo still saw her as Elaine's daughter, the little girl. Paula was determined that Ricardo learn to see her as a big girl.

After Paula went upstairs to freshen up her makeup, the two friends went back to talking. "A BLT with extra mayo! I don't know how you can eat like that, Annie."

"I get lots of exercise," the redhead replied.

"So, what's your father doing for your college graduation party?"

"More like {who} is he doing," Annie replied. "He'll probably bring his bimbo-of-the-month with him."

"If it isn't my two favorite ladies!" Ricardo said, smoothly, as he reached the table.

"Ricardo!" Maria stood up and hugged her elder brother. As she was doing so, she saw the man standing behind him and tensed up.

"I asked you to meet me for lunch because I have a new partner. He's new in town, and so I'm introducing him around. Maria, I want you to meet Eddie Connors."

The blue-eyed man behind Ricardo stepped forward, extending his right hand. "I'm very pleased to meet you."

Maria hesitated before taking his hand -- just long enough for Annie to insinuate herself between the two and take his hand instead. "Hi! I'm Annie Douglas," she said, looking him up and down in an obviously appreciative way.

It was evident that Eddie felt the same way about her. "Nice to meet you, too."

{No!} Maria screamed internally. {Annie getting involved with him is absolutely the *last* thing I need!} She forced herself to calm down. {I'm sure she'll use precautions. . . . I think. Well, I hope she will. I'd better see if I can talk them out of getting involved.}

* * * * *

"Of course I'm coming to Annie's graduation party, Del. I wouldn't miss it for the world," Bette said into the receiver of the phone. Then she covered the mouthpiece with her hand, "Mark, no. I said, NO. Put that DOWN." She spoke into the receiver again. "Can you hold on for a moment?"

She put the phone down and walked over to her young charge. "Mark, that's Uncle Enrique. We don't want to spill Uncle Enrique all over the floor, now, do we?"

She gently took the urn from his hands, and picked Mark up. "I swear, you get heavier by the minute."

She carried Mark back over to the phone and held him on her lap as she returned to her conversation with her brother, "I just don't see why I can't bring Elaine with me. Olivia's going to be there, and I don't think that the three of us could be any worse than just the two of us."

"Now, Bette," Del drawled in his Texas accent, "you know very well why I don't want to see Elaine."

Mark started to fidget. "Look, Del. It's not worth fighting over. I won't bring Elaine to the party if you don't want me to. But now, I've gotta run. I've got other things I've got to do."

Bette hung up the phone and looked speculatively at her young charge as he squirmed in her grasp. {I wonder if this means he's going through another growth spurt?}

* * * * *

The Englishman addressed the back of the chair that was facing him. "Everything is going according to schedule," he said with a smirk.

"Wonderful!"

"I was just wondering -- when he gets big enough to need it, where shall we put the room?"

"Where did you have in mind?"

"Well, since you have such a nice, big house here. . ."

"No. Absolutely not." The man spun around to face his minion. "If we put it here, Olivia could find it, or Caitlin, or Sean, and I'd have one Hell of a time convincing them that nothing's going on."