Undercurrents by Mary Anna Evans

Author:Mary Anna Evans [Evans, Mary Anna]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781464209338
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press, Inc.
Published: 2018-01-02T18:16:31+00:00

Faye stood in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel, surrounded by marble and bronze and the trappings of wealth, and she knew that she had made a mistake.

Standing just outside the doorway of Chez Philippe, the Peabody’s flagship restaurant, she lingered in the grand hotel’s lobby, surrounded by hundreds of tourists who weren’t even dressed as well as she was. In comparison with their touristy shorts and sneakers, Faye’s clothes might even be called upscale. This was not the case inside Chez Philippe, where there were children wearing shoes that cost more than she had paid for her wedding dress.

When they’d entered the hotel’s lobby from the street, a throng of people had blocked their view of the grand fountain rising in its center. Carved from a single block of granite, the fountain dominated the room, but she and Kali couldn’t see much but the towering mound of fresh flowers that topped it. Monumental chandeliers shone down on the fountain and its flower crown.

“What’s everybody looking at?” Kali had whispered, but Faye had said only, “Keep looking.”

Holding the child by the hand, Faye had snaked through the crowd and secured them a spot so close that they could feel the cool air rising off the fountain’s flowing water. This choice viewing spot had put them less than an arm’s-length from the five mallard ducks paddling nonchalantly in the fountain. Kali had nearly had a spasm when she saw them. Their soft feathers and bright beaks had been so unexpected amid the lobby’s opulence that Faye had almost joined the girl in jumping up and down, flapping her hands, and squealing. Among the overexcited tourists, Kali’s exuberance had blended right in. Above them, more tourists had leaned over the mezzanine’s railings to get a look at the Peabody’s famous ducks, swimming unperturbed among the tumult around them.

Kali had laughed every time they paddled their feet, rose out of the water and flapped their wings. She’d cooed over their broad yellow feet, slick and leathery. When they had quacked, she had quacked back.

Faye had hung back and let the girl entertain herself as long as possible, but she’d been lucky to land the last reservations of the day, and time was getting on. Dallying too long would cost them their tea at Chez Philippe. When she’d tugged Kali’s hand, the girl had given the ducks a final longing look, then she had followed, looking around for the door that had brought them in from South BB King Boulevard.

“I can’t wait to tell Uncle Laneer about those ducks. They were so cute! Did you take pictures?”

Faye nodded and said, “You’re not ready to go home yet, are you? I know where we can get a special meal before we go. Then maybe we can see the ducks again.”

Kali’s face had brightened. “And the river?”

“Yes. I promised you a river. A big one.”

Their trek across the lobby to Chez Philippe had been arduous. The lobby’s many tables, all occupied by tourists wearing shorts, fanny packs, and souvenir t-shirts, had stood in their way.

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