gagengirl entertainment
Solvang
Part 2
“So, what are your plans for today?”
“I’ll head over and talk to Avianna.”
Pablo looked at me with an unasked question on his face.
I guessed at the question. “After I get the kids to school, of course.” I checked the time and yelled for them again. “Rafe! Etta! You’ve got five minutes if you want breakfast.”
He shook his head. “Is there a reason you’re heading over to talk to Avianna?”
“It sounds like she was the last person to see Chef.”
“Oh. You were serious about that?” He popped a powdered sugar donut into his mouth.
“Of course I was.”
Etta came into the kitchen, still in her Frozen pajamas. “What’s for breakfast?”
Pablo picked up the bag of powdered sugar donuts and placed them in front of her on the breakfast bar. “Donuts if you want them. Or cereal.”
She smiled and slid onto a stool. “I’ll take donuts.”
“Etta, is there a reason you’re not dressed for school?”
“It’s purple shirt day and I can’t find mine.”
I closed my eyes and tried to think of where I last saw it. “Did you look in your third drawer?”
“No. Why would it be there? I didn’t fold it.”
“I know. I did. And I put clothes in your drawers. That’s what they are for.”
She shrugged, popping a donut in her mouth.
I shook my head and tried to focus on putting lunches together. “Do you want cottage cheese again?” I glanced over to see her nod her head. I turned to Pablo. “Can you pour milk?”
“Got it.” He turned around and pulled glasses out of the kitchen cabinet.
As Etta finished her breakfast, Rafe entered the kitchen. He noticed his sister was still in her pajamas. “Why do you get to stay home?”
“Because I’m the favorite.”
I started to intervene, but Pablo handled it for me. “She’s running late, like you are. Etta, go get dressed. Rafe, why don’t you sit down and eat while you still can.”
Etta nodded and left to get dressed.
“What’s for lunch?” Rafe asked before popping a donut in his mouth.
“Bologna and ketchup sandwich.” I slid his sandwich into his lunch bag with a bag of baby carrots and a bag of grapes. Then, I turned around and noticed what he was wearing - denim shorts and a Wreck-It Ralph t-shirt. “No.”
“What?”
“You can’t wear that to school. You need to change.”
“Come on, mom…”
I shook my head. “You’re not on vacation. You’re going to school. No fun t-shirts.”
He sighed, popping another donut in his mouth and taking one with him.
After he had left the room to change, Pablo turned to me. “The school doesn’t allow that?”
“I don’t allow that and he knows it. He needs to take school seriously…”
“Remember what I said last night about how I choose to pick my battles?”
I shook my head at him. “This is my battle. I’d like you to back me up.”
He took my hand and pulled me into his arms. “I’ll always have your back. You know that, don’t you?”
I sighed, briefly resting my head against him. “And I have yours. That’s why I’ll look for Chef.”
He smiled at me. “Thank you. But don’t be surprised if…”
Etta’s arrival interrupted us. “Does this look okay?”
I turned around to see her wearing her purple shirt with a khaki skirt. She had her long strawberry blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. “It looks fine. Don’t forget you have gymnastics this evening.”
She nodded. “I know. That’s why I felt like the skirt today.” She slid her backpack onto her back and dropped her gymnastics bag on a bar stool. “Can you please bring my bag when you pick me up?”
“I can.”
Rafe came in a few seconds later, changed into a red shirt.
Etta laughed. “I knew she’d make you change.”
“That’s enough.” I glanced at my watch as I pulled away from Pablo. “Let’s get moving. Grab your lunches and meet me at the car.”
After I dropped the kids off at school, I returned home for a shower and clean clothes. A day of “investigating” called for something more than the sweats I seemed to live in. It was also a wake-up call that I’d gained a few more pounds. Hoping my jeans would loosen up, I picked a loose green v-neck tee. It helped hide my muffin top.
It was a short drive to Avianna’s small house on Village Lane. I was showing up unannounced, so there was a possibility I’d catch Chef in his hiding spot.
She was surprised to see me on her doorstep. Still in an old gray robe, Avianna Warner opened her front door and pulled me inside. “Felicia? What are you doing here?”
“I’m looking for Chef. You’re the last one to see him.”
She bit her lip and led me over to her rusty red twill couch. “I’m not sure that’s true.”
Her reaction surprised me. She was nervous. “Avianna? What’s going on?”
She sat down and pulled at the left sleeve of her robe. “I didn’t want to get Chef into trouble.”
“Is he in trouble?” I sat down next to her. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since last week. He stopped returning my phone calls. I…”
“Avianna, why did you tell the police that you’ve seen him?”
“How do you know I did that?”
I shook my head at her. “Because Pablo filed a missing persons report. He’s worried about him.” It was true, even if it was mostly to find the menu for the wedding.
“I didn’t want him to get caught because of me.”
“So you’d rather get yourself arrested for lying to the police?”
“I thought they were looking for him for something else. I didn’t know that they were just looking for him.” She brushed a few blonde strands out of her face. “Should I go to them and change my story?”
I shook my head again, not sure what to tell her. “If you want to be in trouble too, go ahead and do that.”
Avianna took a deep breath and let it out. She was obviously worried about him. “What do we do?”
“Well…” I was about to tell her about my plan to find him, but her phone rang. She darted across the room for it.
While she was distracted, I stood to make certain she wasn’t lying. I scanned the room for any sign of Chef but found none. It was just the home of a busy young woman and her dog. Dog toys littered the living room floor, making a path from the kitchen to the front door. She had a stack of magazines on the coffee table, next to an empty vase and three Guardians of the Galaxy bobbleheads. I was trying to remember the characters when she turned off her phone.
“Felicia?”
“Was it Chef?”
“No. It was the shop. I have a cake tasting this morning, so I have to get ready for work.” She saw what I was looking at. “Rocket, Groot, and Gamora.”
I nodded, not really caring. “About Chef…”
“Forget I said anything.”
“I can’t. I won’t say anything about you lying to the police, but I’m more determined now to find him.”
“What makes you think you can find him?”
I crossed my arms, a bit aggravated by her attitude. “What makes you think I can’t?”
“If he doesn’t want to be found…”
“You think he’s hiding?”
She nodded. “I came home last Friday and found Soufflé and a note asking me to take care of her.”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek, considering that. Soufflé was his rescued Pug. Avianna had given him the dog last year for his birthday. Chef loved that dog. He went everywhere with her, except to work.
“Do you still have the note?” She nodded. “Can I see it?”
Avianna shrugged. She stepped over to the coffee table and dug the note out from underneath the magazines before handing it to me.
I took the note and read it -
Avi,
Please watch Soufflé for me. I won’t be home for a few days and I can’t leave her alone. I trust you with her and she loves you.
I do, too.
B-
“This was from Friday? Any idea when on Friday?”
“I left for work early. So, it could have been anytime after six and before four. I was home by four so that I could change before delivering a cake.”
I considered that. Chef had been at work on Friday, but hadn’t been seen since. He must have dropped Soufflé off before heading into The Elskede. That meant that his co-workers were the last to see him.
“What is it?”
I shrugged. “Well, I guess I need to drop by The Elskede. If that’s the last place he was seen, I should head there next.”
“If you find him…”
I forced a smile. “When I find him.”
She returned the smile. “When, right. When you find him, you can tell him that “I do, too” isn’t the right way to tell me he loves me. We’ve been dating for four years and I’m trying to be patient. But I seriously think he loves Soufflé more than me.”
I kept my mouth shut, not sure how to respond. I never had to wait long to get a ring. Pablo had proposed after two months. And I’d been engaged once before that, after dating for a year. And I’d turned down a ring before that, when the moron proposed at my parents’ funeral.
I shook my head to prevent my thoughts from heading down that road. This wasn’t the time for a pity party. It had been almost fifteen years since the car accident. I had to focus.
Chef was missing. If he was hiding, where was he?
gagengirl entertainment
Solvang
Part 2
“So, what are your plans for today?”
“I’ll head over and talk to Avianna.”
Pablo looked at me with an unasked question on his face.
I guessed at the question. “After I get the kids to school, of course.” I checked the time and yelled for them again. “Rafe! Etta! You’ve got five minutes if you want breakfast.”
He shook his head. “Is there a reason you’re heading over to talk to Avianna?”
“It sounds like she was the last person to see Chef.”
“Oh. You were serious about that?” He popped a powdered sugar donut into his mouth.
“Of course I was.”
Etta came into the kitchen, still in her Frozen pajamas. “What’s for breakfast?”
Pablo picked up the bag of powdered sugar donuts and placed them in front of her on the breakfast bar. “Donuts if you want them. Or cereal.”
She smiled and slid onto a stool. “I’ll take donuts.”
“Etta, is there a reason you’re not dressed for school?”
“It’s purple shirt day and I can’t find mine.”
I closed my eyes and tried to think of where I last saw it. “Did you look in your third drawer?”
“No. Why would it be there? I didn’t fold it.”
“I know. I did. And I put clothes in your drawers. That’s what they are for.”
She shrugged, popping a donut in her mouth.
I shook my head and tried to focus on putting lunches together. “Do you want cottage cheese again?” I glanced over to see her nod her head. I turned to Pablo. “Can you pour milk?”
“Got it.” He turned around and pulled glasses out of the kitchen cabinet.
As Etta finished her breakfast, Rafe entered the kitchen. He noticed his sister was still in her pajamas. “Why do you get to stay home?”
“Because I’m the favorite.”
I started to intervene, but Pablo handled it for me. “She’s running late, like you are. Etta, go get dressed. Rafe, why don’t you sit down and eat while you still can.”
Etta nodded and left to get dressed.
“What’s for lunch?” Rafe asked before popping a donut in his mouth.
“Bologna and ketchup sandwich.” I slid his sandwich into his lunch bag with a bag of baby carrots and a bag of grapes. Then, I turned around and noticed what he was wearing - denim shorts and a Wreck-It Ralph t-shirt. “No.”
“What?”
“You can’t wear that to school. You need to change.”
“Come on, mom…”
I shook my head. “You’re not on vacation. You’re going to school. No fun t-shirts.”
He sighed, popping another donut in his mouth and taking one with him.
After he had left the room to change, Pablo turned to me. “The school doesn’t allow that?”
“I don’t allow that and he knows it. He needs to take school seriously…”
“Remember what I said last night about how I choose to pick my battles?”
I shook my head at him. “This is my battle. I’d like you to back me up.”
He took my hand and pulled me into his arms. “I’ll always have your back. You know that, don’t you?”
I sighed, briefly resting my head against him. “And I have yours. That’s why I’ll look for Chef.”
He smiled at me. “Thank you. But don’t be surprised if…”
Etta’s arrival interrupted us. “Does this look okay?”
I turned around to see her wearing her purple shirt with a khaki skirt. She had her long strawberry blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. “It looks fine. Don’t forget you have gymnastics this evening.”
She nodded. “I know. That’s why I felt like the skirt today.” She slid her backpack onto her back and dropped her gymnastics bag on a bar stool. “Can you please bring my bag when you pick me up?”
“I can.”
Rafe came in a few seconds later, changed into a red shirt.
Etta laughed. “I knew she’d make you change.”
“That’s enough.” I glanced at my watch as I pulled away from Pablo. “Let’s get moving. Grab your lunches and meet me at the car.”
After I dropped the kids off at school, I returned home for a shower and clean clothes. A day of “investigating” called for something more than the sweats I seemed to live in. It was also a wake-up call that I’d gained a few more pounds. Hoping my jeans would loosen up, I picked a loose green v-neck tee. It helped hide my muffin top.
It was a short drive to Avianna’s small house on Village Lane. I was showing up unannounced, so there was a possibility I’d catch Chef in his hiding spot.
She was surprised to see me on her doorstep. Still in an old gray robe, Avianna Warner opened her front door and pulled me inside. “Felicia? What are you doing here?”
“I’m looking for Chef. You’re the last one to see him.”
She bit her lip and led me over to her rusty red twill couch. “I’m not sure that’s true.”
Her reaction surprised me. She was nervous. “Avianna? What’s going on?”
She sat down and pulled at the left sleeve of her robe. “I didn’t want to get Chef into trouble.”
“Is he in trouble?” I sat down next to her. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since last week. He stopped returning my phone calls. I…”
“Avianna, why did you tell the police that you’ve seen him?”
“How do you know I did that?”
I shook my head at her. “Because Pablo filed a missing persons report. He’s worried about him.” It was true, even if it was mostly to find the menu for the wedding.
“I didn’t want him to get caught because of me.”
“So you’d rather get yourself arrested for lying to the police?”
“I thought they were looking for him for something else. I didn’t know that they were just looking for him.” She brushed a few blonde strands out of her face. “Should I go to them and change my story?”
I shook my head again, not sure what to tell her. “If you want to be in trouble too, go ahead and do that.”
Avianna took a deep breath and let it out. She was obviously worried about him. “What do we do?”
“Well…” I was about to tell her about my plan to find him, but her phone rang. She darted across the room for it.
While she was distracted, I stood to make certain she wasn’t lying. I scanned the room for any sign of Chef but found none. It was just the home of a busy young woman and her dog. Dog toys littered the living room floor, making a path from the kitchen to the front door. She had a stack of magazines on the coffee table, next to an empty vase and three Guardians of the Galaxy bobbleheads. I was trying to remember the characters when she turned off her phone.
“Felicia?”
“Was it Chef?”
“No. It was the shop. I have a cake tasting this morning, so I have to get ready for work.” She saw what I was looking at. “Rocket, Groot, and Gamora.”
I nodded, not really caring. “About Chef…”
“Forget I said anything.”
“I can’t. I won’t say anything about you lying to the police, but I’m more determined now to find him.”
“What makes you think you can find him?”
I crossed my arms, a bit aggravated by her attitude. “What makes you think I can’t?”
“If he doesn’t want to be found…”
“You think he’s hiding?”
She nodded. “I came home last Friday and found Soufflé and a note asking me to take care of her.”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek, considering that. Soufflé was his rescued Pug. Avianna had given him the dog last year for his birthday. Chef loved that dog. He went everywhere with her, except to work.
“Do you still have the note?” She nodded. “Can I see it?”
Avianna shrugged. She stepped over to the coffee table and dug the note out from underneath the magazines before handing it to me.
I took the note and read it -
Avi,
Please watch Soufflé for me. I won’t be home for a few days and I can’t leave her alone. I trust you with her and she loves you.
I do, too.
B-
“This was from Friday? Any idea when on Friday?”
“I left for work early. So, it could have been anytime after six and before four. I was home by four so that I could change before delivering a cake.”
I considered that. Chef had been at work on Friday, but hadn’t been seen since. He must have dropped Soufflé off before heading into The Elskede. That meant that his co-workers were the last to see him.
“What is it?”
I shrugged. “Well, I guess I need to drop by The Elskede. If that’s the last place he was seen, I should head there next.”
“If you find him…”
I forced a smile. “When I find him.”
She returned the smile. “When, right. When you find him, you can tell him that “I do, too” isn’t the right way to tell me he loves me. We’ve been dating for four years and I’m trying to be patient. But I seriously think he loves Soufflé more than me.”
I kept my mouth shut, not sure how to respond. I never had to wait long to get a ring. Pablo had proposed after two months. And I’d been engaged once before that, after dating for a year. And I’d turned down a ring before that, when the moron proposed at my parents’ funeral.
I shook my head to prevent my thoughts from heading down that road. This wasn’t the time for a pity party. It had been almost fifteen years since the car accident. I had to focus.
Chef was missing. If he was hiding, where was he?