"I had a feeling she might be. You look just like her."
"I wish," I said, and he laughed.
He was a tall man, about two inches or so taller than Daddy had been. His hair was thick but completely gray and cut stylishly. He had a narrow jaw but a strong, firm mouth and a nearly perfect nose. I saw he wore a beautiful gold pinky ring with a triangular diamond at the center. His Rolex watch had a band of gold that matched the gold of his ring,
"Like it?" he asked. seeing I was eyeing the watch. He held his wrist up so I could get a better look. "I just bought it this morning. I've never owned a Rolex before, I'm rarely extravagant when it comes to myself. I'd much rather spend my money on pretty ladies," he added with a demure smile.
"Oh. I see you have met my daughter," Mommy said, coming up behind me.
Winston Montgomery rose from his seat and gave a gentle bow. "I have indeed," he said. "I would have known her anywhere, Jackie Lee. She has inherited your best qualities."
"Thank you," Mommy said. blushing. I had never seen her like this. She was standing there with her eyes twinkling like a teenager's.
"I'd better get back to the front," I said sharply, and walked away.
When I looked back I saw Mommy standing beside him and looking down at him as if he was a movie star. Actually he was looking up at her the same way. It gave me a very funny feeling, a feeling of surprise but annoyance as well.
Winston Montgomery took hours to dine. He seemed content with simply sitting there watching Mommy move about the restaurant. I noticed that every chance she had she paused to speak with him at his table. Whenever I brought someone new into the dining area, he smiled and nodded at me.
Finally Dallas noticed how I was studying him and watching every move Mommy made around him.
-Do you know who that man is?" she asked.
"I know his name. Winston Montgomery," I said.
"He has an estate in Palm Beach. He's very, very wealthy. Grace. His family had major interests in pharmaceuticals. He's mostly retired now. I understand, Recently he lost his wife. They had no children." she added, raising her eyebrows. "There's no one immediate to inherit all that money."
I looked his way again. Mommy was serving a table nearby, but her eyes were catching his so often she nearly dropped a plate in someone's lap.
"How old is he?" I asked. He was good-lookng, but the lines in his face and his gray hair made me think he was very old.
"Only in his sixties," Dallas said. laughing. "These days," she whispered. "older men are better catches, especially older men with money. Oh, hello." she said to a couple who had just entered the restaurant.
I digested what she had said and looked again at Mommy and Winston Montgomery. She can't be thinking of him in a romantic way, I thought. Not a man that much older. She was just thirty-eight. She's just being extra nice, I told myself, so she will get a bigger tip.
When Winston Montgomery was finished with his dinner he didn't leave the restaurant. He went into the small bar. At about ten-thirty, things began to wind down. Mommy and Dallas were off whispering in a corner so often I thought I was at a high school dance. By just about eleven P.M. all her customers h
ad paid their bills and left their tables.
When I looked for her I found her in the bar talking to Winston Montgomery. She saw me watching from the doorway and excused herself and came to me.
"We're going home," she said.
"You don't have to wait for everything to be proved as usual?" I asked.
"Dallas is covering for me. C'mon. honey. You did very well tonight. She has some tip money for you. too."
I glanced back at Winston Montgomery, who smiled my way and turned to the bartender. Mommy hurried me out of the restaurant and into our car.
It was a good night." she said. "I did much better than I expected."
"I never ask you about money. Mommy. How are we doing?"
"We're okay, honey, but," she added, turning to me with her eves bright and steely, "we're going to do better. Cruel fate has had its way with us. but I am determined not to let it enjoy its success too long." She spoke through clenched teeth.
"What do you mean?" I asked. I had never heard her speak with such vehemence. It was as if she truly knew cruel fate's address and would soon pay it a visit.
"I go to work in Dallas and Warren's beautiful upscale restaurant, and I see these women, some not much older than I am, bedecked in diamonds and gold, wearing the latest fashions, dresses that run in the thousands. and I think, why do they have so much happiness? What's their secret? What did they do to be so lucky?"