Finding Someplace Read Free Page B

eye shadow and black eyeliner, and her ruby red lips were puckered with disapproval.
    Reesie had nowhere to hide, so she waved.
    Miss Martine had on her afternoon wig, a short and curly silver ’do with streaks of black. She wore store-bought hair and makeup like she was performing on a stage every night, but it was her desserts that were practically world famous. Peach cobblers, banana puddings, pies … and her cakes! Anybody in the Ninth Ward would tell you that Miss Martine Simon could just look at food and it would taste good. Her coconut cakes made it to every birthday, wedding, or picnic in the neighborhood.
    Miss Martine shook a gardening spade as Reesie came closer to the edge of her yard.
    â€œI know you think you’re grown, with your birthday coming up, becoming a teenager and all.”
    â€œYes, ma’am. I mean, no, ma’am!”
    â€œAnd I know Lloyd and Jeannie Boone didn’t raise you to play with the Lord like that!”
    Reesie slowed down. “Miss Martine, I wasn’t—”
    â€œTeresa Boone!”
    Reesie halted completely to show respect. The glaring sun was beating down onto her head, making her scalp sweat. Her hair situation was getting desperate, and Miss Martine was winding up for a sermon!
    Miss Martine snatched her glasses off for extra effect. “Child, don’t you know you’re blessed?”
    â€œYes, ma’am.” Reesie blinked at the bright reflection of the glittery beaded eyeglass chain.
    â€œTell your mother the cake will be ready around eight in the morning. And you better remember one more thing.… Don’t you go trying to give orders to the man upstairs!” Miss Martine turned away, carefully tying her tall tomato plants to sturdy wood stakes.
    â€œI won’t!” Reesie answered automatically, and started walking again. Old people always took things totally the wrong way, she thought. Miss Martine must just be worried that her garden might be demolished by any strong winds. Reesie decided that maybe when she came home, she would offer to help.
    Her cell phone buzzed to announce a text. She looked down quickly to read Orlando’s message: GT TXS L8R. CU.
    Reesie wrinkled her nose. Going to Texas later. See you. What was he talking about? Uncle Jimmy’s Blue Moon Caf é was one of the hottest places in town. He never closed his business, not even on Christmas Day.
    She quickly texted back: WHEN? But there was no immediate buzz with his answer. She didn’t have much time, but she needed to stop by Blue Moon to check this out. With any luck, Bernice was running late as usual. Kicking high and forgetting the heat, she sprinted three blocks and rounded a corner, bursting into the swinging door of Blue Moon. There was no bustling lunch crowd lined up at the register or elbowing up to the counter. Blue Moon, featured on Channel Three last month as the hottest neighborhood food joint, had exactly four customers.

 
    Chapter Four
    Reesie slipped into a window booth to catch her breath. The air conditioning blasted like an icy wind. Across the small dining room, Orlando was taking orders from a table where the only four customers were seated. She settled back to watch him, her urgent hair appointment fading to the back of her mind.
    Orlando had worked at his uncle’s place since he was ten. At first he had just cleaned up, but he’d turned thirteen already and now he was training to be a waiter. His shoulders looked muscular in a navy polo—Blue Moon’s uniform—and his wavy hair was braided into a skinny rattail. Uncle Jimmy had warned him to cut it, but Orlando just flashed that bright white grin. And he did have eyes that crinkled when he laughed, like he was doing right now with the customers. Reesie blinked. Why was she thinking about Orlando like he was a boy ? He was just Orlando. His knees were knobby and his feet were big, and …
    Suddenly he looked up at