STALKING SAPPHIRE (Sapphire Dubois: Book 1)

Chapter 13

Sapphire veered right on Olive, past Walt Disney Pictures’ humongous studio as she made her way toward downtown.

Today the drive to downtown Burbank annoyed her. The choice of restaurant annoyed her. It wasn’t Julia’s favorite, but Antonio’s. Julia didn’t even like sushi. She liked burgers and greasy Chinese food; ironically she wasn’t big on Mexican food.

When Sapphire walked into Tomo Sushi, the chef raised his knife straight into the air and smiled.

“Welcoooome!” He held the smile and the knife, waiting for her to reply. She didn’t.

She scanned the restaurant for Julia’s face. The place was small and intimate. The walls were caked with taped-up dollar bills featuring handwritten greetings from happy customers: Ginger+Tom=Love, Tomo Rocks, Happy B-day Chuck.

Julia was smiling at Sapphire, waving her over to the table at the far end, though Sapphire made no effort to rush over there.

Antonio looked like a normal guy: average height, average built, average face. Nothing special about him as far as Sapphire could tell. In fact, he was kind of un-special-looking. Perhaps Julia needed glasses. Sapphire, however, didn’t need glasses; her vision was twenty-twenty.

Little pieces of white napkin were spread all over the table...which meant Julia had been ripping them apart...which meant Julia was nervous.

“I ordered a bottle of sake,” Julia said as Sapphire sat down. “Es okay, no? Something else? Wine? Cerveza?”

“It’s fine, Corazon,” Antonio said, his accent almost American, then placed a calming hand on top of Julia’s. Her shoulders sank down a bit, and her body lowered a little more comfortably into the seat.

Antonio turned to Sapphire, gave her a shiny smile as he pushed out his chair, and stood halfway reaching his hand out.

“Sapphire,” he said overly delighted. “You’re all Julia ever talks about. It is so nice to finally meet you. Put a face to the name.”

Screw you. “Likewise.”

Sapphire smacked her hands together, impatient to get the night over with. “Should we order?” She waved at the waiter.

“Antonio already ordered; he says we have to try the special rolls,” Julia said and shook her head to the confused waiter.

“Hmmm.” Sapphire raised her eyebrows disapprovingly and pretended to scan the menu.

“Is something wrong?” Antonio looked from Sapphire to Julia, unsure.

“No. Nothing. I just thought men stopped ordering for women in 1920 when we got the right to vote. That’s all.”

Julia’s smile faded drastically and she looked over at Antonio. Antonio, however, broke out in laughter. He sounded like a horse when he laughed. Did Julia really want to deal with a man for the rest of her life whose laugh sounded like a horse?

Antonio wiped a laugh tear from his cheek.

And he’s a crier.

The waiter put down a small bottle of cold sake along with the rolls. Julia went for the sake first. She poured herself a shot and took it in record time.

“So, Sapphire, I heard you like Britney Spears,” Antonio said.

Sapphire looked over at Julia and frowned. Yes, she had pretended to like Britney Spears...when she was ten. It seemed like the correct thing to do. Ever since then, every Christmas and every birthday, Julia would get her the latest CD or a poster. Even at the age of sixteen and well past the Britney Spears stage, Sapphire would smile and fake a happy thank you.