pizza place. She didn’t order pizza too often, but she knew the owners, Joe and Camilla Guiseppe.
Gloria had met the two of them years ago when James was still alive. They would stop by the farm in search of fresh produce for their pizzas. Green peppers, onions, tomatoes. They came every week like clockwork. Until James died and then they stopped coming.
Gloria wasn’t sure if they felt as if they would bother her with the visits or if his death made them uncomfortable and they didn’t know what to say. Which was odd since they were at the funeral. Nonetheless, Gloria still liked them and whenever she was in the mood for pizza, it was the first place she called.
“Is this Joe?”
“Yeah, yeah,” the voice replied. “Who’s this?”
“It’s Gloria. Gloria Rutherford.”
“Oh. Hey Gloria. How you doin?” Joe’s voice traveled through the phone. Warm and friendly. That was Joe. And Camilla.
“Good. I was calling to order a pizza,” she replied. She glanced over at Ruth, still engrossed in the screen.
“So you got some company tonight, huh?” Joe asked.
“Yep. Ruth. Ruth from the post office is here. She’s staying with me for a few days.”
“Oh, yeah. I heard somethin’ big was going on down at the post office,” he answered. “So are you working the case?”
Gloria grinned. “Just a little. Not too much yet.” It was on Gloria’s to-do list, though. First thing in the morning. Right after she cleaned out the bedrooms upstairs.
“So what kinda pizza would you like?”
Gloria ordered a large pie with mushroom and ham on one side, pepperoni and extra cheese on the other side. That way, if Ruth didn’t like any of the toppings, she could peel the pepperoni off and eat it plain.
“Oh, and a side of medium wings with celery and blue cheese,” she decided. Her mouth began to water at the thought of chicken wings. Another treat she rarely indulged in since she was alone…
Maybe this Ruth thing wasn’t so bad, after all, she thought.
Before he hung up the phone, Joe told her his new part-time delivery driver, Marty, would be delivering at the house. “He’s a good kid,” Joe assured her. “He’s had some hard knocks, though. Actually, he’s my nephew on Camilla’s side. He got into a bit of trouble there in the Bronx. You know, the Bronx in New York.”
“Oh my,” Gloria replied.
“Nah. Nah. It’s all good. He’s on the right track now that he’s livin’ with us,” Joe told her.
Joe already had a whole brood of his own. “So how many kids you have living in the house, Joe?”
“Ha!” He chuckled. “Too many. I gotta put ‘em to work here at the pizza place to earn their keep. Look, I’m gonna get started on your pizza but it was real nice talkin’ to you, Gloria.”
Gloria hung up the phone and smiled. Joe and Camilla were good people. The nephew was in good hands with them. If anyone could straighten the youngster up, it would be Joe and Camilla.
Gloria left Ruth at the table and headed into the living room. She grabbed the remote and plopped down in her recliner. Puddles wandered in from the kitchen and prowled across the room to Gloria’s chair. The cat hesitated for a fraction of a second before leaping into the chair and Gloria’s lap. He nudged his head on her arm, demanding to be petted that instant. “Well, look at who we have here? Did you give up on Ruth?” Gloria scratched underneath his chin.
The cat purred loudly, circled Gloria’s lap a few times and then settled in. Mally eyed Puddles, who looked quite comfy on Gloria’s lap. She wasn’t about to have any of that! She sat down at the end of the recliner and began to whine.
“Okay, you too.” Gloria flipped the lever on the side to lift the footrest – Mally’s signal to climb aboard. The three of them stayed there until the doorbell chimed, just as the evening news ended.
Gloria had met the two of them years ago when James was still alive. They would stop by the farm in search of fresh produce for their pizzas. Green peppers, onions, tomatoes. They came every week like clockwork. Until James died and then they stopped coming.
Gloria wasn’t sure if they felt as if they would bother her with the visits or if his death made them uncomfortable and they didn’t know what to say. Which was odd since they were at the funeral. Nonetheless, Gloria still liked them and whenever she was in the mood for pizza, it was the first place she called.
“Is this Joe?”
“Yeah, yeah,” the voice replied. “Who’s this?”
“It’s Gloria. Gloria Rutherford.”
“Oh. Hey Gloria. How you doin?” Joe’s voice traveled through the phone. Warm and friendly. That was Joe. And Camilla.
“Good. I was calling to order a pizza,” she replied. She glanced over at Ruth, still engrossed in the screen.
“So you got some company tonight, huh?” Joe asked.
“Yep. Ruth. Ruth from the post office is here. She’s staying with me for a few days.”
“Oh, yeah. I heard somethin’ big was going on down at the post office,” he answered. “So are you working the case?”
Gloria grinned. “Just a little. Not too much yet.” It was on Gloria’s to-do list, though. First thing in the morning. Right after she cleaned out the bedrooms upstairs.
“So what kinda pizza would you like?”
Gloria ordered a large pie with mushroom and ham on one side, pepperoni and extra cheese on the other side. That way, if Ruth didn’t like any of the toppings, she could peel the pepperoni off and eat it plain.
“Oh, and a side of medium wings with celery and blue cheese,” she decided. Her mouth began to water at the thought of chicken wings. Another treat she rarely indulged in since she was alone…
Maybe this Ruth thing wasn’t so bad, after all, she thought.
Before he hung up the phone, Joe told her his new part-time delivery driver, Marty, would be delivering at the house. “He’s a good kid,” Joe assured her. “He’s had some hard knocks, though. Actually, he’s my nephew on Camilla’s side. He got into a bit of trouble there in the Bronx. You know, the Bronx in New York.”
“Oh my,” Gloria replied.
“Nah. Nah. It’s all good. He’s on the right track now that he’s livin’ with us,” Joe told her.
Joe already had a whole brood of his own. “So how many kids you have living in the house, Joe?”
“Ha!” He chuckled. “Too many. I gotta put ‘em to work here at the pizza place to earn their keep. Look, I’m gonna get started on your pizza but it was real nice talkin’ to you, Gloria.”
Gloria hung up the phone and smiled. Joe and Camilla were good people. The nephew was in good hands with them. If anyone could straighten the youngster up, it would be Joe and Camilla.
Gloria left Ruth at the table and headed into the living room. She grabbed the remote and plopped down in her recliner. Puddles wandered in from the kitchen and prowled across the room to Gloria’s chair. The cat hesitated for a fraction of a second before leaping into the chair and Gloria’s lap. He nudged his head on her arm, demanding to be petted that instant. “Well, look at who we have here? Did you give up on Ruth?” Gloria scratched underneath his chin.
The cat purred loudly, circled Gloria’s lap a few times and then settled in. Mally eyed Puddles, who looked quite comfy on Gloria’s lap. She wasn’t about to have any of that! She sat down at the end of the recliner and began to whine.
“Okay, you too.” Gloria flipped the lever on the side to lift the footrest – Mally’s signal to climb aboard. The three of them stayed there until the doorbell chimed, just as the evening news ended.
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