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“There she is!” Adelia’s face lit up.
A short, stocky woman with dark brown hair stepped out of a car and rounded to her trunk before heading in their direction. She was carrying a blanket and a basket.
“Marta, thank you for doing this,” Adelia said as she took the items from Marta’s arms.
“You’re welcome, Miss Allen,” Marta said. “Will there be anything else?”
“That’s all.”
“Have a nice evening then,” she said.
Oliver held his hand out to her before she walked away. “Hello, I’m Oliver.”
The woman gave a little smile as she shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Marta.”
Adelia had a blush on her cheeks. “I’m so sorry. Marta is my parents’ household manager. She takes care of their home, coordinates the staff and the schedules and everything. The whole place would fall apart without you, Marta.”
“Thank you for saying that.” She smiled at Oliver. “Enjoy yourselves.”
As soon as she was out of earshot, Adelia said, “I feel so bad for not introducing you. She never really talks to me much, aside from household tasks. She doesn’t mingle with us or our guests. I think I sometimes forget she’s even there.”
“Until you need something.”
Her eyebrows raised at him.
“Sorry, that was rude. It wasn’t my place.”
“No, you’re right. She’s a person with feelings, not just an employee, and I should remember that.” She lifted the basket in her hand. “And she came all the way from Beverly Hills to bring us these.”
“What do we have here?” He tried to open the top of the picnic basket, but she snapped it down before he had a chance to see.
“Not yet, mister.”
He reached for the basket. “Here, let me. Before you hurt your hand.”
“You just want to peek inside.”
“I promise, I won’t.”
She handed it over and narrowed her eyes. “I’m watching you.”
He smiled as they headed out onto the beach.
For the most part, people were doing their own thing, not really looking their way, and for Adelia’s sake, he hoped that would continue. They moved down the beach to a more secluded spot, and she shook out the blanket. He helped her smooth it out, then pushed the corners down into the sand and scooped small piles of sand over them to keep the blanket in place.
“Nice trick,” Adelia observed.
“Is it? I’ve always done it. Maybe it’s a Michigan thing.”
Adelia shrugged her shoulders and went about emptying the basket of its contents, which included place settings for two, complete with linen napkins and silverware, and In-and-Out burgers and fries for the main course.
Oliver laughed as she unwrapped the fast food and placed it on the fancy plates.
“Only the best California cuisine for you, Ollywood.”
With the sun dipping low in the sky, they were basked in a golden light that made Adelia look even more angelic than she usually did. Her blonde hair was glowing, and her eyes sparkled. He couldn’t help but stare, entranced by her beauty.
“I lost you there for a minute.” Adelia held the plate up in front of his face.