The emperor frowned. “Why would we want to do that? Besides, I have no time for such small matters. I’m busy with my duties.”
“Then let me do it,” Li said. “I will put up notices around town. Please, Father? Please, won’t you consider it?”
“I have just one question,” her mother said softly. “Why do you want to do this? Allow strangers into your home?”
Li put her chopsticks down and said, “Mother, it is not a home. It is a palace. A lonely palace for a young girl like me. If we let people come and stay here, I will have people to talk to and things to do. We could also ask people to pay a fee, and use the money to help the poor.”
Li’s mother looked at her father. “It sounds like a lovely idea to me. What do you think?”
“My daughter, if you can get people here, to this lonely palace, as you call it, then I will allow it. But it may not be as simple as you think it may be.”
“What do you think it will take to get people to stay here?” Li’s mother asked her.
Li began eating her soup again. “I don’t think I know just yet. But I will figure it out. In time, I will have the perfect solution.”
Frannie was free that afternoon so she took us to the Museum of Natural History. The dinosaur exhibit has always been Davis’s favorite. We hadn’t been there in a few years, and I thought maybe he would have grown out of his obsession but no such luck. I’ve never understood the fascination. They’re just a bunch of old bones from humongous creatures that lived millions of years ago. Personally, I find a living, breathing dog that you can pet, snuggle, and play games with much more interesting.
On Wednesday, even though Mom said she’d spend the day with us, she ended up calling Frannie again and having her take us to see a matinee showing of Matilda on Broadway. We all loved it, but it would have been more fun if Mom had gone along with us.
Every day she seemed more and more stressed, and that stressed me out. On Thursday, she apologized again, telling us she needed to keep working. “I’ve got to try to get more exposure somehow,” she told us. “It really seems like the only solution to me. In order for people to want to stay here, they have to know we exist first. It’s as simple as that.”
I don’t know why, but it didn’t seem as simple as that to me. I didn’t say anything, though, because I couldn’t think of any other suggestions to give her.
“What will do today?” Davis asked Thursday morning as we all sat at the kitchen table, eating toast. Though Mom wasn’t eating anything, just sipping on her coffee. The bags under her eyes seemed darker. Had she and Dad been arguing again? Was she having trouble sleeping? I could have asked, but I didn’t because she probably would have told me not to worry, that everything was fine. That’s what good parents do—they try their best to keep their kids from worrying.
“Well,” Mom said, “what do you think about going to Brooklyn this afternoon to see your friends? Is there somewhere you could all meet up? Or should I call and see if Nora’s and Jacob’s parents would have you over for the afternoon? I’m thinking Frannie could drop you off, run some errands for me, and then pick you up a few hours later and bring you home?”
“Yeah!” Davis said with a fist pump. “Let’s do that.”
Mom looked at me. “What do you think, Lindy?”
“Isn’t that sort of rude? Inviting ourselves over like that?”
“You’re not inviting yourselves over,” she said as she got up and took her cup to the sink. “I’m asking if it’d be all right if you came over to play for a while. Well, you and Nora don’t really play anymore, but you know what I mean. They’ll know they’d be doing me a favor, and of course I’m happy to return it someday.”
I shrugged. “Okay. I mean, I’d love to see Nora.”
“Great. Let me make those calls.”
* * *
That afternoon, Nora and I sat on her bedroom floor as we flipped through magazines and painted each other’s nails. I’d painted hers light blue, and now she was painting mine lavender. I’d told her about my parents’ argument, curious to find out what she thought about it all.
“No one gets along all the time, right?” she said as she dipped the brush into the polish before running it across my pointer finger. “Except maybe us.” She looked up at me and grinned.
“We got in a fight once,” I replied. “Remember? In fourth grade. You thought we should wear matching costumes because we both wanted to be Hermione for Halloween. But I didn’t want to do that, so then I had to come up with something else.”
“Okay, well, there you go,” Nora said as she went back to focusing on my nails. “No one gets along all the time. I still think we could have both been Hermione and it would have been fine. But your Pippi Longstocking was ah-mazing. It all worked out, right?”
“Yeah, thanks to my mom, who got the wig and the striped tights and everything.” I paused. “I’m curious. Do you think your parents argue very much?”
She dipped the brush again. “Hm. I’ve never really thought about it. I guess they don’t. My grandpa, my mom’s dad, annoys my dad sometimes. And my mom doesn’t like it when Dad complains about him. So they do argue about that once in a while.” She finished up and put the brush back in the jar. “Why are you so worried about this anyway?”
I blew on my fingers before I answered. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because Tyler is here visiting his grandma so his parents can have some time alone to work out their problems. It’s like he’s made me paranoid or something.”
“So tell me more about what you guys are doing together this Saturday,” Nora said. “Your texts didn’t explain it very well. Maybe you should have used more emojis to make your point.”
It made me laugh. “But I used the key emoji, which is the perfect one to go along with what we’re doing.” I pulled the necklace out from underneath my T-shirt, careful not to smudge my nails. “See what Vivian gave me? Isn’t it the cutest?”
She leaned in and looked at it. “Oh my gosh, I love it.”
“I don’t know much about the plan, really,” I explained. “Just that Vivian wants to help unlock my special talent. So we’re going to go around the city, visit places, and try things out, I guess? She used to be a tour guide and knows lots of people. I just hope I don’t embarrass myself. I mean, Tyler’s all right, but still, this could turn out to be a disaster.”
“Or it could turn into your first true love,” Nora said as she wiggled her eyebrows at me.
“Ha-ha, very funny. Like I need another thing in my life to worry about. We’re just friends, and it’s gonna stay that way.”
“Okay, okay.” She studied her pretty blue nails. “Maybe your special talent is nail painting. You did a really good job on mine. Better than I did on yours.”
I sat up straight and tall. “I did do a good job, didn’t I? Except, I don’t really love painting nails the way you love Paris. By the way, what’s happening with the cello?”
“Oh, I should have showed it to you! It’s downstairs. Mom let me rent one for the summer. I start lessons tomorrow.”
I wiggled my fingers. “Now your nails will sparkle as you play.”
“Right? Want to paint each other’s toes next?”
“Um, only if we paint our own.”
Nora tried to look shocked. “You mean you don’t want to touch my toes? What kind of best friend are you?”
“The kind who loves hanging out with you but would rather kiss a snake than touch someone else’s toes.”
She laughed. “Kiss a snake? Ewww. Where do you come up with these things, Lindy? Comedy club, I’m telling you.”
There once was a toe that looked funny
and wished to hide when the weather was sunny.
But it’s hard to do that,
like bad hair in a hat,
so to polish it said, “Come here, honey!”
When Saturday rolled around, I was glad the sun had replaced the rain we’d had on and off all week. After I woke up and checked my ph
one for messages and the weather, I got out of bed and headed straight for the shower.
“Good morning, sunshine,” Dad said, coming out of his room just as I came out of mine. He was dressed like he might be going into the office.
“Are you going to work today?”
“Yeah. Stuff is piling up. I can’t get too far behind or I won’t be able to take my vacation later this summer. You know I have to work on the weekends sometimes. That’s just how it goes.”
“But …”
He looked at me with concern. “What is it?”
The truth was I didn’t want him to go. I wanted him to stay home and help Mom with stuff. And when I got home later, I wanted all of us to be together, to have our usual Saturday-night dinner of Chinese food and maybe watch a movie afterward. I wanted to know, for sure, that everything was fine.
“Is Mom okay with it?” I asked.
He gave me a funny look. “Sure. Why wouldn’t she be? I should be back in time to take Davis to his game late this afternoon. And tomorrow the four of us will go to the Mets game. Should be a great day for it. See? You’ll get plenty of time with me this weekend. Besides, this afternoon you’ll be out and about with Vivian and Tyler. You won’t even miss me.” He tousled my hair like he loved to do. “I better run. Be good. And remember, be aware of your surroundings at all times, okay?”
“Safety first. I know, Dad. I’ll be fine.”
“See ya later.”
“Bye.”
After he left, I walked down the narrow hallway to their bedroom and peeked my head in. Mom sat at the small white desk in the corner as she looked at something on her laptop. Since there isn’t room for an office in our apartment, she either works at the desk in her room or at the kitchen table.
“Mom?” I said softly so I wouldn’t startle her.
She turned around. She was sitting there in her robe and slippers. “Hi, honey. Come on in. You’re up bright and early for a Saturday. Excited about spending the afternoon with Vivian and Tyler?”
Excited wasn’t the word I would use, but I didn’t say that. “I guess so. I was just wondering, well, I saw Dad leave. Is everything all right?”
“Of course. He needs to get some work done at the office.”
“You don’t need his help with anything?” I asked as I leaned against the door, fiddling with the doorknob, keeping my eyes down.
“Like what?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Couldn’t he help with the B&B stuff? This place belongs to him, too, right?”
“Yes, but he has a regular job, and this is supposed to be my job. So for the most part, I need to handle the inn stuff myself.” I looked up at her and saw that she now had a concerned look on her face. “Honey, is something bothering you?”
I shook my head. “No. I just wanted to check on you, that’s all.”
“I’m sorry if my worries have got you worried. I need to be more careful about what I say around you kids. Everything is going to be fine. Believe me?”
I nodded. Even though that was exactly what I’d expected her to say and I wasn’t a hundred percent sure that I really did believe it.
* * *
A little before one o’clock, I said good-bye to Mom and Davis and went down the stairs slowly, counting as I went. I was thankful to Vivian for offering to help me, but I was nervous. Really nervous.
Outside, it was warm. I looked up and couldn’t help but smile at the bright blue sky with big, fluffy clouds rolling by. It really felt like summer now. After lunch, I’d gone to my room to get ready, and I’d changed my clothes three times as I tried to figure out what to wear. At first, I thought I should dress to impress, as my dad likes to say, so I’d put on my favorite green dress. But it seemed way too fancy. Next I put on a skirt and blouse, and that didn’t feel right, either. I’d thought about wearing my black pants, but that seemed kind of boring. So I’d ended up in my favorite pair of jeans with low-wedge sandals and a T-shirt that said Keep calm and eat doughnuts. I fingered my key necklace, hoping we’d have a good day and I’d find something that I seriously loved to do.
When I saw Vivian and Tyler walking toward me, I waved.
“Hello, Miss Lindy,” Vivian said with a smile when they reached me.
“Hello,” I said. Feeling a little shy, I found myself wishing Odie were there. “Odie had to stay home?”
Tyler replied, “Yeah. He wanted to come with us, but Grandma said he’d be better off at home. He’s well trained, but it’s no fun being tied up outside while we’re going somewhere he can’t go.”
“Yeah. That makes sense.” I turned to Vivian. “Do you know what we’re doing first?”
“I do. But I think I’ll wait and let it be a surprise.”
“Do we have to take the subway?”
“Nope. We’re going to stay in the Village this afternoon. I figure next Saturday we can wander a little farther. But there are plenty of things to see right here in our own little corner of the city.”
We walked quietly for a couple of blocks, and then Vivian asked what my brother and I had been up to the last week. When I told them we’d seen the play Matilda, she said, “Oh, I wonder if Tyler would like that. Maybe I should take him.”
“It’s pretty funny,” I told them. “A few of the songs were kind of boring, though. Do you like musicals?” I asked Tyler.
“Sort of?” Tyler said with a big grin, showing off his straight white teeth. “Every time I come and visit Grandma, she takes me to one. We’ve seen The Lion King, Annie, Seussical, and a couple of others I can’t remember. Lion King was my favorite.”
“Yeah, I loved that one, too.”
“All right, dears,” Vivian said as she stopped in front of us. “We’re here.”
I stopped and looked up, taking in what “here” meant. And I could hardly believe what I saw.
But everyone loves this,” I said to Vivian. “Don’t they?”
“Except for people who are lactose intolerant,” Tyler joked.
“You may love eating it, Lindy, but do you love making it?” Vivian asked as she gave me a little wink. “That’s what we’re going to try to discover today.”
“I’m going to make pizza?” I asked her.
“This was one of the favorite stops when I gave tours around the West Village. People absolutely adore Joe’s Pizza. You’ve never eaten here before?”
“No. Not yet.” I peered through the front window. The place wasn’t very big, and there were quite a few customers waiting to get food. “Are you sure it’s okay if I do this?”
“It’s a bit out of the ordinary, I know, but the manager said it’s fine. They’ll help you make a pizza, and then we’ll eat it.”
This made Tyler extremely happy. “So this is why we only had salads for lunch. Awesome. I can’t wait.”
“Is Tyler going to help me?” I asked, not quite sure if I wanted her to answer yes or no. Davis and I helped out Mom and Dad in the kitchen sometimes, but I didn’t do much in the way of cooking by myself. To me, it seemed like a lot of work when I could just as easily have a bowl of cereal or a peanut butter sandwich.
“There’s only enough room for you back there, but we’ll be nearby,” Vivian said. I glanced at Tyler, and it seemed to me that he looked a little disappointed by that response. She gave my shoulder a little squeeze. “You’re going to be fine. You’ll see!”
We made our way inside and got in line. Vivian stood on her tippy toes and waved at one of the guys behind the counter. He motioned for us to come forward, so we went around the customers and up to the counter.
“You must be Lindy,” the short man with a mustache said, his elbows crossed in front of him on the counter. “Great to meet you. Now, I have just one question for you.”
I gulped. Was he going to ask if I knew how to make pizza? Or maybe he wanted to know if I had a license of some kind to cook in a restaurant? Or what if he wanted to know whether or not I’d ever eaten there before? I bit my lip as I waited for the question,
sure that I would humiliate Vivian and myself with the answer.
He stood up tall, held his hands in the air, and said, “Are you-a ready to make-a the best-a pizza pie-a in the whole-a city of New York?”
I couldn’t decide if he was trying to be funny or if that was simply his lame attempt at sounding Italian, so I just sort of smiled at him. You’d think people would have given him strange looks, but that’s New York for you. It didn’t faze a single person. They just kept on talking.
As for me, I was equal parts excited and terrified and couldn’t help but wonder if maybe this was a really bad idea. What if I messed up? What if I chopped off my finger or even worse, burnt the thing and caught the place on fire? I mean, I could barely make toast.
He smiled at me. “Well?”
“I think so?” I replied.
Then he laughed. “Don’t be nervous. This is going to be fun, you’ll see. Come back here and put on your apron.”
He lifted the top of the hinged counter so I could step through to the kitchen behind him. There were two men working back there, one of them slicing up a big cheese pizza and the other one checking the pizzas that were in the oven.
“I’m Harold, by the way,” the man with the mustache said. “I’m going to help you make the pizza.” He pointed to the guys in the kitchen. “That’s Mike and Steve. And the guy at the register ringing up orders is Rocco.” He took an apron from a hook. “Want to put your bag here?” I did as he said before I took the apron from him. “Put that on and then wash your hands in the sink over there.”
When I was finished, I went and stood next to Harold at the counter.
“You ever tossed a pie before?”
I shook my head hard, hoping that would be enough to convince him that asking me to do that might be a mistake. But he just smiled and said, “Well, there’s a first time for everything, right?”
There were two round wedges of dough, each the size of a small plate, sitting in front of us.
“First,” Harold explained, “we need to cover them in flour, like this.” He placed one of the wedges in a big, round metal bowl of flour and turned it over, covering it well on both sides. He took it out and tossed it on the counter. “Now do yours.”