“We were quickly certain the network execs were going to love the footage,” Anastasia said. “We had everything from Frank assisting in the rescue effort and comforting his estranged wife, Mrs. Frugalicious, to your joint campaign to save the store from closing in the aftermath of it all.”
“Not to mention all the fan testimonials,” Frank said with a smile.
Hi, Mrs. Frugalicious. I’m Debbie and I’m a huge fan!
Will you sign my slow-cooker box?
“I was sure the additional footage we got over the next few days from the grocery store, Small Business Saturday, and especially of the two of you reunited and mourning together at Cathy’s memorial service was going to make this thing a slam dunk,” Anastasia said.
“Especially after Alan was arrested,” Frank added.
“Glad I could be of help,” Alan said, with more than a hint of sarcasm.
“You’ve been an incredible help,” Joyce said, patting his hand. “Wonderful.”
“Fact is, your alleged involvement upped the whole Black Friday danger angle a hundredfold,” Anastasia said, “Not wanting to let a second go by while this situation was hot, I approached the network people first thing Monday morning.”
“But then Maddie went missing,” Eloise, who’d obviously had her suspicions too, said from the couch.
“Yes, almost immediately after I made the call,” Anastasia said.
“And all bets were off,” Gerald added from the recliner in the corner.
“The only thing that mattered after that was finding you,” Frank said, a tear rolling down his cheek.
The room erupted in chatter—how people had felt and reacted when they heard I was missing, their various theories as to what had happened, and what they’d specifically done as part of the rescue effort.
A small group formed around Alan, suspect-cum-hero, who’d suffered almost as much as me then gone on to help so much upon his release from jail.
“The thing is, the real killer was caught,” Frank said over the din. “And our Maddie was found, safe and sound.”
Everyone began to clap again.
“It gets better,” Anastasia said. As soon as the room quieted, she added. “As you might have expected, with the unforeseen consequences of the past week, Mrs. Frugalicious became an instant household name across the country.”
“Apparently the wife of one of the East Coast network bigwigs, bigger even than the people we’d been in contact with, has been glued to the Mrs. Frugalicious disappearance and rescue,” Frank said.
“And I got a call after Maddie was rescued yesterday afternoon,” Anastasia said. “THE call.”
“So Family Finance Fixers is getting the green light?” I asked.
“Sort of,” Anastasia said.
“What do you mean, sort of ?
“They definitely want to do a show.”
Frank beamed. “Even bigger than either of us ever imagined.”
“What kind of show?” I asked.
“A reality show.”
My heart, which had enough excitement for a lifetime, began to thump. “What?”
“The working title is The Family Frugalicious.”
“Catchy, huh?” Joyce remarked.
“The network wants to have cameras following Mrs. Frugalicious, respected blogger and well-heeled housewife, living the bargain shopping life as the wife of financial guru Frank Finance Michaels.”
Hoots and wolf whistles filled the room.
“Whoa,” I heard myself say. Not at all sure what I thought or felt, I somehow added, “Isn’t the well-heeled part a bit of a stretch?”
“Not anymore,” Frank said. “The paycheck will more than allow us to keep the house, pay off the credit cards, and restart our savings.”
“Of course, you’ll be contractually obligated to maintain your penny-pinching lifestyle,” Anastasia said.
“I can’t imagine doing things any other way anymore, but Anastasia, I’m not sure I—”
“It’s high time you started calling me Stasia, don’t you think?”
“Stasia, I’m not sure I’m reality show material,” I said.
“Frank will play prominently too, of course,” Anastasia continued. “And his life on and off camera as a television financial advisor.”
“So like a TV show within a TV show?” Craig asked.
“With special appearances by everyone in the family,” Anastasia said. “The network brass loved all of you—Joyce, Frank, Barb, Craig, Eloise, but particularly the boys, who were a big hit on Cyber Monday before everything else went down.”
“We’re gonna be famous!” Trent said.
“And we already have footage for an Emmy-worthy pilot.”
“I suppose you do,” I said.
“Incredible, huh?”
“Everything’s all lined up to get rolling ASAP, while interest in you and your family is at its peak. Initial peak, I should say,” Anastasia said. “We only need one thing.”
“Which is?” I asked.
She reached down, pulled a contract and a pen from the briefcase beside her, and handed them both to me.
“Your signature on the dotted line.”
acknowledgments
Many thanks to Terri Bischoff, Nicole Nugent, Beth Hanson, and everyone else over at Midnight Ink for the opportunity to bring Mrs. Frugalicious to life.
Thank you to Josh Getzler and Danielle Burby at HSG for their ongoing enthusiasm, ideas, and support.
Thank you to my friends, fellow writers, and ever-supportive family who helped make this book and my career possible in a million different ways: Ben LeRoy, Cary Cazzanigi, Margie and Bob Moskowitz, Bill Joffe, Elizabeth Heller, Patricia Heller, Julie Heller, the Hulls, the Mitchell/Hendrickson/Springer/Moskowitz gang, Carleen Evanoff, the Goldsmith Family, Jennee and Bob Julius, Wendy Kelly, Keir Graff, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and the Rocky Mountain chapter of Mystery Writers of America.
A special thank you to my Black Friday shopping gang: Julie Goldsmith, Claire Goldsmith, Abby Mitchell, Brooke Stevens, and Evan Hull.
The greatest thanks, as always, to Andrew, Evan, Eliza, and, especially, Brandon.
about the author
Linda Joffe Hull is a graduate of UCLA. She lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and children. Linda is a longtime member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and currently serves on the national board of Mystery Writers of America. You can visit her online at LindaJoffeHull.com.
Author photo © Impact Images.
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