by Liz Turner
“That’s really amazing.” Amanda said, unable to resist adding, “Especially at your age.”
“I’m only twenty-seven.” Declan protested. “I’m in my prime.”
Amanda smiled. “So this party, it’s LeeLee’s birthday this weekend isn’t it?”
“Her sixtieth, yes,” Declan said.
To his credit, he never looked anything but fond when he talked of LeeLee. Of course, in town, quite a few eyebrows had been raised last year when LeeLee had announced that she was going to marry her personal assistant, a man about half her age.
“She looks absolutely wonderful,” Amanda said. “I would have loved to look at twenty the way LeeLee does at sixty.”
“Oh, well, she puts a lot of effort into it,” Declan said. “That’s one of the reasons we fell in love. Both of us love to go to the gym together. I actually taught her quite a few exercises. I was a personal trainer back in Chicago, you know.”
“Do you still give classes?” Byron asked, from next to Victoria. “I’d love to know how to pack on some muscle.”
Leaving the two of them to talk, Victoria wandered back to her place behind the counter, while Amanda moved out of the café.
An Egyptian Sci-Fi themed party! Victoria sighed. Well, LeeLee was certainly creative and it kept Victoria busy. On a notepad, she began jotting down her initial ideas of party food, cupcakes perhaps? She’d decorate them with icing that alternatively looked like astronomical symbols (planets, spaceships?) and Egyptian symbols such as pyramids and the sphinx.
As for the servers, she’d have to ask LeeLee for extra money, of course, but she’d try and order Egyptian costumes for them all. Maybe I’ll go as Cleopatra, the great queen, Victoria laughed to herself.
Declan seated himself on the counter, and Victoria served up his chocolate chip mint smoothie as he talked on the phone.
From the other end, she could hear LeeLee’s shrill voice as the woman cried out. “and I ordered turquoise but these absolute animals sent me an ocean green shade.”
“I’ll talk to them dear,” Declan sounded resigned.
“Animals! I tell you there isn’t a half brain in that entire firm.” LeeLee sounded more and more indignant.
“Yes, dear,” Declan said, following up a few minutes later with. “I know dearest.”
Victoria served her other customers, feeling slightly amused, and watching him from the corner of her eye. Declan’s voice remained sweet and his words remained smooth but she saw his face grow redder and redder. She saw his nostrils flare with rage as he continued to talk with LeeLee. For a minute, Victoria paused, shocked at the naked display of his anger. Then, she caught his eye, and all the anger seemed to slide off his face, replaced with a blank slate.
Hastily, Declan tossed a few bills on the counter, and stormed out of the café, leaving Victoria to gape at him. What was the matter with the man she wondered? He had looked like he was at the end of his rope. LeeLee Brunt might think that she had the right to push Declan around as much as she wanted but she had better be careful. Going by the look on his face, Declan wasn’t going to tolerate much more from his beautiful, rich fiancé.
Chapter 3
The party was everything that LeeLee considered cool.
First, the house was decorated to what LeeLee considered near perfection. They’d hired a projectionist from Barcelona to project Egyptian symbols and runes on the sides of the LeeLee’s massive white marble bungalow. The bungalow was already made in what some considered a roman style mixed with gothic influences, and it seemed to fit right in with the theme.
Then, as guests entered through the large, Italian crafted mahogany doors, they would witness a hallway that was lined with gold-gilded pillars. It had been cleared to include only authentic looking Egyptian furniture. In one corner, a band was playing very trance-like music. In another, beautiful women with scuba masks swam/danced in a floor-to-ceiling aquarium that had been created especially for LeeLee’s birthday.
As means of skirting past the strict noise control laws, the entire town had been invited to LeeLee’s birthday party. It seemed like almost everyone had shown up. The room was filled with awe-struck locals, mixing with bored looking socialites.
Victoria, back in her days in New York, had seen far more decadent parties and remained comparatively inured to them. Like Amanda, she believed that the money would be better spent elsewhere, but unlike Amanda, she knew that for someone like LeeLee, whose entire life centered around her fashion lines, parties such as this were as much a business decision as a personal preference.
Amanda had volunteered to stay at home and babysit Ida and Annie, and the two little girls had been very excited to have a slumber party. Byron, who had disliked the whole idea of the slumber party, had opted to work as a server just so he could see the lavish décor.
He stood in one corner now, wearing a mechanized suit with a jackal’s mask, asking passing guests if they would like to sample the crystal mushrooms or the orange walnut sambuca cake.
The final touch, of course, was a pyramid shaped throne on which LeeLee herself sat, dressed as the Egyptian Empress Cleopatra. She was dressed in a lavish gold armor gown, with a darker gold cape thrown around her. On a closer look, one could see that the cape consisted of feathers that had been hand painted with glitter. On her head were a wig of dreadlocked hair tipped with gold, and a bedazzled crown of jade and faux sapphire.
Victoria, despite herself, loved the theatricality of it all and thought that LeeLee looked quite fitting as an empress.
LeeLee had started her life as an orphan, Victoria knew. At the time, she had been named the rather plain Lily Brown. At age 14, she had been discovered by a photographer as she sold umbrellas and caps on a beach. Instantly, she had risen to fame, becoming a model, and had altered her name to reflect her new life.
But the fame and fortune had soon left her with a crippling addiction to pills and drinks. At 21, the lifestyle had ruined her looks, so that the former runway model was now a homeless drunk.
Instead of disappearing into obscurity, LeeLee had risen from the flames like a phoenix. She quit her bad habits, bought herself a sewing machine, and began going door-to-door, peddling her wares. Initially, she had no buyers until she began offering to sew custom fitted shirts. Skeptical customers fell in love with her clothes and the way they made them look and once again, LeeLee had found fame. Only this time, she guarded it wisely.
As she sat on her throne now, surrounded by a crowd of fawning admirers, LeeLee’s imperial face looked perfectly content.
Still, Victoria wondered if LeeLee was happy. Could one ever be happy, alone at the top like she was? Her work must give her satisfaction but she had no family and no true friends. She only attracted what Victoria thought of as a pack of vultures.
Victoria’s attention came back to the counter that she was manning, as a woman paused and asked for a drink.
“Just water please.”
Surprised, as she had so far only gotten requests for champagne or other expensive liqueurs, Victoria said, “Would you like ice or lemon?” She looked up with curiosity at the woman.
The woman had on a bright red overcoat, which perfectly matched the shade of her bright red lips. Her dark hair was artificially highlighted with gold, and although her skin seemed like alabaster from afar, up close, Victoria could see that her entire face was covered in a bright sheen of makeup.
“Hot in here,” Victoria commented. “Perhaps you’d like me to take your coat? I could have someone give it to the coat check boys by the door.”
The woman looked startled, then shook her head. “No.,” she said decisively, drinking down her water in one gulp.
“Did you just drive in from Calgary earlier this evening?” Victoria asked, trying to be friendly. “I heard the weather was pretty bad.”
The woman gave her a piercing, cold look. “No.,” she said again. Placing down her glass, she walked away and disappeared into the crowd.
Victoria,
a little hurt by the rudeness, shrugged it off anyway. In the customer service business, you learned not to take these things personally. Perhaps the woman had just had a bad day.
Any thoughts about the mysterious woman in red vanished immediately, as behind her the music slowed and raised voices filled the room.
“So why don’t you just say it?” Declan was asking, his jaw sticking out, his eyebrows squashed downwards.
“Say what? Things that have been obvious to the rest of the world forever?” Hanson, the richest man in town, and owner of a whole lot of ski-resorts seemed like he was very drunk.
“You’re pathetic.” Declan was saying. “Sure, you own a few properties, and you had an aristocratic daddy, but when push comes to shove, you’re nothing but a schoolyard bully. And like a schoolyard bully, you can’t take it if someone else is happy.”
Victoria looked to see how LeeLee was responding to this disruption. instead of looking shocked or angry, LeeLee looked simply amused as she watched Declan flex his muscles and shout. She hadn’t moved from her place at the throne.
“Ok. I’m a bully.” Hanson took a swig of his drink, then upended it until he had finished every last drop. Instead of placing the glass down on a counter, he simply released it from his hand so that it smashed on the floor, as others around him screamed and scrambled away from the glass.
In the quiet that ensued, Hanson said, “I may be a bully, but at least I’m not an opportunist like you, Declan. Twenty-seven, and about to marry a woman of sixty. Tell me, would five million have been enough to trade away your freedom? Or did you only do it because she’s worth fifty?”
“You better shut up,” Declan said.
“Oh come on, Declan. Everyone here knows exactly what you are. We’re just trying to determine your price.” Hanson laughed.
With a roar, Declan charged like a bull, his head lowered and his powerful shoulders driving forward. Hanson, who was drunk but not stupid, swerved sideways, still laughing, as Declan went charging past him and crashed into the crowd of onlookers.
Slapping his thigh and hooting with laughter, Hanson approached Victoria and asked for another drink.
“You’re done,” Victoria said. “I’m cutting you off, Hanson.”
“Give me the drink Victoria, or you’ll end up...”
“Uncle Hanson.” A large, heavy hand fell on Hanson’s shoulder, as Corporal Randolf Jager, of the local RCMP, arrived. “I think you need a ride home, and I’m going to make sure I give it to you.”
“Oh don’t be such a stuck up prude, nephew,” Hanson said, laughing. “There’s no harm done. Just a few fun and games.”
“There’s no harm done, yet,” Randolf said. “I’m hoping to keep it that way. Now come on, Unc. Your choices are a night at home, or a night in the cell. Choose fast.”
“You think you can push me around?” Hanson hiccupped and slapped at Randolf, who took the blow without flinching. “You, this entire town, give me no respect. I own you people. I own ever...”
Rolling his eyes to the skies, Randolf shook his head at Victoria, and handcuffed Hanson, then began dragging him, kicking and screaming, to the door.
He had barely made it out the door when LeeLee had gotten up from her throne, and with a simple clearing of her throat, focused everyone’s attention back on herself.
“Well, now that the entertainment and drama are done.” She said with a laugh. “I feel it's time to begin the actual party!” She made a gesture with her hand, and the guests oohed and aahed as showers of chocolates covered in gold wrappers fell from the ceiling, with the music once again echoing out, playing “Happy Birthday”.
Victoria, not for the first time, stared at LeeLee’s impassive face and wondered what, if anything, the birthday girl felt. She seemed to treat life as a grand joke, with only herself knowing the answers. And yet, behind the mask of impassivity, Victoria thought there lurked an unhappiness.
Across the floor, she saw Declan dust himself off. Still looking furious his blank eyes met LeeLee’s. Then, deliberately turning, he walked away from her.
Chapter 4
It rained unexpectedly hard all the next day, and so Amanda and Victoria had to postpone their hike. When they did manage to go the day after, Amanda warned Victoria that rock-slides had occurred in a few places, and they’d have to be extra careful. Talk soon turned to the events of the party, though.
“Man, I thought we outgrew fighting at parties in our teens,” Amanda said as she and Victoria walked together. “Now I wish I’d been there.”
“It was alright after Hanson left,” Victoria said. “But I think it sobered us all down a little bit you know. Except for LeeLee though, who was totally unfazed. In a way, I think I’ve never met a woman as strong as her. I’m amazed by her capacity to look so stoic even when things are in shambles around her.”
“I suppose it’s a result of having seen far worse tragedies in life,” Amanda said. “Or maybe LeeLee was just drunk.”
“LeeLee wasn’t drunk.” Victoria shook her head. “She never drinks. She hasn’t had a drink for forty years.”
Amanda raised an eyebrow. “Then she’s a strong woman indeed, considering she’s surrounded by fountains of drink at her parties.”
“Well, enough about them,” Victoria said. “Tell me how you’ve planned this wedding!”
Amanda laughed. “Well, so far, Steve has asked me to marry him quickly and quietly in the old historic Calgary Town Hall.”
“But I thought you wanted flowers, fireworks, all of it?” Victoria sighed.
“Oh I do, but what Steve said made sense, as always. If we get married at the town hall and have the proper reception about three months from now, then we can get a head start on the adoption process.”
“Adoption process?” Victoria stopped.
“I’m officially adopting Ida, of course.” Amanda had tears in her eyes and a blush on her face.
“Oh. Oh, Amanda! Congratulations! This is just as big as the ring!” Victoria hugged her again, delighted. Thirteen years ago, after she had lost her first husband in an accident, Amanda had found out that she would never be able to bear children. Steve’s entry in her life had been a double miracle of sorts. Amanda loved Ida just as much as she had loved Steve.
“Ida’s happy about it too,” Amanda said. “It’s really sad for a girl to grow up without a mother, you know. And now she’s at that age when she’s first getting interested in boys and makeup.”
“Oh thank goodness my Annie’s still a little child,” Victoria said. “Though I know she’ll start having her own phases soon.”
“The two of them are really fond of each other, by the way,” Amanda said. “Annie and Ida, that is.”
“They ought to be,” Victoria smiled. “They like the same music, they both like swimming, their favorite hero is Channing Tatum and they are both obsessed with the books of Louisa May Alcott. Precocious little girls.”
“I think you mean precious,” Amanda smiled. “Anyway, my mother wasn’t very keen on it. She thought it improper to marry first and have the official ceremony later but I quite love the idea. Oh, Victoria, I’ve been staying up nights the last few days planning how I’ll redecorate the house now that Steve and Ida will move in after the wedding.”
“They’re moving in with you? Not the other way around?”
“My house is closer to town,” Amanda said. “You know I can’t leave the shop very long.”
Victoria nodded. Besides volunteering as the town librarian three days a week, Amanda owned an art gallery in town that sold select pieces from some of the most famous artists in Canada. Although she did a healthy portion of her business online, she still sat in the shop 12 hours a day for four days a week, servicing those who walked in. For Amanda, it wasn’t just about the sales or the money. Nor did she care about how famous an artist was. To her, a piece was only worth selling if it truly connected with the customer. So she took great care to find out the tastes of each person who came into a shop.
Needless to say, she was very popular, with her shop being mentioned in several guidebooks about the region as a must-see.
As for Steve, he had once been a doctor. But, so he said, after the death of his first wife, and a baby to take care of, he had given up his profession and decided to move to Canada.
“Steve is very sensitive, you know and although Ida has a bit of a class-clown personality, she’s the same way. Steve felt his first wife’s death very keenly, and decided he’d never again step foot in the USA.” Amanda shook her head. “I know it makes no sense, but he’s superstitious. He thinks if he goes back, he may lose Ida too. So he came here and gave up his past life to become an artist. Luckily for him, he did really well, too.”
“Destiny draws us to where we belong in the end,” Victoria smiled. “What are Steve’s latest projects?”
“He did a lot of the artwork for LeeLee’s bash.” Amanda said. “and he’s painting a mural for Hanson’s new ski-resort. It’s going to be seventy feet high, and depict a snow leopard skiing, I hear. He always has a hint of Salvador Dali in whatever he draws, though. I quite love his style.”
“Of course, you do.” Victoria teased. “You’re his number one fan.”
The two laughed together as they walked on, pausing only to eat some homemade trail mix and down some bottled water.
“This is a tough trail,” Victoria said. “I’d expected nice flat terrain, and you’ve taken me into the Himalayas!”
“Sorry,” Amanda said, huffing herself. “At least, I’m glad we came prepared to hike. Hanson actually told Steve about this trail. The trailhead is so well hidden that no tourists ever come by here, and apparently the view from the top is magnificent.”
“If I live long enough to see it, I’ll be delighted,” Victoria said, catching her breath and collapsing down on a nearby rock.