by Vickie Fee
“That sounds promising,” I said. “I’m curious about how Jimmy ended up in Vegas. If he’s recently out of prison wouldn’t he have to stay in the state of Texas for a certain amount of time to check in with a parole officer?”
“Yeah, he had to get permission to leave the state and show that he had a job lined up and a place to live. It helped that he has an aunt who lives near Vegas. Not that he sees her much, but having family in the area looks good on paper. And he has to check in with a probation officer here.”
“So what was it like seeing your ex-husband out of the blue, like this?”
“I was kind of rattled at first. Honestly, seeing Jimmy cleaned up and shaved reminded me a little of how he looked when we first met. We were just dumb kids. I don’t know . . . it kind of took me back to a simpler time, you know? And I guess I’m glad to see he’s out of prison. Not that I let him off the hook for too many bad choices to count. And I certainly don’t let him off the hook for taking part in an armed robbery. But he was just the driver—he never pulled a gun on anybody. And he insisted that he didn’t know the other guys were going to pull guns. Nobody believed him. But I know him well enough to believe he’s actually dumb enough to have gotten roped into that kind of situation. I’m glad he’s served his time. Glad for him, and glad for his mama. She’s a sweet woman and it broke her heart when Jimmy got sent away.
“I may be wrong—I’ve been wrong about Jimmy Souther plenty of times. But I’m hopeful that he’s actually grown up and gotten his act together this time.”
Hearing Di talk about her ex with a forgiving tone was a change. Not that she ever talked about him all that much.
“Do you plan to see him again?”
“If you mean ‘see’ in a romantic sense, don’t be ridiculous. I’ve worked too hard to build a life for myself apart from Jimmy. But I probably will see him again before we leave town. I just want to be encouraging. He messed things up for himself, but he also had some rough breaks. And that concludes everything I have to say about my ex-husband. And don’t even ask me about Dave.”
I already knew better than to ask about Dave when the two of them were on the outs.
“Let’s check on the Golden Girls,” I said.
We left the party store and peered through the window of the shoe store. Mama and Miss Betty were at the checkout counter. We loitered on the sidewalk waiting for them to come out. I waved to Little Junior, signaling it looked like we were ready to leave.
Little Junior pulled up to the front of the hotel to drop us off. “Aunt Virginia, when do you want me to pick up you and Uncle Earl for the wedding rehearsal?”
“We should probably leave in forty-five minutes or so. Are you sure you shouldn’t go get some paying fares? Earl and I can catch a taxi.”
Completely ignoring her remark, he said, “I’ll pick you up here in forty-five minutes. And, Liv, I’ll be back to pick you ladies up at just after seven.”
He drove away and we ambled into the hotel lobby.
“Mama, have you and Earl gotten your marriage license yet?”
“We’re going to do it after the rehearsal tonight.”
“It’s a government office. Are you sure they’ll still be open?”
“Yep. I called. The marriage license bureau is open until midnight seven days a week. Things work a little different here in Las Vegas.”
“Apparently so,” I said.
“Liv, how dressed up should I get for this fancy dinner tonight?” Mama asked.
“I was wondering that, as well,” Miss Betty said.
“Mama, you can get as dressed up or dressed down as you like. It’s your night. And since it’s a private room, we don’t really have to worry about what other people are wearing.”
“Then I’ll wear a dress, but no panty hose,” Mama announced.
“That sounds good to me,” Miss Betty said.
We all headed up to our hotel rooms and I called to double check our reservation, just to make sure Jana was true to her word. Everything was confirmed and we were good to go. I decided a nap was in order.
My head had just hit the pillow when I realized I hadn’t heard an update today from Holly about a new venue for the reunion dinner, so I called her.
“Hi, Holly, where do we stand on the banquet venue?”
“We’re sitting pretty. We’re booked at the Moose Lodge. The space is almost as large as the dining room at the hotel restaurant—and they upgraded the kitchen just a couple of years ago. Plus, I believe the woodsy ambience of the lodge will actually make a nicer space for the banquet than the nondescript restaurant.”
“Wonderful,” I said. “Describe the change of venue to the reunion committee chairman the same way you just did for me.”
“Don’t worry, darlin’. I can handle him. Now, when do you get your mama married off?”
“Tomorrow night. Tonight I’m taking her, along with Miss Betty and Di, to an elegant little bachelorette dinner in a private dining room at a nice hotel. Impressed?”
“I am. How did you score that?”
“There’s actually a planners conference at our hotel. I’d gotten an e-mail for it, but had forgotten all about it until we were getting ready to leave for Las Vegas. Anyway, you’ll never guess who I ran into.”
“Do tell.”
“Jana Hively. You remember—from the association of event planners in Memphis? Turns out she’s the events coordinator at the hotel here, and she offered to set everything up. Made a couple of phone calls and we’re good to go.”
“I didn’t know you two were close. In fact, I thought you had a less than fond relationship with Miss Jana.”
“I thought so, too. Maybe she’s just feeling homesick and wanted to do a good turn for a fellow southerner. Regardless, I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.”
“If you do look, be careful. You might find fangs,” Holly said.
“What makes you say that?”
“Well, this is gossip, mind you. But I heard that Jana’s husband requested a transfer with his company to Las Vegas so Jana could take the job at some big hotel there. He took what was essentially a demotion to accommodate her career. Then shortly after they moved to Vegas, she dumped him for some singer she had booked for a show at the hotel. Just watch your back, darlin’.”
“Since I’m not close to her in that way, I should be okay. But thanks for the warning.”
I hung up with Holly, feeling relieved we had a venue for the reunion dinner—and intrigued by the juicy bit of gossip about Jana.
I set the alarm on my phone for a thirty-minute nap. I had just dozed off when Larry Joe came in.
“Sorry, hon. Did I wake you?”
“No. I was just resting my eyes,” I lied.
He lay down next to me and I put my head on his shoulder.
“Did you guys complete your mission of scouting suitable honeymoon campers?”
“I think we did. Mind you, your mama may think differently. Although, I believe I know which one she’ll pick.”
“How’s that?”
“It’s basically Buckingham Palace on wheels. Comes with everything except a butler.”
“Let me guess. It’s also the most expensive option.”
“Yep. By tens of thousands of dollars.”
“You think Earl will actually show her that one?”
“If he’s smart, and if she shows the least bit of interest in any of the others, he won’t. But I have a feeling that camping with your mama is going to cost him more than a world tour would have. What about you? Did you get anything done today?”
“My nails,” I said, holding my hand up so he could admire my manicure.
“That’s a pretty color pink,” he said, taking my hand and giving it a kiss.
“We’re leaving the hotel about seven for a girls’ night out. It’s really just a nice dinner. I ran into an event planner I knew from Memphis. She works in Vegas now and set everything up for me. Have you guys made any plans for Earl’s la
st night as a single man?”
“Nope. Party planning is women’s work,” he said, knowing the remark would earn him a slap on the thigh. “We’ll just take him out for some drinks. Actually, Dave was supposed to ask his cop friend for the names of a couple of places we might want to go.”
“You fellas behave. Nothing too wild. Mama distinctly said ‘no nudie bars.’”
“No worries there. Even if I were inclined to go to a nudie bar, I wouldn’t want to go with Earl and my daddy.”
“Good to know you have chaperones.”
“Honey, Dave asked his cop buddy to look up Di’s ex-husband. Did you know he has a rap sheet as long as my arm?”
“No, Di never gave me a list of his crimes. But I gathered that he’d been in trouble with the law, even before he landed in prison for armed robbery.”
“Why was she hanging around with him last night? Do you think she still has feelings for the guy?” he asked.
“No, not like you mean. She told me today that while Jimmy had made more than his share of mistakes, he’d had some bad breaks, too. And he was just the driver in that armed robbery charge. He never pulled a gun on anyone. I think she’s just happy to see him finally getting his life together. She’s known him since they were just teenagers.
“I really don’t think Dave needs to look at Jimmy as competition. But I also don’t think Di would be happy if she thought Dave was trying to stir up trouble for Jimmy with his parole officer.”
“I’ll try to mention that to Dave if the subject comes up. Aren’t you glad you married someone wonderful, like me?” he said, giving my shoulder a squeeze and kissing me on the forehead.
“I am. Most days,” I said. “I’d love to stay here and snuggle. And I’d really love to take a nap. But I have a bachelorette party to go to.”
“I bet you and Di will be having more fun than Dave and I will.”
“Really? We’ll have our own set of chaperones along for the ride, too, you know.”
* * *
Little Junior pulled up to the front door just after 7:00 p.m., as he’d promised. We took what had become our assigned seats, with Mama in the front, and me perched on the backseat between Di and Miss Betty.
“Liv, it’s pretty sweet you being able to snag a private dining room at one of the big hotels. I guess you know some tricks of the trade, having your own party planning business,” Little Junior said.
“Something like that,” I said sheepishly, before quickly changing the subject. “So, Mama, I haven’t talked to you since the wedding rehearsal. How’d things go?”
“We asked the minister to change a couple of small things, but I was real pleased. I think it’s going to be fun, but still appropriate. One thing is worrying me, though. Earl said he had a little surprise for me. I told him, ‘Earl, you know I don’t much like surprises, especially when it comes to something important like our wedding.’ He told me not to worry, that he was sure I’d like this surprise.”
“I wouldn’t worry, Virginia,” Miss Betty said. “I think Earl knows you pretty well.”
“He’ll probably know you a whole lot better after traveling for two weeks together in a camper,” Di chimed in.
“I know y’all think it’s a crazy idea, but I think it’ll be romantic—and an adventure. Neither of us has traveled in this part of the country, so now we’ll get to see it for the first time together.”
“Mama, I think it’s sweet, how the two of you will be riding into the sunset in a Winnebago for parts unknown.”
I did think it was a little crazy, but I didn’t say so. Being trapped in a small space with my mama for two weeks certainly qualified as an adventure. Not one I’d sign on for. But if Earl loved her enough to marry her, I hoped it turned out to be a dream honeymoon—whatever a dream honeymoon meant to them.
Little Junior dropped us off with instructions to call him later with a time for him to pick us up. He told us not to rush.
“Y’all have a wonderful time. Aunt Virginia, this time tomorrow you’ll be a married lady,” he said, with a smile and a wave.
I knew we came to Las Vegas for a wedding. But hearing someone say out loud that in less than twenty-four hours my mother would be married—and married to someone other than my daddy—left me feeling a bit dazed.
I’m truly fond of Earl. He treats my mother like a queen, and I think they’re good for each other. But since I knew she planned to take Earl’s name after they married, it suddenly struck me like lightning that Mama was going to have a last name different from my maiden name, my family name.
“Earth to Liv,” Di said, waving her hand in front of my face. “We don’t know where to go.”
I snapped back to the present moment.
“Sorry,” I said blankly. “Wait here while I ask the concierge for directions.”
After conferring for a moment, I rejoined the group. “Follow me,” I said.
After taking the elevator up to one of the top floors, we snaked down two hallways as I’d been directed. The sign on the door said RESERVED.
It was truly lovely, and looked more like an elegant dining room in someone’s home than a hotel. Brocade drapes framed a city view and a Victorian fainting couch sat beneath the window. Beside the fireplace, a candlelit table featured finely polished silver and a centerpiece of fresh flowers. In a moment, a tuxedoed waiter entered from a side door.
“McKay, party of four?” he asked.
“Yes,” I replied.
“And which of you is the bride-to-be?”
We all pointed to Mama.
“Ah, very good. Welcome.”
He pulled out a chair and motioned for Mama to take a seat. Then seated each of us in turn. He picked up a slender pitcher of ice water from the table and filled our glasses.
“Your waiters will be out to greet you in just a moment. I wish you all a lovely evening.”
Before exiting, he stopped at a sideboard topped by a small stereo and turned on some quiet music.
“Oh, Liv, this is so classy,” Mama said. “And I wouldn’t mind having this wallpaper in my own dining room.”
“It is beautiful,” Miss Betty said.
While my mother and mother-in-law were discussing the furnishings, Di leaned over and whispered, “Who did you have to sleep with to pull this off on such short notice?”
“I told you there’s an event planners conference at the hotel. I ran into somebody I knew from Memphis and it turned out she lives in Las Vegas now. That’s one of the tricks of the trade Little Junior mentioned,” I said, giving Di a sly wink.
“I know we had a big lunch, but I’m starving,” Mama said.
“Me too. You know they say Chinese food doesn’t stick with you. I’m a bit hungry, but I’m absolutely parched,” Miss Betty said, picking up her water glass.
A moment later, four beefy waiters marched in single file, wearing tuxedo pants, bow ties—and no shirts. My mother-in-law sprayed water out her nose.
I’m going to kill Jana, I thought.
A shirtless waiter stood behind each of our chairs, and they all introduced themselves—Tom, Rudy, and Hank. Mine’s name was Todd.
Rudy, Mama’s attendant, spoke up. “We’re here to serve you. Please let us know if there’s anything you need. Anything at all.”
Then they each took an elegantly folded napkin from the place setting in front of us, unfurled it with a snap of the wrist, and laid it across our laps, leaning in with their faces very close to ours.
I could feel Todd’s breath on my cheek, but my eyes were glued to Rudy, who was standing directly across from me flexing his pectoral muscles, undulating from one side of his chest to the other. Miss Betty’s face was beet red, but her eyes were fixed on Todd, making me wonder if his chest was performing a similar feat.
Di’s waiter, Hank, took the bottle of champagne I’d authorized Jana to order—for an extra fee of course—from the ice bucket, and expertly popped the cork. He filled Di’s glass, then handed the bottle to Todd, who filled
my glass and passed it on.
The fab four retreated, saying the first course would be served in just a few minutes.
As soon as the men had left the room, Mama started waving her napkin in front of her face in a fanning motion.
“Whew, mercy, Liv. Are you trying to give Betty and me a heart attack?”
I opened my mouth, prepared to apologize and explain how it wasn’t my idea, but before I could speak Mama continued.
“Not that I’m complaining, mind you,” she said with a school girl giggle.
“I know,” Miss Betty chimed in. “I guess it’s just a little bit naughty. But, what is it they say? What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?”
“That’s right. Your secret’s safe with me,” Di said. “I see all kinds of things during the course of my mail route that I never breathe a word about. What happens in the privacy of one’s home—or on their vacation—is nobody’s business but their own.”
“I’ll drink to that,” I said, raising my glass and breathing a sigh of relief.
We all chinked our crystal stemware, which produced a pleasant ring.
“To Virginia and Earl. May their wedding night be as exciting as our dinner,” Miss Betty said.
Hearing those words come out of my very straight-laced mother-in-law’s mouth elicited surprised looks, followed by laughter. I think she even surprised herself.
They brought our dinner out in courses, describing each dish before setting the plates before us. Each one was served with a flourish, showing off a bulging bicep or firm bottom.
They filled our wineglasses with the house red just before dinner. The fish course was scallops with prosciutto and asparagus, followed by mushroom and leek soup, and a mixed greens salad. Then they served a watermelon sorbet to cleanse our palates—and cool us off. Mama kept fanning herself every time they disappeared through the dining room door.
The main course was beef tenderloin with carrot medallions and haricot verts.
“‘Harry-co-vair’ is just French speak for green beans, isn’t it, Liv?” Miss Betty asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“They’re a bit undercooked for my taste,” Mama said, spearing a bright green bean that hadn’t been cooked down southern-style to a dull sage color.