A Taste of Fame

by Linda Evans Shepherd

  “ ’Fraid so. David and I need some answers.”

  “Like?”

  “What’s Team Potluck’s financial arrangement? I mean, I’m having to take off work and still somehow manage to pay my bills.”

  “I hear you, Wade,” I said as I rounded the corner. I jerked to a stop, almost plowing down Wade’s mom, Faye, who appeared to be studying a display of Diet Pepsi. She was dressed in her plump-girl jeans and a pink tee. Her graying curls did nothing to soften her deepening scowl. “Donna, are you talking to my son?”

  When I nodded, she put one hand on her hip. “No wonder he doesn’t answer, and here I am having an emergency.”

  “Wade, I’ll have to call you back.” I closed the phone and put it in my pocket. Despite my differences with Mrs. Gage, I felt myself kick into deputy mode. “Is everything all right?”

  Faye pointed toward the street where her car was parked. “Engine trouble again.”

  I pointed to my basket of goods. “Let me pay for my items and I’ll take a look.”

  Mrs. Gage pulled her cell phone out of her large tan purse. “This is a job for Wade, not you.”

  I held up my hands as if she had a gun trained on me. “Only trying to help.”

  Faye paused in mid-dial and looked up at me. “Help yourself, you mean.”

  I shifted my weight. “Excuse me?”

  “I hear you’re dragging my son to New York with you.”

  “I don’t think I’d explain the situation quite like that.”

  “Then how would you explain it?” Her voice rose an octave. “You just can’t leave my son alone, can you?”

  The nearby faces of the market’s patrons began to swivel toward us as she continued. “I guess ruining the best years of Wade’s life hasn’t been enough for you.”

  I stepped back, surprised at her public assault. I tried to hush her by lowering my voice, hoping she’d follow suit. “You can’t blame me for that.”

  Faye only got louder. “Wade never would have started drinking if you hadn’t spun his head.”

  “Wade’s drinking broke my heart as much as anyone. Thank God, he’s sober now.”

  “And I plan to keep it that way,” Faye said. She finished dialing Wade’s number, then held her phone to her ear. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m talking to my son.”

  She turned and walked away, cooing, “Wade dear, I’ve been trying to reach you … Yes, car trouble again. I’m at the market. Can you come?”

  At the checkout stand, I reached for my wallet to pull out my Visa when Peggy Sue, the cashier, asked, “That was quite the scene. You okay?”

  I shrugged. “Guess so.”

  “That Faye’s a witch.” Peggy Sue folded her arms across her goldenrod yellow smock with the words “Gold Rush” written in black thread across the front. She said under her breath, “Don’t let her get to you.”

  “I won’t give her another thought,” I lied.

  Later, when I was standing in Vonnie’s kitchen, I stirred my Tex-Ranch dip in one of Vonnie’s large ceramic bowls and mentally rehashed my encounter with Mrs. Gage. Vonnie, who was busy pouring freshly brewed tea into blue-tinted glasses, noticed my foul mood. “Is everything okay, dear?” she asked.

  “Fine,” I said, hoping I could avoid any additional questions. I love Vonnie. She’s more like a real mom than anyone else. Still, I wasn’t too anxious to discuss my love life with her, especially as I sensed she was rooting for me to fall for David. Falling for David was actually something of a temptation, especially now that I’d gotten to spend more time with him, since we dated a bit and so often covered the same accidents. But the fact that David was a guy I more than admired was beside the point. What my so-called love life didn’t need was additional pressure from Vonnie.

  Vonnie handed me two glasses of tea. “Set these on the coffee table. We’ll talk later, okay?”

  I nodded, though I didn’t intend to follow through.

  Just as the girls and I got settled in the chairs Vonnie and I had already arranged around the coffee table, David walked through the front door. He too was dressed ready for work and managed to snag a seat to my right.

  His grin was broad as I announced, “Welcome to one of our newest members.”

  Vonnie, dressed in jeans and her favorite red blouse, grinned like the proud mother she was. “Yes, son, welcome to the club.”

  “Glad to be included.” He reached for one of the preset plates topped with chips, dip, and Lizzie’s tuna sandwiches on rye.

  The phone in my pocket chirped, and I pulled it out to read the text message that had just come through. “It’s from Lisa Leann,” I said.

  “What’s the news?” Lizzie asked, her blue eyes peering over a set of reading glasses she’d slipped on as she held her handwritten agenda.

  I read the text message aloud. “We’re safe in NYC. About to go to dinner. More later.”

  “Safe?” Vonnie asked, her eyes wide with alarm. “Oh dear, safe from what?”

  “Just a figure of speech, most likely,” Lizzie said as Wade opened the front door and slipped into the party. He quietly sat down across from me. Lizzie added, “Text the girls that we have a couple of new members.”

  I obeyed. David, Wade now on our team. Will join us in NY.

  The phone chirped again, and I read her reply. Nelson too. Txt us report of meeting.

  Later, Goldie led us in a long prayer for help in the competition and for God’s favor and grace in our homes and at our places of employment while we were absent. After the amens, we chatted as we sipped tea and balanced our plates in our laps. Wade, dressed in a black tee, jeans, and his famous cowboy boots, sat his plate aside then leaned his elbows back on his chair and stretched out his long legs while he posed a question. “I don’t mean to be a killjoy, but how much is this little trip going to cost?” He shot a look at David. “Some of us aren’t independently wealthy.”

  Lizzie, who looked sharp in her navy top over a pair of indigo jeans, seemed to be the go-to Potlucker in Evie and Lisa Leann’s absence. She said, “Fortunately, the reality show will pay our way plus our expenses. But they’re not paying for our time, except for a small stipend, which we’ll have to share.”

  Wade swiped at a strand of blond hair that hid his blue eyes. “Meaning?”

  I piped up, “Meaning we really need to win this thing.”

  “Hear, hear,” the members of our club sang as everyone lifted their tea glasses into the air.

  Wade raised his glass halfway but didn’t smile. Lizzie asked, “Do you have any other questions?”

  He nodded. “Since David and I weren’t privy to your financial arrangements, if you do win, how are you planning to split the proceeds?”

  There was silence as the girls and I looked at one another. Lizzie said, “We’re playing to help pay off the church mortgage and—”

  “To build a youth wing,” Vonnie added.

  “We’re not playing for personal gain,” Lizzie said. “However, you boys weren’t in on our initial decisions, and we’ll have to work out some sort of agreement.”

  David said, “Don’t worry about me.”

  “Well, helping out our church sounds like a good cause,” Wade said. “I’m happy to volunteer my time, at least as much as I can afford. But as an independent contractor, if I don’t work, I don’t eat.”

  The girls nodded, and Lizzie said, “I’m sure we can come up with something by way of compensation.”

  David asked, “How long do you think we’ll be out there, a week?”

  “If we keep advancing in the competition, it could be up to four weeks,” Lizzie said.

  Wade whistled. “That long?”

  Everyone shifted uncomfortably.

  “I feel your pain,” Goldie said. She was wearing a lightweight peach blazer with matching pants. Now I’m no fashion expert, like Lisa Leann. Still, I couldn’t help but notice how much the color of Goldie’s outfit complimented her strawberry blonde hair. “I don’t know what Chris
will do without me in the office. It’s our busy time.”

  With Goldie’s words, everyone fell silent, lost in their own dilemmas. We picked at what was left of the food on our plates until Lizzie changed the subject. “Vonnie, Goldie, are your hubbies still planning on joining us?”

  “Fred is,” Vonnie said.

  Lizzie nodded. “We, the actual contestants, will be staying at the Hilton, two to a room. But our husbands will have to fly in and stay at their own expense.”

  Goldie’s eyes seemed to plead. “Can’t they stay with us?”

  Lizzie ran a hand through her salt and pepper hair then shook her head. “Not according to Kat.”

  Goldie added, “But they can room together, right?”

  Lizzie nodded again. “As long as they make arrangements on their own. Oh, and Samuel’s coming and so’s Vernon.”

  “What about Lisa Leann’s Henry?” Vonnie asked.

  “She hasn’t said.”

  Wade spoke up again. “You know, my mom is thinking she might like to join us in New York.”

  Because of Faye’s reputation for trouble, I wasn’t the only one who turned to Wade and stared. It was Lizzie who spoke first. “Your mother wants to join us?”

  “At least that’s what she said when I was helping her get her car started a few minutes ago.”

  “What sort of car trouble did she have?” I asked.

  Wade chuckled. “Somehow, that distributor cap in her old Chrysler keeps falling off. Luckily I’ve always found it beneath her car.”

  That’s hardly an accident, I fumed as I felt a scowl tempt my forehead. I made no comment as Wade continued. “Anyway, Mom happened to mention how excited she is about me being on the show, and how much she thinks of you all.”

  I managed to freeze my eyebrows, which now wanted to skid out of control. “No kidding.”

  Wade actually grinned. “Right, and, well, since you all know my mom and since everyone seems to get along, can I tell her it’s okay if she decides to come?”

  The girls and I had no choice. We nodded our assent, and the discussion continued just as if Wade hadn’t dropped a bombshell.

  Somehow, despite my new worries about Mrs. Gage, I managed to learn the producer would expedite our tickets to arrive on Monday and we would all fly out early Tuesday morning, arriving just in time to make a live appearance on the show that evening. Though, apparently we wouldn’t actually be competing, as this was our week off. According to Lizzie—who said this was according to Lisa Leann—the reason we had to be in the studio was so we would be in place when the top six teams started work on the first of their New York City parties. As we were already in the top six, since being in the winner’s circle last week, we had to be on-site so we could get our marching orders the following morning.

  After polishing off a slice of Vonnie’s apple pie a la mode, I stood to leave. “Gotta run, everyone. My shift starts at nine.”

  Before David could respond, Wade stood. “Think I’ll walk the deputy to her Bronco.”

  David nodded, a bit smug. “Go ahead, Donna, I’ll catch up with you later tonight.”

  As we stepped onto Vonnie’s front porch, I was captivated by the evening sky. It rimmed the last rays of golden light around the edges of the mountains while a full moon glowed in the deepening turquoise.

  A breeze played with my curls, which were still too short to pull into a ponytail. Wade followed me to my Bronco, and I turned and leaned into it. “Wade, I can hardly believe your mom wants to join us.”

  He stood close enough to kiss me, but didn’t. “I know. I’m almost as surprised as you.”

  “But why would you even want her there?”

  He smiled down at me in a way that made my heart flutter. “For us.”

  Before I could respond, he continued. “I know my mother has stood between us, Donna, because of the past. But it’s time for a fresh start. I’m ready to show her we belong together.”

  I clicked my electronic key to unlock the door to my truck. “I’m not sure we have anything to prove, Wade, and—”

  He leaned down to give me a gentle kiss. I was so surprised I briefly kissed him back.

  His eyes filled with tenderness. “We’ll get through this.”

  “But …”

  He leaned in to kiss me again, but I managed to slide into my truck, feeling too many emotions to understand them. “We’ll talk later,” I said, starting the motor. “I’m late.”

  His smile was wistful. “Then that makes two of us.”

  A few minutes later, I passed Lisa Leann’s darkened condo and realized Henry must either be out or already in bed. But before I could formulate a better theory, my cell phone rang. I checked the caller ID which once again read “Private.”

  I picked up and listened to the familiar silence before clicking out of the call without speaking.

  I bit my lower lip. I suddenly had yet another person to add to my list of crank-call suspects. But unfortunately, this one couldn’t scare me more than if she were determined to cut out my heart with a butcher knife.

  I shuddered. Faye Gage had me in a tizzy. Me, a law enforcement professional, felled by the fear of rejection. Honestly, I had no more idea how to handle Mrs. Gage than how to fly. But then, I had more to worry about than Mrs. Gage. I had to guard my heart, at least until I could decipher how I really felt about the men in my life. That meant I had to pledge no more kisses until I had a theory I could live with.

  Evangeline

  12

  Mixed Up in Manhattan

  I have to admit, Lisa Leann and I soaked up the New York lifestyle like sponges on wet stainless steel countertops. As soon as we’d gotten our bearings, unpacked, and touched base with our loved ones back home, we headed back down the narrow hall and stairway and then swept into the lobby and to the night manager—a lovely young woman of Hispanic descent—on the other side of a high L-shaped counter. Behind her were tiny cubicles, one stacked on top of another, filled with old-fashioned room keys and slender white envelopes.

  “Look,” I said, pointing rudely. “I think people actually live here!”

  The night manager smiled warmly. “The SoHotel is the oldest hotel in New York City. We have rooms for those who live in the city and those who are visitors like yourselves.”

  “I read that,” Lisa Leann said with a nod. “I read that before we came here on the Internet.” She shook her head. “What I mean to say is, I read that on the Internet before we came here. We didn’t come here on the Internet.”

  “No, we came here on the subway,” I reminded her.

  The night manager’s eyes widened. “You came here, to the hotel, on the subway? With luggage?” She looked from one of us to the other. “From where? From one of the airports?”

  I nodded while Lisa Leann groaned. “Well, heck,” I said. “We’re real New Yorkers now.”

  Rose—the night manager—giggled a bit, then said, “Ladies, how can I help you this evening?”

  Lisa Leann turned to me. “You know, everyone says New Yorkers aren’t friendly. But so far, everyone has been so nice.”

  I pointed to Rose. “She wants to know how she can help us, Lisa Leann.”

  “I’m just saying—”

  I looked at Rose. “We want to go to Il Cortile on Mulberry. It’s a restaurant.”

  “Yes, I know.” She pointed toward the stairs leading back down to the street. “You can literally walk it. Out the front door, take a left, two streets over, take a left. It’ll be on your right. Easy as anything.”

  The night air was warm and the sun had disappeared behind the buildings, but the light around SoHo and leading into Little Italy was silver and magical. I could see, even here in lower Manhattan, why New York City was easy to fall in love with. I took in deep breaths and sighed. I was happy. At nearly sixty years of age, I’d had the first completely spontaneous day in my life, coming to New York City, riding a subway, and now walking in unknown territory to get to a restaurant.

  B
y the time we got back to the hotel and into our room, our tummies were full of some of the best food I’d ever eaten. Lisa Leann had managed to talk the chef into allowing her to check out his kitchen, so she was satisfied in more ways than one. “I now want a warm shower and to fall into bed,” she said as we entered the room.

  Fine by me; I was ready to call home and let Vernon know how I’d survived my first evening in the Big Apple.

  “What’s Lisa Leann doing now?” Vernon asked after I’d filled him in on what had transpired since our last conversation.

  “She’s in the shower,” I told him. “And Vernon … she and Henry … there was a lot of tension in their earlier phone call. I mean … I’m not gossiping or anything, but… .”

  “All right, then,” Vernon said. “On to the next topic.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I get your point. Okay. As soon as Lisa Leann gets out of the shower, it’ll be my turn, so I’ll say good night now.”

  “Good night, Evie-girl,” he said. “I’ll hold your pillow close and pretend I’m snuggling with you.”

  I felt heat spring to my cheeks. “Vernon Vesey, you say the sweetest things.”

  When Lisa Leann exited the bath, declaring the showerhead to be in working order and the spray of the water to be just perfect, I was sitting in the middle of the bed, returning a text message to Donna.

  I CAN UNDRSTND CONCERN RE: MONEY, I texted. NOT SURE HOW LNG UR DAD WILL BE ABLE 2 CME.

  “What are you doing?” Lisa Leann asked.

  I pressed “send” and looked up, ignoring her question for one of my own. “Lisa Leann, what in the world are you wearing?”

  “Pajamas, silly.”

  “I know they are pajamas, but where did you get them?”

  “A place called the Cat’s Pajamas. It’s on the Internet.”

  I leaned in for a better look. The pajamas were two-piece poplin. Pink, of course, printed with frosted cakes and other delectable edibles in a variety of yummy colors. “You do beat all for staying within theme,” I said to her. “And here I just brought a plain old cotton gown.”