“You’d be shocked how many people left that night without giving an alibi,” said Mimi, sipping on a gin and tonic.
“Can you believe this?” said Pilar, waving her hand around the room. “It’s been barely a week since our party. Bettina just couldn’t wait to show us up.”
Bettina Bailey and her Whispering Bay Beautification Committee, aka the Bunco Bunnies, all had on matching hot pink polo shirts with their own special insignia. They were working the event hard, from greeting people at the door to even lending a hand to the waitstaff from time to time. Georgia noticed that most of the staff here had worked Black Tie Bunco as well.
Dave and Steve were also in “costume.” They wore blue jeans with hard hats and their new company shirt with the Pappas-Hernandez Construction logo on it. If it had been anyone other than them, they might have looked ridiculous. But the women of Whispering Bay were eating it up. The line to get a personally chipped piece of the senior center extended all the way around the room. Georgia had waved to Dave, and he’d nodded back, but he’d been too busy to talk to her.
All the Babes were here too, along with their husbands. Tina and Lorraine and Brenda and Liz and the rest of them. Georgia knew all their names now, and their husbands’ names and even the names and ages of their children.
“Aren’t those Bunnies helpful?” said Shea, glaring at Bettina behind her drink, “hopping around picking up the slack.”
“You have to admit,” said Kitty, “this was a pretty good idea. Steve just couldn’t say no. It’s for such a good cause.”
“Yeah,” conceded Pilar. “I hate to say it, but you’re right. I think they’re going to raise a lot of money tonight for the new rec center.”
Shea sighed. “I know. And I shouldn’t be petty. But I’ll bet my next BOTOX injection that it was Bettina Bailey who swiped our videotape and ruined our party.”
Brenda blinked. “You’ve had BOTOX?”
“Not yet,” said Shea. “But I have a connection ready when I need it.”
Kitty giggled.
“If it hadn’t been for Bettina, Black Tie Bunco would have been the social event of the year and our names wouldn’t be mud right now,” continued Shea. “And she did a lot more than just try to ruin our reputation. If those videos hadn’t been switched, then the thief wouldn’t have had the distraction he needed to steal that money. Let’s face it, we’re a lot more interesting than a history piece on Whispering Bay.” She took a sip of her drink.
“Do you think Zeke will ever find the culprit?” asked Georgia.
“Maybe we’ll be featured on one of those whodunit shows,” said Brenda. “You know, the ones where they never solve the crime and they reenact it for TV?”
“I wonder who would play me?” mused Liz.
Bettina fluttered up to their circle. “Isn’t this great?” she gushed. “We’ve already raised over two thousand dollars, plus a couple thousand more in donations and the party has just started. I think people are feeling extra generous tonight. On account of the missing money debacle.”
“You’re taking cash?” asked Pilar.
“Oh, yes,” said Bettina. “And we’re displaying it too. I think it really invigorates the whole atmosphere to have people actually see their money. It encourages others to chip in. Of course, we’re going to be a lot more careful with our cash than you girls were.”
Georgia could practically see the steam coming out of Shea’s ears.
Pilar craned her neck to look above the crowd. “Where do you have it? I hope it’s well guarded.”
“Don’t worry,” said Bettina. “I have Persephone on the job. And there’s no one I trust more.”
Georgia glanced over to a table set up against a wall. Persephone had a hot pink Bunco Bunnies polo shirt on too. A large rectangle aquarium bowl stuffed with bills sat in front of her.
“If Persephone is here who’s taking care of the kiddos?” asked Shea.
“Bruce’s mother is watching the twins,” said Bettina. “Normally, I give Persephone Friday nights off, but she insisted on coming to help. That’s what I call loyalty. But then, I don’t go around falsely accusing my employees.”
Bettina sauntered off to hobnob with another group.
“That bitch,” muttered Shea. “I know she was responsible for switching videos at our party. And I’m going to prove it.” She discreetly separated the edges of her bag to reveal a small camera inside. “I’ve figured it out. It had to be Persephone who stole those videos out of my house. She didn’t want evidence of her drinking on tape. If I can catch her drinking here tonight, the way I think I will, then maybe I can blackmail her into confessing that she stole the tapes and gave them to Bettina.”
Pilar rolled her eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Actually, I think it’s a good plan,” said Georgia.
“You do?” said Shea. She straightened back her shoulders and smiled at Pilar. “See, Georgia thinks it’s a good idea, and Georgia’s brilliant, so that settles it.”
“Hey!” whispered Kitty, “look over there.” She pointed in the direction of the table. A waiter placed a drink in front of Persephone. He talked to her a few minutes, then left. Persephone glanced around and when she thought no one was looking, she drained the glass.
“I knew it! Allergic to alcohol, my ass! That nanny’s a lush and I have the nanny cam to prove it,” Shea said.
“How are you going to get the nanny cam on her without her knowing it?” asked Tina.
“Easy. If Persephone is going to be sitting at that table all night, then all I have to do is place my bag in a strategic area, like that ledge.” She pointed to a small shelf near the wall. “I guarantee you, that’s not the only drink we’re going to see her chug down.” Shea was almost gleeful.
“But your camera is so small, are you sure it’ll get what you need?” asked Mimi.
Shea patted her bag. “It might be small, but it’s the best money can buy. Believe me, that drunk and her bitch employer are going down.”
Georgia shook her head. “Remind me never to get on your bad side.”
Shea gave her a strange look. “You don’t have to worry about that. You’re one of us now.”
“One of what?” asked Georgia, taking a sip of her drink.
“A Babe,” said Kitty. “At least an honorary one. If you lived here in town, you’d have complete Babe status.”
Georgia stilled. “You mean you’d put me on top of the sub list?”
Pilar and Kitty exchanged a smile.
“For ten years now,” Shea explained, “the three of us have reigned over the Bunco Babes. We started the group, so we’ve been in charge of who gets in or not. And it has to be unanimous, which it rarely is, because someone always ruins the vote.” She said this part while looking at Pilar. “But this time, it was a complete no-brainer. You’re definitely full Babe material.”
“Because I’m Frida’s sister?”
“Hell no,” said Pilar. “I’d never let my sister near one of our Bunco parties.” She leaned in conspiratorially, “she’s got a real stick up her ass.”
“You’re a full-fledged Babe all on your own. We all knew the night of Frida’s Cheeseburger in Paradise Bunco party,” said Shea.
Kitty nodded. “When you were so upset, because you’d caught Spencer in that lie. Or at least you thought it was a lie at the time. Your life was pretty much at a low point.”
“But you didn’t let that stop you from playing Bunco,” said Pilar.
“Bunco Babe rule number three: The game must go on,” said Shea.
“You’re kidding, right?” Georgia asked.
“Absolutely not,” said Pilar.
The Charlie’s Angels trio all laughed. Only this time Georgia laughed with them. As ridiculous as all that sounded, Georgia totally got it.
“What’s going on?” asked Frida. She and Ed must have just arrived to the party. Ed smiled at Georgia. He seemed less tense than the last time she’d seen him. Of course, that ha
d been on his way out of jail.
“Watch my back, girls,” said Shea. “This is it.” She clutched her bag and serpentined her way through the crowd.
Frida sent Ed off to the bar with a drink order. “What’s Shea up to?” she asked.
Kitty and Pilar filled her in on Shea’s plan.
Frida looked unconvinced. “I just hope the whole thing doesn’t backfire on us somehow.”
Georgia mingled with the Babes for a few minutes, then tried to get in Dave’s line so he could chip away her own personal piece of the center. But according to Persephone there was a thirty-to-forty-minute wait. She tried to catch a whiff of Persephone’s breath, to see if she could pick up any alcohol fumes, but she couldn’t.
“Try coming back in about an hour,” suggested Persephone. “Maybe the line will be shorter by then.”
“Thanks. I’ll do that,” said Georgia.
The same waiter who’d brought Persephone a drink earlier strolled by carrying a tray with white wine. Georgia bought a glass from him. She watched to see if he left a glass for Persephone, but he didn’t.
Her stomach growled something fierce. It just occurred to her the last thing she’d eaten was the pizza at Dave’s. Geor gia dropped a donation in the fish tank and went to stand in the buffet line.
Earl came up behind her. “Smell those hush puppies?” he asked, wiggling his nose in appreciation.
Georgia smiled. “The Harbor House’s finest.”
Earl nodded in approval. “You’ve only been here a few weeks and you already know the best place to eat.”
“So you know I’m the other one?” Georgia said, enjoying their banter.
“Sure,” he said, “I could tell you and your sister apart after that first day. I just liked having fun with you, is all.”
“The Harbor House does make the best hush puppies,” Georgia admitted.
“And the best fried grouper and the best fish sandwich in town too,” said Earl. “Course they don’t have much competition.”
They advanced a little in the buffet line. She thought about her marketing plan for the Bistro and how Spencer had thought it was top notch. And then she thought of Dave’s reaction to it. “If a person wanted to get a quick bite to eat, say a sandwich at lunchtime, where would they go?” she asked.
Earl thought about it a minute. “The Harbor House has the best food in town, no doubt about it. But there’s no such thing as a ‘quick’ bite there. It’s a sit-down place and if you don’t get in before the tourist crowds, then you’re gonna wait in line a while. There’s Sherry’s Deli and they make pretty good BLTs, but they put too much mayo on everything. Gives a person a bad stomach, you know?”
Georgia nodded.
“Plus, she’s a snowbird. Her place is only open November through May. Spends the rest of the year in one of them cold states.”
“And that’s it? There must be more places in town to eat.”
“There’s that pizza place everyone’s crazy about—”
“Tiny’s,” Georgia supplied. “I hear they make great sauce.” She felt her cheeks go warm at that last part. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Dave. He caught her gaze and smiled. A tingle of anticipation ran through her. They still had two nights before she had to go back to Birmingham. After that, who knew where she’d end up? Maybe she could get a job close by.
“I-talian place,” said Earl, nodding. “There’s also a little ice-cream stand by the beach. They do tacos, stuff like that. But they taste like rubber. Ted Ferguson keeps promising a bunch of new business when he builds those condos of his. I don’t know.” Earl shrugged. “I’d kind of like to see what we already got here in town do good. You know?”
Georgia’s heart began to race. “Mr. Handy, who takes care of your investments?”
“My son-in-law used to. He’s the one who made that condo deal with Ferguson. But I’ve taken over since then. No one really knows what they’re doing nowadays. Buying, selling, then buying again—all faster than they can go up and down a bunch of stairs. It takes real finesse to know how to do business.”
Georgia looped her arm through Earl’s and led him away from the line. “Mr. Handy, just how badly do you want my sister’s bran muffin recipe?”
Dave got his first break at ten p.m.
“I can’t believe how hard they’re working you,” Georgia complained. “I’ve hardly gotten to talk to you tonight.”
“Jealous?” he asked, playfully flicking the side of her nose with his finger.
“As a matter of fact, I am.”
He looked surprised by her response. She was kind of surprised too.
“What are you doing later tonight?” he asked.
“I thought I’d try on your hard hat and maybe play around with some of your tools. There’s one in particular that really stands out for me.”
Dave half groaned, half laughed. “I’ve created a monster.”
“You’re the one who said you could help me with my sense of humor.”
“So did you to talk to Spencer?” he asked.
“He checked out of his hotel before I got there. And he won’t return any of my voice mails. I think he’s had it with me and I don’t blame him. I have to go to Birmingham Monday to sort this all out. I’m quitting my job, but I’ll have to stay until Spencer gets a replacement. I owe him that.”
“Then what?”
She took a deep breath and tried for a bright smile. “Then I look for another job. According to Spencer’s secretary a few headhunters have been sniffing around asking about me. I guess I should be grateful, what with the economy sucking right now.” She studied his face to gauge his reaction to this next part. “Maybe I can get a job nearby. Atlanta is only six hours away and Tallahassee and Pensacola aren’t too far a drive.”
He didn’t say anything.
Maybe she was taking too much for granted. For all she knew Dave hadn’t even considered taking their relationship past this weekend. The thought of never seeing him again made her throat swell up. Just like it had the night of Black Tie Bunco when she’d been in a near-panic state. Oh, God. She could feel herself hyperventilating.
Dave reached out and touched her elbow. “Georgia—”
“I’m okay,” she blurted. “I’m going to be okay. Just forget everything I said and—”
“Georgia,” he interrupted firmly. “Turn around.”
Something in Dave’s voice made her freeze. But somehow she still managed to shuffle her feet in the right direction to come face-to-face with Spencer.
It was official. She must be allergic to Spencer showing up unexpectedly at parties. Because the anaphylactic shock thing hit her full force. She could barely squeeze a breath in.
“Georgia, before you say anything, I want you to listen to me.”
“Spencer,” she wheezed, “I’m so sorry about last night.”
A strained look came over his face. She could see how he struggled to keep his emotions in check. “I admit, I was upset. I left town in a snit and drove all the way back home to Birmingham before I realized what I’d done. But I forgive you, Georgia.” He looked past her and narrowed his eyes at Dave. “For whatever it is you’ve done twice now.”
Once in the closet and then two times last night, so it was actually three times, to be exact. But she didn’t think Spencer would appreciate her correcting him.
“I realize it’s my fault,” he continued. “I’ve strung you along for five years and you’re just giving me back some of what I deserve.”
She shook her head. “No, that’s not it.”
“Please, babycakes, this isn’t easy for me.” He got down on his knees.
The band picked this exact moment to stop playing. Great. Now the whole room was staring at her. Again.
“Is this fella a glutton for punishment or what?” Earl asked.
Someone shushed Earl. Probably DeeDee.
Spencer pulled the little black box Georgia recognized from the other night and opened it to reveal that giant-as
s engagement ring. Somehow, it looked even bigger than before. Must be the lighting, she thought wildly.
He reached out and plucked her hand in his. “Georgia Meyer,” he said in that smooth voice of his that sent shivers down her spine. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
It was the worst déjà vu Georgia had ever experienced. Only it was real. She glanced nervously around the room. Dave was standing less than two feet away. The expression on his face said he wasn’t going anywhere this time.
“Spencer,” she began gently. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes,” he said, “and make me the happiest man in the world.”
For one crazy second, she actually thought about it. How could she not? She’d spent five years waiting for this moment. A tiny part of her whispered, go for it!
With Spencer she’d have everything she ever wanted. Marriage, financial stability, the big brick house on top of the hill. It was all here. Just waiting for her to reach out and grab . . .
A high-pitched scream caused the crowd to swing their attention. Persephone stood in the middle of the room with a panicked look on her face. “Someone stole the fishbowl with all the money!” she cried.
34
“Not again,” grumbled Earl. “Don’t we have any security in this town?”
“Everyone calm down,” said Zeke, taking command of the room.
“Bettina, I’m so sorry I let you down!” Persephone wrung her hands together. “I tried so hard to keep my eye on the money. But there was that whole proposal thing going on and I just couldn’t look away.”
“There, there,” said Bettina, stroking Persephone’s hair. “It’s not your fault.” She turned to Georgia. “If your fiancé-slash-boss hadn’t made a spectacle of himself, none of this would have happened!”
“You can’t blame Georgia,” said Pilar.
“Yeah!” chimed in the rest of the Babes.
“Persephone, when was the last time you saw the money?” asked Zeke.
Persephone began to sniffle. Bettina gave her a handkerchief so she could dry her eyes. “I was sitting at the table collecting money, and then that guy”—she pointed to Spencer—“got down on his knees and proposed. Everyone was so riveted. I was trying my hardest to see what was going on, but I had to stand on a chair to see above the crowd. I must have gotten careless and taken my eyes off the money for a few seconds. I was just so engrossed in what was happening.” She stopped to sniffle some more. “The next thing I knew the money was gone!”
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