Just Desserts

by Tricia Quinnies

  Chapter Nineteen

  The spokes in her front wheel rattled and Sadie was covered in sweat by the time she reached the museum. She hopped off the Trek and wiped her brow with the bottom of her tank top, except the cotton was so damp it didn’t absorb much. She checked her watch: three o’clock. It was only an hour’s ride to the museum. She might have made it sooner if she hadn’t wound up stopping at Navy Pier.

  After seeing BBRD, Quinn’s latest acquisition, she had forced her legs to pedal, but when she saw the Ferris wheel on the pier something inside snapped. She had to think clearly about Quinn. Tiring her body wasn’t making the tiny voice in her head, the one warning her, go away.

  A handful of vendors had set up shop, so Sadie had browsed the artsy wares. She had found a beautiful vintage velvet scarf and a black T-shirt. The voice didn’t disappear entirely, but it quieted down.

  Sadie walked her bike, on the sidewalk, around to the back of the Field Museum. There were trucks and three white vans parked near a delivery entrance. The vans were emblazoned with magenta lettering. Shelly Catering. She was in the right spot.

  Sadie pulled the new scarf and an extra set of clothes from her bike pack and stuffed them into her messenger bag. She dragged the bike up the rear stairs and into the delivery entrance. Delivery men carrying stacks of chairs rushed past.

  She stopped short and her bike pedal sliced into her ankle. “Ow. Shit.”

  Limping out of the way, to the side of the garage-looking service entrance, she leaned her bike against the cinder block wall.

  A set of steel double doors, she presumed, led into the museum. A staging area in the likes of a kitchen with plastic covered tables, convection ovens, and stainless heat racks was set up. There were four women with chef hats and one of them was shouting and waving at her.

  It was Lindy.

  “Sadie? I didn’t know you were working for Shelly.” Lindy gave her a hug.

  “I’m really not. Just filling in. I guess there’s a shortage of waitresses. Some kind of flu bug. I want to see the Streets of Chicago exhibit early, since it’s not opening for the public until next week. What are you doing here?”

  “This gala. It’s a biggie. Shelly called me to order batches of my fresh arugula for the salad. When she found out I had some baby beets, she added a beet salad to the menu.”

  “This is great. To see you. I thought you would be coming to Chicago with Eddie.” Sadie grabbed the bike, wheeled it to a drainpipe, and locked it up. “Wasn’t he supposed to meet with Quinn sometime next week?”

  Lindy handed her a couple of white dry dishtowels. “Yeah. Think so. Eddie hasn’t been able to talk to Quinn. They keep playing phone tag. Here.”

  Sadie grabbed the towel and wiped the trickle of blood off her ankle.

  Lindy pointed toward the gallery hall. “The guest tables are all set. The bar is still being arranged. If you take a left, once inside the actual museum, you’ll find the ladies’ room. You can freshen up.”

  “Where is Shelly? I want to introduce myself.”

  “She’s wigging out with the florists and the bartenders. You can’t miss her; she’s super tall and has a Morticia-style black gown on with long black hair and bright red lips. She’s a little scary-looking, but super nice. Before I forget, how is your lover boy?”

  Sadie took a towel a draped it around the back of her neck. “Good.”

  Lindy flicked one of the dishtowels at her. “The sexiest man on Earth? That you get to wake up with…is just good?”

  “A lot on my mind since moving back, that’s all. And Quinn’s been…it’s just that…”

  “Just what?” Lindy walked toward the doors leading to the main gallery. “That man of yours is such a rock. I don’t get how you can use the word just near his name.”

  “He’s a rock. Steady and all around terrific guy. He’s a gem. A diamond. I’m not sure I belong in the same league.”

  Lindy squawked. “Shut the fuck up. You are the best. Whatever’s bothering you, I bet Quinn would do anything to get rid of it. To make you happy. He’s a keeper.”

  “He can’t, Lindy. It’s who he is—he’s a Wrigley.”

  “Holy cow. No shit?”

  “I wish I were kidding,” Sadie said.

  “Is that what’s bothering you? Of all the women out there still looking for true love only to come up empty-handed, and you find a great guy who really cares about you? And you’re worried because he has a few dollars in the bank?”

  “It’s not just a few dollars. It’s who he is and how much power he wields. It scares me.”

  “Yeah, but your Quinn isn’t a control freak. He’s a do-gooder.” Lindy nudged her shoulder and pointed toward the museum. “Get ready for waitressing. We can talk later. Oh. And I might need your help prepping the salads.”

  Sadie stumbled a bit and shot Lindy a dirty look as she headed out of the makeshift catering kitchen and into the museum. When she gained her bearings, Sadie was overwhelmed by the gorgeous dinner tables and décor set up in the main hall.

  The round tables were set with white linen clothes and the centerpieces were purple and pink orchids encased in glass hurricanes. Each orchid arrangement matched the chosen dishes, not china, but Fiesta ware. The gobs of color reflected on the strings of star-shaped lights strung about the ceiling.

  Off to her left, she spotted Shelly, directing the bartender as he unloaded a box of champagne bottles. There were waitresses arranging silverware on the tables. A couple of girls, folding linen napkins at the corner table off to the side of a podium, giggled. Sadie made her way over to Shelly.

  “Excuse me. I’m Ellen’s friend, Sadie Maxon.”

  Shelly took a sip of champagne from a flute that the bartender had just handed to her. “Oh. Great. You’re here. The guests won’t be arriving until seven. I am so glad Ellen found you. I had a wait staff of twenty scheduled to work and half of them have come down with the flu.” She glanced down at Sadie’s Rocket Dog bike shoes. “It looks like you’re going to be running all night. Keep on those shoes.”

  “I’m ready.” Sadie laughed. “I rode my bike from Bucktown and still have some breath left.”

  Shelly downed the rest of her champagne. “Great. You can work with Dylan. Serving drinks.” She nodded toward the bartender. “Bar duty until we serve dinner at eight? Then can you man half the tables?”

  “Sure.” Sadie tossed out her plan to finagle some down time to escape waitressing and sneak in to see the exhibit. “How many guests are coming?”

  “About one hundred. Some of the most powerful men and women in the city of Chicago will be attending. The mayor and his fiancée are expected.”

  Sadie nodded. “Don’t worry. It’s beautiful in here. And you have Lindy. She brought the best produce from the Midwest for the party. The guests will be so enamored of her arugula—anything amiss will not be noticed.”

  Shelly smiled. “I like you. I knew I would. You’re a good omen. This night will go off without a hitch.” She slammed down another glass of champagne.

  Sadie steered away from the bar and went into the bathroom. In the goliath room, walled in marble tiles, even her soft rubber shoe soles echoed. The stall doors were slabs of solid granite. She stripped off her biking clothes and put on her black dress. And feeling sort of whimsical, she wrapped her new gold scarf around her waist and locked it in place with the broach.

  It was Saturday night so Sadie decided that she would have some fun while she worked and look good while doing it. She slipped on her other pair of shoes, velvet ballet slippers.

  As she sashayed out of the bathroom, the gold fringes edging the scarf brushed across her thighs. An image of Quinn arose in her mind. She cast it out. She needed hard laborious work, to purge out her insecurities. And the extra dollars were truly needed. Tomorrow, she could think about him. And talk to him. Lindy was right he was a good guy. A Wrigley, but still a good guy.

  Dylan showed Sadie the layout of the bar. She was relieved that they only
had to mix martinis, and in sync with the prohibition era and the streets of old Chicago theme, only the basics were being served--water, wine, bottles of “bootlegged” beer, whiskey, and champagne.

  The Stanley Field Hall was by Sadie’s estimation, the best place on earth to have a party. As she double-checked the glasses and wiped off any errant water spots, she gazed over to Sue the T-Rex, who would be greeting the guests by the main entrance.

  All the tables were arranged around the museum’s two woolly mammoth elephants that played atop their pedestal. The speakers’ podium was dwarfed sitting beside it. Sadie felt sorry for whoever had to speak with the two monolithic stuffed beasts and tusks hovering over their shoulder.

  Sadie rubbed off miniscule spots on glasses. As she paused to admire the totem poles, the front doors of the museum slammed open. Four men in black suits rushed into the museum.

  “Mayor must be on his way.” Dylan said. “Definitely security.”

  “Right. Any idea who his fiancée is? Wasn’t he dating that actress? What was her name?”

  “No idea about that one.” Dylan opened a bottle of Berghoff lager and poured a glass. He took a sip and placed it out of sight on the bottom shelf behind the bar. “The woman he’s engaged to is a model. From the Midwest. She’s been working as the Macy’s spokeswoman in Europe. I think Italy. I heard she moved back to Chicago and snagged Mr. Barrett as soon as her plane landed.”

  “Italy. Wow. Wonder why she moved back? A lot warmer there and less humid.”

  Lindy came up to them. “Can I get some water for us cooks back in the kitchen?”

  “Not a problem.” Sadie handed her a couple bottles of Perrier. “How’s dinner coming?”

  “Brilliant. We’re done with the salads, and the main entrée is ready to plate up. The tenderloin is staying warm in the ovens. When you finish serving the liquor, your next shift will be to serve tables.”

  “Where’s Shelly?” Sadie asked.

  “She went to greet the mayor and his fiancée. I think they’ll be heading your way soon.”

  Sadie adjusted her scarf around her waist and dug out her powder and lipstick from her bag tucked under the bar. “This will make up for all the sweat running down my temples.”

  Dylan glanced at her. “Not to sound like a creeper, but you are one woman who could honestly stay away from makeup and heads would turn as you walked by.”

  “Mmm. That’s nice, thanks.”

  He blushed and went to pour a glass of chardonnay for the one of the evening’s first guests, a mature woman with fine silver hair styled in an elegant up-do. She reminded Sadie of her grandmother.

  The overhead lights in the main entrance hall dimmed, so the starry lights strung from the balconies, twinkled and warmed the cold mausoleum-like hall.

  Sadie popped open a bottle of champagne. Beside Dylan, she set to work serving drinks for the stream of matronly ladies and tuxedoed men mostly of the gentle age of seventy or so.

  “There they are.” Dylan nodded toward Sue the T-Rex. “The mayor and his latest Barbie doll.”

  She looked over as the couple walked toward them. “They might be our youngest guests.”

  “Yeah, definitely an old money crowd.”

  “Should I check the bar for Metamucil supplements?”

  “Funny.” Dylan chuckled.

  Sadie gawped at the mayor and his fiancée as they worked their way to the bar. The woman was lithe and elegant.

  “May I have a glass of Pinot Noir?” the beautiful woman asked as she clasped onto the mayor’s elbow.

  Sadie nodded and handed her the glass that Dylan had poured. She definitely picked up on a Midwestern accent.

  The mayor’s fiancée was gorgeous with flawless skin. Sadie couldn’t help but notice since so much of it showed. The woman’s gown was backless and only strips of crimson silk covered her breasts. The skirt half was so long, it pooled around her Jimmy Choo’s at the floor. The mayor, in his tux, was clearly in awe of the beauty beside him. He held her hand and kissed her lightly on her cheek. Sadie fought down a wave of illogical envy.

  “What whiskeys are the Wrigleys springing for this evening?” Mayor Barrett asked Dylan.

  “Kentucky Bourbon and Glenlivet,” Dylan said.

  Sadie’s face felt warm. Get a hold of yourself. This is Chicago and Wrigley is everywhere.

  “Of course Glenlivet. Quinn’s favorite,” the fiancée said drolly and then sipped her wine.

  Sadie, pouring a glass of Perrier for a lady whose blue dress matched her hair impeccably, almost let the bottle of spring water drop. Instead, she let it clatter against the lovely old lady’s glass.

  “How would you know that, Lizanne?” the mayor asked.

  “Oh, you know,” she said.

  Mayor Barrett chuckled. “I’m aware of all of your past, Liz. You’ve been vetted.”

  She laughed. “I ran into Quinn the other day. You have met him, haven’t you? If not, I’ll be sure to introduce the two of you this evening.”

  He nodded. “I have to say, on the list offered me by the Secret Service, Laughton is the only one I was jealous of. Hell, I’d date him.” The couple laughed and strolled over to the table closest to the podium.

  Sadie’s heartbeat raced. A bottle of Perrier slipped from her fingers. Dylan caught it before it crashed to the ground. “You all right?”

  “Ah. Yeah. I just. I just need a breather. Can I skip out? Go to the bathroom? Will you be okay for two minutes?”

  “Go fast. Splash some cold water on your face. It’s almost appetizer time. There will be a dash to the bar before people sit down. Dinner and speeches will start soon after.”

  “Hey Dylan, do you know who’s making the presentations? Who’s sponsoring this exhibit and party?”

  “The Wrigley’s. They donated most of the cash to make this thing happen. And the oldest dude, the one the mayor was talking about, is making the toast. Quinn Laughton.”

  Sadie felt like one of the totem poles on display in the museum. She stood stock still and on the bottom.

  “Hurry up, Sadie!” Dylan said.

  She jogged under the marbled archway between the pillars and back to the loading dock. Instead of the bathroom, she found Lindy. “He’s going to be here.”

  “Who? Slow down. What’s the matter?” Lindy set down the knife she held to slice the prime rib.

  “Quinn. He lied to me. He told me he had a family meeting. He didn’t want me. And couldn’t tell me about this. For God’s sake, he’s sponsoring this exhibit. An exhibit I so need to see before I write my thesis.”

  “I’m sure there’s an explanation.” Lindy cleaned her hands with a dishtowel.

  Sadie sucked in a deep breath. “Maybe. I can’t think straight.” She wiped—a reckless tear that had escaped—off her cheek. “I’ve got to get back to the bar and help Dylan.”

  “Once they sit for dinner, we can talk.”

  “Okay. Thanks, Lindy.” Sadie jogged through the side alleyways bordering the main hall. As she came up to the bar from behind, she adjusted her velvet scarf that had shifted askew on her hips. And then she combed through her hair with her fingers in a futile attempt to contain the frizz.

  “Better?” Dylan asked.

  “I’m okay. Sorry to leave you out on a limb.”

  “Not a prob. This over eighty crowd moves slow. There was never a rush. And I heard the man of the hour is here. Laughton. And his date.”

  “Where?”

  Dylan uncorked a bottle of red wine as he scanned the crowd. “There. Over by the podium. By the stuffed elephants.”

  Sadie poured a glass of champagne for an elderly woman wearing a hat with a brim so large and bright yellow, it was as though her tiny face was hidden by the sun.

  Exhaling through pursed lips, Sadie followed Dylan’s gaze. Quinn stood with a small gathering of people, the men in tuxes and women in gowns. They surrounded him, but he stood out, tall and handsome in his tuxedo. And next to him was a woman in a strapless
, silver, body-hugging gown. Her long brown hair spilled over his shoulder as she laughed.

  It was her. The woman in the magazine photo. Quinn’s date.

  Chapter Twenty

  Quinn was late and grateful for his tardiness. He’d made it to the Field Museum as the guests started to sit down for dinner. Rubbing his jaw, he waited at the main entrance until tables began to fill up. He spotted Jake and Suze seated at the table closest to the podium. He checked his pocket to make sure his index cards were still there. He’d memorized his speech, but liked to keep his cards handy.

  He walked past Sue the T-Rex and waved at her. “Hello, beautiful.”

  “She’s way too old for you,” Kate said, as she came up to him and hooked her arm around his elbow. “Where have you been? I love Jake and Suze, but I was beginning to feel left out. You, my friend, have a lot of explaining to do.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Your brother and his wife are refusing to tell me anything about what’s been happening here in Chicago, with you, since I’ve been in England. They are whispering and giggling like two little kids. And the only thing I can get out of them is something about a woman.”

  Quinn shook his head. “You look amazing, Kate. Glad to have you home. How long are you staying? A few weeks? Any chance your hub will shine around?”

  “Derek’s busy in London. And don’t change the subject. What’s going on with your love life?” Kate held his hand and they strolled toward their table.

  He sighed. “I’ll tell you over dinner.”

  At the table, Suze was seated out of sight of the guests. Her legs were stretched out under the tablecloth with her feet on Jake’s lap.

  He leaned down to kiss her. “Are you comfortable?”

  “Don’t take this the wrong way. How long is your speech?” Suze arranged a layer of lace on her gown over her protruding belly.

  Quinn shook his brother’s hand. “I’ve timed it to ten minutes.”

  Jake punched his shoulder. “Nice of you to show up. There are ten or so lovely old ladies, friends of mother’s who have been wanting to say hello to you. We’ve been able to placate them with talk about the baby. But before dinner is served, you might have to make the rounds.”