Party Crashers

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by Stephanie Bond


  One of the funniest things I remember is the time that a woman returned a pair of tennis shoes saying they were way too short for her ten-year-old son, which was strange, because I remembered fitting him myself the day before. She had her ten-year-old in tow, so I sat him down to fit him again and discovered that the shoe was “too short” because the paper stuffing was still in the shoes! And there was the time that the young woman was trying on a pair of high-heeled sandals wearing a thick, fuzzy, pink sock. I gave her a knee-high stocking and suggested that she use it instead. But when I looked over a few minutes later, she had put the knee-high on over the fuzzy pink sock and slipped the sandal back on! Oh, and I did have to deal with a couple of guys with foot fetishes who came in and asked me to try on shoes for them under the pretense of buying them for their girlfriend. Ew.

  I sold shoes from size 0 to size seventeen. I rounded up shoes for people who had feet of two different sizes. I sent shoes to the cobbler to have special soles added for disabilities. I got to know my customers really well, and discovered the amazing influence a person’s shoes have on their life and their ability to work or play as much as they like.

  After I graduated college, I sold my shoe business to join the corporate world as a computer programmer. I quickly discovered that my experience as a shoe salesperson had given me people skills that other programmers didn’t have, so I’m forever grateful to my customers for the education. I wouldn’t trade my time as a shoe salesperson for anything—I draw on those personal lessons again and again…such as when I wrote Party Crashers!

  E-Book Extra

  How to Successfully Crash a Party

  It takes a certain amount of aplomb to successfully crash a party—you have to have nerves of steel and reconcile yourself to the fact that what you’re doing isn’t exactly on the up and up. But if you still want to go ahead with the party-crashing:

  1. Recruit a friend to join you…you’ll have more fun and pairs are less conspicuous.

  2. Research the organization sponsoring the party—be prepared to make pertinent small talk with other attendees.

  3. Decide if you’re going to give out your real name; get your “story” straight in your head.

  4. Dress appropriately—if you look like you belong, you’re less likely to be questioned.

  5. Check out side entrances or the smoking area for inconspicuous entry into the party.

  6. Strike up conversation as soon as possible—the more you blend, the less noticeable you are to bouncers.

  7. If someone asks who you came with, gesture vaguely, say it’s a first date and he’s getting you a drink.

  8. Bring cash and tip the help well—if you’re eating and drinking free, it’s the least you can do, and the help are most likely to be the ones who know you’re crashing.

  9. If you spot other crashers, avoid them lest you’re all booted out together.

  10. If the party is at a private residence, bring the hostess a gift (you don’t have to put your name on the gift tag).

  E-Book Extra

  Discussion Group Questions

  for Party Crashers by Stephanie Bond

  1. Have you ever crashed a party? On a scale of 1 to 10, how unethical is it to crash a party?

  2. Have you ever pretended you were someone you weren’t? Why do you think it’s easier for women to behave more freely if they’re incognito?

  3. Have you ever had a boyfriend who dragged you into the middle of a bad situation? Are you habitually attracted to the kind of person who flirts with disaster? What trait of yours attracts that kind of person to you?

  4. Have you or a friend ever become obsessed with a man to the point of stalking him? Have you ever been stalked?

  5. Have you ever bought clothes, worn them, and then returned them to the store? What was your justification?

  6. Have you ever dated a wealthy man—how was he different than the average guy? Were you different around him?

  7. Do most people feel a natural jealousy toward the very rich? Would you lose friends if you suddenly became rich?

  8. Have you ever worked retail? Talk about the kind of patience it takes to deal with the public day in and day out. Have you ever had a confrontation with a retail clerk that you regret?

  9. Have you ever considered living in another country? What stopped you?

  10. Have you ever had to plan or attend a funeral for someone you didn’t know well or didn’t like? How did that affect you?

  About the Author

  Stephanie Bond walked away from a corporate career in computer programming to write romantic fiction full time. These days she uses her computer keyboard to produce fast-paced novels with a comedic twist. Stephanie lives with her husband and her laptop in midtown Atlanta. You can contact Stephanie in care of Avon Books, 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022 or via her website at www.stephaniebond.com.

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  By Stephanie Bond

  PARTY CRASHERS

  KILL THE COMPETITION

  I THINK I LOVE YOU

  GOT YOUR NUMBER

  OUR HUSBAND

  This is a work of fiction. Any references to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to give the fiction a sense of reality and authenticity, and are used fictitiously. All other names, characters, and places, and all dialogue and incidents portrayed in this book are the product of the author’s imagination.

  PARTY CRASHERS. Copyright © 2004 by Stephanie Bond Hauck. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of PerfectBound™.

  PerfectBound™ and the PerfectBound™ logo are trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

  Microsoft Reader April 2004 eISBN 0-06-075675-6

  First Avon Books paperback printing: May 2004

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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