“We have other important things to do first,” Sammy jumped in to explain before Lucy could answer him.
All eyes turned to the young girl as she jumped up and down, eager to tell him her news. Shaking his head at her interruption, Toby motioned for her to continue otherwise she would continue to jump into the conversation.
“We’re going to get our pictures taken in our costumes. By a real photographer, in her studio! It will be our first official family photo. Now we’ll have proof that we’re a family.”
“Oh, Sammy you don’t need proof – you know in your heart you are a family. That’s what counts.” Megan hugged the little girl, eyes misty.
“You know you don’t have to worry about that, don’t you?” asked Aiden. “You saw the papers the judge signed making your adoption official.”
Sammy nodded her head, knowing the adults where right. But she was still afraid, deep in her heart, that something would spoil her new status as a daughter. She and Toby had grown up in an orphanage, and with each passing year knew their chances for a forever family diminished. Families came to the orphanage looking for babies, not older kids.
“I know, but it’s nice to have the pictures. And I promise that you and Aunt Megan can each have one to keep in your wallet.”
“I’ll be honored to carry that picture with me, Sammy,” Aiden gently assured her.
Barney’s arrival with a toy in his mouth followed by Gypsy broke the mood, and the two kids lost no time before getting into a tug of war with the dogs and toy.
“Lucy, who are you using for the photos?” Megan turned away from the sight of the kids playing and looked at the other woman, noticing her wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eye. Glad for the change of subject, Lucy pulled a business card out of her pocket and handed it to Megan.
“You’ll love working with Lynn,” she assured Lucy. “I’ve hired her to take pictures at the parties too. I understand that she keeps her big St. Bernard at the studio to help put the kids at ease. It’s great to see her pursuing her passion. You know, I think Jake is getting a little serious about her, too.”
That’s all it took for the two friends to start talking about a possible match between Jake and his friend. The two of them were often at the beach together, surfing or hanging out with other friends. As they talked about the possibilities of a new romance in Citrus Beach, Paul and Aiden exchanged exasperated looks. Knowing the women wouldn’t even notice their absence, Paul motioned for Aiden to follow him outside to talk. There the two men examined Paul's old roadster he was driving for the day. Aiden’s cherry red ‘65 Cutlass was parked next to the roadster and in seconds the two of them were lost in their own conversation.
It was the arrival of Janice, Megan’s office manager that broke up the individual conversations and got Paul’s family on their way to their photo session. Exchanging hellos and goodbyes, the next few minutes were hectic, but once they left all was quiet again. Megan and Janice made their way over to the main office, using one of the golf carts they kept on hand to get around the 10 acres, where they went over a few business details for the following week. Janice often stopped by on a Saturday to catch-up on the never-ending details that were involved with the business. This is one of reasons she was so good at her job. Often, she would join Megan by the pool for a while before heading out to enjoy the rest of her day. Today she didn't linger. She also had to get ready for the preview party. Janice told Megan she would see her later, and left as swiftly as she had arrived.
“Oh, my gosh, is that the time?” Megan had looked her watch as she waved goodbye, astonished to see that it was time for her to get ready as well.
The next 20 minutes were a flurry of activity as she got ready. Aiden would meet her there, she wanted to arrive early and go over any last-minute items that might have come up since she had last talked to the party planner. With a hurried kiss goodbye, she left, leaving Aiden to give the dogs a final walk and lock up the house.
Chapter 5
When Megan arrived, the grounds to the museum were bustling with activity. The valets were parking cars in the adjacent lot. The hostesses were in place to direct guests to the courtyard, away from the main entrance. As Megan handed her car over to the young man waiting, she took in everything.
Members of the press were already there, snapping pictures and jotting down their impressions. Everyone seemed to be in great spirits and Megan smiled to herself in silent congratulations. She was pleased that many of the early arrivals were dressed in the suggested apparel, and could easily imagine what it would be like an hour from now when all the guest arrived. The staff was also in costume, the valets in uniform, while the servers wore a mixture of house staff costumes – from maid to butler. This was the primary reason Megan had hired this company; she had been to a Christmas party they had put together and, although the theme of that party was different, the staff’s full commitment to the Dickens Christmas Carol theme had made the party a success. Everyone talked about the event for weeks, and Joe wanted that same success for the grand opening.
She waved to a group of business owners across the courtyard that she was working with on another project and then, hearing her name, turned towards the podium. There a young woman stood, dressed in the garb of a reporter from the 1920s. The two women had an odd relationship; at times adversaries, and at other times almost friendly. Megan pasted a smile on her face and walked over to join her.
“Hello Kim. I see you’ve taken the costume literally. I like the ink on your fingertips.”
The other woman laughed along with her, and Megan realized that Kim Heart was in a friendly mood. This was good, because Megan wanted the best possible reviews on the opening, and Kim was a reporter for the local TV station, and a writer for the newspaper.
“I have to admit, I’ve always admired the old club reporters and the hard work they had to go through to put a story together for the newspaper. This ink was Grandpa’s idea. He’s really excited about this museum, Megan. I think it’s brought a lot of sweet memories back for him, memories of when Citrus Beach was just developing into a town.”
“Glad to hear that. It’s funny I’ve noticed a lot of reminiscing going on around town too. The old timers are defiantly taking up more of the stools at the counter at Susie’s Diner.”
Laughing, the two looked around them and could clearly see examples of what Megan had observed. “There’s Grandpa over there now, talking to Charlotte Potter. If ever there were two people interested and knowledgeable about our town’s history, it’s those two.”
Megan looked over where Kim pointed and noticed the older couple in deep conversation. As she looked closer, she swore that Charlotte was flirting with the attractive man at her side. With a swift glance to Kim, she saw the other woman was watching too.
“Do those two have a history, other than being from a founding family of Citrus Beach?” Megan asked, curious.
“I’ve heard nothing about that. But it sure looks like they have a history the way they are acting. Charlotte never married, did she?”
“No, she always told me she had lost her true love to the Navy. I always assumed she meant he had died. But maybe I was wrong.”
“It’s an interesting thought. I know my grandparent’s marriage was more of a merger of families than a love affair. They married while he was in the Navy, between commissions. I don’t believe they were ever close. By the time my grandfather retired from the Navy, my grandmother had passed away. My dad and his sisters were basically raised by nannies.”
They were silent for a moment, observing the interaction between Charlotte and Colonel Heart. Then, with conspirator grins, they turned the conversation to the museum.
“Have you talked to anyone else yet? Does everyone seem excited about the opening?”
“Yes, I think this will go over well for Citrus Beach. It will be an attraction that will bring in car lovers from across the country. I still need to get an interview with Joe Stevens. Do you think you can get
his attention so I can get it done and posted before any of the out-of-town reporters?”
Megan nodded her head, she wanted the local newspaper to have the exclusive interview with Joe, and they had discussed this the day before at lunch.
“Joe was hoping you would do an interview with him. Follow me and I’ll get the two of you together. How about inside where you can take some exclusive photos, too?”
Kim was thrilled with Megan’s suggestion and agreed to meet Megan and Joe in ten minutes by the front door. Megan had to drag Joe away from his conversation with Carol Bloomquest – his neighbor and another one of Megan’s clients – and got him and Kim inside for their interview, mentally checking another task off her list.
Leaving the two of them together for the interview, Megan headed back outside to see if anyone else needed her help. Entering the courtyard, she could hear the laughter of school-aged children and looked toward where they were. Waving and smiling, she saw her niece and nephew and several other children also dressed in costume. It looked like all age groups were getting in on the fun and she was thrilled.
Megan walked around, talking to the guests and enjoying the festive atmosphere. Her attention was drawn to the arrival of a new guest, a middle-age man walking on crutches. She would know him anywhere, even if he was out of his police uniform now. She had no idea Sheriff Green had injured himself and hurried over to ask him what had happened and how long he would have to be on crutches.
“What in the world happened to you, Sheriff?” the concern in Megan’s voice was evident. The two of them had developed a friendship and mutual respect. Megan had proven many times over to the sheriff that she was not only capable but had an instinct for solving crimes. And the man was smart enough to use this to his advantage. He looked down at the young woman standing next to him, an embarrassed grin on his face as he explained his circumstances.
“It was just dumb luck, being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I was walking across the office, cutting through the conference room. I was in such a hurry I didn’t even notice that one of the cleaning staff was vacuuming and had the cord pulled across the room. Just as I stepped over the cord they move the vacuum cleaner, making the cord taunt. I went down like a ton of bricks and twisted my knee in the process. It looks like I will be out of commission for a while. The doctor is saying I will probably need surgery.”
“I’m so sorry to hear this. You need to make sure you take care of yourself. I do have to say, I’m impressed that you came in costume, regardless of your injury. Maybe we should find you a seat right up front. I’m sure the doctors don’t want you on that leg any more than necessary. Joe’s doing an interview right now but as soon as he’s done, we’ll start the opening ceremonies. There will be guided tours for some of the press. You’re welcome to tag along if you want; I can even find a wheelchair for you.”
Megan couldn’t help but laugh at the sheriff’s expression of outrage at the thought he would use a wheelchair. She was sure it was more a matter of injured pride than anything else. Rather than antagonize him, she hid her smile and helped him to the nearest chair. He now sat up in the area for the press and dignitaries where Joe would make his opening speech, welcoming everybody to the new antique car museum.
After making sure the sheriff was settled, she left him talking to Carol Bloomquest, then started rounding up the rest of the guests so they would take their seats. Kim’s interview would not take long, and she wanted everybody to be ready when Joe came out. Sure enough, by the time she had everybody seated, Joe and Kim were walking out the door. Megan walked up to the podium and thanked everyone for coming before introducing Joe with a rousing round of applause. Joe made his way up to the podium, and over the next 15 minutes entertained his guests with tales of how he had acquired the cars they would be viewing. Including a few of the more interesting aspects of how the insides of the museum worked, he kept everyone’s attention until he finished.
As he wrapped up his speech, he invited those in attendance to follow him into the museum for a private tour. For the next hour, Joe and Megan, along with Aiden and Paul, made sure that everyone’s questions were answered. Before she knew it, the party planners were cleaning up from the first party to get ready for the second. As Megan and Joe said goodbye to the guests, she could hear the excitement from those attending tonight’s gala and was sure it would be as much of a success as today’s preview party had been.
Chapter 6
Megan deliberately arrived early and by herself that evening. She wanted to take everything in with no distractions. She allowed the valet to help her out of her car and then walked up to the front doors. Two men dressed in black tuxedos held the doors open for Megan and she walked into the museum’s front entrance. And then she just stood and stared.
There was so much to take in she didn't know where to look first. But she knew one thing: it was perfect. Everywhere she looked were beads, shiny beads and beads of pearls. Feathers of every color and length imaginable. Crystal shone everywhere, from the chandeliers to the goblets of champagne stacked in towers, ready for the guests to partake.
As she looked around a bit more, she realized she was the first one there and already she was overwhelmed. She had made the right decision hiring this party planning company. The staff had change their outfits from the uniforms of earlier to traditional 1920s evening wear. Men, like the two that had held the door open for her, were dressed in tuxedos and top hats. But it was the women that took her breath away. They were dressed in traditional flapper gear, most of them with drop waists. The dresses were adorned with elegant accents of beads and feathers and ribbons, with skirts slit way up the thigh; the beads of the skirt discreetly hiding a little of the flesh that showed. What caught her eye the most were the headpieces that accompanied each. From elaborate feather headgear to simple bands of beads draped throughout the hair of the woman wearing it.
Yes, everything looked perfect for the arrival of the first guest. If Megan was this impressed, knowing what to expect, she couldn't wait to see the reaction of the guests who would arrive shortly.
“Well Megan, are you happy with the results?”
Megan turned to James, who had come to stand next to her. Before answering him, she gave him a huge hug, grinning from ear-to-ear.
“You've outdone yourself, James. I never expected such elegance; it's perfect for the cars and for the atmosphere we wanted to create. The costumes that your staff are wearing – I just… I just don't have words for them.” Megan realized she was gushing, but she couldn’t stop. For once, she was overwhelmed. James simply nodded his head and gave her a self-satisfied smile. He was aware by doing such a good job, the referrals and press he’d get would be huge. And there are always other avenues this would pay off for him.
“Well then, I'll leave you to it. Joe's upstairs in his office and I will have the staff mingle with the guests as they arrive. By the way, you look absolutely stunning in that dress. That color blue is perfect with your hair.”
Megan thanked him, and smoothed imaginary wrinkles from the front of her costume, her fingers catching on the lavish beading that ran throughout the dress. It was ice blue silk, Aiden's favorite color she had discovered. The drop waist accented her figure, and the beads ranged in color from a dark purple to the lightest of blues, adding modesty to the high slit running up the side. The back of the dress dropped low, almost to her waist, and beads and pearls formed a webbing across her back. She had pulled her auburn curls up into an elegant twist with a headband decorated with pearls and feathers. Attached to her wrist was a feather fan, matching her headband and concealing the cell phone she held.
Megan had had so much fun picking out the dress she was tempted to keep it. And so were most of the other woman she had talked to over the last few days. There was something magical about putting on the elegant styles of years past. She had seen Lucy and Emma’s dresses and was thrilled that they had drawn cars from the same time as hers; they were all dressed in the Gatsby style.
She couldn’t wait to see how the other women attending would be attired.
The vibrating of her phone brought her attention back to things at hand. Glancing down, she saw it was a text from Joe.
I bet he’s nervous, she thought to herself.
She turned towards Joe’s office and almost walked into a pretty young woman. Her flirtatious flapper dress swirled around her knees as she sidestepped out of Megan’s way. In the process, she dropped the clipboard she was carrying.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. Here let me help you,” bending down, Megan picked up the clipboard, glancing at it as she handed it to the other woman. It appeared to be a list of names, but Megan was more concerned with making sure the other woman was okay. Megan noticed the discreet name tag that all the party planner staff wore.
“Lisa Fox. Well, Lisa, I love your outfit. I can’t tell you how pleased I am with all the hard work you all have put into making this event a success. I hope I haven’t knocked lose any of your papers?”
Lisa took the clipboard from Megan, and she assured her that there was no problem, and gave her a nervous smile.
“It’s my fault, Miss Cassidy. I was moving too fast through here. I guess now that people are arriving, I need to slow down and go mingle. You enjoy your evening,” and with that she hurried toward the main entrance.
Megan followed her movements for a moment and then realized she had been right – the first of the guests were arriving. Her phone buzzed again, and she saw there was a question about the music that the jazz quartet, hired for the evening, would play. Texting back a quick answer as she walked, Megan headed to Joe’s office.
“Here we go,” she muttered to herself.
From that point on, Megan was going nonstop. She managed a few minutes alone with Aiden when he arrived, dashing in his black tux and top hat. He carried the look off perfectly with gloves and a shiny black and silver walking stick. Their hurried kiss was interrupted by the arrival of more of their friends, and another question for Megan about the program for the evening. Aiden watched her as she dashed off, admiring the sight she made.
The Flapper Caper Page 3