Bianca’s and surreptitiously placed her hand flat on the absorbent fabric of her lightweight silk jacket. "Same here."
"Oh, this is great!" Chelsea said. "Now that we're all here, let's get a table and eat. I'm starved."
"Well," Bianca said. "We're not all here yet. I invited someone to join us. I hope you don't mind."
"Really? Who? Not John?" Chelsea said, blinking rapidly and looking flustered.
"John?" Bianca said, turning to look at Chelsea. "Why?"
Chelsea's large blue eyes grew enormous and she shook her head, "No reason! Just wondering how he is!"
Bianca regarded her for a beat longer and then shrugged. "He's fine. No, I invited one of my doctor's wives. She's new in town and I thought she'd like to join us. That's okay?"
"Oh!" Chelsea said, nodding enthusiastically. "Definitely! The more the merrier!"
Lucie looked at Chelsea and then at Bianca and wondered what was going on. Who was John?
Sharon said, “You know, that’s perfect. I was going to head out and, now that you have four, you’ll be better off anyway. It’s a lot easier to get a four-top.”
“Four top? What’s that?” Chelsea said,
“Waitressing lingo. Four top, table that seats four. From those lovely college years when that was the best-paying job I could get. Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow, Chel. Great meeting you all,” Sharon said, raising her chin to Bianca and then Lucie.
“But wait,” Lucie said, seeing Chelsea starting to stamp her foot out of the corner of her eye. “You used to waitress? I was hoping to interview a waitress and get some tips. I know food, but I have not the first clue about service. Any chance you’d stay for dinner and give me some pointers? You’d be doing me a huge favor.”
Sharon slumped a little, her head going to the side. “You guys are really not going to let me go, are you?” Though she smiled a little as she said it.
“No!” Chelsea said. “We’re not! I’m going to go put us down for a table for five right now before you change your mind again.” She turned on her heel and started making her way through the crowd toward the hostess’s podium.
"Well, that's that, then, huh?" Sharon said and sighed, watching Chelsea disappear into the wall of bodies.
“Speaking of favors,” Bianca said, “I’d love to have your business card if you have one. I’ve been looking for a good caterer.”
Lucie looked back at Bianca. The last person on earth she would want to work for. Should she pretend that she didn’t have one? But then she wouldn’t be able to take advantage of this evening to hand out cards as she planned. And she had to. She had to get her business off the ground as fast as she could before she ran through her savings. What to do? Well, Bianca was probably looking for someone to cater a big party and that would take care of the whole problem. “Um, I’d be happy to, but, just so you know, I only do little parties. I max out at twelve people to serve. I don’t have the staff or the ability to do bigger parties or events. It’s…more than I can handle. If you want that, Farmer’s Day is supposed to be pretty good.”
Bianca closed her eyes briefly and smiled while shaking her head before opening them again slowly like a relaxed cat. “Oh, their catering is dreadful. Salmon, salmon, salmon. And dried out chicken that practically splinters in your mouth. Actually, a small dinner party was exactly what I had in mind.”
"Oh, okay." Dread making her arms heavy, Lucie slowly lifted up her purse and searched through it for her wallet. She found her business cards and gave Bianca one, trying to smile and look relaxed and realizing her face was twitching weirdly.
“Thank you,” Bianca said, her smile warm and friendly. She looked at the card. “Petite Soiree. What a wonderful name!”
“Oh, thanks. I…” Lucie couldn’t think of what to say. She cringed inwardly, thinking of the evening ahead in the company of this woman. Worse, Bianca was just as engaging and
"Oh, this is great!" Chelsea said. "Now that we're all here, let's get a table and eat. I'm starved."
"Well," Bianca said. "We're not all here yet. I invited someone to join us. I hope you don't mind."
"Really? Who? Not John?" Chelsea said, blinking rapidly and looking flustered.
"John?" Bianca said, turning to look at Chelsea. "Why?"
Chelsea's large blue eyes grew enormous and she shook her head, "No reason! Just wondering how he is!"
Bianca regarded her for a beat longer and then shrugged. "He's fine. No, I invited one of my doctor's wives. She's new in town and I thought she'd like to join us. That's okay?"
"Oh!" Chelsea said, nodding enthusiastically. "Definitely! The more the merrier!"
Lucie looked at Chelsea and then at Bianca and wondered what was going on. Who was John?
Sharon said, “You know, that’s perfect. I was going to head out and, now that you have four, you’ll be better off anyway. It’s a lot easier to get a four-top.”
“Four top? What’s that?” Chelsea said,
“Waitressing lingo. Four top, table that seats four. From those lovely college years when that was the best-paying job I could get. Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow, Chel. Great meeting you all,” Sharon said, raising her chin to Bianca and then Lucie.
“But wait,” Lucie said, seeing Chelsea starting to stamp her foot out of the corner of her eye. “You used to waitress? I was hoping to interview a waitress and get some tips. I know food, but I have not the first clue about service. Any chance you’d stay for dinner and give me some pointers? You’d be doing me a huge favor.”
Sharon slumped a little, her head going to the side. “You guys are really not going to let me go, are you?” Though she smiled a little as she said it.
“No!” Chelsea said. “We’re not! I’m going to go put us down for a table for five right now before you change your mind again.” She turned on her heel and started making her way through the crowd toward the hostess’s podium.
"Well, that's that, then, huh?" Sharon said and sighed, watching Chelsea disappear into the wall of bodies.
“Speaking of favors,” Bianca said, “I’d love to have your business card if you have one. I’ve been looking for a good caterer.”
Lucie looked back at Bianca. The last person on earth she would want to work for. Should she pretend that she didn’t have one? But then she wouldn’t be able to take advantage of this evening to hand out cards as she planned. And she had to. She had to get her business off the ground as fast as she could before she ran through her savings. What to do? Well, Bianca was probably looking for someone to cater a big party and that would take care of the whole problem. “Um, I’d be happy to, but, just so you know, I only do little parties. I max out at twelve people to serve. I don’t have the staff or the ability to do bigger parties or events. It’s…more than I can handle. If you want that, Farmer’s Day is supposed to be pretty good.”
Bianca closed her eyes briefly and smiled while shaking her head before opening them again slowly like a relaxed cat. “Oh, their catering is dreadful. Salmon, salmon, salmon. And dried out chicken that practically splinters in your mouth. Actually, a small dinner party was exactly what I had in mind.”
"Oh, okay." Dread making her arms heavy, Lucie slowly lifted up her purse and searched through it for her wallet. She found her business cards and gave Bianca one, trying to smile and look relaxed and realizing her face was twitching weirdly.
“Thank you,” Bianca said, her smile warm and friendly. She looked at the card. “Petite Soiree. What a wonderful name!”
“Oh, thanks. I…” Lucie couldn’t think of what to say. She cringed inwardly, thinking of the evening ahead in the company of this woman. Worse, Bianca was just as engaging and
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