and quite a tomboy. Max Santangelo Golden.
Lucky sighed. Soon Max would be out on her own. They all grew up too quickly; time moved at such a lightning pace.
‘Bye, sweetheart,’ she whispered, bending down to kiss Max on the forehead. ‘See you soon.’
* * *
The moment Lucky left her room, Max – who’d been faking sleep – jumped out of bed and ran to the window to witness her mother’s departure. She’d pretended to be asleep because she hadn’t wanted to get involved in a conversation about what she was going to do while everyone was away. Too risky, considering she was not the world’s greatest liar, and unfortunately Lucky possessed an extraordinarily keen shit detector.
Soon enough she observed Lucky striding out of the house and getting into a waiting town car to take her to the airport.
Max immediately reached for her cell and called Harry and Cookie, giving them the all clear. ‘Get your asses over here, we’ve got much to do,’ she said excitedly.
Her next job was getting rid of the two housekeepers, who might present a problem. They were recent hires, sisters from Guatemala. Fortunately, twenty-four hours of freedom suited them just fine. Lucky did not believe in keeping a large staff around – she was very down-to-earth in that respect, she preferred doing things for herself. She’d also never cared to raise her children in a pampered environment.
Cookie arrived at the house first, a blissful smile on her pretty face. ‘No more boys for me,’ she announced with a dismissive wave of her hand. ‘It’s men all the way.’
‘Oh, for God’s sake!’ Max responded, rolling her eyes. ‘It’s Frankie . Get a grip. He’s a major loser.’
‘He is so not,’ Cookie argued. ‘You don’t know him.’
‘I’ve known him longer than you, thankyouverymuch,’ Max retaliated.
‘Not in the way I know him,’ Cookie said with a secretive smile.
‘Don’t tell me you had sex again?’ Max said, hoping she was wrong, but sure that she wasn’t.
‘Wouldn’t you like to know,’ Cookie giggled.
‘Not really,’ Max said, hurrying over to the window to make sure the two young housekeepers got into the cab she’d ordered to take them to their families. She’d instructed them not to return until noon the next day, and she’d given them each fifty bucks cash, plus cab fare, to make sure they understood. The older sister had been worried about Lucky finding out, but Max had assured the girl in her best high-school Spanish that Lucky would never know.
Once the housekeepers were gone, the three of them hurried downstairs and began unloading the booze from Max’s car and lugging it out to the bar by the swimming pool.
‘Who’s going to make everyone drinks?’ Cookie asked, filling the outdoor fridge with bottles of beer. ‘Frankie kinda suggested we could borrow one of his bartenders. Whaddya think?’
‘So you did invite him?’ Max said, turning on her accusingly.
‘Told you I was,’ Cookie retaliated.
‘But we didn’t agree,’ Max objected. ‘Seems you’re forgetting it’s my party.’
‘Get over it,’ Cookie snapped. ‘You’re just jealous, ’cause I’m getting it an’ you’re not.’
‘That’s crap,’ Max said, although maybe she was a little bit put out that sex for Cookie seemed so uncomplicated. ‘And by the way – you stink of weed.’
‘Want some?’ Cookie offered, digging into her purse.
‘I do,’ Harry said, darting forward with an eager gleam in his eyes.
Max threw him a withering look. ‘No thanks,’ she said to Cookie. ‘And no bartender either. Everyone can help themselves. I’m dropping by the market and buying a ton of plastic glasses we can throw away later.’
Cookie yawned, feigning boredom. ‘Whatever,’ she muttered. ‘It’s your party.’
‘Okay, girls,’ Harry said, thinking it was time he butted in. ‘We’ve got work to do. Let’s get to it.’
* * *
The hostage situation worked itself out,
Lucky sighed. Soon Max would be out on her own. They all grew up too quickly; time moved at such a lightning pace.
‘Bye, sweetheart,’ she whispered, bending down to kiss Max on the forehead. ‘See you soon.’
* * *
The moment Lucky left her room, Max – who’d been faking sleep – jumped out of bed and ran to the window to witness her mother’s departure. She’d pretended to be asleep because she hadn’t wanted to get involved in a conversation about what she was going to do while everyone was away. Too risky, considering she was not the world’s greatest liar, and unfortunately Lucky possessed an extraordinarily keen shit detector.
Soon enough she observed Lucky striding out of the house and getting into a waiting town car to take her to the airport.
Max immediately reached for her cell and called Harry and Cookie, giving them the all clear. ‘Get your asses over here, we’ve got much to do,’ she said excitedly.
Her next job was getting rid of the two housekeepers, who might present a problem. They were recent hires, sisters from Guatemala. Fortunately, twenty-four hours of freedom suited them just fine. Lucky did not believe in keeping a large staff around – she was very down-to-earth in that respect, she preferred doing things for herself. She’d also never cared to raise her children in a pampered environment.
Cookie arrived at the house first, a blissful smile on her pretty face. ‘No more boys for me,’ she announced with a dismissive wave of her hand. ‘It’s men all the way.’
‘Oh, for God’s sake!’ Max responded, rolling her eyes. ‘It’s Frankie . Get a grip. He’s a major loser.’
‘He is so not,’ Cookie argued. ‘You don’t know him.’
‘I’ve known him longer than you, thankyouverymuch,’ Max retaliated.
‘Not in the way I know him,’ Cookie said with a secretive smile.
‘Don’t tell me you had sex again?’ Max said, hoping she was wrong, but sure that she wasn’t.
‘Wouldn’t you like to know,’ Cookie giggled.
‘Not really,’ Max said, hurrying over to the window to make sure the two young housekeepers got into the cab she’d ordered to take them to their families. She’d instructed them not to return until noon the next day, and she’d given them each fifty bucks cash, plus cab fare, to make sure they understood. The older sister had been worried about Lucky finding out, but Max had assured the girl in her best high-school Spanish that Lucky would never know.
Once the housekeepers were gone, the three of them hurried downstairs and began unloading the booze from Max’s car and lugging it out to the bar by the swimming pool.
‘Who’s going to make everyone drinks?’ Cookie asked, filling the outdoor fridge with bottles of beer. ‘Frankie kinda suggested we could borrow one of his bartenders. Whaddya think?’
‘So you did invite him?’ Max said, turning on her accusingly.
‘Told you I was,’ Cookie retaliated.
‘But we didn’t agree,’ Max objected. ‘Seems you’re forgetting it’s my party.’
‘Get over it,’ Cookie snapped. ‘You’re just jealous, ’cause I’m getting it an’ you’re not.’
‘That’s crap,’ Max said, although maybe she was a little bit put out that sex for Cookie seemed so uncomplicated. ‘And by the way – you stink of weed.’
‘Want some?’ Cookie offered, digging into her purse.
‘I do,’ Harry said, darting forward with an eager gleam in his eyes.
Max threw him a withering look. ‘No thanks,’ she said to Cookie. ‘And no bartender either. Everyone can help themselves. I’m dropping by the market and buying a ton of plastic glasses we can throw away later.’
Cookie yawned, feigning boredom. ‘Whatever,’ she muttered. ‘It’s your party.’
‘Okay, girls,’ Harry said, thinking it was time he butted in. ‘We’ve got work to do. Let’s get to it.’
* * *
The hostage situation worked itself out,
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