Incorporeal by J.R. Barrett Page B

meeting with the publisher.
    Great , that’s what you get for celebrating anything .
    After thanking the hostess and waving to the two men shucking oysters, Sara rose from her seat, removed her bags from the hook, and threaded her way through the oyster bar. She didn’t have far to walk; she’d made reservations for dinner at the restaurant right across the hallway.
    Five minutes to go. Sara squeezed past a long line of waiting customers trying to reach the hostess desk. She managed to catch the woman’s eye.
    “ Hello. I have a reservation for four at six-thirty.”
    “ Name?”
    “ It’s under Wise, Sara Wise.”
    The hostess scrolled down her computer screen. “Yes, I see it.” She took a quick glance behind Sara. “Is the rest of your party here?”
    Sara looked back at the line of customers as well. “No, sorry, they’re not here yet.”
    “ You can wait over there.” The woman motioned to a bank of occupied chairs. “Just let me know when they arrive.”
    “ Sure, thanks.” Sara stepped out of the line of people eager to get their names on the wait list for dinner. There wasn’t much room to maneuver. She managed a spot next to a large statue, but she had to twist sideways every time the door to the outside opened and closed. Sara pulled out her phone and sent Geri a text message.
    At the restaurant .
    It took Geri a few minutes to reply. Sara read the message and did a double take. Still shopping .
    She texted back, It’s after six-thirty .
    Geri’s next text said, I know .
    Damn it. I knew something like this would happen. Sara sent another text message. When will you be here???
    Don’t know. Soon.
    Sara made her way back to the hostess. “Um, Miss, how long will you hold my reservation? The rest of my party’s been delayed.”
    The woman tried hard not to roll her eyes. She just barely succeeded. After the huge fuss Sara had made about getting that golden six-thirty reservation slot, she wanted to roll her eyes right along with her. “I can keep the table open for another twenty minutes or so. Do you think your party will be here by then?”
    “ I hope so. Thanks.” Sara returned to her tiny space near the door.
    An hour and fifteen minutes later, lighter by the sixty dollars she’d given the wait staff to hold the table, Sara was near tears. As she headed for the door, intending to catch a bus home, Geri materialized at her side.
    “ Where are Leah and Priscilla?”
    Sara blinked a few times, trying to clear her blurred vision. “What do you mean, where are Leah and Priscilla? How should I know? I haven’t seen anyone until just now when you showed up.”
    “ I could throttle her. I dropped them off fifteen minutes ago and told them to meet you here while I parked the car. They’re probably shopping.” Geri snorted. “Do you know what I’ve been through today?”
    Sara shook her head, too upset to speak.
    “ At six-thirty, when we were supposed to be here, she plops herself down in a chair at the make-up department in Bloomingdales and says to the girl at the counter, I want a makeover . I remind her for the umpteenth time that we have a six-thirty dinner reservation and she says; I’ll just get a mini-makeover . Can you believe it? I have been her personal shopper all day long and if I have to listen to her go on about…” Geri stopped in mid-rant. She pointed to the other entrance. “There they are. C’mon.” She grabbed Sara by the arm and dragged her back inside the restaurant. “Did you manage to hold our table?”
    Sara nodded. Embarrassed by the obvious quiver in her voice, she informed the hostess her party had arrived. She and Geri followed the hostess to their table while Leah and Priscilla disappeared again.
    “ They went to the bathroom,” Geri said in a loud whisper.
    “ Who’s Priscilla?” asked Sara.
    “ Oh, someone from this conference Leah’s attending tomorrow. I think she’s wants to be a writer, but I don’t think she’s written anything. I had