is bad mouthing the mayor?” Sadie asked. “What is she saying?” She immediately regretted asking, but the words were out of her mouth and she couldn’t very well let Lois know that she didn’t want to hear.
“She’s saying how Marjorie always comes to these things early and gets all the good stuff, even though it’s clearly against the policy. She didn’t say whose policy. I should ask her about that. Don’t you think?” Lois asked.
Sadie said something non-committal and made an excuse about needing to circulate. “Hostess duties and all that, you know.”
Policies were all very well and good, but there was such a thing as taking things too far. She went in to check on Lucy, who was at the table writing up invoices and collecting money.
“Need anything,” Sadie asked.
“Nope,” Lucy said. “I’m good.”
Sadie noticed that Lucy’s wine glass was untouched. That was unusual, but then the atmosphere of this party was unusual too. It seemed more than normally snarky, and there was an air of desperation, like this was the last chance any of these women would have to buy jewelry. And that just wasn’t true.
Tracey Starkey walked up to Sadie wearing multiple pieces of jewelry – necklaces, bracelets, rings – the only place where she was tripled up was her ears. She only had one set of holes.
“Sadie,” Tracey said. “Look at this.” She held out her hand. She had ten rings on. “Aren’t these gorgeous? I just love these trunk parties. Thank you so much for inviting me. My big problem is going to be choosing which pieces to wear.”
“Looks like you hit the jackpot, Tracey,” Sadie said. “I hope Joe doesn’t have a conniption.”
“Oh, Joe.” Tracey waved a hand as if to shoo him away. “I kicked him out months ago. I finally can spend my money the way I want.”
“Oh.” Sadie didn’t know if she should console or congratulate Tracey. Luckily, Tracey turned to talk to someone else and she was spared the embarrassment. She poured the last of a bottle of wine into an empty glass and downed it. This party was fraught with potential faux pas.
The room was becoming unbearably warm so Sadie opened the door out onto the balcony, but she slid a small table across the opening so no one went out and fell over the railing. She glanced over at Lucy, but she was still elbow deep in invoices. If the number of rings on Tracey’s hand and the pile of invoices was any indication, Lucy was making out okay. Which made all this worth it.
It’s not that she was a party pooper, it was just that these women weren’t her kind of people and this wasn’t her kind of party. She’d much rather be getting drunk with a bunch of junk dealers.
Mara, a little blond with a huge voice swapped out the piano music Sadie had playing in the background for some big band swing. She grabbed Tracey and started spinning her around the floor. Unfortunately, Sadie’s living room wasn’t big on square feet and they kept bumping into people. Some of the women didn’t seem to mind, but Sadie caught the sour looks on Shannon and Lois’s faces. She wondered what she could do to diffuse the situation.
Lucy stood up. “Ladies,” she announced, “It’s time to draw for the door prize.”
At that moment Mara spun Tracey out of control and she landed on the couch and tipped it over backward. The couch had been occupied. Sadie put down the wine bottle she’d been holding and rushed over to the pile of women. They were giggling and Tracey was having trouble finding a safe place to put her hands so she could push herself off Lila Thompson. Sadie took Tracey by the upper arm and helped her up.
Lila was laughing so hard she couldn’t get up off the floor. Susie and Jenny got up and pulled her up off the floor. She sat back down on the couch.
“Oh my God,” she said and gestured to where Shannon and Lois were sitting. “Did you see those stuck up
“She’s saying how Marjorie always comes to these things early and gets all the good stuff, even though it’s clearly against the policy. She didn’t say whose policy. I should ask her about that. Don’t you think?” Lois asked.
Sadie said something non-committal and made an excuse about needing to circulate. “Hostess duties and all that, you know.”
Policies were all very well and good, but there was such a thing as taking things too far. She went in to check on Lucy, who was at the table writing up invoices and collecting money.
“Need anything,” Sadie asked.
“Nope,” Lucy said. “I’m good.”
Sadie noticed that Lucy’s wine glass was untouched. That was unusual, but then the atmosphere of this party was unusual too. It seemed more than normally snarky, and there was an air of desperation, like this was the last chance any of these women would have to buy jewelry. And that just wasn’t true.
Tracey Starkey walked up to Sadie wearing multiple pieces of jewelry – necklaces, bracelets, rings – the only place where she was tripled up was her ears. She only had one set of holes.
“Sadie,” Tracey said. “Look at this.” She held out her hand. She had ten rings on. “Aren’t these gorgeous? I just love these trunk parties. Thank you so much for inviting me. My big problem is going to be choosing which pieces to wear.”
“Looks like you hit the jackpot, Tracey,” Sadie said. “I hope Joe doesn’t have a conniption.”
“Oh, Joe.” Tracey waved a hand as if to shoo him away. “I kicked him out months ago. I finally can spend my money the way I want.”
“Oh.” Sadie didn’t know if she should console or congratulate Tracey. Luckily, Tracey turned to talk to someone else and she was spared the embarrassment. She poured the last of a bottle of wine into an empty glass and downed it. This party was fraught with potential faux pas.
The room was becoming unbearably warm so Sadie opened the door out onto the balcony, but she slid a small table across the opening so no one went out and fell over the railing. She glanced over at Lucy, but she was still elbow deep in invoices. If the number of rings on Tracey’s hand and the pile of invoices was any indication, Lucy was making out okay. Which made all this worth it.
It’s not that she was a party pooper, it was just that these women weren’t her kind of people and this wasn’t her kind of party. She’d much rather be getting drunk with a bunch of junk dealers.
Mara, a little blond with a huge voice swapped out the piano music Sadie had playing in the background for some big band swing. She grabbed Tracey and started spinning her around the floor. Unfortunately, Sadie’s living room wasn’t big on square feet and they kept bumping into people. Some of the women didn’t seem to mind, but Sadie caught the sour looks on Shannon and Lois’s faces. She wondered what she could do to diffuse the situation.
Lucy stood up. “Ladies,” she announced, “It’s time to draw for the door prize.”
At that moment Mara spun Tracey out of control and she landed on the couch and tipped it over backward. The couch had been occupied. Sadie put down the wine bottle she’d been holding and rushed over to the pile of women. They were giggling and Tracey was having trouble finding a safe place to put her hands so she could push herself off Lila Thompson. Sadie took Tracey by the upper arm and helped her up.
Lila was laughing so hard she couldn’t get up off the floor. Susie and Jenny got up and pulled her up off the floor. She sat back down on the couch.
“Oh my God,” she said and gestured to where Shannon and Lois were sitting. “Did you see those stuck up
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