“Great
idea, honey,” Vicki said, “I’ll come pour some soda. Just let me change.”
Kennedy
rolled up her tape measure after jotting some notes, “If any of you touch your
dresses with buttery fingers, I will have to kill you.”
A short
time later they were all camped out together in the living room with a giant
bowl of popcorn. Nina crammed a big handful of popcorn in her mouth, “I
probably shouldn’t be eating this, or my butt’s not going to fit in my dress,
but stress eating somehow seems like a fantastic idea.”
Vicki
reached over from her seat on a floor cushion and patted Nina’s foot, “Better
than my daughter the Xanax queen.”
Nina had
an old quilt wrapped around her, and she realized how good it felt to be with
her mom, her sister, and her new best friend. Work and responsibility hadn’t
left her much time for a social life. Other than a couple of college friends
she met for lunch once in a while, she rarely had any girl time. Suddenly Nina
got a mischievous smile, “Is there any reason not to have champagne with
popcorn?”
Vicki,
Rita and Kennedy all shook their heads ‘no’ in unison.
“Good,
I’ve got some of the stuff Daniel buys in the fridge.” She padded into the
kitchen, there was a “pop” and she brought the bottle back without glasses,
quickly taking a swig before the champagne bubbled over. She wiped the back of
her mouth on her sleeve, burped a little from the bubbles, and handed the
bottle to Vicki. “And who says we have to be ladies tonight?”
When the
first bottle was finished, they started on the second. Nina had the presence
of mind to tell Rita and Kennedy they were spending the night, and soon they
were in full-blown slumber party mode, laughing and telling stories. Vicki
talked a lot about life with Nina and Rita’s father, Claudio, and how much fun
they had together—and how much they loved their kids. Nina caught her tearing
up once, but mostly Vicki kept it light and funny, like telling them a story
about Reuben smearing ketchup all over himself as a toddler and how she was not
in the least surprised by his latest mishap involving condiments.
Rita took
a swig of the champagne, “So who all is coming to this shindig tomorrow night?
How big is it anyway?”
“Apparently
small by DeVere standards, a mere five hundred people,” Nina said
sarcastically.
Kennedy
threw a few kernels of popcorn in her mouth, “From what I’ve heard at La Bella,
blood is flowing in the streets. It is THE event and people are doing anything
to wrangle an invite. It sounds like the DeVeres are keeping it classy, though.
No starlets…and no donkeys or clowns.”
Nina
nearly spit out her champagne, laughing. Daniel was never going to live down
Cannes. “Daniel said there will be quote royalty unquote and at least one huge
philanthropic rock star, but he wouldn’t tell me who. He doesn’t want me to
get anxious, but geez, I’m not sure the secrecy is helping my nerves.” She
reached for more popcorn. “So, essentially I’ll have four guests, and they’ll
have 496.”
Vicky
handed the champagne back to Nina, “That doesn’t seem fair.”
Nina,
shrugged, “I don’t really have anyone else to invite. Sad huh?”
Kennedy
poked her, “Don’t give us any of that poor little rich girl stuff. Once you’re
Mrs. DeVere you’re going to have everyone wanting to be your friend.”
“Yeah but
will I want to be friends with them?” Nina tilted her head back,
resting it on the sofa and staring at the ceiling. “This is what real friends
do.”
Chapter Seventeen
“That
little tramp hasn’t returned my calls today.” Elsa was in a state. “I told her I needed to personally
idea, honey,” Vicki said, “I’ll come pour some soda. Just let me change.”
Kennedy
rolled up her tape measure after jotting some notes, “If any of you touch your
dresses with buttery fingers, I will have to kill you.”
A short
time later they were all camped out together in the living room with a giant
bowl of popcorn. Nina crammed a big handful of popcorn in her mouth, “I
probably shouldn’t be eating this, or my butt’s not going to fit in my dress,
but stress eating somehow seems like a fantastic idea.”
Vicki
reached over from her seat on a floor cushion and patted Nina’s foot, “Better
than my daughter the Xanax queen.”
Nina had
an old quilt wrapped around her, and she realized how good it felt to be with
her mom, her sister, and her new best friend. Work and responsibility hadn’t
left her much time for a social life. Other than a couple of college friends
she met for lunch once in a while, she rarely had any girl time. Suddenly Nina
got a mischievous smile, “Is there any reason not to have champagne with
popcorn?”
Vicki,
Rita and Kennedy all shook their heads ‘no’ in unison.
“Good,
I’ve got some of the stuff Daniel buys in the fridge.” She padded into the
kitchen, there was a “pop” and she brought the bottle back without glasses,
quickly taking a swig before the champagne bubbled over. She wiped the back of
her mouth on her sleeve, burped a little from the bubbles, and handed the
bottle to Vicki. “And who says we have to be ladies tonight?”
When the
first bottle was finished, they started on the second. Nina had the presence
of mind to tell Rita and Kennedy they were spending the night, and soon they
were in full-blown slumber party mode, laughing and telling stories. Vicki
talked a lot about life with Nina and Rita’s father, Claudio, and how much fun
they had together—and how much they loved their kids. Nina caught her tearing
up once, but mostly Vicki kept it light and funny, like telling them a story
about Reuben smearing ketchup all over himself as a toddler and how she was not
in the least surprised by his latest mishap involving condiments.
Rita took
a swig of the champagne, “So who all is coming to this shindig tomorrow night?
How big is it anyway?”
“Apparently
small by DeVere standards, a mere five hundred people,” Nina said
sarcastically.
Kennedy
threw a few kernels of popcorn in her mouth, “From what I’ve heard at La Bella,
blood is flowing in the streets. It is THE event and people are doing anything
to wrangle an invite. It sounds like the DeVeres are keeping it classy, though.
No starlets…and no donkeys or clowns.”
Nina
nearly spit out her champagne, laughing. Daniel was never going to live down
Cannes. “Daniel said there will be quote royalty unquote and at least one huge
philanthropic rock star, but he wouldn’t tell me who. He doesn’t want me to
get anxious, but geez, I’m not sure the secrecy is helping my nerves.” She
reached for more popcorn. “So, essentially I’ll have four guests, and they’ll
have 496.”
Vicky
handed the champagne back to Nina, “That doesn’t seem fair.”
Nina,
shrugged, “I don’t really have anyone else to invite. Sad huh?”
Kennedy
poked her, “Don’t give us any of that poor little rich girl stuff. Once you’re
Mrs. DeVere you’re going to have everyone wanting to be your friend.”
“Yeah but
will I want to be friends with them?” Nina tilted her head back,
resting it on the sofa and staring at the ceiling. “This is what real friends
do.”
Chapter Seventeen
“That
little tramp hasn’t returned my calls today.” Elsa was in a state. “I told her I needed to personally
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