Elaine Viets & Victoria Laurie, Nancy Martin, Denise Swanson - Drop-Dead Blonde (v5.0) (pdf) by Unknown (best classic books .TXT) 📗

``Oh! Hello, there, Abby, isn't it?'' she asked turning around.

``Yes, good memory, Millicent,'' I answered her warmly. Although Millicent had talked mostly about Deirdre and her excitement about the weekend, I still genuinely liked the woman, finding her to be sweet and endearing. ``Cat, this is Millicent Satchel; we met on the plane this afternoon.''

``How do you do, Millicent,'' Cat said extending her hand. ``I'm Abby's sister, Catherine Cooper-Masters, or Cat for short.''

``Hello, Cat,'' Millicent said, switching the now dog-eared copy of Deirdre's book from one hand to the other so that she could shake hands. ``Are you a fan of Deirdre's too?''

``Let's just say I have a very open mind about all of this,'' Cat answered. ``And that is a lovely suit you're wearing,'' she added, referring to Millicent's light blue attire with a 268 Victoria Laurie pink blouse and a matching corsage pinned to one lapel. The ensemble matched her perfectly coiffed, short, curly hair that was also a subtle shade of blue.

``Why, thank you,'' Millicent said, beaming at my sister from behind huge bifocals. ``I wanted to look my best for Deirdre--I'm even wearing blusher tonight,'' she confessed in a whisper.

I smiled at the pair of them, because in forty years I imagined that Cat would probably look very similar to Mil- licent. The two were even close in height, with my sister having a slight edge in her three-inch heels.

``Do you think Deirdre will have time to sign my book after the seminar?'' Millicent asked us.

``Oh, I'm sure she'd make time for you, Millicent,'' Cat answered with a smile. If I knew my sister, I was sure she'd make it a point to get Deirdre's attention for an auto- graph signing.

Just then the line shifted, and a man with a clipboard approached the three of us. ``Are you all together?'' he asked.

``Oh, no,'' Millicent said. ``I came alone; here's my regis- tration,'' she added, pushing a neatly folded piece of paper at the usher. The man took Millicent's ticket and checked it against his clipboard, then motioned for her to follow him into the large dining hall.

A minute later he was back for us, and Cat handed him our reservations. We then followed him into the large hall.

When we were inside the grand room I was a little star- tled at the quantity of tables, set out for the event. There must have been close to thirty tables with six place settings apiece. I didn't know what the plate price was, but by the sight of the linen tablecloths and fancy swan-folded nap- kins, I assumed it must be a pretty penny.

The usher led Cat and me to the front of the hall, arriv- ing at table number one, which was front and center to a raised platform where Deirdre would be speaking. I won- dered how Cat had managed to get us the best seats in the

� � house, but then smiled at my own naivete. Cat used money like a gunslinger used a six-shooter, and she was quick on the draw when she wanted her way.

We took our seats and were soon joined by two more BLIND SIGHTED 269 guests. A couple took their places across from us, and Cat and I smiled gamely at them. They looked to be in their late forties and were at that point in their marriage where they had begun to look alike. Both of them had rounded features, with apple-red cheeks and plump figures. Their clothing and jewelry indicated they had some cash, and I began seeing how the seating arrangement had been worked out for the evening.

To confirm my suspicions I turned to my sister and whis- pered in her ear, ``How much did it cost to get a seat up front?''

My sister looked crossly at me and said, ``Oh, Abby, for God's sake. I'm not letting you pay me back, so just relax--''

``No,'' I insisted, ``I'm just curious. I want to know what this table cost as opposed to one in the back.''

``Oh, well, in that case it was five hundred dollars a per- son, as opposed to two-fifty for something in the middle, and I think about a hundred in the back.''

My jaw dropped and hung there. Finally I sputtered, ``You are kidding me!''

``No, it's the truth,'' she said. ``Now do you see why I want you to take notes? This is a very lucrative business if it's done right.''

I scowled distastefully. This entire setup was really start- ing to bug me, and I felt the beginnings of something sinis- ter seeping into my bones.

A short time later we were joined by the man in the tweed jacket I'd seen flanking Deirdre, and one of the Peace Twins from our first elevator ride. When the two joined us they nodded briefly at all of us, then occupied their time looking over the rest of the crowd joining the event.

Before long our waiter appeared and took our orders. I opted for the chicken, while Cat gamely went with the scal- lops. Our drinks and salads arrived, and Cat and I talked about mutual acquaintances and other members of our fam- ily. Even though we talk every day, Cat and I never seem to run out of things to say to each other.

Finally, just after our food arrived, Deirdre walked into the long hall and through the crowded room to thunderous 270 Victoria Laurie applause. I clapped politely and watched her take the stage, forming her hands into a steeple and bowing demurely at her adoring fans.

``Thank you,'' she said humbly as the applause began to wane. ``Thank you all so much, my brothers and sisters, for joining me on this spiritual journey here in beautiful Clearwater, Florida.''

As I cut into my chicken--which was,