Page 61 of An Irresistible Force (Vancouver Vice)

“You look lovely, dear,” Jeannie said.

“Uh, yeah. Wow,” I agreed.

She tilted her head and smiled. “Thank you, Chris. We’ll see you there, Mummy.” She pulled a shiny blue shawl around her shoulders, opened the door and called out to Bonita, “See you later.” Jeannie followed us out.

“Is it raining?” Amanda peered from under the porch roof.

“It wouldn’t dare,” I reassured her. It was cloudy, but even Vancouver weather wouldn’t mess with Jeannie’s big event. Freddy was waiting to open the door for Jeannie, which reminded me to do the same for Amanda. She lowered herself elegantly into the low-slung car, then tucked the back of her dress inside. She smiled up at me as before I closed the car door, and I was filled with anticipation. She was more than my buddy tonight; she was this beautiful, desirable woman. What was going to happen with us tonight? There was no script with Amanda. It was like my first ever date.

Despite looking completely different, Amanda acted exactly the same. She casually asked if I had dropped in at Millionaires’ Mansion on the way here. I had. I promised Noah some new reading material, so I took him a batch of the comics we both liked reading. But I wasn’t telling Amanda that, unless I called them graphic novels instead.

“Yeah, Noah’s mom was asking what you were going to wear. Remind me to take a photo of you to show her.” Which I wouldn’t mind keeping a copy of for myself.

“Why don’t we stop by?” she asked.

“What, now?”

She nodded.

“But, won’t we be late?”

“There’s always lots of time for schmoozing at the beginning. If we miss that it’s not a big deal. My main purpose is to buy something to support Heart and Stroke. And you’re there as a donor.”

I made a right turn to head back to the mansion. “Too bad we couldn’t just send cheques and stay home. The Millionaires are playing the Blackhawks tonight.”

“You sound exactly like my father. He hated going to all these events, but he felt it was his duty. One night—during the playoffs—he put up a real fuss, but my mother insisted. Then he disappeared after dinner, and she finally found him in the hotel kitchen watching on a tiny TV with the staff.” She threw her head back and laughed heartily.

“I think I would have liked your dad.”

She nodded. “Everyone did. He liked people and was a very generous person—not just financially, but with his interest in you.”

We pulled up to the Mansion and walked inside. Our appearance created a big commotion. We went to Noah’s room first. His mom, Coralee, was so excited to meet Amanda, and she oohed and aahed over the dress. When Amanda’s back was turned, Noah gave me a thumbs-up, and I laughed. Even at his age, he was very interested in girls.

By the time we left Noah, there was a crowd waiting for us in the lobby, both patients and siblings. All the girls wanted to touch Amanda’s dress and ask her about her jewelry. She wrapped her pretty shawl around one girl in a wheelchair, and they had their photos taken together. Then everyone wanted selfies with her. It was taking a lot longer than a few minutes.

“Is this okay?” I whispered to her through the throng of little girls. “We can sneak away if it’s taking too long.”

She smiled. “I love it. Is this what it’s like to be Chris Luczak?”

“Yeah, sure. This happens whenever I wear a dress.”

Amanda laughed loudly. She was so different tonight. I stepped back and let her admirers take over.

“You look exactly like Elsa inFrozen,” one of the little girls assured her. “She wears a blue dress too.”

“She looks like Cinderella,” someone else piped up. “Her hair is done up the same, and Cinderella wears a blue dress to the ball. Where she meets the prince!”

Amanda laughed, and made an elegant curtsey. But the girls were right. She looked as elegant as a princess.

When we finally got tothe hotel, the room was quite full. I spotted Jes easily because of his height and blond hair. I steered Amanda their way and made the introductions. She chatted easily, and I realized that she had probably done this kind of thing all her life. Dori and Amanda decided to check out the silent auction table together.

Jes watched them leave. “Is she the woman from work you’re always talking about?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I don’t know. From the way you talked about her, I had this idea that she wasn’t that attractive. But Amanda is very beautiful.”

“She doesn’t always look like that. She wears the worst clothes at work—almost like drag stuff.”

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