Page 2 of Share with Me

“Sure. But I still like my Valentino over a no-namer.” Zoe swished her evening gown.

That was when Brinley saw that her slim sister was filling out.Is that a tummy or…?

“Come. I want you to meet Quincy.” Zoe locked arms with Brinley, ushering her along through the tables swarming with servers in white gloves.

“Quincy? What happened to Oleg?”

“Oleg? I’ve been going out with Quincy since October. Didn’t I tell you?”

“I don’t remember.”

“I’m sure I did.” Zoe laughed. “You know what they say. Stress can make you forgetful. You work too hard, Brin.”

“Work is good for you.”

“I’m working too. Practicing for SISO takes a lot of time.”

“I’m sure.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Brin?”

“Take it literally.”

“Oh? I thought you might have some hidden meaning.”

“I meant what I said. I agreed with you that SISO takes a lot of time. Petrocelli emails me every now and then. A lot goes on.”

“Conductor Petrocelli? Why does he communicate with you?”

Brinley shrugged. “Something to do with Grandpa.”

“Ah. Did Petrocelli ask you to help underwrite SISO? You know funding is down across the board? They had to let a few percussionists go.”

Brinley wasn’t sure how much to say. Grandpa Brooks and his friends had started the Sea Islands Symphony Orchestra some twenty years before, but he’d died halfway through that period. Mom and Dad had continued to underwrite the small regional orchestra only to give Zoe something to do as she figured out the rest of her life. There must be more to it than sitting pretty at fashion shows in Paris and Milan. SISO would put her years of contrabass clarinet lessons to good use.

“I’m taking a break, though,” Zoe said. “Can’t be in Paris and in SISO at the same time.”

“Well, you paid for them to be here tonight. That’s helping them tremendously.” Brinley glanced in the direction of the live orchestra on a platform beyond the sea of round tables as thePrestomovement began.

“Quincy’s brother is the concertmaster.” Zoe pointed with her purple fingernails.

“Ivan McMillan?”

“You know him?”

“We’ve met.”

“Really?” Zoe’s eyebrows rose.

“Can’t remember when we first met, though. I’ve met everybody in SISO at one point or another.” Brinley followed her sister as they zigzagged around full tables.

“Ivan is how Quincy and I became an item.” Zoe tipped her head back. “Where’s Phinn this Christmas?”

“Probably in Courchevel, but do I care?” Every few months her ex-fiancé had thrown bashes on the French Alps. While they had been together, he had insisted that Brinley accompany him to party with people she didn’t know, didn’t care for, and hoped never to see again. All to show off the pink diamond ring he’d bought for her at Sotheby’s.

It seemed silly that it had taken Brinley more than a year to see through it all. She and Phinn had such contrasting tastes and opinions that she wondered how they’d lasted two years.

“I know he’s your ex, but you guys have broken up so many times it’s hard to tell if it’s on or off. Tell me he won’t be back.”

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