Page 19 of Need You
“Well, it’s either that or get my stomach stapled.”
“Oh God, do they even do that anymore?” Deb asked as she gracefully got down on the floor without spilling a drop of her wine. Impressive.
“Could we talk about something other than weight loss?” Rita, one of the few people at the gathering Delaney recognized, stuffed a quarter of a sandwich in her mouth.
“Why?” Deb asked. “Then we’ll have to talk about the book, which I still haven’t read.”
A man holding a gorgeous floral arrangement came into the room and in unison everyone shouted, “Foster!”
“Sorry I’m late. My last client discovered she was allergic to Asiatic lilies”—he held up the vase—“and had me do a completely new arrangement. So you get this one, Hannah.”
“Yay!” She got up and took the vase from him and set it on an antique end table, taking a moment to admire the yellow and orange flowers.
Foster plopped down next to Deb, tugged her wineglass out of her hand, and drained it.
“Uh, you’re welcome.” She stood up, disappeared inside the kitchen, and returned a few minutes later with a bottle of chardonnay, Delaney’s rosé, and an extra glass for Foster. “Carrie Jo was just telling us about her cleanse.”
“The Master Cleanse Lemonade Diet?” Foster asked. “I did that one and lost twenty pounds in ten days.”
Carrie Jo’s eyes grew big. “You did not!”
“I did. You want the diet?”
“Hell yes, I want it. E-mail it to me.”
Rita growled something in annoyance and Hannah deftly changed the subject to the junior theater’s production ofGrease. Delaney reasoned that Rita had never had to diet in her life. She was thin as a rail.
“Rita said you’re doing the costumes, Delaney.”
Everyone turned to look at her. Like most artists, she preferred sitting on the sidelines, not being the center of attention.
She cleared her throat. “I am.”
“Seriously?” Foster said, and made a face. “I wouldn’t go to too much trouble if I were you.”
Deb buried her face in Foster’s shoulder and smothered a laugh.
“I’ll have you know it’s going to be an excellent production,” Rita huffed. “Probably our best yet.”
“That’s not saying much,” Foster mumbled under his breath.
“What did you say, Foster?”
“I asked if you brought in Lin-Manuel Miranda.”
Rita narrowed her eyes. “I don’t even know who that is.”
“Uh . . .Hamilton? Won a Pulitzer Prize, not to mention a bazillion Tony Awards.”
Rita waved her hand at Foster in dismissal. Both he and Hannah dissolved in hysterics, until even Rita laughed. Delaney was quickly getting the impression that Rita didn’t know a thing about theater and had probably volunteered because no one else did.
“The kids try their best,” Hannah said, and turned to Delaney. “It’s so nice of you to do the costumes.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” Why not? It would be her small contribution.
Foster leaned into her and whispered, “Liar.”
They’d never met before tonight, but she liked him already.
