Page 53 of Summer Ever After
I adjusted the flowers on her head. “Enjoy your Shirley Temples.”
My heart swelled as I watched the two of them walk hand and hand across the bridge and disappear into the tent. There was a pair of girl’s figure skates in Melissa Parker’s size in the auction. As a matter of fact, I’d researched details about all the local people who were attending the function and ensured that there was an item in the auction that would be of interest to them. The retirement home guys all had grandsons who played hockey – the tickets to summer hockey camp would be right up their alley. The only guest that I couldn’t get any information about was Chloe Parrot, daughter of Christina, who had just recovered from some mysterious illness. It was as though the two of them didn’t exist.
“Speak of the devils,” I muttered to myself as the pontoon boat arrived and the dock hands helped the two bleached blondes onto the dock in their platform heels. Their dresses were so tight that they couldn’t execute a step large enough to bridge the gap between the boat and the dock. Both of them giggled and hiked up their dresses, revealing their spray-tanned legs, so they could move enough to get off the boat.
“Yikes.” Tracy’s voice whispered in the tiny speaker in my ear. “What were you thinking, Max?”
The two women teetered along the dock towards my father. Based on their teeny stride, they would be at the tent by dessert.
From across the dock, I heard the mom’s fake laugh - and then she put her hand on the front of my dad’s tuxedo. Hoping my dad was smart enough to brush off the two, I turned and did a walk-through of the tent. We had a jazz band backing up Norah Jones for the cocktail party. The beautiful woman with the even more beautiful voice sat at the grand piano, onshore, it was the one logistic we couldn’t solve.
“Hi, Max,” a trio of girl’s voices sing-songed behind me. I turned to face Jenny, Amanda, and Ramona.
“Ladies.” I curtseyed and they all giggled in response. Ramona curtseyed back but the other two dropped into butler’s bows.
“We can’t believe you put this together.” Amanda sipped champagne.
“I can,” Ramona grinned. “Max threw the best parties on the lake when we were young. This is just a fancier version of one of your keggers.”
In a way, Ramona was right. Although my keggers usually took place on dry land. “Have you seen Jessica?” I asked.
“We were going to ask you the same thing.”
I rubbed my chin. “I asked her to fill that last seat, do you know if she gave it to Jasper?”
Jenny rolled her eyes. “I doubt it. After that last night at the Stone Oven, Jasper was such a dick.”
“Yeah.” Ramona agreed. “Even for Jasper.”
Tracy radioed that almost all of the guests had arrived and that the silent auction would be starting shortly. “You’ll have to excuse me. I’m helping out with the auction.”
The girls held up their champagne glasses. “You did good, Maxi,” Jenny shouted.
Even though I shouldn’t care, the approval of the Windswan socialites’ daughters, meant that the party was a good one. All I had to do was make sure that everyone had a fun time, and that those with deep pockets, opened up their wallets when it came to making donations.
Tracy stepped on the stage and tapped the microphone. “If everyone would take their seats, we will be commencing with the auction portion of the evening shortly.”
It took about twenty minutes for the mingling crowd to settle into their chairs. I stood at the back, next to the jazz band, and watched the auctioneer set records for all of the items – except for the figure skates. I told him to start those low.
I almost teared up when he pointed to Hank. “Sold for twenty dollars. One pair of figure skates to the girl in the flower crown.”
Hank turned to look at me and gave me a stoic nod.
Helping kids participate in sports was my calling. I knew it at that moment.
Amanda sidled up beside me. “Where is that sister of yours? The head table is going to look pretty empty if she doesn’t show up with her date.”
“I know.” I checked my watch. “But, you know Jess. She likes to make an entrance.”
My dad’s finest wooden boat droned by in the background behind the auctioneer. Trey was driving, and the flash of blond next to him had to be Jessica. A few of the photographers slipped from the event to line the white carpet.
Of course, Jess would show up halfway through. I shook my head, I didn’t want any distractions from the auction – but it was impossible. Every eye in the place was focused on the white carpet, where Trey was helping Jessica out of the boat. She was wearing a floor-length red sleeveless gown with a train that ran ten feet behind her, her golden hair styled like an old school Hollywood siren. She was an expert at these events, and even from behind her black lace mask, I could see her ‘smiling with her eyes’. Her red lips moved as she ordered the photographers into better positions.
“Who is that?” Ramona’s voice was a whisper.
Behind Jessica stood, not Jasper, but a woman in a sky-blue ball gown, complete with a cape and matching blue mask. She was as tall as Jessica but a little more built. “Is that a shaved head?” Ramona seemed aghast. “Who the hell is with her?”
The mystery woman held herself tall, and with the cape seemed regal. “Did she call some of her Princess friends from Europe?” I asked. Jessica literally had friends who were heirs to actual thrones.
