Page 45 of 7 Miles High
But as soon as Elizabeth spotted the movie star, whatever was bothering her evaporated. I see the effect he must have on every person he meets. Nicki handles it well. She’s relaxed and approachable. I think she understands how people feel. It’s a pretty crazy way to live when you think of it. Everyone is watching you.
* * *
The table is crowded with Parker’s taco fixings. I love how he decided what to serve. When I asked about the menu he said ‘Everybody loves Mexican, and it’s easy’, and he was right. That’s all that mattered to him. Besides the main course, there’s rice, beans, and a big green salad. The one thing he had delivered from his favorite Mexican restaurant was the chili relleno with a big carton of its sauce.
“Pass me some of that rice, Natalie,” Jack says.
“Tell me about your work. Bliss told us you’re in real estate too,” Nicki says.
“I am. Santa Barbara is a great spot to build a solid business. I’m in the luxury division of the county’s largest agency. I concentrate on high end clients who are looking for unique properties.”
“Really? That’s our clientele as well. I’ve been with Bliss since she started the company.”
“I know the name. It’s come up many times over the years when clients have talked about their previous properties or second homes. Your reputation is sterling.”
“Thank you. So you concentrate on Santa Barbara exclusively?” Bliss asks.
“Not exclusively. Once in a while I have to come out of my cocoon and show a client a property I’ve found outside of city limits. You know how it is. We can evaluate any property in any town. As long as you do your due diligence.”
Nicki smiles with recognition. “Yes. That’s right. Not every realtor is comfortable doing that, but the good ones are.”
“I’m a digital marketing specialist and so that serves me well too,” I reply.
For the next couple of hours the conversation goes from favorite places to live to our worst jobs. From spoiled child actors to politics. We even discover some clients we have in common. It runs the gamut, and turns the night into a special connection of old friends and new.
As usual, Matt has made an impression. His brand of humor seems to fit perfectly among the people he just met. I’m not surprised. All of them are strong personalities. There’s not a wilting flower in the bunch.
And Maggie’s strong sense of self is admired by both the women and the men. Everyone likes a woman who can and does speak up for herself. Especially when she’s with a strong A-type man like Matt.
I find myself thinking about how this group feels so natural. Even the movie star among us soon fades into just a guy. Like Parker said.
When Steven brought out the cigars, the men retreated to the backyard to enjoy them. The women attempted to clean the table, but I resisted.
“No. Leave everything right where it sits. Parker and I will clean it up. Let’s just talk.”
“I like the way you operate,” says Nicki, putting down the one remaining chili relleno.
“So, Parker told Steven you all met on a plane flying to Cancun.”
“Yep. Did he tell you about the turbulence?”
“Oh God. Don’t remind me,” Maggie says, hand to heart. “If it wasn’t for the fact Matt was next to me I would have had a heart attack.”
“He said it was kind of a rough flight, but Steven didn’t elaborate.”
Maggie and I start to protest at the same time.
“Rough? We thought we were going to die!” I say.
So we tell Bliss and Nicki the entire crazy story of how we met, starting with the flight from hell. All four of us are laughing hysterically at Maggie’s description of Matt’s relentless attempts to convince her to have sex, when the guys return.
“You all seem to be hitting it off,” Matt says, taking his seat at the table.
“Baby, I was telling the girls how you sexually harassed me for the entire Cancun trip.”
“Harassed you?! Are you kidding, woman? I couldn’t keep you off me!” He looks around at the eight of us. “After all, it’s hard to resist the kid.”
