Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
P aige looked around at her house with a sharp eye, scrutinizing every little detail. It was as perfect as it could be.
Her phone chimed and she jumped, laughing at herself for being so silly. It was just a text. She read it. And gasped.
Althea Anderson couldn’t make it. Her husband had had a small (Althea’s word, not Paige’s) heart attack. Paige’s heart went out to the woman, knowing she must be so upset.
Paige immediately texted back her well wishes and complete understanding, then asked if there was anything she could do.
Althea thanked her, said there was nothing she needed at the moment, but that she’d be in touch.
Paige sent a heart emoji back and set her phone on the kitchen counter. That poor woman. Paige said a little prayer for her, then went back to her preparations.
She had red wine decanted, white wine, and prosecco in the fridge, along with cans of diet caffeine-free soda, and bottles of sparkling and still water.
For snacks, she’d done a cheeseboard with three kinds of cheeses, two varieties of crackers, cornichons, and sweet, seedless green grapes. She had a bowl of mixed nuts and another of small pretzels, as well as a bowl of assorted Dove chocolate squares.
She hoped that was sufficient. She had no idea what these women would like or if any of them had food allergies or issues.
She continued to waffle over what to do about the book selection.
If they didn’t like the thriller she’d chosen, she could offer a second idea as a backup, but it would have to be something different, obviously.
Maybe that Southern fiction she’d just finished, Mockingbird Memories .
Wasn’t as good as Where the Crawdads Sing , but it was an interesting read and there was a lot of story to unpack.
Well, it was a backup plan and that was always good to have.
She stepped into the bedroom and took another look at herself in the full-length mirror. She’d chosen a turquoise print Gretchen Scott dress that accented her waist with a twist of fabric and raffia espadrilles with a one-inch wedge heel.
Should she change her earrings? Maybe the diamond studs were too large. They were awfully flashy. More so because they were real. As she touched her ear, her doorbell chimed.
Too late. Her first guest had arrived. Slightly early, but that was fine.
Maybe her guest was eager. Always a good sign.
She put on a smile to hide her nerves and went to answer the door.
“Hi! You must be Essie, right? I recognize you from your photo in the newsletter’s New Arrivals section. Come in.”
“Thank you. And you must be Paige.” Essie laughed. “Thank you so much for the invitation.” She had a beautiful glass platter full of pretty sweets. She offered it to Paige. “I wasn’t sure what to bring. I hope this is all right.”
Paige took the artfully arranged platter.
“This is amazing. It’s perfect. Thank you for doing that.
” She carried it to the counter, pleased with how nicely it added to the selection of things she had out.
“What can I get you to drink? I have everything, including red wine, white wine, prosecco, sparkling water…”
“Sparkling water would be great,” Essie said.
Paige took a bottle from the fridge along with the dish of sliced lemons and limes she’d prepared earlier and set them out. As she got down a glass and showed Essie the ice bucket, her door chime rang again.
Another eager new book club member. Paige opened the door, her smile coming easier. “Cece, right?”
“That’s right,” Cece said, sticking out her hand. “Paige, I assume? Nice to meet you, and thank you for the invitation.”
“Thanks for coming.” She closed the door after Cece and gestured to Essie. “This is Essie Rodrigez-Holt. Essie, this is Cece Davenport. Cece, can I get you something to drink?”
“Any chance you have decaf coffee?” Cece asked.
That was the one thing Paige hadn’t prearranged, but thankfully, she had a Keurig. “Every chance. Let me get that started for you.”
“I don’t want to be a bother,” Cece said.
“No bother,” Paige assured her. She opened the drawer her Keurig sat on and selected a decaf. “That’s why we have K-Cups, right?”
Smiling, Cece nodded. “Right.” She held out her hand to Essie. “Nice to meet you, Essie.”
“You, too, Cece. I love meeting new people,” Essie said as she shook Cece’s hand. “I’ve never been in a book club. Have you?”
“Nope. Looking forward to it.”
Essie sipped her water, to which she’d added slices of both lemon and lime. “I never had time for anything like that when I was working.”
“What did you do?” Cece asked.
“I was the principal of Beechwood Middle School,” Essie answered.
As they chatted, Paige got out the cream and sugar, smiling to herself. This was exactly what she’d hoped would happen. That the women would get to know each other and bond, all of them becoming friends. And, ultimately, they’d be a new support system for each other.
It was a lot to ask, she knew, but books were a great way to connect, so what better place to start? And if that’s all the group ever was—just women of a similar age and place in life talking about books—that was fine, too.
But her aspirations were higher. And so far, it seemed like they were off to a good start.
She brought Cece the mug of coffee and directed her to the cream and sugar, where Paige had also set out a spoon.
While Cece fixed her coffee, Paige poured herself a glass of prosecco, the pop of the cork making her guests smile. Paige figured if she had a glass of bubbly, her guests would feel better about indulging in some themselves, if they wanted.
She lifted her glass. “Thank you for coming and welcome to my home.”
Cece and Essie lifted their beverages in a return salute.
“This is fun,” Essie said, looking around. “I think you have the same model we do. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an office, and the loft option.”
Paige sipped her prosecco, which was crispy cold and perfect, then nodded. “That’s right, except I don’t have the office. I had that space added to the master bedroom.”
“Are you married?” Essie asked.
With a sly smile, Paige shook her head. “Not anymore. But I wanted the space so my friend, Claire, could come visit. If she wanted to. She and her husband are currently on safari in Kenya.”
Cece blinked. “Seriously?”
Paige laughed. “They love to travel.”
“Sounds great,” Essie said. “I like to travel, too, but I don’t know about Kenya.”
“You’re married?” Cece asked.
Essie’s smile widened. “Newly.” She held up her left hand to show off a stunning rock. “Six months ago.”
“Congratulations,” Paige and Cece said at the same time, making them laugh.
Paige couldn’t imagine getting married again. Not even with a gun to her head. She loved her new single life. Loved the freedom of it. Loved doing exactly as she pleased.
With a few more friends, which was what this evening was all about, her life would be perfect.
Her door chime sounded again. She carried her prosecco with her to the door. Swinging it open with a smile, she said, “Good evening and welcome to book club. You have to be Maude.”
“I am,” Maude said.
Paige stepped back. “I’m your host, Paige. Come on in and join the fun.”
“Thanks, Paige.” Maude walked through, waving at Cece and Essie. “Hi. I’m Maude.”
“What can I get you to drink?” Paige asked. Maude was exactly what they needed. Younger, interesting, with a kind of bohemian, carefree vibe that was bound to add some excitement to the group. Paige gave herself a mental pat on the back. Her selections had been spot on.
Maude tipped her head at Paige’s prosecco. “Is there more of that?”
“Plenty. One glass, coming up.” She took the prosecco from the fridge and filled a glass for Maude.
As Maude accepted the drink from Paige, Essie leaned in, eyes twinkling with amusement. “Are you old enough to live here?”
Maude sipped her prosecco and laughed. “Just. I’m fifty-five, sometimes going on ninety, but with an inner twenty-year-old.”
Cece chuckled. “I feel that.”
Essie nibbled on a pretzel. “Is this everyone?”
“No,” Paige said. “We’re waiting on one more. There were supposed to be six of us, but Althea had to cancel.” She made a sad face. “Her husband had a small heart attack. He’s going to be all right, according to Althea, but obviously you can understand why she canceled.”
“Oh, wow,” Maude said softly. “I think I might know who his doctor is.”