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“Are you saying I can’t do this without my wife’s help? Get out of here, and remember, don’t drink too much.”
“What are you saying in front of Miss. Stewart.”
“Uh, he’s finally down.” A beauty queen came waltzing into the room. Surely, this woman wasn’t just getting a sick child down. She looked like she’d stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine.
“Oh, you must be Amanda. I heard about your cupcakes, and if they’re better than my cake, I’ll skin you.” She smacked her husband playfully on the chest.
“You can’t have any before our guests, Millie, hands off.”
“I did bring extra, as well as some cookies.”
“You did?” Carter made a beeline for the boxes, and I showed him which one held the extras. His wife beat him to it. Now, I’m no food snob, but this lady does not look like she’s a lover of desserts.
She went straight for the key lime-flavored one and took a bite. “Oh, you dirty dog, you did it again. I hate you.” She scolded her husband, who grinned and filched a praline cupcake before offering Estell to choose whichever one she liked. I liked them already, just for the way they treated their staff.
There was a loud booming voice coming from the front of the house. “Millie girl, where the hell are you?”
“Oh, it looks like your guests are starting to arrive. I can put these up for you if you’d like.”
“That’s no guest; that’s my father-in-law.” Millie rushed from the room with a whoop and a laugh.
“I’ll take you up on that offer of help. I have to get in there and make sure my Dad doesn’t try to steal my girl again.” He grinned and followed after his wife, and I turned to take care of the cupcakes. Estell thanked me for the cupcake and went back to work while I got lost in one of my other favorite things to do where baking is concerned. Organizing the cupcakes in some sort of pattern that catches the eye.
AMANDA
It took longer than anticipated to get the stands just right, but I was pleased with the results. Millie, as she’d asked me to call her, returned to take a look and declared it a masterpiece. The other cake was delivered, and the lady seemed a bit peeved that she hadn’t been asked to make the cupcakes as well. At least, that’s what I gathered from the way she turned her nose up at me after ascertaining that I was the culprit who had brought them.
I started to gather my stuff to make a hasty exit but was waylaid by Millie. “You’re not leaving already, are you? Why don’t you stick around? I know it’s a kid’s party, but these things are never just that. There’s wine, beer, and coolers; what’s your poison?”
“I, well, I don’t want to intrude on your time with your family.”
“Who’s intruding? Henry said you just moved here a year ago and didn’t have many friends in town. Come on; it’ll be fun. And besides, I have a feeling it's going to be good for business.”
“What do you mean?”
“Right now, there are about one hundred kids running around out there; my daughter is a popular kid who’s in every and anything the school has to offer. Believe it or not, some of her friends and acquaintances aren’t here because they’re away or had prior appointments. But what’s important for you is that their parents are also here and these parents always do their best to outdo each other when it comes to parties. Do you see where I’m going with this?”
“I think so, yes.”
“Oh, Henry and his family just pulled up. Let’s go say hi.”
I wanted so badly to know how a doorman at an apartment building, luxury though it was, knew these obviously wealthy people, but of course, there was no way I was going to ask.
“Henry is a doll. When Isabell was a newborn, I got stuck on the side of the road in the rain. You can imagine my panic and fear. Then this stranger stopped his car behind mine, knocked on the window, and told me to keep it rolled up while he took a look.”
“He then asked if I’d called my husband and took the phone from my numb fingers to call Carter and tell him the situation. He stood out there in the rain until Carter showed up, and by then, he’d already fixed the problem but wasn’t about to leave me stranded out there alone. He refused to accept payment and let’s just say he’s been a part of our family since then. He’s Isabell’s Godfather and she worships the ground he walks on. Now, she’d have another reason to love him once she gets a taste of your cupcakes. That girl does love her cupcakes.”
She explained all this as if reading my mind, and I sheepishly nodded my head. I knew Henry was a nice guy; I’m glad to see my perception isn’t as skewed on everything else as it had been with my marriage.
For the next hour, I stood in the back garden, which had fewer people, and enjoyed the view. I wish I had a garden like this to escape to; I’d never leave. I heard my name being called and turned to see Millie and another woman my age coming towards me.
“You made these?” Now, I work in finance, so I know money when I see it, and she was dripping in it. Not the over-the-top reality TV star kind of flash; this was old-world money. From the Hermes sandals that you wouldn’t think much of unless you realized that they were alligator skin and cost about eleven grand a pop.
Her jewelry was the kind you’d find at an old estate sale that you needed an invitation to attend, and she smelled like heaven. Her skin didn’t look like she’d ever had a blemish in her life. “Yes, ma’am, I did.” She looked me over from head to toe then passed me a card from her Kelly.
“Call me on Monday.” She turned and walked away, leaving me and a grinning Millie to look at her disappearing back.
“Who is she?” Millie pointed off in the distance in the direction of her husband and a tall, distinguished gentleman who had to be in his fifties.
