"No, that's a ways away yet. This looks real jazzy!" She handed him a square pale grey envelope. "An invitation to something!"
Michael looked at the return. "It's from my great uncle."
"Bless your great uncle! The saint who got you this job and brought a few moments of happiness into this girl's dull life," Millie answered, folding her hands in prayer and looking skyward.
"Hmmm..." Michael said. "Well, the one who got me this job, anyway."
"I reiterate, bless his heart. Or bless him where he wants it. Bless his bank accounts and stocks."
Michael laughed, his furrowed brow relaxing. "You've never even met him, and you know right where to bless him!"
"Yeah, I've met a couple of rich folks."
"I wonder why he sent this to the office?" Michael said, puzzled, still not opening the envelope.
""Because you've moved four times since you've been in California," Millie pointed out.
"Good point." He pulled out the square invitation.
"So what's the occasion?"
Michael looked at the curlicued script. "it's a 'no-occasion dress party.' "
"Oh, come on!" Millie challenged.
"That's what it says." Michael handed her the invitation.
"Yeah, that's what it says." Millie gave the invitation back to him. "Anyway, it sounds like fun," she added wistfully.
"I almost stopped by to see my great uncle last night. I went for a drive on the Canyon Road, but my carburetor gave me so much trouble I passed him by in order to hurry home. I drove a couple miles further and there was a limo stretched across the whole road."
"What?" Millie returned from fantasizing about a no-occasion dress party. "What was across the road?"
"A limousine was stretched across the road."
"See, that's what I thought you said! What was it doing there?"
"Not the back stroke."
"Corny, Michael."
"Sorry! Turns out the driver was a woman. Apparently a motorcycle gang had been harassing her, trying to get the limo in the ditch when I came along and scared them off."
"Not much of a driver, huh?"
"My thought exactly. In fact, everything about her was pretty curious."
"Such as?" Millie prompted.
"Well, she was driving the limo but she was the most unlikely limo driver I ever saw. Of course, here in southern California...."
"So she was beautiful...."
"Quite stunning, quite, yes."
"Ugh," Millie said, leaning against the closed door. "I already don't like this story."
"Silly Millie! So let's say she's a limo driver."
"Yes, let's."
"But she walked into the house – I mean, mansion – as though she owned it."
"Into the house? You
did
make progress!"
Michael smiled. "You little conclusion jumper! She was so discombobulated that she asked me if I'd drive the limo up to the house."
"If someone as wonderful as you came out of the night and rescued me, I guess I'd be discombobulated, too! I'm discombobulated, just bringing your mail." Millie perched on the uncomfortable arm of the office chair. "There are times when you get more than one piece of mail, that I think of keeping a piece back, just in case you don't get any mail the next day so I can bring you something every day. Just, you know, the junk mail. Of course, I haven't ever really done it, but I
have
thought about it."
"What a wit!" Michael chuckled.
"Without beauty, I have to make up where I can. Maybe that's an edge I've got over the beauty you met?"
"Look Millie, you don't have to take a back seat to anybody! You're great, you're funny, and you're a good friend."
"Oh, well," Millie answered philosophically, "better friend than foe."
"Indeed." Michael paused, then went on, "that's another interesting aspect about this woman. After getting over being terrified, she had this light, easy-going nature. Not at all spoiled or even self-centered."
"I hear wedding bells."
"That's just your head ringing from too much romanticizing. I'll never see her again. Anyway, back to this business," Michael pointed at the invitation, "I suppose I'll have to go, although I hate the thought. Maybe you'd like to go? You can help keep me from getting bored, you'll get some incredible food and drink, and who knows, you might even enjoy yourself."
"Really? Seriously? Oh boy! With you I'd enjoy shoveling out a pig pen. Not to compare the two events. I'd
love
to go – as if I didn't already drop a broad enough hint."
"It's semi-formal are you okay with that?"
"I'm okay with that, I've got stuff. The preparation is not the problem. Getting the event to occur has been the problem."
"It's nice of you to be so enthusiastic. I hope you won't be disappointed by how very boring it's likely to be."
"I'll try and disguise my yawns. Really Michael, this is wonderful. You've made my day!"
"You're too easy, Millie."
"Not as a rule. Well, I suppose we'd both better pretend like we work for a while, huh?"
"True. I've got some pretty serious pretending to do."
Millie gave a little wave as she slid her petite body through the door, running head long into Michael's supervisor.
"Oh, my! You've been working out, haven't you, Mr. Allerton?" Michael heard her say to his boss. He grinned at how guilelessly cute Millie was, and turned his attention back to his work.
Chapter 4
T
ina roared her little black convertible VW up Sage's driveway.
Sage happened to be standing at the window watching what appeared to be an exotic bug, black with long wild dark hair and a blood-red scarf flailing about in the wind, tearing up the winding ribbon of the drive.
She grabbed a bottle-green scarf and ran downstairs, opening the front door just as Tina shut off the ignition.
"Ready?" Tina shouted as if the engine were still running.
"Sure, let's go!" Sage hopped in, tying her scarf and slipping on her sunglasses.
"We look like Christmas coming!" Tina started up the engine again, pointing to their red and green scarves.
Sage laughed. "Christmas in May! Why not?"
They wound down through the Canyon Road, then took a back road among a frenzy of construction on all sides.
"No more natural hills," Sage said sadly.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I know
I'll
miss looking up at the hills and the stars from my little apartment. That was the number one reason I moved into my place, the view of the hills. They call this progress."
"That's what makes me really unhappy about losing Aunt Vicky's place, they'll do this to her acres, those lovely mountains. It's only fifteen minutes from here. You know they'll do it."
"You haven't lost the place yet! Don't count little deformed chicks before they're hatched."
You have such a way with words," Sage said as They pulled up at
Rutabegorz
, their favorite health-food-but-not-like-health-food restaurant.
Inside, seated in a cool private booth, they hunkered down over the menu.
"I'm really going to sin," Tina stage-whispered. I'm going to have a tofu peach shake."
"You deserve it," Sage reassured her. "You've been good."
"I know! I've lost five pounds in the last month."
"From where?" Sage asked. "You don't have five pounds to lose."
"I got a hair cut."
"Don't say it," Sage shook her head. "Your hair is wonderful!"
"This from the Hair Goddess."
"I'm serious!"
"Do you know what I'd give to have your hair?" Tina asked.
"Nothing much I hope because I'm pretty attached to it... ha, ha!"
"Funny."
The waitress took their order and when she stepped away, there was a quiet, cozy lull between the two friends.
Finally Tina said, "you forgot to pack luggage."
"Huh?"
"You went far away, but didn't pack any luggage."
"Sorry," Sage turned her attention to Tina. "I
did
go pretty far away. But the good news is how quickly I can come back now."
"Yes," Tina reached over and patted Sage's hand. "There was no love between your Aunt Victoria and me, but I never wish anyone any harm, and I'm really sorry that her tragedy causes you so much pain."
Sage stared at her hands wrapped around the glass of water. "I've lost the last person in my life who is family. I feel... unmoored. There's my father's mother. I've met her twice, and don't know her at all. There's my mother's people at the reservation. Maybe that's where I'll go. But now I'm so betwixt and between. I know I can go there, but I don't know if I would stay there –
b
ecause of how I've changed. It wouldn't be the same.
I'm
not the same.
"I haven't been to the reservation since I was fourteen when I ran away from Aunt Vicky. I remember it felt like I wasn't a part of the people like I had been only two short years before, when I was twelve. My coloring separates me from my people."
"Don't think about it, Sage. I'm your friend,
I'll
be your family. We can get a place together, you can get a job – horrible thought that
that
is."
"I don't mind," Sage protested, "I like the idea of being occupied. But I'm not qualified to do anything but be spoiled."
"Well," Tina nodded over the plates of food being set in front of them, "we both know that's not true."
"What, that I'm not qualified to be spoiled?"
"Yes. No. What I mean, and you know what I mean, is that you can do anything you set your mind to. Not to mention that with your looks you could pick up where your Aunt Victoria left off with her budding actress career."
"That's not for me. I can't act."
"I've seen actresses that can't act. And I've seen you act wonderfully."
"I'm not sure I know what you mean by that."
Tina went on, "Not to mention guys like Willie who are just dying to make you happy."
"Oh Tina, please! Mr. Williamson is not 'Willie,' and his interest in me was orchestrated by Aunt Vicky. Neither of us have any intentions toward the other."
"Please, please,
please
, Sage, tell that to anyone, but spare
me!
I never saw so much fire in an old codger's eyes as when he lays them, on you!"
"
Augh
, Tina! Why do I hang out with you?"
"Because I'm honest."
"You don't mince words, that's true, but please be respectful about Mr. Williamson, who is a very nice person."
"Okay! Don't hemorrhage! But there's something funny there, I'm telling you. I did everything on him, I wanted to feel at ease about his intentions towards you. I did the I Ching, Tarot, the crystal, you remember how I read his palm at that party, all tongue-in-cheek and joke, joke. But I was checking him out. Everything about him in relation to you has a tinge on it."
"I believe I recall you saying he was the most awesome specimen of male human flesh over sixty you'd ever seen."
"Also true. But body and soul do not always have the same appearance."
"I think you're wrong about him, Tina. I just think you're wrong." Sage found herself wondering if her friend was jealous because he hadn't given
her
a tumble.
"Well then, I won't say another word about him. The next thing that'll happen is you'll think I'm jealous because he didn't make overtures to me."
Sage poised her fork in mid-air. "Uncanny, Tina. Absolutely uncanny. Sometimes you make me flat-out nervous."
"Bingo! Well, then, Willie, ahm, Mr. Williamson is a closed book."
"No, Tina, there are no closed books between us. We stay friends by being candid. I can't hide anything from you, anyway!"
"True."
"But this reminds me – I got an invitation from the now infamous Mr. Williamson a few days ago for a party he's throwing in a couple weeks. I don't intend to go. In fact, I'm upset with him for having a party so soon after Aunt Vicky's death. But anyway... I'll RSVP for you and you can go in my stead."
"By myself? Thanks for nothing, Sage."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not going to one of those we-all-know-each-other-but-no-one-knows-you events by myself. The thought strikes horror. On the other hand, if we both went, we'd probably have a ball!"
"I'm not in the mood, Tina. Besides, like I said, I want to protest the... untimeliness."
Tina reflected for a moment. "Now don't get angry with me, Sage, but Victoria was your relative, not his. By the time of the party, it'll be two months or so. I know it seems like no time to you, but, life is for the living, as they say. I think you should go, Sage. I really think you
should.
Just to put your mind on other things."
"But I feel so unsocial. And, and, you know, I'd have to face Anthony."
"So now it's Anthony! I can't call him Willie in the privacy of our own luncheon, but you, without a segue, go from Mr. Williamson to 'Anthony!' "
"Well of course I call him Anthony. After all, we socialize in the same circles, we're neighbors. The point is, I don't want to have to deal with him right now. Not that there's anything... but...."
"Sounds lame, Sage."
"Let's just drop it all, altogether."
"Too easy!"
"Okay, Tina. I'll admit that the word 'marriage' did come up, once. With Aunt Vicky in the room."
"
Aha!
"
" 'Aha' all you please. It felt very un-natural at the time, it felt staged. But I was shocked, with my Aunt in the room, no privacy, no romance, no lead in. Like suggesting a business deal."
"Yes Sage, an arranged marriage to co-join mutual properties and the old guy is getting a beautiful young woman to boot."
"Even
that
I think I could kind of understand. But there was something else, some under-current between them."
"Hmm." Tina's brow furrowed.
"I'm sure I read the whole thing wrong, since I was so shocked. I mean, there was nothing for him to base a proposal on. To this very moment we've never even
kissed
or held hands or, or anything."