City Mouse by Lender Stacey;

Author:Lender, Stacey;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Akashic Books
Published: 2016-11-18T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter eleven

The auction invitation said semiformal, but as we stepped down the stairs into the Sacred Heart Church basement, I knew immediately I had overdressed. The men were in their usual suburban uniforms—untucked button-down shirts and jeans. And most of the women were in jeans too. High heels and jeans. Like any other party, any other day.

“I told you I didn’t need to wear a sport jacket,” Aaron said, giving me a look.

Just because your company’s new personalized e-mail product got a bad review on CNET a few days ago doesn’t mean you still have to be in such a foul mood, I thought. “It’s not such a big deal, you can just take it off,” I said.

It wasn’t like I could take off my little black cocktail dress, unless I wanted to parade around all night in my boob-to-thigh ultra-support Spanx like a hermetically sealed sausage. Although I did like the way the material smoothed out my stomach and my hips—so far, it was worth the loss of circulation. I was just thankful for the built-in pee flap.

I found Alyson and another mom I faintly recognized from Phoebe’s class at the entry table with a Hello My Name Is sticker on her chest: Robyn.

“Hey, Jessica. Hi, Aaron,” she said, checking us off on her list and handing us our name tags. “Nice dress.”

“Thanks,” I replied, feeling a little better. “You don’t think it’s too dressy?”

“No, you look great.”

“Okay, volunteer assignments,” Alyson cut in. She flipped through her spreadsheet. “Aaron—meet Jeff and Chris over at the bar in the back. You’re all under strict orders to get everyone good and wasted so they’ll bid their asses off.” She grinned and I couldn’t help but notice her teeth were gleaming like luminescent Chiclets. Was it the lighting or had she just come from a seriously high-octane teeth whitening? “And Jessica—you’ll be selling glow necklaces for the heads-and-tails raffle—go ask for Wendy in the office and she’ll set you up.”

Glow necklaces? I had signed Aaron and me up to bartend together and had been looking forward to it all week. “Are you sure that’s right?” I asked her. “I’m almost positive I—”

“Do you have any idea how long it took me to put together this schedule?” Alyson snarled.

You don’t have to be so nasty, I thought, but I wasn’t going to stand there and fight with her about it, especially not with the line of people forming behind us. I summoned my dutiful auction-committee smile and said, “Whatever you need me to do.”

“Before you run off,” she smiled sweetly at Aaron, “what credit card will you be using for your purchases tonight?”

Aaron handed over our Visa for a preauthorizing swipe and she gave us our paddle, number 64, telling us to be sure to write it on the bid sheets at the silent auction tables and remember to raise it often during the live auction, which started at 8:30.

“Bid wildly!” Robyn said. “It’s all for the kids!”

I whispered to Aaron, “How much

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