biscuit into his mouth at once. “Volunteer, hell. I expect to get paid,” he said with a mouthful of food.
“Maybe ‘volunteer’ was the wrong choice of words. Of course I’m going to pay you, Curtis. But only what you’re worth.”
He stopped chewing. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you better take it easy on the booze tonight. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done. I’m not going to pay you if you’re hungover.”
“Don’t worry, Sexy Sammie. You can always count on me. Call me anytime, day or night.” He pinched her cheek, his fingers lingering long enough to make her uncomfortable.
She smacked his hand away. “Just don’t be late.” Sam turned her back on him, anxious to escape.
She headed across the dance floor toward Jackie, who was surrounded by a group of younger women Sam had never seen. She waited off to the side while the group chatted about summer vacation plans. When the band returned to the stage and launched into a repertoire of Motown from the early seventies, Sam grabbed the birthday girl by the hand and led her out to the middle of the dance floor, where they carried on like they were little girls again, bouncing on beds and singing into hairbrushes.
It was close to ten o’clock by the time Carlotta, Bitsy, and the boys wheeled a gigantic round cake onto the dance floor. After the crowd finished singing “Happy Birthday,” it took Jackie several tries to blow out the blaze of candles.
Sam was helping cut the cake when Carlotta leaned over and whispered, “I have some bad news I need to tell Miss Jacqueline, but I’m not sure how to do it.”
Sam set down the knife. “What sort of bad news, Carlotta?”
“I’m handing in my notice.”
Dread settled over Sam like humidity on a sweltering summer day. “My sister will be lost without you. I’m sure if it’s more money you need or less hours …”
Carlotta’s dark eyes opened wide. “Oh no, Miss Sam. It’s nothing like that. My sister has breast cancer, a bad case of it according to the doctors. I’m moving to Florida to help out with her children while she goes through her treatments.”
“Oh, Carlotta, I’m so sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Pray?” she said.
“That goes without saying,” Sam replied.
Sam would also be praying for Jackie tomorrow when both her husband and her right-hand woman dropped atomic bombs on her at once. Jackie would survive the divorce, but no way could she keep her life together without Carlotta.
Sam handed Carlotta a piece of cake. “You know my sister better than anyone. The most important thing in delivering bad news is picking the right time. Who knows, she might surprise you.”
“I hope so. Miss Jacqueline always frets over the small stuff, but never breaks a sweat over the things that really matter.”
Sam tried to suppress her surprise. All these years, her sister had fooled Carlotta. Jackie never broke a sweat over the big things because she held her emotions in until she exploded.
Fifteen minutes later, Sam was dancing up front with the band when Faith approached, flustered and out of breath. “I can’t find Mama anywhere.”
“What do you mean you can’t find her?”
“After she finished eating her cake, she went inside to use the powder room but she never came back. I’ve searched the house. She’s nowhere to be found.”
Sam climbed onto a nearby chair and scanned the crowd. “I don’t see her anywhere.” She hopped down. “Round up the kids and get them to help you look out here, down the driveway and on the dock, while I go search the house again.”
“Jackie’s gonna freak out.”
“That’s why we’re not going to tell her. Don’t worry. I’m sure Mom just crawled into an empty bed and is taking a nap,” Sam called over her shoulder as she headed inside.
Sam started on the ground floor and made her way up, looking under beds and in closets. No one had seen her. Not Carlotta, who
“Maybe ‘volunteer’ was the wrong choice of words. Of course I’m going to pay you, Curtis. But only what you’re worth.”
He stopped chewing. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you better take it easy on the booze tonight. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done. I’m not going to pay you if you’re hungover.”
“Don’t worry, Sexy Sammie. You can always count on me. Call me anytime, day or night.” He pinched her cheek, his fingers lingering long enough to make her uncomfortable.
She smacked his hand away. “Just don’t be late.” Sam turned her back on him, anxious to escape.
She headed across the dance floor toward Jackie, who was surrounded by a group of younger women Sam had never seen. She waited off to the side while the group chatted about summer vacation plans. When the band returned to the stage and launched into a repertoire of Motown from the early seventies, Sam grabbed the birthday girl by the hand and led her out to the middle of the dance floor, where they carried on like they were little girls again, bouncing on beds and singing into hairbrushes.
It was close to ten o’clock by the time Carlotta, Bitsy, and the boys wheeled a gigantic round cake onto the dance floor. After the crowd finished singing “Happy Birthday,” it took Jackie several tries to blow out the blaze of candles.
Sam was helping cut the cake when Carlotta leaned over and whispered, “I have some bad news I need to tell Miss Jacqueline, but I’m not sure how to do it.”
Sam set down the knife. “What sort of bad news, Carlotta?”
“I’m handing in my notice.”
Dread settled over Sam like humidity on a sweltering summer day. “My sister will be lost without you. I’m sure if it’s more money you need or less hours …”
Carlotta’s dark eyes opened wide. “Oh no, Miss Sam. It’s nothing like that. My sister has breast cancer, a bad case of it according to the doctors. I’m moving to Florida to help out with her children while she goes through her treatments.”
“Oh, Carlotta, I’m so sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Pray?” she said.
“That goes without saying,” Sam replied.
Sam would also be praying for Jackie tomorrow when both her husband and her right-hand woman dropped atomic bombs on her at once. Jackie would survive the divorce, but no way could she keep her life together without Carlotta.
Sam handed Carlotta a piece of cake. “You know my sister better than anyone. The most important thing in delivering bad news is picking the right time. Who knows, she might surprise you.”
“I hope so. Miss Jacqueline always frets over the small stuff, but never breaks a sweat over the things that really matter.”
Sam tried to suppress her surprise. All these years, her sister had fooled Carlotta. Jackie never broke a sweat over the big things because she held her emotions in until she exploded.
Fifteen minutes later, Sam was dancing up front with the band when Faith approached, flustered and out of breath. “I can’t find Mama anywhere.”
“What do you mean you can’t find her?”
“After she finished eating her cake, she went inside to use the powder room but she never came back. I’ve searched the house. She’s nowhere to be found.”
Sam climbed onto a nearby chair and scanned the crowd. “I don’t see her anywhere.” She hopped down. “Round up the kids and get them to help you look out here, down the driveway and on the dock, while I go search the house again.”
“Jackie’s gonna freak out.”
“That’s why we’re not going to tell her. Don’t worry. I’m sure Mom just crawled into an empty bed and is taking a nap,” Sam called over her shoulder as she headed inside.
Sam started on the ground floor and made her way up, looking under beds and in closets. No one had seen her. Not Carlotta, who
Similar Books
