“Miss Pearl told you?” Mrs. Whitmore asks with a clenched jaw. “She was out of line. She should have never shared her salary information with you.”
“She didn’t. I asked her.”
I can tell this has made her mad by the way her lips are mashed together, but she moves on and I’m grateful. “Here at Alpha Delt,” she says, like we’re children, “the staff gets perks you don’t know about. Aside fromfreemeals, they get paid vacations at both Christmas and Thanksgiving. Spring break as well. And you should see the Christmas gifts they haul in. They are darn lucky to have this job.”
“And we’re lucky to have them,” I say.
Ellie leans forward. “It’s not like they don’t deserve it, Mrs. Whitmore. They are all hard workers.”
“It costs a fortune to operate this House every month. You girls are too young to understand.”
“That’s where our pledge class comes in,” Ellie remarks with an uncontainable smile.
“What do you mean, Ellie?”
Ellie looks at me and I smile along with her. “We are going to make staff benefits our philanthropy project this year.”
Mrs. Whitmore looks down her nose. “How on earth do you plan to do that?”
Ellie pushes her hair behind her ears, sits up straight. “Well, we are going to sell tickets for a chance at an evening out with Eli Manning.”
Mrs. Whitmore spreads her fingers into a fan against her breastbone. “An evening out withEli Manning?”
“Yes, ma’am!” Ellie says. “We’re inviting him and his wife, Abby, to Oxford. To go to dinner at the City Grocery with the lucky couple who wins.”
Just when we think we’re getting somewhere, the lady laughs in this crazy, condescending way, like she thinks we’re ridiculous young juveniles who have no idea what we’re doing. “Eli Manning is a busy quarterback in the National Football League. What makes you think he has the time or the desire to come down here and help you raise money forourstaff?” Shetsks, looking off to the side like she’s talking to someone else. “Of all things.”
“You don’t understand, Mrs. Whitmore. My dad’s gonna ask him. He knows him,” Ellie says. Okay, she’s pushing the truth a little, but she truly is confident her dad will make the ask.
“Your dad knows Eli Manning? Personally?”
“Well, he’s met him before. They were both Sigma Nus.”
“Meeting Eli Manning once and asking him for a favor of this magnitude are two totally different things.” She presses a finger to her chin. “Ellie Woodcock. I’m surprised at you. And your dad, too, for that matter. Surely you know it’s bad manners to ask a favor of someone you don’t know. Especially a celebrity.” She lifts a shoulder and flips her hair back. “Annie Laurie is not in on this, is she?”
“We asked her,” Ellie says, the wind gushing from her sails. Her shoulders have drooped and her voice has lost itsoomph. “But she said she doesn’t have much spare time this semester.”
“Well, thank God for that. My daughter knows she has to make good grades to be initiated in December.”
“Please, Mrs. Whitmore,” I say. “If Eli Manning happens to say yes, will you give us your blessing?”
“Even if he said yes, which will never happen, what happens next year? And the year after that?”
“Every pledge class can have their own fund-raiser,” Ellie explains.
She points at Ellie. “Would you want the former pledge class deciding on your philanthropy project? I can’t give you my blessing. It won’t work.”
“But—”
“Ah, ah ah,” she pushes a palm toward Ellie. “My decision is made. I don’t want to hear another word about it.” Leaning in toward us, she adds, “Enjoy your college years, girls. These are not issues for you to be concerning your pretty little heads with. Find something more direful. Like cancer or heart disease. I’m sure there are millions of people who would appreciate your help.” She stands with her chin held high. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to the business of finding our next House Director.”
Ellie and I both stand up slowly. Defeat is stabbing me in the chest. I’m sure she feels it, too. We get all the way to the chapter room door when we hear Mrs. Whitmore call my name. “Oh, Cali?”
I turn back around.
“What does your mother think of you joining Alpha Delt? A girl from Blue Mountain in the finest sorority on campus. Now that’s something to be proud of. Don’t you think?” There’s a distant smile about her, as she slowly squints one eye.
“My grandparents are overjoyed for me, Mrs. Whitmore.”
