“Good idea, and thanks, Mom,” she says, and she’s gone.
I make quick time of changing into my formal gown, attire specified in the Details section of the weekend’s program. Tonight, I’m wearing a navy silk dress with crystal straps. I picked it because it makes me appear to be wearing jewelry like Amelia and Roxy when I don’t have any real pieces like they’vehad on display this weekend. I know I can’t keep up with them, but I did want to add a little sparkle tonight. I glance at the bedside table and think about the postcard inside. I don’t know who put it there, or why. I check. The other bedside drawer is empty.
This whole trip has made me feel unsettled, and I hope I’m not imagining things that aren’t there. I think about bringing the postcard to dinner with me. I decide against it. The rest of them will think I’m going mad. Of course it’s not Sunny on the postcard. It couldn’t be. Sunny couldn’t be glad I’m here. She died long ago. I shake my head.
I walk out of my room and make a quick search for a linen closet, finding one down the hall. I grab the plainest-looking sheet I can find amid the fancy dream linens and hurry to the living room, a spectacular room off the front foyer. As I step through the ornate double doors, I’m suddenly in a space that blends art deco design elements with the distinctive Spanish Colonial influences of the area. The floor is covered in intricately patterned tiles, while a grand, handwoven Persian rug anchors the room with its vibrant colors and intricate motifs. Large windows frame the outdoors, adorned with luxurious drapes. The centerpiece of the room is a sumptuous seating arrangement, with two plush, velvet-upholstered sofas and armchairs with carved wood frames adorned with gold leaf. The entire room is a harmonious blend of jewel tones, reflecting the exuberance of the roaring twenties. The room is punctuated with brass table lamps, crystal decanters resting on polished mahogany side tables, and everything is illuminated by a grand chandelier withcascading crystals. It’s all so glamorous and sophisticated, truly a work of art. The piano is in front of me, the centerpiece of this section of the first floor.
The only thing out of place in this room is Brett, whose body is sprawled on top of the piano. I don’t look at his face as I cover him with the sheet. I wrap myself in a hug and hurry out of the glorious space, unsettled by the juxtaposition of grand life and tragic, sudden death.
I can’t believe everything that has happened in the last twenty-four hours. Arriving here and discovering Ryan and Roxy’s Palm Springs home is a near replica of the Desert Sunrise, then a sandstorm hits, followed by Brett’s shocking death. Ryan’s divorce bombshell capped off the afternoon. It’s a lot to take in, as I told Celeste. Hardest of all, though, are the visions of Sunny flooding my mind, attempting to drown me in memories.
30
Beth
It’s like being back here, back in this nearly identical setting in the desert, has opened the floodgates, and I cannot seem to close them. And now I’m beginning to see her here at Gentry House, little signs of her everywhere, in paintings and glimpses, hints and nightmares. I remember like it was yesterday the mischief in Sunny’s smile when she told me we were going to a fancy hotel for spring break.
“Beth, look at this place,” Sunny had said, pointing to the website for the Desert Sunrise and scrolling through photos of the property. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, and her green eyes sparkled with excitement. I wanted to be as excited as she was, and I tried to smile. “Look at the pool. We are going to get so tan.”
“It looks amazing, and expensive,” I’d answered. Sunny knew I couldn’t afford a trip for spring break, certainly not to a luxuryhotel in the desert. The SCU campus was only a two-hour drive away. “You guys will have a great time.”
“You meanwewill have a great time. You and me. It’s already booked. My treat! You’ll have your own room, and I’ll share with Ryan, if he behaves himself,” Sunny said.
“Sounds too good to be true. But I can’t have you pay my way,” I said. A weeklong trip, even though we could drive to the desert from campus, would be too much for my limited budget.
Sunny grinned and jumped out of her chair, wrapping me in a big hug. “Well, actually it’s Theta Gamma Mu’s treat. I borrowed from the sorority’s party fund to pay your way. Spring break is one big party, after all, and you’re not missing it. So many fraternity and sorority seniors are booking hotels out there. It’s going to be one huge party.”
“What? Really? Can you do that?” I asked. I knew my best friend would do anything for me, but I didn’t want her to get into trouble. “I think it’s too much.”
I looked around the room we’d shared for the past two years, walls covered with boy band posters and fairy lights. Our twin beds had matching purple spreads and an array of throw pillows we’d picked up along the way. Our desks were side by side, messy with textbooks and candy wrappers, and each of us had a bulletin board above our desks with cherished mementos pinned to it Polaroid snapshots captured spontaneous moments that turned into memories. Our clothes hung on rolling racks—the room didn’t have its own closet, but we didn’t care. The racks showcased our low-rise jeans, velour tracksuits, and our sorority garb.I was going to miss this room. I was going to miss Sunny when we graduated. We’d been together since move-in day freshman year when we discovered we were roommates. I wanted to be with her on spring break; I wanted more memories together. I looked at her and shook my head.
“You can’t, Sunny,” I said. I put my hands on my hips and shook my head again.
“Oh, but I can,” she said with a grin. “There’s an upside to being the chapter’s treasurer and having sole access to our bank account. It’s a justifiable expense. Think of how much work you put into our charity fundraiser. This will be the sorority’s little way of saying thanks.”
I was so excited I couldn’t think of anything to say except, “I’m speechless.”
“You work so hard, Beth. School, your part-time job, and being the philanthropy chair for the chapter, you need to have some fun. And we will,” Sunny said, sitting down at her desk.
I drew in a breath, feeling the grin take over my face. “In that case, I accept. Thank you so much.”
“Totally my pleasure. It’s nice to use my treasurer powers for good. Trust me, there are other Theta Gams who make this job a lot less fun.”
“Really? Like who?” I’d asked, intrigued and sitting back down beside her at our desks.
“Well, I can’t divulge names, but I can tell you that I’ve had to threaten one member who is falling far behind on monthly dues, and another who I caught stealing money to buy drugs,”she said with a frown. “It’s tough. That’s why providing you with the ability to join the chapter on spring break feels right; itisright. I’m not stealing money for nefarious purposes. I’m helping a sister. And that’s what sororities are supposed to be about.”
“You’re the best. And, wow, I had no idea you’ve been dealing with all of this,” I said, truly shocked. She’d never mentioned any of this to me before. As far as I could tell, all my fellow Theta Gams had picture-perfect lives. But maybe I hadn’t been looking closely enough. “I’m sorry. Tell me who they are. Maybe I can help you?”
Sunny looked up from her laptop, considering, perhaps, revealing the identities of the rotten sisters.
“I can’t. I wish I could because you’d never guess, but I can’t,” she said and turned back to her homework.
I never did find out who Sunny was referring to that day. It could have been anyone. Now I’m standing in the formal living room, my back to the dead body, when I feel a hand on my elbow and startle. I hadn’t heard anyone walk into the room.
“God, you scared me,” I say to Ryan, studying him while I wait for my racing heart to calm. “Don’t you look handsome.” His dark blue, perfectly tailored suit was more than handsome and made his eyes reflect an even darker blue.
“Thanks. And you look beautiful. You’ve always been beautiful, and you don’t even know it,” he says with a smile on his face that doesn’t reach those blue eyes. He touches my shoulder. “I’m sorry for my outburst earlier. It was unacceptable. Roxy has pushed me too far, and I exploded.”
