Celeste says, “Mrs. Gentry, the room is decorated beautifully. Thank you.”
“Only the best for you two,” Roxy says.
Jamie and Greer and Amelia appear and are equally dressed up. We’ve all acquiesced to Roxy’s wishes again. The gang’s allhere, well almost, I realize, trying not to think of Brett as we take our designated seats. This time Ryan and Roxy are at opposite ends of the table. Seems like a good plan, all things considered.
I’m seated to Ryan’s right, across from Amelia, who once again is dazzling in old-money pearls and diamonds and a navy silk gown that complements her red hair. The spot on her face where the pickleball struck her isn’t visible; whether that’s because of expertly applied makeup or the fact a bruise hasn’t appeared yet, I don’t know.
“How’s your cheek, Amelia?” I ask, causing her to touch her face.
“Oh, I’m fine. Brett had the tougher time this afternoon, turns out,” Amelia says and chuckles.
I’m not sure why she’s laughing over her dead date, but then again, I can’t pretend I’ve ever really understood Amelia. Next to me, Ryan shakes his head.
“Good evening, everyone,” Roxy says, clinking her glass.
Oh no, not another speech. There cannot be anything left to say, can there? For a moment, the grand chandelier flickers, and I wonder if the power is going to go out. But then it holds, and the lights stop flickering. I meet Ryan’s eye, and he looks as relieved as I feel. A power outage is the last thing we need.
32
Jamie
I am beyond tired of all the games people are playing around here. The Roxy and Amelia show is getting old, and redundant. The truth is, I came here because I loved my time as a Theta Gamma. I loved my sisters and my chapter. I was so excited to rekindle some of that happy spirit, remember the good times.
But from the moment we arrived, and Amelia and Brett crashed the party, it’s been nothing but bad behavior.
I expected more from them, from all of them, I think as I look around the table. Out of the corner of my eye I see someone moving down the hallway, a woman, wearing a long green dress. She’s blond, petite.
“Sunny?” I stand up as all eyes around the table look at me.
Greer stands next to me. “Honey, what is it?”
“Nothing. I thought I saw something,” I say.
“You’ve had a really long day,” he says, helping me back into my seat. “Do you need to go back to our room?”
“No, no, I’m fine,” I say and take a sip of my wine.
“Did you say Sunny?” Beth asks.
“It was my mind playing tricks on me. I thought I saw her down there, walking away,” I say. “It’s ridiculous.”
“I saw her too,” Amelia says. “I could have sworn I did. Out by the pool this morning.”
“You all are letting your imaginations run wild,” Roxy says, shaking her head. “Sunny isn’t here. But you all are. Let’s focus on the living, shall we? Let’s focus on the future: Celeste and Zach.”
I look at the young couple and they both are looking at me like I’m losing it. Maybe I am.
33
Beth
Jamie looks like she’s seen a ghost. I wonder if I should help her, but I guess she has Greer by her side. I try to get her attention, but she’s staring at something on the table. Meanwhile, Roxy, hostess with the most-est, smiles even as the lights flicker off and on. It’s as if she’s willing the power to stay on.
“Isn’t the chandelier remarkable? Ryan curated every detail of this room, of this entire house, and he did a fabulous job,” Roxy says, looking up after the flickering stopped. “So, after the stress and tension of this afternoon, I’d like to suggest that we get the weekend back on track, as much as we can.”
“That’s why we all came to dinner, Mom, to pretend like everything is normal,” Zach says with a snarky tone. “Happy engagement weekend and all that.”
“Yes, exactly,” Roxy says.
