The plastic smile on Deena’s face was as fake as her blonde hair. “Yes, charming.”
Phoebe stole a glance at Ted to see his reaction. His jaws tensed, but rather than nervous, he seemed annoyed by their pretentious guest.
Deena spotted the spread of hors d'oeuvres. She swung her hips as she walked toward them, then picked up an artichoke stuffed mushroom from the silver tray on the buffet.
Holding her breath, Phoebe prayed Deena would enjoy the snack. Degrading the lodging was one thing, but insulting Mrs. Banfield’s cooking was another.
“This is delicious.” Deena grabbed another and ate it. “I never imagined my expectations could be exceeded.”
Relief showered over Phoebe, but it was short-lived. With each passing moment, it became clear this would be a long two months, and that was if filming stayed on schedule. “Thelma Banfield is an amazing cook. I’ll be happy to pass on the compliment to her.”
“Please do. And ask if she can have another dozen of these sent to me still warm within the hour.”
Phoebe coughed. “I’m not sure she can accomplish that on such short notice.”
“Call her and see.” Deena flipped her hair and let out an annoyed sigh. “I’ll pay her five-hundred dollars if she can.”
“Okay.”
Deena tapped her foot impatiently, and Phoebe realized she was expected to call this exact second. She excused herself and went outside where she could speak in privacy. While she waited for Thelma to answer, she prayed a quick prayer that she could comply with Deena’s request, absurd as it was. Of all the pretentious, high-handed— “Oh, hi, Thelma, how are you?”
“Just fine, dear. Has our guest of honor arrived?”
“Yes, ma’am.” She paused to regroup and clear her voice of sarcasm. “Your mushrooms are a hit. In fact, Deena has requested a dozen of these sent to her within an hour. Oh, and she’d like them warm.”
Thelma gasped. “That’s a tall order.”
“I know, and she’ll have to understand you can’t drop everything immediately to cater to her whims just because she throws five hundred dollars your way.”
“What did you say?” Thelma squeaked.
“She offered five hundred dollars.”
“You know what, I set some aside for Mac to take to the singles’ dinner tonight, but he can take a different side.” Thelma clucked her tongue. “Tamera’s here now with Mercy. She can keep an eye on her dad while I run the mushrooms up to the cabin. Give me ten minutes to warm them and fifteen minutes to get there.”
“You’re amazing.” Phoebe ended the call, relieved she wouldn’t have to face telling Deenano.
She returned inside to an empty cabin, then spotted the small group on the rear deck. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself to deal with whatever Deena threw her way. Ted appeared to have a handle on sharing the welcoming information, so Phoebe lingered inside. She spotted several crumbs on the floor and bent to sweep them with her hand.
The slide-out cabinet containing the trashcan jammed when she pulled the handle. She groaned and gave it a firm tug. Now wasn’t the time for anything in the luxury cabin to break. After another pull, the slides cleared, and Phoebe dropped the crumbs in the trash. Peeking into the garbage, she spied the offending object—a bent paper towel roll. The cleaning crew broke protocol by leaving trash in the cabin, which normally wouldn’t be a huge deal, but great pains had been taken to make this stay perfect for Deena.
Now that the jam was cleared, the cabinet slid back in place without a sound. Phoebe turned around as Ted opened the French doors and led Deena and her entourage back inside.
“All the lights are voice-activated.” Ted moved his arm in a sweeping gesture. “All you have to do is tellKiriwhat you want.Kiri, turn on the chandelier. Kiri, dim the kitchen lights.”
Lynz, the assistant, clung to her tablet. “And if that doesn’t work?”
“The system has been well tested, but all lights can be controlled manually and also by remote.” Ted’s self-assurance never faltered under the scrutiny of his beloved cabin, his favorite rental.
Ted continued showing them around the cabin, and when the doorbell rang. Phoebe quietly moved to answer it, surprised to see Mac at the door. “Hey, I expected your mom.”
“Tamera couldn’t stay, and I happened to walk through the door at the right time, so ta-da.” He grinned and waved the silver-domed platter of mushrooms in front of her. “Your order, as requested.”
She scrunched her nose and lowered her voice. “Not my order.”
“That great, huh?” His eyes offered sympathy.
“Maybe I’m not being fair.” She appreciated Mac made eye contact with her instead of glancing over her shoulder for a peek at the movie star. Not many people she knew could have held their curiosity at bay. “Do you want to meet her?”
