"You have to sample it to make sure it's good," Ida said, taking another sip. "If anything, I'm doing you a favor."
"If you're back there, I'll take a drink," Archer said.
"At this rate, we're going to have to give the judges water and juice boxes," I complained.
"Just expense it," Archer said. "I basically gave Harrogate a blank check for this Art Zurich Expo bid. I'm putting it under marketing."
"Don't drink too much," I chastised them. "We're doing pop art today."
"Is that the one that looks like a comic book?" Otis asked.
"Someone's been doing their homework!"
"Sweet!" The boys ran upstairs, and Archer offered Ida an arm to steady her.
"You found yourself a keeper here, Hazel," Ida said.
"Sure did! He's good with kids, eats my food, and is nice to sweet old ladies."
"He's not helping me because I'm old," Ida complained. "He's helping me because I'm drunk as a skunk."
"How long were you here drinking?"
"Not long enough. I had to listen to Dottie tell me all about her hemorrhoids."
"I'd need a drink after that too," Archer muttered.
I could tell the drinking was going to be a problem when the seniors started painting. We were doing paintings in the style of Roy Liebeskind. He used dots and thick black lines for paintings to make them look like frames of comic books. Only Otis's and Theo's paintings looked decent.
"Your circles are so nice and even," I praised them. "You don't want to paint, Archer?"
"I know how to quit before I'm kicked," he said, taking a sip of his drink and motioning to Ida. Her dots were not even. In fact, some of them just looked like amoebas. Dottie's lines were wandering over the page, and Bettina had fallen asleep at the canvas.
I sighed. "I was hoping to have something nice to show for when the Art Zurich representatives come to Harrogate," I said.
"You have my dildo," Ida said and burped.
"You made these a little strong, Ida," Archer said.
"Otis's and Theo's paintings look nice at least," I said. "They're my star students."
48
Archer
As we raced toward the arrival of the Art Zurich representatives, the artistic vision of Harrogate really came together. The only problem? McKenna. I couldn't tell if she was stalking me or if it was just bad luck that she seemed to appear wherever I was.
I was on-site at the Mast Brothers' chocolate factory meeting with Zoey to finalize the event space layout, décor, and program.
I parked the SUV, and there was McKenna, like an infection that wouldn't go away.
"My offer stands," she said when I got out of the car. "You want that hotel site. I want you. You can even keep Hazel as your little side piece in your Podunk town."
"If you don't like it here, then leave," I told her.
She made an annoyed sound.
"Or are you trying to sabotage this expo bid?" My eyes narrowed.
