CHAPTER FOUR
MILLY
The following week Milly arrived at The Island Club with Debbie and Jack in tow. You just never knew how a seven- and four-year-old might behave, but Sylvia had insisted that Milly bring the kids and that the ladies would have lunch and afternoon drinks poolside while the children splashed in the water.
“Jack, Debbie,” Milly said, grabbing their hands as soon as they caught a glimpse of the turquoise pool ahead and tried to make a run for it. “We are guests here, and this club belongs to Mommy’s new friend, Sylvia,” she said. “Please be on your best behavior.” They lunged forward. “Did you hear me?” she said, halting them again.
“Yes, Mommy,” Debbie said. “We’ll behave.”
“Keep an eye on your brother, and stay in the wading pool.” Milly looked to Jack as if expecting him to respond to her reasoning.
“Swimming pool,” he said, pointing. “I want to go to the swimming pool.”
“I know, darling, but just hold on a moment.” She opened her large straw bag and pulled out a swim buoy that she’d bought from a store in town. Now that they lived near the beach and close to a swimming pool, she needed to travel with inflatable lifesaving devices. “Let me just try to inflate this thing.” She ripped it out of the packaging, turned itaround, looking for the air valve as quickly as she could, knowing that she had mere seconds before the children would run off again. Jack was hopping back and forth from one foot to the other.
“Do you need to use the bathroom?” she asked.
“No! I want to go to the pool!”
Milly blew hard into the buoy several times and strapped the thing around Jack’s tummy. Standing up too fast, she felt dizzy and lightheaded.
“Mommy,” Jack said, pulling at the pocket of her capri pants.
“One second, sweetheart.” She placed her hand on the back of a chair to steady herself.
“Mommy,” Jack said, tugging at the fabric harder each time. “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!”
“What, Jack?” she snapped, bending down to his level.
“Mommy, I love you,” he said, wrapping his arms around her neck, then kissing her bare shoulder. Then he took Debbie’s hand and the two kids started off.
“Let’s go,” Debbie said as they ran full speed toward the pool.
Milly took a moment to compose herself, regretting her impatience just minutes into what she expected would be a long afternoon. She adjusted the waistband of her capris, pulling it back to her natural waistline, and smoothed down the pocket that Jack had been tugging on. Shoving the packaging of the swim buoy into the depths of her straw bag, she walked toward the group of women sitting at a long table in the shade near the pool. She sighed with relief as she saw several other children playing in the shallow pool and a teenage lifeguard keeping watch over them.
Sylvia sat at the head of the table in a pastel-pink horizontal-striped dress. Everyone else seemed to be equally dressed up, and Milly instantly regretted her choice of cropped trousers and a sleeveless shirt that tied at the waist.
“Sorry, Sylvia,” she said in a low voice. “I thought it would be more casual since we were poolside, I didn’t realize…”
“Nonsense,” she said, “You are the picture of poolside elegance.Here, take a seat.” She pulled out the one next to her and began to introduce Milly to the women at the table—Betsy, Faye, Maureen, Joan, and Sadie.
“Milly here has just moved to Balboa from Los Angeles. She lives on Amethyst, and I’m trying to convince her to join the club,” Sylvia said.
“I don’t think it will take much convincing,” Milly said. “It’s beautiful here.”
“Your Lloyd would love it.”
He sure would, Milly thought. This was exactly the kind of wholesome family environment they so desperately needed.
“So,” Sylvia asked the ladies, “what’s everyone planning for Bal Week? It’s right around the corner.”
“We’re leaving town, going to stay at my in-laws for the week,” Maureen said. “I don’t mind it, but my husband can’t stand being here for all that craziness.”
“We’re renting out our two guest rooms to some girls from Manual Arts High School,” Betsy said. “We always get lovely girls from there.”
“How about you, Milly?” Sylvia asked. “Any plans?”
Milly laughed nervously. “I’m sorry I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
