Buried in Bargains

by Josie Belle

  “It’s true!” Laura cried. “I’ll wear a matching orange one, and we can go as the Gumdrop Girls.”

  As the two busted up with laughter, Maggie shook her head. Laura had spent a lot of time over the past week befriending Diane. Maggie had gotten to know her a little better and had revised her opinion. She didn’t think Diane was after Michael but rather that she looked up to him as a father figure. Laura hadn’t given her the specifics, but Maggie sensed from what Laura did say that Diane was going through a difficult time.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of lavender. It was a simple Elie Saab couture gown with a fitted top and lacy floor-length skirt. Diane would look amazing in it. Maggie took it off the rack and approached the two girls, who were still laughing, and held it up in front of Diane.

  “Despite the allure of a gumdrop, this one might suit you better,” she said.

  Diane took the dress and turned to see what it would look like in the mirror behind her. It made her light blue eyes reflect the lavender and complemented her skin tone. She sighed as she fingered the fabric.

  “It’s lovely, but I could never afford to buy a dress like this,” she said. She went to hand it back to Maggie.

  “So rent it from us,” Maggie said with a shrug.

  “Rent it?” she asked.

  “Yes, I’ve wanted to try renting out gowns and things that people do not need to wear more than once,” Maggie said. “You can be my test case.”

  Laura clapped her hands and hugged her new friend.

  “It’s the perfect solution. Thanks, Mom.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Diane said. “Honestly, I’m not sure that a big holiday ball is really my thing.”

  “Oh no,” Laura said. “You have to come. Everyone in town is going to be there, and it’ll be so much better than sitting at home alone.”

  Diane’s eyes got wide when Laura said the word alone, and Maggie could swear she saw a flicker of fear.

  “Are you all right?” she asked Diane but was interrupted when Britney Bergstrom stormed over to them.

  “That one!” Britney pointed her finger at the gown still in Diane’s hands. “I have to have that one.”

  “Sorry,” Maggie said, “but Diane has already chosen it.”

  Maggie didn’t much care for Britney Bergstrom. She had been one year ahead of Laura in school, and she had been one of the mean girls. She was the daughter of overly indulgent parents and as such had grown up with an unhealthy level of entitlement. What Britney wanted Britney got, but not today.

  “Excuse me?” Britney blinked at the three of them as if they had begun speaking a language she didn’t understand. “I said I want it.”

  “Yes, and I’m sorry,” Maggie said. “But Diane is taking that one. If it’s the color you’re partial to, I’m sure I have another—”

  “I don’t think you heard me.” Britney stomped one platform high heel on the floor. Her tone was shrill as she raised her voice and said, “I. Want. That. One.”

  The entire shop went still as everyone turned to watch the scene unfolding before them. Maggie could see several of the older women in the room staring at Britney in disapproval while a few of the younger ones looked on in awe. Maggie knew that this altercation was going to cost her a customer, but given that she didn’t really like this particular customer, she was okay with that.

  “I’m sorry, but you’ll need to pick something else,” Maggie said. She was pleased that her voice remained even.

  Britney’s face went red, and Maggie was pretty sure smoke was going to start billowing out of her ears.

  “She can have it, really,” Diane said. “I don’t want to cause any problems.” Her voice sounded submissive and Maggie felt a flicker of annoyance with the young woman.

  “See?” Britney asked in triumph. She reached out to snatch the gown from Diane, but Laura stepped in between them.

  “No, I don’t see,” Laura said. “You’ve been told to pick something else. Do so or leave.”

  Laura’s gaze flickered to her mother and Maggie gave her a small nod.

  “How dare you?” Britney huffed.

  Laura rolled her eyes. “Really? That’s the best you’ve got? Why don’t you just trot your underdressed booty over to Dumontville and hit the Neiman Marcus or Nordstrom? I mean, isn’t it beneath you to buy resale?”

  “Nice try,” Britney said. “But everyone knows vintage couture is hot, and the Madison family has the best collection of couture clothing in Virginia. Now you either give me that dress, or I swear I’ll ruin you.”

  Maggie stared at her. She hadn’t handled unhappy patients and unhappy insurance-company reps for twenty years for nothing. She knew customer service was critical for her business, but it was her business, and she wasn’t about to allow anyone to bully her or her other customers. Period.

  She looked Britney up and down, and in her calmest voice said, “Get out.”

  Britney gasped. The crowd of shoppers parted as if making way for Britney to leave. Maggie stepped forward. Britney stepped back. This continued all the way to the door, which someone was kind enough to push open.

  Britney had bright red spots of embarrassment flaming her cheeks as she glanced over Maggie’s head to glare at Diane. Like any bully, she was going for the weak one.

  “You’re going to pay for this,” she said.

  “Oh, please,” Maggie snapped. “Enough with the drama. Why don’t you go across the street and shop with your own kind?”

  She yanked the door shut, leaving Britney Bergstrom standing outside gaping at her.

  The crowd in the room burst into a ripple of murmurs and a smattering of applause and resumed shopping, but Maggie’s gaze was on Diane, who looked visibly shaken.

  “Are you all right?” Laura asked Diane as Maggie rejoined them.

  Diane gave her a wan smile. “I’m afraid I’m not very good at confrontation.”

  “I’m sorry that was stressful,” Maggie said. “But you can’t let people like Britney push you around.”

  Diane gave her a nod, but it was timid, as if she really didn’t believe what Maggie was saying.

  “Come on,” Laura said. “Let’s go try on that dress and then you’ll feel better.”

  Diane glanced down at the dress in her arms. “It really is beautiful.” She glanced up at Maggie, and her eyes were damp with unshed tears. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Maggie smiled at Diane before turning back to the line of customers she had waiting at the counter. A little part of her, the bad part, couldn’t help but glance out the window to see Britney cross the street to Summer’s shop. As far as she was concerned, the two of them deserved each other.

  “Well, that was quite a show,” a voice said from behind her. Maggie knew without looking that it was Ginger.

  “Meh. I can live with that,” Maggie said as she turned around with a grin for her friend. “I never could stand Britney or her mother when we were on the PTO together.”

  “Ugh. Remember the time they wanted us all to wear matching rhinestone-studded shirts while waving pompoms to march in the Memorial Day parade as PTO moms?”

  “Horrifying,” Maggie agreed with a shudder. “So, what did you find?”

  Ginger had an amazing figure for a woman who had birthed four strapping young lads, and she’d chosen the perfect dress to showcase it. A black sequined curve-hugger that was going to leave Roger a slobbering mess.

  “Oh, nice,” Maggie said.

  “Thanks,” Ginger said. “Is that Diane Jenkins with Laura? Is she the one Joanne was so jealous of?”

  “Yes,” Maggie said. “But I think it was just hormones on Joanne’s part. Diane and Laura have become friends, and Diane seems awfully nice.”

  “Well good,” Ginger said. “I did not want to have to go slap Michael upside the head.”

  “Awkward,” Maggie agreed.

  “So, has Sam been by?” Ginger asked. Her look was sly, and Maggie shook he
r head.

  “He did not ask me to the ball,” Maggie said, “if you’re fishing.”

  “Of course I am,” she said. “But I already know that. Sam told Roger that you said you were going with Laura and Sandy and that was it.”

  “I can’t believe your husband and Sam have such candid conversations. I didn’t think they strayed beyond football scores and baseball stats.”

  “Roger knows better than to come home after beers with Sam without any information. He does not like sleeping on the couch.”

  Maggie laughed, and then said, “Yes, well, Laura and I didn’t want Sandy to feel bad if we had dates and she didn’t, what with Jake being in Afghanistan still, so we’re all going stag together.”

  Ginger patted her hand. “That’s nice. So, show me your dress.”

  “It’s nothing,” Maggie said. “Very plain.”

  “Show me,” Ginger insisted.

  “Fine,” Maggie said. She led Ginger to the storeroom where she’d put aside dresses for herself, Sandy and Laura. She opened the door and pulled out the one she’d chosen.

  It was exactly as she had described. Very plain. It was olive in color with long sleeves and came up to her collarbone in front.

  “Um.” Ginger frowned while she considered the dress. “You’re going for a puritan look?”

  Then Maggie turned it around and showed off the completely cutaway back, and Ginger’s eyes went wide.

  “Too daring?” Maggie asked.

  “Sam is going to keel over dead—dead, I tell you.”

  “You probably shouldn’t look so delighted when you say that,” Maggie said.

  “I can’t help it,” Ginger said. “After the night we saw him carrying those flowers and I was so sure they were for you, well, like I told Roger, I think he chickened out. And this dress . . . oh, honey, this dress is going to bring him to his knees.”

  “I really don’t care what Sam Collins thinks of my dress,” Maggie said.

  “Oh, girlfriend, you are the worst liar ever,” Ginger said.

  “Only when it comes to Sam,” Maggie admitted. “I’m really working on it.”

  “Work harder,” Ginger said.

  • • •

  The night of the Madison ball was a flurry of activity at the Gerber house. The small house had only two bathrooms and three women all trying to get ready at the same time caused a traffic jam in front of the only full-length mirror.

  Maggie kept her look simple to match her gown. She blew out her shoulder-length auburn hair and wore simple black pumps with a matching black clutch purse. She had also grabbed a black cashmere wrap to cover up her back from the cold and to keep on if she chickened out on her big reveal.

  Her dress had one button at the top of her back and then cut away all the way to the bottom of her spine, where it clung to the curve of her behind and then flared out in a floor length skirt. She had never worn anything this daring in her entire life, and she didn’t know if she could carry it off.

  She cuddled with Josh in his adorable charcoal gray suit with a white dress shirt and navy blue bow tie. He looked as handsome as his father, Jake, and Maggie wished for the millionth time that Jake could be here to see his boy.

  She ruffled his hair and read Choo Choo by Virginia Lee Burton. She had read it to him so many times that she didn’t even have to look at the pages to read the story, and her mind drifted. She wondered who Sam would be taking to the ball tonight and then tried to convince herself that she didn’t care.

  “We’re ready,” Laura and Sandy said as they stepped into the living room together.

  Sandy twirled around in her deep purple sheath gown, and said, “What do you think, Josh-by-gosh?”

  “Mommy beautiful,” Josh said as his eyes went big.

  “And me?” Laura asked as she twirled. She was wearing a poppy red gown that was bright enough to complement her light auburn hair, which she wore in an updo that made her look even more mature than her nineteen years, and Maggie felt her chest clutch tight. It seemed like just yesterday that Laura had been in pigtails and flouncy skirts.

  “You both look stunning,” Maggie said. She rose from the couch and turned to grab her wrap, and Laura let out a low whistle.

  “Mom!” Laura gaped. “That’s like Lauren Bacall sexy.”

  “You think?” she asked. “Am I too old? Can I carry it off? Should I change?”

  “Don’t you dare!” Sandy said. “You look breathtaking.”

  “Thank you,” she said. She trusted the girls to tell her if she was inappropriate; still, she was grateful for her wrap.

  Maggie blew out a breath as she draped the soft cashmere around her shoulders. She didn’t have to take it off, she reminded herself. Leading the way out, she waited for the others and then locked the door behind them as they headed to the ball.

  Bianca had arranged for valet parking, so Maggie handed over the keys to her Volvo station wagon to a young man in a crisp black jacket and tie.

  Topiary bushes decorated in white lights lined the steps to the large front doors. The doors were open, and Bianca Madison stood there in a strapless pewter gown with her dark hair swept up to the crown of her head and styled with a cascade of curls trailing down her back. She looked radiant, and Maggie wondered if it was because Max Button stood at her side in a black tuxedo with a matching pewter pocket square.

  Bianca turned to Max and whispered something in his ear, and he gave her a smile of such brilliance that Maggie caught her breath. Had it really been just six months ago that he’d been serving ice cream at the Frosty Freeze while wearing a faded Yoo-hoo T-shirt and khaki shorts?

  “Max!” Laura cried as she spied her former math tutor. She tripped up the stairs and hugged him and then Bianca, and gushed, “You two look amazing.”

  They both blushed and returned the compliment. Sandy ushered Josh, who was enthralled with the white lights on the bushes, up the steps, and more hugs were exchanged.

  Finally, it was Maggie’s turn. She kissed Bianca’s cheek and then hugged Max.

  “I’m so proud of you,” she whispered to Max. He grinned, and she asked, “You’re happy?”

  He nodded, looking choked up. “I didn’t think I could ever be this happy.”

  “I’m so glad,” Maggie said.

  “Me, too,” he said. He reached out a hand and took Bianca’s in his, giving it a squeeze. She glanced back from where she was greeting the next guests, and the smile she gave him was dazzling.

  Maggie beamed at him and followed her family into the main room. There was a coat-check station, but Maggie opted to keep her wrap on. They followed the sound of music and laughter down the short hallway to the enormous ballroom.

  The doors were open, and the room was already filling up. Tables were set around the room for older guests to sit, and the dance floor was crowded with younger guests dancing to the music from the band at the end of the room.

  Garlands of pine had been strung across the massive ceiling, and paper lanterns in shades of red, green, gold and silver in all different sizes were strung all along the garlands, giving the room a soft and festive glow.

  “Oh, wow,” Laura said, taking it all in.

  “Wow, indeed,” Maggie agreed. “I can’t believe Bianca managed all of this in just one week.”

  “Laura, come dance with me.” Aaron Lancaster, looking very dashing in a dark suit and tie, appeared and held out a hand to her. Laura grabbed his hand and the two of them strode out to the floor.

  Maggie felt someone approach her side and turned to see Ginger there.

  “He looks just like his daddy did at our prom twentysomething years ago,” Ginger said. “And Laura looks like you.”

  “Except,” Maggie began and Ginger said with her, “she has Charlie’s eyes.”

  They smiled at each another.

  “Oh, Ginger, where did the time go?” Maggie asked.

  “I don’t know,” Ginger said with a shake of her head. Then she straightened up, and said, “Uh-oh
, don’t look now.”

  “Don’t look at what?” Maggie asked. She turned to see what Ginger was looking at.

  “What do you not understand about don’t look?” Ginger asked, turning to face her. “Sam Collins is here.”

  “Oh.” Maggie turned her head away. She focused on the dancers even though it about killed her not to check out Sam. She tried to make her voice sound casual when she asked, “So, who did he bring with him?”

  Chapter 7

  Ginger was quiet for so long that Maggie feared the worst.

  “Do not tell me that he brought Summer Phillips,” she said.

  “No,” Ginger’s voice was pensive. “He seems to be alone.”

  “Alone? Really?”

  Ginger grinned at her. “When are you going to admit that you like him?”

  Maggie turned away. “I—”

  “Oh, please,” Ginger waved a hand at her. “I’m your best friend. I know you.”

  “Ugh, can we not talk about it now?”

  “Okay, but just for tonight,” Ginger said. “Tomorrow I thumb-wrestle you into admitting it.”

  Maggie laughed. “Deal.”

  “Something is going on with Sam, though,” Ginger said. “He’s just hanging around the front door like he’s waiting for something.”

  “Or someone.” Maggie sighed.

  Mercifully, her phone rang, and she fished it out of her clutch. She checked the caller ID and was surprised to see Sandy’s husband Jake’s number pop up.

  “Hello?” she answered. The band and crowd noise made it impossible to hear. “Hello, Jake?”

  “Aunt Maggie,” his low voice was just a rumble.

  She stuck her finger in her ear and signaled to Ginger that she was going to duck out to take the call.

  She stepped through one set of French doors that opened out onto a large veranda. A fire pit was at one end and heaters warmed spots along the balcony, which was decorated with more twinkling white lights and pine boughs.

  “Jake, can you hear me?”

  “I can hear you,” he laughed. “Can you hear me?”

  “Loud and clear,” she said. “Oh, Jake, I wish you were here. Sandy looks amazing, and Josh is so handsome in his little suit.”