“Made a big announcement and everything. The whole place cheered.”
Mimi felt queasy. “Nice to know.”
“But then, when he came in to work this morning he was grumpier than a bear in winter. I thought maybe Mrs. Manley had gotten it all wrong. Usually the chief is pretty even-tempered, but boy did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!” Cindy blinked. “Not that I’m inferring anything about his bed. Or your bed. Or anyone’s bed. Because, you know, that’s none of my business.” Her face went bright pink.
Mimi wondered if Cindy had heard the rumors about herself and Zeke.
“And, just to clear the air, you know that the chief would never in a million years put a move on any of his people. He’s way too professional for that.”
So, yeah, Cindy had definitely heard the rumors.
“Good to know,” Mimi said.
“So…should I tell the chief you’re here? Not that you need to be announced or anything. Nope. Just walk through the door the way you usually would.”
“Thanks, but I need to get to a meeting this morning.”
“Mayor stuff, huh?” Cindy looked impressed.
“Exactly.”
“Well you go, girl. And remember,” Cindy glanced discreetly from right to left to make sure no one was listening, “Team Mimi! All the way!”
*~*~*
The Spring Into Summer festival committee met once a month during the year until March. Then from April to June they met on a weekly (and sometimes bi-weekly basis) to ensure that everything for Whispering Bay’s most important day of the year went smoothly. As mayor, Mimi was automatically head of the whole thing. It was her first time ever on the committee and to say she was a little intimated by the other members was putting it mildly. In some ways, they were worse than the city council because everyone here smiled in your face. At least at the city council meetings, Bruce and Larry didn’t pretend to like her.
Bruce’s wife Bettina was on the committee, as well as a couple of other women, Wendy Tallman and Sherry Ackerman from Bettina’s Bunco group—the Bunco Bunnies (and how anyone could say that with a straight face was beyond her). They also met on Thursdays and considered the Babes their prime competition in recruiting subs for their group. It was another reason Bettina didn’t like Mimi, besides the fact that Mimi had beaten her husband in the mayoral election.
Frida had graciously allowed the committee to use The Bistro by the Beach for their meetings. The café closed at two p.m, and the meetings were scheduled for three. Mimi arrived early and was able to get a latte before Frida cleaned out the machine for the day. Besides Bettina and her cronies (who Mimi had quickly discovered were nothing but Bettina’s yes women), Viola Pantini, president of the Gray Flamingos, and Doreen, the city receptionist were also on the committee.
Everyone was already there and waiting when Bettina came waltzing into The Bistro, still dressed in her tennis gear. Tofu, her little white shitzpoo, poked her head out of the top of Bettina’s Louis Vuitton handbag. That was another thing Mimi had learned her first day on the committee. Bettina didn’t go anywhere without Tofu if she could help it.
“Am I late?” Bettina frowned at her watch. “Okay. You’re all early.” She sat down at the table and began pulling out folders and handing them out. “I know that officially, Mimi, is our leader, since she’s now mayor and all, but it’s also her first year on the committee and we’re basically down to just two months. If we don’t get this show on the road then we’re in for a huge disaster.”
“Agreed,” said Sherry.
“Yes! I agree as well,” Wendy chimed in to say.
“Excellent,” Bettina said. She looked at Doreen, who was charged with taking the committee meeting minutes. “Are you ready?”
Doreen held up her pen. “Go ahead.”
“Let me draw your attention to the map in front of you,” Bettina said, referring to the first page in the folder. “From year to year nothing really changes, except of course we do make a few new banners, that sort of thing. But you’ll see from the map I’ve made, all the businesses that have participated in the past will be back again this year. Food court in the center, arts and crafts booths on the east side of the quad, rides and bouncy houses on the west side and the non-profits scattered throughout.” She smiled, obviously pleased with herself.
“Fabulous!” Sherry said.
Mimi took a minute to study the diagram. Yep. Everything looked in order, all right.
“As usual, Wendy will be in charge of coordinating the entertainment stage.” Bettina snapped her fingers at Wendy, who immediately jumped up on cue.
Poor Wendy. She always seemed so nervous.
“Thank you, Bettina! You’ll see on page four I’ve worked out a schedule for all the groups that will be participating. Starting with Miss Becky’s Little Tappers at ten a.m, and working our way up to a bit more sophisticated entertainment, the Whispering Bay Reparatory Company. They’ll be doing some short scenes from Romeo and Juliet.” Wendy frowned. “Or maybe it’s Hamlet. I always get those two mixed up.”
“As long as you make sure they don’t do any of those grisly death scenes,” Bettina said. “That’s just such a…turn off.”
Wendy lowered her eyes.