"It was great meeting you all, but Shay and I are about to head out. Enjoy the rest of the party."
We said our good-byes, and Shay and I made our way through the party guests.
Shay sighed. "I'm glad we're leaving. My feet are killing me, and I can't make another minute of small talk with people."
"Couldn't agree more."
We stepped through the massive front doors and out into the warm fall night. A dry wind had kicked up signaling the arrival of another band of unseasonably hot temperatures.
"Wait, I've got to take these off," Shay said. Without thinking, she stuck her hand out to rest it against my shoulder but she caught herself and took a few stumbling steps. She moved her hand to the white marble column of the portico and leaned against it as she pulled off her shoes. "I can't take another step in these torture devices. Especially not on a downhill hike to the car."
The high heels dangled from her fingers as we walked down the steps to the driveway leading out of the estate. "I think your impromptu meeting with those entrepreneurs went really well," Shay said as she tiptoed along the cement.
"If I could, I'd give you a piggy back ride to the car. I could walk down and get it."
"No, I'm fine. I can walk very lightly when I put my mind to it."
"Guess that ballet training comes in handy. Yes, they seemed like three really together women. I'd love to work with them, but something tells me my ex-boss has already snagged them. Rob told me Grant had been talking to them for a long time."
"Yes, but I think a little birdie might have put a bug in their ear that might just turn them off of a connection with your old boss."
I glanced over at her. She swung her heels triumphantly back and forth, and the slyest little grin turned up the corner of her mouth. "After you pointed out Morris Grant to me, I later ended up next to him at the buffet table. You were right, by the way, posh people eat gross food. Anyhow, I overheard him talking to another man, a guy with plush gray sideburns and a belly big enough for a Santa suit. They were both swapping brag stories about their trophy hunting experiences in Africa. Did you know your ex-boss was a big game hunter?"
"Yeah. You should see his house. It's decorated with his prizes."
"Creep. Well, when I was talking to the Harvard women, I noticed one of them was wearing a shirt with the Animal Justice logo. That's a very hard core animal rights group. In the midst of our conversation, Morris Grant walked by and smiled politely. They naturally started talking about the meeting they had with him the following Monday. So I piped up and mentioned how much I disliked the man because he was a trophy hunter who recently killed a lion in Africa. I can tell you the looks on their faces changed completely."
We walked past the line of cars on the driveway. A breeze ruffled the loosened leaves on the jacaranda trees, and they rained down over the expensive cars.
"You know something, Shay. If it wouldn't cost me a million dollars, I'd grab you right now and kiss you."
"I can think of a nice way for you to repay me since we have to forgo the kiss."
"Anything." We passed through the gates and turned onto the sidewalk.
"Ice cream. I have to wash the taste of disgusting caviar out of my mouth."
"Deal."
19
We talked and laughed the entire way to the mini-mart off Pacific Coast Highway. I couldn't remember ever finding it so damn easy to talk to someone. Shay might not have grown up with much, but her life experiences had made her far more astute and sophisticated than most people I met in wealthy circles.
I parked in front of the market.
"I don't want to put these shoes on again." Shay nudged the high heels with her bare toe.
"I'll run in. What kind of ice cream do you want?"
"Any kind. I'm not picky."
I grabbed the door handle.
"But make sure it's chocolate."
"Right." I lowered my foot to the asphalt.
"And maybe something with brownie bites or chocolate chip cookie dough."
I nodded. "Chocolate with brownie or cookie dough. Got it." I stood up out of the car.
"And none of that lite junk," she called. "And if it has a caramel swirl running through it, I will love you forever."
I leaned back into the car. "What about if they have caramel syrup, and I swirl it into a chocolate brownie ice cream for you?"
"Then I will love you even beyond forever."
"So glad you're not picky about your ice cream, otherwise we'd be here all night."
* * *
I SET the bag on the breakfast nook table and pulled out a quart of cookie dough, a quart of fudge brownie surprise and a quart of salted caramel twist. Shay returned to the table with two bowls and some spoons.