As soon as she shuffled off, Norah resumed her campaign. “Anyway, it’ll be the social event of the season.”
That wasn’t saying much. With a population just edging toward six thousand people, Wishful wasn’t exactly a hopping, happening place. Social gatherings down here tended more toward church potlucks, football parties, and chilling out at The Mudcat Tavern. Miranda was totally okay with that. Transforming the community center into something out of a John Hughes movie prom set for a town-wide dance was not her idea of a good time. Or maybe that was just a little sour grapes because she wouldn’t have anyone to go with.
“I already made my contribution to the Wishful social calendar for the year with my annual New Year’s Eve bash. Literally last week.”
“And that bash was awesome,” Norah conceded. “But come on. It’ll be like the old days back in college, when we were planning sorority mixers.”
“I do not have the enticement of half a dozen cute Sigma Chis doing set up for this.”
“So if I can load the setup crew with hot single men for you to ogle, you’ll do it?”
Miranda knew she’d make it happen. She also knew Norah would just keep pushing until she got what she wanted. “It is my busiest season at the clinic. Flu is horrific this year, and I’m trying to control an outbreak of strep. I cannot commit to committee meetings. But I’m available for brainstorming, and I promise to clear the decks as much as I can for actual setup. Final offer.”
“Deal.”
“Hey, y’all.”
Miranda looked up to find her administrative assistant hovering at the edge of the table. She braced herself. “Please tell me Shelby didn’t send you to fetch me for an emergency at the
clinic.” She desperately needed this hour to check out with her best gal pal and breathe something that wasn’t disinfectant fumes and illness.
Delaney laughed. “Nope. Here to pick up takeout for me and Keisha. Did I hear y’all talking about the Valentine’s Dance?”
“Oh girl, you have made a grave error,” Miranda told her. “Run, run now, before you get sucked in.”
Norah beamed a bright smile Delaney’s way. “You sure did. Are you interested in joining the committee?
“Um, I don’t know. What would it entail?”
Miranda just shook her head as Norah cheerfully and skillfully herded Delaney right where she wanted her. Which was what Norah Burke Crawford did. Nobody ever saw it coming. At her high-powered marketing firm in Chicago, that talent had earned her the moniker The Closer. It was a skill Miranda both abhorred and admired. Since Norah used it to the benefit of the town these days, Miranda was hardly in a position to complain. At least until Norah turned those skills on her. Thankfully, long familiarity gave her some measure of immunity.
Amused, she watched Norah go in for the kill.
“It’s a great way to give back to the community.”
Delaney grinned. “Sounds great. Sign me up.”
“Wonderful! We’ll see you on Tuesday for our first meeting.”
“Okay then. Bye, Miranda.”
“See you back at the clinic.”
She and Norah both watched as the younger woman headed for the counter to pick up her order.
“Never even saw what hit her.”
“How’s she working out for you?” Norah asked. “You’ve had her—what?—three months now?”
“Really well. We had a few hiccups that first week, but she’s a quick learner and a hard worker. Shelby’s ecstatic to have help running the office. Especially somebody to take over the onerous management of the computer system. You know how Shelby hates that thing.”
“—just can’t believe she has the nerve to walk around with her head held high after what she did.”
Miranda didn’t even have to scan the busy diner for the speaker. Clarice Hopper Morris was a bitch on wheels and had been since elementary school. If there was something cruel to be said about someone, she or her sister had no compunction in saying it. At the counter, Delaney’s shoulders tensed and rounded, as if she could make herself a smaller target. Miranda’s temper bubbled and snapped on the girl’s behalf as Clarice and her companion just kept right on talking.
“I’m surprised they didn’t run her out of town on a rail after it happened.”
“Didn’t she get arrested or somethin’?”