"He died young," Lance said, gesturing to the bio that hung beside the frame.
Julia nodded. "They weren't married for very long, and they lived abroad most of that time. When they moved home, he spent most of his days here." She gestured at their opulent surroundings. "And then he suddenly died. I think she hates this place because of it."
Lance nodded. "My dad spent all his time away, too. Mymom hated him for it."
"Oh," Julia said. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize your father had passed away."
"He's hasn't," Lance told her. "But my parents divorcee and he dropped off the face of the earth. The man's still living^ But the father's dead."
And then something dawned on Julia. "I really don't know anything about you," she said. "What's your mother's name?"
"Donna."
"What does she do for a living?"
"She manages theater companies, anywhere and even-where that will have her. She's great at it."
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"
"It was just me and my mom."
"Let's see," Julia said, struggling to think of more questions. "I already know you like whole milk and full-calorie pop—does everyone in your family have good metabolisms?"
A wide smile spread across Lance's face. "Yes."
"Too bad. I was just starting to like you."
"Jules, you look magnificent!" Caroline cried when they neared Ro-Ro's table. Even Steve seemed to take notice as he] stood to kiss her cheek and shake Lance's hand.
"Turn around," Caroline said. "Let me look at your dress."
"Caroline, you picked it out."
"I know, but I don't remember it being this stunning on you."
The black gown was floor-length with an empire waist, a simple scoop-neck collar, and an emerald-green wrap. Seven years and eight pounds ago, the dress had been Julia's idea of perfection. As she eased into a chair between Lance and Caroline, she wondered if it might still have the golden touch.
Right up until the point when Nina showed up wearing it.
Halfway through the silent auction, Julia looked up from the table to see her best friend floating through the geriatric ocean like a feather on the tide—a feather wrapped in emerald green. Julia's mouth gaped. Instinctively, she looked around the table, wondering if Lance or any of the others had seen. She said a silent prayer of thanks that they were all listening to Steve talk about tax-sheltered annuity limits, and no one had noticed Nina, who stood frozen on the dance floor, obviously unsure what to do.
"Excuse me," Julia said. "I'm going to run to the ladies' room."
She gave Nina a look, pointed to the powder room, and sprinted there herself. As soon as she'd checked for feet beneath the stall doors, Julia hissed, "What are you wearing?"
"My bridesmaid dress from Caroline's wedding?" Nina asked, as if it might be a trick question.
Julia smacked her on the shoulder. "You've got to go home and change!"
"Me? Why do I have to go home?"
"Because you live five minutes from here. I live sixty miles away!" Julia scolded.
"I can't," Nina admitted. "I don't have anything else to wear."
"Neither do I," Julia shot back.
"Well, I can't leave!" Nina said, anticipating what Julia was going to say next. "There's too much potential business in that room. Plus, I can't tell Jason he rented a tux for nothing."
Julia froze, dumbfounded. Could she have heard that correctly? "You're here with Jason "
"Well, I couldn't come by myself. And he called last night—"
"Nina, I cannot believe you're here with him."
"Jules, it's okay. We're here as friends."
"Like you went on vacation to Vegas together as friends?" Julia mocked. "I seem to remember you coming home from that one remarried."
"So what about us wearing the same dress, huh? This is pretty embarrassing."
"Nina, don't change the subject!" Julia snapped.
The door opened and Julia heard Caroline say, "I thought I'd see what was taking you—oh my gosh!" She gasped as she turned the corner. "Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh." Caroline was rocking back and forth in a manner that suggested that as the bride, she should have seen this coming. "When I said you could wear the dresses again," she exclaimed, "I didn't mean at the same time!"
"Caroline," Julia said, "we have bigger problems. Jason is—" "Yoo-hoo!"
Georgia A. led the gang around the corner, then stopped, clasped her hands together in front of her elegantly age-appropriate gown, and said, "The gentlemen said that you ladies had locked yourselves up in here. I think we've figured out why."
Julia took one look at Miss Georgia in a royal-blue ribbon of a dress with a slit down the side revealing one stunning leg and she went to stand by Georgia B., who looked like she'd bought her dress from army surplus. Georgia B. put her arms around Julia and said, "Don't worry, sweetheart, we're going to work something out."
"I think I'll just go home," Julia found herself saying. "I should have just stayed home. I should have ..." Julia couldn't believe it; she was honestly starting to cry. Standing in the bathroom of Sycamore Hills, wearing a bridesmaid dress, surrounded by Georgias, she was crying. Julia James doesn't cry, she thought. Julia James is a bestselling author, one of the most bankable names in books! Julia's fans know her as someone who is calm and confident, ready for whatever curves life throws her!
She cursed Ro-Ro for making her come. She cursed Lance for making it so wonderful for a few minutes. She cursed the fact that once you get used to floating into rooms, it hurts a lot more to crawl out.
"Oh, honey," Miss Georgia was saying. "This simply will not do."
"I know that, Evelyn," Julia stammered. "That's why I'm crying."
Caroline massaged her sister's shoulders. "It's okay, honey. Shhhh." Then Caroline turned to the Georgias. "She's been under so much pressure lately, with the reporters and all the rumors. I'm surprised she's held up as well as she has."
"Honey." Julia heard Miss Georgia's sweet drawl. "You're doing terrible things to your makeup. There's no use making us fix what wasn't broken to begin with."