Hot Stuff

EPILOGUE

Cate stomped the freshly fallen December snow from her boots and crossed the lobby to the mailboxes. It was starting to feel like the holidays. There were garlands on the streetlights and wreaths on door fronts and twinkle lights everywhere.

Cate stuck the key into the box for 4A and removed a stack of catalogs, a couple of bills and some personal mail addressed to Marty. The catalogs would get tossed. She’d pay the bills from the account Marty had set up for her. The personal letters she would put in a growing pile on the kitchen counter. Marty had preferred this to forwarding them to him. He was scheduled for a February release. He’d be out for Valentine’s Day, and Evian was already advertising his first performance.

Better than Kitty Bergman’s future, Cate thought. Kitty was still embroiled in a messy trial and an even messier divorce.

Cate was alone tonight. No Beast. No Kellen. They were at Kellen’s townhouse, eating their traditional once-a-month guy’s-night-out dinner in front of the television. And Cate was having her traditional once-a-month dinner with “the girls.”

Sharon was hosting. That meant a cosmo when Cate walked through the door, and later a slab of Sharon’s fabulous lasagna.

Cate took the elevator to the third floor and rang Sharon’s bell. The door opened and the cosmo was offered. Cate took the drink and held it high. “Let the monthly meeting of ‘the girls’ begin,” she said to Sharon and Julie.

“To the girls,” they said in unison, and each took a ladylike sip of their cosmo.

“It doesn’t feel right that you’re not in the building anymore,” Julie said to Cate, “but at least we have our monthly.”

“I stop by every day to get Marty’s mail when I walk Beast,” Cate said.

“Yeah, but it’s not the same,” Julie said.

“I agree,” Sharon said. “And last week Julie was gone, and I was here all alone.”

“You weren’t alone,” Julie said, gulping cosmo. “You were with the Mystery Man. You’re always with the Mystery Man.”

“It’s true,” Sharon said. “I have a boyfriend. A serious boyfriend.”

“You always knew he was the one,” Cate said.

Sharon nodded. “I had a feeling. And now that I know him I have a feeling it’s going to last.”

“How’s it going with Mr. Yummy?” Julie asked Cate.

Cate settled herself in a club chair. “It’s terrific. At first it all seemed so sudden, and I wanted to wait a while for the wedding, but now we’re thinking about moving it up. We’ve been living together for almost four months, and I can’t imagine life without him.”

“I know just what you mean,” Julie said. “I’ve gotten real used to havin’ Patrick around. It’s like havin’ a big ol’ bear in the house. And the best part is he can make pancakes. And last week we went home to my cousin Shirley’s wedding and Patrick was a big hit. Shirley had her wedding in Uncle Ed’s garage and they had a luau theme. You should see Patrick hula dance. I swear, you’d think a person’d need a waist for that, but turns out he don’t. Patrick says he’s so good at it on account of he studied that ritualistic gooney bird dance. I think Patrick just has natural dancin’ talent. He’s got a real good sense of rhythm, if you know what I mean.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Sharon said, setting a bowl of nuts on the coffee table and taking another sip of cosmo.

“And after having said those nice things about Patrick I have two excitin’ things to show you girls,” Julie said. She stuck her left hand out and displayed a ring. It was a platinum band dotted with tiny diamonds.

Cate and Sharon gasped at the ring.

“It’s not!” Sharon said.

“It is,” Julie said. “We got married when we were in Birmingham. He was just so cute doin’ that hula gooney bird dance that I lost my head. And that isn’t all. I have somethin’ else to show you.” Julie pulled an envelope out of her pocket. “Look at this! It’s my first ever check from my publisher. My book won’t be published for a whole year yet, but I got a check for signing. It’s not like it’s millions or anything, but it’s a start. And I can buy a couch and a bed now. Patrick’ll like that. Poor thing’s wearing the hair off his knees.”

Cate raised her glass again. “To Julie!”

“To all of us,” Julie said. “We’re like the three princesses who found their Prince Charmin’s and lived happily ever after.”