Stella in Stilettos by Jan Romes Page B

out of the stores at Easton. When I got home I made the mistake of climbing into my pajamas and drinking a cup of tea. It relaxed me too much, I fell asleep.
    “So the shopping was good?”
    “There’s no such thing as bad shopping.”
    “Lots of sales?”
    Trish snorted into the phone. “You’re not a fan of shopping. So what’s on your mind?”
    “Nothing.”
    “When you lead with questions I know you could care less about, there’s something going on. Save us time and get to the good stuff.”
    “What do you think about taking an excursion from Ft. Myers to Key West? Hypothetically.”
    Trish hooted with triumph. “I’m in. When do we leave?”
    “Relax, Trish. I was just wondering what you thought about it. Maybe we could go sometime.”
    “I know you, Stella. You wouldn’t have mentioned it unless you wanted to go. And you called me so I’d talk you into it.”
    Maybe that was it. Maybe she wanted Trish to make the decision. “It’s a couple of weeks away, so there’s not enough time to get ready.”
    “What’s to get ready? Throw your swimsuit and some shorts in a bag and let’s go.”
    “I don’t know these people, Trish.”
    “These people? What people?”
    Stella cleared her throat. “From the chat room.”
    “The chat room?” Trish was quiet for a second as though she was sifting through the information.
    “They have an annual Meet and Greet. This year they’re going to Key West.”
    “Again, I’m in,” Trish spouted. “When is it?”
    “The catamaran is chartered to leave on the twenty-sixth and pick us back up on New Year’s Day.”
    “Is Mr. Right going?” There was a peculiar nuance to Trish’s voice.
    “He mentioned it. I think his decision hinges on mine.”
    “Then it’s a yes,” Trish whooped with delight.
    “It’s a maybe. I promised him a decision by Thursday.”
     “Are we still on for dinner and a movie tomorrow night?”
    “We are.”
    “Great. I’ll meet you at six, and by six-fifteen I’ll have you talked into going. Before you hang up, how’s it going with tall, dark, and handsome?”
    “Who knows? I gave him a cup of coffee and suddenly we’re friends.” She let a pessimistic thought take over. It would’ve been impolite of him to take the coffee and then ignore her. So his friendlier-than-normal behavior was probably his way of showing gratitude.
    “Tell me everything. Now.”
    “So bossy.”
    “That’s why you love me.”
    “Yeah, that’s it.” Stella laughed and fell into a tedious accounting of her day, which left Trish cracking up. “What’s so funny?”
    “You have all the characters for a soap opera: Alex the hunk, Belinda the barracuda, and Maggie your less-than-trustworthy boss. From my vantage point, I see a whole lot of trouble brewing.”
    “Ya think?”

Chapter Nine
     
     
    Stella hummed her way into the office. The second she woke up she made the decision to go to Key West and emailed Mr. Right with the news. The pressure was off. Now she could kick back and wait for December twenty-sixth.
    Corrine stood with her arms crossed scowling in the direction of Maggie’s office.
    Stella sidled next to her. “What’s wrong?”
    “From the moment she came in, she’s been heavy-footing it all over the place and dropping the f-bomb. There was a loud thud too, like she threw something.”
    Stella winced. When Maggie was ticked she was as subtle as a Clydesdale in a closet. She looked over her shoulder at the office door. It wasn’t too late to make a trip to the cafeteria where she could deal with a pot of coffee instead of a Clydesdale. “Maybe she finally pushed Melvin to the floor. She’s been threatening to do it for months. I better check it out.”
    Corrine shook her head. “You’re a glutton for punishment, woman.”
    “I know. Terrible affliction.” Stella squared her shoulders. “Wish me luck.”
    “If you’re not out in fifteen minutes, I’m calling 9-1-1.”
    Stella rapped lightly on the glass of