Winifred Best glanced at Judith in amusement. “The
social hour. How quaint.”
Bruno made a little bow to Judith and Renie. “We
have everything for now. You may go.”
Judith shoved Renie back into the entry hall. Renie
dug in with her heels and came to a dead stop at the
head of the dining-room table.
“That egotistical dork is treating us like slaves!” she
railed. “Who the hell does he think he is? I’ve faced off
with bigger fish before he came along!”
Judith knew that her cousin could back up her bluster. In Renie’s graphic design business, she had gone
up against everybody from Microsweet to the mayor.
She didn’t always win, but even if she lost, she still
managed to save face. Renie’s small, middle-aged matron’s appearance was deceptive. It concealed an abrasive manner that, upon occasion, could get physical.
Which was all the more reason why Judith had to keep
her cousin out of Bruno’s sight.
“Don’t even think about it,” Judith said under her
breath. She loomed over her cousin by a good five
inches, outweighed her by some forty pounds, yet Judith knew she was outmatched. Renie had had shoulder surgery on the same day that Judith had undergone
her hip replacement. If nothing else, Renie could still
run.
“Hey!” Joe Flynn’s voice cut through the kitchen
and into the dining room. “What’s going on? Still
fighting over who has the best Sparkle Plenty doll?”
Judith backed away from her cousin. Renie’s ire
evaporated, as it often did after the initial outburst.
“Not exactly,” Judith said, meeting her husband at
the swinging doors and giving him a big kiss on the
lips. “Boy, am I glad to see you. I’m not sure I’m ready
for the movies.”
“What’s wrong?” Joe inquired. “Aren’t your guests
behaving themselves?”
“It’s attitude,” Renie said, joining Joe and Judith
just inside the kitchen. “These creeps are loaded with
attitude, and some of it’s bad.”
“Relax,” Joe urged. “Years ago, I made big bucks
working security for location companies shooting
around town. I could keep the rabid fans and the
celebrity seekers and the nutcases away, but I couldn’t
offer the kind of security they really needed. The problem with these movie types is that they’re basically insecure.”
“That’s true,” Renie agreed. “Bill says that because
of the capricious nature of the business and the personalities involved in moviemaking, they’re constantly
seeking reassurance that they’re loved and wanted. Bill
sometimes uses feature films to study the behavior
of—”
