Fish looks up at me. I believe her.
I believe her, too.
“Sure thing.” Emmie takes off, as nervous laughter takes over the table. Soon enough, Annabeth’s porcelain frame is seated upright in a tiny wooden seat of her own.
I can tell Sabrina is holding back a full-blown laugh as she looks to Georgie. Now there’s a live one. I bet we can milk twice the fee from her.
Fee?
I shoot Camila a look.
What exactly is going on here? Not that I expect Camila to answer.
She offers a tight smile my way. “So what’s the big surprise?” Camila nods to Tabitha. “I’m on pins and needles to hear all of the details.” Let’s get on with it already.
“I’m glad you asked.” Tabitha shudders. Considering I’ve only done this once before, and that night ended in disaster, I don’t have very high hopes that this night will end any different. “Before our dear friend Blair Bates passed away, she invited several of her closest friends into a private society called the Midnight Maidens.”
“Ooh.” Juni gasps. “A secret society! Who gets to sleep in the casket first?” She raises her hand to the sky. “If there’s grave digging involved, I call dibs on the jewelry of the deceased.” She leans toward her mother. “You know they only put on the best for those dirt naps.”
“Juni.” Georgie rolls her eyes. “Everyone knows you bury ’em with fakes.” She leans toward Tabitha. “But if there’s a jewelry heist involved somehow, I call dibs on holding the weapon.”
Tabitha and Raven share a warm laugh, but Sabrina isn’t all that entertained by the idea.
“There’s no jewelry heist.” Sabrina gives a long blink. “That I can promise.” She looks to Camila and me. “But there is a celebration that involves cash prizes, and I think you girls will be especially interested.”
Tabitha nods. “The Midnight Maidens are sort of like a unique birthday party. Wouldn’t you ladies like to have a party thrown in your honor more often?”
Georgie grunts, “Not if it means I age twice as fast, sister. I’ve only got so many numbers to go before my number is up, and that’s one finish line I’m not racing toward.”
Raven laughs. “Heavens no. It’s like a birthday without any aging involved. In fact, if anything, you’ll feel rejuvenated once it’s your turn.”
Tabitha nods. “It’s a gifting circle. An investment, really. And the reason I called the four of you here tonight to tell you about it is because you all look so smart.” Wait. Was I supposed to say smart? Or did the script say business savvy? Oh heck, never mind.
“A gifting circle?” Camila taps her red polished fingernails along her glass as she brings it toward her. “So how does this work?”
Tabitha’s lips waver with a nervous smile. “First, I’ll tell you how it all started. Blair’s real estate business was doing pretty well, but she knew there had to be a way to earn a little extra cash. One night she came up with an entrepreneurial program that was guaranteed to work, and more importantly, guaranteed to empower women. And being the kind, generous person she was, she wanted to include her friends in on it—thus the Midnight Maidens were born. Each Maiden eventually brings in just two more Maidens, and within a few weeks, we each have a gifting circle party thrown in our honor.”
Georgie leans in. “Count me in, Toots. I love a good party. I’d like chocolate cake at mine. And maybe some of those cops who show up pretending to arrest you right before they take all your clothes off.”
“You mean their clothes off,” I tell her.
“I mean my clothes. No offense, but it sounds like you go to the wrong parties, Biz.”
She got one part right. The cops are bound to show up.
Juni raises her hand. “And I’d like to go next. I’ve got a hot weekend coming up with a man with a Mohawk. Let’s just say I expect things to get pretty wild. I’ll need all the empowerment I can get just to keep up with him.”
Raven chortles. “You ladies are a hoot. But you can’t go next.”
Sabrina makes wild eyes her way. “Not to worry.” She offers a forced grin to both Georgie and Juni. “You’ll be coming up very, very soon.” She glowers over at Tabitha. “Why don’t you tell them about the hierarchy of the nobility?”
“Oh, right.” Tabitha clears her throat. “Okay, first you start off as a countess, then at the next gifting circle party you’ll bump up to a duchess. Wait…is that right?” She glances to Sabrina and Sabrina looks fit to kill.
“Ooh, me me!” Georgie raises her hand this time. “I had a hot Marine call me his duchess for about six weeks in the summer of ’69. I think that bumps me up a notch automatically.”
Sabrina gives a nervous laugh. “Not quite yet. But you’ll get there soon enough.”
Tabitha nods. “And after that, you’ll be a princess, then a queen.”
I think I’m seeing a much clearer picture here.
I nod to Tabitha. “And what happens once you’re a queen?”
She presses her lips tightly a moment as if she had a secret she was bursting at the seams to tell us.
“Of course, there is only one queen.” Tabitha draws in a breath. “And when it’s your turn, you’ll be celebrated in a very special way.”
Juni holds up the mini bagel pizza bite in her hand. “And that’s when you’ll get to sleep in the casket. I’ve seen this movie!”
“No casket.” Raven laughs. “But lots and lots of money.” She nods to Tabitha. It’s time.
“Right.” Tabitha looks as if she’s holding her breath at this point. “We all need to participate a little financially, but don’t think of it as giving money away. You’ll be gifting it to a friend. And then, when it’s the day of your coronation ceremony, we’ll all gather and shower you with gifts.”
Camila gives Raven a shifty-eyed glance. “Monetary gifts?”
“That’s right.” Raven nods. “Believe me, Camila, I wouldn’t be a part of
