The Cherry Cola Book Club - By Ashton Lee Page 0,96
Cola Book Club to take their seats around the big table Periwinkle had configured out of two smaller ones. “Mr. Place and I will join you after we’ve served the first course,” she told them.
Maura Beth perked up and ran her tongue over her lips. “Icepick salad?”
“What else would I serve?”
“Now you’re talking!” Douglas exclaimed. “I think we’ve practically lived on that since we moved down here.”
“I can vouch for that,” Connie added. “I wish The Twinkle had a delivery service.”
“Not a bad suggestion. I’ll think about it,” Periwinkle said, nudging her gently.
Over Periwinkle’s entrée of grilled salmon with dill sauce, the conversation turned toward the next meeting of The Cherry Cola Book Club.
“I don’t suppose we’ve selected our next novel, have we?” Miss Voncille inquired.
Maura Beth’s sigh clearly contained a hint of frustration. “How could we? We never seem to be able to finish the one we’re reading. Something earthshaking always happens and sends us to the exits. But I think things will settle down now. Anyone got a brilliant suggestion?”
Connie was first up. “Something by Eudora Welty? Or have we put Harper Lee to bed?”
“I think we’ve had enough of Mockingbird,” Becca observed. “Not that it wasn’t overflowing with drama and portent from the very beginning.”
“Sorry about that,” Stout Fella added.
“No, no, no,” Maura Beth continued, wagging a finger. “Your little incident, if you will, brought us all closer together.”
Becca put down her fork and chuckled. “You might even say our friendships ballooned from there.”
There was laughter all around; then the subject of the next novel resurfaced quickly. “Seriously, though,” Connie offered, “what about Eudora Welty? We had quite a session up in Nashville with The Robber Bridegroom. Specifically, is it or is it not a fairy tale?”
“I definitely like that theme,” Maura Beth replied. “What do the rest of you think?”
“Sounds good to me,” Locke Linwood put in while Miss Voncille nodded approvingly.
One by one, the others agreed to the choice, and Maura Beth declared that the subject of the January session of The Cherry Cola Book Club had been decided. “And this isn’t exactly a prayer, but may we get through it without interruption this time around.”
Then slices of one of Mr. Place’s scrumptious desserts, Mississippi mud pie, came out to put an exclamation point on the meal.
“I can see myself getting addicted to this,” Jeremy was saying after his first bite. “Kudos to you, Mr. Place.”
“My pleasure,” he returned, smiling graciously.
As everyone was finishing up their pie and coffee, Maura Beth rose from her seat with her wineglass in hand. “I don’t know why we didn’t do this before the appetizers, but I’d like to make a toast, please.” She waited for the group to stand up and hoist their glasses before continuing. “I can’t tell you how grateful I will always be to all of you for your generosity of spirit in standing behind me and the library. The thing is, I truly believe that we have already become more than just an ordinary book club. We’ve gotten involved in each other’s lives in ways that we would never have expected—and without even half trying. It just seems to have evolved naturally, as if something we don’t fully understand has been driving it and making sure that we all stay connected. You’re like a real family to me.” She surveyed the table once more and smiled. “I’ve been told I can go to a long-winded, hammy place at times, and I hope I haven’t overstated my case just now. But I think the future looks so much brighter than it did last week, and I want to thank you all again from the bottom of my heart for helping to make it possible.”
Everyone leaned this way and that to clink rims and sip, and there were lots of cheerful responses such as, “It was our pleasure,” and “I couldn’t have said it better myself,” to go around.
“And, Periwinkle,” Maura Beth continued after all the commotion had finally died down, “you outdid yourself this afternoon with this very special dinner. So, long live both The Cherry Cola Book Club and The Twinkle!”
There was more clinking and sipping; then Periwinkle added the capper, gazing around with great pride at all her fanciful spinning mobiles. “The one and only Restaurant of the Stars!”
“I’m already settled in with Aunt Connie and Uncle Doug at the lodge for tonight, but they told me they weren’t coming straight home,” Jeremy explained as he and Maura Beth drove through town in