table in surprise. Rome? She had wanted to go to Rome for years! But just like most of the fabulous foreign cities she ached to travel to, she had been saving it for the future, when she and Kevin could go together.
“You’ll have to speak at some luncheon or something that Valiant is throwing.” Annie gripped her hands. “But the rest of the time is yours. We just got the message this morning. You’ll have to listen to it. I’m so excited for you.”
“Wow,” Kristine said softly. She imagined what it would be like to see the Colosseum, to explore the ancient ruins. To drink Italian wine with . . . “Oh, wait. Who wrote the essay?”
Annie raised a pierced eyebrow. “Ethan.”
“Ethan?” Kristine was horrified. “No, no, no.”
Flushing, Kristine remembered the moment when he’d linked his arm in hers. Traveling to the other side of the world with him was not a good idea.
“What do you mean, no?” Annie squealed. “It’s yes! Just think, you can make him stand next to the statue of David and tell us all which one is better looking.”
“David’s in Florence. And I always pictured him as a blond.”
“Either way,” Annie said, taking a big bite of cake.
Kristine shook her head. “I can’t do it.”
“Do what? Rome?” Annie stared at her like she was the most disappointing human being on the planet. “You’re kidding.”
Kristine slid the elastic band off her ponytail and wound her hair up into a tight bun. “Annie, love it or hate it, I’m married. I can’t travel the world with someone who’s not my husband.”
“So, tell Kevin to come along.” Annie licked powdered sugar off her fingers. “Problem solved.”
Kevin spent too much time already traveling in and out of O’Hare. He wouldn’t want to go back to the airport on his time off. Kristine opened her mouth to explain, but Annie held up her hand.
“I don’t want to hear it. You need to get out there and see the world. With or without him.”
“Yes, but—”
“No buts,” Annie insisted. “Kristine, you have to stop waiting for Kevin to live your life. He can make a choice. Come with you or kiss you good-bye at the airport. It’s that easy.” She said this with the confidence of someone who’d never been forced to compromise. Considering Annie had never been married, she’d never really had to.
“You’re right.” Kristine sighed. “Kevin should go to Rome with me. But I’d have to have a pretty convincing . . .” Suddenly, she stopped. “You know what?” The silhouette of a boat flitted through her mind. “I do have a convincing argument. Kevin gave me an IOU.”
Annie looked puzzled. “An IOU?”
“For our anniversary.”
Annie squinted through her glasses. “Seriously?”
“I’m sure he thought it was a great gift.”
“It was a great gift.” Laughing, Annie got to her feet. “That IOU just bought him a trip to Rome.”
Seven
Thanks to June’s horrid neighbor, she spent three perfectly good gardening days indoors. This was all thanks to the glare from the copper roof of the gazebo, which Charley Montgomery hadn’t bothered to tear down. June spent the time at her bedroom window, watching him like a sniper.
When Wednesday night rolled around, she had no choice but to step away from the window and make herself presentable for her weekly mahjong group. Her goal was to put together a look so outlandish that no one would notice her eyes were red and puffy from crying. That way, she could keep the ladies of the Chicago Mahjong Club out of her personal business.
The Chicago Mahjong Club was started during Prohibition, in an effort to provide the ladies of society another opportunity to live above the law. June’s mother-in-law had been an original member. June was grateful for the group, as its members had become her very best friends. But because they were best friends, June knew better than to share her distress over Charley Montgomery. If she did, the topic could become a point of focus for months.
So, that night, June strutted into her mahjong group wearing a vintage Chanel dress, at least ten strands of pearls and a pair of black lace gloves. The three-inch heel on her knee-high crocodile boots gave her a commanding presence, which she worked to her advantage as she walked.
“Hello, June.” The collective murmur was impressed. “Looking good.”
June blew a benevolent round of air kisses, then beelined to her typical table. Sliding into her seat, she eyed her best friend, Bernice Bernard. The old dear was as regal as