Part 8 (1/2)
They both went silent, then started up again. Shanna swept a champagne bottle from a side table and swigged straight from it, then pa.s.sed it on to Jade, who followed suit. They collapsed into the large central sofa side by side and pa.s.sed the bottle back and forth.
”She takes herself so seriously!” Shanna said.
”Renate?”
”Who else?”
”She can't help it. She feels unappreciated.” ”How can she? People rave about her all the time. She's the only one of us whom most people have ever heard of!”
”Because she does talk shows.”
”Yeah, well, that's good.”
”But how many people do you know who actually buy her books?”
Jade asked softly.
”Someone must buy them.”
”Some people do. But not enough to make them real moneymakers.”
Shanna lifted the champagne bottle. ”You can't be judged in a literary world, dear girl, by how much money you make!” she said in perfect imitation of Renate.
”Which really means she wants more money.”
”Why doesn't she just always admit it?”
”I don't know. We all want something we don't want to admit, I guess.”
”I'm not at all averse to admitting what I want,” Shanna said.
”And what's that?”
”A decent male.” She looked at her sister and grinned. ”I used to want a fabulous male. Now I just want a decent one. We're willing to settle for less and less as time goes by. Isn't that sad?”
”Shanna, you're twenty-four.”
”Twenty-five next month.”
”That's young.”
”That's right. I want a life now, while I'm young, while I've got the energy to enjoy each and every second of it!”
”Shanna-”
”I want to meet, date, fall in love, get married-and have kids before I'm thirty. Okay, so I've got a little time left. But if I can't even find 'decent' to date, how am I going to find the love of my life to marry? Of course, I suppose I could just get married, have children- and get divorced, get rid of the b.u.m, as seems to be the fas.h.i.+on these days. Or maybe the b.u.m can just run out on me. But hey! You do have Mr. Perfect-and he's coming back, right?”
”Yeah, but late.”
”h.e.l.l, I'm leaving.”
”He's not here now.” ”But you'll want to chill more flutes.”
”He's a beer man at heart.”
”So chill a stein. But get in that bubble bath. Make it special!”
”Of course, I intend to.”
Shanna was already on her way to the door. Jade rose to follow her.
Shanna kissed her cheek, gave her a hug, then stared into her eyes.
”What's wrong?”
”Wrong? Nothing.”
”Are you afraid?”
”Of what? Oh! If you mean about the newspaper articles on the event in New York, no. I'm all right. Seriously.”
”Of course. Your cop is coming back.”
”Um.”
”He is special.”
”I know.”
Shanna studied her another long moment. Jade felt as if her sister could read her mind, as if she somehow realized that...
She wasn't feeling a thing; she was just desperate to make it work.
Jade widened her smile. ”Thanks, sis. Thanks for everything.”
”Thank you. I can't wait to talk tomorrow! Call me the minute you're alone. I mean it!”
”I promise.”
She closed the door on her sister. She leaned against it for a long moment. Then she locked the door and pushed away, determined.
She set steins in the freezer to chill.
Then she headed for the bathroom, determined to enjoy a good, long bubble bath.
She started the water. Hot steam rose as she studied the various bath fragrances in the wicker toiletry cabinet. She chose an Oriental bath oil and poured it into the water.