Part 3 (1/2)
”Yes, definitely worth it,” the mayor p.r.o.nounced, smiling at his wife. ”Aren't you going to tell them the secret about your charity gala, my sweetness?”
My sweetness?! Hannah stared hard at their town's most indiscreet Romeo. Although she didn't usually place much credence in gossip, she might have to ask her mother about the mayor's most recent transgression. Delores was the founding member of what Hannah called The Lake Eden Gossip Hotline, and in a town the size of Lake Eden, everyone knew everything about everybody. It was possible to keep a three-way secret, but only if two of the three people were permanently billeted at Spring Brook Cemetery.
”I might just tell them,” Stephanie answered playfully, ”but only if we can have some of their fabulous cookies and coffee.”
Hannah poured the coffee while Lisa took cookie orders from Lake Eden's first couple. When they'd seated themselves at a table near the back of the coffee shop, Hannah opened the discussion with a question. ”What's all this about your gala, Stephanie?”
”I'll tell you, but only if you promise to keep the details a secret.” She turned to Lisa and Hannah. ”Girls?”
Although Hannah hadn't been called a girl in a month of Sundays, perhaps even much longer, she nodded. It was what Stephanie expected. Lisa did the same. and both the mayor and his wife gave them smiles of approval.
”I'm sure you've heard that I agreed to chair the Lake Eden Combined Charities Drive this year,” Stephanie said.
”We knew that,” Hannah told her. ”It was in the Lake Eden Journal last week.”
”But here's something that wasn't in the papers.” Stephanie leaned across the table. ”I managed to book Samantha Summerfield as the guest speaker at the opening luncheon.”
”The same Samantha Summerfield who's on h.e.l.lo Handsome?” Lisa asked.
”That's right. She's in Minneapolis visiting her family while the show's on hiatus. Isn't that exciting?”
”Very exciting!” Lisa's eyes were like saucers. ”But why would she come here? To Lake Eden?”
”Because she wants to help our charities.” Stephanie looked smug. ”She believes she can help us raise money for a worthy cause.”
How much of a cut are you giving her? Hannah wanted to ask. And if that wasn't it, her second question would be, What bargaining chip do you have to hang over her head? But she asked nothing. Stephanie and the mayor wouldn't tell them anyway. Instead, Hannah locked eyes with Lisa. Her glance said, Watch out! She wants something! And Lisa's return glance replied, Thanks for warning me. I'll be careful.
”Now, not a word to anyone,” Stephanie went on, ”not until the news breaks on KCOW television tonight. Agreed?”
”Agreed,” Lisa breathed.
”Fine,” Hannah said, not particularly impressed with the sitcom actress who was gracing their charity luncheon with her presence.
”The charity drive is incredibly important this year,” Stephanie went on. ”We need to raise more money than we've ever raised before. We have six projects that are red-flagged and we simply have to find the money to fund them!”
Hannah and Lisa listened as Stephanie gave them an overview. It seemed that the Children's Home needed a new roof; Jordan High had to update their computer equipment; The Senior Center had a budget that was much too small for their needs; and the Piggy Bank, a fund that provided clothing and school supplies for underprivileged children, had completely run out of money. Marge Beeseman, their volunteer librarian, had requested several reference works and a microfiche reader, and although Janice c.o.x's preschool, Kiddie Korner, was self-sufficient, she'd asked the combined charity for the money to put in a small kitchen so that she could serve a hot lunch to her students.
”And that's just the tip of the iceberg,” Stephanie told them, ending her recital with a dramatic sigh. ”I know times are tough right now, but my goal is to present a truly gala event, a three-day happening that everyone in the Tri-County Area will want to attend.”
”Attend and pledge to the cause,” Mayor Bas...o...b..added.
”Exactly right. Of course we can't use the Lake Eden Community Center as a venue. It's just too small, especially with the crowd that Samantha is bound to draw. Richard and I considered holding it at the Lake Eden Inn, but d.i.c.k and Sally are completely booked. I'm just so lucky my Richard came through for me. He spoke to Ken Purvis and since summer school doesn't start for another two weeks, he's agreed to let us use the Jordan High auditorium, all the grounds including the football field and the baseball stadium, and the entire parking lot.”
”Do you really think there'll be that many people?” Hannah asked.
”I know there will be. I've already received over five hundred reservations for the opening day luncheon, and more are pouring in every day. And this is before I told anyone about Samantha Summerfield.”
”So how many are you expecting?” Hannah asked.
”At least a thousand. I arranged for party tents to be set up on the football field, and the Lake Eden Nursery on Old Lake Road has agreed to bring live plants and flowers to decorate the area. It'll be like a garden party. And after the luncheon is over?”
Stephanie turned to her husband and the mayor continued. ”Personnel from the nursery are going to sell the plants and give fifty percent of the profits to Stephanie.”
”Well, not to me personally,” Stephanie gave a tinkling little laugh. ”It's for the Lake Eden Combined Charities.”
”That's very nice,” Hannah said, still waiting for the second shoe to drop. Stephanie wanted something from them and she hadn't asked for it yet.
”This is going to be a spectacular party.” Stephanie looked from Hannah to Lisa and then back again. ”That's why I wanted to talk to you today, before you got too busy. I'm going to need over a thousand sugar cookies.”
”When do you need them?” Hannah asked, knowing that Stephanie's answer would dictate theirs. June was their busy month with bridal showers, weddings, graduation parties, family reunions, and barbecues galore. Everyone wanted cookies, and Hannah and Lisa provided them. It was also a busy month for non-work obligations. Both Hannah and Lisa were invited to a series of parties and barbecues to celebrate the beginning of summer.
”The luncheon is on Wednesday afternoon. We're having raspberry sorbet for dessert and we were planning to serve it with a chocolate leaf garnish. Isn't that clever?”
”Chocolate and raspberry go well together,” Hannah said, wondering what was so clever about the combination that had been around for years.
”I'm talking about the leaf design. The theme of my charity event is Turn Over a New Leaf. I want everyone who attends to turn over a new leaf and pledge twice the amount they pledged last year.”
”Oh. Of course,” Hannah said, although she hadn't known about the theme. She wasn't about to admit that she'd received information about Stephanie's charity event and it was still sitting on her desk at home, waiting to be opened.
”I contracted with the little chocolate shop I frequent when I'm in Minneapolis. They a.s.sured me that they could make the leaves, but the owner called this morning to say they couldn't fill the order. It was something about not being able to get supplies. And that's why I'm here. I need twelve hundred sugar cookies by noon on Wednesday for the luncheon. You can decorate them with a leaf made out of chocolate frosting, can't you? I know it's late in the day, but just an outline of a leaf would be all right.”
Hannah began to frown. The cookies themselves were no problem, but Lisa would have to decorate each cookie and that would take time. It was time they didn't have, not with all their other orders. And Stephanie probably expected them to donate the cookies for free!
She must have sensed Hannah's reluctance because Stephanie held up her hand. ”I know you probably won't charge me since it's for such a worthy cause, but I insist on paying you for the ingredients. That way you won't have any out of pocket expenses.”
But you won't pay us for our time, and that's the most expensive variable in the equation. Any time we spend on your order is less time we can spend on the customers who actually pay! Hannah didn't voice her thoughts. It wasn't politic to alienate the female half of Lake Eden's first couple. But before she could tell Stephanie that they couldn't possibly take on a project that large with such short notice, Lisa spoke up.
”We can't fill your order, Mrs. Bas...o...b.. There just isn't enough time to decorate all those cookies. It's very labor intensive. But we can give you chocolate sugar cookies to go with your raspberry sorbet.”
”I've never heard of chocolate sugar cookies,” Mayor Bas...o...b..commented.
Neither have I, Hannah added silently, hoping that Lisa had a recipe for the treat she'd just promised to bake.
”And I have another dessert idea for you,” Lisa continued. ”It's something that fits right in with your theme, Turn Over a New Leaf. Hannah and I could bake apple turnovers for you to sell during the events. Everyone loves apple turnovers.”
”Perfect!” Stephanie breathed. ”You're a genius, Lisa!”
”Thank you. You can set up a booth, man it with volunteers, and heat the turnovers in a toaster oven so they're warm and smell divine.”
”We could do that,” Stephanie agreed, nodding quickly.
”Hannah and I will provide the turnovers and we'll follow Lake Eden Nursery's example. We'll donate fifty percent of our profits to your charity drive.”
”Wonderful! But how about coffee? Could we have your coffee for sale, too?” Stephanie glanced down at her cup. ”This is simply marvelous coffee.”
”Thank you.” Hannah took the hint and reached out to refill Stephanie's cup. ”It's a new kind of coffee from my high school friend, Pat Vota.”