Page 78 of Getting Lucky

Of course, she’d had good news already, from what she’d said the other day, although Maisie still didn’t know what it entailed.

Dottie beamed at her. “Yes, I’ve rarely seen a happier cup.”

How anyone could see anything in the small speckling of leaves that had escaped was beyond Maisie, but if it pissed Victoria off and made Iris happy, she wouldn’t object.

The attendant knocked slightly on the door, then entered with a tray topped with three different small carafes of milk. The woman was clearly hedging her bets, which was not unwise. Of course, Maisie and Georgie had been gone awhile. For all she knew, Victoria had asked for a different carafe to accompany each of her cups of tea. The server was behind Victoria, so Victoria didn’t see her when she flung the teacup at the floor. She’d probably intended to break it, but the floor was carpeted, and it merely bounced, flinging a few tea leaves up in the air.

“I’m tired of your game,” she said in a huff, and headed back to her seat next to Maisie, sniffing in an aggrieved manner.

The attendant gasped, but she wisely didn’t say anything as she lowered the tray of milk next to Victoria.

“Did you have to milk the cow?” Victoria snapped. Then she made a dismissive gesture. “I don’t need it anymore. Take the coffee away and get me a vodka tonic.” She pointed to the mess on the carpet. “And clean up that mess when you get back. It looks like someone dropped a teacup.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the woman said, backing away in the manner of someone trying not to enrage a psychopath.

“You threw it in front of all of us,” Adalia said. “Are you suffering from memory issues?” Victoria’s mouth dropped open, but before she could say anything, Adalia said, “Let’s just move on to our private wine tasting. I think we could all use a drink.”

“Yes,” Dottie said, “quite. Doing this many readings at one time has made me very thirsty. Are you sure you wouldn’t care for a red petit four, Victoria? Your energy couldreallyuse some cleansing. Even the tea leaves on the floor form quite a disturbing pattern.”

* * *

“I only drink wine from organic grapes,” Victoria said flatly. “Are the grapes one hundred percent organic?”

The server swallowed, the bottle she held hovering over Victoria’s tasting glass.

“Yes,” Maisie interjected. “And they play soft music to them to make the wine taste sweeter.”

At a tight nod from Victoria, who gave Maisie a look to tell her she would personally hold her accountable if the wine was disagreeable, the server poured her a taste.

She checked her phone, but Jack still hadn’t responded to her message—I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone. Victoria is something else. Can’t wait to see you.

Georgie had been sitting in the corner with her phone too, probably texting with River, and Maisie was half tempted to go over and ask her what was going on with the guys. Except Adalia looked like she was at her breaking point with Victoria, and if she stepped away for a second, she suspected Iris would help herself to the wine in her tasting glass.

She shot Iris a look. “It’s not that good.”

The server’s immediate reaction was to smile—a slight tipping up of the lips before she turned her back on them to grab another bottle.

“Still, it’s not fair,” Iris said, rolling her eyes. “Teenagers can drink in Europe.”

“Yes, well, in Europe, teenagers are seen but not heard,” Victoria said with another of her sniffs.

“That’s a very medieval attitude, dear,” Dottie said, clucking her tongue. “Also, not very true from my observations. I do hope your parents didn’t treat you that way.”

Another sniff.

“Are you coming down with a cold?” Dottie asked. She rummaged in her bag and pulled out a small, unmarked bottle. “I have just the remedy for that.”

Maisie missed whatever was said next, though, because her phone finally buzzed.

I’m going home, Maisie. I don’t belong here.

Which meant Lee was acting like a douche-nozzle—big surprise there. The comment hinted at a deep hurt she’d sensed but not seen. His feelings toward the Buchanans were clearly a source of confusion to him.

Don’t go anywhere, Maisie typed.I’m leaving now.It was five, so she’d get there early, but it took an unreasonably long time to leave the Biltmore anyway. The arrangement was that she’d drop Dottie off at the Buchanan house and then drive the Range Rover back to Finn’s. The other women would be picked up by a car service when they were ready to go home, and the bachelor party would be driven around to the breweries in a van chauffeured by Lurch. An agreement Maisie had only consented to since Dottie had insisted he’d be on his best behavior.

She glanced up to see Iris studying her. Had she seen the messages? She knew Jack wasn’t ready to tell Iris they meant something to each other, but the kid was smart.

“You’re leaving?” Iris asked.

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