Page 1 of Fake Spring Fling

1

MADISON

Istare down at my empty salad bowl glumly. Damn. I wish I’d had the burger.

I look around at the classic Formica tables, teal vinyl booths, and black and white tile floor nervously. Ray’s Diner’s classic fifties kitsch decor usually makes me feel calm. But today I’m not here to enjoy a burger, coffee, and an hour with a good book. I’m waiting for my two party girlfriends to explain why I’m apparently completely booked for this weekend, and why theyhadto tell me in person.

The diner is fairly quiet. There’s an older man doing a crossword at the counter, a broad-shouldered guy with his back to me half-hidden around the corner, and of course, Claudia, my favorite waitress.

Her ponytail swings jauntily as she swings by my table with a coffee pot. “Top up?”

“Sure. Thanks.”

“No burger today?” she asks.

“Too nervous to eat anything big. Friends of mine are dropping by.”

She gives methe look. I’ve seen her use that look on other people: it makes them blurt out all kinds of truths. Apparently it works on me too, since I suddenly find myself muttering, “Well,formerclose friends, who are now just acquaintances. I need to hang out with them for a business thing, but I can’t let them see me breaking their glamour girl rules which apparently include not eating food with your hands in public. Is that pathetic?”

Claudia waves her hand dismissively. “Honey, you do you. We all have to manage however we can.” She returns to the counter, where I know she’s got a textbook hidden. She usually only works weekends now that she’s going to school, so it’s odd that she’s here on a Thursday.

The bell over the door tinkles and I hear a cheerful screech. “Madison!!!”

Lauren and Sarah fly, plopping themselves down across from me in the booth. They both have perfectly highlighted dark blonde hair, designer outfits, and matching manicures in a trendy color that I’ve recently learned is called “greige”. They’re also both front desk clerks at a high-end hotel – the kind I want to manage someday. Hence our meeting.

“Hey!” I crank my smile to a much higher wattage. “Thanks for coming by. So, tell me - what’s going on this weekend?”

Sarah glances at Lauren. “Loveher. Always straight to the point.” She grins, thumbs flying across her iPhone…the latest model, I notice. Then mine beeps from my purse. “We’re taking you to the Aadland Sandersville Lodge for the weekend. It’s going to be party central for a bunch of industry people. Good industry connections.”

“Really? Thank you!” Everyone in the hotel service industry has been talking about this spring mixer event for ages. I’m both excited to go and dreading the inevitable deafening party zone that I’ll be dragged to.

Lauren sweeps her hair back with a laugh, then fixes me with a look, which is why I presume she wanted to meet me face to face. “But we have some conditions. You have to come party with us! We want to see your fun side again.”

They don’t seem to get that I never really had a fun side. Yes, I went out with them occasionally, just to check out the fancy clubs they went to. But for every thirty times they went out, I probably joined them once. Somehow, they’ve forgotten that part. Still, they drink copious amounts of champagne. That might explain the disconnect.

“I really appreciate this. And yes, I’ll bring my dancing shoes.”

“And your sexiest outfits,” Sarah grins, pointing her index finger at me in a looping motion. “There’s going to be an absolute ton of hot guys there. Go all out – push-up bra, the good lip gloss, that salt spray stuff to give yourself bed head hair.”

Oh my God.My polite smile remains firmly locked in place. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Lauren reaches out and taps my hand. “Hey, if you want to get ahead in the hotel industry, you need to knoweveryone. And that includes hot guys. Call it research.” Her phone beeps and she squeals gleefully. “Eee! We’re on the guest list for tonight! But we need to be there in twenty minutes.”

Sarah is already standing. “We’ll text you tomorrow about which car we’re taking. Todd, Lewis and Asher are all coming as well.”

“Great!” I hope that my smile is still believable. Those three have a ton of connections in our industry but always attract a swarm of fellow party-bros as well. “Thanks so much, talk soon.”

They’re already zooming out the door as I exhale, my forehead drooping toward my coffee.

Claudia sidles over. “You okay, Madison?”

“I’ll…survive.”

“Is this a situation that requires fudge and coconut cream pie?”

I shake my head, laughing quietly. “No, thank you.”

Her hand lands on my shoulder. “Okay, I’ll say it. You don’t seem happy.”

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