Going For Broke (25 page)

             
“Fieldstone Elementary,” he replied.

             
“Ha - and then...”

             
“And then I spent six years in a Turkish prison.  Do we really need to do this?”

             
“For someone with nothing to hide, you’re kind of cagey,” she said.

             
They approached town and Mike was the first to see an enormous pink Hummer limo parked in three parking spots. 

             
“Hey - your ride is here,” he joked, looking for a diversion. 

             
“Please.  Low and black is the way I like my limos,” she sniffed.

             
“I’m not even going to touch that one.  Now if we were talking about --”

             
Victoria put her hand on Mike’s arm to interrupt him.  “Oh my God! I don’t believe it!”  She broke away and ran towards the intersection.

             
There, holding court on the cafe tables outside of the Starbucks, was Andrea.  She was surrounded by a group of mostly kids, with a few sheepish mothers in tow, asking for autographs.  If she had timed her visit a couple of hours later, she could have blown away the Tenaqua fathers on their trip home from the train. 

             
“Andi!” Victoria called as she made her way through the crowd.

             
Andrea jumped up an embraced Victoria.  She gave her a thorough once-over and nodded approvingly.

             
“Life on the lam agrees with you,” she said.  “What’s with the hair, though?”

             
“I’m not on the lam, Andi, I’m living with my mother,“ Victoria said, ignoring the hair comment. 

             
“Right.  Life on the lam sounds better.  I can’t stand not being able to call you whenever I want.  Really, isn’t it cruel and unusual to take away a girl’s cellphone?”

             
Victoria looked at the pink Hummer and the uniformed driver standing next to it.  “You sure know how to make a subtle entrance,” she said.

             
Andrea flipped her famous mane and laughed.  “Honey, I am anything but subtle.    Thank God you found me.  I went to your mother’s little house - really, how can you stand it? - and nobody was home.  So I thought I’d get a stop for a coffee and come back in a little bit.  Now here you are!”   For Andrea, life seemed to be an adventure that magically unfolded perfectly for her.  She ushered Victoria to the limo.  “Let’s go get your rugrats and we can blow this town.”

             
Victoria looked up to see Mike leaning against the building across the street, watching the exchange.  He caught her eye, and she quickly looked away.  She felt like she was ditching him, though she didn’t know why.   She hopped into the limo without a look back.

CHAPTER 16

             
When they got back to Barbara’s it turned into a free for all.  Andrea didn’t go anywhere quietly, especially in this little town.  She parked the limo smack dab in front of the Brewster’s house, blocking traffic on the main road.  When cars honked at her, she flashed her brilliant smile and waved.  It never occurred to her that she was inconveniencing anyone. 

             
Inside the house it was like a three ring circus on Christmas morning.  Andrea had brought presents for everyone, all of which were really thoughtful.   Posey got a giant stuffed Giraffe that Victoria immediately knew would have to go - there was barely enough space in Barbara’s little house for the five of them, let alone longneck over there.  Box after box of party dresses from Nieman Marcus (Victoria got a little verklempt just seeing the box).  Victoria imagined Posey wearing one of the dresses to their little “tea parties” at Starbucks.  Posey would now officially be the most overdressed student at Sparrow Park School.  Parker couldn’t believe it - Andrea brought him an X box 360 and a half dozen games. He was over the moon.  Barbara and Bud got a ridiculously large box of Omaha Steaks, and a case of wine that they will never drink.  (I’ll have a go at that soon, Victoria thought.)  There wasn’t a single package for Victoria, who had to admit she was more than a bit disappointed.

             
After everyone had enough time to ooh and ah over their gifts, Andrea stood in the middle of the living room and clapped her hands for attention.  “Okay people - let’s go!”  She turned to Barbara and Bud.  “You don’t mind if I steal them for a few days, do you?”

             
“A few days?”  Victoria asked.  “Andi, we can’t go anywhere.  The kids have school, and I have to work.”

             
At the sound of the word ‘work’ Andrea gave Victoria a look of concern, but didn’t comment.  “A day or two, tops, then.  Let’s go!”  It was hard to argue with Andrea Howard.  Ask Johnny Depp or Leo. 

             
“Please mom, can’t we go with Aunt Andi?”  Posey begged.  She loved Andrea more than anyone in the world and loved the fact that Aunt Andi always said yes when her mother would always say no.  She was clinging to Andi’s skirt with one hand and had a party dress in the other

             
Parker was reluctant to leave his new video games, which Andrea quickly picked up on.  “Parker, grab your stuff and get it in the car!  Now, no more excuses.  We have reservations!”

             
             
             
             
             
             
###

             
They pulled in front of the Four Seasons and four doormen promptly met their car.  They didn’t know who it contained, but it was hard to ignore anything that big or pink.  When Andrea Howard exited the limo, the excitement level got ratcheted up, as it always did.  Suddenly there were four more porters, and the pedestrians on the street were shooting her photo with their cell phones.  Andrea didn’t notice any of the disruption she left in her wake.  She headed inside like a woman on a mission.  They were swept upstairs to the lobby in a private elevator and the general manager met them in the lobby to escort them to their room.

             
Or, more accurately, rooms.  Andrea had reserved the penthouse suite, which consisted of three bedrooms, a living room, dining room and full kitchen.  It had a panoramic view of Michigan Avenue and the lake, looking all the way up Lake Shore Drive.  There were flat screen TVs in every room, which boasted antique case goods and freshly upholstered furniture.  You could smell it. Parker and Posey ran from room to room, like they had never seen such opulence.  How quickly they forget, Victoria thought.  They had lived in apartment that was so much more beautifully appointed their entire lives, and they acted like they had lived in Barbara’s tiny house forever.

             
While the bellmen brought in all of Andrea’s bags (she was not a girl who traveled light), Andrea made a beeline for the minibar and pulled a out bottle of champagne.  Victoria winced just a bit, knowing that bottle cost more than she made in a week. 

             
“Cheers!” Andrea said as the champagne overflowed onto the expensive carpet.  She laughed and grabbed a couple of flutes and poured, ignoring her mess.  She handed a glass to Victoria who took a small sip and savored the once-familiar flavor.   Andrea was busy inspecting Victoria. 

             
“Wait right there,” she instructed.  Victoria shrugged.  She wasn’t going anywhere.  She could live here for the rest of her days.   She closed her eyes and sank deeper into the downy cushions of the sofa. 

             
“We’re all set!” Andrea announced bouncing back into the room.  Victoria sat up with a start.

             
“Set with what?” Victoria was suspicious.  Andi had a talent for getting them into trouble.  When they were selling wine together, Victoria was an unwilling accomplice  in an ‘incident’ involving Andrea, the patriarch of a venerable Italian wine family, a hijacked police car and a disco ball. 

             
“Drink up, we have places to go and people to see,” Andrea instructed.  “My God, we have to do something about that hair.  And those clothes!”

             
“I thought you said living on the lam agreed with me,” Victoria said.

             
“I lied,” Andi cheerfully responded.

             
             
             
             
             
             
###

             
After they had gotten the kids settled with a sitter (you have to love that concierge) Andi and Victoria spent a whirlwind afternoon of beauty and shopping.  Victoria got a haircut (finally), color (thankfully) and a compete new ensemble.  She had to go toe-to-toe with Andrea to limit her to just one, which was no small feat. By the time they left for cocktails at the Wen Rooftop Bar, Victoria felt more like her old self than she had in ages.  Even Posey, hugging her goodbye before they left for the night, commented on her new look.

             
“You look like my New York mommy,” she said, stroking Victoria’s properly-colored hair. 

             
That made Victoria feel damned hot.  She could go back to her New York self after all. 

             
After Andrea and Victoria left, Parker turned to Posey and said, “I like our Tenaqua mom better.”

             
             
             
             
             
             
###

             
Sitting at the best table in the hottest restaurant it town, Victoria was oddly uncomfortable with all the attention they received.  From the wait staff’s hovering to the enthralled stares of the other diners, she felt like she was dining in a fishbowl.   Normally Victoria never noticed other people, they noticed her.  She spent half her life with maitre d’s terrified they would upset the infamous Mrs. Vernon.  She was out of practice, and with Andrea’s celebrity, it brought everything up tenfold.   A man approached their table with a napkin and a pen, but Andrea was able to stop him in his tracks with a practiced look.  He retreated as quickly as he arrived.

             
They were able to settle in with dinner and a lovely bottle of 1999 Croze Hermitage.  Victoria felt decadent, and reveled in swirling the rich red wine in her glass.  She lingered over it, wanting to savor every sip.  The waiter took their orders, and Andrea couldn’t help but comment on Victoria’s.

             
“Pasta?  Really?  I can’t remember the last time I had a plate of pasta.  Maybe living life in the boonies is worth it if you can eat what you want,” Andrea said, not meaning a word of it.  She would never dream of living anywhere but coastal. 

             
“Andi, we’re at a two star Michelin restaurant with a James Beard-award winning chef.  This is hardly the boonies.”  Victoria felt defensive about her reclaimed hometown.  Besides, after spending so much time in the suburbs, downtown Chicago felt glamorous and exotic.  She leaned into the table to get down to business.  “So, is it true about you and a certain co-star?”

             
Andrea sat up, surprised that Victoria even knew to ask such a question.  “Where did you hear that?”

             
“I saw it on TMZ,” she answered proudly.  With her newfound love of trash television, Victoria was able to pick up the story that Andrea had reportedly been having a flagrant affair with her married co-star during the filming of her latest movie in Romania.  “Oh, Andi, don’t look so appalled.  I know it’s all garbage.  Besides, I don’t see you with that pony-tailed type of guy.  Besides, he has
way
too many kids.  How many have they collected by now?   I can hardly imagine you as a stepmother.”