Hearts & Minds | WATTY Winner

Chapter 19 | The Fur Ball | Part 2

     Alexis was talking again. "Please, Nora? I will be, like, in your debt forever and ever. Cross my heart and hope to die! Please? Pretty please?"

Nora sighed. She might as well get it over with. The ballroom was only so big, and she'd rather not spend the evening hiding in corners avoiding them.

As they walked towards the Furlans, Nora asked, "Did you know she would be here?"

"That's my surprise! When I checked out the Fur Ball website, it said one of the sponsors is Harvey-Furlan Winery. I took a chance that Bunny'd actually be here herself and bought a ticket."

Nora hadn't even bothered to scrutinize the event poster hanging in the window of the Cottage, nor glance at her own ticket, never mind look at the event's website. And if she had known in advance about the winery being a sponsor, would it have made a difference or changed her mind about attending? She had to wonder.

Against her instincts, Nora kept her eyes on Bunny, willing the other woman to feel her gaze. It seemed to work. At first, Bunny looked right at her, then through her, then back at her friends. She laughed at something someone said. Then dawning realization traveled over her face. She stopped laughing, her mouth sagging a little, and turned her head slowly back towards Nora and Alexis.

Nora willed her cheek muscles into her most winning smile.

"Hello, Bunny."

Bunny's guard was down for a nanosecond, and what looked like a sneer turned into an exclamation of surprise, if not quite a smile of delight.

"Well, goodness gracious! If it isn't Nora Ko-Harvey." She excused herself from the white-haired couple and turned to Carlo and Caprice. "Children, it's one of Margaret Ko's girls."

Nora waited a few seconds for an introduction, but when none came, she put out her hand to the young man.

"How do you do? You must be Carlo. Your grandfather Cole was my uncle."

He took her hand, pressing the tips of her fingers between his for a second, his lips barely upturned. "At your service. This is my sister, Caprice."

While his words seemed charming, they were said with a laconic tone that indicated sarcasm and boredom. Caprice stopped examining her phone for a moment, lifting only her eyes and said a low, "Hey."

"Nice to meet you."

Nora felt a poke in her back that nearly made her cry out as it hit a ticklish spot.

"And this is my—this is Alexis Rogers."

Alexis had been hovering at Nora's back. Simpering, she stepped forward and shook everyone's hands.

"It's such an honor to meet you all," she said, putting her hand to her chest. Carlo's gaze followed its movement. "I'm a big, big fan of your vineyard. And I love the wine bar too. What you've done with that space...wow."

Bunny ate up the praise like a cat with a bowl of shrimp treats.

"Well, thank you so much, dear." She turned to Nora. "It's absolutely wonderful to support charity, isn't it? So essential to give back. These tickets aren't exactly easy to get."

Nora took Bunny's words to mean she didn't see how Nora could afford to be there.

"We've come every year and we get the Young Supporters rate." Why she felt compelled to add that last bit, she didn't know, and wanted to kick herself.

"Hm. Well, isn't that lovely, dear. Just...so honorable of you."

"Mrs. Furlan, your necklace is just stunning." Alexis sounded positively posh. Clearly she was trying to impress.