“I just wanted to tell you everything seems to be okay, cosmically speaking.”
“Good to know.”
“I saw Brenda on television this morning. She did fabulous. And the eyelash bit was funny. Tell her I liked the eyelash bit.”
“Okeydokey. I'll pass it on.”
The elevator binged, Ranger stepped out, and the stalker scurried away. Ranger crossed over to me, his eyes on the stalker, who was now hiding behind a big potted plant.
“Is he bothering you?” Ranger asked.
“No. He's harmless.”
“Let me know if that changes. Tank is on hall duty. Nancy is in the suite with Brenda. You're off the hook for a couple hours, but you need to be back here to get Brenda to her sound check at four. They'll run through the show, and then Brenda will stay there for makeup and wardrobe. Don't let her out of your sight. I won't be able to go to the sound check, so you're in charge until I get there.”
“What? You aren't serious! I was counting on being fired.”
“Why would I fire you?”
“The eyelash.”
“Babe, you've gotta do a lot better than that to get fired.”
“I can't get Brenda to the sound check. She hates me. She won't listen to me.”
“You'll figure it out,” Ranger said. “I have to go. I'll see you tonight.”
I blew out a sigh and hiked to my car. Easy to find it these days with Zook written in Day-Glo paint all over it. I drove to the office and parked at the curb.
Lula was on the phone when I walked into the office. “What do you think about having fireworks go off after the ceremony?” she asked me. “It's part of the package if you have the reception at the VFW hall. They ring the church bells, and then they shoot off fireworks.”
“I guess that could be fun,” I said.
“Yeah, we'll consider the fireworks,” Lula said into the phone. “And maybe while the fireworks are going off, you could serve some of them pigs in a blanket. I love them little things.” She listened for another minute and disconnected. “That went real good,” she said. “They had a cancellation on a baby shower, and I was able to sneak in.”
“Isn't all this going to come to a lot of money?” I asked her. “The gown, the cake, the flowers, the hall, the pigs in a blanket, the fireworks?”
“A wedding is priceless. A girl only gets married once.”
“Not the girls in this room,” Connie said. “Have you thought about a prenup?”
Lula's eyes widened. “A prenup? You think I need one?”
“He could end up getting your Firebird.”
“No way! Not my Firebird.”
“And what about your house?”
“I just rent an apartment. I own the couch, though. He better not try to take my couch or my TV.”
“You need a lawyer,” Connie said.
Lula took a pad out of her purse. “I'll put it on my list. Now that I'm getting married, I'm more detail-oriented. I'm keeping track of things in my pad.”
“How's the Brenda job going?” Connie asked. “What's she like?”
“She's just like she is on television, but she's prettier on television. I need someone to help me get her to