“That’s so kind of you to think of me, but I have plans Friday.” She tossed her towel into the Used bin and took a step toward the Women’s Locker Room. “I’m sure Sarah Ross is free, though. You should give her a call.”
Paige slipped into the locker room before he could ask about a different night. She liked to send some action to her less outgoing friends as a courtesy. Sarah could hold her own with Larry and she’d get a free meal out of it.
Paige sat on a bench and took her phone out, sending Sarah a quick text.Larry Marsden is looking for a date tomorrow night, new Italian place. Told him to call you.
Thanks for letting me know. Wouldn’t mind getting out.
He likes to talk about himself so consider yourself forewarned.
As long as I get a couple of glasses of wine and dessert, he can talk all he wants to.She followed that up with a laughing emoji.
Paige, who was actually laughing, send three back in return. Then she put her phone into her locker, grabbed her bag and went to shower.
She dried her hair, touched up her makeup, and inspected her outfit. The pink gingham was adorable. While shedidoccasionally play pickleball, she’d made the dresses part of her daily attire. They were just so cute. They all had pockets, werefigure-flattering, and had little shorts to wear underneath. What wasn’t to love?
Figuring Larry was occupied with his workout by now, she removed the last of her things from her locker and put them into her bag. Then she stuck her sunglasses on and left. Larry was on a treadmill and, from the looks of it, chatting up Margaret Hilton, who was on the machine next to him.
He wouldn’t get far with Margaret. Rumor had it she was adistantrelation to the hotel chain Hiltons. Regardless if that was true, she only dated men who could buy the restaurant, not just dinner.
Paige hopped into her golf cart and drove to Nectar. She had her polish in her purse, a pretty pink appropriately named Ladies Who Lunch. It was important her nails looked nice. She needed to make a good first impression.
Tonight, she was hosting her first book club, and she was nervous about it. She had no idea if the women would show up. They’d RSVP’d, but that didn’t always mean anything. Since Paige had arrived at the Colony, she’d carefully studied the newsletter, listened for the names that came up the most in conversation, and tried to determine the women others were most interested in. From that, she’d built her list.
She parked and went in, her mind on the six names she’d come up with. Those women seemed to be the most interesting, the most influential, or the most talked about, and, to some extent, the women who seemed like they’d yet to find their group.
Surprisingly, they’d all said they’d come.
She went up to the reception desk. The woman behind the counter smiled. “Hi, Ms. Wheeler. Here for your pedicure appointment?”
“Yes.”
“You can go on back to number seven. We’re all ready for you.”
Paige took her polish out of her purse as she walked. She greeted the woman at the pedi chair, handed over her polish, then sat and toed off her shoes. She settled in and took out her phone, checking her socials, then her email.
No one had cancelled. Fingers crossed it stayed that way.
The book she’d chosen for the book club was a psychological thriller that was being made into a movie and had lots of buzz. Hopefully, it would be good. Even if it wasn’t, she hoped the group would take off.
She had some friends here, but they were really more acquaintances. Shallow relationships. She wantedgirlfriends. That deep bond of sisterhood.
This book club was her plan to make that happen. Because not only did the women she’d chosen seem fun and interesting and unique in their own ways, they seemed like the perfect mix of women to become her squad.
That’s what the TikTokers called it.
Heaven help her, but Paige wanted a squad.
Marriage had made it nearly impossible to have close female friends. Peter hadn’t exactly been controlling, but his schedule of events, nearly all of which had required her presence, had left very little time for a social life of her own.
Now she had the time but the only social life she had was online, along with the occasional dates she went on to give her something to post about.
It was time for a real life. And real friends.
Chapter Six
As Blaise put her lunch dishes in the dishwasher, she thought about the evening to come. She had never belonged to a book club. Her modeling life had been too chaotic to join anything that organized, but she liked the idea of it, and she loved to read. It was how she’d occupied herself during the long hours in hair and makeup.
It had also been a way to escape the grief and humiliation of the past few years.
