Edie sank onto her bed and gestured for Frances to keep talking. She couldn’t help her grin as she crudely mimicked sex with her hands.
Frances rolled her eyes and tried to turn her back. “So, what’s up? You and Cam—”
“Ken,” Marge sharply interjected.
“Ken having a good time?”
“We certainly are. That’s why I’m calling. We’re going on a cruise! Doesn’t that sound fantastic? You and Stefon should join us!”
Frances cast a sheepish look at Edie, who raised her eyebrows as high as she could, mouthed the nameStefon, then covered her mouth to contain her giggles.
“It departs from Houston and sails to the Caribbean. Seven days, all-inclusive, except drinks. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”
“I don’t know, Marge. That seems like a lot and I’m taking this trip, and—”
“So, is it gorgeous?” Marge asked.
Frances blinked and glanced at Edie. “Is what gorgeous?”
“The foliage!” Marge said impatiently. “The whole reason you wanted to go!”
“Oh. Yes! It’s beautiful.”
“Show me.”
Frances stared at her phone. “Showyou?”
“Sure! You’ve got a window or something, don’t you? Stefon won’t mind.”
“It’s dark, Marge. I’ll show you pictures when I get back. So, listen, you sort of caught me at a bad time. I can’t really talk right now.”
“Fine,” Marge said. “But think about the cruise. I’m going to send you the information and I want you to seriously consider it. We’re six weeks out. And ask that hunk Stefon! If you don’t, I will.”
“Oh my God,” Frances said. “Send it to me and I’ll look. But I really must go. Kisses to Cam.”
“Ken!”
“Ken. Ken, Ken, Ken,” Frances conceded.
“Hurry back, Franny,” Marge said. “I miss you.”
Frances smiled. “Miss you, too.” She waved at the screen and clicked off.
“Who, pray tell, wasthat?” Edie asked with amusement.
“My entirely too-bossy, too-nosey best friend, Marjorie.” She tossed her phone onto the bed. “Edie … if something happens to me, she’s the one who needs to know.”
Edie laughed. Frances didn’t. “What’s going to happen to you?” Edie asked. “I mean, other than the obvious that we might all end up in jail, in which case, I can’t let anyone know anything.”
“Anything could happen, you know that. She’s in my phone as Large Marge, and she will let my son know, and my lawyer, and the neighbors four doors down. Anyone who needs to know will know. Promise me you will do that for me.”
For some reason, Frances looked and sounded grave. Like she thought she really was going to die. “Frances,” Edie said, and leaned across the narrow space between their beds to put her hand on her arm. “You are sounding awfully fatalistic. What’s the matter?”
“Nothing! It just occurred to me that Marge would know what to do if something were to happen to me.”
“Nothing is going to happen,” Edie said. “We’ll bail before we put ourselves in danger. You know that.”
“Our motto is ‘Die trying,’” Frances reminded her.
