Smiling Face

 Marjorie pulls in the parking lot peering around as she talks on the phone.
"I just wanted to thank you for looking out for my boy" She says looking for then finding the one reserved for her and pulls in.
"That's what family's for. Listen I'd better get going. I'll talk to you soon." Her cousin says from the other end.
"Thanks again Ope." Marjorie says shutting off the engine and collecting up her purse and keys.
"Anytime Margie. Bye!"
"Bye!" She ends the call at the same moment she spots Sharron's car pull into the parking space next to hers.
"Hey Sharron!" She calls to her sister in law as she exits the car.
"Hey Margie! You're right on time!" Slamming the car door and locking it behind her. Marjorie stands by the the front of her car as Sharron comes towards her giving her a quick hug as they walk toward the entrance.
"Well you look happy this morning!" Marjorie smiles holding the door while Sharon walks through the two looking around at all the vendors tables set up outside the auditorium for the charity Fashion Show that Toni had coordinated. She stops at one of the tables on the way through admiring the evening bags then moves to the next one.
"Never better! I had a very productive morning!" She smiles knowingly. Marjorie walks to one of the mannequins and admires the outfit adorning it nodding in agreement.
"Me too I got all my correspondences done before I got here. How's my nephew?" She asks coming to stand by Sharron's side as she holds up a blouse.
"Fine I guess. He's off with Erin for a few days." She looks at Marjorie both shaking their heads at the blouse and move into the auditorium towards their table smiling and nodding at the smattering of woman seated as they walk.
"Good for them! Where'd they go that new Inn? Well not new but you know what I mean." She says looking down at the "reserved" tag on the table and takes her seat Sharron taking the one beside her and looks around at the other tables slowly filling around them.
"Yeah, I think so." Sharron nods then giggles.
"I hope no one told Mary!" She says making them both chuckle.
"Seems like we're one of the first here." Marjorie looks around spotting Alex and Terry coming through the door heading towards their table then stop to talk to Beth Thicket and Abigail Colgate. Marjorie watch all the smiles and air kisses between the four forcing down the bile rising up in her throat.
 Abbey Colgate was the biggest hypocrite to come down the pike. Abbey loved to pretend she was a moral and ethical pillar of the community when, in actuality she was lying, manipulative slut. As much as she disliked Alex Stockton it was absolutely galling how Abbey could be all smiles with a woman whose husband she was sleeping with. She couldn't stand her and her daughter was her spitting image. Sometimes she couldn't decided which she despised more. When she really thought about it, it was Lola.
 Lola had gone after her son like a starving man to a plate of food. When he'd realized the mistake he'd made and tried to walk away she'd trapped him with a baby. Not that she didn't love her granddaughter she loved her with all of her heart but Lola had used her at every opportunity to hurt and manipulate her son and her family. She was a manipulative user just like her mother and twice as arrogant. It was her overbearing arrogance that had killed her granddaughter and that made her far worse than her mother.
"Here come Alex and Terry." She says turning back towards Sharron.
"I hope they don't drag that Abigail Colgate this way." Sharron turns catching Terry's eye the later meets it evenly and nods.
"No, I think Abbey knows better than that even if Alex tried" She laughs.
"Terry's alright but Alex, she's a real piece of work." Sharron continues turning back towards Marjorie.
"Well, I wouldn't worry about her too much anymore." She nods her head in finality. She had a few cards up her sleeve just incase Alex tried tried to back out.
"You always have to worry about Alex she's a lush not stupid." Sharron warns knowing from past experience.
"True, but this time around were both in this. Finally!" She says reaching over and taking Sharron's hand in hers. Sharron lays her hand on Marjorie's and gives it a loving squeeze.
"Margie I can't tell you how much your love and friendship has meant to me over the years."
"You're my sister and I love you. I just wish you had let me help sooner!" She scolds.
 "This time Margie they're not just after my son they're after your's too. I couldn't say no if I wanted to." Marjorie looks around lowering her voice sharing with her in a few sentences the depth of the feelings she'd kept buried for all theses years. She'd waited patiently playing the part of dutiful and gracious wife for the sake of her husband's career. Waiting patiently for the right time to crush that pompous, egotistical bastard. All the smiles and platitudes she paid him, all the dinners and barbecues she'd sat through over the years with a smile plastered on her face were finally going to pay off! She was finally going to break his hold on her family and Sharron was going to help her do it. She had to admit it felt good to have an ally and someone to share her loathing with. All she had to do was keep smiling and be the ever pleasant good christian woman her public image showed her to be.
"Jay Stockton going to find out the hard way he's definitely barked up the wrong tree this time! I have been waiting years to teach him that lesson. I'm going to make damm sure this will be the last time he will ever mess with my family." The coldness in her voice sending a small chill through Sharron. She'd known for years she didn't like Jay but she hadn't realized till that moment depth of her hatred. Marjorie takes a deep breath and then expels it letting the past go for the moment.  
"I hope I won't need a hospital stay from maintaining all this decorum." She laughs.
"Well I made a really nice dinner for us when we get back to make up for it."
"As long as I get a slice of your cobbler all will be right with the world." Sharron smiles.
"I made an extra one for you to take home." Marjorie grins from ear to ear her mouth watering at the thought.
" See that's why you are my favorite sister in law." They both laugh. Sharron looks up spotting Toni coming towards them looking lovely as always and rises to hug her.
"Toni!" She says kissing her cheek and hugging her again.
"You look beautiful as always!" She holds her niece at arms length admiring the bright flora pattern of her skirt.
"So do you! Wow! Thank you both for wearing the outfits I designed for you!" She looks from one to the other then hugs her mother tight.
"Of course!" She says hugging her daughter back smiling proudly.
"Thank you!" She steps away adjusting her mother's collar and smiles.
"I can wait for the show to start! You must be so nervous!" Sharron says looking around as the room fills to capacity. Toni grins nervously rubbing her hands together.
"Just a little but I always am right before these things. You guys are going to play nice right? I could only reserve one table for all of you." Marjorie winks showing her daughter her most polite plastic smile.
"Anything for my babies you know that! Even an afternoon with Alex Stockton." She whispers with a chuckle then turns towards Alex and Terry as they arrive at the table.
"Terry! Alex! So nice to see you both!" Terry smirks greeting her back with the same grandiose overtures.
"Margie always a pleasure.Toni you look great!" She says air kissing her cheek then turning to Sharron.
"Sharron you're looking well." She says taking the seat on the opposite side of Marjorie.
"Thank you Terry you look great! Alex good to see you. " She says politely Alex glares at her a moment smiling through tight lips.
"Sharron nice to see you. Toni darling you look Fabulous!" She says turning to Toni and kissing her cheek.
"Thank you! You look stunning! Toni looks from one to the other nervously praying silently that it all went well before they all killed each.
"Thank you! Okay, now that you're all here I'd better get this started." She says then turns and walks toward the stage stopping and sending the waiter over to take their drink order before they could have a chance to start talking. She grabs the microphone off the table as she walks up the steps and switches it on.
"Ladies thank you all for coming today! If you could all find your seats we are going to get started in five minutes." She says snapping off the microphone and walking off the stage. She breathes a sigh of relief as the waiter takes their order. That should only give them three minutes to possibly talk then prays it's not too long and rushes back stage.  
 Alex finishes giving her order to the waiter she needed something to get through the afternoon. Especially if she had to stare at Marjorie's smug butter wouldn't melt in her mouth face.
"I had asked Abbey and Mary to join us but they're already sitting with Rose and Janice." Marjorie looks at her and shrugs her smile clenched.
"Well if they can't they can't." She shrugs clinging desperately to her polite smile. Alex smile deepens knowing she had gotten to her and deciding to dig the knife a little deeper.
"She was telling me Lola is doing very well she's the new head of oncologist at the hospital she's working for." Marjorie's eyes turn ice cold her grin tight desperate to keep the promise she'd made her daughter.
"I'm glad to hear she's doing well and being productive." She says sounding pleased and pleasant then adds.
"Spending your days just this side of falling down drunk and sleeping it off half the day is no way to go through life. Wouldn't you agree?" Marjorie say with a smile as Alex's face turns white her jaw slack then her face fills with rage. Sharron looks from one to the other waiting for the two to jump across the table.
"Your drinks ladies!" Comes the waiters chipper voice as he stands between them placing their drinks down in front of them cutting off their confrontation.
"Terry I thought Mary and Emma would be here." She says immediately changing the topic hoping to avert catastrophe for her nieces sake. Terry immediately takes up her que.
"They had the lunch crowd to deal with they couldn't make it. Besides fashion is not really my mother's thing. She not happy unless she got a ladle in one hand and a spatula in the other." Marjorie and Sharron laugh as Alex sighs her annoyance loudly then turns and continues to be occupied with her phone. Terry looks over at her rolls her eyes then winks.
"I saw both your boys the other night and Michael tells me he's going to be working with Chase and Wellington." Sharron drops back in her chair miming exhaustion.
"We are so glad! I don't know if Hank could have taken it another month." Terry laughs.
"Trust me I get it! I have one at my house. Stephanie's been floating around for the past six months! I'm just hoping Erin and Chase are enjoying themselves. Those two could use some time away from work and everything else that's been going on." Sharron smiles and nods her head. In the years that she has battled Alex she always had a respect for Terry she had never judged her and had always treated her with a modicum of respect and she in kind. Over the years they had developed a friendship of sorts especially after Chase and Erin started dating and fell in love.
"Yeah me too." She replies. Terry looks at her sister who seemed to be still involved with her phone but who knew how long that would last. Hopefully until this show started.
Alex looks up from her phone hoping Toni would start already so she wouldn't have to listen to Terry making chit-chat with theses bitches! God! This entire situation was getting beyond tolerable. Putting up with Margie's pursed face and snide remarks! Having to sit here looking at Sharron's smug face as she chattered inanely about that son of hers. What her niece saw in him she would never understand. She was so frustrated with it she could almost scream! Where the hell was that idiot waiter and her other drink? If she had to sit through this crap she may as well enjoy it. Maybe it would help her get over the anger she felt. She'd allowed that sow to blackmail her into betraying and spying on her husband. She was scared half to death! If Jay ever found out she'd stolen that email it would kill him and he might literally kill her. It was almost more than she could stand. Hopefully she'd found a way to get out of it and pay her back for the humiliation she'd heaped on her. If her next move went her way Sharron was going to pay and pay dearly!

"Harbinger Falls" copyright 2014