Chapter 11

That night was not ‘7 come 11’ but it could have been a ‘gamble’ on Steve’s part without everyone doing just a bit more than they were asked to do.

Dinnertime this evening, and getting there was not going to be easy, at least for Kathy. No one had a clue what she had to go through, nor would they. Kathy just laughed it off. This was fun. It was not often she gave orders and everyone just jumping. She now began to see Mistress Mandy in a completely new light. Between her, Mandy and Belle they now ‘ruled’ everything. She wondered if Steve liked older women, nah, she had seen him when he still was in diapers.

Steve had assumed that everything was working out. He had heard nothing to the contrary and right now Belle’s health was his main concern. Seeing a number of cars, vans and trucks going to and from the estate did garner his attention though. It was unusual, but then again everything these last few days had been unusual. One day he was ready to chuck it all, the next he was like, well like, no words might describe how he felt.

He looked around and hardly anybody was back. He decided to take a short nap, but before that, he called and told John and Ben to join him for dinner at the new restaurant they were trying that night. He had gotten voice mail and left them a message he also wanted Belle to go, if she felt OK.

I guess some of you have been in Grand Central Station in New York City, or at least heard of it. For you East Ponders think of London on a Friday, driving in Bangkok or Paris when you don’t know how to get from point A to point B(Pun on ‘Pont’ there, sorry). When Monica returned to her beloved restaurant the chaos was worse than anything she might have imagined, or was it? She was so happy and excited she could hardly wait to tell Monique, Bridget and Vito, what she finally had decided about the house and what Steve and Mandy had given her. That is until the car pulled in, or tried to since it seemed the back lot was now filled with cars, vans and delivery trucks and there was no room for the limo to get near the door. She looked at Mandy with huge doe eyes.

“I guess Kathy didn’t tell you about the 30 dinners tonight? It looks like everything is under control though. We have some time yet so why don’t we go shopping, get some new clothes for tonight and the dinner guests will start arriving at 7:30 pm. Steve should get here by 8:00 pm or so, he probably fell asleep, we kept him rather busy last night (She made a mental note to ready a schedule for the girls). He had to go to school today and it was ‘hard’ (She giggled, thinking back) getting dressed this morning, then Belle fell so the poor boy will be tired tonight too. If you want to go inside first to check on things, you can, but they have our numbers if there was any problem Colin or I would be getting a call.”

“Are all of you crazy? I almost lost everything, I’m broke, and there isn’t enough food to prepare even a half-dozen meals let alone 30!”

“Maybe that’s why Jake’s truck and the cars from the house and ships are here, and you are not broke” Mandy tapping Monica’s hand that still was gripping the money. Besides, I see a van from the Club there so we will not stave. None of us want to eat cold cereal, it is why we needed a ‘few more good’ women around. So, just loosen up, relax, Kathy’s there; so we just go shopping, then we get you looking, well looking a little less than worried about these little things. Shopping always takes my mind off of things; so Colin, ‘engage, Warp speed’, take us somewhere expensive, we need to get her mind back to fun things.”

“Yes Ms. Morris. I have your things and Kathy’s in the trunk.”

The limo had to back up. It seemed that the word ‘shopping’ had magical qualities for a female. As Mandy just kept asking Monica, her size for this and that, Pete just drove on. Monica had no doubts now that all of them were quite insane or that this day had all been a dream. She would go back to sleep now and when she woke up it would be back to the way it was. This dream though made her feel better about things. ‘If it were only real.’ She thought.

Meanwhile back at Alice’s Restaurant (Not the name) things were now starting to cook on all burners (No Pun intended, well, maybe just a small one)