11) Blonde Belinda's Engagement Party

Blonde Belinda pulled Walker Bugh, the reluctant maid of honor, into her frenetic preparations. "I know my engagement is short-"

"A month," Walker Bugh reminded her.

"But you have to meet my Aubrey before the wedding."

"Bring him over some afternoon and we'll have tea and scones in the garden."

Walker Bugh's sarcasm was lost on Belinda. "It's a lovely idea, but I was thinking of an engagement party. We can have it at my house next Thursday."

"We?"

"We'll invite all the neighbors. Then Aubrey won't be surrounded by strangers on his wedding day. He's never been married before. He needs to feel encircled by love."

"Since you've already experienced being married twice, I guess you know."

"Oh, I do. I do. Now who could we invite? And what should we have for refreshments?"

The following Thursday, Walker spent half a day concocting finger foods that would not violate Blonde Belinda's lengthy list of toxic ingredients that could smudge her Aubrey's pristine aura. Suddenly there was a pounding at the door and Dillface Donna walked in.

"Granny wants to borrow your red Mardi Gras beads."

"Granny can have the beads. Just take these finger foods to Belinda's. I'm running late."

After Donna left, Walker barely had time to slip into a skirt and run a brush through her hair before she drove to Belinda's.

"Oh Walker, there you are," Belinda said pulling her through the door. "Aubrey is so looking forward to meeting you."

Aubrey was standing by the refreshment table nervously nibbling on a celery stick and listening to Mary Beth list all the great qualities of her marriage.

"Aubrey, love, this is Walker Bugh," Blonde Belinda interrupted.

Aubrey's pale blue eyes took in Walker's outstretched hand. Walker had the feeling that he didn't know whether to shake it or kiss it. "Likewise, I'm sure," he said irrelevantly.

"Aubrey writes too, don't you love?"

"I"-

"He writes beautiful poetry."

"What sort of poetry do you write?" Walker asked politely.

"Oh, I"-

"It's soul songs, Walker. Truly inspiring. You'll have to recite some for her, Aubrey."

"Oh, I don't think"-

Blonde Belinda hugged him. "You're too modest, love."

The rest of the evening went off quite well. Dillface Donna's granny, now wearing red Mardi Gras beads, had a supply of bawdy jokes which seemed to entertain everyone. When the groom-to-be looked a little appalled, Summer introduced a guessing game she had played at her last family Christmas party.

Blonde Belinda closed the evening with a recital she had been working on all week beginning with her first meeting with Aubrey at The Great Pasty Diner. Both chose the menu's dessert special, Myrtle's Flaming Mango with dark chocolate sauce. As Belinda chattered on, Aubrey, standing next to her, looked more like a cornered rabbit than a soul mate with a pristine aura. His 'baby blues' darted from floor to ceiling as Belinda described every date afterwards. Most featured Aubrey as a listener of Blonde Belinda's passionate recitation of her own poetry.

"Hey handsome, I would be doing more to you than reciting poetry." Granny swung her red beads and winked.

The crowd laughed and Belinda kissed a smiling Aubrey in response.

Dillface Donna had seen enough and edged Granny toward the door.

"Men who come from Venus have a lot more patience than I have," Dillface Donna muttered on the way out.