Unleash Me, Vol. 2 (Unleash Me, Annihilate Me Series) (27 page)

“
What does
that even mean?
”
Blackwell
said.

Tootie looked at her with arched eyebrows.
 
“
Barbara.
 
I didn
’
t even see you there.
 
What a surprise.
 
It
’
s been so long.
 
Hellohoware?
”

Tootie, who was fiftyish, though her face had been molded and pulled
into something that stretched toward fortyish, smiled tightly at
Blackwell.
 
Her blonde hair just
touched her shoulders.
 
She wore
diamonds at her throat, wrists and fingers, and a dark blue gown that I had to
admit was sublime.
 
I knew enough
about fashion to know that a dress like the one she was wearing could betray
more mature curves, but Tootie Staunton-Miller nevertheless looked trim and terrific.
 

“
I
’
m the same as always,
Tootie
—
fabulous.
 
On trend.
 
In the groove.
 
And beyond happy.
 
It
’
s good to see you.
 
And especially Addy.
”
 
Blackwell took his hands in her
own.
 
“
Do you even age?
”
she said to him.
 
“
Is it ever
going to happen?
 
I think not.
 
You
’
re beginning to look younger than our dear Tootie
…
.
”

That comment was enough to send Tootie beyond the universe and back
again.
 
Her eyes narrowed slightly
at Blackwell.
 
“
Lovely pearls,
Barbara.
 
But nothing else?
 
Je suis d
é
sol
é
.
 
I have to admit that I
’
m a bit disappointed.
 
At the very least, I thought you
’
d bring out the big guns
tonight.
 
Diamonds, diamonds,
diamonds.
 
Not mere pearls, as
pretty as they are.
 
When I was
getting ready for tonight, I naturally thought, given the nature of the event,
that one should go out of their way to shine.
”

Blackwell lifted a finger to her lips.
 
“
Oh,
dear,
”
she said.
 
“
Oh,
my word.
”
 
She dropped her hand to her
strand of pearls.
 
“
These were a gift from
Alex.
 
He gave them to me just two
years ago.
 
I wore them tonight for
him and in support of Wenn.
 
I hope
your comment doesn
’
t
insult him.
 
You know, the
insinuation that they
’
re
somehow lesser in importance because they aren
’
t diamonds
…
.
”

“
Well, I didn
’
t mean
—”

“
Because they
were a lovely gift, Tootie.
 
They
mean a great deal to me, as does Alex.
 
For some of us, tonight isn
’
t
about putting on a show.
 
Tonight is
about celebrating Alex and what he has done for literature.
”

She looked at Alex.
 
“
I hope you know
—”

“
It
’
s fine, Tootie,
”
he said.

“
It
’
s just that
—”

“
Really.
 
No harm done.
”

“
But wasn
’
t there?
”
Blackwell said.
 
“
I
mean, these pearls aren
’
t
exactly bringing down the room, for God
’
s
sake.
”

“
I love them,
”
Jennifer said.

Tootie glanced at Jennifer, and I saw her gaze sweep over her
dress.
 
“
It
’
s
good to see you alive, Jennifer.
”

“
As opposed to
seeing me dead?
”

She gave a little laugh that sounded almost too light.
 
“
Why
do I feel as if all of my comments are being misconstrued?
 
I was just referring to what happened to
you a few months ago.
 
How awful
that must have been.
 
Someone out to
kill you.
 
It was in all the papers.
”

“
It
’
s also all in the past,
Tootie.
”

“
So it is.
”
 
Again, she looked at Jennifer
’
s
dress.
 
“
Is
that Valentino?
”
she
asked.

“
Marc Jacobs.
”

“
No, no.
 
Valentino.
”

“
Sorry.
 
Marc
Jacobs.
”

“
Anyway, it
’
s so form-fitting, don
’
t
you think?
 
It leaves nothing to the
imagination.
 
Goodness!
”

“
I think it
’
s beautiful,
”
Alex said.

“
Hear, hear,
”
Addy
said.

“
Maybe my set is just a bit more conservative than yours,
”
Tootie said.
 
“
We always have been.
 
We tend to err on the side of caution when
it comes to fashion.
”

“
Just fashion?
”
I
asked.

“
Oh, probably other things as well.
 
We never want to be viewed as gauche.
”

“
What a shame,
”
I
said.
 
“
So
many limitations, Tootie.
 
So much
holding you back.
 
All of that
weight must show on a scale.
”

“
It must show on a what?
”

“
A scale, but
only figuratively.
 
Your set misses
out on so much.
 
Fashion is one of
the great liberators of our time.
 
You should embrace it.
 
Take
risks with it.
 
Let the devil inside
you expose itself in Prada, for instance.
 
I think you
’
d
be perfect for that.
”
 
She shook her head.
 
“
But
enough about fashion.
 
Tonight is
about literature.
”

“
Literature,
”
Tootie said.
 
“
Perhaps
that I can talk about without stepping onto some concealed land mine.
 
With those horrid electronic books on
the rise, Addy and I thought we should come tonight to support traditional
publishing because we prefer physical books to those awful, bright, blinking
books.
 
It
’
s through my master
’
s in English, after all, that I met so many of the
greats.
”

I looked at her.
 
“
May I ask whom you
consider among the greats?
”

“
First of all,
may I ask who
you
are?
 
We
haven
’
t met.
”

“
Look above
you,
”
Jennifer
said.
 
“
See that large photograph there?
 
Just above your head?
 
Yes, that one.
 
That
’
s Lisa Ward.
 
The one you haven
’
t
met.
 
She
’
s among the eighteen authors being recognized tonight.
”

Tootie and Addy looked up.
 
Addy was the first to look down.

“
It
’
s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Ward,
”
he said.
 
He took my hand in his and kissed the
back of it.
 

“
It
’
s a pleasure.
 
Please call me Lisa.
”

“
Lisa it is.
 
You
look lovely, my dear.
 
Ravishing.
”

“
Thank you, Mr. Miller.
”

“
It
’
s Addy.
 
Always Addy.
 
None of this
‘
Mr.
Miller
’
stuff.
”

He really was kind.
 
Better yet, he seemed unaffected
—
unlike his wife, who now was giving
me the once over.

“
Is that Prada?
”
she
asked.

“
So, it
’
s back to fashion
…
.
”
Blackwell sighed.

“
It is Prada,
”
I
said.

“
I saw it on the runway.
”

“
You don
’
t say?
”

“
Paris.
 
That
plunging neckline of yours will certainly turn heads tonight.
”

“
I would imagine that the designer intended for that.
”

“
It seems so aggressive for an event such as this.
 
So much flesh on display at a benefit to
support books.
 
Goodness!
”

“
I think it
’
s beautiful,
”
Tank said.

Tootie looked up and blinked at Tank.
 
“
Oh.
 
Well, of course, it is.
 
Prada and everything.
 
You can
’
t go wrong.
 
Well, not really.
”

“
As you know, Tootie, when my mother was alive, she adored
Prada,
”
Alex
said.
 
“
She
especially loved their dresses.
 
You
remember mother in Prada, don
’
t you?
”

“
What I remember is her in Dior.
 
But, yes, also Prada.
 
And Karl, of course.
 
She loved Karl.
 
Such style your mother had.
 
Such panache.
 
Did she ever go wrong?
 
No.
 
Fashion was just an extension of her.
 
We miss her so much, Alex.
 
Even after all these years.
”

“
Thank you, Tootie.
”

Addy looked up again at my photograph.
 
“
I
have to say, Lisa
—
I
love your lips.
”

“
How crass,
”
Tootie said.

“
I
’
m referring to the
diamonds on them in the photograph, dear.
”

“
Thank you,
”
I said.
 
“
I
also love how Bernie and Barbara styled me, but some say it was a bit of a
risk.
”

“
I agree,
”
Tootie said.
 
“
A
bold one.
 
My goodness.
 
I don
’
t know what to say about them or that book jacket of
yours.
 
It unnerves me, sort of like
the title itself
—‘
I,
Zombie.
’
 
What does that even mean?
”
 
Before I could answer, she waved
a hand in front of her face as if she
’
d
just smelled a fart.
 
“
I don
’
t do commercial fiction,
”
she said.
 
“
I
know it has its place in popular culture, but I always turn to the
classics.
 
The classics calm me.
”