Saffron St. James hopped out of the cab and stood up on the curb, leaning against a forlorn tree and tapping her foot. Saffy hated to wait. A fact which was rather unfortunate, considering her best friend, Jennica Teale, was quite possibly the slowest girl in the century. Jennica always took her own sweet time doing everything.
"Could you hurry it up, Teale?" hissed Saffy, crossing her arms impatiently. She really didn't have all day.
Jennica gave her the most infuriating smile. "Calm down, Saff, it's not like we have anywhere important to be."
"Uh, hello?" said Saffy, eyes wide. "The alumnae luncheon? Ring a bell?"
"Exactly," grinned Jennica.
Saffy threw her hands up in despair. At this point, Jennica was finally out of the cab and Saffy grabbed her arm to pull her along. "You are impossible. The Chapman Alumnae Luncheon is the most important networking event our school holds every year! Don't you want to get into a good college? Get invited to join all the best clubs? Meet a wealthy heir for a future husband?"
Jennica pursed her lips. "Hmm...Don't really care, no, and most certainly not."
"I give up on you," Saffy declared. She increased her pace toward the Goldbrick Hotel, where the event was being held. "Your lack of motivation to get into a good school is disappointing yet not altogether unexpected. Many of our classmates share your lackluster ambitions. And we all know you've never cared much about social prestige, for whatever reason. But the one thing I will never get over is your absolutely horrid taste in men. I'm sorry, but the grungy starving-artist-types will just never do it for me."
Jennica laughed. "To each her own."
"Yes, quite," sniffed Saffy.
It truly was a miracle that the girls were best friends. Saffy was the ideal young social: blonde, pinched WASPy nostrils, and a thirst for all the finer things in life. She thrived under pressure. Jennica, on the other hand, thrived despite pressure. She went under her demanding parents' noses and broke all the rules of Manhattan's elite set, from whom she should date to where she should be at night.
After a brisk walk (thanks to the punctual-even-if-her-life-were-in-danger Saffy), the duo arrived at the Goldbrick. They were shown to the Sapphire Room and entered. Saffy smoothed her hair and her sweater set, although she knew that she could look nothing less than perfect in her matching pink outfit. Jennica, on the other hand, bit her chapped lip, her wild dark hair unbrushed and her holey jeans and old pullover hardly appropriate given the setting.
"Darlings!" came a voice the girls knew only too well. It was Fifi Greer, the chair of the Chapman Alumane Board and a dear friend of Jennica's grandmother. Both Saffy and Jennica despised the domineering Fifi, but Saffy was desperate to impress her so hid it well. Jennica didn't.
"Fifi!" exlaimed Saffy in an equally obnoxious voice. The girl and the old woman air-kissed. "How are you? It feels like ages since we've seen each other!"
Fifi smiled. "Oh quite, quite. Jennica dear, we missed you at your grandmother's tea last week. Where on earth were you? That was the fifth tea you've missed in a row!"
Jennica groaned under her breath. Her grandmother threw a weekly ladies' tea at the Plaza, at which her attendance was always expected but rarely fulfilled. The few times each year she bothered to show were when Saffy dragged her there because she wanted an invite herself. "Oh, you know, something came up."
"Again," Fifi shook her head. "Tsk, tsk. Now, Saffy darling, I was just talking to Lyddie Dreyfus, you know, class of '75, and she was telling me about a benefit she's putting together for, oh, what was it, I can't seem to remember... Well, you know, probably the pandas or the orphans or something. Anyway, she needs a student chair, and of course I know how interested you are in giving back so I mentioned your name - "
Saffy practically squealed in joy. "Oh, you didn't! Oh, Fifi, I'm simply delighted! Thank you! Of course I'd love to help with the benefit!"
"Wonderful, oh, and there's Lyddie now. Why don't you go talk to her about it?"
"Great, I will. See you around!" With that, Saffy flounced off.
Jennica tried to signal with her eyes to stop her friend from leaving, but all she got was the back of Saffy's blonde head. Fabulous. Now she was deserted, all alone with the monstrous Fifi, who shared Jennica's grandmother's favorite hobby of telling Jennica how disappointed they all were in her.
"Well, Jennica, I do hope you'll take the opportunity today to chat with some of the ladies here. They could open up so many doors for you, you know," Fifi advised.
"Oh, um, I totally will," Jennica lied.
Fifi smiled, obviously disbelieving her. "Actually, there's something I wanted to talk to you about. Your grandmother and I have had this in the works for a few weeks and..."
Jennica panicked. If it was one of Grandmother's and Fifi's plans, it couldn't be anything good. She tuned back into Fifi's speech.
"...so we're going to set you up with my grandson! You two will be such a wonderful couple!"
Fabulous. Just what she needed.
-- Edited by HelloWorld on Thursday 25th of November 2010 10:21:54 PM
