Free A Bead in the Hand (Glass Bead Mystery Series Book 2) by Janice Peacock Page B

covered in sparkling mosaics flanked the sides of the main dining room. The place was over-the-top—a vast gaudy cavern with dozens of tables.
    I found the table where my friends were sitting. As expected, ten people were sitting hip-to-hip at a table meant for eight.
    “Sorry, sorry, I’m late,” I yelled, trying to get someone’s attention.
    They all were talking at the same time, their glass bead necklaces, earrings, and bracelets glinting in the warm glow of the brilliant chandeliers dangling like jewels above our heads.
    I was happy to see Tessa sitting at the farthest end of the table. She must have been able to negotiate détente with her daughters. If she were a cartoon character, she’d have a big black cloud hovering over her head. I threw caution to the wind and headed her way. She was trapped and would have to talk with me if I slipped in next to her. She was at the foot of the table, so at least we could sit next to each other and spill into the aisle without being too uncomfortable.
    I flagged down a waitress. “I’ll have a Cosmo, and my friend here, I’d like to buy her a—Tessa, what are you drinking, sweetie?” I asked, trying to buy back her friendship with alcohol and cuteness. She spoke exactly one word.
    “Jack.”
    “Yes, my dearest friend would like Jack Daniel’s,” I said, looking from Tessa and back to the waitress. Tessa shook her glass to make the ice cubes jingle. “On the rocks. Make it a double. My treat. Oh, and a menu, please.”
    The menu at the Cheesecake Factory is a short novel: twenty pages of salads, entrees, light snacks, heavy snacks, with extra pages just for desserts. I didn’t look at the calorie disclosures because I knew I’d be appalled.
    I scanned the table to see who else was here: Vance Dalton and his wife Lin, Miles, Minnie, The Twins, Luke the Aussie, Indigo—who must have made money today or else she wouldn’t have been able to afford dinner out—and Wendy, whose scooter was parked by the front door. Miles and Minnie were a few chairs down from us, making goo-goo eyes at each other. Ah, hipsters in love, it was enough to make me lose my appetite. I was going to have to ignore them to make it through the meal.
    Tessa hadn’t warmed up to me yet. The waitress arrived with her new drink. Hopefully, my friend’s mood would improve soon. I smiled at her as she took a sip of her drink, trying to say non-verbally, “Who’s your best friend?” She gave me a small smile, but that was all. The waitress took my order, chicken piccata, and dashed off. I hoped my food would arrive as quickly as Tessa’s drink had. I was starving.
    “How was the first day of the bazaar for you?” I asked Vance, who was across from me.
    “Disappointing. It felt like people were looking for Vandal, and all they got was me—not the most exciting guy.”
    “Your work is fascinating, though. People should be judging you by what you make.” As we sat there, Vance adjusted the duct tape on the temple of his glasses. There were some things he could do to improve his appearance. If Val were here, she’d insist he needed an entire make-over, starting with a new pair of glasses. Whether that simple fix would improve his sales remained to be seen.
    “I’m going to go back to selling on the Internet. There aren’t as many people to interact with in person that way,” Vance said.
    I noticed Vance’s wife, Lin, hadn’t said a word, but seemed entranced by The Twins, who were wearing their usual black on black dresses. Sara and Lara were unhappy, more unhappy than usual.
    “What’s up, you two?” I asked.
    “We hate this bazaar,” one of them said. “There are never enough customers who are into our work, you know?” said the other one. “No one is deep enough to understand what we do,” said the first one. “I’m so glad we aren’t sell-outs like Saundra was.” They both nodded in agreement, looking at each other, and then back at me.
    “What about not speaking ill