Free Done to Death by Charles Atkins Page B

away.
    â€˜Maybe there’s something I don’t know.’
    â€˜Hmmm. I don’t want you loading my browser with smut.’
    â€˜Fine,’ Lil said, snuggling next to her.
    â€˜What time did Melanie say they were coming here?’ Ada asked.
    â€˜She didn’t,’ and Lil turned in to Ada. She ran a finger down Ada’s side.
    â€˜Stop that!’ Ada said, ‘you know I’m ticklish.’
    â€˜I do,’ and Lil squeezed closer, loving the feel of Ada against her, the smell of her hair conditioner, the warmth of her body. Their eyes connected and then their lips. And then the phone rang again.
    â€˜You have got to be kidding.’ Ada didn’t move. Her lips brushed Lil’s. ‘Let’s ignore it.’ They listened as the recording came on.
    Melanie’s voice came over the speaker. ‘I forgot to say that we grabbed a Scooby bus and are … five minutes away. I was hoping to get some locations scouted and shot this morning. It’s going to be a gorgeous day and I know we can fake our way through some opening banter. But don’t worry … we’ve got breakfast. See you soon. And Ada, if you can do the Chanel thing again, it would be awesome.’
    â€˜You’re sure about this?’ Lil whispered, her breath tickling Ada’s ear.
    â€˜Uhuh.’ Ada felt a tingle down her spine as Lil nipped her lobe. ‘I’ve got to get dressed.’
    â€˜Yes, you do.’
    â€˜Maybe if we ignore them, they’ll give us an hour.’
    The phone rang again, followed by a knock at the door. Then the doorbell.
    The machine picked up. ‘Guess it wasn’t five minutes,’ Melanie gushed. ‘I think we’re at the right address. These condos all kind of look alike. We’re at the front door. I’m not sure which one is yours and which one is Lil’s. I’ll walk around back.’
    Ada stared at the sliders and the breaking dawn over the wetlands. They’d not drawn the curtains last night. Her arm shot across Lil and she grabbed the phone. ‘Melanie, stay where you are! We’ll be right out.’
    The morning was a blur, and awkward. As Ada explained why she was in Lil’s condo … and bed … at five a.m.
    â€˜So you two, are like together together?’ Melanie asked, as she, the film crew and the hair and make-up artists she’d met the day before filed into Lil’s condo with cartons of coffee, juice and bags of bagels.
    â€˜Yes,’ Ada said, ‘for the last three years. Although we were friends for much longer. Best friends.’
    â€˜But you were married, you and your husband ran Strauss’s.’
    â€˜We owned Strauss’s and were married, yes, and I have a daughter and Lil has two. We’re both grandmothers. Our relationship,’ she looked across at Lil in her matching blue robe and smiled, ‘it just happened.’
    â€˜I am so in love with you,’ Melanie said, and then, to Lil, ‘As in total admiration, not as in, steal your girlfriend. Those are the best kind of relationships, you know, the ones that start with friendship.’ Melanie poured a mug of coffee. ‘You take it black, right?’ She handed it to Lil.
    â€˜You’re observant.’
    â€˜It saves time,’ Melanie said. ‘Speaking of which, we need to get Ada dolled up. My goal is to get at least three locations shot, so Barry can get a feel for the visuals. In the meantime the ads will have done their thing and we can start winnowing through the talent.’
    â€˜By talent you mean?’
    â€˜Dealers who want to get cast … possibly as regulars. But the make-or-break for this show is someone willing to let us turn the liquidation of a loved one’s estate into compelling TV. There’s a timing element there that’s never been done. People don’t die every day – I mean they do, but … it’s the logistics of the thing