Free Black Thursday by Linda Joffe Hull Page B

see your house. How does half an hour from now work for you?

    16 . There’s (usually) nothing more satisfying than sitting down to a morning brunch or social gathering at the end of your shopping trip to wind down, compare bargains, and congratulate yourselves on a job well done.

nine
    Given the number of people sleeping, lazing, or generally enjoying (and by enjoying I mean making a mess of ) every room in the house, I’d have preferred a message straight from CC’s poisoned pen to a text about a rush-rush showing.
    Tidying the kitchen after Joyce’s brunch extravaganza was a half-hour job alone. Luckily I was able to negotiate a full hour before the realtor would arrive, which turned out to be just enough time to sound the alarm, rouse the teenagers, enlist my weekend lodgers in a mad scramble to pick up their various areas, and get everyone out the door.
    We vacated en masse just as the potential buyers pulled up to the house.
    As everyone gathered their various belongings, I managed to post a quick note on the blog:
    Dearest Frugarmy,
    As most of you now know, unforeseen tragedy changed both the mood and the mission last evening at Bargain Barn. I would like to express my sympathy to all of you who were affected and extend my deepest condolences to the friends and family of our fellow Frugarmy member, Catherine Carter.
    Much love,
    Mrs. Frugalicious
    And then I added a small postscript.
    P.S. If you know or are friends with Cathy, please feel free to share any memories or comments.
    â€œI still don’t see why we all had to leave,” Eloise said as we left the house, echoing the general sentiment—at least from the kids, who’d offered suggestions from just don’t show my room (Trent) to we’ll stay out of their way by watching the game down in the basement (FJ) to why do Uncle Frank and Aunt Maddie have to move out of this awesome house anyway? (Barb’s youngest).
    â€œI told you,” I said, “potential buyers can’t relax and picture themselves living in the home if we’re there.” I had the women in tow, while the men took off for a local sports bar to watch more football.
    â€œThose buyers had no potential,” Eloise sniffed. “They didn’t have a nice enough car to afford to buy the house.”
    â€œYou never know,” I said. After all, Frank and I had nice enough cars and couldn’t afford to keep the place even if our marriage did have any hope of rising from the ashes.
    â€œIf nothing else, this showing was the perfect excuse to get Maddie to teach us how to be extreme couponers,” Joyce said, as we pulled into a parking space at the grocery store.
    On the one hand, the last thing I wanted to do was set foot in any store after last night, much less be teaching Joyce and Barb how to coupon on actual Black Friday. 17 On the other, there was nothing like the all-encompassing mathematical distraction of combining discounts, store specials, and little-known promotions to keep my thoughts from racing.
    â€œI’m all about couponing,” Barb said, her tone a little less convincing than her words. “I just wish I’d had a little time to put on some makeup.”
    â€œTell me about it.” Eloise fidgeted with the ponytail holder she’d had to put in her wet hair in lieu of a blow dry and flat iron. “At least you aren’t at risk of running into like everyone you know from high school on the one day you’re home looking like—”
    â€œYou look beautiful,” Joyce said to Eloise. “A touch of lipstick and you’re runway material.”
    Eloise rolled her eyes but smiled.
    â€œWe’ll keep this on the down low as much as possible,” I said, not relishing being seen in my own less-than-stunning ensemble of hot pink velour sweats and baseball cap. “And today I’ll only be able to show you a few basics to get you started.”
    â€œI’m ready!” Joyce