discussed where they would go for dinner
that evening.
“I have had enough junk food to last me for a year,” Katy
said. She was never one to eat junk food, being the petite one of the bunch.
Last night had been a rare exception.
“You can say that again,” quipped Marianne with a sidelong
glance at Lizzie.
“Now, girls, what’s a ‘Fab Four’ party without junk food?”
Lizzie laughed.
“You could eat junk food without the ‘Fab Four,’ honey,”
Angie answered with a smile.
They eventually decided on a restaurant that Marianne
suggested. It had a great reputation and she had heard that they were planning
to expand. “Supposedly they are going to be adding a party room and possibly
more restaurants,” Marianne told them. “It’s owned by two brothers, Ryan and
Shane O’Grady. All the articles I’ve read say Shane’s wife, Chloe, is an
excellent cook and Ryan is said to have the distinct reputation of being
considered one of Dallas’s most eligible bachelors.” Marianne continued to fill
them in with all she knew about the family from local talk. “He’s quite the
playboy from what I’ve seen in the society pages, never with the same woman
more than a few times.”
“Well, then we have to go there, because I want to see this
local legend in the flesh,” Lizzie laughed.
“I agree. If he’s so hot that all the women are after him, I
want to see him too. Hey, maybe Katy can have a vacation affair with this dude.
It’d be a great way to get back in the dating pool.” Angie burst into giggles.
“And why on earth would I want to do that?” Katy began
giggling as well.
“I don’t think Katy wants to get mixed up with that one,”
Marianne added.
“I can see it now. We’ll walk in there and all go into one
of our giggling fits when we see ‘Mr. Sexy Dallas.’” Lizzie was giggling too by
this point.
“And so my friends come to Dallas just to embarrass me in
public. I see how you are,” Marianne teased.
“Ok, we’ll behave. But I still think Katy should have a
fling with him,” Angie said.
“Oh, brother,” Katy rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at
Angie’s head.
The girls left for the mall shortly after that, putting an
end to the discussion of the infamous Mr. O’Grady.
It was just like old times, the four of them shopping
together. They had spent many a Sunday afternoon in the malls together over the
years. They each made a few purchases and headed back to the suite to get ready
for their big evening out.
Petite Katy chose a simple black dress. She finished it off
with pearls that Bill had given her one year for their anniversary, matching
earrings and bracelet, and a pair of strappy black sandals. With her short dark
hair cut in the latest style, she looked very chic. Lizzie had bought a
beautiful floral skirt with a peasant blouse while shopping. The bright
turquoise had always been a good color for her. She was a blonde with a classic
pageboy hairstyle, the back cut just a tiny bit shorter than the sides and
stacked. She wore southwestern-style turquoise jewelry. Angie, ever the career
girl, donned a navy pinstripe skirt with matching blazer. She dressed it up
with a feminine white blouse and gold jewelry. She had decided to wear her long
hair up for the evening. Marianne walked into the room with a cute, green
paisley dress that accentuated her figure nicely.
“Well, I think we are ready to take on the Big D in style,”
Angie laughed as they grabbed their purses and walked out the door, happily
anticipating the evening ahead.
Since Marianne knew the way to the restaurant, she offered
to drive rather than take the rental. The girls were all chatting at once the
entire ride, taking in the lights of Dallas on the way.
Marianne pulled into the parking lot of ‘Chloe’s Place’ and
quickly parked her SUV in one of the few remaining parking spots. The nearly
full parking lot was a good indication that the food would be excellent. They
piled out of the car and
Learning to Kill: Stories