Stilettos, Stoli & Scribbles ~ Served With A Twist

Well, friends, it’s been a fantastic, merry, messy Christmas in sunny, warm Florida! My mother and her husband hosted three of their combined four adult children, plus two spouses and four grandchildren, all under one roof. It was chaotic. At times the house was complete anarchy, but it was also full of raucous laughter, good food and lots (and lots) of wine.
It’s quiet now that everyone (except me) has decamped for their own (snow and ice encrusted, northern) homes. I’m enjoying the first few minutes I’ve had in nearly two weeks to exhale, be still and calm my mind.
As you know, we here at SS & S reached a significant milestone with the publication of Eden’s Fall, the first in our series of romantic suspense novels. Thank you, again, for your support as we continue to work toward the release of book two, Winter’s Thaw. It’s no surprise then, that as I reflect on the year that was, my thoughts include Kenna, Candace, and Frankie, with whom we’ve spent so much of it.
Before I prepare for my festivities, I want to check in with them. I hope you enjoy another glimpse into their celebration.

****

The weather report predicted it would be 18 degrees at midnight. The talking heads on the news had already declared it to be one of the coldest New Year’s Eve’s in New York City in the history of ever. (But they said that almost every year.) The wind blowing through the concrete canyons of Manhattan would make it feel even colder by the time the ball dropped. Not the arctic chill nor heightened security could deter the throngs of people already milling in and around Times Square. Of course, most of them were already half in the bag, though it was only just past noon. Thus, the reason they were smiling.
Frankie was smiling because Kenna and Candace had just pulled up in a cab in front of her apartment building. When they stuck their heads out the cab’s window, one clutching a bottle of champagne, the other three plastic glasses, Frankie joyously declared her undying love for her two best friends. By the time the doorman had her luggage loaded into the car’s trunk, the cork was popped and the bubbly poured.
Last year at this time, Kenna, Candace, and Frankie had resolved to do their celebrating “someplace warm,” and the three had worked hard to keep that first resolution of the New Year. Now they were on their way to the airport and the longed-for tropical retreat.

The plan was to park themselves for the next four days on a trio of chaise lounge chairs by the pool. Step two included sipping fruity umbrella drinks and thinking about nothing more important than which swimsuit matched the many pairs of cute new sandals they’d brought with them, or what type of fish to have for dinner. If they needed a change of scenery, they could stroll down to the beach and dip their toes into the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. The cares and worries associated with their everyday lives (including the men who came with them) were banished for the duration. This time was theirs alone, and together.

image via SantaBanta.com

“You know,” Frankie mused from beneath her ginormous straw hat, “we should do this every year.”
“What ‘this,’ lying around doing nothing?”
Candace sighed, “Oh if only I didn’t have to do things like pay bills and eat.”
Kenna reached across Frankie to clink her glass with Candace’s. “No shit.”

“You two are a riot.” Frankie sat up to her elbows. “I am all for the doing nothing part, but I meant New Year’s Eve. We, meaning the three of us, need to do this every year.”

“No matter what?”

“Where?”

“Doesn’t matter where. I don’t care if it’s Maui or Marco’s as long as the three of us are together.”

“No offense to The Bartender at Marco’s, but I’ll take Maui.” Kenna did the hula in her chair.

“Perhaps he could come with us to Maui.” Candace’s mouth formed a perfect “O” before closing around her straw.

“While he will forever be tempting, I mean just us.”

“Just us?”

“Why not?” Frankie wanted to know. “Significant others – real, imagined or potential – can live without us for a couple of days once a year.”

“Yeah, or they won’t be significant for long. I like this idea!”

“Me too. New Year’s Eve is amateur night anyway.”

Frankie held up a pinkie, “Okay, let’s make a pact.”

As the other two added their little fingers Kenna teased, “So that means I’m only ever gonna kiss one of you two at midnight for the rest of my life?”

Candace almost snorted rum and fruit juice then shimmied in her chair. “Walk on the wild side baby.”

“Besides,” Frankie puckered at Kenna. “It could be worse. I’m a good kisser.”

****

Happy New Year from Kenna, Candace, and Frankie and all of us at Stilettos, Stoli and Scribbles!