“Olivia, you’re too kind,” she said with a smile.
“And Sophie, your outfit is so you. I could never pull that off.”
Sophie looked down at her plain white tee. “I’m sure you could, Olivia. Everything looks good on you.”
“You’re right. Shall we get started?”
Tina and Sophie nodded. Karen leaned back in her chair and tilted her head. I didn’t have to get her on board for this decision. I just needed two votes, and I had them.
“Buckhead Women’s Foundation emergency committee meeting is now in session,” Sophie said.
“Great. So, the reason I called you all here today is out of concern. We all know Shannon has been going through an extremely tough time. My heart hurts for her.” I placed my hand against my chest and made my face sympathetic. It was my least favorite facial expression.
Tina and Sophie nodded again. Karen sat forward in her seat.
“I’m calling a motion for Shannon to step down as chairwoman. All in favor?”
Sophie and Tina started to put their hands up.
“Hold on! This isn’t right,” Karen practically yelled. So unladylike.
Sophie and Tina quickly put their hands down. Cowards.
“No, Karen. What isn’t right is our events and charities suffering like Shannon is.” I kept my voice calm.
“How are they suffering?” Karen’s eyes went wide.
“Sophie, please read out those that were missing from the last two meetings,” I instructed.
She nodded and flipped through her notes. “Shannon.”
“I rest my case,” I said with a tight smile.
“But she’s been planning the upcoming gala just fine. I’ve relayed everything she had to say at those meetings,” Karen argued.
“A leader leads, Karen. She doesn’t relay through the PR chair.” I shook my head.
“Olivia’s right,” Tina cut in. “I don’t even have the finances updated because she hasn’t gotten them to me.”
“And it’s not fair that I have to mark her absent. I get enough hand cramps as it is with all the note-taking,” Sophie added.
I nearly rolled my eyes. Her argument was weak and boring like herself. We had rehearsed this.
“I don’t want to be the bad guy here.” Yes, I do. “But according to our bylaws, two or more meetings missed by a board member without a proper reason is grounds for dismissal from their position,” I said. That was what Sophie was supposed to say.
“Yes, that’s right.” Sophie flipped through her folder and pushed a piece of paper in front of Karen.
Karen quickly read it over and looked back at me. “Isn’t divorce a proper reason?”
“No. It’s not in the bylaws,” I said.
“We didn’t include it because it’s so common these days,” Tina said. “Some of our regular members are on divorce number three, but members get more leeway than the board.”
Karen let out a groan. “Can’t we make an exception?”
In unison, I and my two minions shook our heads. “It’s a slippery slope, Karen. So, motion to remove Shannon as chairwoman?”
Tina, Sophie, and I raised our hands.
“All opposed?” Karen raised her hand.
“Okay, it’s settled. Shannon Madison is no longer chairwoman of the Buckhead Women’s Foundation. Don’t worry, Karen. She is still a member, and she can always run again at the next election,” I said with a smile.
Sophie quickly wrote it all down in the meeting notes.
“I’d like to make a motion,” Tina said.
Good girl.
“Motion to make Olivia Petrov chairwoman. All in favor.”
I shot up my hand so fast I nearly dislocated my shoulder. Tina and Sophie followed suit. Karen let out a deep breath.
“All opposed,” Tina said.
Karen didn’t even raise her hand. Defeated.
“This is bullshit,” Karen said.
“No, it’s business, which is basically the same thing,” I said with a lighthearted laugh. “How about this? We’re only a week away from the gala, and Shannon has worked so hard on the event. It should be her last event as chairwoman. We’ll make the announcement to the rest of the members at the following meeting. How does that sound?” I cocked my head and upped my smile a few notches, not too big, not too small.
Karen pulled her lips in and thought for a moment. It was a nice offer. Actually, it was rather kind of me. I was playing the long game. You had to sprinkle some kindness in there.
“Okay. That gala means a lot to her, so that’s fair,” she said, pushing out her full lips.
“I’m glad you feel the same way. We do have a vice-chairwoman position to fill, so we’ll take nominations at the next meeting and vote the meeting after. Everyone good with that?” I asked.
Nods all around.
“Here you are,” the server said. “Four cucumber mint detox drinks.” She placed one in front of each of us.
I held mine up for a cheers to myself, of course. “I figured we needed to cleanse ourselves too,” I said with a laugh.
Tina and Sophie chuckled too, as they should.
“Cheers to the end of suffrage and to a new beginning with a new leader.” I clinked my glass against Tina and Sophie’s. Karen just brought hers to her lips and sucked the whole thing down, clearly unhappy with the decisions made. But she’d get over it. After all, she wasn’t like me. She was a forgive-and-forget kind of person. I, on the other hand, always believed there was another option on the table. Forgive, forget, or fucking never let it go.
4
Karen
I left the private room of the café in a huff. Shannon would be furious, maybe with me too. But there wasn’t much I could do with Olivia blindsiding me, while Tina and Sophie lacked the backbone and brains to stand up to her. Had she been planning this all along? Technically, Olivia was right. Bylaws were bylaws, and Shannon had been absent at the past two meetings. But still. The whole thing didn’t sit right with me.
I walked through the café and found Crystal already seated at a table waiting for Olivia and me. I’d seen photos of her on social media from doing a little stalking with Shannon while deep into a few bottles of wine, but she was much prettier in person. She sat with her legs crossed, wearing a floral summer dress, at a round table adorned with expensive glassware, fresh tulips, and a white linen cloth. Her long blond hair had natural waves throughout and she was tan—not like me, a tan from being outside. She had a different glow to her. She was fresh-faced and beautiful in an effortless way. I could see what Bryce saw in her.
I approached the table, and she seemed uncertain as to who I was. She clearly hadn’t done her research.
“Crystal?”
“Yeah, that’s me.” She smiled. Her voice was full of Texas.
I held out my hand. “I’m Karen Richardson. It’s great to meet you.”
She stood from the table and gave me a hug instead. I expected her to be giddy, but she had a calm demureness to her. She was pleasant. I wanted to hate her for Shannon’s sake, but I couldn’t—at least not yet.
I took a seat at the table, setting my bag on the chair beside me and ordering a Chardonnay from the server. I didn’t normally drink on a weekday at lunch, but after that committee meeting, I needed something stronger than celery juice.
“So, how’s Buckhead treating you?” I asked, knowing she had only been in the area for a couple of months and was just now putting herself out there in the community. She’d been a recluse while she settled in. I didn’t blame her. Most of the women immediately didn’t like her, since she had stolen Shannon’s husband.
“Fine so far, just trying to get a feel and understanding of the town.” She fidgeted with her napkin, wringing it up and then flattening it out.
“Oh, honey, I’ve lived here for over a decade and I still don’t feel like I understand this town,” I said with a laugh.
She laughed too. “Got any advice?”
“Just be patient. People will come around.” I took a sip of my wine. I could see her loosen up a little. She was clearly nervous and didn’t want to be here. I assumed Bryce had pushed her into making nice with us. He was all about fixing his reputation after leaving Shannon.
“So, what do ya do?” Crystal asked.
“I drink.” I took a sip of my wine.
Her eyes went wide for a moment.