Barbara Levenson - Mary Magruder Katz 03 - Outrageous October Read Free Page A

was on my way back to the office to share the court victory with Catherine. She hugged me and screamed her congratulations, Then raced to her desk to phone Marco with the good news that his brother would not be a state prisoner.
    A minute later Catherine walked into my office with the mail. “You look disgusted. What’s the matter?”
    “I really feel like going out tonight and Carlos has some dumb meeting. What are you doing tonight?”
    “Oh, Mary, I’m sorry. Tonight is the meeting at school for the soccer parents and I have to go.”
    “Okay, I understand. No one wants my company for dinner tonight.
    Undaunted, I reached for the phone again and dialed
    “Boutique de Luis. How may I help you?” The sensuous voice of Celia Martin, a.k.a. Chicky answered.
    Chicky is Carlos’s sister who returned from her stint as a club bum in Buenos Aires to help Luis Corona open the Corona family shop in Coral Gables. Carlos’s father is Argentine and his mother is Cuban. But if you think that’s a mixed up family, mine is more so.
    My father is Jewish and my mother is Southern Baptist. That’s the Magruder Katz in my name.
    Angelina, Carlos’s mother, is ecstatic to have her baby girl home again, and credits me for getting Chicky back. She’s sure that if I hadn’t freed Luis from the clutches of the U.S. government after his arrest last June, Chicky would still be spending her youth dancing the tango in smoky Argentine bars. Much to my surprise, I really like Celia who is nothing like her mother.
    “Chicky, it’s me, Mary. Is this a busy time? Can you talk?”
    “It is busy, but I can always make time for you. We’re having our sale of last year’s things and getting ready for our winter lines. I thought you were going to stop in and try on some of these sale creations.”
    “I meant to, but I’ve been so busy. Today I finally got Franco’s case dismissed. That’s why I’m calling.”
    Well, you don’t need me to pat you on the back. You are the best. I’m sure everyone of your clients tells you that. Never mind about the sale. I’ll pick out some things for you and put them away. You’ll try them on whenever.”
    “I wasn’t calling for praise. I want to go to dinner somewhere fun tonight to celebrate. Can you go?”
    “With you and Carlos?”
    “No, no Carlos. Just us girls. He’s tied up on some business dinner.”
    “Oh, I’d love to have a girls’ night out, but I can’t.”
    “Bet you’ve got a big date.”
    “I’ve got inventory here. That’s my date, and I can’t leave Luis to do it alone or it’ll be all screwed up.”
    “Okay. Chicky, turned down by another member of the Martin family. Happy inventory.” I clicked off.
    I wandered out to Catherine’s desk. “No one wants to have dinner with me. Should I change my deodorant?” I asked. “Sam would probably go, but he tends to bark at the other diners.”
    “What about your friend Lucy? Have you tried her?”
    “No. Brilliant idea! Why didn’t I think of that?”
    “That’s why you pay me the big bucks.” Catherine went back to her typing and I went back to the phone.
    Lucy has been my best friend since third grade. She and her husband, Steve, and their three kids live in Miami Beach a few blocks from where we both grew up.
    “Lucy, it’s Mary. I know this is last minute, but could you possibly get away to have dinner with me tonight? I got rid of that case against Franco, Carlos’s cousin today. I’m dying to go out for a leisurely dinner with much wine. I’ll even pay.”
    “Why aren’t you going with Carlos? Don’t tell me you split with him.”
    “No, he’s tied up in a business meeting tonight.”
    “Dinner sounds great. Steve is working late and to be honest, I wasn’t all that thrilled about pizza with the kids, but can you come over to the Beach? I’ll have to get a sitter and it’s a school night. They all have to be home early.”
    “Sure, I like coming to the Beach and driving down memory lane..