Sweet Reunion Read Free Page A

surprised about.”
    Amanda shook her head in
amazement. “I can’t believe you girls are here! Give me a hug!” She squeezed
each of them in turn, and as the comfort of being in her old friends’ embraces
washed over her, it seemed like she simply couldn’t stop hugging them. Before
too long, all four of them were standing in Amanda’s living room, hanging onto
each other for dear life, and Amanda wasn’t the only one laughing and crying at
the same time.
    “Well!” Samantha exclaimed
when they finally parted, “That was certainly quite a display. Maybe it’s an
indication that the Fabulous Four shouldn’t wait ten years before getting
together again.”
    “Maybe it’s an indication
that we need some wine!” Karina added, and the other three agreed
wholeheartedly.
    Amanda started into the
kitchen, but Lauren stopped her. “Hey, Mand,” she said, “You sit down and
relax, I’ve got this. I may not have been in your house since I was under 21,
but do you think that means I don’t remember where your Dad kept his alcohol?”
    Amanda settled on the couch.
She breathed a sigh of relief, the first one in 6 days. Her friends were here.
They would help. Everything would be OK. The Fabulous Four. Nothing we can’t
accomplish. Nothing.
    Lauren returned with four
wine glasses and a bottle each of red and white. As the girls poured their
wine, Amanda said, “First things first. Where are you staying? Are you at Sue
Ann's?”
    Lauren shook her head,
“That's probably where we'll end up, but we wanted to come straight over here
and check on you first.”
    Amanda said, “Well, thank
you, I appreciate that. And I'm really glad you did, because it's silly for you
to be staying at Sue Ann's. If you'd like to stay here, I'd love to have you!”
    “Are you sure you're up for
house guests, Mand?” Lauren said skeptically.
    “Oh, God, yes!” Amanda
exclaimed with relief, “I've been so up in my head, rattling around in this
house alone, you have no idea! You'd be saving my sanity, I swear to you!”
    “Well, then, it's settled,”
Karina said decisively, “We'll stay here. We'll go get our bags out of the
car....after this glass of wine, of course.”
    “Of course!” the other three
agreed with a laugh.
    Amanda smiled disbelievingly,
“I really can’t believe you’re here. How on earth did you even know that my Dad
had died?”
    “Well,” Karina said, “My
grandmother posted it on Facebook, believe it or not.”
    “Wow, I never even thought
of that. I’m so technologically backward, it didn’t even occur to me.”
    “Well, it’s a good thing
that my 71 year old Native American grandmother is more tech savvy than you,
Mand. Although it doesn’t surprise me. You’re such a romantic. I can much more
easily see you penning an epistle on rose-embossed stationary than sending a
text.”
    “Sending a what?” Amanda
asked innocently.
    Karina’s jaw dropped,
“Wow...I was just kidding!”
    Amanda smiled mischievously,
“So was I, Kar.”
    They all dissolved into
laughter, and Amanda felt like a teenager again. “Still, it does surprise me
that the very regal and reserved Renata Blackstone would do something like open
up a Facebook account.”
    Karina shrugged, “Well, it’s
really the best way for her to keep up with me. I tour almost 300 days a year,
you know. So she can always know what city I’m in.”
    “Oh, yes!” Samantha
exclaimed, “Ladies, I forgot that we are in the presence of Karina Black,
chart-topping sensation extraordinaire. Should we have asked for your
autograph? What’s the protocol?”
    “Well,” Lauren chimed in, “I
think autographs actually happen after the meet and greet, is that correct? Is
this officially the meet and greet?”
    Karina blushed.
    “Whoa!” Amanda exclaimed,
“Look at those cheeks, girls. Is that...could it be....is Karina blushing? Not
possible! Or at least I’ve never seen it!”
    Karina shook her head
ruefully. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. The truth