The Muffia Read Free Page A

blood and send off our pap smears. She and Saul live in “The Valley” (as in San Fernando) with their son, Troy, who apparently has stomach flu. Of course, Troy couldn’t help that he had stomach flu, but Paige didn’t seem to have much sympathy. 
     
    [email protected] : So, do these latest exchanges mean we’re still on for the 17th (minus Lauren and possibly Kiki)? If there’s one more out, I opt for another date.
    [email protected] : Will bring whatever you need, Sarah, if I'm up to coming. Not feeling great myself, but want to come as I’ve read the book—a real literary nailing of the banal, dontcha think?
     
    Victoria—Vick, or Vicki, as we call her—kind of fell into filmmaking when she was living in Spain with her now ex-husband, Ricardo, whom she married straight out of college to annoy her family who’d never thought him smart enough for her. (Being a bullfighter, he sort of wasn’t.) She’s been out of the business for years but wants to get back in now that her son, Enrique, is practically grown and—she’s sadly realizing—doesn’t need her anymore. That said, she hasn’t been able to get a new project going. She either hasn’t found the right story or hasn’t been able to raise the money she needs to commit the story to film—or, more realistically these days, digitized bits. I was hoping she’d rally and get to Sarah's because if we had one more “iffy” Muff, the night wouldn’t happen.
     
    [email protected] : Hope you feel better, V (and happy birthday, BTW). Totally on board for night change since we may be down three; too many missing Muffies! But just in case, the following week I'm good M, Tu, Th but Sarah should weigh in first since she's the crucial ingredient. Let's do this quickly! Before the rains come!
     
    Quinn has a demanding job with all those celebrities, but she rarely misses book club—which is only right as she is another of its founders. She also keeps abreast of all our birthdays (unless it's her assistant that's doing it). Though I haven’t known Quinn as long as I have most of the other Muffs, we get along great—probably because we’re both single and share a certain and sometimes un-repressed snarkiness. I often find her to be one of the most grounded and practical of the group—even if she is the most jaded. This point will be relevant as the story proceeds, in that I wasn’t completely correct in my assessment of her. Just because someone is grounded in one area doesn’t mean they are totally grounded.
    Now where Quinn was concerned about Vicki, as well as the possibility of book club moving to another night, Paige finally went off, and she didn’t pull her punches. Though the message could have been a bit excessive, it wasn’t unusual. Paige usually takes our Tolstoy award for Most Words in an email thread:
     
    [email protected] : Happy B-day V, but sheeesh, this is like the 10 little Indians! Hope the Donald’s worth it, L, and that you feel better, V, and that Troy feels better, or at least good enough for a sitter. I'll see the rest of you that haven't bailed on the 17th.  BTW, in the future? Let's go over some excuses that rate: Immediate family member's leg cut off—excused. Cancer treatments —excused. Child's explosive emissions from both ends—excused if single. From one end—not excused. DINNER AND HOMEWORK???—Not excused. Busy with work and kids—not excused. Giving birth—excused. Husband out of town— not excused. Gallery opening—excused. Mid-terms—not excused. Getting laid by Brad Pitt?— toss-up but I have to land on the side of not being so available that you ditch book club to accom-modate sex. Let it be shown that we are all busy with work, deadlines, some of us with kids, no husbands, only one with a nanny and everyone with plumbing. We changed this date to accommodate members that now aren't even coming!! Please try to at least buy the book and start it so you have some relationship to the