Ch.4b: Brittany
The next day they repeated their sunbathing ritual. Maggie reluctantly admitted that they had exhausted their beachside shopping opportunities the day before. It wasn’t far to other shopping areas, but Maggie was in an extravagant mood and decided to hail a cab to Coral Gables. “They call it the Magnificent Mile because it’s a whole mile of nothing but shops!”
Fortunately for Cassie, there were cafes as well, and they had a delightful Italian lunch. Maggie missed the foot traffic of South Beach, but Cassie was enraptured by the little round tables and the charming accent of the waitress.
They wandered past tall stone buildings and were frequently enticed in by lovely beaded dresses or handmade jewelry, until suddenly Maggie let out a piercing scream of joy. Cassie looked around for a celebrity, but she only saw a strikingly slender, elegantly dressed woman of about thirty (actually she was thirty-five) and a blonde teenager a little older than herself. The woman emitted more subdued high-pitched noises of joyful recognition and edged forward on her two-inch heels to embrace Maggie, who was still bubbling over with excitement: “Oh my god! It is, like, so good to see you! How long has it been? Aaah!”
“Oh, at least these five, six years since college graduation, ha ha ha...”
“And you don’t look a day over it. You’ll be 28 forever.”
“It’s gracious of you to say that, little sister. And I see you are no stranger to moisturizers either, although you had better watch that sun, or you’ll be needing a peel before you know it! Just looking out for your best interests, darling.”
Maggie’s screaming subsided, and she turned to the teen: “This must be Brittany! Look how you’ve grown! You won’t remember me, but I’m Maggie Fitzwilliam, and I was a sorority sister of your mother’s in college. I see you’re still a blonde. Well, blondes have more fun! You take after your mother. But I have my own little protegee now! This is Cassie; she’s not really mine, she’s my s.o.’s daughter, but we like to think of ourselves as family, don’t we, Cassie?”
“Yeah, Maggie, sure. We do, yes.” Cassie tried very hard to be polite in case Maggie was feeling insecure.
“Cassie, wouldn’t you like to meet Brittany?” She turned back to Marjory. “Cassie’s been wishing she knew somebody in Miami, and now she does!”
Cassie was mortified, but Brittany immediately spoke up. “Cassie, it’s nice to meet you. Where do you live?”
“I’m from Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.”
“Really! I’ve heard of it. That’s near Philadelphia, isn’t it?”
“Yes. You’ve seen ‘To Wong Fu’?”
“Uh, no. What’s that?”
“Never mind. How do you know Bala Cynwyd?”
“Oh, we’re from New Jersey. I just know the area. It’s good to meet someone else from home!”
“Oh, I am so happy to meet someone my own age,” Cassie gushed, then checked herself. “Well, you and your mom probably already know plenty of people.” She eyed Brittany’s glossy hair, long, slim figure, and expensive clothing.
“Sure, we know tons of people. I’m going to be a model, and we have to meet everybody who’s anybody. There are, like, photo shoots and parties and things all the time. But I’m glad to meet a real person. Those industry types are so phony, you know.”
“Oh, I know,” agreed Cassie. “I’ve seen it all on ‘Entertainment Tonight.’”
Brittany laughed musically. “You’re so cute! I just know we’re going to be the best of friends. Tell me, where did you get those adorable flipflops?”
“They’re from Target.”
“I just love lowbrow retail, don’t you? Cassie, before our mothers scratch each other’s eyes out and we have to lead them home like seeing eye dogs, let’s get each other’s phone numbers.”
Cassie obeyed, although she didn’t understand why Brittany thought Maggie and Marjory weren’t getting along. They had been chatting happily during her whole conversation with Brittany. Even now she could hear Marjory enthusing, “An insurance salesman! What a catch for you, darling!”
Brittany took Cassie’s arm, and they window shopped until Maggie and Marjory returned for them, suggesting they all go for cleansing fat-free fruit smoothies with seaweed. They passed another hour or so in each other’s company, the barbs between the adults gradually subsiding as they established a pecking order.
Brittany seemed to know everything about fashion, whether it was displayed in a shop window or on the sidewalk. She could decode the interactions between passersby, letting Cassie know whether people knew each other, whether they interested one another, how likely it was that they would become romantically involved, and the outlook for the relationship. Cassie was so overawed that she would not have dared to pursue a friendship with this older and more sophisticated girl if Brittany had not been so warm and welcoming. Every social faux pas of Cassie’s seemed utterly charming to Brittany. She even invited Cassie to spend part of the day with her tomorrow! Cassie was shocked to realize that tomorrow would be the Fourth of July. She had been so excited about being in Florida that she forgot all about the holiday.
When the four ladies parted company, Cassie surreptitiously watched Brittany and Marjory stroll away. She finally had a friend in Miami, and such a friend! Her own level of coolness must have risen at least tenfold, but it could never come close to Brittany’s beauty and charm. She was the most fascinating and beautiful person who had ever paid attention to Cassie.
Fortunately for Cassie, there were cafes as well, and they had a delightful Italian lunch. Maggie missed the foot traffic of South Beach, but Cassie was enraptured by the little round tables and the charming accent of the waitress.
They wandered past tall stone buildings and were frequently enticed in by lovely beaded dresses or handmade jewelry, until suddenly Maggie let out a piercing scream of joy. Cassie looked around for a celebrity, but she only saw a strikingly slender, elegantly dressed woman of about thirty (actually she was thirty-five) and a blonde teenager a little older than herself. The woman emitted more subdued high-pitched noises of joyful recognition and edged forward on her two-inch heels to embrace Maggie, who was still bubbling over with excitement: “Oh my god! It is, like, so good to see you! How long has it been? Aaah!”
“Oh, at least these five, six years since college graduation, ha ha ha...”
“And you don’t look a day over it. You’ll be 28 forever.”
“It’s gracious of you to say that, little sister. And I see you are no stranger to moisturizers either, although you had better watch that sun, or you’ll be needing a peel before you know it! Just looking out for your best interests, darling.”
Maggie’s screaming subsided, and she turned to the teen: “This must be Brittany! Look how you’ve grown! You won’t remember me, but I’m Maggie Fitzwilliam, and I was a sorority sister of your mother’s in college. I see you’re still a blonde. Well, blondes have more fun! You take after your mother. But I have my own little protegee now! This is Cassie; she’s not really mine, she’s my s.o.’s daughter, but we like to think of ourselves as family, don’t we, Cassie?”
“Yeah, Maggie, sure. We do, yes.” Cassie tried very hard to be polite in case Maggie was feeling insecure.
“Cassie, wouldn’t you like to meet Brittany?” She turned back to Marjory. “Cassie’s been wishing she knew somebody in Miami, and now she does!”
Cassie was mortified, but Brittany immediately spoke up. “Cassie, it’s nice to meet you. Where do you live?”
“I’m from Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.”
“Really! I’ve heard of it. That’s near Philadelphia, isn’t it?”
“Yes. You’ve seen ‘To Wong Fu’?”
“Uh, no. What’s that?”
“Never mind. How do you know Bala Cynwyd?”
“Oh, we’re from New Jersey. I just know the area. It’s good to meet someone else from home!”
“Oh, I am so happy to meet someone my own age,” Cassie gushed, then checked herself. “Well, you and your mom probably already know plenty of people.” She eyed Brittany’s glossy hair, long, slim figure, and expensive clothing.
“Sure, we know tons of people. I’m going to be a model, and we have to meet everybody who’s anybody. There are, like, photo shoots and parties and things all the time. But I’m glad to meet a real person. Those industry types are so phony, you know.”
“Oh, I know,” agreed Cassie. “I’ve seen it all on ‘Entertainment Tonight.’”
Brittany laughed musically. “You’re so cute! I just know we’re going to be the best of friends. Tell me, where did you get those adorable flipflops?”
“They’re from Target.”
“I just love lowbrow retail, don’t you? Cassie, before our mothers scratch each other’s eyes out and we have to lead them home like seeing eye dogs, let’s get each other’s phone numbers.”
Cassie obeyed, although she didn’t understand why Brittany thought Maggie and Marjory weren’t getting along. They had been chatting happily during her whole conversation with Brittany. Even now she could hear Marjory enthusing, “An insurance salesman! What a catch for you, darling!”
Brittany took Cassie’s arm, and they window shopped until Maggie and Marjory returned for them, suggesting they all go for cleansing fat-free fruit smoothies with seaweed. They passed another hour or so in each other’s company, the barbs between the adults gradually subsiding as they established a pecking order.
Brittany seemed to know everything about fashion, whether it was displayed in a shop window or on the sidewalk. She could decode the interactions between passersby, letting Cassie know whether people knew each other, whether they interested one another, how likely it was that they would become romantically involved, and the outlook for the relationship. Cassie was so overawed that she would not have dared to pursue a friendship with this older and more sophisticated girl if Brittany had not been so warm and welcoming. Every social faux pas of Cassie’s seemed utterly charming to Brittany. She even invited Cassie to spend part of the day with her tomorrow! Cassie was shocked to realize that tomorrow would be the Fourth of July. She had been so excited about being in Florida that she forgot all about the holiday.
When the four ladies parted company, Cassie surreptitiously watched Brittany and Marjory stroll away. She finally had a friend in Miami, and such a friend! Her own level of coolness must have risen at least tenfold, but it could never come close to Brittany’s beauty and charm. She was the most fascinating and beautiful person who had ever paid attention to Cassie.
Labels: Cassie
posted by Margo at 10:16 AM
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