"Almost. But look at what neat things I've bought," Jane said, sliding the pile out of her canvas bag and onto the coffee table. As she lined them up and fondled all of them, trying to decide what order she'd read them in, she said, "I'm going to have to buy more bookshelves. But I'll tell you this, Shelley, the best mingling is that room."
"You're not going back in there, are you? You'll break the bank."
"Maybe not right away," Jane said.
"You sound guilty."
"Three of the four bookstores are from the Chicago area. I asked for their business cards so I can look at everything they stock, not just the selection they brought along. I also bought a really nice computer program to keep track of what you've read, how much you liked it, and whether there are more books by the same author. And a really cool book-holder gadget. I bought one for you, too."
Shelley just shook her head and said, "Do you want to go down for lunch before the opening ceremony?"
"I'd rather eat room service so I can look over all these books."
Shelley tossed her the room service menu. "Read this first. I'll order."
Seven
Todd and Katie were out of school that day due to a "professional development workshop" the teaching staff had to attend. Jane pried herself away from the book collection for long enough to call the kids at home. Katie's new cell phone was busy, which made Jane frown. Who was her daughter already using her precious minutes on? She called Todd's number and he picked right up.
"Hey, Mom! You're my first call. This is so cool."
"It is, isn't it? Where is Katie?"
"Right here, trying to call you at the hotel," he said. "Wanna talk to her?"
"Sure. Hi, Katie. Hang up your phone," Jane said to Todd.
"Is the conference what you expected?" Katie asked. "Are you having fun?"
"Lots of fun. I have three appointments with two agents and an editor tomorrow."
"You're going to sell your book, Mom. I just know you are."
"I'm not counting on it but I've already learned a lot about the business. Hold on. Room service is at the door," Jane said.
"I've never had room service," Katie said with a slight whine, when her mother came back to the phone.
"Yes, you have, Katie. Remember when we took that trip to Colorado? We called room service there. What are you doing tonight?"
"Jenny's coming over. We're making spinach omelettes with lots of cheese."
"I'll check back with both of you after the dessert welcome party tonight," Jane said.
Jane had dithered over choosing what to eat, so Shelley had chosen cheeseburgers, french fries, and salad for both of them. They both sat at the big table in the suite. They used the nifty book holders Jane had bought in the book room, reading and chatting while they ate.
I never knew these things existed," Shelley said. "Thanks."
"I didn't either. Aren't they great?" Jane said. "When I read while I'm eating at home, I usually just prop the book open with a knife and have to keep moving it. Sometimes I forget I've used it and smear up a page with mayonnaise or catsup."
"I'm going to save my salad as a late-night snack, so I have room for desserts."
"Plural?" Jane said.
"Of course. I've been to things like this before. They cut lots of different desserts into really tiny pieces and let you try out a lot of them. You know, I came here not only to snoop and enjoy this suite, but also to help you out. I'm having more fun than I expected. Wasn't all the inside gossip your friend Felicity told us neat stuff to know?"
"She's such a nice woman, isn't she?" Jane said. "I'm amazed she took such pains to fill us in on the people here. I'm only sorry that awful woman Vernetta was so rude to her."
"I suspect a lot of other people here will feel that way before this conference ends," Shelley speculated. "I have my laptop along. Later on, we must take a look at her book on the web. As illiterately as she speaks, I can't imagine it being any good."
"To be fair, she might have a good story in her head in spite of it," Jane said, doubtfully.
"You don't need to be fair to a person like that, Jane. She's scum."
"I guess you're right. And I'm sure the publisher will clean up her grammar and spelling for her if they paid big bucks for it. I wonder if Vernetta will even notice."
"Probably not. Jane, I can't finish my fries. Do you want them?"
"No, thanks. Let's just put this away in the little fridge. It's only half an hour until the opening remarks. Plenty of time to wash the catsup off our faces."
At the start of the opening session, Sophie Smith took the podium. She stood silently for a moment, waiting for the conversations to stop.
"She's sort of swaying," Jane observed.
"Yes," Shelley said. "Nerves?"
"I wouldn't think so. She must have done this dozens of times, and everybody says she's a tough cookie."
Sophie began to speak, paused a moment, and disappeared behind the podium.
The young man, Corwin, who'd been checking in at the desk with her that morning, and a couple of the staff of the conference who sat at the head table, ran over. Conversations broke out, all wondering what had happened. Had she been standing on some sort of box and fallen off? "No, she's a tall woman, she wouldn't need a box," somebody piped up.
"Let's get out of here," Jane said.
As they headed for the door, they heard someone come to the podium and say, "Ms. Smith has been taken slightly ill. There's no need to be worried. She's being well taken care of. She's left her written introduction to our speaker. Everybody sit down and I'll read it on her behalf…."
Jane and Shelley closed the door behind them.
"I think she was taken a bit more than 'slightly' ill," Shelley said. "Did you see the look on her toady Corwin's face as he bent over her? He looked horrified."
"I hope she's not dead," Jane said. "It would cast an awful pall over the rest of the conference. They might even cancel the rest of it. Oh dear, I shouldn't have said that. It sounds so selfish."
"I think if she is dead, it might be the highlight of the conference," Shelley said. "She seems to be heartily disliked by everyone but Vernetta."
Other attendees were slipping out as well, either having heard how boring the speaker was, or out of dismay at the scene they'd just witnessed.
Jane and Shelley took over a couple of chairs and a table in the hotel lobby. "I could ask John, the hotel manager, if he knows what happened. If he's on duty this shift," Shelley said.