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Authors: Tonya Kappes
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boomed over the intercom.
Bernadine and all the other Food Watchers stood up and clapped. A few even let fly with some loud hoots.
Every single person had a beatific smile on their face, as if some Hollywood megastar had just walked into the room.
I craned my neck to see what everyone was so excited about. The clapping and swaying was infectious. Raucous music was blaring and the strobe light in the center of the room rotated, making it hard to focus on anyone.
My toes began to tap like they had a mind of their own. Well, a little sway too and fro isn’t going to hurt anyone I thought When in Rome.
The Food Watchers in the center aisle parted as a tall, blonde, gazelle-like woman made her way through the crowd. She held a microphone in one hand and greeted her eager, food-deprived acolytes with the other.
She had to be the famous “Ms. Food Watchers.”
“Hello!” She smiled when she got to the front of the room and hopped up on the small stage right in front of Bernadine and me.
I had to shield my eyes from the glare of her pro-white dentals.
“Is everybody ready to lose some weight?” Ms. Food Watchers pumped her fists in the air and the crowd erupted in even louder cheers.
Just then, something occurred to me. I leaned over and whispered in Bernadine’s ear, “This is a cult.”
“Shut up, Holly.” Bernadine touched her bell pin and continued to clap along with everyone else.
The meeting itself really wasn’t so bad, but the enthusiasm of the leaders and members was almost unbearable. No one had said a negative word about food until Ms. Food Watcher mentioned fudge.
A collective gasp filled the room.
“Fudge is not your friend,” Ms. Food Watcher whispered as if it was going to help soften the blow for all the fudge lovers in the audience. Then she patted her thighs.
“She better not tell Agnes Pearl.” Bernadine cackled.
Agnes Pearl. Fudge. Doug Sloan.
“I’ll see you at the Divas meeting,” I said to her and jumped to my feet.
“Yes!” Ms. Food Watcher pointed to me. I froze like a deer in headlights when she waved for me to join her on the stage. “You have let the words move you! Everyone on your feet!”
Me? I pointed to myself.
“Yes, you, Holly!” Ms. Food Watcher yelled into the microphone after straining to read the name tag plastered across my chest. “Tell us what moved you.”
I glared at Bernadine, who was smiling from ear to ear. She was going to get an earful about this later.
The room went silent. Everyone was waiting to hear what I was going to say.
“I, um…realized that fudge is bad.” I stood still, but not for long.
Everyone cheered and clapped just like Oprah’s audience on her “Favorite Things” show.
“Thank you. Thank you.” I held my hands in the air as I casually made my way down the center aisle and straight out the door.
What was that? I couldn’t wait until I saw Bernadine at the Divas meeting. I was going to kill her.
Maybe Marlene wasn’t the killer. What if it was Agnes? After all, she did threaten to kill Doug, and she could be framing Marlene for it.
Chapter Nine
Willow and I didn’t have enough time to make it home and get to the meeting on time, so we went back to the shop. I knew Marlene had probably already closed up and gone to pick up Agnes.
The apartment above the shop was dark. If the light had been on in Cheri’s apartment, I would’ve gone up there and waited, but it wasn’t. She must have been at school. Or, better yet, maybe she was at the Livin’ End trying to get some scoop on the whole Doug situation.
With Willow on my heels, I crept up the steps. Hesitating for a moment before I pushed the key into the lock, I looked up and down Main Street to see if anyone was around.
My mind was creating havoc.
After barely opening the door, I stuck my hand in and patted up the wall until I found the light switch.
I didn’t have enough time to take Willow off her leash before Flora was there, standing outside,
Bernadine and all the other Food Watchers stood up and clapped. A few even let fly with some loud hoots.
Every single person had a beatific smile on their face, as if some Hollywood megastar had just walked into the room.
I craned my neck to see what everyone was so excited about. The clapping and swaying was infectious. Raucous music was blaring and the strobe light in the center of the room rotated, making it hard to focus on anyone.
My toes began to tap like they had a mind of their own. Well, a little sway too and fro isn’t going to hurt anyone I thought When in Rome.
The Food Watchers in the center aisle parted as a tall, blonde, gazelle-like woman made her way through the crowd. She held a microphone in one hand and greeted her eager, food-deprived acolytes with the other.
She had to be the famous “Ms. Food Watchers.”
“Hello!” She smiled when she got to the front of the room and hopped up on the small stage right in front of Bernadine and me.
I had to shield my eyes from the glare of her pro-white dentals.
“Is everybody ready to lose some weight?” Ms. Food Watchers pumped her fists in the air and the crowd erupted in even louder cheers.
Just then, something occurred to me. I leaned over and whispered in Bernadine’s ear, “This is a cult.”
“Shut up, Holly.” Bernadine touched her bell pin and continued to clap along with everyone else.
The meeting itself really wasn’t so bad, but the enthusiasm of the leaders and members was almost unbearable. No one had said a negative word about food until Ms. Food Watcher mentioned fudge.
A collective gasp filled the room.
“Fudge is not your friend,” Ms. Food Watcher whispered as if it was going to help soften the blow for all the fudge lovers in the audience. Then she patted her thighs.
“She better not tell Agnes Pearl.” Bernadine cackled.
Agnes Pearl. Fudge. Doug Sloan.
“I’ll see you at the Divas meeting,” I said to her and jumped to my feet.
“Yes!” Ms. Food Watcher pointed to me. I froze like a deer in headlights when she waved for me to join her on the stage. “You have let the words move you! Everyone on your feet!”
Me? I pointed to myself.
“Yes, you, Holly!” Ms. Food Watcher yelled into the microphone after straining to read the name tag plastered across my chest. “Tell us what moved you.”
I glared at Bernadine, who was smiling from ear to ear. She was going to get an earful about this later.
The room went silent. Everyone was waiting to hear what I was going to say.
“I, um…realized that fudge is bad.” I stood still, but not for long.
Everyone cheered and clapped just like Oprah’s audience on her “Favorite Things” show.
“Thank you. Thank you.” I held my hands in the air as I casually made my way down the center aisle and straight out the door.
What was that? I couldn’t wait until I saw Bernadine at the Divas meeting. I was going to kill her.
Maybe Marlene wasn’t the killer. What if it was Agnes? After all, she did threaten to kill Doug, and she could be framing Marlene for it.
Chapter Nine
Willow and I didn’t have enough time to make it home and get to the meeting on time, so we went back to the shop. I knew Marlene had probably already closed up and gone to pick up Agnes.
The apartment above the shop was dark. If the light had been on in Cheri’s apartment, I would’ve gone up there and waited, but it wasn’t. She must have been at school. Or, better yet, maybe she was at the Livin’ End trying to get some scoop on the whole Doug situation.
With Willow on my heels, I crept up the steps. Hesitating for a moment before I pushed the key into the lock, I looked up and down Main Street to see if anyone was around.
My mind was creating havoc.
After barely opening the door, I stuck my hand in and patted up the wall until I found the light switch.
I didn’t have enough time to take Willow off her leash before Flora was there, standing outside,
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