Read Online Tara Holloway 03 - Death, Taxes, and Extra-Hold Hairspray by Diane Kelly - Free Book Online Page B

searching for an available spot. Several of the people making their way to the building did a double take as we passed. Nick’s battered pickup didn’t fit in among the luxury cars parked in the lot. The place was a virtual sea of Jaguars, Lexuses, and Mercedeses. Heck, I even spotted a Ferrari among the vehicles. This church certainly had an upscale clientele.
    Nick pulled into a spot near the back of the lot and we climbed out of the car. Though it was only mid-morning the temperature was already stifling. The big boat was at least a quarter mile away. We’d have to make the trek in this heat. A glimpse into hell.
    Nick had worn black boots and a bolo tie with a light gray western-cut suit. Cowboy chic. Today’s belt buckle was a rectangular silver model with a bucking bronco embossed on it. He carried his jacket draped across his arm.
    I’d thrown on a bright red cotton sundress and sandals, no panty hose for me on a hot day like today. Cleary I was underdressed. Each of the women I saw in the lot was dressed to the nines, maybe even the tens, in high heels and designer dresses, with carefully coordinated scarves and accessories. It was a parade of Prada, a vision of Versace, a deluge of Dior. I knew I paled in comparison to these women. Still, it would’ve been nice if Nick had commented on whether I’d succeeded in making myself purty . Or perhaps the fact that he’d said nothing was a comment in itself. Grr.
    Chill, Tara. It doesn’t matter what Nick thinks. You’re in a committed relationship with Brett, I reminded myself. Then I argued with myself. Shut up, bitch. You’re a woman. Every woman wants to know whether a man finds her attractive.
    I looked up at the sky. Totally clear, not a cloud to be seen. That was a relief. Part of me feared that God might send a lightning bolt down on us.
    As we neared the building, we discovered a six-foot-wide moat of sorts surrounding the structure, making it appear as if the boat actually floated on water. Pearlescent white koi swam in the man-made canal, their feathery fins like angel wings. Congregants entered the building up a series of wooden ramps that stretched over the shallow water.
    Nick glanced around and snorted as we made our way up the ramp. “The only thing missing is a guy in a mouse suit.”
    “Mickey or Chuck E. Cheese?”
    “Cheese,” Nick replied. “Definitely cheese.”
    As we entered the building, we were met by a duo of grinning greeters, what would be cruise directors if this were a real ship. The two were a married couple judging from their name tags. GEORGE JOLLY and JUDY JOLLY .
    The husband was tall and silver-haired, dressed in a tasteful navy suit. The wife’s sleek platinum-blond bangs lay flat and smooth across her forehead, the rest pulled back in a tight French twist. She’d coated her bulbous, Botoxed lips with shiny, bright red lipstick. The combination gave her the look of a sophisticated sock monkey. Her fitted black Yves Saint Laurent number would have been appropriate for an art gallery opening but seemed a little much for a house of God. The plunging neckline framed a set of boobs too perky and perfectly shaped to be natural.
    Judy took in Nick’s getup then looked me up and down, too, forcing a porcelain veneer smile at us. “First-time visitors?”
    That obvious, huh? I gave her my best smile in return. “Yep.”
    “Welcome to the Ark.” She took my hand in both of hers. “So glad to have you with us today.” She grabbed a bulletin from the stack on the marble-topped table behind her and held it out to me.
    “Thanks.” I took the pamphlet from her and glanced over it. The front bore a charcoal rendering of the Ark, while a series of business card ads filled the back cover. A probate lawyer. A dentist who specialized in cosmetic procedures, possibly the one responsible for Judy’s veneers. A mortgage broker. Hmm. Maybe I should give the woman a call. Interest rates had declined since I’d bought my town house.