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She hung up the phone, happy again Thank God for Monica, she thought As she quickly began packing, she realized how foolish she’d been to get upset about that party And how silly she was, telling Henry she wouldn’t write another Monica book What was she thinking? Monica still had her golden touch

She could change rain into sunshine any old time

SondraBeth olf cart while pointing to a colored drink in a plastic cup “Cheers!” SondraBeth shouted over the noise of the jet’s winding-down engines She handed Pandy a cup “The bartender here makes the best rum punch on the islands It’s a requireas and the cart took off with a jolt, spilling Pandy’s drink down the front of her shirt

“Oops!” SondraBeth screa a rutted dirt road

Pandy laughed, guessing that this trip would probably end up like that crazy weekend in Martha’s Vineyard

The villa was right on the beach, on an isolated strip of land with views of the turquoise ocean stretching all the way to the horizon A housekeeper took Pandy’s bags to her roo out to her own private balcony It was glorious

SondraBeth hovered while Pandy unpacked, talking a one to a spa in Switzerland and how Pandy should go, too Pandy went into the bathroo suit; when she ca by a sreen grass SondraBeth had re bikini As Pandy went to lie down in the chaise next to her, she took a good look at SondraBeth and gasped

“You’ve lost weight!” Pandy exclaimed

“Can you tell?” SondraBeth asked proudly

“You’re so…skinny,” Pandy said cautiously She snuck another look at SondraBeth’s sli done to her thighs and stomach; liposuction perhaps

“Coh exactly the same if you were a couple of inches taller”

“You know that’s not true—”

SondraBeth shot Pandy a warning look “I have to be thin To play Monica It’s part of the job If I gain two pounds, the wardrobe people are all overthe clothes They said I have to weigh ain a pound, it means I’m supposed to skip dinner”

“What?” Pandy screaeous This is Monica, not Dickens Maybe I can call someone”

“Who?” SondraBeth grinned playfully “PP? He’s a man All he cares about are the numbers He’s probably the one who came up with the idea”