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on Ida. Bernice rolled her eyes, and Jamie could not help smiling.
    â€œOkay, you have our undivided attention,” Toots said.
    Content now that she had their complete attention again, Ida blotted her obviously fake tears with a napkin, then spoke as though she’d never been interrupted. “As I said, The Home Shopping Club wants to help launch my line of new cosmetics. In order to demonstrate, I will need real women to show how well my product works. Of course, you all are my best friends and were the first women I thought of when I was approached by their CEO.”
    Ida paused, waiting to see what, if any, effect her words had on her longtime friends. Seeing that she still had their undivided attention, she continued, “For the next four weeks, once a week, I get to highlight my products live on national television. I’m so sure of this that I’ve guaranteed the executives their sales will reach record highs.”
    â€œDon’t you think that’s a bit much? Every beauty product on the market makes similar claims,” Toots said, an edge coming into her voice.
    â€œNot at all. I believe I have a big advantage, something that will put Seasons right up there with Estée Lauder, Lancôme, and many of the other high-end cosmetic companies. As I was saying, I’ll be using live models. Each week, we will show their progress live on television, nothing like those still shots from infomercials that have been airbrushed. This is going to be the real thing, no gimmicks, not one stroke of an airbrush. So”—Ida grasped her palms in front of her, then rubbed them together—“are you girls in or not?”
    Toots weighed her words before she spoke. They’d been involved in so many projects the past few years. Wasn’t it time for them to settle down a bit? Enjoy their golden years? Stop running all over the country in search of excitement?
    Hell no!
    â€œI’m in. Just tell me what I have to do,” Toots all but yelled.
    â€œOMG! I knew you’d agree to this. You vain old woman,” Sophie announced. “I guess if Toots is willing to show the world how ugly she is without her makeup, then I can, too. I’m in, Ida, but just so you know, I do not under any circumstances want to be referred to as ‘seasoned,’ ‘ripened,’ ‘aged to perfection.’ We’ll have none of that crap.”
    In her sweetest voice, Ida cooed, “Why, I would never refer to you as anything but . . . beautiful. Though the line is called Seasons, we can let the consumers assume whatever they want. When ladies of our . . . experience see how well my products work, women both young and old will line up just to get a sample of my cosmetics. So, Mavis, are you game? You’re almost as expert as I am with a makeup brush. Do you want to model, too?”
    Mavis smiled. “What about our other work? Are you saying you don’t want to continue with Drop-Dead Gorgeous? I have no intention of putting a halt to Good Mourning. I’ve become a very rich woman and have all those workers making garments. I just couldn’t put them out of a job, especially in this terrible economy.”
    â€œI’m not giving up anything, Mavis. You should know me better by now,” Ida said. “I love what I do. As a matter of fact”—Ida raked her gaze over each one of them—“the more I do, the better I feel about myself. I’m happier now than I’ve ever been in my entire life. So, there. Now, Mavis, are you in or out?”
    Mavis took a deep breath and reached for Coco, who’d slipped into the kitchen without making a sound. She scooped the little pooch onto her lap. “If Toots and Sophie are in, then count me in, too. We don’t need to sleep that much. I only need three or four hours as it is.”
    Ida turned to Bernice and Jamie. “Bernice, would you like to join us? We have room for another pretty