Nancy’s Theory of Style Read Online Free PDF Page B

bottles so that they were evenly spaced.
    She wasn’t puny. She was elegantly slim.
Water was elegant and refreshing and it didn’t stain or get stuck between your
teeth.
    Then Nancy walked down the hill to Fillmore Street to
see if there was anything new and interesting in the chic shops since her last
visit. A trio of chattering young mothers with double-strollers hogged the
sidewalk, making it impossible for Nancy to window-shop.
    “Hey!” one woman said rudely, jerking
her stroller sideways when Nancy accidentally bumped into it.
    Nancy glanced down at the woman’s blobular
offspring in terrifying tiny velour warm-ups. “Hey is for horses,” she said and
kept walking.
    It was really remarkable how everything
essential could be found in one neighborhood, she thought as she entered a
favorite boutique. Fresh-faced clerks with shiny hair and solemn expressions
refolded the already neatly folded garments.
    Sometimes Nancy felt as if she had more in common with
these shop girls, who understood that texture and construction were more important
than color, than she’d ever have with Todd.
    She bought a short pale pink dress with
a side seam folded like paper -- it would be perfect for Lizette’s wine country
weekend. Nancy had helped to make the semi-annual event a highlight in their crowd, so she was
expected to look fantastic. It would be odd going by herself, but Todd hadn’t
liked the weekend of wine tasting and amazing meals anyway. He preferred
falling asleep in his king-sized bed with ESPN blaring.
    Nancy went to other shops, buying lotions,
magazines, and flowers. She was thrilled to find a set of etched pink tumblers
in the collectibles section of a charity shop, and she picked up a copy of
Simon Doonan’s Eccentric Glamour for a friend.
    Then she went to the wine shop to order
a delivery.
    The man at the counter took her address
and said, “That’s Chateau Winkles. How’s Miss Binky?”
    “She’s as fascinating as ever.”
    The man grinned and said, “When I was a
kid, I was always excited to see the Triplets. I’m throwing in a bottle of
cream sherry for her. Older ladies like their sherry.”
    “You’re too kind,” Nancy glanced at the total on the receipt and
thought she would have to be more careful.
    She carried her purchases back to the
apartment building, and by the time she walked up to the fourth floor, she was
exhausted. She put everything neatly away and washed before she drank another
bottle of water and went on her laptop to schedule delivery of Blue Bottle
coffee beans.
    She looked out the window toward the
park at the gauze of fog blowing in. She was so deep in her thoughts about the
importance of good neutrals that the ringing of the house phone startled her. The
house phone was reserved for family calls.
    It was Todd’s dull little secretary, who
said that three candidates had been identified for the assistant position and
that she’d set up interviews.
    Nancy took down the names and appointment
times and thanked her. Todd was trying. He always tried.
    Her personal phone rang. She glanced at
the screen, answered and said, “Hi, Junie.”
    “ Nancy ,
I wanted to call earlier, but I was stuck in meetings,” Junie wisped. “How are
you doing?”
    “I’m at my apartment and everything is
fine. Todd and I agreed that I should stay here and focus on Froth.”
    “Oh, Nancy , you seemed so angry last night…”
    “That’s how relationships are. They go
through ups and downs. This is one of the difficult times.” Nancy regretted talking so honestly about her
problems. “But, Junie, the important thing is that Todd and I deeply heart each
other and we’re committed to the success of our marriage. So please don’t take
the things I said seriously.” She forced a little laugh and said, “No one takes
anything I say seriously anyway.”
    “I have to go, but promise you’ll call
later me if you need to talk.”
    “Why don’t we get together for lunch? Or
dinner? My