In an age when fashion went from goth to glam, Lisa was always classically chic, and Bennett adored it. Lisa was a woman who enjoyed dressing like a woman, so when Bennett saw Lisa’s perfectly pedicured toes at the end of her strappy, rhinestone-embellished, high-heeled sandals, Bennett’s smile blossomed just like her heart. In place of Lisa’s usual jumble of gold bracelets was a set in silver, and in her ears were dangling teardrops of sterling. And to complete the look, Lisa had on a rhinestone lariat necklace that settled gently between her breasts.

“You look marvelous,” Bennett said in a breath. “Positively marvelous.”

Lisa’s face lit up, and she pushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Bennett said, shutting off the light in the powder room. “So, how are things going out there?”

“Everything’s on schedule. The caterers are ready. The bartenders are ready. The security team is handling the door, and we have limousines and Mercedes lined up down the block.”

“So, are you saying we should get this show on the road?” Bennett said, crooking her arm.

“Come on,” Lisa said, slipping her arm through Bennett’s. “Let’s go sell some penises.”

Bennett scrunched up her face. “Must you always, always bring up penises?”

“No. I just love your expression when I do.”

***

Classical music drifted from the gallery's wireless sound system, adding enough background noise to remove the hush commonly indicative of galleries and museums. The attendees looked posh in their tuxedos and evening dresses, and holding flutes of Dom Perignon, they browsed and admired, moving from one room to the next like a flock of silent ostriches.

An hour into the evening, Bennett was chatting with two of her guests when one of the security personnel approached. “Excuse me, Miss Archer,” he said, keeping his voice low. “May I have a word?”

Bennett offered a polite apology to her guests and leaned toward the man. “Yes, what is it?”

“There’s a woman up front who doesn’t have an invitation. She says she’s a friend of yours and would like to talk to you for a moment. I tried to get her to leave, but she insisted on speaking with you first, and I didn’t want to get into a shouting match.”

“And there’ll be a bonus in your check because of your judiciousness,” Bennett said, looking around. “Head back to the door. I’ll be there in a minute.”

The guard walked away, and Bennett turned to her guests. “It seems there’s something I need to take care of. Please continue to enjoy the show, and I’ll catch up with you a bit later.”