“So you’ll come!” Judy’s voice almost vibrated through the telephone.

“I’ll have to ask Charlie about it. I’m assuming he’s invited, too.”

“Oh, oh Albert just adores Charlie. Adores him!”

“I will let you know. Nice talking to you.” Samantha hung up and looked in her calendar. Charlie would say yes if she asked him, but it probably wasn’t worth the effort. As for Barry Santorini, she didn’t like how much she’d been thinking about him since the night on the yacht. At her last board meeting at the Whitney, while Grey Navez was talking about one thing or another, Samantha drifted off to remembering Barry’s leg pressing against her thigh when they danced together. She had pretty much made up her mind to avoid him if possible.

As soon as Judy hung up with Samantha, she dialed Clarice.

“Santorini residence,” the housekeeper answered the phone.

“Oh, hi there. This is JudyTremont. May I speak with Mrs. Santorini?”

“Just a moment. I’ll see if I can patch you through.” The housekeeper put the phone on hold and reached Clarice on her cell phone.

“There’s a Mrs. Judy Tremont on the phone for you.”

Clarice was on the corner of Ninety-first and Madison on her way to a Spence board meeting. She assumed the call had something to do with Albert Tremont’s attendance at the meeting.

“I’ll take it, Gorgia. You can put her through.” Clarice waited to hear a few beeps before speaking. “Hello, this is Clarice.”

“Hello, how are you?” Judy was in business. “Albert and I are having a little dinner for Samantha Acton on February 15th and we would just adore for you to come.”

“Thank you so much. I don’t know Samantha very well, but I know Pippa Rose thinks the world of her.” Clarice began to cross the street. “I’m actually on my way to school right now. I know Barry’s shooting a picture in Shanghai in February so most likely he won’t get there. But if my calendar is free I would love to. Thanks so much. Bye.”

Judy scratched her chin. Judging from what had been happening under the stars on the Rodman yacht, Judy knew that Barry would fly in from Shanghai or from Neptune to get to her house to see Samantha again.

It was only 11 a.m. but Judy felt she had already done a full day’s worth of work. She buzzed Eileen. “You can send out the dinner invitations now.” Judy had already made the first-tier list for Eileen. She’d have Grey Navez and Tina Schultz, whom she was dying to get to her house. Adrienne and Paul and, of course, Dr. Arnie Berkowitz. Dr. Arnie was a frequent guest on Charlie Rose, so perhaps he could persuade Charlie to come. And for sparkle Judy thought she’d sprinkle the table with a few artists. After all, Samantha was on the board of the Whitney, and Albert had just made a substantial donation to the Modern. Maybe even Brice Marden would come. Or at least it was worth a try. “And Eileen, I changed my mind about Francesca Weissman. You can include her, too.”