On the Cutting Edge

Trafford Publishing

Chapter One

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Josephine 'Josie' Buchannon felt like the luckiest, most blessed woman alive on New Year's Eve. She was wearing a fabulous sapphire blue evening gown with rhinestone trim, seated at a corner booth in the most elegant restaurant in Lakewood, NY with her fiancé P.J. Coleson, formerly of New York City.

"How do you like the sapphire and diamond necklace I gave you as a belated Christmas present, Josie?" P.J. asked, looking quite dapper in his black satin tuxedo. The candlelight sparkled in their love-struck eyes. It flickered in time with the sultry background music. The atmosphere was intoxicating, is what Josie was thinking.

"It is the most exquisite thing I've ever seen," Josie said, fingering the delicate pendant. "Are you sure you like the sapphire and diamond men's engagement ring I gave you?" She looked at him.

"Yes, honey. It's great!" P.J. cupped Josie's face in his hands and kissed her long and hard. Josie sighed. She felt like she was floating on air. The waiter came with their beverage order, an O 'Doul's for P.J. and a lemon water for Josie. He set them gently on the table and asked if they were ready to order.

"I'll have your prime rib special," P.J. answered. "How about you, honey? What'll you have?"

"That sounds good," Josie said, not having looked at the menu. "Make mine the same, please."

"How would you like them done?" The waiter asked. Josie shrugged. She was more into her date than her plate.

"Medium-well," she said without looking away from P.J. "Thanks."

"I'll have medium-rare, please," P.J. said. Hold the potatoes, fat free French dressing on the salads, and no dessert. Thanks!""

"How about using this time to discuss some wedding plans?" P.J. asked.

"I didn't bring my wedding planner along," Josie said and sat up straight. She had purchased a special book that gave her ideas, tips and guidance on every nuance of wedding planning. It even had pockets in which she could store dress material samples, catalog cutouts and stationery samples. It seemed to be quite thorough. There were so many ideas offered in that guide Josie could not imagine using them all. Some were just too extensive; others, too complicated. She might be rich now, by some standards, but she was still frugal. Her late father would not want her to waste his money on fluffy nonsense, she highly suspected.

Not for the first time, she wished her father had come forward to claim his relationship with her before his lover, Cassandra Coven, murdered him. Coven was the former manager of Sanderson & Sons Advertising Agency and Josie's immediate supervisor. She now had a permanent address in solitary confinement at the women's penitentiary, or so Josie hoped, and Josie was running the firm as Lew Sanderson's rightful owner.

"So, sweetie, what did you want to talk about concerning the wedding?" Josie asked, turning her attention to happier thoughts.

"Like, who walks with whom? How do you pick that—by how close we are to them as friend, or by height, or what?" P.J.'s brow furrowed. Josie smiled.

"Of course, the maid of honor walks with the best man. After that, it usually makes better pictures to pair them up by height. We will take your two shortest friends and pair them with your sisters. The Schneider brothers are both tall, so it really doesn't matter. Did you have a preference?"

"No, but they do," P.J. said and wiggled his eyebrows.

Josie chuckled and said, "I bet they do. So, what are they?"

"The guys saw your staff Christmas photo from your holiday ad. Pete has a girlfriend, so he's okay with walking with Jessica since she's already married. Dave, on the other hand, would very much like to meet Donna. I told him about her punk-Goth period, and he's intrigued." He wiggled his eyebrows again and grinned."

"Oh, you men! You are interested in the weirdest things sometimes!" Josie playfully slapped P.J.'s shoulder.

At that point, the waiter returned with their salads, and they began eating their supper. The steaks arrived not long after that, and soon it was time to leave for the New Year's Eve Ball.

The city council had hired a live band for the ball that was being held at the Lakewood Community Center, just a couple of blocks east of Sanderson & Sons, along Main Street. The orchestra from the community college played Gershwin waltzes and some pops songs. Josie remembered her grandmother listening to that kind of music when she was younger. She still had some old Long Playing Albums she kept in the sitting room.

P.J. twirled Josie around the floor under the disco ball. Some people may think that the disco ball should have been outlawed when disco dancing died away, but Josie liked it. The shards of glass reflected the colored stage lights all over the ceiling, the walls, and the dancers. It was romantic.

Halfway through the evening, workers in black slacks and white tops passed out party favors. Their boxes contained all sorts of New Year's Eve hats, noisemakers, plastic leis and streamers. P.J. picked through the box until he found the last crown and placed it on Josie's head. He picked a bowler derby for himself and a couple of streamers. He handed one of the streamers to Josie.

"Aren't you sweet," Josie murmured in P.J.'s ear as he took her in his arms for a slow dance. "You make me feel like the homecoming queen."

"That's what I was going for, babe."

Suddenly, the music stopped. The bandleader stood up and pulled a microphone off its stand to make an announcement.

"We have just one minute to midnight. Everyone get with the partner you want to be with to ring in the New Year. We want to thank the City of Lakewood for inviting us to share this festive evening with you. Be sure to call 1-WE DRIVE YOU if you've had too much to drink. They'll get you home safely. Everyone in their places? Let's start the ten second countdown ... now! Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one!

"Happy New Year!" everyone shouted with him. Then P.J., like most of the other men in the hall, took his sweetheart into his arms and gave her that once-a-year kiss. He dipped her low for a few moments and then pulled her up without breaking contact until they were upright again.

"P.J.! Now, I'm dizzy with the blood rushing to my head as well as from kissing you!"

"Happy New Year, Josie, and many more," P.J. said softly, gazing into her eyes.

"Happy New Year, P.J. I love you," she replied.

"Do you know that the person you're with at midnight New Year's Eve is the person you'll spend the entire next year with?" P.J. asked, guiding her off the dance floor and to an empty table.

"I should hope so!" Josie answered, setting her tiny evening bag on the tabletop.

"Would you care for a drink?" P.J. asked. She nodded and watched him weave his way to the bar. Then she glanced around the room to see if she could spot anyone she knew. Before she had spanned the entire place, Donna Schmidt and her date d'jour plopped themselves onto the extra chairs at Josie's table. Donna was wearing a rag-hemmed gauze gown with a peasant top and lace-up boots. Her date was wearing a tuxedo printed t-shirt, black jeans and high top tennis shoes.

"Hi, Boss! Nice dance, huh?" Donna asked. Josie smiled and nodded. "Hey, I want you to meet Terry Richards, here. He's in town just for the weekend. We used to go to school together."

"Hello, Terry," Josie said. "What field are you in?"

...