The Springfield Country Club Parking Lot, 2010
Rick opened the car door with a flourish just as she finished tucking the last stray wisps of hair into the twist.
"Ye olde country club," he announced. "Bring back memories, Michelle?"
Taking his hand and stepping onto the snowy curb, she strained a smile, "Yes, Rick, of course it does."
The Springfield Country Club, March 2000
A blond whirling dervish sped through the country club hallways, "White and pink, lots of pink. Or do you think we should do off white, cream, bone, more of an antique look? I want to you show you the dining room. And the outdoor deck, where I think we can set another bar, and more appetizers. Bill and I practically grew up out there when we were growing up and I think it would be just right...."
Chuckling, Danny Santos obediently trailed behind his fiancee and she raced from place to place, in search of the perfect place to put everyone and anyone. "Whatever you want, Michelle."
The smile she threw him over her shoulder as she entered the dining room, made it all worth it.
".... I think we can put Blake and Ross, Cassie and Richard, Philip and Harley, Alan and India, Alan-Michael and Lucy...."
His brow furrowed, "Weren't Phillip and Alan-Michael both married to Blake? And Phillip was married to India, and Alan-Michael was married to Harley...."
"Yes, yes, but it's all all right now.... and even if it weren't, it's not like I can put Beth at that table."
He shrugged his shoulders.
"Then... we'll have the Reardon table... Vanessa and Matt, Dylan and Bridget, Chelsea...."
As, Michelle happily segregated all of Springfield society into non-aggressive units of twelve, Danny glanced as his watch. They were due for lunch with his grandmother at noon, and it was already eleven thirty.
"Miss Bauer, congratulations, I have just heard of your impending nuptials." A tall thin, silver-haired man glided into the room. "This must be your fiancee, congratulations. You have found yourself the finest young woman in Springfield, in the entire Midwest. You are very lucky... Now, what can I do for you?"
"Well, Andrew, we are getting married the first Saturday in May, and we were thinking of having the reception here that evening. I think we'll have about a hundred people...," Michelle launched into plans that would have made a Navy SEAL proud.
Twenty minutes later, he glanced at his watch again, "Michelle...."
"Oh, my God! I'm sorry, Danny, your grandmother. And Andrew, I'm just babbling on..."
"No, no trouble at all," he smiled benevolently her. "I just need a check for the deposit..."
"Of course," Danny handed over the cashier's check he had already had prepared.
"Thank you, Mr.... Santos," the normally unflappable Andrew faltered for a moment. "Oh, oh, oh... could we speak privately for a moment?"
She saw a muscle in his cheek twitch.
"Of course," he followed Andrew into the next room. "Michelle, would you excuse us for a moment?"
She nodded.
As soon as the door was shut, she plastered herself against it, ear to the door.
"You understand, Mr. Santos, we are a Springfield institution, and we have a responsibility to our membership to maintain a certain... je ne sais quoi..."
She could imagine Danny's eyebrows lifting.
"Miss Bauer is from one of the most respected families in Springfield, and we would be honored to host her wedding reception, but... I did not realize until I saw the name on the check that... that..."
"I understand."
"I realize that your family has legitimized its business dealings, but it still..."
"I understand."
"We just cannot...
"I completely understand.... You gotta do what you gotta do...."
Michelle thought she heard a sigh.
"... So you will understand why I'm taking out my cell phone and making a call to my people in the distribution business about why Santos Systems will be rerouting some produce away from the country club..."
She heard an earsplitting squeak.
"... and then I'll be on the phone with the manager of our new downtown club to offer double salaries to all the dining room waitstaff...
Someone emitted a moan.
"I hear your new chef is quite good; Michelle was really looking forward to that wedding banquet..." he mused.
"Mr. Santos, Mr. Santos... now, be reasonable..."
"I am being reasonable. Vanessa Reardon told me a while ago that Michelle has dreamed of having her wedding reception at the country club since she was a little girl. And I will do what it takes to keep Michelle happy..."
That night she had suggested that they have the reception at Towers instead.
The Country Club, Christmas 2010
That had been the last time she'd been at the country club, she thought as she crossed the threshold.
A waiter tapped her on the shoulder as she shrugged off her coat. "Miss, there's a gentleman waiting to speak to you."