The hopes and dreams of Mr. and Mrs. Valance had always rested on the shoulders of their first-born. Alice was well aware of this, and accepted her position with a graceful ease. Growing up, she had spent her summers learning equestrian, attending debutante balls and entertaining guests of equal social standing at the country club. However, the limited social activity in Tulsa soon became dissatisfying to the Valances. When the time came for Alice to attend college, it was decided for her that she should attend Wellesley back East, as her mother had done.
Mrs. Valance was hardly concerned with her daughter's education, though. Wellesley was nothing more than a holding cell, until Alice was able to secure a proposal for marriage from a suitable young man—preferably one that would benefit Mr. Valance's thriving enterprise. Nothing was of more importance to the Valances. Luckily, Alice always did as she was told.
It was for that very reason that Georgie never did. It had always irked her that Alice was so inclined to agree to her parents' every wish and only fueled her campaign against them. Georgie had only attended one society event in her young life, and she had made damn sure to guarantee that she would not be receiving any more such invitations.
However, Tess had allowed her mother to guide her through the ostentatious process of becoming a debutante, though she'd never shown too much interest or promise in polite society. Tired of her daughter's indifference, Mrs. Valance had relinquished her efforts with Tess and become refocused on recruiting one of her remaining two daughters to the upper crust lifestyle.
Since Zuzu had made it abundantly clear that she would be following in the footsteps of Georgie and Tess, Cherry had the honor of being her mother's last-ditch effort. Cherry, though strong in her resolve with most things, had been allowing her mother to organize her social calendar for the past two years.
Cherry found it difficult to deny her mother the only thing that had ever given her a noticeable amount of pleasure. Sure, the dry gin martinis and constant string of bridge games with the other socialites in Tulsa occupied her time, but Cherry knew those social obligations brought her mother no true enjoyment. The only tangible purpose in Mrs. Valance's life was in furthering those of her daughters.
Perhaps it was that simple understanding that Cherry shared with Alice that made them so close. Cherry knew that Alice made huge efforts to maintain a special closeness with all of her sisters, but Cherry—and everyone else—knew that she shared something more than just sisterly amity. Georgie tried to attribute their bond to the scarlet hair they shared.
"I s'pose you gingers have to stick together," She'd mutter. Georgie had always felt a bit slighted at the amount of attention Alice gave Cherry.
Yes, Alice had the undeniable ability to make you feel as if you were the single most important thing in her life when you had her attention. And it seemed to Cherry that people were always fighting for that interest. She was glad that, for the most part, Alice was primarily concerned with lavishing her sought after concentrations on her.
She wasn't sure if it was the whiskey, or the consolation of knowing her capable sister was en route, but Cherry felt a definite ease in the anxieties that had been plaguing her for days. She knew that, if anyone, Alice would know what to say to quiet the strange, screaming urges. Dallas Winston wasn't going to win that easily.
Georgie drained the remaining liquid from her flask and replaced it shamelessly in her cleavage. Glancing at her watch, she said, "We've got to get to the airport; her plane lands in thirty minutes. Daddy was supposed to fetch her from the airport, but there was some sort of emergency with one of the jobs he's been bidding on."
Mr. Valance owned one of the largest general contracting companies in the mid-West. He was currently in the process of bidding on several shopping malls as well as a highly prized contract with the city. This was wonderful for the Valance's monetary status, but had been keeping the ladies of the house away from their father for extended periods of time.
"Where has he gone now?" Cherry asked, stretching back out on the sofa. She was only half-interested at this point. Her father had gotten into the habit of regularly neglecting his paternal obligations and the girls had made the necessary adjustments towards becoming self-reliant.
"Toledo," Zuzu piped up, popping up on her knees. She was always eager to prove she was as well informed as her sisters.
Georgie ignored her, producing a smart-looking tin of French rolled cigarettes and offering them to her sisters.
"Mother doesn't like you to smoke in here," Cherry reminded Georgie, even though she knew a comment like that would only make her sister more inclined to light up.
Tess helped herself to one, but didn't bother to light it. Cherry smirked as she perched herself on the arm of a crème colored armchair and held it between her lips. Cherry wasn't sure if she'd ever understand what went on in Tess' head. Zuzu got bold for a moment, and reached out to help herself, but was met with a sharp slap on her tender hand from Georgie.
"I was thinking about taking the GT out cruising tonight;" Georgie announced, not missing a beat, "give Al a real welcome home. What do you think, Tess?"
Tess nodded, her cigarette bobbing. She and Georgie shared the same closeness that consumed Alice and Cherry and, as a result, hardly ever separated from her. It was only recently that Georgie had begun including Cherry in their outings, so it still caught her by surprise when Georgie extended the invitation to her as well.
She knew that her elder sisters indulged in liquor and other contraband that had gained a sudden popularity with others their age. All of the Valance girls had been subject to their mother's hypocritical lecturing on the subject of abstaining from such pleasures, but only Cherry and Alice had bought into it. Cherry had decided it better to heed her mother's warnings, if only to avoid ending up like her. She imagined Alice held the same views, though they'd never really discussed it.
It was easy for Cherry to condemn her friends and Bob for their binge drinking and other illegal activities, but she held no such power over Georgie and Tess. In fact, Cherry found herself more likely to be persuaded into participating in the consumption of booze and drugs when she was in the company of her sisters. Still, she found herself agreeing to spend the night cruising the strip with them, if only to be able to spend time with Alice, who never refused a night out on the town.
"Can I come?" Zuzu begged as her sisters slid into their shoes and sweaters.
"Isn't it almost your bedtime, little Zuzu?" Georgie teased, patting the youngest of them on the head. "Besides, someone's got to be home whenever mother decides to pour herself into bed."
Zuzu crossed her arms over her chest and resigned to complaining from the sofa. As awful as she'd become, Cherry couldn't help but feel a twinge of empathy for her. She knew all too well how it felt to be left behind and silently vowed to include Zuzu the next time she made plans.
However, there wasn't much time to sympathize with her younger sister before she was ushered out the door by Georgie, Tess trailing along after them.
"Why is Alice coming home, anyway?" Cherry asked as she climbed into the back seat. "Her break isn't until next week. Won't she miss her finals?"
Georgie turned in her seat, pausing to be sure she had Tess' attention as well. "That's the million dollar question, isn't it?" she posed. "Apparently Daddy sent for her."
Georgie left her sisters to mull over this new piece of information as she backed out of the driveway. It did cause some concern in Cherry to learn that her absentee father had deliberately called Alice away from her studies, but with him in Toledo, she knew there was no chance of getting any answers until his return and decided to put it from her mind. Besides, her head was full enough with thoughts of that Winston boy.
