"Sit down, my dear," Arlene said indicating a place on the expensive looking sofa. "Take a load off your feet and let's get to know each other. We've never really had the opportunity to talk so I want to hear all about you. Are you happy here in town?"

"Yes," Julie answered not too enthusiastically. She settled herself on the edge of the sofa, feeling slightly uncomfortable. She accepted the drink the dean's wife handed her and sipped slowly at it. I mustn't drink too much, she thought. I've never been able to hold it very well.

She watched as Arlene Lowell chattered brightly and kept pouring herself drinks from the cocktail shaker. My God, this woman must have a hollow leg, Julie thought. I hope I'm not supposed to be keeping up with her. She wanted to though. She didn't want this sophisticated woman to think she was a prudey little minister's wife, unsophisticated and not socially aware. "Are you getting hungry, Arlene?" she asked, hopefully thinking this would give her a chance to slow down the drinking.

Arlene shook her head. "Not really," she said. She refilled her glass again and lifted it. "Here's to you, my dear," she toasted the minister's wife.

"At the risk of being a bore," Julie said, trying to be amusing. "I'm positively ravenous. I skipped lunch today and I could now quite comfortably eat a horse. Can we start making our way over to that exclusive club you talked about?"

"Okay let's just have another drink, shall we Julie?" Arlene said persuasively.

Julie was beginning to feel a little tipsy and she was driving. Well, maybe just one more. Amazingly enough, Arlene looked fresh as a daisy. The martinis didn't seem to be affecting her at all.

Finally, they finished their drinks and Julie struggled to regain her composure. She felt bombed out of her skull but on no account did she want to appear that way to Arlene Lowell who was the picture of polished sophistication. The minister's wife swayed slightly, walking to the car, and almost stumbled when she got there, but managed to climb into the driver's seat without mishap. She started the motor and backed out of the driveway. "Where to, Arlene?"