FINE & DANDY and JUST SUPER...

“See, aren’t you glad you decided to come?” shouted Chris over the din of 80’s disco music.

At Chris’ instance, DiDi had joined her and Gavin Wiley at Monticello’s annual Halloween fundraiser for UNICEF (click here to find out how you can participate, too). This year’s theme was “Back to the Future,” and included an actual DeLorean as the centerpiece among the fifty or so items included in the silent auction.

Using her skills as a private detective, Chris had easily been able to track down several owners of the prized cars. But it was her artistic talent that had actually secured one for the charity event when she persuaded one of the owners to take one of her paintings for it in trade.

“Yeah,” said DiDi, “thanks to you, we’re on our way to setting a new record…and you were right, I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it.”

DiDi had served on Monticello’s UNICEF fundraiser board for more than ten years and this was the first year she was attending their big Halloween event without Calvin. Calvin loved to dance and this was one of his favorite shindigs… mostly because everyone wore costumes instead of the usual stuffy formal attire.

“But, you know, I think I’m about partied out, so I’m going to take a cab home.”

“Oh no, DiDi, Gavin and I will drop you off just as soon as he gets back from helping put some of the silent auction items in people’s cars,” said Chris.

“That’s very sweet of you,” said DiDi, “but you both live downtown, here, and I’m a good twenty minutes away. You’ve both already worked so hard in making this event a success -- not to mention babysitting me -- that you deserve to come off the clock, now… you’ve earned time off for good behavior.”

“Hmmm…or maybe a little bad behavior?” said Chris with a twinkle.

“That, too,” laughed DiDi, “and maybe you can put your handcuffs to some good use?”

“Why, DiDi, whatever do you mean?!” exclaimed Chris, feigning shock and embarrassment.

As if on cue, a Rick James song started playing to punctuate the innuendo and the two women burst out laughing.

“Well, the deejay either has perfect timing, is a real smartass…or maybe he’s psychic,” chortled Chris.

“Or maybe all three!” chuckled DiDi. “Did you know that Calvin was planning on coming to the dance this year as Rick James?”

“You’re kidding!”

“Nope,” said DiDi. “So I’m going to take that song playing at just the right moment as a sign that Calvin’s spirit is watching over us; that you get to keep your sense of humor in Heaven, and that he’s managed to hook-up with Rick James on the other side.”

“A perfect way to end the evening?” asked Chris.

“Perfect,” said DiDi, giving Chris a good-by hug. “Listen, there are plenty of people waiting for their cars out front, not to mention the fact that there’s a taxi stand right in front of the hotel. You wait here for Gavin…I’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” said Chris. But promise to call me when you get home.”

“Promise.”

***

Getting into the cab, DiDi immediately took her off her shoes, just as she would have if she’d been going home with Calvin…and in an odd, but comforting way, she almost felt that she was.

As the taxi rounded the corner of the hotel, however, she spotted a shadowy, caped figure out of the corner of her eye that made her suddenly sit up and stare out the window.

“No,” thought DiDi, “it couldn’t possibly be…or could it?!”

To Be Continued....

To learn about the connection between Rick James and actor Irving Allen Lee (Calvin), go to: http://soapopera451.com/


Mariann Aalda played DiDi Bannister-Stoner on Edge of Night from 1981 to its final episode on December 28, 1984. She also played Grace Battles on Guiding Light and Lena Hart on Sunset Beach on daytime and starred in the primetime series The Royal Family and First & 10 and recurred or guest-starred on such shows as Designing Women, Grace Under Fire and The Parkers, among others. With a penchant for comedy, she's also done stand-up in clubs across the country and is the co-creator of M.O.I.S.T.! -- the "sex-istential" comedy-with-music celebrating the seasoned woman -- which she co-wrote/produced/performs with Iona Morris (ex-Fiona Griffin, As The World Turns).