someone had overheard their conversation at the diner earlier. If she had to guess, she’d bet Brandy’s big yap had spread the news.
Alex shoved Carmichael away and took Emma’s hand, muttering as he led her to the ice cream parlor’s door, “I didn’t start that. But I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let that son of a bitch talk about you that way.”
Greg Stenchler, Alex’s best friend, chased after them. “Hey, man, I’m sorry to hear about— you know . Is there anything I can do?”
“Thanks, Stench, we appreciate the offer.” Alex lightly punched his friend’s arm. “It’s not a problem. We’re getting married.” He stared down at her. The pleading look in his eyes mirrored her uncertainty. “Aren’t we, Em?”
She loved him so much. She couldn’t say no. “Right.” She smiled. “Two weeks from tomorrow. So don’t make any plans.”
~~~
Finally alone for the first time that evening, Margie wept all the way home. By the time she arrived at her condo’s complex, her despair had transformed into anger and resentment. Hadn’t she had enough to deal with in the last fourteen months?
Margie squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn’t handle this. At eighteen, she’d run from her mother’s domination straight into the arms of her thirty-three-year-old husband who’d cosseted and sheltered her. Dan’s insecurities had kept Margie isolated as much as her mother ever had. Sure, his absences for work had taught Margie to handle all the day-to-day emergencies. But she’d never been totally on her own before, dealing with tough situations like this.
“Thirty-seven is too young to be a grandmother,” she mumbled as she let herself into the condo. She flung open all the windows and breathed the scent of freshly cut grass. The unusually warm year had given them practically no spring. It was nice to finally let in some fresh air.
She picked up the portable phone in the living room and punched out her cousin’s number in San Diego. At the sound of Barbara’s voice, Margie blasted her. “I hope you’re happy!”
“I guess this means you finally met up with each other, huh?” Barbara laughed.
“It’s not funny.”
“Sure, it is. I did it for your own good, Margie. You need to get on with your life.”
“You never did tell me how you found out where he worked.”
“I saw his old roommate at a party and found out Jake’s divorced. I told Chris about your situation, and about two weeks later, he e-mailed me the job listing I sent you. We just thought if you had a second chance—”
“No, the two of you didn’t think . That’s your whole problem. You never have.”
“If you’re referring to Jake’s party, I’ve apologized a thousand times. It’s not my fault the girl I really hired had car trouble and showed up two hours late. Chris was the one who assumed you were her.”
“But he didn’t give me a glass of spiked punch and then ditch me to go make out with some jock. I still don’t understand why they asked you to hire a call girl. How’d you even know where to find one?”
Dead silence filled the line for a moment, and then Barbara sighed. “Believe me, Coz, I’m not proud of it. But you know what a skinflint my father was.”
Margie’s mouth dropped open. “Ohmygosh. Are you telling me you were a—”
“Yes,” Barbara murmured, “I worked for an escort service to put myself through college. But I only slept with guys I was attracted to. You may not believe it, but lots of girls have sex for money at some point in their lives. I read somewhere it’s about one out of a hundred.”
“That’s no excuse.”
“I know. I’m just trying to explain.” Barbara’s voice cracked into a sob. “I never told anyone before, but....” Several seconds ticked by while she left Margie hanging, wondering what had gotten her cousin so emotional.
“What?”
“I’d been spreading my legs for my old man since I was ten, so it didn’t seem so bad to—”
“Your dad?”
Alex shoved Carmichael away and took Emma’s hand, muttering as he led her to the ice cream parlor’s door, “I didn’t start that. But I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let that son of a bitch talk about you that way.”
Greg Stenchler, Alex’s best friend, chased after them. “Hey, man, I’m sorry to hear about— you know . Is there anything I can do?”
“Thanks, Stench, we appreciate the offer.” Alex lightly punched his friend’s arm. “It’s not a problem. We’re getting married.” He stared down at her. The pleading look in his eyes mirrored her uncertainty. “Aren’t we, Em?”
She loved him so much. She couldn’t say no. “Right.” She smiled. “Two weeks from tomorrow. So don’t make any plans.”
~~~
Finally alone for the first time that evening, Margie wept all the way home. By the time she arrived at her condo’s complex, her despair had transformed into anger and resentment. Hadn’t she had enough to deal with in the last fourteen months?
Margie squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn’t handle this. At eighteen, she’d run from her mother’s domination straight into the arms of her thirty-three-year-old husband who’d cosseted and sheltered her. Dan’s insecurities had kept Margie isolated as much as her mother ever had. Sure, his absences for work had taught Margie to handle all the day-to-day emergencies. But she’d never been totally on her own before, dealing with tough situations like this.
“Thirty-seven is too young to be a grandmother,” she mumbled as she let herself into the condo. She flung open all the windows and breathed the scent of freshly cut grass. The unusually warm year had given them practically no spring. It was nice to finally let in some fresh air.
She picked up the portable phone in the living room and punched out her cousin’s number in San Diego. At the sound of Barbara’s voice, Margie blasted her. “I hope you’re happy!”
“I guess this means you finally met up with each other, huh?” Barbara laughed.
“It’s not funny.”
“Sure, it is. I did it for your own good, Margie. You need to get on with your life.”
“You never did tell me how you found out where he worked.”
“I saw his old roommate at a party and found out Jake’s divorced. I told Chris about your situation, and about two weeks later, he e-mailed me the job listing I sent you. We just thought if you had a second chance—”
“No, the two of you didn’t think . That’s your whole problem. You never have.”
“If you’re referring to Jake’s party, I’ve apologized a thousand times. It’s not my fault the girl I really hired had car trouble and showed up two hours late. Chris was the one who assumed you were her.”
“But he didn’t give me a glass of spiked punch and then ditch me to go make out with some jock. I still don’t understand why they asked you to hire a call girl. How’d you even know where to find one?”
Dead silence filled the line for a moment, and then Barbara sighed. “Believe me, Coz, I’m not proud of it. But you know what a skinflint my father was.”
Margie’s mouth dropped open. “Ohmygosh. Are you telling me you were a—”
“Yes,” Barbara murmured, “I worked for an escort service to put myself through college. But I only slept with guys I was attracted to. You may not believe it, but lots of girls have sex for money at some point in their lives. I read somewhere it’s about one out of a hundred.”
“That’s no excuse.”
“I know. I’m just trying to explain.” Barbara’s voice cracked into a sob. “I never told anyone before, but....” Several seconds ticked by while she left Margie hanging, wondering what had gotten her cousin so emotional.
“What?”
“I’d been spreading my legs for my old man since I was ten, so it didn’t seem so bad to—”
“Your dad?”
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