wait—and she patted and smoothed at her hair and hoped like
hell no one was home to witness her walk of shame, though she knew better.
Sure enough, she was greeted with the screech of concerned
voices and the scent of her life thus far: decomposing blooms, last night’s
dishes. The morning’s freedom and lightness had vanished; she felt tight, tiny
and heavy again.
“Jess? Is that you?” Monica bleated. “We were so worried!”
Monica came into view, her arms folded tightly across her chest. “Grandma
called me to say you were missing. Frightened half to death. And now it’s
nearly noon and I’ve left you, like, fourteen messages.”
Grandma stood, stooped, behind her.
“I was just catching up with an old friend,” Jess explained.
“No big deal, and I forgot my phone.”
“Do you ever take your phone with you, Jess?
Seriously. What’s the use of having a phone if you never take it with you?”
Jess shrugged and turned her attention toward Grandma, whose
mouth was locked in a tight o-shape.
Monica peeked through the front window. “So who were you
with? Whose car is that?”
Jess didn’t look. Why hadn’t the driver pulled away yet?
“Jess. Who were you with last night?” Monica demanded. “Was
it Jake Lassiter?” Her eyes bulged when Jess didn’t respond. “Oh my God, it
was! But didn’t I tell you that he went home with Kelly’s sister? With the
freakin’ maid of honor…”
“No,” Jess mumbled. “I think you got that wrong.”
“I did not.”
“Well, don’t worry. Nothing happened. We just talked.”
“Oh, sure.” Monica licked her lips. “I’m so sure. Jess, I’ve
read Jake’s book, like, three times, I know that he is all about carpe diem ;
live for the damn day. I don’t imagine he sits around all night just talking with high school girls.”
“I’m not a high school girl. I’m a woman he knew in high
school.”
“You know what I mean.”
Then it was Grandma’s turn. Her voice was high in pitch, and
it startled Jess to hear her speak this way. “Well, I, for one, am disappointed
in you, Jess. I thought you had more sense.”
The house felt suddenly dim and small, and there was a
rancid scent of things old and decayed and forgotten. She had been so close. So
close to a life less… ordinary.
Grandma clucked her tongue. “I’m telling you, you can’t
trust those L.A. fellows.”
“He’s not an L.A. fellow, Grandma,” Jess said, “He’s a
Denver fellow. You know that. We went to high school together.”
“Yeah,” Monica interjected, “Jess and Jake were doing it in
the school hallway way back then.”
“Jessica Madigan!” Grandma scolded.
“We were not, Grandma.”
“C’mon!” Monica said, “You can’t tell me a simple kiss led
him to pine after you like that; to write about you like that. I think everyone
in the world assumes it’s a euphemism… A single kiss made you ‘The Girl from
the Hallway’? My ass.”
“Believe what you want.”
“I will. And, to be honest, I’m shocked that he would want
to spend any time with you at all. I mean, you’re a total prude. Probably a
virgin. You’re scared of just about everything. Not exactly his type.”
Jess’s cheeks burned. She threw her shoulders back. “The
truth is…” she announced, “Jake is taking me away with him this afternoon. I’m
just here to get my things.” Heat rushed through her body. Why on earth had she
just said that?
Monica was incredulous. “Taking you away with him…where?”
“I don’t know, actually,” Jess said, trying to sound
nonchalant. “He wants to surprise me.”
“Jessica Madigan!” Grandma shouted now. “You cannot go away
with a man whom you know nothing about. Why… anything could happen to you.
Anything at all.”
Monica scoffed. “Jake Lassiter is going to eat you alive,
Jess. He’s going to drag you apart. He’s going to chew you up and spit you
out.”
Grandma was shuffling toward her now. “Don’t get eaten
alive,
hell no one was home to witness her walk of shame, though she knew better.
Sure enough, she was greeted with the screech of concerned
voices and the scent of her life thus far: decomposing blooms, last night’s
dishes. The morning’s freedom and lightness had vanished; she felt tight, tiny
and heavy again.
“Jess? Is that you?” Monica bleated. “We were so worried!”
Monica came into view, her arms folded tightly across her chest. “Grandma
called me to say you were missing. Frightened half to death. And now it’s
nearly noon and I’ve left you, like, fourteen messages.”
Grandma stood, stooped, behind her.
“I was just catching up with an old friend,” Jess explained.
“No big deal, and I forgot my phone.”
“Do you ever take your phone with you, Jess?
Seriously. What’s the use of having a phone if you never take it with you?”
Jess shrugged and turned her attention toward Grandma, whose
mouth was locked in a tight o-shape.
Monica peeked through the front window. “So who were you
with? Whose car is that?”
Jess didn’t look. Why hadn’t the driver pulled away yet?
“Jess. Who were you with last night?” Monica demanded. “Was
it Jake Lassiter?” Her eyes bulged when Jess didn’t respond. “Oh my God, it
was! But didn’t I tell you that he went home with Kelly’s sister? With the
freakin’ maid of honor…”
“No,” Jess mumbled. “I think you got that wrong.”
“I did not.”
“Well, don’t worry. Nothing happened. We just talked.”
“Oh, sure.” Monica licked her lips. “I’m so sure. Jess, I’ve
read Jake’s book, like, three times, I know that he is all about carpe diem ;
live for the damn day. I don’t imagine he sits around all night just talking with high school girls.”
“I’m not a high school girl. I’m a woman he knew in high
school.”
“You know what I mean.”
Then it was Grandma’s turn. Her voice was high in pitch, and
it startled Jess to hear her speak this way. “Well, I, for one, am disappointed
in you, Jess. I thought you had more sense.”
The house felt suddenly dim and small, and there was a
rancid scent of things old and decayed and forgotten. She had been so close. So
close to a life less… ordinary.
Grandma clucked her tongue. “I’m telling you, you can’t
trust those L.A. fellows.”
“He’s not an L.A. fellow, Grandma,” Jess said, “He’s a
Denver fellow. You know that. We went to high school together.”
“Yeah,” Monica interjected, “Jess and Jake were doing it in
the school hallway way back then.”
“Jessica Madigan!” Grandma scolded.
“We were not, Grandma.”
“C’mon!” Monica said, “You can’t tell me a simple kiss led
him to pine after you like that; to write about you like that. I think everyone
in the world assumes it’s a euphemism… A single kiss made you ‘The Girl from
the Hallway’? My ass.”
“Believe what you want.”
“I will. And, to be honest, I’m shocked that he would want
to spend any time with you at all. I mean, you’re a total prude. Probably a
virgin. You’re scared of just about everything. Not exactly his type.”
Jess’s cheeks burned. She threw her shoulders back. “The
truth is…” she announced, “Jake is taking me away with him this afternoon. I’m
just here to get my things.” Heat rushed through her body. Why on earth had she
just said that?
Monica was incredulous. “Taking you away with him…where?”
“I don’t know, actually,” Jess said, trying to sound
nonchalant. “He wants to surprise me.”
“Jessica Madigan!” Grandma shouted now. “You cannot go away
with a man whom you know nothing about. Why… anything could happen to you.
Anything at all.”
Monica scoffed. “Jake Lassiter is going to eat you alive,
Jess. He’s going to drag you apart. He’s going to chew you up and spit you
out.”
Grandma was shuffling toward her now. “Don’t get eaten
alive,
Similar Books
