asked him questions, and I paid close attention to what he said, without looking like I was interested.
Munching on a fried mozzarella stick smothered in ranch sauce, I listened to Harold say that Samantha had worked for the same company since graduating from college. Every seven or eight months, she would put a new business card into the raffle bowl, and Harold noticed that her title always changed.
Kat sniffed loudly. Harold didn’t notice as he nibbled on a buffalo chicken wing, smearing sauce all over his cheeks and chin. Before I found Harold a girl, I decided I needed to work on his manners. Maybe I should call in the big guns: my mom and aunt. Both were paragons of grace.
Kat grunted, obviously still peeved that Samantha was a go-getter. Inwardly, I smiled. A woman after my own heart. All of a sudden, I had the urge to write. Instead, I grabbed another cheese stick, still thinking of my novel. Why couldn’t I nail the ending?
Chapter Six
My mom and I bickered a lot when we were around other family members. However, we upheld a tradition that started when I was just a kid. Twice a month, we got a manicure and pedicure together. Mom hated helping me out with my bills, but that didn’t mean she didn’t spoil me in other ways. This was one of her many ways.
It was our mother–daughter time, a time when she was usually much more relaxed since she wasn’t competing with her sister, her husband, or Kat. This was when Mom and I had our heart-to-heart talks.
“I think I’m going to hire a private detective to catch your cheating father in the act,” Mom stated bluntly as she sat in the chair, her eyes closed.
I glanced down at my nail tech, who didn’t flinch. I bet they overheard a lot of crazy stories. No doubt they have been trained not to react or show any emotion. Each time, we had the same girls work on our nails. Over the years, I’m sure they’ve become accustomed to my mother’s outrageous outbursts. Last month, she worried my father had cheated on his taxes and would be arrested. This month, she was obsessed with the suspicion my father was cheating on her. I had steeled myself for more chatter on the subject, but I didn’t think she’d go as far as hiring a private dick.
“Oh, Mom! Dad is not having an affair. Look at the man. Who would—?”
“Go ahead, Cori. Say it. Who would sleep with the man?”
“That’s not what I meant…Okay, it was. But that’s because he’s my father . I can’t see him as a lover.” I fidgeted in my seat and shook my head, trying to knock some sense into my pea-brain.
“What, do you think you’re a product of Immaculate Conception? A miracle baby?” She sniggered. “Back in the day, your father was a magnificent lover. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other.”
If my fingers hadn’t been recently painted, I would have shoved them deep into each ear until they made contact in the middle. “Mother, please! I don’t want to hear about it.”
“Kat is right. You are uptight when it comes to sex.”
I whipped my head around to face her. “Stop talking to my girlfriend about sex. It’s weird!”
“That’s the problem with you, Cori. You can’t talk about S. E. X. Kat and I are starting an erotica book club. I urge you to join. It’ll be the best thing you’ve ever done. When you were a kid, you loved joining groups. Lord knows how many classes, lessons, and sporting events I drove you to before you got your license.” She blew on her wet nails. “It would make Kat happier.”
“What? Has she said anything to you?” I didn’t want to know, but I really did want to at the same time. I knew Kat was freakier in bed than me, but I didn’t think I was a bad lover. Was I a bad lay? Was Kat sexually frustrated? Good Lord, did my mom know this? I’d never hear the end of it.
“It’s hard knowing that a daughter of mine is so uptight in bed. You must get it from your father. God knows it took me years to train him.”
Once
Munching on a fried mozzarella stick smothered in ranch sauce, I listened to Harold say that Samantha had worked for the same company since graduating from college. Every seven or eight months, she would put a new business card into the raffle bowl, and Harold noticed that her title always changed.
Kat sniffed loudly. Harold didn’t notice as he nibbled on a buffalo chicken wing, smearing sauce all over his cheeks and chin. Before I found Harold a girl, I decided I needed to work on his manners. Maybe I should call in the big guns: my mom and aunt. Both were paragons of grace.
Kat grunted, obviously still peeved that Samantha was a go-getter. Inwardly, I smiled. A woman after my own heart. All of a sudden, I had the urge to write. Instead, I grabbed another cheese stick, still thinking of my novel. Why couldn’t I nail the ending?
Chapter Six
My mom and I bickered a lot when we were around other family members. However, we upheld a tradition that started when I was just a kid. Twice a month, we got a manicure and pedicure together. Mom hated helping me out with my bills, but that didn’t mean she didn’t spoil me in other ways. This was one of her many ways.
It was our mother–daughter time, a time when she was usually much more relaxed since she wasn’t competing with her sister, her husband, or Kat. This was when Mom and I had our heart-to-heart talks.
“I think I’m going to hire a private detective to catch your cheating father in the act,” Mom stated bluntly as she sat in the chair, her eyes closed.
I glanced down at my nail tech, who didn’t flinch. I bet they overheard a lot of crazy stories. No doubt they have been trained not to react or show any emotion. Each time, we had the same girls work on our nails. Over the years, I’m sure they’ve become accustomed to my mother’s outrageous outbursts. Last month, she worried my father had cheated on his taxes and would be arrested. This month, she was obsessed with the suspicion my father was cheating on her. I had steeled myself for more chatter on the subject, but I didn’t think she’d go as far as hiring a private dick.
“Oh, Mom! Dad is not having an affair. Look at the man. Who would—?”
“Go ahead, Cori. Say it. Who would sleep with the man?”
“That’s not what I meant…Okay, it was. But that’s because he’s my father . I can’t see him as a lover.” I fidgeted in my seat and shook my head, trying to knock some sense into my pea-brain.
“What, do you think you’re a product of Immaculate Conception? A miracle baby?” She sniggered. “Back in the day, your father was a magnificent lover. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other.”
If my fingers hadn’t been recently painted, I would have shoved them deep into each ear until they made contact in the middle. “Mother, please! I don’t want to hear about it.”
“Kat is right. You are uptight when it comes to sex.”
I whipped my head around to face her. “Stop talking to my girlfriend about sex. It’s weird!”
“That’s the problem with you, Cori. You can’t talk about S. E. X. Kat and I are starting an erotica book club. I urge you to join. It’ll be the best thing you’ve ever done. When you were a kid, you loved joining groups. Lord knows how many classes, lessons, and sporting events I drove you to before you got your license.” She blew on her wet nails. “It would make Kat happier.”
“What? Has she said anything to you?” I didn’t want to know, but I really did want to at the same time. I knew Kat was freakier in bed than me, but I didn’t think I was a bad lover. Was I a bad lay? Was Kat sexually frustrated? Good Lord, did my mom know this? I’d never hear the end of it.
“It’s hard knowing that a daughter of mine is so uptight in bed. You must get it from your father. God knows it took me years to train him.”
Once
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