many at a party.
Not Mark. Even when so-called friends attempt to flirt with him, shoot him seductive glances, lean in a little too close at a wine-tasting soiree, Sylvie sees him smile, then excuse himself, eyes frantically searching over the heads for his wife to come rescue him.
They always laugh about it later, Mark unaware that anyone was flirting, insisting women were just being friendly, Sylvie teasing him about his new “girlfriend,” able to tease because Mark isn’t like that, has never given her any indication he is interested in anyone but her.
The shrill ring of the phone interrupts her thoughts. Glancing down, she sees it’s Angie and pulls over to the side of the road to pick up.
“So I just left yoga, and the latest on Caroline and Bill is she’s definitely leaving town. House is going on the market tomorrow. Bill told Don he was having affairs because Caroline hates sex. No surprise there, then.”
“True,” murmurs Sylvie. “I can’t imagine Caroline getting down and dirty with anyone. Least of all Bill. Even though he is rather … large.”
Angie barks with laughter. “What are you doing? Come over. I’ve got a million cupcakes left over from the library meeting. If you don’t come stop me, I may have put on three hundred pounds by the end of today.”
Sylvie checks her watch. “I have to be home in five minutes. The guy’s coming to fix the dishwasher, and I have to make sure Eve goes to visit her grandmother today. Come to me instead. And bring the cupcakes.”
* * *
Pushing the back door open, Sylvie walks into a quiet kitchen, the only evidence that Eve is home a trail of teenage belongings, rather like the bread crumbs left by Hansel and Gretel, that eventually will surely lead to Eve.
A backpack dumped in the middle of the floor outside the kitchen, a binder in the doorway, a felt hat on the kitchen table. A carton of milk on the kitchen counter, the cookie jar not in its usual place on the shelf.
“Eve?” Sylvie puts her bag down, pausing only to pick up one of the candles and smell, amazed still that she managed to create this wonderful fragrance. “Are you here?”
She moves through the house, picking up Eve’s stuff as she does so, eventually finding her in the office, hand in the cookie jar resting on her lap as she gazes fixedly on the screen, suddenly bursting out into laughter.
“You jerk!” Eve grins at the screen before realizing at that moment that Sylvie is in the room. “Oh hey, Mom!” She pushes the cookie jar down, attempting to hide it, embarrassed.
“Caught you!” Sylvie says as Eve blushes.
“Guilty as charged.” Eve tries to laugh, although she looks embarrassed. “Say hi to my mom,” she says to the screen, swiveling it round. “Mom? This is Olivia. She’s in New York?”
Sylvie waves at the tiny picture of the pretty teenager, wishing Eve would stop with this upspeak she’s noticing in everyone, all their sentences going up at the end as if they are asking a question.
“Hi, Eve’s Mom!” Olivia waves back. “Wow! You’re so pretty! And so young!”
Sylvie shakes her head and laughs. “Your screen must be soft focus, or you’ve been taking some lessons at charm school.”
“She totally has.” Eve drapes an arm around her mother’s neck so they are both on-screen together. “Isn’t she cute?” She looks at her mother affectionately as Sylvie makes a face at her.
“I’m your mother, not a kitten.”
“I know”—Eve pouts—“but you are cute. Isn’t she cute?” She looks at Olivia on-screen, who nods and gives a thumbs-up.
“Okay.” Sylvie disengages and turns to Eve. “You want something. What do you want?”
“Well…,” Eve starts, as Sylvie remembers what she needs to do. “You know what? I need to use the computer in here. Can you give me five minutes? Is that okay?”
“Then will you say yes to whatever I’m about to ask you?”
“Then I’ll say maybe and I’ll definitely think
Not Mark. Even when so-called friends attempt to flirt with him, shoot him seductive glances, lean in a little too close at a wine-tasting soiree, Sylvie sees him smile, then excuse himself, eyes frantically searching over the heads for his wife to come rescue him.
They always laugh about it later, Mark unaware that anyone was flirting, insisting women were just being friendly, Sylvie teasing him about his new “girlfriend,” able to tease because Mark isn’t like that, has never given her any indication he is interested in anyone but her.
The shrill ring of the phone interrupts her thoughts. Glancing down, she sees it’s Angie and pulls over to the side of the road to pick up.
“So I just left yoga, and the latest on Caroline and Bill is she’s definitely leaving town. House is going on the market tomorrow. Bill told Don he was having affairs because Caroline hates sex. No surprise there, then.”
“True,” murmurs Sylvie. “I can’t imagine Caroline getting down and dirty with anyone. Least of all Bill. Even though he is rather … large.”
Angie barks with laughter. “What are you doing? Come over. I’ve got a million cupcakes left over from the library meeting. If you don’t come stop me, I may have put on three hundred pounds by the end of today.”
Sylvie checks her watch. “I have to be home in five minutes. The guy’s coming to fix the dishwasher, and I have to make sure Eve goes to visit her grandmother today. Come to me instead. And bring the cupcakes.”
* * *
Pushing the back door open, Sylvie walks into a quiet kitchen, the only evidence that Eve is home a trail of teenage belongings, rather like the bread crumbs left by Hansel and Gretel, that eventually will surely lead to Eve.
A backpack dumped in the middle of the floor outside the kitchen, a binder in the doorway, a felt hat on the kitchen table. A carton of milk on the kitchen counter, the cookie jar not in its usual place on the shelf.
“Eve?” Sylvie puts her bag down, pausing only to pick up one of the candles and smell, amazed still that she managed to create this wonderful fragrance. “Are you here?”
She moves through the house, picking up Eve’s stuff as she does so, eventually finding her in the office, hand in the cookie jar resting on her lap as she gazes fixedly on the screen, suddenly bursting out into laughter.
“You jerk!” Eve grins at the screen before realizing at that moment that Sylvie is in the room. “Oh hey, Mom!” She pushes the cookie jar down, attempting to hide it, embarrassed.
“Caught you!” Sylvie says as Eve blushes.
“Guilty as charged.” Eve tries to laugh, although she looks embarrassed. “Say hi to my mom,” she says to the screen, swiveling it round. “Mom? This is Olivia. She’s in New York?”
Sylvie waves at the tiny picture of the pretty teenager, wishing Eve would stop with this upspeak she’s noticing in everyone, all their sentences going up at the end as if they are asking a question.
“Hi, Eve’s Mom!” Olivia waves back. “Wow! You’re so pretty! And so young!”
Sylvie shakes her head and laughs. “Your screen must be soft focus, or you’ve been taking some lessons at charm school.”
“She totally has.” Eve drapes an arm around her mother’s neck so they are both on-screen together. “Isn’t she cute?” She looks at her mother affectionately as Sylvie makes a face at her.
“I’m your mother, not a kitten.”
“I know”—Eve pouts—“but you are cute. Isn’t she cute?” She looks at Olivia on-screen, who nods and gives a thumbs-up.
“Okay.” Sylvie disengages and turns to Eve. “You want something. What do you want?”
“Well…,” Eve starts, as Sylvie remembers what she needs to do. “You know what? I need to use the computer in here. Can you give me five minutes? Is that okay?”
“Then will you say yes to whatever I’m about to ask you?”
“Then I’ll say maybe and I’ll definitely think
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