relocate?”
“No. But I don’t care. I’ll find another job when I get
there. The biggest problem will be telling my parents. With Jon leaving again,
the timing is not greatest, but I want to be with him, you know?”
I nodded and took a big gulp of my wine. She could do what I
couldn’t—afford to move to be with the man she loved ... even if it was
my geeky brother. “What about your house?”
She shrugged. “I’ll sell it. It’s not the best housing
market, but at least I’m not upside-down mortgage-wise.” She looked around her
kitchen. “It’s been a good house, but I need to move on with my life. Despite
my mom and dad being here, it no longer feels like home to me. It feels like
I’ve been sitting like an obedient dog in this tiny yard surrounded by
invisible fencing. A hair beyond the property line is a lush open field made
for running. I know if I cross the fence line I’ll get zapped, but that
one-time jolt of electric agony will be nothing compared to the dull and
constant ache of always wanting what’s within my reach, if I take just one
extra step.”
“That’s an interesting way of looking at it.”
Tossing back the last of her wine, she swallowed with a loud
gulp and said, “All those years wasted on Scott. God, I’m stupid. I’m not going
to waste any more. And even if Ian and I don’t last, at least I tried.”
“What if the dog catcher grabs you before you can get to
that field?”
“Then I’ll devise a plan B.” She shifted her shoulders back
and sat more erect. “What about you and Jon? He’s in DC now. When are you going
to join him?”
“I have to find a job first. I can’t afford to move right
now.”
“I’m sure Jon would let you crash with him until you could
get on your feet.” She refilled her wine glass and topped off mine.
“He already offered but I turned him down. If I depended on
him, I’d lose the hungry edge I need to get a job. I’m afraid I could easily
become addicted to leaning on him.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
I shook my head and gave her a resigned smile. “You sound like
Jon.”
She reached out and gave my hand a pat. “He’s crazy about
you, you know that, don’t you? You can’t doubt that.”
“I know. I don’t.”
“I have a confession,” she began, cocking her head oh so
slightly. “He asked me to ask you to dinner to plead his case for him.” A soft
laugh escaped my lips at that. She continued. “Not that I wouldn’t have asked
you for my own selfish reasons anyway.”
“Yeah, okay. Thanks.” I took another large swallow. A fuzzy
haze started to coat the inside of my head. I’d probably hit my alcohol limit.
Any more and I wouldn’t be able to drive. I pushed the glass to the side.
Jenny nodded in its direction. “Jon said you were a bit of a
lightweight and that I was not to let you drink at all. Oops.” She glanced from
the glass to me, and then back to the glass. “Don’t worry about driving. You’re
more than welcome to crash here.” She winked at me and added, “I have a very
cozy guest bedroom.”
I burst out laughing and dropped my head. We’d finally
breeched that topic. “Oh my God, Jenny, I am so embarrassed about that
... still.”
She flipped a hand. “Eh, no worries. Not that I ever wanted
to see my little brother having sex nor do I ever want to witness it again, but
honestly, I didn’t think he was much the type for that sort of thing. He’s
always been so— I dunno—proper and virginal. That’s why I knew you
were different, you know.”
I couldn’t help but snort at her impression of her brother,
correct in some respects but far from the mark in others. I supposed brothers
and sisters didn’t always know each other so well once they became adults. Ian
had certainly surprised me. “Thanks. I think.” My cheeks warmed. Time to change
the subject. “Okay, so new topic. What happened with Jason? I’m dying to know.”
Jenny leaned toward me, eyes wide. “Oh! Now
“No. But I don’t care. I’ll find another job when I get
there. The biggest problem will be telling my parents. With Jon leaving again,
the timing is not greatest, but I want to be with him, you know?”
I nodded and took a big gulp of my wine. She could do what I
couldn’t—afford to move to be with the man she loved ... even if it was
my geeky brother. “What about your house?”
She shrugged. “I’ll sell it. It’s not the best housing
market, but at least I’m not upside-down mortgage-wise.” She looked around her
kitchen. “It’s been a good house, but I need to move on with my life. Despite
my mom and dad being here, it no longer feels like home to me. It feels like
I’ve been sitting like an obedient dog in this tiny yard surrounded by
invisible fencing. A hair beyond the property line is a lush open field made
for running. I know if I cross the fence line I’ll get zapped, but that
one-time jolt of electric agony will be nothing compared to the dull and
constant ache of always wanting what’s within my reach, if I take just one
extra step.”
“That’s an interesting way of looking at it.”
Tossing back the last of her wine, she swallowed with a loud
gulp and said, “All those years wasted on Scott. God, I’m stupid. I’m not going
to waste any more. And even if Ian and I don’t last, at least I tried.”
“What if the dog catcher grabs you before you can get to
that field?”
“Then I’ll devise a plan B.” She shifted her shoulders back
and sat more erect. “What about you and Jon? He’s in DC now. When are you going
to join him?”
“I have to find a job first. I can’t afford to move right
now.”
“I’m sure Jon would let you crash with him until you could
get on your feet.” She refilled her wine glass and topped off mine.
“He already offered but I turned him down. If I depended on
him, I’d lose the hungry edge I need to get a job. I’m afraid I could easily
become addicted to leaning on him.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
I shook my head and gave her a resigned smile. “You sound like
Jon.”
She reached out and gave my hand a pat. “He’s crazy about
you, you know that, don’t you? You can’t doubt that.”
“I know. I don’t.”
“I have a confession,” she began, cocking her head oh so
slightly. “He asked me to ask you to dinner to plead his case for him.” A soft
laugh escaped my lips at that. She continued. “Not that I wouldn’t have asked
you for my own selfish reasons anyway.”
“Yeah, okay. Thanks.” I took another large swallow. A fuzzy
haze started to coat the inside of my head. I’d probably hit my alcohol limit.
Any more and I wouldn’t be able to drive. I pushed the glass to the side.
Jenny nodded in its direction. “Jon said you were a bit of a
lightweight and that I was not to let you drink at all. Oops.” She glanced from
the glass to me, and then back to the glass. “Don’t worry about driving. You’re
more than welcome to crash here.” She winked at me and added, “I have a very
cozy guest bedroom.”
I burst out laughing and dropped my head. We’d finally
breeched that topic. “Oh my God, Jenny, I am so embarrassed about that
... still.”
She flipped a hand. “Eh, no worries. Not that I ever wanted
to see my little brother having sex nor do I ever want to witness it again, but
honestly, I didn’t think he was much the type for that sort of thing. He’s
always been so— I dunno—proper and virginal. That’s why I knew you
were different, you know.”
I couldn’t help but snort at her impression of her brother,
correct in some respects but far from the mark in others. I supposed brothers
and sisters didn’t always know each other so well once they became adults. Ian
had certainly surprised me. “Thanks. I think.” My cheeks warmed. Time to change
the subject. “Okay, so new topic. What happened with Jason? I’m dying to know.”
Jenny leaned toward me, eyes wide. “Oh! Now
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