shook his head and made his way to one of the empty guest rooms. He closed and locked the door and slid between the sheets.
***
Genie awoke the next morning, disappointed to find that she was all alone in the big, king-sized bed. She felt first frustrated and then upset that Isaac had spent all night with her . Genie racked her brain devising a plan for getting Ruby Schmidt, romance novelist, out of Isaac’s life for good. The woman asked too many nosy questions about things that were none of her damn business. Genie’s second plan was to convince Isaac that a non-profit was the worst way to spend his inheritance. She never did find his rainy day cash stash, which surprised her. The Isaac Ross she knew from back in high school always had money stashed away somewhere. I’ll just have to look harder next chance I get.
She rolled out of bed finally and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Genie didn’t forget that she had undressed before getting into bed the night before. She had hoped Isaac would crawl into bed next to her and be reminded of how good she was to him, physically. Genie noticed one of the guest bedroom doors was shut. She tried the knob—locked. She sighed and got dressed before trudging downstairs to turn on her phone. Might as well get all the voicemails out of the way , she thought.
Just then there was a knock on the door. Looking at the clock, Genie saw that it was eleven. Through the window of the front door she saw a woman’s form with the rising sun silhouetting her.
“Damn that Ruby,” Genie said, spitting the words out. She hollered up the stairs for Isaac to get out of bed and then opened the door, stopping dead in her tracks when she saw Amanda Johnson on the other side of the screen door.
“Good morning, Genie,” Amanda said, all smiles and sunshine. She wore a yellow, wide-brimmed straw hat and a white sun dress with yellow flowers on it. She had a suitcase in one hand and her purse over her shoulder. Without waiting for Genie to invite her in, Amanda pushed past the girl and set her suitcase down in the living room before looking around the lower floor of her nephew’s new house.
“Hi, Amanda,” Genie said slowly. Her stomach felt suddenly hollow.
“Where’s Reggie?” Amanda asked, making direct eye contact with Genie.
“The nanny is bringing her today, so I don’t know if there’s room for all of us here,” Genie responded sharply.
“Then you better get a hotel,” Amanda said with a smile, which grew wider when she saw Genie’s mouth open in surprise. “You might want to put some more clothes on, too. This isn’t a flop house, and my nephew’s girlfriend lives next door. Show some damn respect.”
Genie hadn’t recovered from the first shock and took a few steps backward, away from Amanda as the woman continued attacking her verbally. Before she could gather her wits to form a reply, Amanda had already turned away to pull Isaac into a hug. He came down stairs, rubbing his eyes, wearing only a pair of swim trunks. Isaac wrapped his arms tight around her.
“Aunt Mandy! I’m so glad you’re here. It’s getting to be quite the party,” he said.
“Indeed,” Amanda replied. “Where shall I put my stuff?”
“I’ll show you.” Isaac turned to Genie. “I’ll put a plaque on your door so you don’t lose your way to your room again.”
Genie felt her cheeks burn. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Instead, she went up to her room and put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, replacing the short kimono-style robe she had been wearing previously. Afterward, she scrubbed the negativity away by washing her face. Genie went downstairs and out the back door to sit by herself for a bit on the patio there. It was private, so she could listen to her messages in peace. Two were from her mother, threatening to disown her if she didn’t share a piece of the action. Genie rolled her eyes at these and deleted them. Two were from Amanda
***
Genie awoke the next morning, disappointed to find that she was all alone in the big, king-sized bed. She felt first frustrated and then upset that Isaac had spent all night with her . Genie racked her brain devising a plan for getting Ruby Schmidt, romance novelist, out of Isaac’s life for good. The woman asked too many nosy questions about things that were none of her damn business. Genie’s second plan was to convince Isaac that a non-profit was the worst way to spend his inheritance. She never did find his rainy day cash stash, which surprised her. The Isaac Ross she knew from back in high school always had money stashed away somewhere. I’ll just have to look harder next chance I get.
She rolled out of bed finally and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Genie didn’t forget that she had undressed before getting into bed the night before. She had hoped Isaac would crawl into bed next to her and be reminded of how good she was to him, physically. Genie noticed one of the guest bedroom doors was shut. She tried the knob—locked. She sighed and got dressed before trudging downstairs to turn on her phone. Might as well get all the voicemails out of the way , she thought.
Just then there was a knock on the door. Looking at the clock, Genie saw that it was eleven. Through the window of the front door she saw a woman’s form with the rising sun silhouetting her.
“Damn that Ruby,” Genie said, spitting the words out. She hollered up the stairs for Isaac to get out of bed and then opened the door, stopping dead in her tracks when she saw Amanda Johnson on the other side of the screen door.
“Good morning, Genie,” Amanda said, all smiles and sunshine. She wore a yellow, wide-brimmed straw hat and a white sun dress with yellow flowers on it. She had a suitcase in one hand and her purse over her shoulder. Without waiting for Genie to invite her in, Amanda pushed past the girl and set her suitcase down in the living room before looking around the lower floor of her nephew’s new house.
“Hi, Amanda,” Genie said slowly. Her stomach felt suddenly hollow.
“Where’s Reggie?” Amanda asked, making direct eye contact with Genie.
“The nanny is bringing her today, so I don’t know if there’s room for all of us here,” Genie responded sharply.
“Then you better get a hotel,” Amanda said with a smile, which grew wider when she saw Genie’s mouth open in surprise. “You might want to put some more clothes on, too. This isn’t a flop house, and my nephew’s girlfriend lives next door. Show some damn respect.”
Genie hadn’t recovered from the first shock and took a few steps backward, away from Amanda as the woman continued attacking her verbally. Before she could gather her wits to form a reply, Amanda had already turned away to pull Isaac into a hug. He came down stairs, rubbing his eyes, wearing only a pair of swim trunks. Isaac wrapped his arms tight around her.
“Aunt Mandy! I’m so glad you’re here. It’s getting to be quite the party,” he said.
“Indeed,” Amanda replied. “Where shall I put my stuff?”
“I’ll show you.” Isaac turned to Genie. “I’ll put a plaque on your door so you don’t lose your way to your room again.”
Genie felt her cheeks burn. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Instead, she went up to her room and put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, replacing the short kimono-style robe she had been wearing previously. Afterward, she scrubbed the negativity away by washing her face. Genie went downstairs and out the back door to sit by herself for a bit on the patio there. It was private, so she could listen to her messages in peace. Two were from her mother, threatening to disown her if she didn’t share a piece of the action. Genie rolled her eyes at these and deleted them. Two were from Amanda
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