Paige’s writing style smoothed and matured. At last, she had a grip on what might become a successful regency novel. And soon she’d have another completed manuscript to submit; one she could defend honestly, unlike her three previous attempts.
Thinking back on her collegiate career, she realized she’d left that institution with a smattering of misconceptions about fiction writing. Along with a debilitating attitude that whatever she put on paper had come straight from the gods above, pure as fresh-driven snow.
Other than her lit classes where she’d been introduced to an excellent array of classic authors’ work, nothing lit her creative fire. A voracious reader, she’d doubled the reading requirements of each of those classes; something that prepared her far better than all three of those so-called creative sessions.
* * *
On the Sunday before Independence Day, she fumed when Edgar and Troy drove up to the house to get Ozzie for their routine fishing expedition. Troy waved but she turned her back on him, in time to stare directly into Cil’s face.
“What’s wrong, Paige? Can’t you at least be friendly?”
“Give me one good reason for that.”
“This is not the end of the world as we know it, dear.”
“Maybe not, but Troy Roberts is not part of my world.”
“Darling, I think you and I need to have a talk.”
“What’s to talk about, Mom? He’s made his choice and so have I.”
“Sometimes men do stupid things, honey. For that matter, so do women but that’s not what we’re into now. I understand that Troy did something that really hurt you. If my experience in life tells me anything, he’s feeling twice the pain you are at this moment.”
“Great! I hope he hurts like hell.”
“Paige, please. Hear me out. And watch your language, young lady.”
“Okay, Mother, I’m sorry. It’s your scene.”
“My scene, huh? Well, I guess it is, at that. Do you really believe, inside where it counts, that Troy has serious feelings for Missy?”
“No more than any of the hundreds of other girls he’s despoiled.”
“Paige!”
“Well, he has!”
“Do you know for a fact that he’s done that?”
“Of course. Everyone knows Troy ’s score-sheet.”
“Nonsense. That’s just gossip, probably started by one of the girls he didn’t try to despoil. And you of all people should know better than to publish gossip and call it fact.”
She couldn’t help her flaming face. Her mom was right and she knew it. “Okay. So what if it’s only a dozen or so?”
“Still gossip and rumor. Unless you actually know names, times, places, you shouldn’t touch this garbage with a ten-foot pole, dear. Now, please answer my question. Do you think Troy loves Missy?”
“No.”
“I agree. Does Missy love Troy ?”
“I don’t think so. I know she had fantasies about him. She didn’t tell me but I knew. Then she went so head over heels for Tom, that’s what makes what she did so hard to take.”
“Not hard at all. Have you ever had dinner with someone you liked to talk to, without falling in love with them?”
“Yes. Everyone has.” How do you say duh to your mom?
“So, why don’t you give your friends the benefit of the doubt? Maybe they were sitting there talking about you.”
“ Troy said they were talking about relationships.”
“Right. Maybe yours with him? Or Missy’s with Tom?”
Oh my god. She forced herself to look into Cil’s eyes, realizing she might have made a big mistake in judging her friends. “You could be right, I guess. But he makes me so angry. Sitting there with my best friend, in front of the whole world.”
“That was over a month ago.”
“I know, but it still hurts.”
“Men, as I said, sometimes do some strange things. Take your dad, for example. He-”
“I don’t want to hear about him, either.”
“Why? Because he usually has both feet in his mouth?”
“Yes. And because he’s always wanted me to be a boy.”
“What?” Cil
Thinking back on her collegiate career, she realized she’d left that institution with a smattering of misconceptions about fiction writing. Along with a debilitating attitude that whatever she put on paper had come straight from the gods above, pure as fresh-driven snow.
Other than her lit classes where she’d been introduced to an excellent array of classic authors’ work, nothing lit her creative fire. A voracious reader, she’d doubled the reading requirements of each of those classes; something that prepared her far better than all three of those so-called creative sessions.
* * *
On the Sunday before Independence Day, she fumed when Edgar and Troy drove up to the house to get Ozzie for their routine fishing expedition. Troy waved but she turned her back on him, in time to stare directly into Cil’s face.
“What’s wrong, Paige? Can’t you at least be friendly?”
“Give me one good reason for that.”
“This is not the end of the world as we know it, dear.”
“Maybe not, but Troy Roberts is not part of my world.”
“Darling, I think you and I need to have a talk.”
“What’s to talk about, Mom? He’s made his choice and so have I.”
“Sometimes men do stupid things, honey. For that matter, so do women but that’s not what we’re into now. I understand that Troy did something that really hurt you. If my experience in life tells me anything, he’s feeling twice the pain you are at this moment.”
“Great! I hope he hurts like hell.”
“Paige, please. Hear me out. And watch your language, young lady.”
“Okay, Mother, I’m sorry. It’s your scene.”
“My scene, huh? Well, I guess it is, at that. Do you really believe, inside where it counts, that Troy has serious feelings for Missy?”
“No more than any of the hundreds of other girls he’s despoiled.”
“Paige!”
“Well, he has!”
“Do you know for a fact that he’s done that?”
“Of course. Everyone knows Troy ’s score-sheet.”
“Nonsense. That’s just gossip, probably started by one of the girls he didn’t try to despoil. And you of all people should know better than to publish gossip and call it fact.”
She couldn’t help her flaming face. Her mom was right and she knew it. “Okay. So what if it’s only a dozen or so?”
“Still gossip and rumor. Unless you actually know names, times, places, you shouldn’t touch this garbage with a ten-foot pole, dear. Now, please answer my question. Do you think Troy loves Missy?”
“No.”
“I agree. Does Missy love Troy ?”
“I don’t think so. I know she had fantasies about him. She didn’t tell me but I knew. Then she went so head over heels for Tom, that’s what makes what she did so hard to take.”
“Not hard at all. Have you ever had dinner with someone you liked to talk to, without falling in love with them?”
“Yes. Everyone has.” How do you say duh to your mom?
“So, why don’t you give your friends the benefit of the doubt? Maybe they were sitting there talking about you.”
“ Troy said they were talking about relationships.”
“Right. Maybe yours with him? Or Missy’s with Tom?”
Oh my god. She forced herself to look into Cil’s eyes, realizing she might have made a big mistake in judging her friends. “You could be right, I guess. But he makes me so angry. Sitting there with my best friend, in front of the whole world.”
“That was over a month ago.”
“I know, but it still hurts.”
“Men, as I said, sometimes do some strange things. Take your dad, for example. He-”
“I don’t want to hear about him, either.”
“Why? Because he usually has both feet in his mouth?”
“Yes. And because he’s always wanted me to be a boy.”
“What?” Cil
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