information or a favor. From the look Rosalie wore, Gina knew she was in for a good grilling. She was in no mood for Rosalie this morning. Her mood went straight downhill at breakfast as soon as her asinine brother-in-law refused to take the thirty grand she’d offered to deposit into his and Tina’s dream house fund.
“A little birdie told me you moved out of the apartment yesterday morning. When were you going to tell me about it?”
“When I decided if I was staying in my new digs. I’m paying the rent; I don’t know why you’re worried.” Gina took a sip of her coffee and almost moaned with pleasure. Whole milk, extra whipped cream, and enough caramel to drown an apple, just the way she liked it. If Rosalie kept this up, Gina would have to go on a diet. There’s nothing like 500-calorie drinks to make a short woman a short, fat woman.
“So, tell me about the new place. What did you and your new sugar daddy buy?”
“It’s a five-story brownstone on Montgomery Place.”
Rosalie whistled between her teeth. “Wow, that’s some spendy real estate. What the heck are you going to do with a five-story brownstone?”
“Other than sell it as soon as the ink is dry on the divorce decree? Not much. I stayed there last night and the place was so huge and empty, it gave me the willies. I practically begged Tina to come over for dinner and a pajama party.”
Rosalie raised an eyebrow.
Gina got up to pace. “Sam works nights so there was no need for her to go back to the city. It was fun until he came over for breakfast. I tell you, Rosalie, my sister and brother-in-law are two of the most hardheaded people I’ve ever met.”
“Worse than you?”
Gina ignored her sarcasm. “I offered to give them thirty thousand dollars so they could start house shopping and they had the nerve to refuse. Why do you think I married Ben in the first place? So I could help them out and make sure they had a nice house all bought and paid for.”
Rosalie gave Gina one of her annoying looks that was usually followed by a lecture. Great, here it comes.
“It didn’t occur to you to ask them how they felt about taking that much money from you?”
“No. What sane person would turn down a gift of $30K?”
Rosalie crossed her arms and smiled. “Oh, I don’t know. Someone related to you, maybe. Just because you think you know what’s best for your little sister doesn’t mean you do.”
“That’s just insane. Of course I know what’s best for her. Who do you think raised her?”
Rosalie smiled. “You did, and you did a great job. Tina’s all grown up now, not to mention married. She doesn’t need you to make decisions for her.”
Gina slumped back into the chair next to Rosalie’s. “Yeah, thanks. Like I didn’t hear that enough last night and this morning. When they refused the money, I asked them to move in with me. The place has seven bedrooms. They can move in and we’d still have to phone each other if we wanted to talk.”
Rosalie sat forward. “You’re afraid to live alone.”
Gina shot out of the chair. “What are you, nuts? I’m not afraid. It’s just stupid for them to pay rent when I have four stories of a beautiful Romanesque Revival brownstone sitting empty. That way they can take all the rent money they’d be shelling out and put it right into savings.”
“And you won’t have to live in that big place all by yourself.”
Gina looked away. So what if she was a little uncomfortable living alone? She’d get used to it in time, maybe.
“Gina, you know you can always come over and hang with me and Nick, if you want. Hey, you can even borrow Dave until you feel more comfortable.”
“You loan your dog out?”
“Only to you. He’s great company. I know—why don’t you get a dog?”
Gina shook her head. “You should see this place, Rosalie. It’s so perfect, I’m afraid to live there. It looks like a castle filled with antiques and priceless shit. They even have real china in the
“A little birdie told me you moved out of the apartment yesterday morning. When were you going to tell me about it?”
“When I decided if I was staying in my new digs. I’m paying the rent; I don’t know why you’re worried.” Gina took a sip of her coffee and almost moaned with pleasure. Whole milk, extra whipped cream, and enough caramel to drown an apple, just the way she liked it. If Rosalie kept this up, Gina would have to go on a diet. There’s nothing like 500-calorie drinks to make a short woman a short, fat woman.
“So, tell me about the new place. What did you and your new sugar daddy buy?”
“It’s a five-story brownstone on Montgomery Place.”
Rosalie whistled between her teeth. “Wow, that’s some spendy real estate. What the heck are you going to do with a five-story brownstone?”
“Other than sell it as soon as the ink is dry on the divorce decree? Not much. I stayed there last night and the place was so huge and empty, it gave me the willies. I practically begged Tina to come over for dinner and a pajama party.”
Rosalie raised an eyebrow.
Gina got up to pace. “Sam works nights so there was no need for her to go back to the city. It was fun until he came over for breakfast. I tell you, Rosalie, my sister and brother-in-law are two of the most hardheaded people I’ve ever met.”
“Worse than you?”
Gina ignored her sarcasm. “I offered to give them thirty thousand dollars so they could start house shopping and they had the nerve to refuse. Why do you think I married Ben in the first place? So I could help them out and make sure they had a nice house all bought and paid for.”
Rosalie gave Gina one of her annoying looks that was usually followed by a lecture. Great, here it comes.
“It didn’t occur to you to ask them how they felt about taking that much money from you?”
“No. What sane person would turn down a gift of $30K?”
Rosalie crossed her arms and smiled. “Oh, I don’t know. Someone related to you, maybe. Just because you think you know what’s best for your little sister doesn’t mean you do.”
“That’s just insane. Of course I know what’s best for her. Who do you think raised her?”
Rosalie smiled. “You did, and you did a great job. Tina’s all grown up now, not to mention married. She doesn’t need you to make decisions for her.”
Gina slumped back into the chair next to Rosalie’s. “Yeah, thanks. Like I didn’t hear that enough last night and this morning. When they refused the money, I asked them to move in with me. The place has seven bedrooms. They can move in and we’d still have to phone each other if we wanted to talk.”
Rosalie sat forward. “You’re afraid to live alone.”
Gina shot out of the chair. “What are you, nuts? I’m not afraid. It’s just stupid for them to pay rent when I have four stories of a beautiful Romanesque Revival brownstone sitting empty. That way they can take all the rent money they’d be shelling out and put it right into savings.”
“And you won’t have to live in that big place all by yourself.”
Gina looked away. So what if she was a little uncomfortable living alone? She’d get used to it in time, maybe.
“Gina, you know you can always come over and hang with me and Nick, if you want. Hey, you can even borrow Dave until you feel more comfortable.”
“You loan your dog out?”
“Only to you. He’s great company. I know—why don’t you get a dog?”
Gina shook her head. “You should see this place, Rosalie. It’s so perfect, I’m afraid to live there. It looks like a castle filled with antiques and priceless shit. They even have real china in the
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