about her mom screwing the office painter if she ever found out? That would be a terrible example to set for her daughter.
Jolene had always prided herself on being a good mother. No matter how much she screwed up the other parts of her life, she wasn’t going to mess that up. Juliette was her only child, and Jolene wanted her to have the best of everything.
She had become the black sheep in the family when she got pregnant as a teenager. And even though she had eventually married and she and Patrick had a beautiful daughter together, she still wasn’t good enough for her uppity family. Her father the judge, her mom the society maven, and her sister the snobby Spelman College graduate all looked down on her. She had disgraced the family, and even living in the most exclusive black neighborhood in Maryland now didn’t make up for that. Sure, there was a lot of black money in Prince George’s County, but it was
new
money, as her father had made clear. If people didn’t have the right pedigree, all the money in the world didn’t matter.
When Juliette was born, Jolene swore her daughter would never be exposed to that kind of snobbishness. Money was money, and Jolene didn’t give a damn where it came from.
The one thing she felt she had failed at with Juliette was giving her a stable family life with both her mother and her father living together under the same roof. That was hurting Juliette more than anything. Jolene had noticed that Juliette was developing a hard edge, probably out of bitterness over the divorce, not to mention spending so much time around Lee. Juliette used to be such a sweet child but now she had quite the mouth on her.
Recently Jolene had toyed with the idea of asking Patrick if he wanted to give the marriage another try for Juliette’s sake. Getting back together with Patrick would also help her in the image department. She didn’t give a damn what Pearl thought of her. Who the hell was she? But Barbara Bentley was another matter. She was the doyenne of Silver Lake, and Jolene knew that she
had
to get back into Barbara’s good graces or she was never going to be accepted around here. Barbara and Patrick had always gotten along well when the four of them got together for dinner. If she and Patrick remarried, Barbara’s bad feelings toward her might change.
The problem was that she didn’t know how Patrick would feel about getting back together now that he had taken up with Pearl. She had no doubt that this thing between them was temporary. Pearl was an overweight hairdresser, and Jolene couldn’t imagine Patrick ever marrying someone like that. Jolene knew that she might have put on a few pounds, but she was thirty-eight years old, not forty-eight, like Pearl. And she had style. Pearl dressed like a shabby matron.
Jolene downed her drink just as the doorbell rang. That would be Patrick bringing Juliette home, she thought. She stood up, placed her glass on the bar, and slipped back into her heels. She walked into the foyer and at the last minute decided to undo the top button of her berry-colored Moschino cardigan. Hell, yeah. Let Patrick see what he was missing. She put on a big smile and opened the door.
Juliette and Patrick stood there talking and laughing. Jolene knew that Juliette blamed her mother for her dad leaving, and at times, Jolene felt a twinge of jealousy at the way Juliette looked at Patrick with such open adoration.
Jolene kissed Juliette on the forehead as she entered. “Hello, darling.”
“Hello, Mother,” Juliette said coolly, barely glancing in Jolene’s direction. It hurt like hell when Juliette treated her this way but she tried to brush it off.
“How was your visit?” Jolene asked.
Juliette shrugged. “It was fine,” she said. She kissed Patrick good-bye on the cheek and brushed past Jolene with her overnight bag.
Juliette was headed to her bedroom and the telephone no doubt, Jolene thought. Jolene wondered if Juliette was giving Pearl as difficult a
Jolene had always prided herself on being a good mother. No matter how much she screwed up the other parts of her life, she wasn’t going to mess that up. Juliette was her only child, and Jolene wanted her to have the best of everything.
She had become the black sheep in the family when she got pregnant as a teenager. And even though she had eventually married and she and Patrick had a beautiful daughter together, she still wasn’t good enough for her uppity family. Her father the judge, her mom the society maven, and her sister the snobby Spelman College graduate all looked down on her. She had disgraced the family, and even living in the most exclusive black neighborhood in Maryland now didn’t make up for that. Sure, there was a lot of black money in Prince George’s County, but it was
new
money, as her father had made clear. If people didn’t have the right pedigree, all the money in the world didn’t matter.
When Juliette was born, Jolene swore her daughter would never be exposed to that kind of snobbishness. Money was money, and Jolene didn’t give a damn where it came from.
The one thing she felt she had failed at with Juliette was giving her a stable family life with both her mother and her father living together under the same roof. That was hurting Juliette more than anything. Jolene had noticed that Juliette was developing a hard edge, probably out of bitterness over the divorce, not to mention spending so much time around Lee. Juliette used to be such a sweet child but now she had quite the mouth on her.
Recently Jolene had toyed with the idea of asking Patrick if he wanted to give the marriage another try for Juliette’s sake. Getting back together with Patrick would also help her in the image department. She didn’t give a damn what Pearl thought of her. Who the hell was she? But Barbara Bentley was another matter. She was the doyenne of Silver Lake, and Jolene knew that she
had
to get back into Barbara’s good graces or she was never going to be accepted around here. Barbara and Patrick had always gotten along well when the four of them got together for dinner. If she and Patrick remarried, Barbara’s bad feelings toward her might change.
The problem was that she didn’t know how Patrick would feel about getting back together now that he had taken up with Pearl. She had no doubt that this thing between them was temporary. Pearl was an overweight hairdresser, and Jolene couldn’t imagine Patrick ever marrying someone like that. Jolene knew that she might have put on a few pounds, but she was thirty-eight years old, not forty-eight, like Pearl. And she had style. Pearl dressed like a shabby matron.
Jolene downed her drink just as the doorbell rang. That would be Patrick bringing Juliette home, she thought. She stood up, placed her glass on the bar, and slipped back into her heels. She walked into the foyer and at the last minute decided to undo the top button of her berry-colored Moschino cardigan. Hell, yeah. Let Patrick see what he was missing. She put on a big smile and opened the door.
Juliette and Patrick stood there talking and laughing. Jolene knew that Juliette blamed her mother for her dad leaving, and at times, Jolene felt a twinge of jealousy at the way Juliette looked at Patrick with such open adoration.
Jolene kissed Juliette on the forehead as she entered. “Hello, darling.”
“Hello, Mother,” Juliette said coolly, barely glancing in Jolene’s direction. It hurt like hell when Juliette treated her this way but she tried to brush it off.
“How was your visit?” Jolene asked.
Juliette shrugged. “It was fine,” she said. She kissed Patrick good-bye on the cheek and brushed past Jolene with her overnight bag.
Juliette was headed to her bedroom and the telephone no doubt, Jolene thought. Jolene wondered if Juliette was giving Pearl as difficult a
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