red, eyes supported by puffy bags and her damp blonde hair is piled atop her head.
“Oh! Jessica!” She slurs. “I… I didn’t know this is your room.”
I hold my breath. Carolyn smells like a cheap, bootleg distillery. Hell, what had she gotten into? Last I saw her, she was just downing wine. Did she pack rocket fuel?
“Hi Mrs. Somersby, can I help you with something?”
“I-I was… I was…” She pauses for a moment and I figure she’s trying to remember what she was saying. “Oh! I was searching for Joe’s room. We… we haven’t chatted all evening! I thought he —” s he hiccups “ —m ight be interested in talking over a few cold ones.”
I frown. “I think maybe you’ve had enough tonight, don’t you?”
She waves her hand at me. “Oh, no, no. I’m good. I’m not drunk, just feeling nice and fuzzy.” She sighs, leans her head against the door frame.
“I bet.” And here is where the devil in me comes out to play. “You know, Mr. Parker’s room is just over there.” I tilt my head toward the adjoining door.
Carolyn’s mouth forms a perfect “O”. “Joe?” She stumbles past me and heads right on through to his room and he jumps from the bed so fast it creaks.
She begins babbling about having a few drinks together while he snags her arm and shuffles her toward his bedroom door.
Of course, the commotion the two of them cause drags my parents up from downstairs and Brandon out into the hallway and then the small space if filled with a cacophony of voices.
“Mom!” Brandon’s voice rises above the others for a minute and I steal a glance at my parents.
My mother has her hand pressed to her chest while my dad is averting his gaze as if he’ll burn in hell if he watches Carolyn a moment longer.
Brandon strides to his mother and tugs her away from Mr. Parker. “I’m sorry. My mom is drunk.”
And… Carolyn argues. “I’m not! I’m fine.”
Brandon does his best to contain his mother, but she suddenly gets it in her head that she’s a butterfly and she needs to fly, fly away. Which causes yet another bikini malfunction until she’s basically topless, breasts swinging in the breeze.
More curses:
“Jesus!” (Dad)
“Fuck!” (Mom – She’s going to hell.)
“Damn it, Mom!” (Brandon) See, I’m starting to feel bad here.
I stand immobile in the doorway, shocked by this all and I steal a glance at Mr. Parker.
He is not amused.
Hell, he’s glowering at me.
And I know I’m evil and will burn eternally, but it’s so fucking hilarious, I don’t trust myself not to burst into giggles at any moment. So, I take a step back, slam my door and bite my finger until my teeth leave a deep indentation in my flesh. I also go ahead and close the nanny door, making sure to lock it before my secret lover can sneak through and give me a piece of his mind. Oy.
Shaking with silent laughter, I climb onto the bed and seek refuge beneath the blanket.
The clock shows two AM when I finally calm myself and drift to sleep.
SATURDAY
When I finally roll out of bed and tromp down the stairs for breakfast, I find everyone in a dark mood, black clouds of awkwardness hanging over the table. Carolyn isn’t eating with us and a brief inquiry to my mother reveals she’s sleeping off her hangover.
Not long after I pop in, Brandon joins us. His face is just as grim while he cuts into his pancakes.
Guilt snakes up my spine and wraps around my skull. If I’d just hushed Carolyn and sent her quietly back to her room, Brandon wouldn’t have had to been involved in the spectacle last night. Sometimes I just don’t think things through. Fueled by jealousy, I’d let Carolyn make an ass of herself and now I feel like a total dick.
And Mr. Parker…
He sits quietly, eating his eggs and hash browns, sipping his coffee with a perfectly blank expression like always. But I know, deep inside, he’s furious with me. I can feel his could anger coming at me in waves.
Crap.
I wonder what
“Oh! Jessica!” She slurs. “I… I didn’t know this is your room.”
I hold my breath. Carolyn smells like a cheap, bootleg distillery. Hell, what had she gotten into? Last I saw her, she was just downing wine. Did she pack rocket fuel?
“Hi Mrs. Somersby, can I help you with something?”
“I-I was… I was…” She pauses for a moment and I figure she’s trying to remember what she was saying. “Oh! I was searching for Joe’s room. We… we haven’t chatted all evening! I thought he —” s he hiccups “ —m ight be interested in talking over a few cold ones.”
I frown. “I think maybe you’ve had enough tonight, don’t you?”
She waves her hand at me. “Oh, no, no. I’m good. I’m not drunk, just feeling nice and fuzzy.” She sighs, leans her head against the door frame.
“I bet.” And here is where the devil in me comes out to play. “You know, Mr. Parker’s room is just over there.” I tilt my head toward the adjoining door.
Carolyn’s mouth forms a perfect “O”. “Joe?” She stumbles past me and heads right on through to his room and he jumps from the bed so fast it creaks.
She begins babbling about having a few drinks together while he snags her arm and shuffles her toward his bedroom door.
Of course, the commotion the two of them cause drags my parents up from downstairs and Brandon out into the hallway and then the small space if filled with a cacophony of voices.
“Mom!” Brandon’s voice rises above the others for a minute and I steal a glance at my parents.
My mother has her hand pressed to her chest while my dad is averting his gaze as if he’ll burn in hell if he watches Carolyn a moment longer.
Brandon strides to his mother and tugs her away from Mr. Parker. “I’m sorry. My mom is drunk.”
And… Carolyn argues. “I’m not! I’m fine.”
Brandon does his best to contain his mother, but she suddenly gets it in her head that she’s a butterfly and she needs to fly, fly away. Which causes yet another bikini malfunction until she’s basically topless, breasts swinging in the breeze.
More curses:
“Jesus!” (Dad)
“Fuck!” (Mom – She’s going to hell.)
“Damn it, Mom!” (Brandon) See, I’m starting to feel bad here.
I stand immobile in the doorway, shocked by this all and I steal a glance at Mr. Parker.
He is not amused.
Hell, he’s glowering at me.
And I know I’m evil and will burn eternally, but it’s so fucking hilarious, I don’t trust myself not to burst into giggles at any moment. So, I take a step back, slam my door and bite my finger until my teeth leave a deep indentation in my flesh. I also go ahead and close the nanny door, making sure to lock it before my secret lover can sneak through and give me a piece of his mind. Oy.
Shaking with silent laughter, I climb onto the bed and seek refuge beneath the blanket.
The clock shows two AM when I finally calm myself and drift to sleep.
SATURDAY
When I finally roll out of bed and tromp down the stairs for breakfast, I find everyone in a dark mood, black clouds of awkwardness hanging over the table. Carolyn isn’t eating with us and a brief inquiry to my mother reveals she’s sleeping off her hangover.
Not long after I pop in, Brandon joins us. His face is just as grim while he cuts into his pancakes.
Guilt snakes up my spine and wraps around my skull. If I’d just hushed Carolyn and sent her quietly back to her room, Brandon wouldn’t have had to been involved in the spectacle last night. Sometimes I just don’t think things through. Fueled by jealousy, I’d let Carolyn make an ass of herself and now I feel like a total dick.
And Mr. Parker…
He sits quietly, eating his eggs and hash browns, sipping his coffee with a perfectly blank expression like always. But I know, deep inside, he’s furious with me. I can feel his could anger coming at me in waves.
Crap.
I wonder what
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