the coffee shop.
CHAPTER 6
“OPEN UP, IT’S MOM,” PJ said as she knocked on the motel room door. She had tried her key, but Thomas had the security chain fastened. She was glad he was so sensible. He opened the door right away. As she reached to give him a hug and a kiss, he pulled away slightly and shoved a potato chip in his mouth. That certainly cut out the prospect of a kiss.
“Mom,” he said, talking around the chip, “don’t do that mushy stuff. We’ve talked about that before.”
“I didn’t think it was too much to ask for my son to greet me with a hug after I’ve had such a rough day,” she said irritably.
“You think you’ve had a rough day! I ran out of soda three hours ago.”
A glance at his face told PJ that he was serious. Irritation grew into anger. “You listen to me, young man…”
She knew that annoyed Thomas big time, and she really shouldn’t have done it. Thomas turned his back on her, mumbling something which she barely caught but which she thought came from her A list of banned words. There was an A list, a B list, and a C list. Using a C word cost Thomas a dime, a B word cost a quarter, and an A word cost a dollar.
“That will be one dollar, please,” she said icily. The mumbling continued.
“Two dollars. Care to go for your whole allowance?”
She could tell by the stiffness in his back that they weren’t making much progress on rebuilding their relationship. He went to his luggage, dug into a pile of underwear, and came up with two wrinkled dollars. He held them out to her, mouth set, not meeting her eyes. She took them, then thought for a moment and handed one back.
“We’ll split it. I may have been a little short-tempered there.”
“Yeah, you could say that.” The dollar disappeared into his pocket.
“So how’s the cat?” she said, grateful to change the subject. Schultz had driven her by the motel and she had smuggled the box containing the cat into the room earlier today. She wasn’t sure if the motel allowed pets and she hadn’t decided yet if she was going to own up to acquiring a cat. She could probably salve her conscience with the thought that she hadn’t owned a cat when she checked in, so she hadn’t really lied then.
“It’s still in the bathroom. It made some noise and then it shut up. Do you have any idea what that animal’s rear smells like? What do we need with a cat, anyway?”
“It’s a she, and that’s your dad’s prejudice showing. I happen to love cats.”
“Well, I don’t, and it’s going to be a nuisance. It’ll get fur on my black T-shirt. Whew!” he said, sniffing in her direction. “Speaking of smells, you smell weird.”
PJ sighed. She could hardly wait to wash her hair. She had thought it was psychological, that smell of blood floating around her face all afternoon.
“Let’s give her a try, OK? Maybe you’ll like having a cat around. She can be a wonderful companion,” PJ said, just a little too brightly.
“Yeah, and so is a twenty-dollar bill, but it doesn’t put fur on my clothes and barf on the rug.”
“Did she?” PJ said, suddenly concerned. “Barf on the rug?”
“No, but it will eventually. What’s in the bag, anyway?” He had noticed a small plastic bag that PJ had brought home.
“Cat food. We’ll talk about it again, but now I don’t have time to argue. We’re keeping that cat, and I’ve just decided to let you come up with a name for her,” she said. At least it felt good to be in control about something. “I have an appointment with the real estate woman in an hour, and I need to shower first. Are you sure you won’t come with me?”
“Nah. I told you I don’t want to look at houses. I don’t even want to be here.”
His face was so sad that PJ wanted to reach out and cuddle him. “I know, Thomas,” she said softly. “I wish things hadn’t turned out this way, but they did, and now we’ve got to make the best of it.”
“If you hadn’t been so wrapped up in
CHAPTER 6
“OPEN UP, IT’S MOM,” PJ said as she knocked on the motel room door. She had tried her key, but Thomas had the security chain fastened. She was glad he was so sensible. He opened the door right away. As she reached to give him a hug and a kiss, he pulled away slightly and shoved a potato chip in his mouth. That certainly cut out the prospect of a kiss.
“Mom,” he said, talking around the chip, “don’t do that mushy stuff. We’ve talked about that before.”
“I didn’t think it was too much to ask for my son to greet me with a hug after I’ve had such a rough day,” she said irritably.
“You think you’ve had a rough day! I ran out of soda three hours ago.”
A glance at his face told PJ that he was serious. Irritation grew into anger. “You listen to me, young man…”
She knew that annoyed Thomas big time, and she really shouldn’t have done it. Thomas turned his back on her, mumbling something which she barely caught but which she thought came from her A list of banned words. There was an A list, a B list, and a C list. Using a C word cost Thomas a dime, a B word cost a quarter, and an A word cost a dollar.
“That will be one dollar, please,” she said icily. The mumbling continued.
“Two dollars. Care to go for your whole allowance?”
She could tell by the stiffness in his back that they weren’t making much progress on rebuilding their relationship. He went to his luggage, dug into a pile of underwear, and came up with two wrinkled dollars. He held them out to her, mouth set, not meeting her eyes. She took them, then thought for a moment and handed one back.
“We’ll split it. I may have been a little short-tempered there.”
“Yeah, you could say that.” The dollar disappeared into his pocket.
“So how’s the cat?” she said, grateful to change the subject. Schultz had driven her by the motel and she had smuggled the box containing the cat into the room earlier today. She wasn’t sure if the motel allowed pets and she hadn’t decided yet if she was going to own up to acquiring a cat. She could probably salve her conscience with the thought that she hadn’t owned a cat when she checked in, so she hadn’t really lied then.
“It’s still in the bathroom. It made some noise and then it shut up. Do you have any idea what that animal’s rear smells like? What do we need with a cat, anyway?”
“It’s a she, and that’s your dad’s prejudice showing. I happen to love cats.”
“Well, I don’t, and it’s going to be a nuisance. It’ll get fur on my black T-shirt. Whew!” he said, sniffing in her direction. “Speaking of smells, you smell weird.”
PJ sighed. She could hardly wait to wash her hair. She had thought it was psychological, that smell of blood floating around her face all afternoon.
“Let’s give her a try, OK? Maybe you’ll like having a cat around. She can be a wonderful companion,” PJ said, just a little too brightly.
“Yeah, and so is a twenty-dollar bill, but it doesn’t put fur on my clothes and barf on the rug.”
“Did she?” PJ said, suddenly concerned. “Barf on the rug?”
“No, but it will eventually. What’s in the bag, anyway?” He had noticed a small plastic bag that PJ had brought home.
“Cat food. We’ll talk about it again, but now I don’t have time to argue. We’re keeping that cat, and I’ve just decided to let you come up with a name for her,” she said. At least it felt good to be in control about something. “I have an appointment with the real estate woman in an hour, and I need to shower first. Are you sure you won’t come with me?”
“Nah. I told you I don’t want to look at houses. I don’t even want to be here.”
His face was so sad that PJ wanted to reach out and cuddle him. “I know, Thomas,” she said softly. “I wish things hadn’t turned out this way, but they did, and now we’ve got to make the best of it.”
“If you hadn’t been so wrapped up in
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