came back and got to work.”
“So am I. Can we talk about how we’re going to get you and Sylvia organized?”
“I’ve been giving that some thought.” Ted leaned against a part of the counter that was now immaculate. “We have Thursday afternoons off, and all day Saturday. I’ll ask Sylvia to work Thursday, with pay, of course, and you and she can work in her area then. And on Saturday, you and I can start on my office.”
“Sounds good to me,” Tina said. “What’s the upstairs like, by the way? Did you want me to do anything up there?”
Brenda shuddered. “Spooky place. Full of old furniture and cobwebs.”
Ted gave an uneasy laugh. “We can talk about that later and then decide what to do. No hurry—no one ever goes up there.”
“Mind if I take a look?” Tina asked.
“No, of course not,” Ted said quickly.
Tina glanced at her watch. Just after five. “I’ll do that tomorrow as a break from working some more on the kitchen.”
“Might not seem like much of a break,” Brenda said, grinning.
Tina looked at the stove. “It will be from cleaning this stove.”
They all smiled, and Tina said she’d see them tomorrow.
The wind had picked up, and it bit through her as she walked to her car. It would be dark soon. Tina loved Newport in the summer with its bright, sunny days and long evenings, but she didn’t like fall and winter much.
She stopped at a convenience store on the way home, filled up her tank, and bought a Milky Way candy bar for later.
As she drove up to the house, she saw, parked in the street, Hank’s silver Jaguar. A thrum of excitement beat at her heart, and she climbed out of the car in a happier mood.
Hank and her mother sat in the living room on the old, comfortably shabby Victorian furniture. Her mother was laughing at something Hank said, and Tina looked at the two of them with bemusement. Her mother claimed that Hank was a most unsuitable person for Tina to date. Tina protested that they were just friends and weren’t going out. Now Laura sat there, seemingly charmed by him. Tina supposed she’d never understand her mother.
Hank stood as Tina entered. He made no move to touch her or hug her. He checked her over from foot to head, his silvery-gray eyes lingering on her face. She gave a slight shiver.
“Hi!” Her over-bright voice sounded false to her own ears.
“Hello,” they both replied.
Her mother sat in her chair, watching Tina and Hank with narrowed eyes. Defiantly, Tina stepped closer to Hank and pecked him on the cheek. “Haven’t seen you in a while,” she said.
“Been busy.”
Doing what? She wondered, but knew better than to ask.
“I’m taking you out to dinner. I figured you need cheering up.”
“And you’re just the man to do it,” Tina said with a laugh. “Cheerful Hank.”
He looked nonplused. Tina laughed harder, and she noticed that even her mother had a ghost of a smile.
“Where are we going to have this cheerful meal?” Tina asked.
“Don’t push your luck,” her mother said. “Hank might rescind his invitation.”
“It was an invitation?” Tina asked. She couldn’t seem to help herself, baiting Hank tonight. “I thought it was a command performance. Do I need to change? Scratch that. I definitely need to change.” She smelled of cleaning supplies and felt as if the grime from the kitchen had been transferred to her own body. “Hank, you can continue to amuse Mother while I take a quick shower and change.”
“… don’t know what’s gotten into her lately,” she heard her mother say as she left the room. Tina grinned.
She walked up the broad, winding front stairs. In her bathroom, she threw her clothes in the hamper and took a quick shower. She dressed in a dark blue, slinky short dress that showed off her figure, glad for the impulse purchase now. Carefully, she applied a bit of makeup, especially around her still-swollen eyes. She took her silver heels and a silver purse from the closet and stuffed
“So am I. Can we talk about how we’re going to get you and Sylvia organized?”
“I’ve been giving that some thought.” Ted leaned against a part of the counter that was now immaculate. “We have Thursday afternoons off, and all day Saturday. I’ll ask Sylvia to work Thursday, with pay, of course, and you and she can work in her area then. And on Saturday, you and I can start on my office.”
“Sounds good to me,” Tina said. “What’s the upstairs like, by the way? Did you want me to do anything up there?”
Brenda shuddered. “Spooky place. Full of old furniture and cobwebs.”
Ted gave an uneasy laugh. “We can talk about that later and then decide what to do. No hurry—no one ever goes up there.”
“Mind if I take a look?” Tina asked.
“No, of course not,” Ted said quickly.
Tina glanced at her watch. Just after five. “I’ll do that tomorrow as a break from working some more on the kitchen.”
“Might not seem like much of a break,” Brenda said, grinning.
Tina looked at the stove. “It will be from cleaning this stove.”
They all smiled, and Tina said she’d see them tomorrow.
The wind had picked up, and it bit through her as she walked to her car. It would be dark soon. Tina loved Newport in the summer with its bright, sunny days and long evenings, but she didn’t like fall and winter much.
She stopped at a convenience store on the way home, filled up her tank, and bought a Milky Way candy bar for later.
As she drove up to the house, she saw, parked in the street, Hank’s silver Jaguar. A thrum of excitement beat at her heart, and she climbed out of the car in a happier mood.
Hank and her mother sat in the living room on the old, comfortably shabby Victorian furniture. Her mother was laughing at something Hank said, and Tina looked at the two of them with bemusement. Her mother claimed that Hank was a most unsuitable person for Tina to date. Tina protested that they were just friends and weren’t going out. Now Laura sat there, seemingly charmed by him. Tina supposed she’d never understand her mother.
Hank stood as Tina entered. He made no move to touch her or hug her. He checked her over from foot to head, his silvery-gray eyes lingering on her face. She gave a slight shiver.
“Hi!” Her over-bright voice sounded false to her own ears.
“Hello,” they both replied.
Her mother sat in her chair, watching Tina and Hank with narrowed eyes. Defiantly, Tina stepped closer to Hank and pecked him on the cheek. “Haven’t seen you in a while,” she said.
“Been busy.”
Doing what? She wondered, but knew better than to ask.
“I’m taking you out to dinner. I figured you need cheering up.”
“And you’re just the man to do it,” Tina said with a laugh. “Cheerful Hank.”
He looked nonplused. Tina laughed harder, and she noticed that even her mother had a ghost of a smile.
“Where are we going to have this cheerful meal?” Tina asked.
“Don’t push your luck,” her mother said. “Hank might rescind his invitation.”
“It was an invitation?” Tina asked. She couldn’t seem to help herself, baiting Hank tonight. “I thought it was a command performance. Do I need to change? Scratch that. I definitely need to change.” She smelled of cleaning supplies and felt as if the grime from the kitchen had been transferred to her own body. “Hank, you can continue to amuse Mother while I take a quick shower and change.”
“… don’t know what’s gotten into her lately,” she heard her mother say as she left the room. Tina grinned.
She walked up the broad, winding front stairs. In her bathroom, she threw her clothes in the hamper and took a quick shower. She dressed in a dark blue, slinky short dress that showed off her figure, glad for the impulse purchase now. Carefully, she applied a bit of makeup, especially around her still-swollen eyes. She took her silver heels and a silver purse from the closet and stuffed
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