psychosomatic.”
“She needs the attention,” Kerri said, absently. “Like all the women in this family. But she’s old; what else can she do?”
“That’s a mean thing to say.”
“It’s the truth.”
“Maybe. It’s still mean.” He sat the soup bowl next to the television and shoved his hands into his pockets. He rocked back on his heels and asked, “Were you with a guy last night?”
She nodded that she was.
“I knew it.” He raked his hair off his forehead. “I swear you go out with these losers just to piss Mom off. But you’re only hurting yourself. You’re the one that gets screwed in the end.” Then he added, “Literally!” like he was proud that he’d caught the pun in time to take advantage of it.
She had an urge to defend herself, to explain that it was different this time, that Seth wasn’t a loser, wasn’t just another guy. He was the first one since she moved back home three years ago that she’d been able to spend the whole night with. Not only sleep next to, but sleep deeply and soundly, knowing that she was with someone who was undoubtedly good…even when he was behaving badly. And when she woke from that trusting sleep, he had coffee ready for her and he’d made her breakfast. She wished she would have taken his number now. She was so stupid sometimes. “I don’t do anything with them,” she said, deciding to tell Timmy what he needed to hear.
“I’m not a retard, Kerri,” he said, finally. “I know you’re not playing bridge with them.”
“Well,” she said, “I’m not suck’n and fuck’n either.”
“Then what?”
“Making them chase me around, buy me stuff.”
“Like Creepy Kyle,” Timmy said, his mouth curling into a vicious smile. “Old Faithful. Do him.”
“Now who’s being mean?”
“Come on. Please.”
Kerri shut off the television and began chewing a fingernail. “Umm,” she said in a deep, uncertain voice, “what do you have there, Kerri?”
Timmy grinned.
“Oh nothing,” she said, not sparing herself in the charade, mocking the childlike voice she used to get her way with certain men. “Just a purse that I love. That I adore .” She let out a theatrical sigh. “But have to put back because I can’t afford it on a salesgirl’s pay.”
She impersonated Kyle taking the purse from her and booming, “Well, it’s yours now. My gift to you!” Then, studying the purse, her lip and left eye twitching to mimic facial tics that made Kyle as irresistible for caricature as his habit of nail-biting, she said, “Holy shit! Even with my employee discount, this sucker is…” she made her face spasm again, “ three hundred and fifty bucks !”
Timmy laughed, clapping his hands.
“Well, of course, honey,” Kerri said, widening her eyes. “It’s a Coach bag. And worth every penny. You were the one who wanted to buy if for me! But don’t worry, I won’t hold you to it…”
Face convulsing, Kerri struck a thoughtful pose and held it long enough for Timmy to completely lose it, then went on parodying Kyle who she remembered was probably nursing a hangover about now. “It’s not that I don’t want to , Kerri…but it’s a lot of money for a purse…” she started chewing a fingernail, looking Timmy in the eye, “for a girl that already has…”
“Like a hundred purses!” Timmy cackled.
“Yeah, like a hundred,” Kerri’s spoof of Kyle repeated, “but…if that’s what makes my girl happy, I’ll just have to…ah…credit card it.”
“I pity the guy…” Timmy said, his face shining with laughter, his hair falling into his eyes.
“Serves him right,” Kerri said back to her own voice, “for thinking a woman’s love could be bought.”
After she showered and dressed for work, Kerri sat at the bar in the kitchen and fought the urge to return calls, to—as Seth would say—fill the time just to fill it. Wouldn’t it be wonderful, she thought, letting herself dream a little, if he really did call? If he
“She needs the attention,” Kerri said, absently. “Like all the women in this family. But she’s old; what else can she do?”
“That’s a mean thing to say.”
“It’s the truth.”
“Maybe. It’s still mean.” He sat the soup bowl next to the television and shoved his hands into his pockets. He rocked back on his heels and asked, “Were you with a guy last night?”
She nodded that she was.
“I knew it.” He raked his hair off his forehead. “I swear you go out with these losers just to piss Mom off. But you’re only hurting yourself. You’re the one that gets screwed in the end.” Then he added, “Literally!” like he was proud that he’d caught the pun in time to take advantage of it.
She had an urge to defend herself, to explain that it was different this time, that Seth wasn’t a loser, wasn’t just another guy. He was the first one since she moved back home three years ago that she’d been able to spend the whole night with. Not only sleep next to, but sleep deeply and soundly, knowing that she was with someone who was undoubtedly good…even when he was behaving badly. And when she woke from that trusting sleep, he had coffee ready for her and he’d made her breakfast. She wished she would have taken his number now. She was so stupid sometimes. “I don’t do anything with them,” she said, deciding to tell Timmy what he needed to hear.
“I’m not a retard, Kerri,” he said, finally. “I know you’re not playing bridge with them.”
“Well,” she said, “I’m not suck’n and fuck’n either.”
“Then what?”
“Making them chase me around, buy me stuff.”
“Like Creepy Kyle,” Timmy said, his mouth curling into a vicious smile. “Old Faithful. Do him.”
“Now who’s being mean?”
“Come on. Please.”
Kerri shut off the television and began chewing a fingernail. “Umm,” she said in a deep, uncertain voice, “what do you have there, Kerri?”
Timmy grinned.
“Oh nothing,” she said, not sparing herself in the charade, mocking the childlike voice she used to get her way with certain men. “Just a purse that I love. That I adore .” She let out a theatrical sigh. “But have to put back because I can’t afford it on a salesgirl’s pay.”
She impersonated Kyle taking the purse from her and booming, “Well, it’s yours now. My gift to you!” Then, studying the purse, her lip and left eye twitching to mimic facial tics that made Kyle as irresistible for caricature as his habit of nail-biting, she said, “Holy shit! Even with my employee discount, this sucker is…” she made her face spasm again, “ three hundred and fifty bucks !”
Timmy laughed, clapping his hands.
“Well, of course, honey,” Kerri said, widening her eyes. “It’s a Coach bag. And worth every penny. You were the one who wanted to buy if for me! But don’t worry, I won’t hold you to it…”
Face convulsing, Kerri struck a thoughtful pose and held it long enough for Timmy to completely lose it, then went on parodying Kyle who she remembered was probably nursing a hangover about now. “It’s not that I don’t want to , Kerri…but it’s a lot of money for a purse…” she started chewing a fingernail, looking Timmy in the eye, “for a girl that already has…”
“Like a hundred purses!” Timmy cackled.
“Yeah, like a hundred,” Kerri’s spoof of Kyle repeated, “but…if that’s what makes my girl happy, I’ll just have to…ah…credit card it.”
“I pity the guy…” Timmy said, his face shining with laughter, his hair falling into his eyes.
“Serves him right,” Kerri said back to her own voice, “for thinking a woman’s love could be bought.”
After she showered and dressed for work, Kerri sat at the bar in the kitchen and fought the urge to return calls, to—as Seth would say—fill the time just to fill it. Wouldn’t it be wonderful, she thought, letting herself dream a little, if he really did call? If he
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