cellar.
By the time dinner was over, Jessica was so dizzy she could hardly stand up. The room seemed to be spinning. She tried to concentrate on what people were saying, but none of the conversations made sense. What was even worse was that every time she tried to say something, it came out sounding garbled and foolish. On top of everything else, she was starting to feel slightly sick.
She got up in search of the bathroom, nearly tripping over a bronze urn set on the floor near the fireplace. "Ooops!" she said as she bumped into an end table, knocking over a small vase of dried flowers.
"Obviously she can't hold her liquor," she could hear someone saying through the buzzing in her head.
"What did you expect?" someone else said. "She is from some little town in California, after all."
Jessica's cheeks were flaming as she ducked into the bathroom. She was so embarrassed she wanted to die. Instead, what she did was simply pass out. One minute she was holding on
to the sink while the floor rocked wildly beneath her. The next thing she knew, she was lying sprawled in the backseat of a cab speeding back toward the Devlins' apartment.
Nine
"I can't, Todd. I just can't. A promise is a promise."
Elizabeth stacked the last of the dinner plates in the dishwasher and flicked it on. Two tickets to a Lakers game and she had to be baby-sitting! Oh, well, Todd would just have to understand. Mr. Collins was counting on her, and she couldn't just back out at the last minute when it would be hard for him to find a replacement.
"I know it's kind of late and all," Todd said. "But I just found out myself. My cousin had to cancel, and so he gave me his tickets. Are you sure you couldn't get somebody to take your place?"
Elizabeth bit her lip. "I suppose I could ask Enid.... No, wait. She's going to the movies with George.. I don't know, Todd. Practically everybody I can think of already has plans."
"I don't."
Todd and Elizabeth turned to find Suzanne standing there. She'd come in from the laundry room and was carrying a stack of freshly folded sheets and pillowcases.
"I couldn't help overhearing," she explained. "Liz, there's absolutely no reason for you to miss that game. I'd be happy to take over your baby-sitting job."
"But--" Liz started to protest.
"But nothing. What are friends for? Besides, I'd enjoy it. I think Teddy's adorable."
Elizabeth stared at her in disbelief. "Suzy, I can't let you. It's -- it's too much! You're always doing things for us. I'm starting to feel positively guilty."
"Don't," Suzanne said. "I know this sounds hopelessly corny, but it just so happens I like doing things for other people. It makes me happy."
"Suzy, you're incredible! It doesn't seem possible that anyone could be so nice."
"You've just been living with Jessica too long," Todd muttered under his breath.
Elizabeth ignored his comment. She was too
happy about going to the game to let anything bother her.
"I'm sure it's OK, but let me call Mr. Collins first and let him know," she said.
A tiny frown creased Suzanne's forehead. Then she smiled. "Listen, why don't you let me do the phoning? You're going to be late if you don't start getting ready."
Elizabeth hesitated. "I don't know. I really should talk to him myself."
"Suzanne is right," Todd broke in with a glance at his watch. "We'd better hurry if we want to get there in time. Besides, I'm sure Mr. Collins won't mind. He's pretty easygoing."
"OK, I give up." Elizabeth threw her arms around Suzanne in a quick, fierce hug. "Thanks, Suzy. You're fantastic. I don't know how I'm ever going to repay you."
Suzanne laughed. "For one thing, you can stop thanking me. Just go and have a good time." You can bet I'm going to do the same, she thought.
Half an hour later, Todd and Elizabeth were dropping Suzanne off in front of Mr. Collins's house.
"Give Teddy a kiss for me," Elizabeth called as Suzanne was climbing out of the car.
Teddy isn't the one I plan on kissing, Suzanne
By the time dinner was over, Jessica was so dizzy she could hardly stand up. The room seemed to be spinning. She tried to concentrate on what people were saying, but none of the conversations made sense. What was even worse was that every time she tried to say something, it came out sounding garbled and foolish. On top of everything else, she was starting to feel slightly sick.
She got up in search of the bathroom, nearly tripping over a bronze urn set on the floor near the fireplace. "Ooops!" she said as she bumped into an end table, knocking over a small vase of dried flowers.
"Obviously she can't hold her liquor," she could hear someone saying through the buzzing in her head.
"What did you expect?" someone else said. "She is from some little town in California, after all."
Jessica's cheeks were flaming as she ducked into the bathroom. She was so embarrassed she wanted to die. Instead, what she did was simply pass out. One minute she was holding on
to the sink while the floor rocked wildly beneath her. The next thing she knew, she was lying sprawled in the backseat of a cab speeding back toward the Devlins' apartment.
Nine
"I can't, Todd. I just can't. A promise is a promise."
Elizabeth stacked the last of the dinner plates in the dishwasher and flicked it on. Two tickets to a Lakers game and she had to be baby-sitting! Oh, well, Todd would just have to understand. Mr. Collins was counting on her, and she couldn't just back out at the last minute when it would be hard for him to find a replacement.
"I know it's kind of late and all," Todd said. "But I just found out myself. My cousin had to cancel, and so he gave me his tickets. Are you sure you couldn't get somebody to take your place?"
Elizabeth bit her lip. "I suppose I could ask Enid.... No, wait. She's going to the movies with George.. I don't know, Todd. Practically everybody I can think of already has plans."
"I don't."
Todd and Elizabeth turned to find Suzanne standing there. She'd come in from the laundry room and was carrying a stack of freshly folded sheets and pillowcases.
"I couldn't help overhearing," she explained. "Liz, there's absolutely no reason for you to miss that game. I'd be happy to take over your baby-sitting job."
"But--" Liz started to protest.
"But nothing. What are friends for? Besides, I'd enjoy it. I think Teddy's adorable."
Elizabeth stared at her in disbelief. "Suzy, I can't let you. It's -- it's too much! You're always doing things for us. I'm starting to feel positively guilty."
"Don't," Suzanne said. "I know this sounds hopelessly corny, but it just so happens I like doing things for other people. It makes me happy."
"Suzy, you're incredible! It doesn't seem possible that anyone could be so nice."
"You've just been living with Jessica too long," Todd muttered under his breath.
Elizabeth ignored his comment. She was too
happy about going to the game to let anything bother her.
"I'm sure it's OK, but let me call Mr. Collins first and let him know," she said.
A tiny frown creased Suzanne's forehead. Then she smiled. "Listen, why don't you let me do the phoning? You're going to be late if you don't start getting ready."
Elizabeth hesitated. "I don't know. I really should talk to him myself."
"Suzanne is right," Todd broke in with a glance at his watch. "We'd better hurry if we want to get there in time. Besides, I'm sure Mr. Collins won't mind. He's pretty easygoing."
"OK, I give up." Elizabeth threw her arms around Suzanne in a quick, fierce hug. "Thanks, Suzy. You're fantastic. I don't know how I'm ever going to repay you."
Suzanne laughed. "For one thing, you can stop thanking me. Just go and have a good time." You can bet I'm going to do the same, she thought.
Half an hour later, Todd and Elizabeth were dropping Suzanne off in front of Mr. Collins's house.
"Give Teddy a kiss for me," Elizabeth called as Suzanne was climbing out of the car.
Teddy isn't the one I plan on kissing, Suzanne
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