Page 144 of The Homewreckers
“Let’s not forget that the island made out of the antique store counter was mine, as were those antique ship’s lanterns,” Hattie said. “All the things that give this kitchen character were my ideas.”
“Say that,” Mo said. “But make it funny. Hattie, you sort of disparage all his hard work, but in a jokey way, and Trae, you come back with what you just said. It’s called banter. Now let’s go. We don’t have all day for this scene.”
Cass caught up with Hattie at lunch. “What’s going on with you two?”
Hattie had piled a bowl with salad and was eating in the shade of the front porch, away from the rest of the crew. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You and Mo. Last I heard, he was playing Prince Charming to your Sleeping Beauty. Today, you’re at each other’s throats. I know sexual tension when I see it, Hattie Kavanaugh, so don’t even bother trying to lie your way out of this.”
Hattie glanced around to be sure they couldn’t be overheard. A huge moving van was cruising slowly down the driveway toward the house. “Thank God. That better be Trae’s furniture.”
“Talk,” Cass repeated.
“Mo came over last night, after he saw theHeadline Hollywoodthing. He said he knew how upset I’d be.”
“And?”
“And he told me the only thing he cared about was me. And like the idiot I am, I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.”
“And?”
“Use your imagination,” Hattie said. “I was upset, vulnerable.…”
“Horny.”
Hattie didn’t deny it. “Afterward, he told me that he’d seen Trae with Jada Watkins, making out in Trae’s hotel lobby, and headed upstairs in the elevator. Of course, I assumed Trae told Jada the stuff about my dad, but I couldn’t figure out how Trae knew about it, because I sure as hell don’t go around talking about it.”
“Almost never,” Cass agreed.
“And then, Mo admitted he ‘might’ have mentioned something about it to Trae, back when we first started working on the show.”
“Nooooo. Why would he do that?”
“He claims it was just an offhand remark, and that he never told Trae any of the real details. But how else would Trae know?”
“Did you confront Trae about it?”
“As soon as I got here. He denies everything, but we both know what a liar he is. I mean, who else knows that much about the big, ugly skeleton in my family closet?”
Cass tapped her forehead with her forefinger. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe someone who’s lived in Savannah their whole life? Someone with a festering grudge against you? Who probably even called the code enforcement cops on us, and then threw the whole sins-of-the-father thing right in your face—to your face? Who’d love to slime you, just for the sport of it?”
“Oh. Oh my God,” Hattie said. “I bet you’re right. I bet it was Mavis Creedmore. Oh damn, damn, damn. This one time, Trae was actually telling the truth.”
“Which means that probably none of this was Mo’s fault,” Cass concluded.
“I’m an idiot,” Hattie said.
“Took the words right out of my mouth. Now what are you going to do about it?”
“I can’t do anything about it right now,” Hattie said. She pointed at the gleaming white Mercedes SL convertible that had followed in the wake of the moving van. The driver parked near the porch. “There’s Carolyn Meyers now,” Hattie said. “Show time.”
66The Price Is Right
Carolyn Meyers removed her sling-back pumps and left them at the front door. She was wearing white silk pants and a black halter top that showed her sinewy tanned arms, with Gucci sunglasses tucked into her pale blond hair. “Wait,” she said, stepping back to shoot a photo of the door itself. “I want to have it photographed professionally by our in-house guy, but I can use these to give him a shot list. Hattie, I can’t believe it’s the same house.”
“Me neither,” Hattie said, opening the door to allow the real estate agent to step inside.
“We put the paper down so the movers don’t mess up the floors we just refinished.”
