Page 67 of Wicked Player
Bye, Bella.
I’m definitely under his spell. And I kind of hate that.
* * *
“So glad to hear he’s okay,” I’m saying to Tina on the phone. Turns out her son Liam was involved in a fender bender, but he’s fine and was not at fault. He was just shaken up since he’s a new driver and it was his first road accident.
We chat for a bit, and then I let her go to finish my kitchen cleaning. I’m just about done when Judy pops in. I’m surprised to see her, but happy nonetheless. She rarely does this, but once in a while she likes to venture out.
“Hello,” I say cheerfully as I welcome her in. “What’s up, Judy?”
“Just getting a little fresh air. Is it okay?”
“It’s always okay… you know that,” I tell her. “Can I help you with your jacket?”
She sets down her enormous purse on the floor, and struggles to peel off her cashmere jacket. It’s a simple act, but it seems to be a challenge for her. I help her as much as I can.
Christian bursts into the room, and goes straight in for a hug. “Judy!”
I see the picture of happiness in her wide smile as she hugs him back tightly. I suspect he’s the real reason she comes by. Judy can never go too long without seeing Christian. She’s a pseudo grandma of sorts, which is great since Christian doesn’t get to see his grandmother often.
“Come in,” I urge and she settles herself down on my lazy chair. She loves to pop out the ottoman and stretch her legs. The sight of it is kind of funny. She’s so small, and that big old chair practically swallows her up. She’s wearing purple again; dark elastic waisted pants and a pretty lavender top.
“How about lemon ginger?” I ask, putting the kettle on.
“Sounds great.”
Christian is already showing her his latestDiscoverymagazine. There’s a story about chimpanzees he’s particularly fascinated with. He has a subscription, and he stacks them all against his bedroom wall. His collection is so big, the stack now serves as a small bedside table.
“I thought you were working on your letters, Christian,” I remind him. “Why don’t you finish those, and then you can show Judy.”
His shoulders sag, and he turns on his heel, looking defeated. “I won’t be long.”
I hand her a cup of tea, and take a seat on the sofa across from her. “You weren’t finished telling me your story… I’ve been waiting with bated breath to hear the ending.”
She smiles. “I don’t even remember where I was.”
“You had just told me about Caleb breaking into your house, and Everett telling him he’d wanted to hurt him.”
Her face falls. “Oh… yes. That unfortunate day… I’ll never forget.”
Suddenly, I feel a little guilty for drudging up the past, and making her relive painful memories. Yet… I’m thirsty for more. I’m shameless. “You don’t have to go on—”
“No…” She waves a hand. “I want to tell you the rest.”
I settle myself more comfortably on the sofa, suddenly craving some microwave popcorn.
