Things I Want My Daughters to Know_ A Novel - Elizabeth Noble [67]
The laughing good-time girl Andy had described from their summer romance a million years ago had more than grown up. She’d grown kind of mean.
But today she was smiling. That meant she wanted something. She only tried to pretend that she and Lisa were friends when Cee Cee was around and she was playing Disney Channel single mum, or when she wanted to change visitation. Today she lunged in for the air kiss. She must want something big.
“Lisa, how are you?”
“Great, Karen. You? Still sporting the January tan, I see?!”
Karen laughed, tossing her big hair back, and showing her throat, so that more bronzed flesh was on display. “I’m great. The island was amazing. You have to get there.”
“I’ll put it on the list.”
“Do. The most amazing food. And really, really nice people.”
Ho hum.
Then she saw it. It was hard to miss. In case it wasn’t obvious, Karen ran her left hand through her hair, smoothing her cuticles quite unnecessarily. They’d never dare to be rough. The rings glinted in the wintery sunshine. Lisa would have much preferred to ignore it, but Karen wasn’t about to let that happen.
“Oh,” she began, as though answering a question that hadn’t actually been posed.
“Yes. Steve proposed. We got married. Over there.”
Bloody hell. Was there something in the water? Out loud, she managed a spluttering “Congratulations. That’s great news. Wow. That was fast.”
“Not really.” Obviously not the right thing to say. “I mean, we’ve known—for ages—that it would happen. Couldn’t decide how to do it. I mean, it’s a bit silly, isn’t it—having a big thing, when it’s the second time? I mean, it wouldn’t be, for you, of course, since it would be the first time for you. Only the second time for Andy…” Got that, Karen. Yes—you had him first. Thanks. “Still, we wanted it to be special. It was Steve’s idea—doing it out there—he’s so romantic.”
“Well, yes. Sounds wonderful.”
“You’ll tell Andy for me?” Coward.
“Sure. He’ll be chuffed for you.”
“The only thing is Cee Cee. She was upset with me, when we got back and told her.” There’s a shocker, Lisa thought. You buggered off and got married without telling your six-year-old daughter that was what you had planned, and she had the audacity to be pissed off with you. Kids!
“She wanted to be a bridesmaid.”
Of course she did, you silly cow. She’s six. It’s the nearest thing to being a bride she can aspire to for, like, the next fifteen to twenty years, and aren’t we all just obsessed with being one of those. They must send us subliminal messages in utero.
What Lisa managed out loud was a less judgmental “Aah,” her hands pushed into the pockets of her jeans.
It was cold out here on the doorstep, but she really couldn’t bear to ask Karen in. She might expect to stay for a cup of tea. Lisa wished she’d get to her point.
“Still, I daresay it’ll be your turn soon. You and Andy,” she added, as though it needed qualifying. “So hopefully she’ll get her chance….”
Was that her point? Were she and Andy supposed to get married so that Karen could make up to Cee Cee for not having her as a bridesmaid?
“I mean, you’ll be doing it here, won’t you? Not Andy’s style, whisking a girl away.”
Now Lisa quite wanted to slap her.
“But I know how serious he is about you. He’s told me.”
Or throttle her.
“And Cee Cee just adores you….”
Turns out, Lisa didn’t need to tell Andy. Cee Cee