Up & Out - Ariella Papa [37]
Then Lauryn said, “No, let’s have more.”
When Beth returned to the table, she didn’t say anything for a while. She pushed her food around her plate and ate another potato.
“You know, I’m full, and I told some people I would meet up with them,” she finally says.
“Well, have fun with your people,” Kathy says.
“Do you want to wrap up the rest of it?” I ask.
“No, that’s okay. I won’t eat it.” She already has her bag on her shoulder. “How much do I owe?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Lauryn says. “It’s on me. My last big night out.”
I knew then why she planned this, what she wanted—a normal night out.
“What about next weekend?” Beth asks.
“I’ll be busy packing. I’m going to take the ferry up next Monday.”
“Oh, okay. Well, I’ll call you before you go,” Beth says. “See you guys.”
“Bye,” I say.
“I need your measurements to give to the dress shop,” Kathy says without really looking up.
“I’ll e-mail you,” Beth shouts as she was already almost out of the garden.
The waiter comes over to clear her plate. I rescue one of the potatoes in her pasta before he gets it.
“You can take mine, too,” Kathy says. “I should get the train before it becomes too sporadic. I didn’t realize this was your last night out, Lauryn. Maybe I’ll stop over to help you pack this week.”
“Thanks, Kathy.” While they hugged goodbye, I stole one of Kathy’s gnocchi before the waiter could grab it away. Then I hugged Kathy and told her I hoped to see her this week.
When she’s gone, we pick at our food a little more. Lauryn holds her plate out to me and I take a piece of chicken and mop it in more sauce.
“I wish I had known tonight was supposed to be special,” I said. “I should have planned it myself.”
“It’s okay. So, I guess you’re going to move in with Tommy?”
“It doesn’t seem like I have much of a choice.”
“I’m sorry.”
“And I’m sorry I was late.”
“That was the least of the problems.” She looks down at her plate and squeezes a piece of penne between her fingers. “Rebecca…”
“Yeah?”
“Who do you think called Beth? That last time?”
“I dunno,” I say. “One of her cooler friends, I guess. Why?”
“I don’t know.” She squints at me, sizing me up for something. She squinted at me like this many times when she was sleuthing Jordan. I made Esme squint in a similar way when she is questioning school bullies. I hadn’t realized that I got the look from Lauryn until right now. “You don’t think there’s something…funny going on.”
“Funny? I don’t know.” But there is something in my head that I can’t quite pinpoint. It was just out of my reach and for some reason, I didn’t want to know.
Lauryn stares at me for another few seconds, like she wants to ask me something. Then she says, “I guess you’re right. Let’s finish the wine.”
“Good idea. I know one thing that could turn this night out.” She raises her eyebrows.
“Tiramisu?”
“Thatta girl.”
8
Wiser Time
My phone is ringing. Does anyone respect Saturdays anymore? Every Saturday, it’s like Déjà Vu. No, more like Ground-hog Day. I squint at the clock. It’s ten-thirty. It stops ringing. Bless Lauryn, I think, and fall back to sleep.
When I get up an hour later, I smell cleaning products. Lauryn is on one of her crazy housekeeping sprees. I really need to pee, but she is scrubbing the toilet bowl.
“Can’t you just wait?”
“It’s going to get dirty eventually.” She sighs and pulls off her rubber glove. She has her bandanna on, which means she’s going to attack the kitchen next.
“Who called?” I yell from the toilet.
“Tommy with questions. You should just move in with him.”
“What about Seamus?”
“What about him?”
“I don’t know. What if he finds out I’m living with Tommy?” I come out of the bathroom and go into the kitchen. She is pulling cans of soup out of the cabinets.
“Well, he won’t know who Tommy is.” She turns to me. “Rebecca, you didn’t tell him about Tommy, did you?”
“I did a little. I didn’t tell about the offer.”
“Well, don’t. Just have him keep calling you on your cell and never let him come to your place.” She learned a few things from Jordan’s lies.
“So I should move in with Tommy?”