RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME

Shorty Story

By: Lorelai Huffman

My name is Lacey Penelope-Ann, mom always insisted on me using the hyphen, Anderson. I am currently on a plane on my way to New York with no sister, no best friend, and no boyfriend because I really messed up. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Let me tell you first about the people in my life. My twin sister Melinda Sarah-Jean Anderson Wilson and I are not really identical twins these days. She cut her long black hair and got a perm and even though it isn't to my tastes she is beautiful. We have the same green eyes that sparkle when we are angry or in the deep throws of passion.

She is five foot five inches tall to my five four and a half and she has the most incredible legs. Everyone tells her so when she wears shorts or a bathing suit. I am not jealous if that is what you are thinking. All I am saying is that we are twins, and I would assume then that we would have the same legs. Not that it is a competition on my side. All I am saying is that if I weighed a hundred and twenty pounds then Melinda weighed a hundred and nineteen.

When we moved from New York to Philadelphia we started going to school with twin boys. I have to tell you today I wish that we had never moved to Philadelphia because my life would have been a lot easier, but then I wouldn't have met Beck. We will get to her in a little while. Now to the twins Raymond and Ronald Wilson, I am sure that you noticed that my sister's name is Anderson Wilson so it is no big surprise that she is married to Ronald Wilson. No, this isn't one of the cutesy stories where twins marry twins, and they live happily ever after. The other brother Raymond Wilson never had any interest in me anyway and I really didn't care because at the time I was so over the twin thing. And besides my best friend was interested in him so I couldn't have been interested even if I was because she called dibs.

When I started school in Philadelphia, Melinda almost immediately got caught up in her perfect little 'I need to be a cheerleader and be adored by all' phase. Just whatever, is all I can say to that, but she spent her time with her new crowd and then Ronald Wilson. The Wilson boys, I believe are each about five foot ten and they have hazel eyes and brown hair. They have the same muscular build, no shocker since they belong to the same gym. They have perfect teeth and great taste in women.

Which brings us to Beck, Rebecca Lorraine, you notice she has just one middle name unlike our queer family, Ambrose. Beck and I were always thrown together because our names were so close alphabetically, but I don't think that would have mattered because Beck and I just clicked. Beck has fire red hair that is curly and shapes perfectly to her small face. She doesn't tan so she is a little pale, but it works for her.

Her parents were in the middle of a divorce when we became friends so she spent a lot of time at our house until she realized that Raymond Wilson could actually be hers and then I helped her with a plan to get him. It wasn't that hard because his brother was always at our house and so was Beck so getting them in a room together was nothing. So, in the end Beck became Mrs. Raymond Wilson, but we are still best friends. However, I made other friends once Beck got wrapped up in her man so when Beck is too busy, I hang around with Alex.

Alexandra V. Coral, she would never tell me what the V. stood for. She said it was way too embarrassing and she didn't want to talk about it and since there are so many things, I don't want to talk about I accepted that. Alex has brown hair that comes about five inches past her shoulders. She likes to wear it up in a ponytail. Her eyes are blue, and I think they change color with her moods. She says they don't, but she isn't the one looking at them when someone pisses her off.

Well, we covered the sister who isn't speaking to me and the best friend who isn't speaking to me so I guess now we have come to my boyfriend…or my ex-boyfriend to be more accurate.

His name is Jason, Jason Edgar Jay. Now hold the thought that Jason Jay is an odd name because it gets better. His brother's name is Jerald Robert Jay; you know like Jerry Jay. All this stemmed because their parents Jeanie and John Jay thought that it was so cute that their names both started with J and then their married name was Jay. I really don't get it, but they seemed to be very happy calling their poor sons J.J. one and J.J. two. I assume they are making a play on thing two and thing one, but really now these guys have to live with those names.

Anyway Jason, the stupid jerk's name is mud to me, and I really don't care what his stupid name is right now. But since I have described everyone else to be fair, I guess I should describe Jason the way he looked to me before this week. Jason is a technician at our local hospital, and he is thinking about going to medical school. Jason is five feet nine inches tall and has black hair almost the same color as mine, but mine has a small amount of red when the sun hits it. Jason has ice blue eyes and can pick me up with one arm. He keeps his hair cut short. He says because it is easier that way at work, I think it is because he sweats a lot, but that is just my opinion.

Boy, have I prattled on and I guess I should get to what happened because I can tell that you are waiting with baited breath to see why I don't have a friend left in the world. Alright that is being a little dramatic because I still have Alex, but whatever.

It all started last Friday night. Alex had asked me to come to dinner with her and her parents and some of their friends to this party at this very pricy hotel because she didn't want to be bored out of her mind and she knew that I made fun of people with the best of them.

Jason and I don't live together so I just told him that I was going out and he said that was fine and that he would see me on Saturday for the anniversary party for Beck and Raymond. And then he made sure that I still didn't want him to pick me up. And for the tenth time I told him that I was perfectly capable of driving four miles by myself. Besides he drives like a maniac with the top down and I was planning on making my hair all nice and girly and didn't want it ruined. Of course I didn't tell him that because then I would have spent the next hour going back and forth about his feelings. I find myself all the time wanting to tell him to man up, but I don't because I care for him.

So back to last Friday night, Alex and I actually had a great time and ended up staying until the end. Alex went home with her parents and I had to use the restroom so I told them to go ahead and I would have the valet get my car when I came out. They agreed because it wasn't like I had to walk down a dark alley or out into a parking lot where someone could attack or rob me or anything. That parking lot had more lights then an NFL stadium.

So I came out of the restroom and was headed across the lobby when I just happened to notice the elevator door open and out walked one of the Wilson brothers with a woman who was neither Beck nor Melinda. I stood frozen and watched because it had to be some sort of old friend or cousin or something. But, then I saw him give her a kiss and let me tell you not even in West Virginia do they kiss like that with a relative. My heart was beating out of my chest. Not only because of what I saw, but because I didn't know if it was Raymond or Ronald because unlike Melinda and I they are identical.

Well at that point you wouldn't have thought it could get worse, well you would be mistaken. I watched the Wilson brother cross the lobby and walk outside. I figured I would wait for the valet to get his car and then I would get mine. But he just stood there a minute and I saw a car I recognized pull up and he hopped into it. It was Jason, my Jason picking up the culprit from his secret rendezvous. What the hell?

So you would think that my problems would be solved because obviously Jason knew which brother was the scum sucking lying cheating liar. But, as you will see when I get to it he wouldn't tell me which brother it was. So at this point I am standing in the lobby of this fancy hotel in my new dress and perfect shoes staring into space because my world had just been turned upside down. What do I do? What would you have done? It was my sister and my best friend and one of them was married to a…well to a whore-man.

Well, I guess I should get to what I did do. I finally got my legs to move and the valet retrieved my car. I drove to my house and sat in the driveway for a few minutes wondering if I should drive to Jason's and make him tell me or if I should have sped over to Beck's or Melinda's house to see which husband was missing.

But, I went inside and got out of that expensive dress and let all the pins out of my hair and collapsed on the couch next to the phone. I picked it up and dialed Jason's apartment and there was no answer.

"Hey it's Lace and I just got back from my night out with Alex. Can you call me when you get in? I will be up."

By the time I drank my orange juice and brushed my teeth the phone was ringing.

"Hello."

"Hey sweetie did you have a good time?"

"I really did."

"Glad to hear it. I miss you."

At that point I didn't know if he was feeling guilty or if he really did miss me.

"So Jason what did you do tonight?"

Without skipping a beat, he said that he was out with some friends. He made sure not to use any names and then said he was really tired and had to get up in the morning early to help set up for the anniversary party. I decided it wasn't worth having a cow over it right then. I went to bed and decided my cow could wait until we were face to face. In hind sight I could have made better choices, but what's done is done.

The next morning, I realized I had left my purse with my cell phone in the car. So I ran out in my pajamas to get it. There was a text from Alex making sure I got home alright. She always worries about me. Mostly she tells me that I should let Jason move in with me so that I could have a strong protector type to scare away the shadows and I repeatedly tell her that I like my shadows right where they are.

Jason usually stays one night a week, but we both work and we have a hectic schedule and he gets up at three in the morning to get ready and let me tell you what I want to be doing at three in the morning. Sleep and sleep and more sleep. I am not a morning person and having him run the shower and gargle and all that mess irritates me so he needs to live in his apartment and I need to live in my nice quiet house.

My parents and the Wilson's along with everyone we know will be at the party today. I put on my jeans and my t-shirt and tennis shoes and packed my party clothes in a bag and prepared myself for the day.

Beck and Raymond have a large back yard and they had rented this large white tent along with white tables and chairs for the party. When I got there at almost eleven I was amazed how much was already prepared. There were people everywhere.

I found Beck and Mrs. Wilson in the kitchen working on desserts. Apparently Wanda Wilson fancies herself a pastry chef even though she has never worked a day in her life. I know that makes me sound cynical and grumpy, but when I get to the point in my story where she slaps me then you will understand why I am not the biggest fan of Wanda Wilson.

"Hey there," Beck said giving me a big hug. "Put your stuff up on my bed and just dig in anywhere there is still so much to get done."

"Where's Ray?" I asked with my most nonchalant face.

"He went with Jason to get Jeanie and John."

I smiled and took my stuff up and put it on Beck's bed. Beck had the most incredible tastes. Her room was full of different shades of greens with ivy on the bedspread and the curtains. Not that I wanted the cheater to be Ronald because he is married to my sister, but I really didn't want it to be Raymond because he was married to my best friend and I love her so much.

"What you doing up here?"

I remember how stunned I was to turn around and see Jason's brother Jerry standing there.

"Hey, I didn't know you were coming!"

Jerry picked me up and twirled me around, "Well I hope it is a good surprise."

"Of course you dork." When he put me down I punched him in the arm.

Jerry is five foot eleven inches with a muscular build and dark hair. He has the same ice blue eyes that his brother has. Jerry usually wears jeans with a t-shirt and boots, but he dressed up today in slacks and a dress shirt and he looked rather handsome with that perfect smile of his.

Jerry is three years older then Jason and Jerry had been like a big brother to me ever since Jason and I started dating. My car broke down one rainy night and I called Jason's house and he wasn't there, but Jerry was and he came to my rescue. Another time I somehow forgot to get gas and of course ran out and Jason was working and Jerry dropped everything and came to my rescue and then bought me dinner and a gas station gift card which he thought was very funny.

The following year Jerry moved to New York and we didn't get to see him that often. He sent Jason pictures of his adventures and Jason always shared them with me. With any other problem I knew that I could have made Jerry my cohort in crime to figure out what was going on, but because Jason was somehow involved I didn't dare. I would trust Jerry with my life, but not with this secret…not yet.

"When did you get in?"

"Five this morning."

"Yuck."

"I know at that time you probably were on your sixth dream about Denzel."

I gave him a fake scowl, "Hey, don't knock Denzel."

"Wouldn't dream of it, just saying that you need all the beauty sleep you can get!"

After I punched him in the arm again we went downstairs to help set things up.

My mind wasn't really on putting together centerpieces as I sat there working on the same one for over half an hour. I was trying to figure out how to ask the brothers about where they were last night. Obviously one of them wasn't where they should have been.

When Alex got there she took charge of the progress for the center pieces and we got them finished. Well mostly she got them finished. At this point I had spied everyone except my sister.

Jeanie and John Jay were sitting at a table talking to their sons and Beck was still in the kitchen with her mother-in-law. Ronald and Raymond were goofing off with the basketball on the side of the house. I should have just marched up to them right then and asked them which one couldn't keep it in their pants.

But of course I didn't.

I found out later that Melinda had gone shopping with my parents to get a last minute gift for Beck and Raymond. Everything was perfect for my best friend on her special day. Everyone was starting to arrive and the gift table was overflowing and I had never seen Beck look happier. I wished that I could say the same for myself.

I hadn't managed to be able to get either brother alone to ask them where they had been last night because there were always people everywhere. My head was hurting from all this and I knew I wasn't being a good friend to Beck on her day so I went upstairs to get a few aspirin from her medicine cabinet in her bedroom.

I took three with a big drink of water and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked cute in the outfit that I had changed into before the guests started to arrive, but I didn't feel cute. I felt damn burdened and I planned to kick the crap out of the fool who dare cheat on someone I love.

"You alright Lace?" I remember that Jason's face actually looked worried standing there in the bathroom doorway. "I'm fine."

"You stay out too late with Alex last night?"

"No, I said I'm fine."

Jason put his hand on my arm and looked into my eyes, "You don't seem fine Lace you have been distracted all day."

Well he had opened the door so I stepped through, "Jason, I saw you last night."

"What do you mean saw me?"

"You were outside the Grand Hotel picking up one of the Wilson brothers."

I remember he didn't look guilty right then just sad and remorseful and I didn't understand that right then. "Yes, I was."

I took his hands into mine, "Jason which brother was it?"

"Lace, let's go back to the party." He tried to turn around and head toward the door.

"No Jason one of those brothers is---"

"Am I interrupting?" Melinda said from the door.

Jason smiled at her, "Yes, we were just getting ready to get naked and get funky on Beck's bedspread."

"Jason, that is disturbing on so many levels," Melinda said to him and then she turned to me, "I haven't seen you all week sis come and talk with me."

Jason took that opportunity to quickly leave the room and avoid my question. At that moment I thought – run little rabbit because the hawk is coming and will catch you – but now I realize I was the dingbat carrying the lit match through the TNT shed looking for the exit.

I sat next to my sister most of the afternoon and talked with her. During that conversation I felt bad that I wanted it to be Raymond and not Ronald because every few minutes she would smile at him and him at her.

As the sun was going down, the music started and the men made a dance floor. My detective work proved fruitless with the brothers because it turned out that neither one of them had been home last night. So my only clue was still Jason who had been avoiding me. I sat and watched Beck and Raymond dancing around the floor. She glowed with happiness and she deserved it. Raymond placed a flower in her air and kissed her lightly on his lips as he twirled her around the dance floor.

I was startled when someone whispered in my ear, "You jealous?" Jerry took the seat next to me. "No, I am so happy for them," I said not taking my eyes off my best friend.

Jerry placed his hand on my arm, "You want to dance?"

"With you? of course not." He feigned being hurt and held out his hand to me. Jerry led me to the dance floor and I assumed that I would have had a nice dance with him if I hadn't seen Jason talking to Ronald over in the corner. Of course it could have been innocent enough, but at the time I assumed they were getting their stories straight. After the dance Jerry led me back to the table and thanked me. As he walked away I turned to him, "Hey Jer." He turned around and waited for me to say what I wanted. "When you going home?"

"Tomorrow night, nine o'clock plane. Some of us have a real job you know."

I stuck my tongue out at him and sat back down. Jerry worked for a video game company as a programmer and if he thought that was a real job he was kidding himself. He always had made fun of my job doing illustrations for children's books, but I never believed he meant it.

Alex sat down next to me with two glasses of champagne.

"Thanks again Lace for coming last night."

"No problem. I had a good time."

"My parents said that you looked exquisite in your dress."

"I hope so because it cost me a months pay."

Jason came over while I was talking to Alex and gave me a peck on the cheek and whispered that he loved me in my ear. I smiled politely because I didn't want Alex asking questions that I couldn't answer yet. I had a nice dance with my dad near the end of the night and there was a lot of toasting. Most of the guests had left and it was just our extended family standing in the middle of the dance floor toasting anything that we could come up with. I almost toasted to fidelity, but I didn't of course because I am not a loon.

Jason pulled me aside, "Beck and Ray want to know if I can help them clean up tomorrow morning and I was wondering if I could come and stay at your place and then we could come together to do it."

"So are you done avoiding me?" I said with my sour face and my arms crossed in front of my chest.

He whispered, "I wasn't avoiding you Lace. I just don't think that right now is the appropriate time for this conversation."

"When will be Jason?"

"I love you Lace and that is all that matters." He smiled and walked away and right then I had no idea why loving me was all that mattered. I talked to Beck and told her that I would be there early in the morning to help clean up and then I found Jerry. "You staying at Jason's tonight?"

"Well he said that he was staying at your house and that I could have his bed so I would think yes ma'am is an appropriate answer."

"I have a headache and I hate to punish you to the couch, but I am going to sneak out. Could you tell Jason that I will see him back here in the morning?"

Jerry took my hand lightly in his and looked at me with worried eyes, "Lace, what's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Have I ever given you any indication that I'm stupid?"

"Jerry."

Jerry leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Lace whatever it is you can tell me."

I kissed him on the cheek and told him that I would see him tomorrow and then I grabbed my keys and headed out leaving my clothes on Beck's bed. I was overwhelmed with thoughts of what would happen if I found out which brother I had seen. I could see my sister's face in tears and then Beck's destroyed look and I didn't know what to do. I couldn't deal with Jason that night and the fact that he was keeping things from me so I decided to be alone with my thoughts.

I apparently am not the best at hiding when something is bothering me because by the time I got out of the shower I had voicemails from my mom and Alex and Melinda and Jerry, however none from Jason. He knew that I knew someone was cheating and that he was somehow involved, but if I wanted to pin him down about it I should have let him stay the night with me I guess.

I didn't sleep well at all that night. I had nightmares of Beck and Melinda screaming at me for sleeping with their husbands and I tried to explain to them that it wasn't me, but you know how dreams go. The alarm went off at nine and I literally tossed it across the room. Don't worry it is made of a strong plastic and I actually bought it because it could be thrown across the room and not break. Of course that means that after five minutes it goes off again and you have to trudge across the room to pick it up. I guess I could have thought that one out better.

All the windows on the second floor were open and a breeze was blowing through. It was one of those breezes that made you want to snuggle in bed with someone you love the entire day. I contemplated playing sick and staying in bed. That would explain my mood yesterday and my mood today, but I had to find out who I saw because it was festering inside me like a monster digging through my guts to get out. I went back and forth for the next hour as to whether or not to go and whether or not to forget what I saw, but in the end I had to find out what was going on because it affected women that I loved.

When I got to Beck's house I saw Jason, Raymond and Jerry loading tables into the rental truck. They looked a lot different then they had last night in their party clothes. They all had on old shorts and t-shirts and baseball hats. I parked on the street and waved to them as I walked around the house.

Beck, Melinda and Ronald were folding chairs and stacking them on a cart to go into the rental truck.

Beck ran over to me and gave me a big hug, "Hey beautiful."

"Hey Beck, I hear you had a nice shindig here last night."

Beck smiled, "I am so happy Lace---everything is perfect."

"Glad to hear it."

"Last night after the party Ray gave me tickets to Hawaii. The two of us are going in a month and staying for ten days!" She jumped up and down with excitement and the smile on her face could warm the coldest heart. I just hoped that it wasn't a guilt gift. After the rental truck was loaded Ray offered to take us all out to lunch. Jason had tried to speak to me a few times that morning and the first time I put my hand up and asked him which brother he had picked up from the hotel and he had said that he couldn't tell me so the other times he tried to talk to me I just walked away.

Why didn't Jason understand how important it was to find out who the cheater was? Well it turns out that Jason knew exactly how important it was. But, that comes later. Now back to lunch on Sunday.

"Hey sis you want to ride with me and Jason?" Jerry called as I searched my purse for my keys.

I figured why not Jerry was my friend and he would be leaving tonight and maybe Jason had gotten the hint not to talk to me. I walked around the car and Jason had already hopped in the back seat and Jerry was holding the door open for me.

Just before I got in I said to Jerry, "And don't call me sis."

Jerry smiled and closed the door after I was in.

Raymond treated us to lunch at this little Italian place in town. They had to put tables together to have enough room for the seven of us, but we didn't care. Ray ordered wine and appetizers as we looked at the menu. Jason sat next to me with his hand on my leg and I didn't push it off, but I didn't acknowledge it either.

Melinda and Ronald had gone to Hawaii on their honeymoon so they were talking to Beck about the things that she and Ray had to do while they were there. I listened because if I ever got married I was planning on having my honeymoon in Hawaii, but at this point I will never get married. Of course at this point no one would come anyway.

At this point one might ask themselves how does one girl get into so much trouble in less than a week? I am still trying to figure that out, but here I am still on the flight to New York a week after seeing them at the hotel with my life in shambles.

Maybe I shouldn't have kissed my sister's husband. Of course I am getting ahead of myself again. I will get to that and of course the slap that I told you about earlier.

Jason and I weren't alone again until we had dropped Jerry off at the airport that night. On the way out of the airport I told him that we had to talk and that he needed to tell me which brother he had picked up. And I told him what did it matter because if they weren't twins then I would already know who the cheating bastard was.

He was silent all the way back to my house. When he pulled into my driveway I was certain that he wasn't going to say anything, but then he turned to me. I could only see his profile because my porch light was the only light around. "Lace you know I love you with all of my heart and I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I haven't made that a secret." I just sat looking at him waiting to see what was coming next. "I would never hurt you on purpose Lace. And I want you to trust me and I need for you to trust that there is a good reason why I can't tell you."

I was furious. I got out of the car and before I slammed the door I said, "Until you tell me Jason we have nothing more to say to each other."

When I was on my way up to the porch he called after me, "I love you Lace can we please forget that Friday ever happened?"

I didn't look back I just unlocked the door and after a good slam I locked all the locks and went upstairs. I don't know how long he sat out there before he went home and I really didn't care. I called Alex to see what she was doing before I got in the shower.

"What's up Lace?"

"Just seeing how you spent your day," I said as I sat on the floor at the foot of my bed.

"Well actually Lace to be honest I spent it worrying about you."

"What do you mean?"

"Come on Lace it is pretty obvious that something has been bothering you. You were fine Friday night. Did something happen Saturday morning because I am worried about you?"

"I'm fine Alex."

"If you don't spill I am coming over there and start moving things around and messing up that immaculate house of yours."

"That isn't much of a threat Alex."

"I beg to differ because I think right now the idea is making you start to sweat and you are looking around the room trying to figure out what you can lock up so that I can't get to it."

"You're crazy Alex." Of course she wasn't because that is exactly what I had been doing. Alex knew me too well. So I had no choice but to give in and tell her the entire story all the way up until Jason dropped me off.

"Why wouldn't he tell you?"

"I have no idea. Maybe men have a code or something stupid like that, but Al doesn't he realize how serious this is?"

"I guess he does and he knows how upset you are."

"Oh yes he knows that."

"And you really have no idea which brother it was?"

"It was from a distance and we had been drinking and it was late and I was so stunned."

"I get it."

"What am I going to do?"

"Well Lace if Jason isn't going to tell you and you are not going to let it go then you have to find another way to figure it out."

"Al, I feel that you are holding back."

"Well Lace, it isn't your marriage…"

"But it is my best friend or my sister's marriage."

"Have you ever considered that the wife of the cheating brother might already know?"

I sat and thought about that for a minute and decided there was no way that Beck or Melinda knew because they wouldn't tolerate such behavior and with so many diseases going around and so forth there was no way.

"I tried and tried Alex to convince myself to let it go."

"You don't have to explain Lace. If I saw Jason with someone I would tell you, of course that would be after I ran him down with my car."

"Thanks Al."

"But first I would kick him in his balls and scream at him how he ruined the best thing that was ever going to happen to him and that he didn't deserve you and then hit him again with the car."

I smiled hearing how much Alex cared for me. She might as well have been my sister and I guess I truly have two best friends. Well of course now I am down to just Alex, but---. So I talked to Alex for another half an hour before I showered and then I went to bed because I had to get up for work in the morning. Alex works at the flower shop just around the corner from my office and when she gets up on time she drops off a cup of coffee for me on her way to work. Of course Alex isn't a morning person either so I usually only get one two days a week.

I had been working on illustrations for one of the authors when I got a call from Jim Deathers saying that he had met this new author who needed illustrations done and was wondering if I had time to meet her today. I of course agreed and I met Jim and his new find Andrea Lutz for lunch. Andrea brought a sample manuscript for me to read later to decide if I would be willing to take her on as a client.

The lunch was nice. We ate outside at the tables set up in front of the café and Jim offered to pay, but I told him I could write it off as a business lunch so he let me pay. I bid them farewell and headed back to the office. I stopped and looked in the window of the flower shop and Alex was arranging the most beautiful arrangement that I had ever seen. There were different types of blue flowers and it looked incredible.

She saw me standing there staring and waved me in. "Are you a stalker now?" she said putting in a few more flowers.

"Absolutely."

"You have smootz on your shirt."

I looked down and sure enough I had spilled salad dressing on myself. I was angry that I had messed up the shirt only halfway through my day, but I smiled at Alex and joked, "Well you know you can't take me anywhere."

"You want to come over for dinner tonight?"

"I would, but I don't know when I'll be done working and now I have this new manuscript to peruse."

"Alright, but mom is making spaghetti and you know how much you love that."

"I will think about it. What time's dinner?" Alex gave me a duh look because she knew that I knew that her mother always had dinner on the table at six forty-five.

"I'll try, but if I don't make it---" I said heading out the door.

"Then I will bring you a doggie bag tomorrow," Alex yelled as the door shut. She could almost read my mind.

I stared at the work I had been doing before I left for lunch and I didn't like it. I tore it up and started again. Around three the phone rang and from the caller I.D. I could tell it was Beck.

"Hey girl."

"Hey Lace you working hard?"

"Always."

"I wanted to do some shopping for new clothes to take to Hawaii and I was wondering if you would go with me. Your taste is so much better then mine."

"Beck you would look good in a gum wrapper."

"Thanks, but will you please-please-please?"

"When?" At this point I had put my pencil down and was rubbing my eyes which would have been fine if I hadn't been wearing makeup so now it was all over my fingers and I was sure that I looked like a rabid raccoon.

"Thursday evening when I get back from car shopping."

"You know Beck you can't drive to Hawaii?"

"I know, but I have been looking into getting a hybrid so I wanted to check out a few and Wanda said she would take me to lunch and go with me. But of course I don't want her helping me pick out swim suits or anything slinky."

"Beck, don't you own everything slinky that has been sold in this town?"

"Very funny, can you or not?"

"I will be at your house at seven o'clock on Thursday."

"Thanks Lace I love you so much!"

"Yeah---yeah if I had bad taste in clothes you wouldn't love me so much."

"I don't know what I would do without you Lace. See you Thursday."

I hung up the phone and stared into space for a while. I wanted to invent a time machine and go back to last Friday night and ride to the party with Alex and her parents so that I would have been in the car driving away with them without a care in the world. I was in a daze the rest of the afternoon and even caught myself doodling time machines. The one from Dr. Who and the Delorian from Back to the Future.

At that moment I really hated men. Well not all men because there was one that I considered a brother that I hadn't made sure got home safe last night. And I had never returned his voicemail that basically said that he was worried about me and that he was just a phone call and a plane ride away if I needed anything and that I better not ever forget that.

I picked up the phone as I balled up what I had been working on and threw it away once again.

"Jerry Jay speaking."

"Hey trouble I see you got back home safely."

"Hey Lace, odd to hear from you in the middle of a work day."

"Middle? Jerry it is almost five o'clock."

"Yeah well you know if you only work a half day it is." I smiled because I could hear him laughing at himself. "So what's up sis?"

"Didn't I tell you to stop calling me that? I have no plans to marry your brother anytime soon."

"Why not, is the sex lousy? I could teach him a thing or two."

I smiled an even bigger smile and changed the subject, "It was good that you could come for the party."

"Well they are my friends too you know. Just because I moved away doesn't mean you have the monopoly on everyone."

"Of course it does."

"You want to hear something strange Lace?"

"Alright, but if it is about some hooker you picked up I will drive to New York and beat the crap out of you."

Jerry laughed, "Well hell if that's a promise I will make it about a hooker."

"What's strange Jer?"

"I got a call from Jason this morning. He never calls for one and I just saw him yesterday so now a few hours later to hear from you leads me to think that you guys are fighting."

"Don't read too much into it Jerry."

"Well what about the fact that your mind was everywhere, but on the party Saturday and the fact that you snuck out and I had to sleep on Jay's couch?"

"Not much of a detective are you?"

"Tell that to my back from sleeping on his couch. What's going on Lace?"