Eliza Starts a Rumor(27)
Jackie defended himself. “Men meet women online all the time now!”
“Yes, but not men pretending to be women,” Lee retorted.
“That’s you, Tootsie,” Skip added, laughing at both his own joke and Jackie’s bent logic.
Truth was, Jackie loved a good roadblock. He had been with a handful of meaningless women over the years since Ann died, but the only other woman he had mentioned crushing on before was a client. It was against company rules to fraternize with clients, and he was a big rule follower, so he never saw it through. This ruse he was involved in now might be the most unconventional thing he’d ever done. He wished he could undo it. Maybe he should just come out right now and tell her that he was a dude, but instead responded with:
That’s become my theme song lately. I pathetically brought home dinner, dessert, and a movie tonight without asking Jana first, and she had plans. I think it may be time I get a life as well. I watch so many of those medical shows on TV; I swear I could do a thoracostomy.
Me too! I think I could even do one with a ballpoint pen!
Actually, you may have to clock a few more hours at Seattle Grace Hospital. I think you’re referring to a cricothyrotomy.
Hahaha! What about those fire department shows?
Love them. Fire department! Call out!
Yup! Me too. And I watch all those shows with the initials.
Please, CSI, FBI, SVU, NCIS. I can figure out who the unsub is before any of them can.
Ha! Who needs a man when you can spend your nights with a whole cast of them? We should ask for vibrator recommendations on the bulletin board—then we can really be all set.
Not quite the relationship goal Jackie was hoping for. He typed and deleted and typed and deleted. He was at a total loss. On the receiving end of his radio silence, Alison wrote back in a panic:
Only kidding.
She realized she might have made Jackie uncomfortable. She reflected on how they met and felt foolish for thinking that a tampon-fearing woman would enjoy a sex-toy joke. What was she thinking? She waited for a response, but still nothing.
Are you there?
Sorry, I ran upstairs to my nightstand to look through my bag of tricks.
Alison laughed from her gut. What a relief.
Ha. Do tell!
This time, I’m only kidding.
OMG. Maybe we should end this conversation.
Good idea. Have a good night, and good luck with your new friend, and I’m not referring to a dildo.
Haha! And thanks. I’m taking her to the city on Monday to meet with my detective friend. Hopefully, she can help us figure things out.
Hope so. Keep me posted.
CHAPTER 16
Amanda & Eliza
Amanda looked out across her lawn in time to see Luke packing up the car with suitcases. As the twins left the house, she realized that if she didn’t run over right away, she wouldn’t get to see them. Well, this time at least; she wasn’t so sure she wouldn’t still be here when they came home for Thanksgiving. She threw on her shoes and ran across the street. Kayla saw her first.
“Aunt Mandy!”
They embraced. Luke and Kevin put down the bags and followed suit.
“Wow! I have to look up at you now!” Mandy said to Kevin.
“Well, it’s been a couple of years, I think.”
“It has. Too many,” she said, hugging both the kids again.
“On Wisconsin!” she added awkwardly with her fist in the air. They both laughed.
“Where’s Mom?”
“She’s inside.” Kayla pointed toward the front door with her chin.
“Go in. She’s not coming to the airport,” Luke added.
“We have to fly, literally,” Kevin chimed in, realizing the time.
Amanda waved goodbye from the driveway, as Eliza did from the living room window. They caught each other’s eye and their hearts both swelled. Eliza waved her in. They embraced in the front hall where any bad feelings about who had called who last immediately disintegrated. They had grown up like sisters, and each of them could really use a sister right now.
“Welcome home!” Eliza hugged her again. “How are the girls?”
A hug from Eliza felt like a bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll after a night of excessive drinking—the cure.
“They’re hanging in there. Your kids are so big, it’s crazy! You didn’t want to go to the airport?”
“Nah. It makes me sad.”
Amanda looked at her skeptically. Eliza was all about fanfare. The high drama of an airport goodbye was the equivalent of a Broadway show in her books.
Eliza quickly changed the subject. “How long are you planning to stay?”
“I don’t know. It’s not safe for us there. The paparazzi are relentless and even my so-called friends will be talking behind my back.”
“Ugh. It must be good to be home.”
“It is. Dorothy was right. There’s no place like it.”
They looked each other over, standing in Eliza’s foyer. They could still see the girls they once were under the fine lines that had developed around their eyes. Amanda was infinitely more kempt, but stress had taken its toll on them both. They both had the same choice to make—open up to the one person they could truly trust or keep up the silly banter that barely scratched the surface. Eliza’s face registered concern. Mandy recognized it.