Girls of Summer(38)
“Actually, I’m concerned about her. I was down there yesterday. She’s having an affair with a guy ten years younger than she is.”
“Go, Mom!” Theo toasted her with another gulp of beer.
“It’s not funny. She’s got that big house, and she’s divorced and emotionally vulnerable, and I just know he’s going to find a way to get at her money, at least he’ll charge her double what he should for the work he’s doing on the house.”
“Okay. Slow down. Who’s the guy?”
“Mack Whitney.”
“Jeez, Juliet, Beth Whitney’s dad? When I was in high school, I was over at his house a lot. He’s a good guy. I’ve never heard anything bad about him. What makes you think they’re having an affair?”
“His crew is doing work on the house—”
“About time. What’s Mom having done?”
“Oh, the dining room ceiling and the living room walls and her bathroom, it doesn’t matter. He’s there all the time working, but after work he’s still there.”
“Sleeping over?”
Juliet shrugged. “I don’t know. I went down on the spur of the moment, got in on the late boat, walked to the house. I phoned Mom just before I got there. I thought she’d be thrilled. But it was ten-thirty at night and she and Mack were sitting on the sofa, and Mom’s clothes were rumpled! Plus, I saw the way Mom looked at him. The last night I was there, I asked her what was going on, and she said she was ‘seeing’ Mack and she liked him a lot and he was terrifically smart, smart I don’t think being the important quality.”
“So you think he’s hot.” Theo grinned wickedly.
“What? You are so gross. I don’t think he’s hot, but I think he’s good-looking, and he is a lot younger than Mom!”
“Well.” Theo hesitated, not sure what to say because he wasn’t sure how he felt. “Mom’s good-looking.”
“I know that. She’s beautiful. But she’s fifty-six years old! Mack Whitney should date someone his age, hell, he could date someone thirty-six years old.”
“How old is Mack?”
“Forty-six. I looked it up in the town register.”
Theo laughed so hard he choked on his beer. “Nancy Drew.”
“You are so immature.”
“Come on, Jules, why are you so worked up about this? Mom deserves to have a little fun.”
“I’m worked up about this, Theo, because I’m afraid that people will laugh at her, an older woman with her boy toy, and second, and most of all, I’m afraid she’ll get a broken heart when he dumps her for someone else. Also I just know he’s trying to get his hands on her money.”
“Mom doesn’t have that much money. If Mack Whitney was trolling for some big bucks, he could find dozens of women on the island who are way richer than Mom.” Theo gave Juliet a look. “You’re thinking that money is going to be our money someday and Mack might get it.”
Juliet crossed her arms defensively. “For one thing, yeah. But honestly, Theo, I’m more concerned about her…her sense of self-worth. Our father left her cold when we were kids. She hasn’t had a serious relationship in years. How is she going to feel when Mack Whitney drops her for the first cute waitress off the boat this summer?”
Theo nodded. He liked the idea of traveling to his mom’s to help her instead of dragging his sorry ass home to Mommy. “Okay. Let’s go see her. And let’s make it a surprise.”
* * *
—
Juliet woke early—she always did. Her left arm was crushed up against her head. It took her a moment to remember that she’d let Theo have her nice comfy double bed. He’d played the sympathy card—his arm, and he hadn’t slept in a comfortable bed for five years. And whose fault is that? Juliet had wanted to say, but she was so glad he was here, she said she’d sleep on the sofa. It also allowed her a chance to catch him if he sneaked out to get into her stash of hard liquor, which was nothing much really, only some vodka and rum. In high school, Theo had partied plenty, but sports during school and surfing all summer had kept him clean.
She heard thunderous snoring from her bedroom. When had she last had a man in her bed? Oh, right. Hugh. Hugh who now lived in New York. Who hadn’t bothered to say goodbye. Her girlfriends said guys like him liked to “seduce and abandon.” Why were men like this? Why had Juliet been so na?ve?
Enough. Tossing back the blanket she’d been wrapped in, she stood and stretched and did a few yoga morning exercises. From the window, the blue sky promised a sunny day. She slipped into the bathroom, took a quick shower, and wrapped herself in her toweling robe. Padding into the kitchen, she started coffee brewing. The aroma was bound to wake Theo. If he didn’t get up by her second cup, she’d wake him herself.
She opened her computer on her kitchen table and worked for a while. When it was nine, in Juliet’s mind, nearly lunchtime, she called, “Theo! Time to wake up!”
No answer. No sounds of movement.
She knocked on the bedroom door, pushed it open, and called, “Theo! Get up!”
No reply but the snarl of snoring. She always had been the bossy older sister, so it was a natural act to open the door and enter the room. Besides, it was her apartment.