The Husband Hour(53)
“Well, I’m ready to take more shifts, so just let me know what you need.”
Nora, distracted, eyed the door. “Your friend is back.”
Lauren followed her gaze and turned to see Matt in the front of the crowded room, not standing in line but next to it.
“Henny told April that he interviewed you at her place yesterday.”
“Henny told April? What is this, whisper down the lane?” Lauren said.
“Well, Henny’s not speaking to me at the moment, so yes, I’m relying on secondhand information.”
“Oh no. Because of her signs?”
Nora nodded. “Yeah. A casualty of progress. I really didn’t think she’d take it so hard. It was barely any money in her pocket.”
“It’s probably not about the money. Have you tried talking to her? Do you want me to talk to her?”
Nora shook her head. “Go see what your visitor wants.”
Lauren threaded her way through a party of six leaving the restaurant. Matt spotted her and waved her over.
Yeah, I see you.
“I hope you’re only here to eat,” she said, “because I don’t have time to talk.”
“I’d love to eat,” he said, smiling. “But I don’t have time for that line. Can you bump me ahead of the crowd?”
“This isn’t Studio Fifty-Four. Seriously, I gotta work, Matt.”
He looked at the photographs on the wall. “She replaced Henny’s hand-painted signs with this crap?”
“You know about that?”
“Yeah. But I set her up on Etsy so she’s back in biz.”
Lauren looked at him in surprise. “That was nice of you.”
A woman stepped in front of Matt. “Miss, can you tell us how much longer? It’s been forty minutes. We’re on the list. Last name is Feld.”
Lauren looked around for the hostess, a college kid. She directed the woman to the side. “Please check with the hostess.” Turning back to Matt, she said. “I’m really busy.”
“Someone is making a feature film about Rory,” he said.
“I know. You are.”
“No, I’m making a documentary. The other project is a scripted movie. Someone is writing their version of the story.”
She felt the room tilt. “Who? Can they do that?”
“I don’t know who. It’s not listed on IMDb. A friend told me. And yes, they can do that. But Lauren, you know the real story. The truth. And I can help you get it out there. Don’t you want that?”
“I already did an interview. I gave you your hour! What do you want from me?”
“More,” he said.
The room, overcrowded, felt suddenly like it was closing in on her.
Beth hesitated outside of Stephanie’s bedroom door. She looked again at her watch, stalling. Eleven in the morning. Goddamn it, she hated being put in this position, having to treat her grown daughter—a mother herself—like a recalcitrant teenager.
She pushed open the door after one brisk knock.
“Rise and shine,” she said, walking in and drawing back the curtains. Stephanie groaned.
“What are you doing?”
“Your son is in the kitchen, waiting to go to the beach. And you’re going to take him.”
Stephanie buried her head deeper in her pile of pillows. Beth could smell the alcohol seeping from her pores. Furious, she grabbed the comforter and pulled it off the bed.
“Mom! Jesus, what’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing is wrong with me. But there is plenty wrong with you, and we’re going to deal with it, starting today. Right now. You’re drinking too much. You’re not spending enough time with your son. And you did a lousy thing to your sister the other night.”
Stephanie sat up. Beth had known that would get her attention.
“Oh, now I see what this is about. Once again, Lauren the angel has been wronged.”
“I invited Neil Hanes over to spend time with her. He was asking about her. And then you…”
“I what? She’s the one who freaked out and left.”
“And you didn’t waste any time moving in,” Beth said.
“Oh, please. As if it were ever going to happen with Lauren. She hasn’t dated in all of this time—that’s on her, not me. But you know what? If Neil Hanes is going to be the one, she can go for it.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea now that you’ve slept with him.”
“I didn’t ‘sleep with him,’ Mother. We just hung out. The guy’s a talker. Frankly, he’s exhausting.”
Beth brightened. Was it true? Neil and Stephanie had just talked? She felt the universe was rewarding her for trying—and for pressing the issue with Stephanie. Emboldened, she said: “I want you to take Ethan to dinner and a movie tonight. The only one you should be running around with is that little boy. I’ll give you the money for a night out, and I expect you to make yourself scarce.” She walked out of the room but turned around just long enough to add, “And get yourself dressed.”
Beth was already dialing Neil’s cell before she reached her own bedroom.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Running home after work, the sidewalk damp from an afternoon sun shower, Lauren nearly stepped on a slug but was able to jump over it at the last second.