Page 29 of For a Goode Time Call…
“Hell if I know.” An angry, bitter sigh. “Probably keep the pity party going another week or so, and then pull up my big girl panties and start my life over.”
“Don’t say panties, Charlotte. It’s gross.”
“Panties, panties, panties.” She laughed, goading me. “Wait, I got a better one—moistpanties.”
I shuddered, faking a gagging sound. “Gross!”
She laughed. “I could barely say it, it’s so gross.” The humor faded. “I honestly don’t know what to do.”
“You talked to Mom, you said?”
A hesitation. “Yeah.”
I laughed. “She told you what you should do, and you’re just working up the courage to actually do it.”
“Her advice was terrible.”
I cackled. “Mom’s advice isneverterrible. We just don’t like it because she wants us to do the hardest thing, and we don’t like it, and we don’t listen, and we regret it, but she never really says I told you so which only makes us feel worse because shecouldandshouldsay it, but she’s too good a person and won’t. But she’s always right, and we know it, we just don’t like it.”
“Pretty much,” Charlie sighed.
“So? What was her advice?”
“Apparently Poppy is having a hard time with things, too. She wanted me to go spend time with Poppy, like we’d help each other figure out our lives or something.”
I couldn’t help a laugh. “You and Poppy—I don’t want to say you hate each other, but you fight like cats and dogs over the dumbest shit. She annoys the hell out of you, and you piss her off.”
“Exactly!”
I laughed again. “But she’s right.”
“Excuse me?” Charlie was incredulous.
“You should do it.”
“Can I ask why you would betray me like this?”
“Charlotte, come on. It’s not a betrayal. You and Poppy are both in the middle of shit, right? You have no life anymore, no job, no apartment, no boyfriend. I’m guessing Poppy realized she hates school and wants to just do art full time or something, because she just has no patience for rules or assignments, and doesn’t have the guts to believe in herself enough to really try and be a full-time artist. And Mom is exactly right—this is the best, if not the only time you and she will ever have to spend real quality unhurried time together, figuring each other out, and learning to like each other.”
“Would you do it?”
I considered. “You know, I would. I mean, shit, I’m living with Mom right now. Tells you whereI’mat in life.”
“Yikes. You’re in Alaska?”
“Yeah.”
“How is it?”
“Beautiful. Backward. Interesting.”
“Backward. You snob.”
“Fine. It’s not backward, it’s just different.”
“You’re just spoiled from living at Julliard and then Paris, and traveling all over the world staying in the best hotels.” She left a long pause. “Who is he?”
“Who?”
