“Like you can talk.”
That was at least a little bit true, so I didn’t say anything. Reaching the back door, I could see there was yet another casserole sitting on the stoop.My God, did these people do nothing else?
“Who’s it from?” Nana Cole asked me.
Naturally, I had no clue. “Don’t you recognize the baking dish?”
“Well, yes, it’s brand new and it came from Meijer.”
“There’s no note,” I said, even though I’d taken in a couple of casseroles that hadn’t had them. Most of them were given by hand with a few words of sympathy and encouragement. Not to mention instructions for heating.
“It looks like lasagna,” she said, as I put it on the counter. “Spinach.”
“We can have it for dinner,” I said, though I planned to pass. I found spinach disgusting.
“All right.”
“Do you want me to make you a sandwich?”
“I’ll make my own lunch. You should go out and have some fun.”
Where did she think we were? Fun? In Masons Bay?Those thoughts must have flashed across my face because she said, “Call your friend with the colorful hair.”
“Friend is stretching it. And I don’t think she knows how to have fun.”
“Weren’t you with her on Saturday night?”
I’d managed to slip out of the house without letting her or Bev know I was going on a date. I hardly wanted to talk about it now, though.
“Fine. I’ll go.”
I ran upstairs, took an Oxy, and changed into a lavender dress shirt that I liked with a pair of dark jeans. It was a Monday afternoon, after all. I couldn’t wear anything actually cool.
A half an hour later, I was in Bellflower. It was not exactly large, but larger than Masons Bay. I popped into the bookstore, Vertical Books, and picked upGQ,PeopleandVogue. Then I walked down to Drip.
I got myself a latte with normal milk and two gooey brownies—you know, lunch. Then I settled myself at a tiny café table for two and began to study the magazines I’d bought.
Peoplewas asking the nearly impossible question, who was the hottest bachelor, Prince William or Ashton Kutcher? Honestly, I couldn’t be sure until I’d slept with them both… though obviously I was leaning toward Prince William since he came with an eventual crown.
On the other hand, the new Hulk was on the cover ofGQand, in opinion, they should really throw him into the mix. Demi Moore was on the cover ofVogue, which I got for the ads much more than the articles.
My latte and both of the brownies were nearly gone when Carl walked into the coffeeshop. I nearly didn’t look up fromGQ’s guide to fall clothes. Too much brown in my opinion. There was always too much brown in the fall.
Carl got a coffee and found a table against the far wall. I picked up my magazines and went up to the counter to order another latte. I waited for it, thinking about Carl. I was not trying to find out who’d killed his stepfather. That was over. But he was still a bisexual male.
Not that I wanted to sleep with him, he was just someone I could flirt with. And clearly after my date on Saturday I was out of practice. The fact that he or his mother still might be a murderer was hardly a deterrent.
“Hey,” I said, sliding my refilled latte onto the table. Quickly, it was followed by my magazines. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Um, I come here a lot.”
“Well, there’s nowhere else, really. Is there?” I fake laughed.
“So why did you think it was weird that I’m here?”
“I didn’t think—it’s just an expression.”
He didn’t say anything. I took a sip of my latte. I was beginning to feel the caffeine from the first one. Even after an Oxy.
