Page 25 of The Curve
“That’s okay, Mrs. Bay!” Paige laughs and hits the table for emphasis.
“Paige!” Brick says shutting her up.
Then I’m outta there, being carried somewhere in Atticus’s strong arms. Brick is following us and so is Bristol. I slip my hand under the skirt of my dress.
“Are you covering my poodle?” I whisper. I thought I said it quietly but from Brick’s laughter I may have misjudged.
“Yes, Charlotte. I’m making sure it’s covered.”
“Do you know I mean my beaver? Poodle is what my grandmother called it when I was a little girl.”
All of them are laughing at me now. And I’m laughing too because I just said poodle and beaver.
We get to the door of a bathroom and he sets me down.
“Let me do this,” Bristol says.
I lean my head on Atticus’s chest and look back into his eyes. “You’re awfully cute you know.”
“I think you’re cute too,” he says smiling.
Bristol trades places with her brother and shoves him out with one hand. I lean back on her chest and look into her eyes. “I think you’re cute too, Bristol. In fact, all of you Swifts are cute.”
“Thank you, Charlotte.”
She shuts the door and in three, two, one, I make it to the toilet just in time to barf.
* * *
I hearthe knock on the door. Very softly. I take the cold washcloth from my forehead and look around at the lovely guest room. The lighting in the room tells me I’ve been here awhile.
“Yes?”
The door opens, and Atticus looks in. “Is Charlotte back?”
I cover my face with a pillow and groan as he comes to the bed.
“Feeling better?”
“Physically. But I’m so embarrassed. Atticus, please forgive me.”
He sits next to me and takes my hand. “For what? You gave us all a good laugh.”
“Oh sure! I bet your parents are thrilled you brought a drunk to their home. Ohhhh.”
“Don’t be silly. All the girls are in the hall. They want to talk with you. I’m going to go have a cigar with the men.”
“Well, I might as well get it over with. It’s a teachable moment for Mallory. You make a mistake, own up to it and apologize. Crap. It’s harder than I remember.”
“Okay I’ll send them in. And don’t worry. You’re adorable even when you’re drunk.”
“Oh God.”
“And Charlotte?”
“Yeah?”
“I really want to pet your poodle.”
