Club. Brian gave a nod of his head and a gesture toward Michael, respectfully allowing him to choose, then dropped his duffel on the twin bed in the second room and smiled at Abby. Tim gave them a quick tour of the bathroom and the location of clean towels, then said, “Ladies, follow me.”
Back down the steps and through the kitchen they went, where Tim opened the door to the basement.
“When our daughter, Kate, turned sixteen, she told us she felt like she needed more independence.” He rolled his eyes good-naturedly to show what he’d thought of that. “So, we converted the basement for her. Corinne and I called it the Inner Sanctum.” With the chuckle that Abby was beginning to think of as his trademark, he hit the light switch and led the way down.
The MacDougal’s basement was like a studio apartment minus the kitchen. Spacious and surprisingly bright, it boasted a wall of books, a treadmill off to one side, and its own full bath. A small sitting area with a loveseat, a chair, and a television was tucked into a corner. Kate MacDougal had been one lucky teenage girl—one who apparently liked the color peach. The walls looked creamy smooth and sweet, like sorbet, and Abby was tempted to lick one, like Charlie in the Chocolate Factory. A thick, rich cream carpet blanketed the floor and begged for bare feet, for wiggling toes. Cream and peach striped the shower curtain that was partially visible through the bathroom doorway and exactly matched the pillowy down comforter that covered the one queen-sized bed in the room.
“Yoo hoo!” Corinne’s voice was sing-songy and cheerful, like everything else about the woman. She came down the stairs and stood next to her husband, a hopeful grin on her round face. “Everything look all right?”
“This is awesome,” Abby said.
“Well, I didn’t think the guys would appreciate sharing a bed, but you two are . . . friends, so I hope this is okay.”
“We’re not friends,” Erica said.
“Oh,” Corinne said. “I just assumed.” Her ever-present smile faltered.
“It’s fine. It’s great,” Abby said, willing her thanks to show on her face. “Please. Thank you so much for your generosity. You and Tim have been so amazing.” She turned to Erica. “Haven’t they?”
Erica blinked. “Yes. Absolutely. Thank you.”
Corinne looked uncertain, but said, “I’m going to make an early dinner. I imagine you can all use a decent meal at this point. Three o’clock in the dining room. Everybody okay with pork chops? You two aren’t vegetarians, are you?”
“I’m not,” Abby replied, looking toward Erica.
“No.” Erica shook her head. “Pork is fine.”
“Terrific. I’ll go tell the boys, then.”
A couple quick gestures toward the linens and then Corinne and Tim took their leave, waving off Abby’s continued thanks.
When they were out of earshot, Abby turned to Erica. “Are you always such a bitch?”
Surprise registered on Erica’s face. “Excuse me?”
“They’re being so nice. They’re giving us a place to stay. You could try to at least pretend to be grateful. Jesus.” She dropped her backpack and Walmart bag on the floor and looked around. It wasn’t long before Erica’s silence made her feel bad and she felt the need to fill it. “Sure beats the hell out of the Lions Club, huh?”
“Yeah. I suppose it does.” Erica’s eyes seemed drawn to the bed.
“What’s the matter now?”
“Nothing. There’s just, there’s only one bed.”
“Yep. But it’s pretty big.” Abby scratched under the rubber band in her hair, studied Erica, and barely kept from rolling her eyes. Okay, time to mess with the Little Princess. “Are you worried that I might attack you in the middle of the night? Try to have my way with you?” She waggled her eyebrows lasciviously.
Erica’s head snapped around. “What? No. No, of course not.”
“Ah. I see. You’re worried that you might attack me.”
“ What? ” Erica narrowed her blue eyes
Back down the steps and through the kitchen they went, where Tim opened the door to the basement.
“When our daughter, Kate, turned sixteen, she told us she felt like she needed more independence.” He rolled his eyes good-naturedly to show what he’d thought of that. “So, we converted the basement for her. Corinne and I called it the Inner Sanctum.” With the chuckle that Abby was beginning to think of as his trademark, he hit the light switch and led the way down.
The MacDougal’s basement was like a studio apartment minus the kitchen. Spacious and surprisingly bright, it boasted a wall of books, a treadmill off to one side, and its own full bath. A small sitting area with a loveseat, a chair, and a television was tucked into a corner. Kate MacDougal had been one lucky teenage girl—one who apparently liked the color peach. The walls looked creamy smooth and sweet, like sorbet, and Abby was tempted to lick one, like Charlie in the Chocolate Factory. A thick, rich cream carpet blanketed the floor and begged for bare feet, for wiggling toes. Cream and peach striped the shower curtain that was partially visible through the bathroom doorway and exactly matched the pillowy down comforter that covered the one queen-sized bed in the room.
“Yoo hoo!” Corinne’s voice was sing-songy and cheerful, like everything else about the woman. She came down the stairs and stood next to her husband, a hopeful grin on her round face. “Everything look all right?”
“This is awesome,” Abby said.
“Well, I didn’t think the guys would appreciate sharing a bed, but you two are . . . friends, so I hope this is okay.”
“We’re not friends,” Erica said.
“Oh,” Corinne said. “I just assumed.” Her ever-present smile faltered.
“It’s fine. It’s great,” Abby said, willing her thanks to show on her face. “Please. Thank you so much for your generosity. You and Tim have been so amazing.” She turned to Erica. “Haven’t they?”
Erica blinked. “Yes. Absolutely. Thank you.”
Corinne looked uncertain, but said, “I’m going to make an early dinner. I imagine you can all use a decent meal at this point. Three o’clock in the dining room. Everybody okay with pork chops? You two aren’t vegetarians, are you?”
“I’m not,” Abby replied, looking toward Erica.
“No.” Erica shook her head. “Pork is fine.”
“Terrific. I’ll go tell the boys, then.”
A couple quick gestures toward the linens and then Corinne and Tim took their leave, waving off Abby’s continued thanks.
When they were out of earshot, Abby turned to Erica. “Are you always such a bitch?”
Surprise registered on Erica’s face. “Excuse me?”
“They’re being so nice. They’re giving us a place to stay. You could try to at least pretend to be grateful. Jesus.” She dropped her backpack and Walmart bag on the floor and looked around. It wasn’t long before Erica’s silence made her feel bad and she felt the need to fill it. “Sure beats the hell out of the Lions Club, huh?”
“Yeah. I suppose it does.” Erica’s eyes seemed drawn to the bed.
“What’s the matter now?”
“Nothing. There’s just, there’s only one bed.”
“Yep. But it’s pretty big.” Abby scratched under the rubber band in her hair, studied Erica, and barely kept from rolling her eyes. Okay, time to mess with the Little Princess. “Are you worried that I might attack you in the middle of the night? Try to have my way with you?” She waggled her eyebrows lasciviously.
Erica’s head snapped around. “What? No. No, of course not.”
“Ah. I see. You’re worried that you might attack me.”
“ What? ” Erica narrowed her blue eyes
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