inwardly. Friday nights Lucky made a point of everyone sitting down for the whole family dinner thing. Why did she have to be there? Surely she had enough of Gino Junior and his lech friends all week?
âBut Momââ she began, working it hard.
Lucky shot her daughter a look. Friday nights were important, especially this Friday with everyone arriving. Sheâd planned on taking over the kitchen herself and making the one dish she excelled at: pasta and meatballs with her special sauce. It was Lennieâs favorite meal, and preparing it was her favorite therapy. Besides, sheâd always encouraged her kids to bring their friends, so why was Max so intent on giving her a hard time?
âYou should be here,â she said, throwing her daughter another long, steady look. âEveryone wants to see you.â
Max frowned. This Friday-night family deal was totally lame, she was so not into it, even though her friends couldnât wait to come over for Friday dinner. âDamn, girl!â Cookie was always informing her. âYou actually, like, have a family. All Iâve got is my dad, anâ all he has is a different big-boobed skank like every other second. Anâ he gets to fuck âem. I have to talk to them, so Friday night at your house rocks!â
It infuriated Max that both Cookie and Harry considered Lucky and Lennie the coolest parents ever.
â You donât have to live with them,â she would often point out. âTheyâre not that easy. My mom can be a total pain. When I got that tattoo on my thigh she went total ape shit.â
âIâd swap âem for mine any day,â Harry would always reply. âAt least they notice youâre alive.â
Max had to admit that on the very few occasions sheâd seen them, Harryâs parents were quite scary. And as for Cookieâs dad, Gerald M., he was a major sex addict.
âEveryone will see me on Sunday at the big party,â Max said, flashing Lennie a pleading look. âDadâ¦â
âWhatâs the deal?â Lennie asked, finally putting down his script.
âOne of Cookieâs friends is having a blowout birthday thing Saturday night,â Max said, words tripping over each other. âAnd Mom says I canât go. But if Iâm back in time for Grandpaâs partyâ¦â She trailed off, continuing to gaze pleadingly at Lennie, all intense green eyes and innocent expression.
Lennie got the message. âHey, Lucky,â he said. âWhynât you let her go? Whatâs the big problem?â
âNo problem,â Lucky responded, suddenly feeling like the uptight mother figure, a feeling she did not appreciate. âI guess as long as sheâs back for Ginoâs party itâs okay.â
âI, like, so will be,â Max dutifully promised, vainly attempting to subdue her triumphant expression.
âWeâll need the number where youâre at,â Lucky said, sensing that somehow or other sheâd just lost out. It pissed her off when Lennie overruled her without even a discussion about what they should do. Parenting was supposed to be a joint ventureâsomething Lennie didnât seem to get.
Lennie winked at his willful but quite beguiling daughter. âHappy now?â he asked.
âThanks, Dad,â she said, giving him a quick hug, then hurriedly fleeing before Lucky changed her mind.
On the way to her room Max made a mental note that the next time she wanted anything she should ask while Lennie was around; he was way easier to deal with than her mom.
Upstairs she called Cookie. âItâs on!â she announced. âIâm driving up there tomorrow.â
âTomorrow?â Cookie said. âDoesnât that screw up Friday dinner at your house?â
âDinnerâs a no-go,â Max explained. âI told them this thing in Big Bear is for one of your friends, so natch youâll be coming with
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