Read Online Mary Ellen Courtney - Hannah Spring 01 - Wild Nights by Mary Ellen Courtney - Free Book Online

Sunday okay? We plan to get there by 11:00 and do the internment at noon.”
    “Mom has a call into me. She probably wants to tell me all about it.”
    “Or to tell you you’re an alcoholic.”
    “Well if she does, I won’t be there.”
    “Relax, I’m kidding. Ted said that during one tirade Mom told Binky she’s a selfish alcoholic bitch, unlike you. You should bring Steve, round things out.”
    “He’s in New York.”
    “Lucky bastard.”
    “What’s Ted think about all this?” I asked. “He must know she’s an alcoholic.”
    “He says what he always says. She’s just tired.”
    We both said good-bye like the polite people we are. I went straight to the kitchen and poured a glass of merlot. The irony was not lost on me.
    The phone rang, no way mom. If she had quit drinking that morning, it meant she had just set the world speed record for obnoxious self-righteous converts. She even beat out Bettina who, when she became a Catholic, after she’d converted to Judaism, after being a fallen Presbyterian, spent six months carrying around some catechism book with her name embossed in gold. I could see Mom getting just Jackie , embossed on an AA big book. Nope, not ready for that phone call.
    I swam laps until my inner voice went hoarse nattering about Mom, and went to bed.
     
    I was having breakfast the next morning when Mom called.
    “Hi, how’d your date go?” I asked.
    “The date went fine. His name is Arthur. You probably heard I had a little disagreement with Binky.”
    She was using her breathy little hiding out voice, like I might hurt her.
    “I did. Have things calmed down?”
    “Yes. Though she hasn’t admitted that she’s powerless over alcohol.”
    “Did you mention to anyone at the meeting that you were going to confront your daughter?”
    “No. Why would I? Everyone was talking about their own problems.”
    “That’s my point, Mom. AA is for the people who’re there, not for people to get armed and take the fight to their children.”
    “That’s what Arthur said; I don’t see what difference it makes. Your sister’s an alcoholic and she should get help.”
    “She has to want help. It’s totally different.”
    “Well I talked to Ted last night. He said she might drink too much. He knows.”
    “You know Ted, Mom, he probably just said it to get the situation calmed down.”
    “Oh well, Hannah, I don’t know why you know so much about this.”
    “Because I’ve gone to Alanon.”
    “What for?”
    “Never mind.”
    “Is Steve coming on Sunday?”
    “He’s in New York.”
    “Well I hope it works out. Men like kittens, you’re almost a cat.”
    “I have to go to work.” I hung up without being polite.
    Waiting to talk had given the situation a chance to mellow. I was spared the blow-by-blow; I was not spared being called a cat. How do they do that? They roll in the Trojan horse of family concern and out pops the fucking cat.
    The buzzer at the gate announced a flower delivery guy with a huge vase of anthuriums, possibly the most overtly sexual flower on the planet. Talk about a clitoris, no man could miss those.
    One of the experienced guys I’d known briefly in my wild young days said he’d known a few hookers who looked like that. It’s amazing, really, how freely the men who don’t love you tell you things in bed. I’d heard a little too much honesty from men. I’d like to say it was fun, but in the recesses of my heart it hurt. It got stored away, unexamined, in the shame box. Maybe getting paid to listen made it okay. Hookers must get an earful on top of everything else.
    The note said, “Aloha—Steve.” I put them under the white paper lantern where they’d be lit up. They look like wax and have no scent, but the visual can’t be ignored. They murmured under the light like an oversexed Greek chorus. Steve may be in New York, but he was imposing his vision on the film playing in Los Angeles.
     
    We got Vampire Chick all set up for her big breakthrough, then