Courtney asked. C.J. waited attentively for her response which was a simple nod of the head. Maybe he would make an exception this time.
***
“So what’s with you and the school teacher?” Sammy asked as he poured himself another mixture of Kahlua , Bailey’s Irish cream, and Peach Schnapps. It was his own special concoction, which everyone else in the world thought was disgusting.
Chase finished his third screwdriver in an hour and wondered to himself when he’d start to feel it. Sometimes he hated having such a high tolerance for alcohol. On a night like this he just wanted to drink his problems away. “Remember the girl I told you about? The one I met on the cruise?”
“You’re kidding.” Sammy looked at his best friend to make sure he wasn’t joking. “What the hell are the odds of that happening?”
“Well, it doesn’t matter what the odds are because it happened.” Chase bitterly picked up the video controller and started the next game without even waiting for Sammy to get in place.
“Wow, that’s gotta complicate matters. Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?”
Chase shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”
“The hell it doesn’t. What if she finds out the truth? She can screw up the whole operation.”
“She won’t find out. Everything will be fine.”
Sammy scrambled to the couch and picked up his controller. Within seconds, he was already beating Chase.
“You suck at this game. You haven’t beaten me in six years.”
“There’s a first time for everything,” Chase said with determination, putting his frustration into the cartoon fighting character on screen.
“We really shouldn’t be playing around anyway. We should be working.”
“I am working. I do some of my best thinking right here in your basement in front of this TV.” They played a few moments with only the sounds of a clicking video controller and a few manly grunts. “What could be a problem is her husband,” Chase said suddenly without taking his eyes off of the TV.
“Husband? Not only is she your math teacher, but she’s married.”
“ Kinda married. The guy is a sleaze. In fact, I think he’s a client.”
Sammy paused the game and glared at Chase. “A client? You’re in love with the wife of a client?”
“Who said anything about love?”
Sammy tossed his controller on the floor and stood up to make himself another drink. “Kid, I’ve known you your whole life. You’re in love and it just might get us both in a whole lot of trouble.”
Chapter 8
Delia and Donna Lee rarely fought. But when they did, Delia knew it was better to give her feisty sister a few days to cool off before seeking a reconciliation . This tiff had especially baffled Delia. They always joked about Donna Lee’s sex life and she never got offended before. But after careful consideration, Delia decided that her comment may have been a little insensitive so she decided to make the first move and apologize. She desperately needed her best friend back to help her figure out what to do about Chase.
After knocking several times with no response, Delia decided to use her key to enter her sister’s apartment. Being 4:00 on a Monday afternoon, she knew she’d be home from work soon. The apartment was its usual mess and Delia thought she would straighten up a little while she waited when she heard something from Donna Lee’s bedroom. Stepping over a few random pairs of shoes lying on the living room floor, Delia approached her sister’s room and heard the noise again. It sounded like a whimper. Was her sister crying? Donna Lee never cried.
Slowly pushing the door open so as not to startle her, Delia peered into the room. The lights were out and the setting sun only provided enough illumination for Delia to make out Donna Lee curled up in an armchair by the window.
“Are you okay, sweetie?” Delia crossed the room and
***
“So what’s with you and the school teacher?” Sammy asked as he poured himself another mixture of Kahlua , Bailey’s Irish cream, and Peach Schnapps. It was his own special concoction, which everyone else in the world thought was disgusting.
Chase finished his third screwdriver in an hour and wondered to himself when he’d start to feel it. Sometimes he hated having such a high tolerance for alcohol. On a night like this he just wanted to drink his problems away. “Remember the girl I told you about? The one I met on the cruise?”
“You’re kidding.” Sammy looked at his best friend to make sure he wasn’t joking. “What the hell are the odds of that happening?”
“Well, it doesn’t matter what the odds are because it happened.” Chase bitterly picked up the video controller and started the next game without even waiting for Sammy to get in place.
“Wow, that’s gotta complicate matters. Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?”
Chase shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”
“The hell it doesn’t. What if she finds out the truth? She can screw up the whole operation.”
“She won’t find out. Everything will be fine.”
Sammy scrambled to the couch and picked up his controller. Within seconds, he was already beating Chase.
“You suck at this game. You haven’t beaten me in six years.”
“There’s a first time for everything,” Chase said with determination, putting his frustration into the cartoon fighting character on screen.
“We really shouldn’t be playing around anyway. We should be working.”
“I am working. I do some of my best thinking right here in your basement in front of this TV.” They played a few moments with only the sounds of a clicking video controller and a few manly grunts. “What could be a problem is her husband,” Chase said suddenly without taking his eyes off of the TV.
“Husband? Not only is she your math teacher, but she’s married.”
“ Kinda married. The guy is a sleaze. In fact, I think he’s a client.”
Sammy paused the game and glared at Chase. “A client? You’re in love with the wife of a client?”
“Who said anything about love?”
Sammy tossed his controller on the floor and stood up to make himself another drink. “Kid, I’ve known you your whole life. You’re in love and it just might get us both in a whole lot of trouble.”
Chapter 8
Delia and Donna Lee rarely fought. But when they did, Delia knew it was better to give her feisty sister a few days to cool off before seeking a reconciliation . This tiff had especially baffled Delia. They always joked about Donna Lee’s sex life and she never got offended before. But after careful consideration, Delia decided that her comment may have been a little insensitive so she decided to make the first move and apologize. She desperately needed her best friend back to help her figure out what to do about Chase.
After knocking several times with no response, Delia decided to use her key to enter her sister’s apartment. Being 4:00 on a Monday afternoon, she knew she’d be home from work soon. The apartment was its usual mess and Delia thought she would straighten up a little while she waited when she heard something from Donna Lee’s bedroom. Stepping over a few random pairs of shoes lying on the living room floor, Delia approached her sister’s room and heard the noise again. It sounded like a whimper. Was her sister crying? Donna Lee never cried.
Slowly pushing the door open so as not to startle her, Delia peered into the room. The lights were out and the setting sun only provided enough illumination for Delia to make out Donna Lee curled up in an armchair by the window.
“Are you okay, sweetie?” Delia crossed the room and
Similar Books
