Read Online Stirring Up Trouble by Juli Alexander - Free Book Online
Authors: Juli Alexander
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loved to keep the picture. Of course, I pretended I wasn’t very interested. “You guys look great.”
“And this one.” She nudged it closer. “The two of you make a handsome couple.”
“Mmm,” Jake said.
“Hmm,” I said.
Then, we both turned our attention to the queso.
The ride home was quiet. Apparently, even Dad and Sheree were all talked out. Dad popped in a U2 CD from the 80s which sounded pretty decent.
Mom studied me over the mahogany dinner table once I got home. We ate in the formal dining room at least once a week so she could justify the expense of having redecorated it. “How was it?”
“Okay,” I said cutting my chicken carefully so as not to scratch the good china with my knife.
“I’m going to make you pay me a dollar for every time you say ‘okay,’” she complained. Her wart had almost disappeared and the soft light of the chandelier flattered her complexion.
“Whatever,” I said with a smile.
She knew I was teasing, but she made a move to strangle me anyway at great risk to her crystal goblets. “Tell me how it went.”
“Jake and I had fun riding the rides. Sheree and Dad got on my nerves. We ate lunch.” I shrugged. “That was about it.”
“Did you guys discuss your relationship?” she asked.
“We don’t have a relationship, Mom,” I replied. “So, no. We didn’t.” I speared a mushroom and scooped some wild rice on my fork. She’d already apologized enough for her text.
“You didn’t make up?”
“No. We agreed to make the best of a bad situation.”
“What?” She smirked. “Dollywood?”
“No. Being with Dad and Sheree.”
Mom cracked up. “I shouldn’t laugh.”
“It’s okay, Mom,” I said between bites. “If my pain makes you happy, go right ahead.”
She was still cracking up, so I decided to make her day and tell her about Dad’s basketball comment.
She almost fell out of her chair giggling. “Your father can’t even walk without hurting himself.”
“I know.” I was glad to have something to laugh about.
“Remember that time we went to Jekyll Island? He didn’t realize we’d shut the balcony door and he ran into it at full speed.” She stopped talking to laugh some more. “He left his face print on the glass.”
I did remember. He’d also broken his nose. Despite being well educated, he didn’t have a lot of common sense. And he hated doing stupid things, so he was a total jerk to live with for a month afterward. Basketball was definitely out of the question.
On Sunday night, Mom and I were watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition when the phone rang.
The call was clearly bad news. Mom paced around the house as she talked, well actually, shouted at the person on the other end.
“That was Dave,” she said coming back to the family room.
Dave is Mom’s hottie producer. He’s thirty-ish and a total doll. He’s even straight, but Mom says she isn’t interested in him.
“What’d he say?” I asked, hoping this wouldn’t take more than five minutes because they were about to show the family on TV the house.
“We were supposed to start taping a teen room makeover first thing in the morning. We were using Dave’s sister-in-law’s house. Apparently, his sister-in-law left town.”
“Why?” In real life people didn’t just leave town, did they?
Mom waved away my question. “Some marital problems or something. The house is just sitting there empty.”
“So break in.”
“We can’t do that. It will all be documented on film,” she said, as if she had actually considered the idea.
“Oh, please don’t do my room again, Mom. I like it now.” I muted the TV. So much for the show.
“I have plans for a teenage boy’s room. I have no backup plans. And I start in the morning.” She sank onto the couch in defeat.
I knew she felt bad when she started chewing on her acrylic nails. She paid a lot for those nails. Mom and the landscaping guy from Mulching with Mack were in a heated battle
“And this one.” She nudged it closer. “The two of you make a handsome couple.”
“Mmm,” Jake said.
“Hmm,” I said.
Then, we both turned our attention to the queso.
The ride home was quiet. Apparently, even Dad and Sheree were all talked out. Dad popped in a U2 CD from the 80s which sounded pretty decent.
Mom studied me over the mahogany dinner table once I got home. We ate in the formal dining room at least once a week so she could justify the expense of having redecorated it. “How was it?”
“Okay,” I said cutting my chicken carefully so as not to scratch the good china with my knife.
“I’m going to make you pay me a dollar for every time you say ‘okay,’” she complained. Her wart had almost disappeared and the soft light of the chandelier flattered her complexion.
“Whatever,” I said with a smile.
She knew I was teasing, but she made a move to strangle me anyway at great risk to her crystal goblets. “Tell me how it went.”
“Jake and I had fun riding the rides. Sheree and Dad got on my nerves. We ate lunch.” I shrugged. “That was about it.”
“Did you guys discuss your relationship?” she asked.
“We don’t have a relationship, Mom,” I replied. “So, no. We didn’t.” I speared a mushroom and scooped some wild rice on my fork. She’d already apologized enough for her text.
“You didn’t make up?”
“No. We agreed to make the best of a bad situation.”
“What?” She smirked. “Dollywood?”
“No. Being with Dad and Sheree.”
Mom cracked up. “I shouldn’t laugh.”
“It’s okay, Mom,” I said between bites. “If my pain makes you happy, go right ahead.”
She was still cracking up, so I decided to make her day and tell her about Dad’s basketball comment.
She almost fell out of her chair giggling. “Your father can’t even walk without hurting himself.”
“I know.” I was glad to have something to laugh about.
“Remember that time we went to Jekyll Island? He didn’t realize we’d shut the balcony door and he ran into it at full speed.” She stopped talking to laugh some more. “He left his face print on the glass.”
I did remember. He’d also broken his nose. Despite being well educated, he didn’t have a lot of common sense. And he hated doing stupid things, so he was a total jerk to live with for a month afterward. Basketball was definitely out of the question.
On Sunday night, Mom and I were watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition when the phone rang.
The call was clearly bad news. Mom paced around the house as she talked, well actually, shouted at the person on the other end.
“That was Dave,” she said coming back to the family room.
Dave is Mom’s hottie producer. He’s thirty-ish and a total doll. He’s even straight, but Mom says she isn’t interested in him.
“What’d he say?” I asked, hoping this wouldn’t take more than five minutes because they were about to show the family on TV the house.
“We were supposed to start taping a teen room makeover first thing in the morning. We were using Dave’s sister-in-law’s house. Apparently, his sister-in-law left town.”
“Why?” In real life people didn’t just leave town, did they?
Mom waved away my question. “Some marital problems or something. The house is just sitting there empty.”
“So break in.”
“We can’t do that. It will all be documented on film,” she said, as if she had actually considered the idea.
“Oh, please don’t do my room again, Mom. I like it now.” I muted the TV. So much for the show.
“I have plans for a teenage boy’s room. I have no backup plans. And I start in the morning.” She sank onto the couch in defeat.
I knew she felt bad when she started chewing on her acrylic nails. She paid a lot for those nails. Mom and the landscaping guy from Mulching with Mack were in a heated battle
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