glanced over at Laura and frowned.
Something was wrong.
Bit by bit, the color was draining from Laura’s face.
“What is it?” she whispered.
Laura shook her head. She turned to her mother. “Um, who’s coming over?” There was an edge to her voice.
“I thought it might be nice for you to meet Dr. Pool—Benji. He’s so eager to meet you and he doesn’t have much free time, since summer’s his busy season.” She looked at Laura’s face and her cheer seemed to falter a bit. “It’s just that it would be nice for the two of you—”
“Sure. That sounds great.” Laura’s voice sounded tight and forced.
Her mother’s face lit up. “Oh, I’m so glad. He’ll be over right after work and we’ll celebrate then. This is going to be so much fun.” She closed the door behind her as she left.
Laura’s face now matched the bottle of bleach that dangled from her cleaning caddy.
“Are you okay?” Willa asked.
Laura shook her head, as if waking herself from a trance. “I’m sorry. Dr. Pool is my mom’s new boyfriend. I just didn’t know how serious they were. Until now.”
Willa studied her face. “Your mom looks happy,” she pointed out.
Laura turned to stare at her. “Yeah, I guess,” she said.
“Listen, are you sure you’re okay?”
“I am. Definitely.” Laura studied her hands for a second. When she looked up, her face seemed harder. Not angry, but determined. “Listen, I think maybe I will take you up on that lunch offer. If it’s okay with you.”
Willa blinked. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. That was just a serious dose of reality.” Laura laughed. “And I still have to meet the guy. Maybe if I relax this afternoon I’ll be in better shape tonight. But right now, I really don’t want to think about it. You know what? I feel better already,” Laura said. “I really need a break.” She spoke this last part so softly that Willa had to crane her neck to hear.
“I’ll call you a car,” Willa said. “The reception starts in forty minutes.”
She moved toward the door, carpet crunching under her feet. As her hand reached out for the knob she paused. “Hey, Laura?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.” Then Willa pointed toward her gigantic closet. “Time to go shopping.”
11
Sparkling Shine
—Palmolive Dishwasher Gel,
Label Copy (bottle)
From the doorway at Café Pertutti, Laura observed the sea of bobbing heads as they moved up, down and around the dining room. She leaned against a coatrack, closed her eyes and channeled every ounce of her energy into not vomiting.
How had she gotten herself into this mess?
It had all happened so fast. One minute Laura was protesting the absurdity of Willa’s proposal, the next she was getting into a Lincoln Town Car and answering to the name Willa Pogue.
No wonder she felt nauseous.
Laura glanced down at the outfit she’d borrowed from Willa—a green linen skirt, white peasant blouse and soft leather sandals. She’d been uncomfortable with the loan, but the situation had been urgent. She couldn’t wear her uniform to the luncheon and, besides, Willa had insisted.
“I’ve got twenty more skirts just like it,” she’d snorted. “My mom fails to accept that all I really want to wear are sweats.”
The expensive clothing made Laura look even more like Willa Pogue. The transformation had been the final, bizarre step in what had become a freakishly strange day.
After snagging a cleaning uniform from the third floor, Willa had returned to her room. Laura watched her friend move toward her as if she were watching a movie of herself. The two girls had stared at one another, paralyzed by their twin-ness.
Finally, Willa had broken the silence.
“Hey, Willa Pogue,” she’d said. “I’m Laura Melon.”
Laura realized her mouth was hanging open. She’d closed it and cleared her throat. “Wow,” she’d replied. “Tell me about it.” They reminded her of a balanced equation. Anything had seemed possible.
The problem was,
Something was wrong.
Bit by bit, the color was draining from Laura’s face.
“What is it?” she whispered.
Laura shook her head. She turned to her mother. “Um, who’s coming over?” There was an edge to her voice.
“I thought it might be nice for you to meet Dr. Pool—Benji. He’s so eager to meet you and he doesn’t have much free time, since summer’s his busy season.” She looked at Laura’s face and her cheer seemed to falter a bit. “It’s just that it would be nice for the two of you—”
“Sure. That sounds great.” Laura’s voice sounded tight and forced.
Her mother’s face lit up. “Oh, I’m so glad. He’ll be over right after work and we’ll celebrate then. This is going to be so much fun.” She closed the door behind her as she left.
Laura’s face now matched the bottle of bleach that dangled from her cleaning caddy.
“Are you okay?” Willa asked.
Laura shook her head, as if waking herself from a trance. “I’m sorry. Dr. Pool is my mom’s new boyfriend. I just didn’t know how serious they were. Until now.”
Willa studied her face. “Your mom looks happy,” she pointed out.
Laura turned to stare at her. “Yeah, I guess,” she said.
“Listen, are you sure you’re okay?”
“I am. Definitely.” Laura studied her hands for a second. When she looked up, her face seemed harder. Not angry, but determined. “Listen, I think maybe I will take you up on that lunch offer. If it’s okay with you.”
Willa blinked. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. That was just a serious dose of reality.” Laura laughed. “And I still have to meet the guy. Maybe if I relax this afternoon I’ll be in better shape tonight. But right now, I really don’t want to think about it. You know what? I feel better already,” Laura said. “I really need a break.” She spoke this last part so softly that Willa had to crane her neck to hear.
“I’ll call you a car,” Willa said. “The reception starts in forty minutes.”
She moved toward the door, carpet crunching under her feet. As her hand reached out for the knob she paused. “Hey, Laura?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.” Then Willa pointed toward her gigantic closet. “Time to go shopping.”
11
Sparkling Shine
—Palmolive Dishwasher Gel,
Label Copy (bottle)
From the doorway at Café Pertutti, Laura observed the sea of bobbing heads as they moved up, down and around the dining room. She leaned against a coatrack, closed her eyes and channeled every ounce of her energy into not vomiting.
How had she gotten herself into this mess?
It had all happened so fast. One minute Laura was protesting the absurdity of Willa’s proposal, the next she was getting into a Lincoln Town Car and answering to the name Willa Pogue.
No wonder she felt nauseous.
Laura glanced down at the outfit she’d borrowed from Willa—a green linen skirt, white peasant blouse and soft leather sandals. She’d been uncomfortable with the loan, but the situation had been urgent. She couldn’t wear her uniform to the luncheon and, besides, Willa had insisted.
“I’ve got twenty more skirts just like it,” she’d snorted. “My mom fails to accept that all I really want to wear are sweats.”
The expensive clothing made Laura look even more like Willa Pogue. The transformation had been the final, bizarre step in what had become a freakishly strange day.
After snagging a cleaning uniform from the third floor, Willa had returned to her room. Laura watched her friend move toward her as if she were watching a movie of herself. The two girls had stared at one another, paralyzed by their twin-ness.
Finally, Willa had broken the silence.
“Hey, Willa Pogue,” she’d said. “I’m Laura Melon.”
Laura realized her mouth was hanging open. She’d closed it and cleared her throat. “Wow,” she’d replied. “Tell me about it.” They reminded her of a balanced equation. Anything had seemed possible.
The problem was,
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