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Authors: Sue Ann Jaffarian
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in sympathy. Kelsey crossed her arms over her chest and stood straight.
“And why in the hell would he do a stupid thing like that?” she asked.
“Because,” I started to say, then paused to clear my throat. I took another gulp of coffee and straightened my shoulders. I would get the words out if it killed me. “Because I’m a corpse magnet.”
“Huh?” they said in unison.
I waved a hand as if to erase what I’d just said. “Actually, there were several reasons, but the central one is he’s tired of worrying about me. He said it’s not normal for someone to get into the trouble I do and have people trying to kill me all the time.”
“Well,” Joan said, pausing for diplomatic effect, “he has a point.”
“Yeah,” Kelsey chimed in. “Especially after that murder at the reunion.”
“Oh my gosh!” Joan clapped her hands to her mouth and nearly fell off her chair. “That was your reunion on the news this weekend?”
Ignoring Joan’s drama, Kelsey cut to the chase. “You said that was the central reason. Were there others?”
I nodded and felt my face grow warm. “Something I did at the reunion, something stupid that set off the whole fight.”
Again, the two of them waited for me to say something, this time to confess what had set Greg off. Kelsey still stood with her arms crossed over her chest, but now her eyebrows were raised. Joan sat prim and proper, with her hands clasped demurely in her lap.
I took a deep breath and let the words come out in one big gush of hot air. “Greg was sick so I took Dev Frye to the reunion without telling Greg I know it was wrong but I didn’t want to upset Greg but when he found out he was livid and that started the fight and then he told me he was tired of worrying about me all the time and then I told him that Seth Washington called me a corpse magnet and Greg said he didn’t want to marry a corpse magnet then Dev called and Greg got even more pissed and announced we needed a break from each other.”
When I was done, I felt like I needed a hit of oxygen.
“Wait a minute,” Joan said, holding up a delicate hand. “Greg said he thought you needed a break from each other?”
“Yes,” I told her, nodding. “That’s pretty much it.”
“Well, technically, a break isn’t a break up .” Joan looked at us, pleased with her theory. Looking over at Kelsey, I could tell she was considering it as plausible.
I threw up my hands in frustration. “Of course it’s a break up.”
Kelsey unfolded her arms and wagged an index finger at me. “Now, now, Odelia, don’t be too hasty about dumping this relationship into the ground and throwing dirt over it.” She paused and looked over at Joan for backup, getting it in the form of a nod. “It’s true, you did do a pretty stupid thing, and you do seem to get into more jams than a bushel of strawberries. But Greg loves you. Hell, he even wants, or wanted, to marry you. Feelings like that just don’t die overnight.” She moved over to my desk, bent down, and wrapped her arms around me once again. “Just give him time to cool off.”
Joan reached forward, took both my hands, and squeezed them. “Yes, Odelia, he’ll be back. I’m sure of it.”
I sighed deeply. A few days or weeks might prove them right. But at this point in time, it crossed my mind that they’d both been sniffing Wite-Out.
We broke our huddle, and they started to leave. Joan had just opened my office door when Jolene McHugh charged in, almost knocking Joan on her butt.
“Okay,” Jolene started to say to me, then, catching herself, she turned to the startled Joan. “Sorry, Joan.” Like lightning, she turned her attention back to me. “So, where is the despicable slime ball?”
“Woooeee, that comment has Mike Steele written all over it,” Kelsey said, slipping past Jolene. “And on that note, we’re outta here.” She directed the still-shocked Joan out the door and closed it behind them.
Jolene plopped herself down in
“And why in the hell would he do a stupid thing like that?” she asked.
“Because,” I started to say, then paused to clear my throat. I took another gulp of coffee and straightened my shoulders. I would get the words out if it killed me. “Because I’m a corpse magnet.”
“Huh?” they said in unison.
I waved a hand as if to erase what I’d just said. “Actually, there were several reasons, but the central one is he’s tired of worrying about me. He said it’s not normal for someone to get into the trouble I do and have people trying to kill me all the time.”
“Well,” Joan said, pausing for diplomatic effect, “he has a point.”
“Yeah,” Kelsey chimed in. “Especially after that murder at the reunion.”
“Oh my gosh!” Joan clapped her hands to her mouth and nearly fell off her chair. “That was your reunion on the news this weekend?”
Ignoring Joan’s drama, Kelsey cut to the chase. “You said that was the central reason. Were there others?”
I nodded and felt my face grow warm. “Something I did at the reunion, something stupid that set off the whole fight.”
Again, the two of them waited for me to say something, this time to confess what had set Greg off. Kelsey still stood with her arms crossed over her chest, but now her eyebrows were raised. Joan sat prim and proper, with her hands clasped demurely in her lap.
I took a deep breath and let the words come out in one big gush of hot air. “Greg was sick so I took Dev Frye to the reunion without telling Greg I know it was wrong but I didn’t want to upset Greg but when he found out he was livid and that started the fight and then he told me he was tired of worrying about me all the time and then I told him that Seth Washington called me a corpse magnet and Greg said he didn’t want to marry a corpse magnet then Dev called and Greg got even more pissed and announced we needed a break from each other.”
When I was done, I felt like I needed a hit of oxygen.
“Wait a minute,” Joan said, holding up a delicate hand. “Greg said he thought you needed a break from each other?”
“Yes,” I told her, nodding. “That’s pretty much it.”
“Well, technically, a break isn’t a break up .” Joan looked at us, pleased with her theory. Looking over at Kelsey, I could tell she was considering it as plausible.
I threw up my hands in frustration. “Of course it’s a break up.”
Kelsey unfolded her arms and wagged an index finger at me. “Now, now, Odelia, don’t be too hasty about dumping this relationship into the ground and throwing dirt over it.” She paused and looked over at Joan for backup, getting it in the form of a nod. “It’s true, you did do a pretty stupid thing, and you do seem to get into more jams than a bushel of strawberries. But Greg loves you. Hell, he even wants, or wanted, to marry you. Feelings like that just don’t die overnight.” She moved over to my desk, bent down, and wrapped her arms around me once again. “Just give him time to cool off.”
Joan reached forward, took both my hands, and squeezed them. “Yes, Odelia, he’ll be back. I’m sure of it.”
I sighed deeply. A few days or weeks might prove them right. But at this point in time, it crossed my mind that they’d both been sniffing Wite-Out.
We broke our huddle, and they started to leave. Joan had just opened my office door when Jolene McHugh charged in, almost knocking Joan on her butt.
“Okay,” Jolene started to say to me, then, catching herself, she turned to the startled Joan. “Sorry, Joan.” Like lightning, she turned her attention back to me. “So, where is the despicable slime ball?”
“Woooeee, that comment has Mike Steele written all over it,” Kelsey said, slipping past Jolene. “And on that note, we’re outta here.” She directed the still-shocked Joan out the door and closed it behind them.
Jolene plopped herself down in
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