Iced Tea (13 page)

“Some kind of photographer girlfriend qualification test?
 
See just how far I’ll go?”

“No.
 
Girlfriend test?
 
Just how far?”

“You know what I mean.”

“I’m not sure what you mean, but I’d love to about hear it.
 
In great detail.”

It’s hard to talk when you’re blushing bright crimson, and redheaded Irish women can blush better than most, “You know what, I can’t have this conversation today.
 
I’ve had a very emotional day.
 
Plus, I’ve already hit my quota of commitments.
 
I committed to Jovana.
 
I committed to Morgan.
 
I committed to Teagan.
 
That’s three.
 
I only do three commitments in any one day.”

“I wasn’t really asking for a commitment Cara, I’m a guy, we’re actually terrified of the concept, remember?”

“Okay.
 
I’m sorry.
 
Bad choice of words.”

“No problem.
 
Change of subject.
 
Jovana told me about the meeting she had with you guys.
 
She said she had a great time.
 
She told me that she volunteered me as a part of the wedding photography team.”
 
He smiled.
 
“She’s really excited about this.
 
She said she fully expects Morgan and Liam’s wedding to be absolutely stunning, and that’s a quote.
 
She didn’t say anything about Morgan being raped.”

“Morgan didn’t tell us until after we’d left the ballroom.”

Suddenly AJ looked angry.
 
His jaw was so tight I was expecting broken teeth any second, “Do we know what happened to the asshole?
 
Is he in prison?
 
For how long?
 
Where?”

“I don’t know.
 
We didn’t talk about that part of it.
 
There’s nothing we could or should do about the guy.
 
We’re looking forward.”

“Not true.
 
There wasn’t anybody to protect her that night, but she has the family to protect her now.”

“The family?”

“Yes, your family.”

“You make us sound like the mafia.”

“Well, I would have said you guys are a clan, but the same difference.
 
I sure as hell wouldn’t go up against you guys.”

“Wise man, but I doubt you would wake up with horse parts in your bed.”

“I’m not worried about horse parts, I’d be more worried that I wouldn’t wake up with all my parts.
 
Your mother always seems to have a sharp object in her hand.”

“That’s because she is always cooking.”

“Great cover story for the police.”

Dinner was great.
 
Dessert was better.
 
Dancing around the apartment in candlelight was even better than that.
 

There are nights that just go from great to outstanding.
 
Sometimes they even get better than that.
 
It was definitely a better than that night.

SEVEN

The phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Just how pushy are we going to be with Morgan?”

“Good morning to you too, Teagan.”

“Fine.
 
Good morning.
 
Answer my question.”

“I’m not even sure what the question means.”

“It means that she doesn’t have family to back her up for all this stuff for the wedding and nobody should have to plan a wedding alone.”

“She has Liam.”

“Like I said, no one should have to plan a wedding alone.”

“We need to talk to Liam.
 
We can’t get too pushy.
 
She might decide to run and hide, she’s smart you know, and if she runs away we’ll never be able to find her; then Liam is gonna kill us, and Mom will help.”

“You want to talk to him or should I?”

“I will.
 
You’re supposed to be working.”

“You’re supposed to be creating a new career.
 
How’s that coming?”

“I haven’t done a damn thing.”

“Just how long are you going to put off the inevitable?”

“The inevitable being?”

“Getting a real job and acting like a grown-up.”

“I’m going to put it off until after the wedding.
 
I have enough money in the bank to make it several months.
 
I’m not going to starve or be homeless.
 
I’ve been careful with my money.
 
I’m good.”

“Okay.
 
You talk to Liam.
 
Then call me.
 
We don’t want to be too pushy, so I think we should figure out who is going to do what and I’m volunteering for all things beautification.”

“Morgan doesn’t need beautification.”

“True, but I still want to play in the area of dress, hair, makeup and flowers.”

“Sounds about right, how practical is that?
 
We don’t even have a cake or chairs, but you want to play with makeup.”

“Don’t start with me Cara.
 
Each of us has our strengths.
 
Mine is hair and makeup.
 
You and Mom always do all the catering stuff, and if Jovana is going to take care of that, then you’re off the hook, you don’t have to do anything.”

“I didn’t do anything?
 
I’m the one that got the ballroom and the photographer.”

“Be honest, that was accidental and more barter than ability, on both accounts, and I don’t think you’re going to mind paying up, at least to AJ.”
 
Her eyebrows danced all around her head and even on the phone, I knew it, which isn’t really saying all that much, Teagan seems to have moved on from rolling her eyes all the damn time, to wiggling her eyebrows all the damn time.
 
I have no idea what her next trick will be; I’m just trying hard not to pick up on her last one.

I responded without even snarling or anything, “Very funny.”

Teagan’s voice immediately shifted to concern, “Why are you in such a mood?”

“Joe-the-cop showed up, he’s on my mind, I can’t seem to shake him, and I’m not sure what to do about it.”

“Cara, I’m not kidding around, either you sit down and figure out what’s going on, or I’m telling Mom and Dad that that idiot showed up again and they need to do something because you won’t.”

“I’m not twelve Teagan.”

“I know, so stop acting like you are.
 
You have two choices.
 
You can do something about all of this, or you can step back and let us do something about it.
 
Either way, something needs to be done.
 
Today.”

“Don’t threaten me with Mom and Dad.
 
I am going to sit down today and figure out what’s going on.”

“Good, cause Morgan and Liam already had to put the wedding off once due to a death in the family, it would suck if they had to do it again because you didn’t want to face the fact that you stepped in it.”

“Nobody’s going to kill me Teagan, although I may kill you.”

“You can’t.
 
You don’t know how to do Morgan’s hair.”

“Like you’re actually going to do the work yourself.
 
You’re more supervisory level.
 
Or maybe a consultant.”

“I was thinking about that actually.”

“You’ve decided to become a beauty guru?”

“Don’t start with me Dingleberry.
 
What I was thinking is instead of a shower, which Morgan said she didn’t really want to do, I was thinking I’d have the girls at the shop come over to my apartment, or Mom’s house, or maybe we could all go there after hours, and we could do manicures and pedicures and wax whatever needs waxing, a couple of days before the wedding, and that could be our shower type thing.”

“You really think Mom’s going to get a pedicure?”

“I already mentioned it, and she said she thought it was a good idea.”

“Really?”

“I think she’s willing to do just about anything to make Morgan feel comfortable and loved.”

“Sounds good to me, but won’t that be really expensive?”

“I’ll check with the girls.
 
The way the economy’s going, a bunch of women that want to pay for services, I don’t think the girls are going to have a problem with it.
 
Besides, if it weren’t for me, they would have closed years ago.
 
Between the small fortune I drop in there, and all the people I send their direction, I pretty much keep the place going.”

“I believe that.
 
It’s a little disturbing, but I believe it.”

“Disturbing?
 
How is supporting a small business disturbing?”

“Supporting a small business isn’t disturbing.
 
The fact that one or more people are dependent on your freakishly accelerated rate of toe nail growth for their very livelihood, that, is a little bit disturbing.”

“You know what Cara, my nails might grow a little fast, but that’s a sign of good health, and at least I don’t have fur growing out of my toes.”

“Here we go.
 
Hairy toe comments.
 
You know what Teagan?
 
Hairy toes are a sign of intelligence.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Quick, name 3 stupid people with hairy toes.”

“Fred Flintstone, Sasquatch, and you.”

“Fred Flintstone does not have hairy toes, he has three toes, get your facts straight.”

“Fine.
 
Sasquatch has hairy toes.”

“Perhaps, but Sasquatch is not stupid.
 
He has been hunted for decades, leaves virtually no forensic evidence, yet keeps himself in the news just enough to stay interesting, but not so much that the bounty on his head attracts sane people.”

“I guess that leaves you.”

“I am many things in this life Teagan, but stupid is not on the list.”

“I agree, but how do we prove that.
 
Your actions don’t really advertise your intelligence lately.”

“Don’t be a jerk.
 
I can prove it.
 
Exactly what is your tolerance limit for stupidity?”

“Oooh, very good.
 
I have no tolerance for stupidity.
 
Yet I have an infinitesimal amount of tolerance for you, so you’re at least dim, if not brilliant.”

“That’s all I’m saying.”

“How did we get here?”

“Hairy toes.”

“Right.
 
Did you call Liam and Morgan and find out what we can do to help with the wedding?”

“Why me?”

“Because I’m going to talk to Mom and find out what she’s doing.
 
I figured I’d run interference.
 
If you call Mom, she’s going to want to know what you’re doing about Joe-the-cop and she’s going to want to know what you’re doing about a job, but hey, if you want to call Mom, I’ll be happy to call Liam.”

“I like your plan.
 
It’s much better.
 
If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you have hairy toes, you’re just that smart.”

“Cara, if I did have hair toes, you wouldn’t know because unlike you, I actually have pedicures.”

“That’s because your toe nails are best described as hooves.”

“Don’t start.”

“I didn’t.
 
You pulled the hairy toe card.”

“Call Liam.”

“Yes, ma’am.
 
You want to come over for food?”

“Actually, I would.
 
Jessie is out of town, but I can’t stay late.”

“Call me when you’re leaving your office.
 
I’ll do something easy.”

“You sure it’s okay?
 
AJ won’t mind?”

“He’s working late tonight.
 
I think he’ll like the fact that I’m not here alone.”

“Well, Teagan the Terrible will be there to play body guard.”

“If my call to Liam and your call to Mom don’t turn up anything earth shattering, we’ll just talk tonight.”

“Sounds good.
 
Cara, you using your maid lock?”

“Yes, Teagan, I’m using the maid lock.”

“Good.
 
I invested almost ten dollars on that puppy, and I’d hate for you to end up all dead and everything.”

“I love you too.”

I know that when people put things off, everybody assumes it’s just a case of procrastination, but I swear on my favorite nightgown that isn’t what I was doing.
 
I was percolating.
 
I was letting the facts of the last few weeks percolate in my brain.
 
I know me, and when I allow my wee little brain to wander down its own little path of pursuit, it always comes up with something.