Boycotts and Barflies (24 page)

182

She threw the covers off and headed out to the kitchen for some coffee and to wake up the other two. Bianca was already awake, lying on the couch and looking like hell. She had the thermometer in her mouth and a bucket next to her on the floor. Wadded up Kleenex were scattered on the floor at her feet. “What the hell happened to you? You look like shit,” Grace exclaimed as she put her hand on Bianca’s blazing forehead.

“I love you too, Grace,” she mumbled with the thermometer in her mouth.

Meg stumbled out  of her room and looked at Bianca’s pitiful form on the couch. “Good morning, Typhoid Mary,” Meg said as she sat down on the couch at  Bianca’s feet.

“Such sympathy from my friends. It really is touching,” Bianca said sarcastically

as she held out the thermo meter, which read 102 degrees.

“What are we going to do? We can’t leave you here sick. We better wait and  leave tomorrow. I’ll call my mom and tell her we’ll be a day late.” Grace started  walking toward the phone when Bianca stopped her.

“Grace, don’t do that. I probably have what you had last week and that lasted  three days. You guys can’t stay here until I’m better; you’ll miss everything. Just  go, I’ll be fine. I’m going to be sleeping the whole time anyway. That’s what you  did.”

“But we can’t leave you  here alone. What if you get really sick?” Meg pleaded

with her.

“Grace, Amanda’s staying in town right? Can’t I just call her if I need anything?”  Bianca insisted. “Listen, I’m not going to ruin Christmas for all of us. Go to  Spokane. Let Susan try and trap you under the mistletoe with the pimply, bad  breathed, neighborhood boys and then come home and we’ll celebrate  Christmas again with the hot, sexy men that really matter. That would make  me happy,” Bianca said as she clutched the bucket as a precaution.

“I don’t know about this, Bianca …” Grace was already beginning to feel guilty. “I insist,” Bianca said firmly.

As Grace looked at Meg for some help, she shrugged her shoulders and headed  to her room to shower.

“If you’re sure, Bianca, but we’ll be calling constantly to check on you,”

Grace said as she gave her a small hug. She ran into her room to finish packing,

and then made a quick trip to the grocery store to buy every kind of food

known to man to help with the flu.

183

“What did you do?” Bianca asked in a groggy voice as she walked into the  kitchen from her room, rubbing her eyes.

“I got some ginger ale, soup, pudding, bread for toast, hot chocolate, tea, and a  ton of cold medicines that might help.” Grace lined everything up on the  counter for her to see.

Bianca just shook her head and smiled. “I’ll be fine, Grace. I’m a grown woman.  Love you guys. I’m going back to bed. Drive safely and call me when you guys  get in.” She gave a wave and shuffled back into her room. Meg  came over and  dropped her bag on the floor by the front door.

“Let’s get this show on the road, Grace. Don’t worry, she’ll be fine. Amanda is  going to come by and check on her tomorrow.” They grabbed their bags and  the pile of gifts, and headed out the door for Spokane.

184

Chapter 15

The drive through the mountains to Spokane was enjoyable with Meg in the carto help pass the time. They called Bianca once from the road to see if she was feeling any better. Their loving concern was met with a string of profanities for waking her up from a nap. The four and a half hour trip flew by, and soon

Grace was pulling into a familiar, snow covered driveway.

Her parents’ home sat in a small clearing that was surrounded on three sides by tall, mature pine trees that towered over the house. The two story house was white with black shutters, and as always, the yard was littered with thousands of Christmas lights. There was a sleigh, four reindeer, a giant inflated snowman and at least a dozen candy canes scattered across the lawn.  Grace knew that in the evening, the driveway alone was so well lit that a commercial airliner could mistake it for and airport runway from the sky.

“Boy, you weren’t kidding when you said your mom had a thing for Christmas, were you, Grace?” Meg gazed in awe out the car window to take in the crazed winter wonderland before her.

“My mom loves Christmas I think more than I ever did, even as a kid.”

Grace laughed as she turned off the car. Meg climbed out, and before she could shut the door, they heard Susan screeching from the front porch.

“Girls! You made it. Henry, get their bags.” Seconds later, Grace’s poor father came flying out the door with only his slippers on his feet to brave the snow and claim their bags, rather than face Susan’s wrath.

“Can you tell she’s a bit excited you girls are here and hopes to have you both

engaged by Wednesday at the latest? Good luck.” Henry kissed Grace on the

head and pulled her into a hug. “You may want to remind her that you ‘don’t

like boys’ for a few more days.”

“What did she do now?” Grace’s eyes went wide with fear.

“I’m not at liberty to say.” Henry shrugged his shoulders and dug his hands

deeply into his pockets.

“Thanks a lot, Dad,” she said sourly as she headed up the front walk. Meg was

hot on her heels, giggling. “You won’t think this is funny for long. Hi, Mom,”

Grace said as Susan crashed into her before she even made it up onto the front

porch.

“My baby, my baby! I’m so glad you’re here. We’re going to have the most

wonderful Christmas ever!” Susan hugged Grace like she hadn’t seen her in

years, even though she’d been home a month ago for Thanksgiving. “Meg!”

Susan squeaked when she looked over Grace’s shoulder to see the blond shivering as she waited to be let into  the house.

Susan released her death grip on Grace and clung to Meg like she was a long lost daughter. “I’m so happy your flight was canceled. I mean, I’m sorry you can’t see your family, but now we get to spend the holiday together. The more the merrier.”  She smiled and kissed Meg on the cheek.

Henry came up behind them, huffing from all the suitcases. “Ladies, are you here for a visit or are you planning on moving in?” He laughed as he balanced the bags in his arms and struggled his way through the door.

“I’ll help you,” Meg offered as she squirmed her way out of Susan’s arms and

grabbed the nearest suitcase.

“You girls go get settled. I had the guest room set up for Bianca, but now Meg

can use it. Is there any chance Bianca might make it up?” Susan asked

hopefully. Nothing made her happier than a house full of people.

“I don’t know; we’ll see how she’s feeling in the morning,” Grace said as she

headed up the stairs behind Meg and Henry. “But if it’s what I had last week,

she’ll be out of commission for a few days, so don’t get your hopes up, Mom.”

Henry led Meg down the long hallway of the second floor. Grace’s room was at

the end of the hall on the left. The guest room was just before it, so Henry

stopped there first to drop off Meg’s mountain of suitcases. Grace stuck her

head into the room, grabbed her two small totes, and took them the one

doorway further.

186

Her room was the same as it had been for the last ten years. The walls were a powder blue with navy curtains and  bedspread. She laughed, remembering the fight she’d had years ago because her mother had thought it looked too much like a boy’s room when Grace told her the colors she wanted to use. Grace laid the bags on top of her bed and tossed her overnight bag into  the bathroom.  Then she headed to the guest room to check on Meg.

The guest room was Susan’s dream room. The walls were a pale pink and the curtains and bedding were green with subtle hints of pink. This was the way she thought Grace should have decorated her room, but since the color pink caused Grace to break out in hives, she conceded to letting the guest room be the ‘girl’ room she’d wanted. Meg, however, couldn’t stop complimenting Susan on the decor of the room.

They quickly unpacked Meg’s main suitcase. Grace found fresh towels for her bathroom and grabbed an extra pillow out of the hall closet to make sure Meg

had everything she needed. As she put the last sweater into the dresser, Grace

waved her over to the bed.

“What’s up?” she asked as she lay down next to Grace, her chin in her hands.

“Before we go downstairs, we need to prepare,” Grace said seriously.

“Prepare for what?” Her tone had confused and scared Meg.

“Susan. More specifically, the Spanish Inquisition she is about to put us

through. We need to get our stories straight,” Grace said as she pointed back

and forth between the two of them.

Meg threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, Grace. Don’t be silly.”

“Listen, you need to trust me on this. We’re still on our boycott of boys, understand? Let h er think we are exploring our feminine options for the next few days. If not, then she’s going to try and play matchmaker, and trust me when I tell you, she is the worst matchmaker in recorded history! She is the anti-cupid.”

Grace pulled a picture from her pocket and thrust it at Meg.

“What is this? Is this you? And who is that you are sitting next to? Is he wearing a … bib?” Meg asked, her eyes wide in disbelief

“Yes, that’s me from Christmas last year. The guy’s name is Arnold Fitzer and my mother thought we would make the ‘cutest couple,’” Grace said, complete with air quotes. “I had to spend the entire evening with Bib Boy and hear all about his harmonica collection.” Meg actually snorted, she was laughing so hard. “If you’re lucky, he may stop over. I  know Susan is still friends with his mom. Maybe she’ll let you have a shot at him.” Meg looked up in horror, but

Grace kept rambling.

187

“I think the braces should be off by now, and I believe he went to speech  therapy for the lisp.” Meg let out a small scream as her hand flew to her mouth. “So why don’t we tell her about Michael and Ryan so she stops playing  matchmaker?” Meg asked quickly, finally understanding Grace’s need to  deceive Susan and avoid her matchmaking at all costs.

“Do you really want to play twenty questions about Ryan only in the end to  have Susan tell you she doesn’t think he’s good enough for you, and that she

can find you a better guy right here in Spokane?” Grace held up the picture of  Bib Boy again to remind her of the horrors that could await her at the hands of  Grace’s matchmaking mother. “Because that’s what she has done every time  I’ve tried telling her I have a boyfriend. We do not mention the names Michael,  Ryan, or Jack while we’re talking to her, deal?” Grace held out her pinkie to Meg

with a serious look on her face. Meg glanced at the picture one more time

before wrapping her pinkie tightly around Grace’s.

“Deal,” she said quietly. “I’m ripping down every piece of mistletoe in this

house, too. There’s no way I’m kissing him or any of his toadfish friends while

I’m here.” Meg climbed off the bed and headed out the door with Grace right

behind her.

Susan was down  in the kitchen, making sandwiches. “Hey, girls, sit down at the table and I’ll fix you something to eat.” She slid a turkey sandwich in front of each of them, along with a glass of soda, and sat down at the table with them, grinning from ear to ear.

“So, h ow’s your silly boycott going?” she asked as she popped a potato chip into her mouth.

“Fine,” Grace mumbled giving a quick glance to Meg who was concentrating very hard on her glass of soda to avoid Susan’s stare.

“I, um, talked to Mrs. Sullivan yesterday,” Susan said, trying to sound casual, but Grace knew she had some bomb she was getting ready to drop, “and she said when Liam came home the other day, he mentioned that he ran into you in  Portland.”

Crap! Stupid Liam! How much did he tell her? Did he mention Michael?

I wonder if he told his mommy about rubbing his penis on my leg!

“Oh?” Grace wisely kept her answers brief until she found out how much Susan already knew. Meg watched silently as Grace tried to outmaneuver her mother.  Locked in a stalemate of  sorts, Susan sighed, fully aware that Grace was withholding information from her.

188

“Yes, he said he met you at a bar, and that you were with your two girlfriends.”  She threw out her first bit of information.

OK, no big  deal. Meg and I can corroborate the story.

“Oh, yeah. Meg, you remember Liam, don’t you?” Grace asked with a smirk on  her face. Meg bit her lip to keep from laughing.

“Yes, he was quite a dancer, as I recall.”

Grace casually looked back across the table to Susan for her next question. “Funny you should mention dancing, Meg, because he also said that while he  was dancing with Grace, some guy threw her over his shoulder and dragged  her off the dance floor. Apparently he also threatened Liam if he ever looked  at  Grace again. Do you remember that part, too?” Susan asked in an overly sweet  voice, her motherly eyes staring into Grace’s soul, waiting for the slightest sign