Page 73 of Earl
“Remember Lacey?” They were diving into the delicious stew when he started.
“Yes, I do.”
“Lacey was one of the so-called mothers assigned to our age.” He informed the others loftily. “She insisted on us calling her ‘mom’ and when we refused, she would mete out her own form of punishment.”
“And that would be?” Earl asked him tightly. He really resented the man as he realized how much he was monopolizing Cathy’s attention. He could not talk without touching her intimately.
At one point, he had leaned over and whispered something in her ear, kissing her on the cheek and staring at her like a lovesick puppy. Earl wanted to smash his fist into the pretty face.
“She would withhold TV privileges, as if there was anything of interest on that basic cable anyway.” Dismissing Earl, he turned to Cathy, his expression softening. “We had our own entertainment, didn’t we darling?”
Cathy knew what he was doing, but aside from calling him out, there was nothing she could do. “We did. Teresa how was the party?”
“Wonderful. Byron was such a blessing and an entirely good sport, even when he lost at cards.”
“Cards!” All eyes turned to look at him in surprise. “That’s what we would do to entertain ourselves.” He touched her hand, fingers trailing over her wrist. “You would make me win most of the times.” He turned golden-brown eyes on Earl who was vibrating with temper. “Did you know Cathy is a whiz at poker?”
“No,” he clipped.
“Have you told him how adept you are at tennis?”
“We haven’t discussed that…”
“How odd.” He shook his head. “It seems as if you two really do not know each other at all, do you?”
“We know enough,” Earl told him coldly.
Pushing back her chair, Cathy put down her napkin. “Justin, may I see you in the kitchen?”
“I am not finished with…”
“Now, please.”
“I think I am in trouble.” With an unperturbed look on his face, he followed her from the room.
She did not have a door to close and the dining room was too close to the kitchen. Taking his hand, she practically dragged him out and along the passageway until they were inside heroffice. Slamming the door shut, she turned to face him, her hands on her hips.
“I would like you to cut out the crap right now.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.” He avoided her eyes by examining the manicured perfection of his nails.
“You are insulting Earl and pissing him off.”
“Well, if he cannot take a little joke…”
“Enough!” Walking over to the desk, she sat on the edge of it. “I get that you are jealous- “
“Oh please!”
“But I am in love with the guy and come Saturday, we are getting married, with or without you.”
She watched as he turned and walked over to the window, his shoulders hunched. “He is taking you away from me.”
Cathy felt her heart turning over as she stared at him. Ever since they were little, it had always been the two of them. Even when they went their separate ways, when his modeling took him to different parts of the world, they were always in touch.
Easing off the desk, she went to stand behind him and wrapped her arms around his narrow waist. “No one, absolutely no one, will ever do that. I love you; you damn idiot. You are in my life for the rest of it. Loving Earl does not mean I am going to be abandoning you. How can you think that?”
He had stiffened when she hugged him and refused to turn around. She could see his reflection in the window and felt her heart twisting at the desolate expression on his beautiful face.