Down on Love by Jayne Denker

Author:Jayne Denker [Denker, Jayne]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
Published: 2013-09-13T04:00:00+00:00

“We’re closed.”

“But you were open a second ago.”

“George, right?”

“Yeah.”

“We’re closed.”

The woman’s shadowed face was only partially visible in the divided panes of glass in the door, but George knew a cranky look when she half-saw it. She stood there, staring at the door, trying to figure out what was happening. Then a hand reached up to turn the little cardboard sign from “open” to “closed,” and George recognized the hand’s sparkly manicure.

“Audra?”

“Who wants to know?”

George felt stupid shouting at a closed door, but Audra had just out-stupided her. “You just said—!”

“Go away.”

“Look . . . what the hell is your problem?” Might as well cut to the chase, she figured.

“You can’t shop here.”

“Why the hell not?”

“It’s my shop. I say who can shop here and who can’t.”

Even though George had more pressing issues, she couldn’t help asking, “Wait—who’s Suzette, then?”

“My great-grandmother. It sounds more French. French is classy.”

“Okay . . .”

Audra’s heavily made-up eyeball loomed in one of the glass panes. “You’re looking for a dress, right? For the Taste of Whalen thing?”

She sighed. Why was she even a little surprised word had gotten out, even about something so mundane? “So?”

“Because you’re going out on a date with Casey Bowen, bitch.”

Ohhhhh.

“Celia’s my homegirl, okay? You mess with her, I’ll mess you up.”

George had no idea why Audra had suddenly gone ghetto, but she got the gist. “Audra, not that I owe you any explanation or anything, but it’s not a date.”

“Casey belongs with Celia. Stay away from him. I’m warning you!”

At this point George started laughing at the absurdity of the situation. “Or what? You’re going to beat me up under the bleachers after school lets out?”

“Just step off.”

“You know, I really don’t need this aggra—”

She stopped and turned when someone tapped her on the shoulder. Nobody was there. She looked down to find an older woman, about four and a half feet tall, auburn wig slightly askew, peering up at her.

“Don’t mind Audra, sweetie,” the woman said in a slightly shaky voice. “She’s always been a bit . . . tightly wound.”

“Mrs. Osterberg?” George barely stopped herself from adding I thought you’d be dead by now.

“It’s lovely to see you, dear. I had been planning on stopping by and bringing you a cake to say welcome home, but I couldn’t remember if you liked vanilla or chocolate.”

“Mrs. Osterberg, how in the world would you ever remember whether one of your former kindergarten students liked vanilla or chocolate cake?”

“Oh, I remember everything from my teaching days. But I can never remember if I’ve put my teeth in every morning.” She laughed, and George caught sight of some pink gums. She wondered if she should fill the woman in on today’s denture status, but before she did, her old teacher said, “For what it’s worth, I’m on your side, dear.”

“My . . . side? I don’t—”

Mrs. Osterberg patted her arm and winked. “Team George all the way, that’s me.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Don’t you worry about Audra. Just between us, she’s always been rather obnoxious.

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