Pet Peeves by Amelia C. Adams

Author:Amelia C. Adams [Adams, Amelia C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-06-16T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Kerry turned her head from side to side and studied her face in the mirror. She did have a dirt streak on her jaw, but she wasn’t sure yet what she should do about it. She washed her hands up to her elbows as she thought about it. If she left it, it would mostly be to show Jamal that she could do it. That didn’t seem like a very good reason. If she washed it off, she’d feel a lot more comfortable.

But then again, if she washed it off, was she giving in to an unneeded impulse for perfectionism? Was her need to have everything just right so pervasive that she couldn’t handle something out of place even for a few minutes?

Oh, dear. She was a mess. No wonder her therapist had told her to take this vacation.

She left the bathroom with clean hands, a smudge on her jaw, and a grin on her face.

Jamal was waiting for her near the front of the restaurant. “You decided to keep it.”

“Yeah. I stood there and debated for almost a full minute, then realized how silly that was. I’m making a conscious choice to let it go.”

He smiled. “I’m glad. You wear it well.”

Something about that little compliment warmed her up inside, and it made her realize something. Being in the cosmetics industry, she spent a lot of time looking her best, but it had been quite a while since someone had paid her a compliment. And now that she was finally getting one, she had dirt on her face. She chuckled to herself, shaking her head.

“What’s so funny?” Jamal asked.

“Me, I think,” Kerry replied. She had a whole lot of thinking to do.

They were led to their table, and Kerry was impressed by the variety on the menu. “I don’t have any idea what to choose,” she said. “What do you recommend?”

“Everything here is good. You can’t go wrong.”

Kerry had just finished ordering her pasta when her phone rang. “I’m sorry, but I need to take this,” she said, glancing at the screen. It was her mother’s doctor—and she definitely wasn’t going to let it go to voice mail, especially if it was important enough to call after hours.

She slipped outside, noticing that Jamal stood when she did—aw, that was sweet—and answered. “Hi, Dr. Burdick. What’s going on?”

“Your mother has had a fall and broke her wrist,” Dr. Burdick replied. “She’s in the ER right now getting it set in a cast. They called me in because she was a little bit disoriented. She’s fine now, but it did take a little bit to calm her.”

“Oh, no.” Kerry pressed a hand to her right temple. “I’ll catch the first flight I can get. I’m just—”

“No, actually,” Dr. Burdick interrupted her. “Once she calmed down, she was very emphatic that you remain on your vacation. Your friend Andie will be staying with her twenty-four hours a day until you get back—that’s how determined they are for you to enjoy your trip.

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