Sight Unseen by Bonnie Hardy

Author:Bonnie Hardy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: On the Other Hand Books

28

REX REDONDO

Rex fidgeted. Finding the Old Lady of the Sea in his dressing room had been quite the shock. After the unprecedented performance with the fortune globe, he was a bit woozy.

He straightened one cuff of his white shirt, then tugged on the other. Deep breaths, Rex, he told himself. And don't forget a pleasant smile. Then he admitted to himself, I don't trust this old lady. She's everywhere all the time. Plus how did she get into my dressing room?

"What a delightful surprise." He made every effort to sound convincing.

A smile played at her lips. She seemed pleased.

That was the bait, Rex told himself. And here's the switch. He lowered his voice. "How did you get into my room?"

Rex hoped his direct question might ruffle the old woman's feathers. He'd noticed the queen's wave and the thump of her cane as she made her way through public rooms. Upstairs or downstairs, this woman had aplomb. Very confident. And not necessarily in a good way.

Rex prided himself on his quick assessments of the female gender. Age didn't fool him one bit. No matter how old a person, their basic personality showed through.

"Don't get smart with me." Ms. Alcott’s smile vanished. "You know I have the full benefit of staff and passenger status. I have freedom to come and go anywhere I please. Now tell me, Rex Redondo, have you heard from your paramour?" Ms. Alcott glared, watching his reaction.

She reminded Rex of his third-grade school teacher, Sister Gwendolyn. She tried everything in her power, including her relationship with the Almighty, to provoke him into a confrontation. It was as if she despised his very nature.

His parents thought Catholic school might cure him of his attention-getting behavior. By second grade, he'd spent more time in the principal's office than in class. By fourth grade, he was back in public school, having failed to meet Sister G's high expectations. To his credit, his grades were excellent, top of his class.

The word paramour hit the intended mark. Rex felt his hand tingle, nearly crossing himself out of habit. His smile slipped, exposing his irritation. "If you're referring to Vivienne Rose," he said, "then you can call her my partner. We're partners. Actually neighbors."

"Except for one thing," the Old Lady of the Sea added. "Someone will tell you soon enough, so it might as well be me. In your absence, your so-called partner has been playing footsie with another neighbor. He's right next door. They share a veranda.

"Some women," Bertha continued, "have a certain penchant for men who cruise. Disgusting. At my age, I know a thing or two about free love. Back in my day we may have rabble-roused. The sex was a side dish, not the main course. Oh sure, some of us were partygoers, but the serious ones, like Bella, Gloria, Hillary. We knew our true purpose. It wasn't just for sex!" The distaste in her expression made Rex cringe.

Once he got ahold of himself, he shrugged. "Women have the right at any age to determine what they do with their bodies.

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