The English American by Alison Larkin

Author:Alison Larkin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2008-09-27T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirty-one

BILLIE ANDI put moisturizer on our faces in front of her mirror. She won’t allow me to use soap and water on my face in her house and insists that I adopt her nighttime skin-care routine, stage by stage. I’ve just told Billie I want to spend the weekend with Walt in Washington.

“But you only just got here!” Billie says, dabbing toner on her face in short, fast movements. “And it’s a three-day weekend! I thought we could do something fun together. We could start by getting our hair sun-glitzed.”

“We’ll have lots of time to do things together, Billie, and I’ll work hard for you, I promise. But first I really want to spend some time with Walt.”

“Well, we’d all like to spend time with Walt, honey. But your father is a very busy man.”

My heart thuds.

“He did say he’d love to see me,” I say, sitting on the love seat next to her dressing table and watching her finish her routine. “In fact, he said that if I didn’t come and visit him he’d come up here and put me in the car himself.”

Billie tips the yellow Clinique bottle upside down and puts more moisturizer on her face.

“Well, honey, Walt is the kind of man who says the things he thinks other people want to hear. Why don’t you spend this weekend in New York with me and go and see Walt in a month or so, when you’re more settled?”

My need to touch base with Walt wins out over my guilt at disappointing her.

“I really do want to go to Washington, Billie. Just for a few days.”

I think she’s forgiven me, but just as I’m falling asleep, she turns over and says, “You’re very manipulative, honey. But that’s okay. I was exactly the same at your age. I love you. Good night.”

The next morning, as I’m getting in the car, Billie says, “I may stop by and say hi to you and Walt on Monday. I’m not promising, but if I can get everything done…”

“That’d be lovely,” I say, guiltily hoping she doesn’t.

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