Over 50's Singles Night by Ellyn Bache

Author:Ellyn Bache
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

“Are you alone?” Harvey stood at the front door, hands outstretched toward the fast-approaching dog.

“Just me and Randolph and the Big Blob,” BJ said as a pair of canine paws landed on Harvey’s chest. He was wearing a dress shirt instead of his usual pullover, a spiffy sky-blue button-down that looked frighteningly vulnerable to grime and claws. “Get down,” BJ said. Randolph ignored her. Harvey scratched the dog’s ears.

“Hey, buddy. Hey, buddy.” Harvey peered furtively into the entryway as he spoke, no doubt fearful that Iris might catch him calling the dog “buddy” instead of his given name.

“She’s out,” BJ said. She felt mildly sorry for Harvey, making his daily visit on the pretext of asking about BJ’s eyes but actually hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive Iris. We had a fight, BJ sometimes thought of telling him. She’s never here because she’s avoiding me. But then she’d have to explain that she’d been working at home so much these past two weeks not only because adjusting to the Big Blob made her want a nap every afternoon, but also because she was punishing Iris—or rather, allowing Iris to punish herself for spending a third of her life believing BJ was a slut.

Ever since the fight, Iris had left the house early and returned late, even if she had one of her headaches. Twice on what BJ assumed were headache days, Iris had driven up the street at around noon, only to pass the house without stopping once she saw BJ’s car in the driveway. Apparently she was more willing to endure the pain in her temples than BJ’s cold appraisal. BJ imagined Iris gulping three or four Excedrin the minute she got out of the neighborhood, and rushing off to her massage therapist, who specialized in migraines.

To fill the rest of her day, Iris probably hung out at the mall, visited Jonah and Noah despite the presence of the evil Patti Ann and finally took in a late movie—perhaps dozed through the movie, if the headache hadn’t gone away—to avoid coming home until BJ was in bed. BJ knew her sister very well. And though BJ allowed this because she was still stung by Iris’s failure to trust her, the whole situation made her feel terrible. Iris had believed Sheldon because she’d been mesmerized. Her judgment had been clouded. It wasn’t really Iris’s fault. BJ figured she could endure only a few more days of their standoff before she’d have to insist on a reconciliation.

Randolph, having had his fill of jumping and slathering, sat down with his tongue lolling out. “Still bothered by the Big Blob, then,” Harvey said. “A few more weeks and I’m sure it’ll be less distinct.”

“I hope so.”

“So what else is the matter?” Harvey asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re even snappier than your usual snappy self.”

“By snappy, I take it you mean a person who snaps at you in an irritated way, as opposed to someone dressed in a snappy, attractive outfit?”

“Correct.”

“There’s not a thing the matter,” BJ snapped.

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