good,”
“Frank played running back for his college football team until a few years ago,” James said to me. “He was pretty good.”
“Pretty good?” Patricia said. “He was incredible! Had he stayed with it, he would have gone to The Olympics!”
“There is no football in The Olympics, ma,” Frank said to his mother, laughing.
“Well there should be,” she said as she stuffed her face with more food.
“It was just time for a change, you know?” Frank said to me. “What do you do?”
“I’m an interior decorator,” I said.
“She works for one of the biggest firms in California. They get a lot of high end clients,” James said.
“Oh really? Like who?” Frank asked.
“I just helped decorate part of Tom Cruise’s new house,” I said.
“Wow, is he as crazy as everyone says he is?” Frank asked.
“I never actually met him. He was out of town on a movie shoot,” I said.
“He’s a wacko!” Walter yelled. “He’s always preaching his stupid cult.”
“You know, I saw that HBO documentary on him,” Pat said. “About his weird religion. Do you know the absurd things they believe in? What a racket! There’s only one true religion—Christianity. Jesus Christ, The Lord and Savour.”
I forced a smile.
“Tell us about your church, Brenna,” Pat said.
“Well—I—um,” I thought.
Frank tried his best not to burst out laughing. His cheeks puffed up like a blowfish and his eyes began to water.
“What is so funny?” Pat asked.
“We go to a wonderful church,” James lied.
“That’s good. It’s very important to go to a good church—every Sunday,” Pat said.
Frank laughed again. “Yeah—very important. I’m sure your church is exceptional, bro,” he said to James.
“I hope you aren’t going to one of those Scientology churches,” Frank said.
“Dad—” Frank said.
“What? It’s a cult,” Walter said.
“Tom paid well, that’s all I know,” I said.
“Well, now you also know he’s part of a cult,” my father finished.
Frank’s face was red from laughter. I looked over at him. He was handsome. I could see the veins running up his muscular neck as he chuckled.
“You know, I could tell you some pretty embarrassing stories about James.”
I looked over at James again.
“What kind of stories?” I said, curious.
“There are no stories,” Frank said, embarrassed. “She already knows all the embarrassing ones.”
“What about the time when we were on vacation and we went to the pool, but you forgot your bathing suit so you wore mom’s bikini bottom,” Frank said, laughing.
I laughed.
“Really?” I said to James.
His face turned dark red.
“That’s enough,” James said.
“Or when you brought home that chick for Christmas, and she left because she was freaked out by your Hello Kitty collection,” Frank couldn’t stop laughing. “So you went and threw it all out.”
I looked over at James. He looked at me. His expression dropped, his eyes were full of guilt. He had told me he’s never been in a serious relationship.
“Or when—”
“—Frank—that’s enough,” James barked.
Frank stopped laughing. He could tell that he hit a sour spot. I just sat, silent.
There was a long painful silence.
“These potatoes are excellent, mom,” Frank said.
“Thank you, dear,” she replied.
I looked back at Frank. He was looking at me, slightly embarrassed. He looked into my eyes for a moment, and then smiled. I shyly looked down at my plate of food.
CHAPTER FOUR
AFTER DINNER
After dinner, James, Frank and I went down to the basement. A man cave had been set up, with couches, a big-screen television, and an old pool table. There was a bar in the corner, loaded with bottled that glowed with orange lamplight. The whole basement was wood panelled.
I sat down at the bar on a stool and James went to sit on the couch. Frank stepped behind the bar.
“What can I getcha?” he asked me.
I looked back at my boyfriend.
“What are you
“Frank played running back for his college football team until a few years ago,” James said to me. “He was pretty good.”
“Pretty good?” Patricia said. “He was incredible! Had he stayed with it, he would have gone to The Olympics!”
“There is no football in The Olympics, ma,” Frank said to his mother, laughing.
“Well there should be,” she said as she stuffed her face with more food.
“It was just time for a change, you know?” Frank said to me. “What do you do?”
“I’m an interior decorator,” I said.
“She works for one of the biggest firms in California. They get a lot of high end clients,” James said.
“Oh really? Like who?” Frank asked.
“I just helped decorate part of Tom Cruise’s new house,” I said.
“Wow, is he as crazy as everyone says he is?” Frank asked.
“I never actually met him. He was out of town on a movie shoot,” I said.
“He’s a wacko!” Walter yelled. “He’s always preaching his stupid cult.”
“You know, I saw that HBO documentary on him,” Pat said. “About his weird religion. Do you know the absurd things they believe in? What a racket! There’s only one true religion—Christianity. Jesus Christ, The Lord and Savour.”
I forced a smile.
“Tell us about your church, Brenna,” Pat said.
“Well—I—um,” I thought.
Frank tried his best not to burst out laughing. His cheeks puffed up like a blowfish and his eyes began to water.
“What is so funny?” Pat asked.
“We go to a wonderful church,” James lied.
“That’s good. It’s very important to go to a good church—every Sunday,” Pat said.
Frank laughed again. “Yeah—very important. I’m sure your church is exceptional, bro,” he said to James.
“I hope you aren’t going to one of those Scientology churches,” Frank said.
“Dad—” Frank said.
“What? It’s a cult,” Walter said.
“Tom paid well, that’s all I know,” I said.
“Well, now you also know he’s part of a cult,” my father finished.
Frank’s face was red from laughter. I looked over at him. He was handsome. I could see the veins running up his muscular neck as he chuckled.
“You know, I could tell you some pretty embarrassing stories about James.”
I looked over at James again.
“What kind of stories?” I said, curious.
“There are no stories,” Frank said, embarrassed. “She already knows all the embarrassing ones.”
“What about the time when we were on vacation and we went to the pool, but you forgot your bathing suit so you wore mom’s bikini bottom,” Frank said, laughing.
I laughed.
“Really?” I said to James.
His face turned dark red.
“That’s enough,” James said.
“Or when you brought home that chick for Christmas, and she left because she was freaked out by your Hello Kitty collection,” Frank couldn’t stop laughing. “So you went and threw it all out.”
I looked over at James. He looked at me. His expression dropped, his eyes were full of guilt. He had told me he’s never been in a serious relationship.
“Or when—”
“—Frank—that’s enough,” James barked.
Frank stopped laughing. He could tell that he hit a sour spot. I just sat, silent.
There was a long painful silence.
“These potatoes are excellent, mom,” Frank said.
“Thank you, dear,” she replied.
I looked back at Frank. He was looking at me, slightly embarrassed. He looked into my eyes for a moment, and then smiled. I shyly looked down at my plate of food.
CHAPTER FOUR
AFTER DINNER
After dinner, James, Frank and I went down to the basement. A man cave had been set up, with couches, a big-screen television, and an old pool table. There was a bar in the corner, loaded with bottled that glowed with orange lamplight. The whole basement was wood panelled.
I sat down at the bar on a stool and James went to sit on the couch. Frank stepped behind the bar.
“What can I getcha?” he asked me.
I looked back at my boyfriend.
“What are you
Similar Books
Across the Lagoon
Roumelia Lane
CASINO SHUFFLE
J. Fields Jr.
The Between
Tananarive Due
Beauty's Curse
Traci E. Hall
Jack Carter's Law
Ted Lewis
Dear Thing
Julie Cohen
Seeing Red
Shawn Sutherland
Break Me Down
Roni Loren