“Make sure you call me if you get an opening,” she said, giving her the ticket back after signing it.
“I will.”
This time, she didn’t give a fuck what her professionalism was shouting at her. The snooty bitch could go to the Cut and Chop as far as she cared.
“What in the hell was that about?” Sex Piston asked as soon as the door closed behind Gail.
“I offered to introduce her to some of the men at the club, and she had the nerve to ask if they could read.”
Sex Piston placed her hand on her hip. “Most of them probably can’t.”
“That bitch doesn’t know that for sure,” Crazy Bitch argued back.
“She’s a fucking teacher,” she said between clenched teeth.
“That doesn’t give her the right to act all hoity-toity.”
“Girls, calm down,” Mrs. Carpenter tried to intervene.
“She’s a teacher in Star’s school. She’s going in the grade that Gail teaches.”
“Maybe she won’t get Star.” Crazy Bitch started to feel a glimmer of regret.
“What if she does?”
Crazy Bitch snapped her fingers. “Don’t worry; I’ll buy her the Cliff’s notes, and I’ll read it to her.”
“Why did you even say she was reading The Grapes of Wrath?”
“It was on the book list Winter kept trying to get me to read when I was getting my GED.”
“Did you read it?”
“Fuck no. And I didn’t read the other ones she kept bugging me about, either. Why read it when I have two perfectly good television sets?”
“I wouldn’t worry about it, dear. That young woman probably forgot about it before she was out your door.”
“See, you’re always complaining on something I said…” Crazy Bitch mimicked the same snotty air of the bitch who had just left.
“She’s probably wondering why a contessa is living in France. They’re Italian,” Mrs. Carpenter informed her.
“Mrs. Carpenter.” Sex Piston set her hairbrush carefully down at her station.
“Yes, dear?”
“Cover your ears.”
15
“I don’t have to read it, do I?” Star complained, setting the table off in another round of laughter.
“No,” Sex Piston told the girl as she helped pick up the dirty plates on the table. “You can wait until you’re in high school.”
“What do I do if Miss Williams asks me a question?”
“Tell her you haven’t finished it yet, and you don’t want to talk about it until you’re finished. That always worked for me.” Crazy Bitch snagged the last piece of pizza before Meri could take the box away to clean the table.
“How did it work for you? You never graduated from high school, and you didn’t get your GED until you were thirty.”
“I got it, though.” She gave Star a wink. “And you can, too. Anything is possible; remember that, Star.”
“Bitch, are you trying to say she won’t be finishing high school like you?”
She barely had time to snatch her pizza off her plate before Sex Piston angrily took it away.
“I’m still eating here!” Placing a possessive hand on her soda, she gave Keri a glare when she tried to take it. “Harley, make your ma and sisters quit bugging me.”
Stud’s only son shook his head stubbornly. “You stole my brownie when I went to the bathroom.”
“I thought you were done with it.”
“I told you I wasn’t when you asked for it before I went.”
She motioned the little boy to come closer. “I’m going to tell you a secret. You promise you won’t tell?”
He solemnly nodded.
“Boys are always supposed to give up their chocolate when a girl asks for it, especially your aunt.”
“Dad didn’t tell me about that rule.” Harley lifted questioning eyes toward where his father was sitting.
“He wouldn’t. He’s stingy with his chocolate. Did you see him sharing with your ma?”
“No, but—”
“There you go.” Patronizing the boy, she patted the top of his head. “Now you know.”
“But Ma had her own brownie; why would Dad give her his, too?”
The little boy wasn’t about to be detoured from losing his fucking brownie. It wasn’t even that good. It was too dry.
“Because he is a boy; he’s supposed to.”
“But why?”
“Harley, remember the last lesson I taught you when I came over? Your aunt is always right.”
“Quit messing with my kid’s mind. Ready for your bath?” Stud bent down, lifting him onto his shoulders and pretending to drop him. “You’re getting too big for me to carry you.”
“It’s all those brownies he’s eating!” Crazy Bitch yelled after them as Stud and Harley left the dining room.
“You’re making me feel guilty I didn’t give you mine.” Calder’s amused voice drew her gaze back to him.
“I noticed that.” She grinned.
Standing up, she gave Star her empty plate then went into the living room and plopped down on the couch.
“Lord, I’m tired. Being obnoxious takes too much energy.”
Calder sat down next to her, placing his arm on the back of the couch. “You never relax and take it easy.”
“I will when I’m dead. Life’s too short not to have fun. Take bullshit, or live life. I’m not going to have any what ifs when Jesus takes my soul, if He does. My mother had enough of those when He took hers.”