Page 12 of Hush

“What?” Caitlin replied, stopping at an intersection. She glanced at Elise. “Did Jaden say anything?”

“Oh, he thought it was great,” Elise said. “Poppy let him playMinecrafton her iPad and eat chocolate pudding and pineapple for lunch.”

“Hey, at least pineapple is a fruit,” Caitlin replied, turning left.

Elise exhaled a deep breath. “Yeah.”

Arriving after circling the neighborhood for a parking space, Elise and Caitlin walked the shoveled sidewalks to the house, the small front lawn adorned with a blow-up Santa that waved a gloved hand and chuckled “Ho, ho, ho!” A miniature sleigh with reindeer adorned with Christmas lights glowed from the roof.

“Wow, they’re really into this,” Caitlin said, curling her arm through Elise’s.

Laughing, Elise leaned into Caitlin’s warmth. “Thanks for being my date tonight,” she said.

“Anytime,” Caitlin replied as they stepped up to the door.

Before they could knock, it opened. A gust of warm, cinnamon-scented air wafted past her nose and a man in a fake Santa beard stood wearing what had to be a front-runner for the Ugly Sweater Contest. Knit in the pattern of an elf in kelly-green, white, and cherry-red, multicolored lights blinked on and off. From some place on the sweater, elfin voices broke into a version of “Holly Jolly Christmas.”

Elise and Caitlin burst out laughing.

“Pretty terrible, huh?” the man said, stepping back to let them in. He extended his hand to Elise. “I’m Mark,” he said, giving her hand a shake.

Elise introduced herself and Caitlin.

Mark took their coats. “Help yourself to a beverage. As you can see, we have plenty of food, so don’t be shy.”

Elise entered the living room where a few dozen people mingled, about half she recognized from the gym. She made her way through, greeting several people and introducing Caitlin, to the table with a gigantic spread of all manner of treats, plus a simmering pot of mulled wine, bottles of Merlot and Zinfandel, and, on the floor, a tub of iced beers.

Caitlin reached for a beer, then cracked the cap while Elise ladled a glass of mulled wine into a mug adorned with a cartoon Rudolph. She blew across the top of the mug before taking a tentative sip. A sound from the front door caught her attention, and she pivoted to see Mark opening the door wide for another guest.

Only this wasn’t just any guest.

Caitlin joined her side, holding a small plate of snack mix, her beer tucked into the crook of her armpit. “Sorry, they’re all out of fruitcake,” she said. “I know you’re disappointed, but they do have plenty of Jell-O salad.”

When Elise didn’t respond, Caitlin followed her gaze. “What?” she asked.

Across the room, Ben shrugged off his coat.

“That’s him,” Elise hissed, feeling her face warm. “Jaden’s doctor.”

Caitlin frowned. “Really?” She flicked her gaze back to the doorway, where Mark and Ben were slapping each other on the back and talking loudly. “I guess you’re right,” she mused. “He looks different out of the doctor coat, and his hair is longer than in his bio picture. What’s he doing here?”

But Caitlin’s voice faded in her ears as Ben entered the room, his eyes widening with surprise as he spotted her.

Chapter 7

Ben

The shock of seeing Elise standing across the room in a black dress, her shiny brown hair loose, rattled through his core, taking his stomach with it so he had to place a hand on his gut to make sure it was still there.

Why did seeing her make him feel like he’d swallowed the worm at the bottom of the tequila bottle? He moved through the crowd, trying to be polite to the partygoers. By the time he reached the food and drinks table, Elise had moved to the kitchen where she was talking to Kelly and his date, a woman he didn’t know.

Elise’s eyes had watched him approach, though she’d tried to hide it. She was standing next to a woman in a colorful dress and black cowboy boots. Ben selected a cup of mulled wine and joined the group.

“Hey!” Kelly said. “You made it,” he added, tapping glasses and indicating Elise and the woman with her. “This is Elise and Caitlin Mallory,” he said.

Ben’s guts went on a roller coaster ride through his intestines as a startling thought popped into his mind. Elise and Caitlin Mallory…Fuck, was Elise gay?

“Sisters,” Kelly added after a sip, as if he could read Ben’s mind. “Which one’s older?” he continued, then held up his hand to stop them from replying. “Let me guess,” he said, closing one eye, then pointing to Elise. “Am I right?”

---