Page 34 of Lyrical

“What the hell is the matter with you two?”

“You always ask that, dear.”

“Because it’s always fucking true.”

Stephen had dragged Perry and me into my office, the only space that appeared to be unoccupied. My head felt like it was the ball in a foosball table. And where the hell was Chase?

“I told you you should’ve picked up a voodoo doll when you were in New Orleans,” Perry said.

“God, it made me sick.” Like getting forced to swallow down a vat of cotton candy and then having your mouth taped shut so you couldn’t throw it up. “She was all like,‘Hello, Mrs. Hudson. Nice to see you again, Mrs. Hudson. What a beautiful home you have, Mrs. Hudson.’ Speaking all nice and innocent like that.”

“Bitch.”

“And what the hell’s with the ‘Misses’ crap? I’m not fucking married.”

“Whore.”

“Will someone please tell me what the fuck is going on here? And stop pacing, Jillian. You’re making me dizzy.”

“How would you feel, Stephen, if your son just came home with some four-dollar fuck?”

“Perry, isn’t that a little….” Wait, what was I doing defending her? “I can’t believe you even recognized her.” Me, on the other hand… I couldn’t forget her if I had an ice pick shoved in my brain.

“I’m good with faces, especially ones I want to rip off.”

Stephen threw up his hands. “Okay, I give up. I don’t know what is going on or why you seem to hate this woman so much, but you both need to stop acting like idiots. Jillian, you’re hosting this party. You need to get out there. And Perry, at least try to keep that mouth in check when we’re around mixed company. Okay?”

“You seem to love this mouth when we’re—”

He held up his hand. “I’m out of here. I suggest both of you act like adults and come join the fucking party. For Daniel’s sake, at least.”

“Stephen, wait,” I said. “Can you find Chase and ask him to come in here? As far as I know, he’s still with Michelle.” Ireallyneeded to talk to him.

He sighed, then stomped out of the room. “Well, he’s acting like a big ole baby,” Perry said.

“Do you think Stephen has a point? Are we overreacting?”

“I don’t think so, Jills. This is some crazy shit.”

“Right? I just don’t get it. She wasn’t the least bit surprised to see me. She knew I was Daniel’s mom. Sheknew, Perry. I don’t get how they can possibly know each other. And how the hell can they be friends?”

“I don’t know, but I think we’d better find out. And you should probably let me do all the talking. I can be more subtle.”

I was too far gone to even laugh, just continued to pace around the room, so freaking confused.

Chase pushed the door open and I rushed over. “Holy shit, am I happy to see you.” I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him farther into the room before closing the door again.

“Yeah, sorry about that. Your neighbor’s a little out there.”

“Ha! Told you.” Perry bounced up from my clawed-up chair. “Ohmigod! Did she try to lure you into her basement?”

“Nooo.” He tilted his head, looking at her and then back to me. “But Stephen did tell me you guys are acting strange. Stranger. He said you freaked out about the girl Daniel’s with?”

“You didn’t see her?”

“No, why?”

“It’s Cassie.”

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