Page 7 of The Hot Mess

“I’ve missed you.”

“You know I always miss you,” I assured her before putting in my drink order with the waitress.

I took a moment to study Izzy there in her natural habitat of the country club. I worried about her, especially ever since our mother passed away. At least with our mom around, she had someone to guide her through her exploits with the rich and famous. Now she was all alone, floating through life as if she could never be expected to do anything more.

“Is your allowance still covering everything?” I asked. The only way I knew how to show my care and concern for her was to cover the finances. Our father had been the same way.

“You know I want more,” she sighed.”I’ll still never understand why mom left you in charge of everything, doling money out to me like a child.”

“She was worried you’d blow it all. You’ve always had one of us doling out your money.”

“Exactly. How am I ever going to learn if you don’t let me try?”

“There’s no room for mistakes if it involves you blowing through your entire trust fund in less than five years. Then what would you do?”

She rolled her shoulders and poked her fork around in her salad, ignoring the question. Her silence told me she wasn’t entirely confident about her ability to stop herself from doing that very thing.

“You need a career, Izzy,” I pushed. “Something to do besides parties and jet-setting with your friends.”

“Careers are for workaholics or people who need to make money to survive,” she argued. “Thanks to you and Dad, I am neither of those things.”

“Even mom had hobbies,” I reminded her. “The Garden Club. Her charity work. She tried to use her position for good.”

“The way I see it, my life is no different than yours. You jet-set around the world every bit as much as me and my friends do.”

“Except I get paid to do that traveling, rather than giving a group of people a free ride so they’ll pretend to like me,” I huffed. “I work while I’m traveling.”

I noticed the subtle flinch at the corners of her lips, giving away her unhappiness.

“I’m sorry,” I frowned. “I didn’t mean…Look. I have a proposition for you. They’re launching a new campaign at Heartstring. They’re looking for all sorts of users to interview, and I think you should be one of them. You’re the perfect model of what we need. Someone young, beautiful, and hip to inspire others to sign up.”

“I don’t use Heartstring,” she scoffed with a laugh.

“Not yet, but you could.”

“So…what? You think since you can’t force me into having a career, you’ll force me into finding a man instead? How very modern and forward thinking of you. Good to know all that traveling has expanded your horizons so much.”

“It’s something for you to do,” I groaned defensively. “Consider it networking. You don’t have to find a boyfriend, but you’ll meet new people. Who knows what could come out of it for you.”

“Probably an STD,” she quipped.

I buried my face in my hand. “Ah, Izzy. Too far. I don’t want to hear about your STDs.”

“Even if it’s your stupid app that’s responsible for me getting them?”

“Do you always have to be so difficult?” I snapped.

She stared out over the pool, her eyes hidden behind her shades and the shadow of her hat. There was a sadness about her that seemed to get worse every time I saw her, even if she’d never admit to it.

“How are you doing these days anyway?” I didn’t mention Mom directly, but we both knew that was what I meant.How are you doing now that she’s gone?

“Just fine,” she snipped. “I’m really not as helpless as everyone likes to think, you know.”

“I never said you were helpless. And don’t get me wrong…I loved our mom. I know she loved us too and she did the best she could. But she raised you to be a rich wife. She didn’t teach you much beyond that.”

“And look at me now,” she grinned, sipping her drink again. “I’m managing it just fine, and I didn’t even have to get married.”

I wanted to remind her she had no money of her own, and I wouldn’t always be around to babysit her and manage everything. But then I thought, maybe she had enough of my lecturing for the day. Sometimes I caught myself being too hard on her, as if I was trying to make up for both of our parents not being around.

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