“Oh, shush. By the time tomorrow rolls around, you’ll be fully absorbed into the Kingcaid family, and you’ll wonder why you were worried.”
“Who said I’m worried?”
“I did. Just then. Are you going deaf? I mean… with your advancing years and all, I suppose it was inevitable.” She winked.
“You’re pulling the tiger’s tail, Spitfire. Keep going, and I won’t care that there isn’t a privacy screen.”
“Ooh, promises, promises.”
“Just wait until we’re alone.”
Before she could answer with another of her trademark, quick-witted responses, her phone rang.
“It’s Mom.” She swiped the screen. “Hi, Mom.” Pause. “Yes, we’re on our way.” Pause, and a glance at me. “He’s really excited about meeting you. He even said he couldn’t wait for Dad to have ‘the chat’, as long as it was accompanied a nice Cuban cigar.” Another wink.
I drew my forefinger across my neck and mouthed, “You’re dead.”
She blew me a kiss. “About ten minutes out. See you soon.” She dropped her phone back into her handbag.
I shook my head and sighed. “What am I going to do with you?”
“I have a few ideas.”
“I’ll bet you do.”
“Okay, I’ll give you a break and talk about something far safer. How’s the album coming along? Still on track to finish next Friday?”
Ah, here’s an opportunity to a have a little fun of my own.
“No. ‘Fraid not.”
Two faint lines appeared between her eyebrows. “Oh. That’s not good, Joz. It’s a hard deadline.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have come this weekend? Could’ve worked instead.”
“Hmm. Yeah. Maybe.” She fiddled with the strap on her handbag, deep in thought.
“Should I go back to New York?”
“No. No, we’ll work it out. Somehow. How late do you think it’ll run?”
“Who said it would run late?”
“You did?”
“Did I? When did I say that?”
She rubbed her forehead. “Just then. I asked if you were on track to finish Friday, and you said no.”
“What I actually said was ‘fraid not. And the reason I said that was because…” I paused for effect. “I finished it yesterday.”
For several seconds, she didn’t move. Then her fist came down on my thigh, hard.
“Ow.”
“That was mean.” She smiled as she said it. “I almost had a heart attack trying to work out how to stretch one week into two.”
“Well, now you don’t need to.”
