“I guess not.”
“Okay. I’ll plunge it after I see the room.”
Dismissing the “weird” toilet, Gabby turned toward her bedroom door. It was locked, and there was a DO NOT DISTURBsign hanging on the doorknob. Justin had already suggested she put the sign to use for real.
Before opening the door, Justin took a deep breath and made the sign of the cross.
Phil, uninvited guest of the century, stood at the front with a handful of pretzels. He popped one in his mouth and peered intoherbrand-new room.
Gabby was seething, but she held her tongue. She did not want to kick him out of the house in front of the kids, who had also joined the tour. If she could go back in time and divorce him before he had a chance to leave her, she would.
Like it was still his house, Phil said, “I’m curious to see what you did. There’s that one awkward corner that I never knew what to do with. What’d we use to keep there, Gabs?”
Gabby glared at him. How dare he act like they’d lived together for fifteen years. Sure, they had, but he didn’t have to relive it so fondly.
Justin smiled. “Oh, I made good use of the corner.”
Gabby followed Phil, who had already pushed through the streamers stretched across the door to find… She’d watched that Netflix series,How to Build a Sex Room, a year or so ago. This wasn’t that, but it wasn’t not that either.
The walls were painted a deep pink, and all the furniture was glossy black, including a dresser and two nightstands. The comforter was black and splashed with oversized peonies. Justin hadmanaged to create a small seating area with a TV. The loveseat was hot pink tufted velvet with a cream-colored throw.
There was nothing funny about it, but Phil laughed too loudly anyway. “What is this, a Victoria’s Secret?”
“It’s beautiful, Justin!” It was decadent, a retreat for wearing eye masks and fluffy slippers. The bedding was cozy and inviting. She was ready to crawl in and… Oh no, that wouldn’t do. She quickly tucked a vibrator charging upright on the nightstand into the drawer, shooting dagger eyes at Justin.
He shrugged. “I was supposed to giveyoua tour, not you and everyone you know.”
This was Gabby after dark.
Instead of kid art and family photos on the wall, he’d hung Georgia O’Keeffe flowers and an oil painting of a fox and hounds scene. When she looked closer, it was hard not to notice that the hunter was in very tight pants.
Justin whispered, “Vintage bulge because I’m keeping it classy.”
Phil put a pretzel in his mouth and chewed violently.
Lucas, who had returned from his walk and joined the group without a hello, hopped on the bed and started rolling around. If she wasn’t so overwhelmed, she would remind him to sayhito his father. When he flopped over and started sticking his tongue out, she looked up. They all did.
“A mirror?”
“Of course,” Justin said, like he’d never considered not putting a mirror above a bed. Gabby couldn’t help but think of Justin’s husband, Hugh. No one had ever looked more like a history professor.
Phil scowled. “This doesn’t feel like a bedroom for a mom.”
The mirror was suggestive and playful, and no one needed toyson display, but besides that, the room was feminine and luxurious. After she cleared Phil out and compartmentalized everyone in her family, Markus could come over.
She gave Justin a huge hug. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Hugh and I have been meaning to get you a divorce present.”
Phil blanched at “divorce present,” but oh well. That’s what you get when you leave your wife, and then after it’s all said and done, insist on going on a tour of her renovated single-woman bedroom. He shouldn’t be here at all.
Justin kissed her on the cheek and said, “I’ll see you tomorrow. Your grandma is right. I should go home to Hugh. Can’t be neglecting my man.”
As everyone filtered out, Gabby turned to Lucas. “Did you clog the toilet, Lucas?”
“No, but…”
From the look on his face, she knew he did. They would have the courtesy flush talk again tomorrow. But for now, “Just use the downstairs bathroom. I’ll get to it before bed.”
