“I’m good.” She eyed my brother. “I’m Jolene, by the way. You must be Jeremy.” She introduced herself without a trace of discomfort in her voice, as if my brother hadn’t just crowded her into almost falling. He swallowed and for a second looked like he was sorry. Then his expression hardened again.
“I’m just gonna...” Jolene pointed down and dropped cross-legged on the carpet, then gathered the cards and started shuffling them. “What do you say, Jeremy? Want me to deal you in?”
Jeremy and I turned equally incredulous looks at her.
“I’m assuming you’re familiar with Texas Hold’em. On a totally unrelated subject, how much would you say your watch is worth?”
Jeremy frowned hard at her, then turned to me. “Get her out of here.”
I shoved him back with one hand. “You talk to girls like this, butI’mworthless?”
“Yeah, you are,” Jeremy said, leaning forward. “You piss and moan about a headache to get out of dinner again and then invite your girlfriend over?”
My face blazed red-hot and I clenched my fists.
“He wishes,” Jolene said to Jeremy, turning three cards faceup. “You’re not really helping his case.”
Jeremy was still trying to stare me down. The effect wasn’t as intimidating as he would have wanted, because I was taller.
As if he realized that he needed to get Jolene out of the apartment before his sons snapped, Dad came back into the living room. “Adam,” he said. “Are you going to introduce me?”
With great effort, I pulled my gaze from Jeremy to face him. For a moment, my fury for the way my brother had treated Jolene transferred to him. But when he looked at Jolene, Dad’s expression was the opposite of Jeremy’s. He even smiled at her. I nodded, then extended a hand to urge her to her feet. “This is Jolene. From next door. Jolene, this is my dad.”
“Jolene? You’re Shelly’s—”
“I am Shelly’s nothing,” she said, cutting him off and for the moment looking as uncomfortable as she should have been in this situation. “Shelly ‘dates’ my dad.” And yes, she added air quotes. Just like that, my anger started to slip away.
“Well, Jolene, it’s good to meet you. You’re welcome over anytime my son is here as long as I’m home, too, but Adam’s not allowed to have girls over alone.”
She looked like she wanted to laugh, but she had the good sense to meet my eye first. My mood had lifted, but my mouth didn’t so much as twitch.
“Oh, you’re serious?” Jolene asked.
Jeremy pointed at the door. “Yeah, so take the hint and get out.”
Dad didn’t hesitate. He grabbed Jeremy by the upper arm and hauled him to the kitchen, where I could hear harsh whispers flying back and forth.
“I was just leaving anyway,” Jolene called out, and then tapped her hand against mine. She mouthedsorryat me and dragged her lower lip to the side. When she bent down to grab her camera and the shoes she’d kicked off earlier, I came down, too.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, and you don’t have to go.”
“Yeah,” she said, eyeing my dad chewing out my brother. “I think I do. Besides, I have a hot date with Ferris Bueller in my room tonight.”
I said something about hanging out the next day, and at Dad’s obvious insistence, Jeremy came back and offered the barest of apologies.
Jolene backed out the door, opening it just enough that she could squeeze through it sideways. “Don’t think twice, Jeremy. It’s understanding that makes it possible for people like me to tolerate a person like yourself. Bye, Adam.”
I ducked my head to hide a smile, then walked into my room without glancing at Dad or Jeremy.
IN BETWEEN
Adam:
Hey.
Jolene:
Hey. This is new.
