She'd been calling me every few days, switching what I was supposed to bring and pretending it was my fault for the mix-up. Salad, dessert, salad, dessert – I was getting whiplash just thinking about it.
In the end, I'd decided to play it safe. I'd purchased everything for both, not that I could truly afford it. But I needed a peaceful Thanksgiving, not just for my sake, but for Josh's.
Still, I couldn't bring myself to answer that call. Not this time. Seeing Lawton today had sucked all the juice right out of me, and I seriously doubted my ability to take her crap without giving some right back in return. So I let it to go voicemail and listened to the message as soon as the phone beeped.
"Chloe," she said. "This is Loretta. I know you're there. But fine, if you've got nothing better to do than disrespect my time, I guess I'll just relay everything in a message."
She sighed loudly into the phone. "One – you're bringing salad and dessert. Don't forget. Two – try to be on time, will you? It's not fair to the rest of us when you keep us waiting. Three – you mentioned bringing a guest, but I haven't heard a single word since then, so I'm assuming you're coming alone. Four – for God's sake, don't dress like a slob, alright? I want a nice Thanksgiving dinner for once, and I won't have you ruining it by not taking it seriously. And don't bother calling me back. I'm busy too, you know."
When the message ended, I tossed the phone onto the sofa. Chucky, stretched out on the easy chair, lifted his head and gave me a baleful look.
"Yeah," I said. "I know."
Chapter 54
Call me anytime. Day, night, middle of the night. I don't care. Just call me, okay?
Sitting in my car, I replayed Lawton's words. I pulled out my cell phone and checked the time. Only three minutes had passed since the last time I'd checked.
It was three minutes too long.
Remembering Loretta's warnings, I wore a semi-formal green dress with long sleeves and a scooped neckline. No jeans today, not if I knew what was good for me.
My Thanksgiving salad sat in the passenger's seat, wedged in a cardboard box to keep it from tipping. A prepackaged cheesecake sat on the passenger's side floor, with an apple cobbler balanced on top of it.
One salad, two desserts, and twenty minutes to get there. I glanced again at my phone. Another minute gone. If I wasn't on the road in like two seconds, I'd be late.
It shouldn't be a big deal. But I knew all too well that it was. With Loretta, everything was a big deal.
I turned the ignition key yet again, praying for some sort of miracle. Why, I had no idea. In at least a dozen attempts, the car hadn't given any sign of starting.
All it gave was an empty clicking sound that told me that unless I was planning to dine in the Parkers' driveway, my odds of a Thanksgiving dinner weren't looking too good.
If it weren't for Josh, I wouldn’t care. Going to my Dad's house – correction, Loretta's house, where my Dad lived – was never my idea of a good time.
But Ihadto go. It was stupid, really. Loretta didn't truly want me there. Even my Dad was indifferent at best. Still, there'd be hell to pay if I cancelled or worse, didn't show at all. And the person paying would be Josh.
I ran through my options. Call Erika? No, she was off skiing. Call a tow truck? What for? Even if they got here in time, and were able to start the car, there'd be no guarantee it wouldn't stall along the way. Besides, I couldn’t afford a tow truck, especially at holiday rates.
I tried the ignition another time. "C'mon," I said. "Just start, okay? Please?"
It didn't.
Again, I thought of Lawton's words.
I couldn't do it. I couldn’t call him.
Instead, I picked up my cell phone and dialed a number that was only slightly less scary. Thankfully, it was my dad, and not Loretta, who answered the phone.
"Hey Dad," I said, "I ran into a little problem, and I'm hoping you can do me a favor?"
Long pause. "What kind of favor?"
"Nothing big," I said. "It's just that my car won't start."
Silence.
I cleared my throat. "But I'd really like to make it out there."
