had been on the go with her packing and everything. She had had no time for snacking.
At work Cheri had complimented her on her hair again and suggested she let it grow out more. She had pulled it back in a low ponytail for so many weeks, it had grown more than she had realized. Now that she was wearing it down with a slight curl on the ends it seemed even longer.
The lipstick touch up and squirt of perfume she had applied in the car before coming to Genevieve’s front door had more to do with her next appointment than with meeting with Genevieve and Shelly. At 1:30 Alissa was meeting Chet andRosie at their home to give them the tickets and to finalize the itinerary. It seemed only logical to Alissa that one could not call on Chet and Rosie without looking one’s best.
“Are you going to need help moving in on Saturday?” Shelly asked. “The guys might be around. Do you know if they’ll be here, Gen?”
Genevieve shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“They’re really nice,” Shelly said. “After you get used to them.”
Genevieve smiled. “Ideal neighbors as long as you don’t mind their occasional bongo-fest. Isn’t that what they call it?”
Mallory jumped into the conversation. “Jakey has a big bongo, and he lets me play it.”
“Drums,” Shelly explained. “It’s their tribute to the beatniks of the ’50s or something. It all started one night when we watched this hilarious beach party movie. What was it called? Anyway, through the whole movie this one guy played bongo drums and would say stuff like, ‘Butterfly on a sourdough radio.’ Crazy stuff like that. None of it made sense, but it kind of rhymed. Sort of.”
Genevieve reached over to wipe off Mallory’s sticky fingers before she hopped down.
“We watched the movie twice that night just because of that beatnik bongo guy. That was on a Friday night, and the next morning the three of us decided to go to the Saturday market. A guy was there with bongo drums.” Shelly’s lighthearted laugh filled the kitchen. “So these guys bought, I don’t know, six drums. All different sizes. And that night they sat outside in the backyard with these silly little berets on their heads, beating their drums and making up ridiculous rhymes like a bunch of kooks until after midnight.”
Genevieve smiled. “It was really quite funny. For about thefirst hour. Then we all wanted them to go to bed.”
“Thanks for the warning! I noticed you both waited until after I signed the papers before you told me this minor detail regarding the beatniks next door.”
Genevieve and Shelly burst out laughing. It felt good to Alissa. She couldn’t remember the last time she had said something spontaneous that made people laugh. She muttered jokes to Chloe all the time, but she never laughed. It almost felt as if a part of Alissa was coming out of deep freeze and some of the feeling was returning to her extremities.
Glancing at the oak-framed clock on the wall, Alissa said, “I need to go. I have an appointment with one of my clients. You would love this couple. Sometime I’ll have to tell you their love story. That is, after I hear the whole thing.”
She slid off the kitchen stool and headed for the door. “Oh, I almost forgot.” Alissa reached into her leather briefcase and pulled out two coloring books. “For Anna and Mallory,” she said, handing them both to Mallory. “How is your sister feeling?”
“She’s fine. Can I have this one?” Mallory held up one of the cartoon coloring books.
“Sure. Give the other one to Anna for me, okay? I’ll see you both sometime Saturday.” Alissa looked up at Genevieve and Shelly. “And I will call if I need help. Thanks.”
“Did you get the key?” Shelly asked.
“Right here,” Alissa said, holding up her key chain. “I guess I’m official now.”
Mallory moved closer, and with an impish grin on her face she said, “Thank you for the present.”
Alissa smiled at the button-nosed toddler.
At work Cheri had complimented her on her hair again and suggested she let it grow out more. She had pulled it back in a low ponytail for so many weeks, it had grown more than she had realized. Now that she was wearing it down with a slight curl on the ends it seemed even longer.
The lipstick touch up and squirt of perfume she had applied in the car before coming to Genevieve’s front door had more to do with her next appointment than with meeting with Genevieve and Shelly. At 1:30 Alissa was meeting Chet andRosie at their home to give them the tickets and to finalize the itinerary. It seemed only logical to Alissa that one could not call on Chet and Rosie without looking one’s best.
“Are you going to need help moving in on Saturday?” Shelly asked. “The guys might be around. Do you know if they’ll be here, Gen?”
Genevieve shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“They’re really nice,” Shelly said. “After you get used to them.”
Genevieve smiled. “Ideal neighbors as long as you don’t mind their occasional bongo-fest. Isn’t that what they call it?”
Mallory jumped into the conversation. “Jakey has a big bongo, and he lets me play it.”
“Drums,” Shelly explained. “It’s their tribute to the beatniks of the ’50s or something. It all started one night when we watched this hilarious beach party movie. What was it called? Anyway, through the whole movie this one guy played bongo drums and would say stuff like, ‘Butterfly on a sourdough radio.’ Crazy stuff like that. None of it made sense, but it kind of rhymed. Sort of.”
Genevieve reached over to wipe off Mallory’s sticky fingers before she hopped down.
“We watched the movie twice that night just because of that beatnik bongo guy. That was on a Friday night, and the next morning the three of us decided to go to the Saturday market. A guy was there with bongo drums.” Shelly’s lighthearted laugh filled the kitchen. “So these guys bought, I don’t know, six drums. All different sizes. And that night they sat outside in the backyard with these silly little berets on their heads, beating their drums and making up ridiculous rhymes like a bunch of kooks until after midnight.”
Genevieve smiled. “It was really quite funny. For about thefirst hour. Then we all wanted them to go to bed.”
“Thanks for the warning! I noticed you both waited until after I signed the papers before you told me this minor detail regarding the beatniks next door.”
Genevieve and Shelly burst out laughing. It felt good to Alissa. She couldn’t remember the last time she had said something spontaneous that made people laugh. She muttered jokes to Chloe all the time, but she never laughed. It almost felt as if a part of Alissa was coming out of deep freeze and some of the feeling was returning to her extremities.
Glancing at the oak-framed clock on the wall, Alissa said, “I need to go. I have an appointment with one of my clients. You would love this couple. Sometime I’ll have to tell you their love story. That is, after I hear the whole thing.”
She slid off the kitchen stool and headed for the door. “Oh, I almost forgot.” Alissa reached into her leather briefcase and pulled out two coloring books. “For Anna and Mallory,” she said, handing them both to Mallory. “How is your sister feeling?”
“She’s fine. Can I have this one?” Mallory held up one of the cartoon coloring books.
“Sure. Give the other one to Anna for me, okay? I’ll see you both sometime Saturday.” Alissa looked up at Genevieve and Shelly. “And I will call if I need help. Thanks.”
“Did you get the key?” Shelly asked.
“Right here,” Alissa said, holding up her key chain. “I guess I’m official now.”
Mallory moved closer, and with an impish grin on her face she said, “Thank you for the present.”
Alissa smiled at the button-nosed toddler.
Similar Books
