House Read Online Free PDF Page B

for that purpose. Leslie set to work. Betty looked at Jack, “Now, what’s your problem?”
    â€œWell, actually, we had some . . . car trouble.”
    â€œSpikes in the road,” said Randy.
    â€œDo you have a phone anywhere—”
    The woman came in close, inches from Jack’s nose. “Car trouble? That’s why you got two rooms? Car trouble?” The woman turned to Stephanie. “Is he mad at you or something?”
    â€œUm . . .”
    â€œCan he carry chairs?” The lady turned back to Jack. “Can you carry chairs?”
    He nodded. He would have to take mental notes. Use this character in a story sometime.
    â€œThen we’re gonna need three more.”
    â€œOh,” said Leslie, now apologetic. “You are expecting someone else.”
    â€œNope.” She pulled plates and saucers from the cupboard and asked Randy, “Know how to set a table?”
    â€œOf course I do. And by the way, my name is Randy Messarue. And this is Les—”
    She pushed the plates into his stomach. “Three more place settings.”
    He nodded in Leslie’s direction. “That’s Leslie. And you are?”
    â€œBetty. Silverware’s in that drawer.”
    Jack’s bewilderment gave way to irritation. “We could really use a phone.”
    â€œDon’t have none.”
    â€œSo what do you do when the power goes out?” Randy asked.
    â€œWait for the guests to leave.” Betty waved Jack toward the hallway with the backs of her fingers. “Chairs! I’ve got three more in the closet.”
    He went into the hallway between the kitchen and dining room with no idea where the closet was. There were two doors on his right. He tried the first one—
    â€œNot that one!” Jack jerked his hand away from the knob as if it had burned him. “That’s the basement! Nobody goes in the basement! Nobody!”
    Oh, for crying out loud. He took a calming breath. “Then why don’t you tell me where the closet is?”
    She wagged her head and rolled her eyes as if she were dealing with an idiot. “The other door. Try the other door.” She turned back into the kitchen, waving him off like unwanted trouble.
    Jack opened the next door and found a closet. Inside, three folding chairs leaned against one another, but Jack took his time pulling them out. He needed to breathe a moment, just separate himself from that woman long enough to recover his balance. In one short evening he’d gone from disappointment to anger to fear to exhaustion to frustration, and now, to top it all off, his stomach was growling and the cook was crazy. He heard Stephanie begin to hum in the kitchen.
    He wagged his head. Why should he be surprised?
    Come on, Jack. After all, it was your decision to turn down that dirt road. You do have to take responsibility for your part . . .
    He carried the chairs into the dining room and squeezed them in around the small table as Randy laid out the extra place settings.
    â€œSilverware doesn’t match,” Randy muttered.
    Jack couldn’t manage pretending to care.
    They headed back to the kitchen, passing Leslie on her way out.

    Leslie took the bowl of peas into the dining room, having to nudge a few plates and glasses aside to make room for it. With three more chairs and place settings, a floral centerpiece, a bowl of applesauce, a pickle dish, a pitcher of iced tea, a bowl of potatoes, condiments, and a soon-to-arrive platter of roast beef, the dining table quickly shifted from close and intimate to packed and crowded. And now the glasses didn’t match.
    â€œComing up behind you.” It was Randy with a basket of rolls. She turned.
    â€œWe’re running out of room.”
    â€œWe’re eating, and we’ve got a place to spend the night. Don’t complain.”
    She kept her voice down. “Doesn’t she strike you as odd?”
    â€œYou’re the shrink and