Sassafras, Part 75


Joan

I couldn’t decide what had been better, going to sleep or waking up. Then I decided it was the pancakes. Or maybe it was the man that made the pancakes. The man that fell asleep still running his fingers through my hair. The man who woke me with kisses, whispering sweet nothings in my ear. The man I couldn’t wait to see again.

This was definitely turning into the best day of my life I decided as I sat at the kitchen table after Rick left. I decided I needed to find out how much it actually cost to live here, so I was going through Jenny’s bills and bank statements. I couldn’t believe how much cheaper it was here than New York. I mean, I knew New York was expensive, but I didn’t realize how outrageous it was.

I couldn’t tell exactly how much Jenny made because most of her income was tips, but she was managing to pay her bills. At least I thought she was, until I noticed a stack of papers on the counter near the phone. The first paper was a permission slip for a field trip that should have been handed in a month ago. The rest were bills. Past due bills, notices that this or that was going to be turned off. Nothing but bad news. There was even a notice from The Home demanding money or they were going to kick Mom out. No wonder that lady had been so eager to get me to sign all those papers. I went through the paperwork from the bank a little closer. There was a letter from the bank, refusing to refinance her house. It looked like she had been refinancing pretty regularly, but the well ran dry. There wasn’t any equity left.

Jenny was broke. Completely, totally broke. Aside from the money in Billy’s saving’s account, all she had was $250. I remembered Rick suggesting there was a connection between Jenny and that dead drug dealer. I laughed at the time, but I wasn’t so sure anymore. What if she was desperate enough to get involved with that creep? Whoever killed him might have decided Jenny knew too much. I picked up my cell phone, but stopped before I called Rick. I knew what he would say if I called. He would be mad at me for still snooping into Jenny’s murder after I promised him I wouldn’t, even though I hadn’t been snooping. Besides, I still didn’t know anything. So Jenny was broke. That didn’t prove anything. If she had gotten involved with drug dealers, where was the money she would have made, or the drugs she would have been selling? If she was involved with that dead drug dealer, why did whoever killed him wait months before killing her?

Nothing made sense, and it was all starting to give me a headache, so I decided to take Rick’s advice and relax in a nice hot bath. I found a CD on top of the stereo labeled simply ‘Jenny’ and popped it in the CD player, then picked up some candles and arranged them around the bathroom. While the Little River Band explained that I needed a cool change I went through the clothes I brought from New York. I wanted to look especially nice when Rick got back. I finally decided to wear what I was wearing the night we met, that soft gray dress that felt like it was made out of kittens. I even went through all my lingerie; trying to decide it I should wear a bra with a little padding so it would look like I actually had breasts or something lacy and revealing. That was another thing I had always been jealous of Jenny about. She inherited Mom’s tall, curvy figure, while I took after Dad, short and thin, scrawny little bird legs, barely a curve in sight. I sighed on the way back to the bathroom, grateful that Rick didn’t seem to mind any of my shortcomings.

When I got back to the bathroom the tub was almost full. I slid into the hot water, moaning contentedly. I could feel all the worries and tension drifting away. I stretched out in the tub and just relaxed, trying to think of something to do when Rick got back. The weather was too bad to do anything outside. I wondered how Billy was doing, if they were still out sledding or if they made it back next door already. I was looking forward to having my two men with me all afternoon.

I decided it was a good day to bake cookies. I may not be able to cook dinner, but I can bake a wicked batch of cookies. Chocolate chip, peanut butter, ginger snaps. I just seldom baked cookies in New York because it would take me a week to eat a batch of cookies, and that would be nothing but cookies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Whenever I did bake cookies I usually brought most of them to work with me and left them for the secretaries. The real secret to my success was happy secretaries. Hopefully, cookies would work for Rick and Billy, too.

The CD was playing an old Simon and Garfunkle song, the one about feeling groovy, and I was splashing around and singing along, looking forward to a nice, relaxing afternoon.

“Awe, Jeeze, Aunt Jo!”

I looked up just in time to see Bill, his face red as a beet, hurriedly backing away from the door. I slipped down in the tub and peeped over the side, even though he was already out of sight. I’m sure I was probably pretty red myself. I guess I shouldn’t have left the door open so I could hear the CD. I just hadn’t expected him to come back so soon.

“Um, I’m home, Aunt Jo.”

“Yeah, so I see. Do you think you could be a doll and close the door for me, Bill?” He reached toward the door but he must have had his eyes closed because he couldn’t seem to find the doorknob. “A little to the right. A little more. Down a little.” He finally found the knob and pulled the door shut. “Thanks!” I yelled through the door at him. “Sorry!” God, I was so embarrassed. I never wanted to leave the bathroom. Maybe I could climb out the window and run away. Then I realized I left my clothes lying on the bed. I looked quickly around the bathroom. And Jenny’s robe, too. My God, I was going to have to run from the bathroom to Jenny’s room in nothing but a towel. At least I did have a towel to wrap up in. I sank down farther in the tub. Playtime was over.