“Mom,” Keira whined.
“You aren’t goin’, that’s for juniors and seniors.”
“Kate’s a sophomore,” Keira returned.
“Kate’s a junior now, school’s over,” Vi retorted.
“I’m old for my age,” Keira shot back.
“Honey, you’re fourteen goin’ on twelve. You’ll be forty-five goin’ on twelve. You’re locked in girldom. You’ll be livin’ in a house with daisies on the walls and wearing pink wellingtons when you’re married and have six kids,” Vi replied.
“I’m not havin’ six kids,” Keira snapped, not stupid enough to deny she was all girl and would be until the day she died.
“And you’re not goin’ to that party,” Vi said softly but firmly, using a voice that, from the look on Keira’s face, she knew that was the end of the discussion but Vi wasn’t going to leave it bad so she told them both, “Guess who’s comin’ to town next weekend?”
“Uncle Sam!” Keira shouted, guessing immediately and also immediately losing her attitude.
Vi smiled. “And Melissa.”
“That’s awesome!” Kate yelled.
Vi turned to Kate. “Baby, can you bunk with Keira on her futon so Sam and Mel can have your room?”
“Sure,” Kate agreed instantly, her face bright, her mouth smiling, obviously loving her uncle like her mother loved her brother if she’d give up her space.
“This is so cool!” Keira announced.
Vi slid an arm along Keira’s waist and gave her a squeeze before letting her go and saying, “It certainly is, honey. Now go get your bags, take ‘em into the house and leave Joe alone, yeah?”
“Yeah,” Keira grinned at her Mom then at him and said, “Later Joe.”
“Later,” Cal replied.
Keira took off and Kate moved toward the house but she was looking at Cal. “You want a Coke or somethin’, Joe?” she asked.
“Sounds good,” Cal answered, ignoring the fact that his brain was trying to decide if he liked quiet Kate calling him Joe better than loud Keira.
“I’ll get it,” Kate muttered and walked away.
Cal looked from Kate to Vi and she was staring at the ceiling.
“How much did that cost?” she asked the garage door opener.
“You, tonight in my bed with your hand between your legs,” Cal answered quietly and her eyes shot to his.
“What?” she whispered.
“You heard me.”
She looked to the drive to see Keira down at the end carrying her bags and waving across the street at Feb who had Jack at her hip and she was talking to Myrtle in her front yard. Then Vi looked at him and got close to the ladder.
“You want sexual favors for a garage door opener?” she asked sounding slightly pissed but more disbelieving.
Cal turned his attention to the opener. “I do the work, I decide the payback.”
“I’m your booty call, Joe, not your prostitute.”
At her words, unexpected words, words that pissed him right the fuck off, Cal turned his attention back to Vi.
“My booty call?” he asked quietly.
“Yeah.”
“Booty call?” he repeated.
“Yeah,” she repeated too and he saw she was pissed as well but he reckoned she wasn’t as pissed as he was.
He put the screwdriver he had in his hand on the top of the ladder, climbed down and got close to her. She didn’t retreat then again she never did either because her attitude made her stupid or because she had a backbone. He figured it was both.
“Booty call?” he asked again, hoping she’d cotton on to the tone of his voice.
She didn’t.
“Yeah,” she repeated yet again.
He studied her then, he had no idea why, but just to piss her off further, he stated, “You aren’t pissed that’s what I want, you’re pissed you want it so bad you can’t wait to give it to me.”
He succeeded in his effort at pissing her off more, her eyes narrowed and she leaned closer to him and hissed, “I can’t believe you.”
“You been thinkin’ about it since I said it on the phone.”
Her eyes got wide then he watched her clench her teeth as she fought for control but he was too angry to give her the time.
Instead, he bent at the waist to get into her face and informed her, “Buddy, what we got is what it is. It might not be what you want but you gotta admit, what it is, is good. What it isn’t is a booty call and it pisses me off you’d say that and it pisses me off you’d think I’m on a fuckin’ ladder in your goddamned garage, installin’ a fuckin’ door opener so I could buy a fuckin’ session with you.”
“That’s what you said,” she accused.
“And that’s what I want as payback, I told you, straight out. I also told you, I do somethin’ for you, we talk payback. I’m doin’ somethin’ for you so that’s what I did. You didn’t like that idea, it made you uncomfortable, all you gotta do is say.”