Bring on the Rain (32 page)

Brook said, “You’re a cool
person.”

Madeline snorted. “Yeah, remember that
in the future.” She arose and went for a walk in the woods. She
needed space. She needed to think. Life was not a sitcom. You did
not get to turn the channel. Teens this age, Madeline knew, felt
things so deeply, so seriously, that it should never be blown off
or ignored. It was the time in their life, they stood poised for
the future, and sometimes one bad or impulsive decision could make
that choice for them.

Jenna had been a better parent than she
was in Madeline’s eyes. She had always thought Jenna and Karla
bonded deeply and were more at ease. Madeline had too much guilt
about everything. She was always second-guessing herself. But then,
Madeline did not think Jenna would take kindly to her talking to
her about Karla. Jenna could be blind when it suited her and if she
took it wrong, she could face her own friendship problems. With
Tony in the picture, Madeline was already freaking out that she’d
taken her and Ruby’s concern the way she had.

~*~

All week Madeline kept thinking of
taking Brook to the State Park on Sunday and having the
conversation with her. She called Ruby and asked her if she’d gone
to Jason’s, then she shared her cruddy week with her. Madeline
talked to her about Karla too, and how they should approach Jenna.
She needed back-up. The three of them had been pals a long time. If
Jenna told her to F off…she could handle that. She could handle it
better, if Ruby was with her.

Ruby was saying, “I like Jason’s house.
I am going to do some wall sconces for him. And, something to fit
over the top of those windows. He’s a guy, so it was like pulling
teeth asking him what he liked, aside from sports, beer, women and
music. I finally decided to do horses and birds,” she added,
“Eagles and macho birds.”

Madeline laughed. “Sounds
nice.”

“
About Jenna, I’m freaked
too. She didn’t leave a hotel number for us, not even for Karla.
Not hanging round to see her ready for the Prom? It’s too
weird.”

“
Yes, every time I think of
it, my gut hurts. I keep asking what kind of spell a guy like Tony
can weave.”

“
Let’s look at it from her
perspective. She deals with reality every day, death, illness, and
it’s touched her personally. Along comes a guy, sexy bald, brawny,
a successful photographer who deals with surface stuff, and
probably quotes a bunch of psychobabble to her. Getting to her soft
spots and seeming like the perfect guy.”

“
Karla says he kisses with
his eyes open.”

“
It’s likely not sexual with
Jenna anyhow. When we were doing our girls nights, she used to look
at us like we were crazy. She has never had a wild, passionate
fling; she has set opinions that sex is an afterthought. It’s not
as important to her as someone to share her responsibilities, to
listen and to take care of details in her daily life.”

“
Right, but like you say,
this thing with Tony has changed her. I used to be jealous of her
mothering skills. She was much better with Karla than I was with
Brook. She had less time than I did, and managed to make it
quality. Now, it’s like she’s totally set that part of herself
aside.”

Ruby sighed. In the background
classical music played. Madeline also heard the sound of machinery
humming. Ruby said, “I’ll come over Friday early, help you get the
girls ready and take pictures. Too bad Karla hasn’t a date, but she
could hook up with someone if she wanted. You think Brook is doing
it that night…the nasty?”

“
Pl—ease. I cannot think of
that too. Yes, probably. And—let’s call it lovemaking, please. Oh,
Ruby. She bought these thong panties I wanted to wrap around the
agitator in the washer and tell her they messed up. I can’t think
about it.”

Ruby laughed. “Well Coy is probably a
good lover at least.”

“
Shut up, will
you.”

Ruby laughed, “Aw, girl. Okay, off
subject. I want to know how Sunday goes too. When are you telling
Mitch?”

“
After I tell
Brook.”

“
I can’t wait to meet your
son, Madeline.”

Madeline looked around the Tavern. She
was in the break room. “Just pray he doesn't hate me. I can handle
anything but that.”

“
Mitch or Max.”

“
Both. Though, truthfully, I
care more about what Max thinks. I’ve got all the right feelings
for Mitch still, I could throw myself into it and get lost on love
again, but unlike the old days, I’m answerable to other people, and
what I do will affect them.”

“
My kiln is ready, got to
go. I’ve done enough tiles for this Perry guy to be sick of doing
them.”

Madeline knew the man she was speaking
of, and how sick Ruby was of doing butterfly and bug tiles. What he
wanted them for neither knew. “Okay, see you Friday. I’ll pay you
for the second prints you get on the pictures you take.”

Ruby laughed. “Someday, Madeline,
you’re going to have a computer and cell phone and video camera,
and all necessities like the rest of the world.”

“
Someday.”

They hung up and she went back to work.
Madeline was working long hours so that she could have Friday off.
She saw Mitch in the middle of the week. He came by after work,
still carrying his hard hat.

He ordered a drink and talked a bit
about Jude pissing fits over the tux Coy couldn’t seem to get
altered. Eventually someone in the family turned out to be a
seamstress. So, the Tux was now a perfect fit.

They exchanged glances as both Ashley
and Lauren came to ask Mitch if he needed anything.

Madeline said, “Well, this is not my
room right now. I’ll let these two do their jobs.”

Dryly he returned, “Where you working,
the sports bar? I’d rather have you.”

She made a light joke and left him, saw
both women looking at him and smiling as she walked by.

Thursday night Madeline lay in bed
listening to the girls argue. The tension in her little house was
reaching a peak. She felt if something didn’t give soon, they would
end up in a cuss fight. She wanted to be here for Karla. She wanted
to make the day special for Brook. Madeline wanted to have a sane
moment to think of how to put things Sunday.

Nothing was going to let up long enough
for her to get anything she wanted.

~*~

Ruby arrived early Friday. The house
was a mess, smelling of hair products and perfume, and there were
bags, boxes, and tissue paper everywhere. Madeline was only just,
dressed, in overalls and tank top, her hair held back with a cloth
band. She’d run out early to get another shade of lip-gloss for
Brook then the hot rollers went kaput on Karla so she bought those
too.

“
Come in, crawl over the
mess.” Madeline let her in, shaking her head at Ruby’s outfit…a
pair of sheer, silk lined trousers in sparkling gold and a knee
length translucent blouse, luckily with a camisole underneath. Ruby
had her brown curls in a turban and was wearing pumps. She looked
as if she was attending some awards show.

“
God, aren’t you burning
up?” Madeline teased.

“
No.” Ruby grinned fiddling
with her expensive camera and asking, “Where they at? I want some
of them, getting do’d up.”

“
Brook’s in my room, Karla
in Brook's room.”

They went in to see Karla. She wore a
long slinky Las Vegas showgirl type gown. It was silver and
encrusted with sequins and pushed up her breasts, exposed her
thighs and strappy shoes, and made Madeline and Ruby both wish they
could look good in something like that.

“
I’ll do your hair,” Ruby
offered.

“
Okay.” Karla was putting
mascara on. “Madeline, did you get the jewelry box from my
house?”

“
Oh right.” She grimaced. “I
left it in the car, Jeeze.” She ran to get it while Ruby took the
hot rollers out, and began styling those strawberry locks into a
waterfall of lose curls.

Ruby said, “This is some
dress.”

“
Tony bought it, or so Mom
said. I think he was ready to shit at the price tag.” Karla added
ruefully, “I picked the most expensive one because I resented him
being there. I had wanted me and Mom to do it alone. I can’t
believe she’s not here. It’s my last Prom.”

Ruby said, as Madeline came in, “Your
mom is going through a new time, be patient.”

Madeline reached for the jewel box and
extracted a silver choker and earrings. “Here now, let’s get this
outfit set off. Wow,” she went on to say.

The effect was stunning. The girl had
curves and the dress clung to them. The fall of curls swept back at
her face and tumbled down her back. Her eyes were enhanced by earth
tone shadow and lips glossed. “I don't think you’ll sit out many
dances.”

“
I don't intend to,” Karla
said defiantly. “I plan on having a blast.”

“
You go girl!” Ruby said
laughing and hugging her.

They went to Brook while Karla made
some phone calls, both of them stopping in the doorway, looking at
each other.

Brook was standing by the mirror in
thong panties; thigh stockings with lace edges and a half bra that
wasn’t even half. Her hair was combed back with a couple of curls
at her ears giving her a retro-thirties look, her make-up was smoky
purple and slanted her eyes, her lips were slick and
plump.

Madeline couldn’t speak for a moment.
She wanted to weep.

Ruby whistled, slow, and
sexy.

Brook jumped, obviously in her own
world, and then turned covering her butt cheeks with her hands.
“God y'all. Nothing like knocking.”

Laughing, they came into the room and
sat on the bed.

Brook looked at them. “You have to hold
the dress and let me step into it.” She peeked down at the high
open toed pumps. “I don't want to snag it.”

“
Okay, you ready
now?”

“
Yeah.”

Ruby and Madeline held the dress.
Madeline did the zipper, which was only a few inches up Brook’s
spine because of the low back. The gloves were lying with the
purse.

She asked, “Did you get a wrap with
this dress?”

“
Yes, it’s a scarf thing,
real long, in the box on the sofa.”

Madeline got it. She had to blow her
nose and wipe her eyes. Brook was a woman. She was going to make
love with Coy Coburn tonight. She found herself holding the sheer
long scarf and thinking, Okay, God. We both know about hormones,
you invented them. Forgive her, understand this is first love, and
let him be patient, and tender. Please, please, let it be what she
wants.

Madeline took the scarf back. Both
girls were in her room joking with Ruby, who was putting body
glitter on Brook’s arms and at her throat.

A knock sounded.

“
Mom, don’t let Coy come in
yet!”

“
We can’t take pictures in a
trashed living room,” Madeline complained to Ruby.

“
I’ll do them outside, go
now. And keep him occupied.”

Madeline went to the front door and
stepped out, Coy had to step back.

“
You look very handsome,”
she told him, seeing his handshake a bit holding the wrist corsage.
“They’re not ready yet.”

He nodded and leaned against the
banister. His tux was nice, Madeline admitted. It was unique,
Spanish in cut, which was complimented by the silk white shirt. She
noted his wheat-streaked hair was cut to his ears and layered. For
all he was a tough Copper Creek boy, he looked good in the formal
clothing. His shoes, she noted, were expensive black leather and
very hip. His earring, Madeline hadn’t seen before, a little
diamond stud.

“
You want something to
drink?”

“
Yeah, cold
water?”

“
Sure.” She got it and came
back, taking a seat on the bench and looking at him. He was half
seated on the banister, having laid the corsage box down. Looking
up the road at the neighbor's houses.

“
Coy. Whatever hap...I
uh…Y’all have fun tonight.” She totally chickened out of saying,
don't hurt my baby.

He smiled, handsome and sexy. “It’s our
last Prom. We’ll make the most of it. Last chance to see everyone
besides Graduation Day.”

Madeline nodded, noticed he was driving
a car. A very nice black sports car. “New car?”

“
Belongs to my cousin. Same
one sold you yours. I have to have it back on his lot by
Sunday.”

She nodded, bit her lip, and looked
down at the porch floor. It was a humid day, sunny and noisy with
birds. Her moment to say anything was lost when the door opened and
everyone came out. Karla first and Brook, Ruby last with the
camera.

Coy’s eyes went over Brook and he
seemed to lose his ability to speak.

“
Hey, Goober!” Karla laughed
at him gawking. “Tell us we look good.”

He jerked his eyes away, looked at her.
“Y’all look good.” To Brook, “I think I’m going to be the most
envied guy there tonight.”