“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Gabrielle muttered, slowing down in case a spot came available.
We spied our children on the playground, and they all waved at us.We had to park past the school near the beach, but that was okay.
The kids were at the fence waiting for us by the time we climbed the small hill to the field.
The DJ was already blasting out tunes from his little booth under the white pop-up tent, and most of the games were set up.The bouncy castles were still inflating, and the rock climbing wall from the climbing gym on the mainland was being secured.
I made my way toward the group of parents still setting up.Unlike last year where I did first shift manning one of the bouncy castles, this year I decided to mix it up and I was going to attempt to make cotton candy.I’d never done it before, but how hard could it be?
By four o’clock, the field was packed with families, the music was pumping, and the scent of hot dogs and hamburgers wafted on the breeze with the salty sea air.
Lennox was standing in a group of several parents, waving his arms around like an air traffic controller.Pop-up tents were being erected everywhere, and folding tables were set up for various stations.
He spied me and waved.I waved back, but that bit of acknowledgement was enough to cause several sets of parents to take notice of our exchange.The heat and nausea of embarrassment started to creep into my cheeks and gut.
“So, you’re sleeping with the principal?”came a nasally female voice behind me.“That was fast.Isn’t he a bityoungfor you, Naomi?”
I knew who it was before I even saw her golden hair in a shih tzu style, half up, half down.Barb was wearing a tiny little floral romper that I was pretty sure, if she spun around, her ass cheeks would be hanging out of, and the amount of makeup and contouring on her face in this heat was surely going to cause a breakout.She had oversized, round, white sunglasses on her face, and stood with her hip cocked and her arms crossed over her chest.Her two minions, Sarah and Sybil stood behind her, looking equally overly made up for a hippy island elementary school funfair.
“Hi, Barb,” I said with a sigh.I nodded at the other two.“Sarah.Sybil.”
Sybil—the less evil stepsister of the bunch—gave me a friendly smile and wave.
“I mean, I’m not going to deny that Principal Paul isn’t hot and that I wouldn’t kick him out of bed, but come on, sweetie.You have to know how this looks.It’s bad enough that Gabrielle is sleeping with Maverick Roy.Isn’t she like going through menopause and he’s not even thirty yet?”She snorted and glanced back at her friends for support.Only Sarah chortled.
“It’sperimenopause,” I corrected.“And that doesn’t make her dead.It makes her homicidal.So I’d watch yourself.”
“Oh, that’s right.You all became single mothers so suspiciously.I bet you really do know how to get rid of men you’re tired of, huh?”
“Not just men,” I said.“And why is my romantic life such a concern of yours, Barb?”
“I just think it’s not a good look.Not for him.Not for the school.Not for your winery.”
“We’re both adults.The kids know about it and are fine with it.We’re taking things slow.The age difference doesn’t bother him.And why don’t you let my family worry about our winery?We’re doing just fine.How’s your soap business?”
Sybil had to turn her head to hide her smirk.Barb had been trying for years to establish a successful homemade soap business, but there were other soap makers on the island who already had the market cornered and whose product was just better.
Barb ignored my barb about her soap, and tipped her glasses down to stare stared at me over the rim.“But his agedoesbother you, doesn’t it?”Her smirk grew wider, knowing.
More heat and nausea came flooding in, and my belly spun.“I think it’s important that we remember why we’re all here today, and that’s to raise money for the new playground and have a fun evening.”
“How oldishe, anyway?I heard his daughter is thirteen.So like, he must have had her young, because there’s no way that man is over thirty.”
“He’s old enough to be a father, and old enough to decide whether the age difference between us is too much or not.So how about you leave it at that?”Then I spun around on my heel and stalked off to the cotton candy machine, my blood boiling and my fingers twitching at my sides, because all I really wanted to do was throat punch Barb and watch her tears make track marks down her contoured face.
I must have been hustling and in a huff because Raina came running up to me.“Hey.What was that with Barb and the evil stepsisters over there?”
I slowed my roll, but continued to walk.
“What did that bitch say?”She glanced back to glare at Barb and her disciples.
“Just more stupid shit about the age difference between Lennox and me.”Then I told her about the other night at the Floathouse.
“Fuck ’em all.He’s old enough.You didn’tgroomhim.”She brought her voice down to a whisper when she said that last bit.“Why is your romantic life everyone else’s business?”
“Fuck if I know.”
“Hey,” she rested her hand on my arm to stop me walking, “you know that what you guys are doing is totally okay, right?There’s nothing illegal or icky about it.If your genders were reversed, not a single person would bat a fucking eye.A thirty-seven-year-old man and a twenty-six-year-old woman.Pffst.That’s nothing.It’s because he’s hot, and they’re jealous.That’s all there is to it.They’re also curious about his age, and Mabel.Don’t let their whispers and nosiness ruin what is obviously working really well.”She gave me a lopsided smile.“You know what you guys should do?Go relax in one of the saunas on the new property.”
