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The slam of a door makes her jump and her eyes go back to being wide, but this time from trepidation. Heavy footfalls rattle the picture frames hanging on the wall.
I turn and watch in horror as Joe comes down the hall. He’s reading the side of a bottle he’s holding. “Who was that at the door? You got my dick hard and left me alone with this shitty ass wine…” Joe’s words die on his tongue and he stops in his tracks - naked as the day he was born - when he sees me standing there.
My head whips to look at my mother and see what I missed in my excitement over the results.
Her hair looks like she’s been twirling on her head and she’s tugging at her robe, frantically trying to cover something that looks like it’s made of scraps of lace and not much else.
I look around the apartment. The two glasses of wine on the coffee table. The men’s underwear draped over the arm of the sectional. My stomach heaves at the picture unfolding in front of me.
“Oh my God,” I groan and cover my eyes with my hands and turn away from both of them.
“You can’t tell Beth, not yet.” Joe’s voice is frantic.
“Joe! Go, now,” my mother hisses and I hear the slap of feet on the hardwood and then the slam of the door, but I’m still afraid to open my eyes.
I don’t even know how to look at my mother. I don’t understand how this could have happened. Joe is…old.
“You can look now,” My mother says in a dour tone.
I move my hand, see her still struggling with her dressing gown and avert my eyes. “Mom, what the hell? He’s old enough to be your—”
She points a finger at me, her eyes shooting fire. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence, Carter Bosch. I don’t have to explain myself to you or anyone. And I’m certainly not going to. If you want to wait for Beth, go do it in the lobby. And if you don’t want to see what you just saw again, I suggest you call before you come by here and my place. Because whatever he’s old enough to be, I’m old enough to enjoy it.”
And then she swivels on the balls of her feet and marches indignantly down the hall to the room Joe must have gone into, slamming the door hard behind her.
I stand there stunned for a minute before my brain unscrambles. I’m going to pretend I didn’t see any of that.
My mother’s love life is none of my business and I’ve got my own to sort out. I’ve spent almost two years without the love of my life and I finally have the chance to make her mine again and for good. But first I need to explain about Porsha and hope she can forgive me.
62
Beth
I came for you
I hear the commotion before my door opens and Thandi one of my students come spilling into the small room where I’m mixing paint.
“Beth, Carter Bosch asked for you,” she repeats snapping her fingers under my nose.
“Did you tell him I’d call him back?”
She looks at me like I’m demented. “ No, cause he’s here. Not on the phone and I told him you’d be right out.”
I turn to face her. She waggles her eyebrows.
“Why did you do that?” I demand.
She just smiles even bigger. “Because I’m not a liar. And Carter Bosch just walked in asking for you. It’s like…every girl’s dream.”
She’s watching me intently and grinning like a drunk Cheshire cat.
“You can forget whatever you’re thinking. I don’t want to see him.”
“Well, I’m sorry to hear that, and I’m praying like hell I can change your mind.” Carter’s resonant, deep, melodic voice floats through the air and wraps itself around me in an intimate embrace that’s more tangible than the hand Thandi laid on my shoulder.
I take a step back, and trip on my own feet. I grab the counter to steady my fall but only grab air and land hard on my ass. I can’t bite back the moan of agony at the pain in my wrist.
“Beth, oh my God.” Thandi cups my elbow and helps me to my feet. But despite the throbbing pain in my hand, I’m hyperaware of the presence behind me.
