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“In a minute.” The camera made some people clam up and others talk. Apparently Chaz was one of the latter. Georgie took another step to the side. “You worked there?”
“Sometimes. She liked to party, and she didn’t always get home in time to go to work the next day. When that happened, I skipped school and went in for her.”
Georgie zoomed in on the girl’s face, taking advantage of having the upper hand. “How old were you?”
“I don’t know. Eleven or something.” She went over the same place she’d just swept. “The guy who owned the place didn’t care how old I was as long as the work got done, and I did a better job than her.”
The camera recorded facts. It didn’t offer an opinion about an eleven-year-old doing manual labor. “How did you feel about missing school?” The low-battery light came on.
Chaz shrugged. “We needed the money.”
“The work must have been hard.”
“There were good parts.”
“Like what?”
Chaz continued poking at the same spot on the floor. “I don’t know.” She leaned the broom against the wall and picked up a dust rag.
Georgie gave her a gentle prod. “I can’t imagine there were too many good parts.”
Chaz slid the rag over a bookshelf. “Sometimes a family checked into a room with a couple of kids. Maybe they’d order pizza or bring burgers back from the diner, and the kids might spill something on the rug. The place would be a big mess.” She concentrated on dusting the same book. “Trash and food everywhere. Sheets on the floor. All the towels used up. But by the time I left, everything would be neat again.” Her shoulder blades slammed together and she threw down the rag. “This is bullshit. I’ve got work to do. I’ll come back when you’re out of here.” She stalked away just as the camera ran out of power.
Georgie released the breath she’d been holding. Chaz would never have told her so much without the presence of the camera. As she pulled out the tape and slipped it in her pocket, she felt the same kind of rush she used to experience after she’d nailed a challenging acting scene.
That night, she found the world’s most disgusting sandwich waiting for her: a towering monstrosity constructed with slabs of bread, thick wedges of meat, rivers of mayo, and half a dozen slices of cheese. She pulled it apart, fixed herself a simpler sandwich, and ate alone on the veranda. She didn’t see Bram for the rest of the evening.
The next day Aaron handed over the new issue of Flash. One of Mel Duffy’s balcony photos graced the cover along with blaring headlines:
The Marriage That Shocked the World!
Exclusive Photos of Skip and Scooter’s Honeymoon Bliss
In the picture, Bram held her in his arms, her gauzy white skirt draping his sleeves, the two of them gazing deeply into each other’s eyes. Her wedding photo with Lance had appeared on this same cover, but the genuine newlyweds hadn’t looked nearly as love-dazzled as these phony ones.
She should have felt good. There were no pity headlines, only rapturous copy.
Georgie York’s fans were stunned by her shocking Las Vegas elopement with former Skip and Scooter costar, bad boy Bramwell Shepard. “They’ve been secretly dating for months,” Georgie’s BFF April Robillard Patriot said. “They’re delirious with happiness, and we’re all overjoyed.”
Georgie sent a silent thank-you April’s way and skimmed the rest of the article.
…publicist dismisses stories of a bitter feud between the Skip and Scooter costars. “They were never enemies. Bram cleaned up his act a long time ago.”
What a lie.
Friends say the couple has a lot in common…
Other than mutual hatred, Georgie couldn’t think of a thing, and she tossed the magazine aside.
With nothing productive to do, she wandered into the living room and picked some dead leaves off the lemon tree. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bram go into the kitchen, probably for a refill. She didn’t want him to think she was deliberately avoiding him, even though she was, so she pulled her cell from her pocket and called him. “You won this house in a poker game, didn’t you? It explains so much.”
“Like?”
“Great decorating, beautiful landscaping, books with words and not just pictures. But, never mind…Skip and Scooter need to make another public appearance today. How about a coffee run?”
“Okay with me.” He wandered into the dining room, his phone cupped to his ear. He wore jeans and a vintage Nirvana T-shirt. “Why are you calling me as opposed to talking to me directly?”
She switched her own phone to the other ear. “I’ve decided we communicate better from a distance.”
