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“You are family,” Ryan said. “I’m as comfortable here as I am at home. How about you, Bets?”
“Definitely. Looking forward to moving in this summer so I can use the pool.”
“The pool!” Kassandra said. “Do you know what? I had completely forgotten there was a pool until I bought the place.”
“I’ll be your pool boy,” Ryan said, thumbs up.
“You can enjoy it with Betsy, and I’ll pay someone to clean it,” Kassandra replied, laughing.
After an hour of eating and cleaning up, Ryan and Betsy left. Kassandra looked around her empty, spacious home and decided she was getting into bed. If she woke up at midnight, so be it. After closing the drapes and setting the house alarm, she went back to her bedroom, washed her face and brushed her teeth, and got into bed.
That night up in the Hamptons, Tony drank himself into oblivion with a game on the TV.
Pam and Dan changed into comfortable clothes and got coffee when they returned home. “We should have had Thanksgiving here,” Pam said. “That was awful.”
“It really was. The meal was okay, but it wasn’t yours, that’s for sure.”
“I thought she did a nice job of balancing everything. It was just the fight on the beach that ruined it. Also, did you notice the little kids were all crying at the same time? They don’t do that here.”
“Her place isn’t baby friendly, that’s why. It’s like a kiddie wonderland here.”
“If she does it again, I’ll haul toys over there.”
“I don’t want to go there again,” Dan said, yawning. “Come on, let’s get into our positions. The game is on.”
Dan sat in his recliner, falling asleep after halftime. Pam had a crochet project in her lap but succumbed to taking a nap, as well.
Down the street, Laura and Will played a game of chess, enjoying a fire in the fireplace after Randi went to bed for the night.
“I think the most exciting part of the day was Max coming out,” Laura said. “I knew it all along.”
“You did?”
“I did, but I didn’t say anything because I think I appear too judgmental, and with something like this, how can I judge a person for doing what makes them happy?”
“I’m struggling with why he waited so long. We went to the Poconos last year and have worked on two attic conversions together. I don’t know. I feel blindsided.”
Will’s phone beeped, and when he looked at the screen, he saw the name Maxine. Barking out a laugh, he answered the call.
“Hello, there. Were your ears burning?” Will asked.
“They were, a little. I could tell you were annoyed today.”
“Not annoyed exactly, more hurt. Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
“I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, truthfully. I wasn’t sure if this was what I really wanted.”
“And you are now?” Will asked.
“I am. I have to figure out if I’m going to do it full time. My father is not going to take kindly to this, trust me. I don’t want to jeopardize the business.”
“Wow, that’s a tough one, Max. Maxine.”
“You can call me Max,” he said, snickering. “Yeah, Alison and I are going to have to figure out what our risk level is.”
“Legally, your father can’t fire you for this. That much I know.”
“Okay, well, that helps. I guess I’m going to have to go to him and formally tell him. I’m not looking forward to that.”
