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“Oh, different lad. Our Cece is getting around.”

“Lin!”

“You know what I mean. She has more game with boys than I ever could have. She must get it from her mother. Lilian wasalways flirting and getting her way with the blokes in Hong Kong. You have to remember, her great bisexual awakening is happening before menopause!”

“You don’t have to remind me.” Caitlyn didn’t bring up that she had been popular with boys while in school but spent most of her time finding safe ways to let them down because she already knew she was a lesbian and too busy crushing on the captain of the cheerleading squad and her more tomboyish cousin, the captain of the girls’ lacrosse team.Ugh, those cousins were double trouble…What was wild was that Caitlyn made out with the cheerleader at a graduation party while the lacrosse captain turned out straight!Sometimes your gaydar malfunctions, okay?

Someone waved to her from the living room window. Caitlyn waved back.

“Yes, if she lied to you that egregiously so she could go play find the footlong with a boy you’ve never met, then ground her ass.”

“You know I am not good with imperial measurements, but footlong is very generous.”

“You know what I mean, Lin. I’m really sorry you’re having to deal with this yourself. Are you going to let her go to New York with us?”

“I do not have a choice. There is no one to keep an eye on her, and besides…” Jane sighed. “I am grounding her from going out with friends or having any fun outside of me. I thought that was a fair trade. She can still go out and do stuff with us, especially if we have been planning it for weeks.”

“Right. I know it’s not like you to be the ‘bad cop,’ so to speak, but I think you’re doing the right thing.”

“Oh, this reminds me. I have looked more into the room situation by the venue, and We are getting two connected rooms instead of our usual big suite. Everything is either alreadybooked or not enough room for four people needing at least three beds. So, this is the best I can do without sacrificing too much comfort.”

“Thanks, Jane. I’ve already donated my room that comes with the pageant to someone who needs it. Aw, maybe we should sleep together while we’re there and let Becca have the other room. She’s been such a good sport about losing her room since Cecelia came to America.”

“I know. I was thinking the same thing. Besides, you are competing asMrs.Iowa. What kind of Missus are you if you are not sleeping with your beautiful wife? The one who wants to make sure she fucks you really good before your competition?”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes as a crispy breeze penetrated her single layer of clothing. “You must be serious if you said ‘fuck.’”

“I know. Shag did not feel right there. I have more purpose in mind. By the way, how is our Becca? I have been so distracted by what is going on with Cece that I was not really paying attention to her texts last night. Do tell me you welcomed her with open pussy.”

“What if I didn’t?”

“I’d call you a dirty liar, Cait. You have been waiting to get your grubby hands on Rebecca for at least two weeks, if not longer.”

Caitlyn rubbed the back of her neck as she finally headed toward the house. “You’re right. We’ve been doing the kind of thing my mother would have grounded me for in school.”

“She probably wants to ground younow!”

It was Christine waving to Caitlyn through the window, as made clearer when one approached the other on the porch. “Is that Jane?” Christine asked through the opened front door. “Tell her we miss her!”

“My mom misses you.”

“This is getting odd. I am hanging up.”

Christine asked what was so funny. Caitlyn merely told her, “Jane being Jane,” which was enough to change the subject to something far more mundane.

Chapter 17

Jane

When Jane woke up that Wednesday, she was bothered to see a text from Damon.

“We need to talk. Meet me for lunch at the café.”

Jane rubbed the sleep from her eyes and read that two more times to be sure she wasn’t dreaming. “Brilliant,” she muttered. “He knows.”

As soon as she was more awake and getting ready for work, she texted back that she would make time for him as a favor. Truth was that Jane didn’t have any plans for the lunch hour. With Rebecca in Iowa, Jane had rearranged the business’s schedule so they weren’t talking to clients or seeing new presentations for at least a fortnight. There was too much going on.At least I had the foresight for that. For all the wrong reasons…Like her niece needing supervision.

Cecelia was already up and making herself breakfast of a grapefruit and granola in yogurt. Every time Jane thoughtThat’snot enough food!she was reminded that she often just ate the grapefruit and nothing more. So, what room did she have to talk? She was a hypocrite!