Page 67 of Storm in a D Cup

‘Figures,’ Maddy muttered. ‘What’s with all the black? You a Goth, or something?’

‘Maddy, don’t be rude.’ I softly nudged her.

‘I’mbeing rude? Look at this chick. Two minutes in our home and she hasn’t even saidNice to meet youor anything.’

‘Probably because it isn’t,’ Joey simply answered.

At Maddy’s dropping jaw, Joey rolled her eyes. ‘Would you like to be dragged across the ocean to meetyourmother’s old boyfriends? This is like, the twelfth or something.’

‘Not particularly, no,’ Maddy admitted.

‘Didn’t think so. So I’m going to lie low until we can get out of here already. No offense, Mrs. Foxham.’

‘Oh, none taken,’ I assure her.

‘You must live in a world of your own. What’s it like to be Genie Stacie Grant’s daughter?’ Maddy asked, pulling herself up to sit on the counter despite my historical pleas not to.

Joey snorted. ‘I’d rather have a normal life.’

Maddy grinned. ‘You’re only saying that.’

‘No, I’m not. We’re off to another movie set now and I’ve begged my mom to not drag me there, but she just won’t listen.’

‘Oh?’ I said.

‘Yeah. Caterers, hotel rooms and paparazzi in your faceall the time. And I’m not eveninthe movie. What I wouldn’t give to stay in my own house. Not that that’s any more private.’

‘But your mom is Genie Stacie Grant!’ Maddy marveled. ‘How can you not be happy with your life? And a mom like that?’

‘Actually, I’m thinking of moving out. Then I can eat, drink and do whatever I want.’

‘Not a bad idea. Maybe I should do it, too. My mom is a real pain in the ass,’ Maddy considered as I stood right there in front of her. Well, how long exactly had I expected our atonement to last?

‘She looks cool to me,’ Joey answered as I donned my oven gloves and pulled out my tray of lasagna. Did I mention that I loved this girl at first sight?

By the time we all sat down Genie Stacie hadn’t even stopped to draw in a breath, with Julian listening and nodding politely, but I could tell he was on stand-by, and Joey, who was practically salivating at the idea of a square meal, readily held her plate up.

‘Thanks, Mrs. Foxham,’ she said, surprising me. ‘I love lasagna.’

‘No, don’t eat that – it’s full of grease and calories,’ Genie Stacie scolded, slapping Josephine’s hand and in the process, mine as well. The ladle full of lasagna fell onto my grandmother’s precious linen tablecloth.

I stifled a gasp of mortification as Julian’s eyes met mine. How could a mother treat her kid like that? After years of Marcy doing exactly the same to me, I still hadn’t learned to gloss over things like that.

As far as the ruined tablecloth was concerned, it served me right.Never give pearls to pigs,my grandmother used to say.

‘There’s other stuff,’ Maddy offered, pushing the tray bake of vegetables and chicken her way.

Genie Stacie smiled at Maddy and proceeded to help herself, and, when Genie Stacie turned to Julian again, Joey eyed me and I gave her the plate of lasagna back.

Maddy saw the exchange but made no comment. I suppose in her eyes she was lucky that I didn’t force-feed her.

‘Joey and I are going to Africa next Wednesday,’ Genie Stacie said as if nothing had happened. I wished she’d go a little further, like maybe the South Pole and stay there until she froze to death.

‘Oh?’ Julian raised an eyebrow.

‘They’re finally shooting it, Jules! They’re finally shootingBeyond the Dunes!’

Julian’s face lit up with genuine pleasure. Only he knew what she was talking about, because it went way past my head. What was so special about the sand dunes?