Page 85 of Storm in a D Cup

His eyes swept over my face as he got up to go into the kitchen toward the coffeemaker. I must’ve looked like a mess.

‘More than ever.’

‘Oh, I need you too, Julian,’ I groaned, getting up to follow him and wrapping my arms around his neck. He hugged me tight, so tight I thought he was going to break me. I rained little kisses on his neck and ear, running my fingers through his hair, over and over again, until he pulled away to look me in the face.

‘Where is everyone?’

‘They’ll be back soon, Genie Stacie and the girls. She took my baby shopping. Or whatever… I don’t know. It hurts to think. In any case, she was awfully convincing about you and her.’

Julian looked at me at length, and then poured me a nice hot cup of coffee and drew me into his arms. ‘You know that’s absolute shite, don’t you?’

My eyes met him. ‘Do I?’

‘Of course. Why would you still doubt me?’

‘Because you stayed with her!’ I burst into tears. ‘Why would you do that?’

He sighed. ‘Because I’m worried about her.’

I snorted. I was the one having a tough time, fighting tooth and nail to keep my family in one piece.

‘You see?’ he said. ‘You’re strong. Genie had been falling apart since the day she was born. She’s already tried to commit suicide twice.’

I looked up into his eyes. He would never lie about something like that. ‘I didn’t know,’ I whispered. ‘I’m sorry.’

He held me against him. ‘I’m sorry, too. How shall I make it up to you?’

‘You want to make it up to me?’ I asked, looking up into his sexy, take-me-now eyes.

‘Uh-huh,’ he confirmed, a big grin on his lips. ‘Now let’s go upstairs and shower your booze away…’

*

Much much later, the front door slammed and Maddy marched in, Joey trudging along behind her.

‘What’s wrong?’ I asked as Julian and I came down the stairs, me a little more confident than before. Funny, how love does that.

Maddy slammed her bag down. ‘Genie Stacie is a sell-out!’

‘Oh, I’m used to it,’ Joey dismissed the whole idea with a swipe of her hand.

Nowtherewas good news if I ever heard it.

‘What happened?’ Julian asked as Joey sat down opposite us, Maddy leaning on her armrest.

‘Genie Stacie took us shopping. Then we stopped for a drink.’ I raised my eyebrows at her. ‘Chill out, Mom, just a Diet Coke for Joey and me.’

I looked at Joey who nodded. ‘I hate booze.’ Which was even greater news for me. ‘I’ve seen what it does to my mom.’

Well, at least it wasn’t hereditary. ‘I believe you. And then?’

‘And then these guys come up to us and ask us to take them to a club in Siena for a couple of hours. As if I had a couple of hours withyourcurfew. But that’s not the point. Genie just went, leaving me, Angelica and Joey, her own daughter, there like idiots. I mean, wasn’t Genie supposed to stopusfrom going, being an adult and all, and not vice versa?’

I sighed and shook my head. ‘You girls did the right thing to come home,’ Julian said, then turned to Joey. ‘Sweetie, your mom is going through…’

But Joey sighed. ‘Julian, I really appreciate your concern for me, but you don’t have to protect me. I know my mom is a flake.’

Now there was the truth if I’d ever heard it. At least Maddy saw the real Genie Stacie now.