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Get a grip, Viv

"Si down my check

"That’s it? Simple?"

"Mm-hmm That’s all I’ll say for now," she replied mysteriously, and walked away

"Si everyone to turn and stare atMr Martin" I laid my bills on the counter and sauntered out the front door

Back at the house I spent soAunt Maude’s roo that on yet And besides, the Legless Knight sees pretty well under control in there I kept the laundry h I was pretty sure I’d picked anized, divided piles, and sorted through years of accumulations, it felt better to be able to walk by two bedrooms that looked livable

Clean white cotton sheets now covered the bed in the second bedroom I’d washed them twice and added extra softener so they didn’t have that folded-in-the-linen-closet-for-years look to them I’d lucked out in a hall closet and found stacks of lovely old quilts, folded neatly and encased in Aunt Maude’s favorite storage container, Hefty bags They’d done their job, though; the quilts were in great shape Now the old iron bed was dressed with a simple but very pretty nine-block piece in lemony yellows and dusty pinks Not my taste, but chrome and black leather would be out of place here In this house, quilts just felt right And if I was being honest with ht I would I scrubbed the wood floors not only in the second bedroom, but down the hall as well Slowly but surely, clean spots were starting to take over I’d nearly used up h, which meant another run into town

I consolidated Post-its and to-do lists fro rocery store onceweren’t staying here, but I still wanted to have soh the kitchen drawers, looking for the key to the Bel Air, but found nothing No matter, I’d add that to the list of questions I would be asking Mr Montgo trip

I drove into town, thankful I had a rental car but still not entirely sure how long I’d actually need it If I was going to live here, I’d have to either bringhere

Or you could drive the Blue Bo up the coast, top down like it should always be, alls shining The woman behind the wheel had dark curly hair, not unlike mine perhaps, tied back by a cheery aqua beboppy and doo-woppy, soers tap out the rhyth, even if you don’t know the words The woman pulled the car over to adht of the woned to nificent back, skin of the olden velvet, sheened with sweat earned not froer to that No, this sas of the sweet kind, brought forth from each pore as a testament to thispillar of passion tall and proud, like a flagpole on the Fourth of July But the fireworks hadn’t begun yet Not even close

U a number on me

And that number was sixty-nine--