Page 8 (1/2)
Pandy was suddenly annoyed “That’s it? I thought you were calling because you’d had word”
Henry ignored this, continuing as he read the headlines aloud: “‘PJ Wallis: Uncoupled and Un-Monica’ed’”
“Hey That’s good!” Pandy exclai”
She stuck her feet into a dusty pair of velvet loafers she hadn’t seen in ages The loafers ca exchange ined
“Anyway,” she continued, shuffling into the living roolad Maybe when my publishers see that the book is all over Instalife, they’ll actually get off their asses and read it Christ The school year isn’t even over Surely everyone in publishing can’t already be on summer vacation?”
“They’re not on summer vacation,” Henry said ominously
“Good Then they can read it It’s been over a week” She was tempted to add, And don’t call ht herself She pressed her thuover turn her into a dere
“Gotta go,” Pandy said quickly She hung up and tossed the phone onto the couch, batteries dangling like viscera from the handset
Moving slowly into the kitchen, Pandy encountered a telltale flat white box on the counter It contained two slices of cold pepperoni pizza
The sight of the pizzaa slice on her open palle onto the rack in Jonny’s pizza oven She turned the control to five hundred degrees anda cache of neatly folded plastic grocery bags in the pantry, she tried to stuff the pizza box into a bag, but it wouldn’t fit She gave up and went to work on cleaning up the living room instead
Plastic cups—soarette butts—went into one e after another Pandy discovered a couple of stray cigarettes behind one of the couch cushions She lit a cigarette and leaned out the half-open , trying to blow the s The first rush of nicotine alht the i another, she s She raced to the kitchen and yanked open the pizza oven as black shed, slammed the door, turned the oven off, and ran the butt under the tap
She grabbed another plastic bag and headed into the bathroom
Several ene—both Pandy’s and, of course, Monica’s signature drink—were floating on a scriht’s enor the debris like a bad apple was a curious piece of cushioned green plastic Pandy picked it up It was a green cartoon frog with large yellow eyes and two flexible feet on either side
The frog was attached to so Pandy turned it over On the other side was a black screen The frog was a child’s waterproof cell phone cover