بخش 03 - فصل 02

2

Tina and Barbara and Barbara’s mother spend that Saturday afternoon in the Robinson kitchen, making popcorn balls, an operation both messy and hilarious. They are having a blast, and for the first time since she came to visit, Tina doesn’t seem troubled. Tanya Robinson thinks that’s good. She doesn’t know what the deal is with Tina, but a dozen little things – like the way the girl jumps when a draft slams an upstairs door shut, or the suspicious I’ve-been-crying redness of her eyes – tells Tanya that something is wrong. She doesn’t know if that something is big or little, but one thing she’s sure of: Tina Saubers can use a little hilarity in her life just about now.

They are finishing up – and threatening each other with syrup-sticky hands – when an amused voice says, ‘Look at all these womenfolk dashing around the kitchen. I do declare.’

Barbara whirls, sees her brother leaning in the kitchen doorway, and screams ‘Jerome!’ She runs to him and leaps. He catches her, whirls her around twice, and sets her down.

‘I thought you were going to a cotillion!’

Jerome smiles. ‘Alas, my tux went back to the rental place unworn. After a full and fair exchange of views, Priscilla and I have agreed to break up. It’s a long story, and not very interesting. Anyway, I decided to drive home and get some of my Ma’s cooking.’

‘Don’t call me Ma,’ Tanya says. ‘It’s vulgar.’ But she also looks mightily pleased to see Jerome.

He turns to Tina and gives a small bow. ‘Pleased to meet you, little ma’am. Any friend of Barbara’s, and so forth.’

‘I’m Tina.’

She manages to say this in a tone of voice that’s almost normal, but doing so isn’t easy. Jerome is tall, Jerome is broad-shouldered, Jerome is extremely handsome, and Tina Saubers falls in love with him immediately. Soon she will be calculating how old she’ll need to be before he might look upon her as something more than a little ma’am in an oversized apron, her hands all sticky from making popcorn balls. For the time being, however, she’s too stunned by his beauty to run the numbers. And later that evening, it doesn’t take much urging from Barbara for Tina to tell him everything. Although it’s not always easy for her to keep her place in the story, with his dark eyes on her.