Just for the Summer(49)

I cleared my throat. “Maddy had less stabby energy today.”

“She’s a fan of yours,” she said.

I raised an eyebrow. “Is she…？”

“Yes. She appreciates that you’re willing to endure dinners with Neil and Amber for me. Gets her off the hook.”

“And you don’t appreciate this?” I grinned.

“Of course I do.” Then she reached up, wrapped her arms around my neck, and kissed my cheek. She did it casually. I don’t think she had any idea the effect it had on me.

She came down from her tiptoes. Her arms were still around my neck and the place where her lips were on my cheek tingled. I was contemplating if kissing her in an antique store in front of a maimed ugly baby doll was tacky when my phone rang. Mom.

“Sorry,” I said. “I should take this.” I stepped away from her and hit the answer button. “Mom, what’s up?”

“Justin! What are you doing right now?” Leigh. Drunk Leigh, by the sound of it.

“I’m just at a store, why—”

Shuffling. Then Mom came on the line. “Justin? Can you give us a ride?” Also drunk.

Mom never drank. This was rarer than a solar eclipse. I could hear Leigh roaring with laughter in the background and Mom covered the mouthpiece giggling and hushed her.

“I’m still on my date, Mom.”

“Oh! That’s right!” she said. “I forgot. I’m sorry I called you, never mind—”

“Justin!” Leigh said in the background. “Give me the phone. Give it to me. No, give it to me—” Shuffling. “Justin? It’s Aunt Leigh. You need to come pick us up. Your mother and I have been overserved.” She slurred on “served.”

“You can’t call an Uber?” I said.

“Can’t.” She hiccupped.

“Why not?”

“Banned. Lyft too.”

“What? Then use Mom’s account.”

“We’re both banned. We’re pariahs.”

“How did you both get banned from two separate rideshare apps?” I asked.

“It takes commitment and ingenuity.” Slurred on “ingenuity.”

Mom cracked up in the background.

I took in a deep breath and locked eyes with Emma. She looked amused.

“It was my ex-husband,” Leigh went on. “He works for Lyft. Did it just to stick it to me one last time and threw Christine in there just to piss me off—and it did. It did piss me off.”

“And your Uber accounts?” I asked.

“Well, that is a very interesting story that I’d love to tell you, when you pick us up.”

I glanced at Emma. I didn’t mind picking them up, but Emma didn’t want to meet my mom.

I put the phone to my other ear. “Can you call Brad?”

“Already did. He’s at dinner with Benny, and they’re drunker than we are.”

I heard Mom whispering. The phone shuffled and they both giggled. Then Mom was back on the line. “Justin, I don’t want to interrupt your date. We’ll figure something out.”

“What are we gonna do, Christine?” Leigh said. “Walk? From here? You only have one shoe! Plus you got prison tomorrow. I gotta get you back by midnight or you turn into a pumpkin.” They both peeled into giggling.

“Where are you?” I asked, rubbing my forehead.

“Hudson.”

Wisconsin. Only fifteen minutes from here. It wasn’t even really out of the way.

Emma must have read my mind. “If it’s an emergency, we can go get them,” she said, her voice low.

I put Mom and Leigh on mute.

“You said you don’t want to meet my mom.”

“It’s okay. I’m invested now, I want to hear the story about how they both got banned from Uber.”

I snorted.

I took my mom off mute. “Send me your location,” I said. “And stay put. Don’t make me come looking for you.”

I hung up and we went to collect our drunks.

When I pulled up to the bar fifteen minutes later, Mom and Leigh were sitting on the curb with their purses in their laps. Leigh’s mascara was running. Mom’s sandal was duct-taped and she had leaves in her hair for some reason. They waved and grinned when they saw us and climbed into the back.

Mom leaned in between the front seats. “Hi! I’m Christine!”

“Hi.” Emma twisted to shake her hand.

Leigh scooted in next to Mom. “Leigh.” She jutted out a hand full of gaudy rings.

“Are either of you going to throw up in this car?” I asked.

“We can hold our liquor,” Leigh said, offended.

“We cannot hold our liquor,” Mom whispered.

Emma pulled two Ziploc bags from her purse. They had Wheat Thins and celery in them. Probably her work snacks. “I trust this zipper seal with my life,” she said, turning to hand them to our passengers.

“Thanks,” Leigh said. “Can we eat these?” She started eating a cracker before Emma answered.

We made brief eye contact, Emma smiling and me looking exasperated.

“You two smell like you showered in Patrón,” I said. I dug in my center console for a water bottle. “Drink some water.”