Free Switched, Bothered and Bewildered by Suzanne Macpherson

a load in first."
    "Deal, and I love math, so after the rugrats are gone, I get to look at it, okay?"
    Carly rolled her eyes. "I'm only saying yes because you'll bug me anyhow."
    "Good." The sound of a whiney female child rose in the air. "Susy, that's quite a siren you've got going there! Air raid alert! Let's move our act outside, kids. There's an Oreo in it for you."
    "Aunt Jillian, bribes?"
    "I bought four packs of cookies, and I know how to use them. Want one?" She pointed to the familiar cellophane package on the counter.
    "You should have told me before I finished my coffee."
    "We're going to cold turkey you off coffee, girl. There's a kettle on the stove and you can move to cocoa."
    "Are you going to hold my room hostage and make me do what you say?"
    "Now you're getting the idea."
    "You are the meanest aunt alive." Carly made a face and went for the Oreos. She broke them open and took a handful, then handed the package to Jillian.
    "Thanks. I try. Okay, kids, let's roll!" The kids followed like rats after the pied piper, and Jillian led them out the sliding door, over the deck, to a stretch of wood chips and a climbing structure at the back of the house.
    She very much liked the blackmail-slash-bribery thing with Carly. It was working well. And making Carly her partner in makeover crime would be a great way to get to know her again. It also made Carly stop long enough to talk to her aunt. Jillian liked that.
    Jillian watched the frightening four stuff Oreos in their mouths and run for the climber. Two more days of them, and she'd be a free woman. The sun
    shone full out on the happy bunch. Their energy level should be bottled. She didn't know how her sister did it. Kids were just. . . scary.
    Jillian was exhausted from her first afternoon of kid care. She'd cleaned up and was now faced with date spruce-up. But how could anyone feel sexy in a denim jumper? And where could they go for an intimate drink on a Monday night? Maybe it was two-fer-night happy hour somewhere and the cute repair guy could save money. Or was she paying, since she was the one who'd asked him out?
    Jillian was getting frantic. She dumped the contents of her sister's closet on the bed and gazed at the pathetic pile of rag-bag thrift store specials. The only thing decent was a vintage dress from their grandmother's era. 1965, here we come. She pulled it out of the pile and shimmied into it.
    Back in those days they must not have believed in back zippers. She all but dislocated her shoulders, but the damn thing went on. Wow, Grandma was skinny. Jillian gazed in the full-length mirror and smoothed the dress out around her waist. The black lace of the bodice was as delicate as spider-webs, and the peach-colored satin lining made it look like it was just lace, no lining. Very Cher in Mermaids. It hugged her waist and flared out into a slim black skirt. The neckline ran straight across, but the back was a bit plungy Good grief, Granny, who was this dress for?
    Still, 1965 plungy was not that indecent. Jillian wondered if she'd be over the top for Dean. She dug in the bottom of the closet and found a great pair of vintage black suede pumps with tiny bows from the same era. Jana Lee should stick to vintage stores, this stuff was cute. At least their feet were still identical even if their bodies weren't anymore.
    Jillian flipped up her hair with the hot curling iron plugged in by the mirrored dresser, just to complete the look.
    The doorbell rang. The dog barked. That couldn't be him. She glanced at her watch. Seven-thirty already? Damn. She heard Carly's footsteps pounding down the stairs. Oh, let her get the door. Jillian needed a few more minutes. Besides, since their talk this afternoon, Carly had been busy gutting her room. She probably needed to switch the loads around in the washer.
    Jillian sure hadn't thought out this switcheroo stuff very well. The moms from the rugrat brigade all knew it was Jana Lee's sister, because Jana Lee had called each