Free Miss Polly had a Dolly (Emma Frost #2) by Willow Rose Page B

down town. They're trying to catch a glimpse of Patrick."
    Helle chuckled. "Ah the famous TV host.
Yes, everybody in town is talking about him these days."
    My dad snorted. "I can't imagine why. I
mean what's the fuss about? I don't get it. He whines like a girl. Why does
that get people so excited?"
    I shrugged and put a helping of lamb on my plate
before I passed it on to Jack on my other side. "Well, he's handsome and
he's very funny. You never know what he'll do next. That's what makes him interesting.
He's not neat and boring like all the other television hosts. They all look
alike. It gets boring. Patrick is different. He puts on a show every
time."
    Helle nodded. "I'm completely with Emma on
this one," she said and gave me a nice smile.
    It felt good to agree with her on this. I was
beginning to think I was going to like having her around.
    "Patrick is really unique. And the kids
love him. The girls go crazy down there. It doesn't all have to be so sleek.
It's good that he dares to be himself. It's good for the young to see,"
she said.
    My dad snorted again and poured wine in our
glasses. "I still don't get it," he replied. "To me he is
nothing but a freak of nature, a weird faggot."
    "Dad!" I looked at him, then at Victor
who luckily seemed to be in a world of his own, hearing nothing of what we were
talking about.
    "Sorry," my dad said. "But the
guy is gay, isn't he? I mean with
all the jewelry, the weird clothes. I mean who wears pink boas if you're a real
man, right?"
    "Plenty of rock stars, Dad."
    Helle nodded. "Steven Tyler for
example."
    "Thank you, yes. Patrick is a Danish Steven
Tyler, just not a rock-star, but close. He expresses himself and he is secure
enough in his masculinity to wear those kinds of spectacular clothes. That does
not make him gay."
    "But do you really want Maya to run around
down there and scream at him?" my dad asked with his mouth full. "I
mean what's with the finger and all that. Is that something your kid should
think is cool?"
    I shrugged. My dad had a point, but I didn't
think Maya thought the finger was cool. I just thought she wanted to hang out
with her friends and that she found him handsome, that was all. "I don't
know," I said. "I think the older generation will never approve of
what the younger generation likes. But I'll admit I don't like the finger part,
either. Guess that makes me older, huh?"
    Jack chuckled. I gave him a smile. I knew I
wasn't going to be able to control everything in my daughter's life any longer,
but my dad was right, I probably needed to talk to her about the finger part.
    "So you're a painter, Jack?" Helle
asked across the table.
    Jack blushed, then nodded. "Wwwell yes. I
do ppaint."
    "And he's really good at it, too," I
added even if I knew Jack hated to talk about himself. I was trying to make him
feel comfortable.
    "I need some decorations for the walls in
my shop. Maybe I could hire you to paint something for me?" she asked.
    "That's a great idea," I said knowing
how badly Jack needed the money. He was taking care of his handicapped sister
on a very unstable income. Luckily she had her disability pension to help out,
but he was still always lacking money.
    "Could you paint anything that I
wanted?" Helle asked.
    "Sure," Jack said. "I've done
orders before. Wwhat would you like?"
    "Well, my shop sells dolls. Souvenirs, as
well and trinkets, but mostly dolls and supplies for them, like clothes,
headbands and bowties and stuff," she said.
    I almost choked on my lamb thinking about what
Victor had said earlier. I started coughing.
    "Excuse me," I said and drank some
wine to clear my throat.
    "It's mostly the dolls I'm interested
in," she continued. "They are my real passion. I love those
babies."
    "I'll nnneed to come down and see what they
lllook like first."
    "Sure," she said.
    "Maybe I'll go with you," I said.
"I'd love see your shop."

Chapter 23
April 2013
    The meeting was
over and everyone had finally left Patrick's hotel
room. He found the black