Free The Denver Cereal by Claudia Hall Christian

husband. Ma’am, everyone
knows you are marrying Wes. Are you and Wes already married? Are
you married to someone other than Wes? US magazine would love to have an
exclusive interview . . .”
    Valerie stood so quickly
that the man was forced to take a step back. Smiling her movie star
smile, she said, “My brother lives in Denver. I have a family
business meeting tomorrow. Gosh, I’m not sure what TMZ heard.” She
shrugged. “If you’ll excuse me. I need to freshen up before the
flight.”
    “ We’re sitting together on
your flight, Val,” the reporter said. “We at US magazine wanted to show you our
commitment to telling your true story.”
    “ Thanks. I’ll see you on
the plane,” Valerie said.
    She made a beeline for the
restroom. Locking herself in a stall, she called her publicist. It
was time to tell the truth.
    ~~~~~~~~
    “ Okay, well, this has been
fun,” Mike said. “I’ve got to get to work. Jill, you know how to
get ahold of me, right?”
    Jill hugged her older
brother. “Thanks, Mikey.”
    “ Candy? You’ll remember to
do that thing we talked about?” Mike asked.
    “ I watch ‘Val Count’ every
night. We are up to one hundred and forty-nine engaged days.” Candy
smiled to reassure her brother.
    “ Great. And you.” Mike
pointed at Jacob. “I’d like a word.”
    Jill shot a surprised look
at Mike, then to Jacob. Jacob just smiled. Leaning to kiss her
cheek, he said, “I’ll be right back.”
    Jacob followed Mike
through the hospital to the front door.
    “ Jill said you’re paying
for everything,” Mike said. “And that the money lady asked Jill if
she was trading sex for the hospital bill.”
    Jacob took a step back. He
shook his head slightly. “What?”
    “ I want to know how you’re
going to expect repayment.”
    “ I . . . I
never thought about it.” Jacob flushed bright red.
“I . . .”
    “ Good, that’s what I told
Jill,” Mike said. “You haven’t heard from Val, have
you?”
    Jacob shook his
head.
    “ She’s been engaged a long
time this time . . . You
think . . .”
    “ Honestly?” Jacob
asked.
    Mike nodded.
    “ No,” Jacob said. “Val’s
still Val inside.”
    “ I hope you’re right,”
Mike said.
    With a nod of his head,
Mike walked toward the parking lot.
    ~~~~~~~~
    “ What’s ‘Val Count’?” Jill
asked Candy.
    “ Mike is obsessed with
this soap opera actress,” Candy said. “She’s engaged for like, the
third time. Entertainment Tonight is doing an engagement watch. I watch it every
night and call him with what they say.”
    “ Who’s the girl?” Megan
asked.
    “ Valerie
Lipson.”
    Megan jumped up from her
seat and walked to the water cooler where Steve was standing. They
shared a long look.
    “ I’ll tell you if even
half of what they say about her is true, she’s a real bitch,” Candy
said. “I mean, I don’t get it. Mike’s great looking, a wonderful
person, an amazing artist, but he doesn’t want to be set up, won’t
go out with girls — or boys, for that matter. He’s obsessed with
this . . . prima donna actress.”
    Megan closed her eyes.
Turning around, she looked from Candy to Jill. It was time they
knew the truth.
    “ Meg, what’s wrong?” Jill
asked.
    “ Mike’s married to Valerie
Lipson.”

CHAPTER EIGHT
    The past, present, and future
     
    “ But Valerie Lipson is
Jacob’s sister,” Jill said. “How . . .?”
    “ Val and Jake aren’t
Catholic. Remember that huge fight Dad and Mike had? That was over
Valerie,” Megan said. “Dad forbade Mike to go out with Val because
she wasn’t Catholic. Mike disappeared for a week. Mom was
hysterical. She made Dad go after Mike.”
    Candy and Jill
nodded.
    “ They met while skiing
when Mike was fourteen or something,” Steve said. “Remember how
much Mike used to ski in the winter? And camp in the
summer?”
    “ Every moment he wasn’t
working or in school,” Candy said.
    “ That was so he could be
with Val. They dated from the time