Free Her Mother's Daughter by Lesley Crewe

upstairs and closed the bedroom door behind her.

CHAPTER FIVE
    It didn’t take long for the locals to express their displeasure with Tansy. Bay got an earful from Flo, Mrs. Cathcart, and Eldon. She listened and nodded sympathetically and went back to work. What they wanted her to do about it she didn’t know. Her sister had always caused havoc. It wasn’t anything new.
    When she saw Dermot get out of his truck the next morning, Bay’s heart raced. Something had to be done. She hated being on the outs with him. As he walked towards the post office, she thought he looked different. Aloof, almost, and it was because of her.
    He entered the foyer and went straight to his box. When he didn’t look at her and was about to turn and leave, she shouted, “Dermot!”
    He looked up and she beckoned him over. He opened the door and came through. “What is it?”
    Bay cleared her throat. “How are you?”
    â€œOkay.”
    â€œLook, Dermot, I’m sorry I yelled at you the other night. I haven’t been myself and I took it out on you. I shouldn’t have done that.”
    He continued to look at her but didn’t speak.
    Bay became uncomfortable. He wasn’t making this easy. “I hope we’re still friends.”
    â€œYes, Bay. We’ll always be friends, won’t we? I’m sorry, I have to go.”
    He turned around and walked out. She stared open-mouthed as he got in his truck and squealed his tires leaving the parking space.
    When Gertie came to see her on her lunch hour, Bay told her about it.
    â€œHmm. What would a Cosmo girl do?” Gertie wondered.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œYou know. What would a girl in Cosmo magazine do?”
    â€œWho gives a shit? They’re not real. It’s a stupid committee of preppy editors who sit around with their café mochas and pretend they have vastly superior sex lives to the rest of us.”
    Gertie shrugged. “Well, they do.”
    â€œOh, shut up, Gertie. You’re no help at all.”
    â€œHow exactly did he look when you apologized?”
    â€œHe looked annoyed.”
    â€œHmm, that’s not good.”
    â€œYou don’t say.”
    Gertie reached into her pants pocket and pulled out some Mentos. “Want one?”
    â€œOkay.” Bay reached over and Gertie squeezed two into her hand.
    â€œI think you have to make the next move. He has every right to be mad at you; all he did was tell you he liked you, that he wanted to be with you, and you basically told him to take a hike. That must have been great on the old ego.”
    Bay chewed her mints at a furious pace. “I’m a real jerk sometimes.”
    â€œSometimes? I beg to differ. You’re a jerk quite frequently.”
    â€œThat must be why I hang around with you,” Bay smiled.
    â€œListen, do you think I should do that internet thing Ashley talked about?”
    â€œMeeting someone over the internet is quite common these days. There’s nothing wrong with it.”
    â€œI’ll think about it.”
    â€œYou’ve got nothing to lose.”
    â€œYes, I do. My virginity.”
    Bay stared at her. “You’re kidding. You never told me that. As a matter of fact, you told me you did it with what’s-his-face…that fellow who came here one summer.”
    â€œI lied.”
    â€œOh, Gertie.”
    â€œI’m only human. You and Bobby were driving me crazy the way you were all over each other. I was jealous. And it didn’t help that your sister had every boy in town following her like she was the Pied Piper. Why I don’t hate the two of you intensely is beyond me.”
    Bay shook her head. “What am I going to do with you?”
    Gertie laughed and headed towards the door. “Gotta run, or saunter, as the case may be. Listen, call Dermot and ask him over for supper. That’s what I’d do. And then make something really nice, like Cornish hen and baked