Free Long Memory by Christa Maurice Page B

leaned forward, shedding her black tie tone.
    Beth swallowed. “All over town?”
    “I’m told he was quite popular as a young man when he visited Nonie, and he’s been in the news. Plus, you’re blushing.”
    “I am not.” Beth put her hands over her cheeks.
    “Yes, you are. Elaine’s sister said he’s quite a cutie.”
    “Elaine’s sister thinks every single male in town is a cutie.”
    Lily fluttered her eyelashes. “I tend to agree. I Googled him and the pictures on the Internet are very nice.”
    Elaine walked back in, making a face as she swigged from a bottle of beer. “My God, this stuff is awful.”
    “That is Guinness, you cretin.”
    “It is the second worst thing I’ve ever had in my mouth,” Elaine quipped.
    “What was the worst?” Lily shot back.
    The room plunged into the Ice Age. Beth glanced from Elaine to Lily and back. Elaine stood at the edge of the room having lost all the color in her body. Lily froze in her chair, clutching the arms. Her pink fingernails sank into the leather. She looked like a display from a Ripley’s Museum. What the hell? Elaine was never like this. She was calm and reliable. The last time she'd been a raw nerve was high school and Lily wasn't going to be able to handle Elaine in that state. Beth stood up. “Now that that’s behind us, can we get down to work? Lily, why don’t you call George and see what he thinks about that steam table?”
    “Why me?”
    “Because you have a gift.” Beth grabbed Elaine by the arm and hauled her into the kitchen. “What is wrong with you?”
    “Nothing.”
    “And it shows. Come on, Elaine, we’ve been friends since we were kids. I’ve never seen you act like this.”
    Elaine chewed her lips. She studied Beth’s eyes like she might be tested on the answer, and the score would determine her future. “I don’t want to add to your stress. Dealing with Nonie and Jean and having that guy visiting and watching you. Don’t worry about me. I can pull it together.” She set the beer on the table and took the notebook out of Beth’s hands. Her cloak of efficiency fell around her, changing her into the person Beth had always known. “I wonder if we could borrow a bus from Billingsville.” She sat down at the table and plucked a pen from the cup in the center.
    Beth stepped back. Elaine had always been the good girl. She did everything right. That was why Beth became friends with her. Growing up, she hadn’t had any good role models, so she’d followed Elaine through life, copying her every move—right down to going to the same college and getting the same degree. Elaine always knew what to do.
    And now that Beth needed advice, Elaine had lost her cotton-picking mind.
    “I rock!” Lily shouted from the living room. “George said he thinks he can jerry rig it to work until after the festival is over, and he might know someone who can get those buses back on their feet for us. Who do you want me to call next?”
    * * * *
    James heard his phone ringing in the guest room. Nonie and Jean were playing checkers. Nonie seemed to have the capacity to follow the game, but Jean was still beating the socks off her. The audio book hadn’t improved Jean’s mood, but winning three games of checkers in a row made her happy.
    “What’s that noise?” Jean asked.
    “My phone. I’ll be right back.” Who would call him here? Everyone he knew in Atlanta hated him. The reporters all had what they wanted from the story. That left… “Hello, Mother.”
    “Hello, son. What have you found out about our little friend?”
    “It’s nice to hear from you too. Nonie and Aunt Jean are doing fine. They’re playing checkers right now.” James sat down on the end of the guest bed. This room was a nightmare in Victoriana. He always felt like he was about to destroy something.
    “And where is that girl?”
    “Out doing Nonie’s grocery shopping.” Before she left, she’d sat at the end of the driveway talking on her phone for a few