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face nearly cracked open with a grin.
    Betty Johnson,
Donna’s secret identity at Northwest Janitorial Services, was a recovering drug
addict who lived with her dotty mother. Mom nipped at the cooking sherry a
little too often and usually got her messages either garbled or forgot to give
them to Betty altogether. That way, Donna only had to answer the messages she
wanted.
    After waiting an
appropriately long time, Donna took the phone from Julie.
    “This is Betty.”
    “Hi, Betty, this
is Paula.”
    Donna’s boss at
NWJ was ninety-percent bitch and ten-percent sweetheart. When she needed
something, she turned on the sugar and honey.
    “Listen, sweetie,
I need a favor. Shu called in sick today. Can you cover her tonight?”
    Donna couldn’t
work, her son had a play tonight.
    “I’m sorry, Paula.
I’ve already got plans. Don’t you have anyone else?”
    “Honey, you know I
wouldn’t call you unless I’d already tried everyone else. You’re my go-to girl.
When no one else can make it, I know you’ll always come through for me, so I
don’t ask unless there’s no one else.”
    What bullshit. Donna was the first one Paula would call.
    “What would I be
doing tonight?” She usually didn’t work her night job on Thursdays.
    “It’s a little
different. You’ll be doing the accounting department. It’s no big deal, except
for Mr. Schmidt’s office.”
    Jackson Schmidt
was Millennium System’s CFO.
    “He’s pretty
picky.” Paula’s husky, cigarette-scarred voice grated on Donna. “But you’ve
been doing Mr. Metcalf’s office and no one is pickier than Mr. Metcalf.”
    Donna thought for
a minute. She needed to get to Schmidt’s office. She hadn’t been in there
before. But Billy’s play . . .
    “OK, Paula. I’ll
do it. But I’ll probably be a little late. Can I start at around nine?” At
least she could take Billy to dinner before his play.
    “Honey, you can
come in whenever you want. You’re one of the few people I can count on to do a
good job. I tell you, good help is so hard to find now a days.”
    Damn. She
was going to disappoint Billy again. She was a horrible mother.
    Donna hung up and
turned off the TV. “Jules, tell Andy that I’m going to need another mini DVR
tonight. And get Bill on the phone. I need to tell him I can’t come home
tonight.”
    Well, they were
just going to have to deal with it. This is what paid for the iPhones and
X-boxes.
    ****
    Ted heard
Candace’s Porsche Cayenne SUV pull into the driveway. He took a hit off his
bottle of Corona and went to the front room to greet his guests. His guests?
He didn’t live here anymore. Well, they were his dinner guests anyway.
    He took a quick
glance at the mirror above the stone fireplace. He pointed a finger at his
image, dropped his thumb like the imaginary hammer on a pistol, made a clicking
sound and winked at himself. “You good looking dog, you, don’t you ever die.”
    He already saw
some of Sarah’s influence making its way into the house. A pair of pink yard
flamingos flanked the fireplace.
    “Ted-meister, look
what I found.” Sarah burst through the door and tossed her tan rain jacket on
the couch.
    “Lookin’ good, hermanita. ”
Ted continued to be amazed by Sarah’s transformation. It was hard to believe
that this was Chris’ Goth little sister. A petite brunette, she turned out to
be quite a looker.
    She was followed through
the door by Chris in his wheelchair, pushed by Harry.
    “Hey, dude, good
to have you home.” Ted bent down and gave his friend a big abrazo .
    “What’s this shit
about you moving out?” Chris winced, then sat rigid at Ted’s hug.
    “I thought it was
time, dude. Sarah wanted to move in, and after all, this is your Dad’s house.”
    “You could have
talked to me first. You couldn’t have let me know? Didn’t I get a vote in this
decision?”
    Before Ted had a
chance to respond, Oscar bounded across the room and leapt into Chris’ lap with
a loud meow.
    “Hey, it’s good