Summer Rental

by Mary Kay Andrews

  She picked it up, and just as she did so, a car’s horn blared, and there was a chorus of loud wolf whistles. A battered black Land Cruiser full of shirtless, sunburnt college boys pulled up alongside her. “Hey baby,” the driver called. “You need a hand?”

  She flashed them what Booker always called her “money smile,” the one she’d perfected in her early days of modeling, after studying Farrah Fawcett’s iconic red-bathing suit poster. Julia raised her chin, tilted her head slightly to the side, and shook her long hair back over her shoulders. “Fuck off,” she said sweetly. She shoved the phone into the pocket of her running shorts, slammed down the van’s hatch, and got back in the driver’s seat.

  The Land Cruiser’s driver treated her to another blast of his horn, and then peeled away, leaving a trail of oily black exhaust. “Assholes,” Julia muttered. But she was secretly pleased that at thirty-five she still had the looks—and the power—to stop a carload of randy college boys and drive them just a little bit nuts.

  Bikes on the Beach occupied the end slot in a small strip mall on Croatan Highway. Every slot in the parking lot was full, so she double-parked and ran into the shop. A middle-aged woman with waist-length dyed black hair sat on a stool at a counter, leafing through a catalog of bicycle parts. “Help you?” the woman asked, looking up.

  “I’ve got a bike in my van with a bent wheel,” Julia said. “Is that something you can fix?”

  “Sure thing,” the woman said. She eased herself off the stool and followed Julia out to the van. The woman easily hefted the bike out of the van. Inside the shop, she gave Julia an index card to fill out, with her name, address, and cell phone number. “My husband does the estimating and repairs, and he just left to deliver some beach chairs down the road. I’ll have him call you as soon as he gets a chance to look at it,” the woman said.

  “How long before it’s fixed?” Julia asked, remembering Madison’s annoyance at the prospect of being without her bike.

  The woman shrugged. “If we’ve got a replacement wheel, it could be done this afternoon. But if he’s got to get one sent over from a supplier, it could be a few days.”

  “Great,” Julia said.

  “We got plenty of rentals,” the woman said, gesturing at the front of the shop, where a couple dozen bikes of all description were parked.

  “I’ll let her know,” Julia said.

  She was getting back into the van when she heard an unfamiliar noise. It sounded like a dog’s urgent bark—but it was coming from her hip. Julia reached for her pocket and brought out the cell phone. Madison’s phone. The display screen was lit up. UNKNOWN CALLER.

  Julia hesitated, but then curiosity got the better of her. “Hello,” she said. “Madison’s phone.”

  “Maryn?” It was a man’s voice and he didn’t sound happy. “Come off it. I know it’s you.”

  Julia frowned. “Who is this?”

  “Who the hell is this?” the man demanded.

  “This is Julia Capelli,” Julia shot back.

  “Put Maryn on.”

  Swiftly, Julia disconnected. “Maryn?” she said softly. “Who the hell is Maryn?”

  The phone rang again, almost immediately, and again, the display screen said UNKNOWN CALLER. This time, Julia let it ring. A moment later, the phone dinged, and she saw that the caller had left a voice mail.

  She glanced around to see if anyone was watching. The shopping center was nearly a mile from Ebbtide. There was no way Madison could have walked all this way with a sprained ankle, especially not in this heat. But Julia decided not to take any chances.

  She pulled the van around to the back of the shopping center and parked behind a dumpster. She touched the icon for voice mail, and the screen showed eight voice mails. Four of them were from someone named Don. She touched the icon and listened to the call that had just come in.

  “Maryn, damn it, call me back.” It was the same man she’d hung up on. “Don’t do this to me. I’m going crazy here. I know you’re pissed about what happened, but I can explain. Call me back, okay? Just let me know where you are, and that you’re all right. I’m sorry, you know? I didn’t mean to hurt you. I would never deliberately hurt you.”

  It was easily ninety degrees inside the van, but Julia shivered despite the heat. She touched the icon for the next voice mail, and the next, each from someone named Don. In each message, Don addressed his caller as Maryn, and each time, implored her to call him, the urgency in his voice increasing with each message. It was clear to Julia, from the first time she heard Don, that he was also the unknown caller.

  “Who the hell is Maryn?” Julia wondered aloud. One caller might have misdialed Madison’s phone by accident. But this caller, this Don, had repeatedly called somebody he knew as Maryn.

  With her index fingertip, Julia touched the icon that would play back the phone’s voice mail message. “This is Maryn,” she heard a familiar woman’s voice say pleasantly. “Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I feel like it.” The voice was indisputably Madison’s.

  “I knew it,” Julia said. “I knew that chick was a phony.”

  She looked down at the phone with renewed interest. In just a few moments, she could check call history, she could check Madison’s e-mail on that phone too. Just as she was about to do so, the phone began barking again, startling Julia so much that she dropped the phone to the floor of the car. Julia looked warily at the screen. To her amazement, it was Dorie calling.

  “Hello?” she said hesitantly.

  “Julia, is that you?” Madison’s voice was brittle with anxiety. “So you found my phone? Thank God! Was it with my bike?”

  “Uh, yeah,” Julia said, guiltily. “It fell out of the cup holder. I was just bringing it back there to you.”

  “Great,” Madison said. “See you in a few.”

  Julia held the phone in her right hand and considered what she’d been about to do. Madison, or Maryn, or whoever she really was, was back at Ebbtide, and she knew Julia had her cell phone. Julia was not somebody who was easily intimidated. But Madison, with her icy stare and aloof demeanor, was potentially a very scary person. As was this unknown man, Don, whoever he was, who had hurt her, and was now begging her to come back.

  Gingerly, Julia set the phone down on the passenger seat and started the van’s engine. The air conditioner came on, full blast, and Julia shivered again. This time, she didn’t know if it was from the frigid air, or the realization of just exactly what she’d gotten herself into.

  As soon as she pulled into the driveway at Ebbtide, Madison was out the front door, hobbling towards the van, her hand outstretched for the phone.

  “Here ya go,” Julia said, handing it over. “Uh, the lady at the bike shop said she’d call me and let me know when it’s going to be ready.”

  “Thanks,” Madison said. She looked at the phone, and then at Julia, who found herself going crimson with embarrassment.

  “You had a couple of missed calls,” Julia offered.

  “Uh huh,” Madison said. She turned without another word, and went back into the house.

  Julia went inside too, and followed the sound of voices coming from the kitchen, where Ellis and Dorie were constructing bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches.

  “Want one?” Dorie asked, pointing to the platter of crisp bacon and tomato slices.

  “Okay,” Julia said. “Well, maybe just the bacon, lettuce, and tomato. No bread.” She went out into the hallway and looked up the stairwell, and then came back in the kitchen.

  “Did she go back to her room?” Julia asked, her voice soft.

  “Who, Madison?” Dorie asked. “Yeah. She said she wasn’t hungry. I swear, I don’t know why she’s so shy.”

  “Her name’s not Madison,” Julia said softly. “And she’s not just shy. She’s a phony.”

  “What?” Dorie said, putting down her butter knife with a frown. “What are you talking about?”

  “Why are we whispering?” Ellis asked.

&n
bsp; “I don’t want her to hear me,” Julia said urgently. “You guys! Her name is really Maryn. Or something like that.”

  “And how do you know that?” Dorie asked.

  “Because while I was retrieving her bike down the road, her cell phone rang, and I just answered it. You know, sort of without thinking.”

  “Nuh-uh,” Ellis said. “You did it on purpose. Don’t even try to pretend otherwise. This is us you’re talking to, Julia Capelli.”

  “Okay, fine. I answered it because I wanted to know who was calling her,” Julia said readily. “It was a man, and when I answered, I said something like ‘Madison’s phone’, and the guy said, ‘Maryn, quit screwing around.’ Then, when he realized it really wasn’t Madison—or whatever the hell her real name is—he wanted to know who I was. So without thinking, I told him my name. And then I got scared and hung up.”

  “You got scared?” Dorie said, looking incredulous. “Since when does a man scare you?”

  “This guy was really pissed,” Julia said. “So I started messing around with the phone, and I saw she had a bunch of missed calls, and I listened, and they were all from the same guy. Don somebody. Each time, he called her ‘Maryn’. He was begging her to call, to come home, telling her he didn’t hurt her on purpose. You guys, it was really creepy.”

  “Maybe he had a wrong number,” Ellis offered.

  “Nope,” Julia said. “I thought of that too. I listened to the message on her voice mail. It’s Madison’s voice, but she calls herself Maryn.”

  “Maybe she’s in trouble,” Dorie said, her brow wrinkled. “She did tell us she’d broken up with her guy. If he physically hurt her, and he’s looking for her, maybe that’s why she acts so skittish.”

  “Or maybe she’s some kind of criminal on the lam,” Julia suggested.

  “Oh, Julia,” Ellis said, “I’m sure there’s a good explanation. Don’t be such a drama queen.”

  “I’m not,” Julia protested. And then she had an idea.

  “Dorie,” she said, holding out her hand. “Give me your cell phone.”

  “What do you want with it?” Dorie asked, handing it over.

  Julia opened a kitchen drawer and found a pencil and pad of paper. She flipped Dorie’s cell phone open and scrolled down the call history until she found the number she was looking for.

  “What on earth do you think you are you doing?” Ellis asked.

  “Just a little detecting,” Julia said smugly, snapping the phone closed. She held up the piece of paper. “This is our friend’s cell phone number.”

  “So?” Ellis said.

  “So now that I’ve got it, I’m going to see what I can do to find out who that phone of hers is registered to.”

  “For Pete’s sake,” Dorie said. “Don’t you have anything better to do with yourself?”

  “Not really,” Julia admitted, tucking the phone number in her pocket. “Anyway, let’s hit the beach while the sun is still shining. I can look this up later.”

  25

  An hour later, Julia, Ellis, and Dorie were stretched out on the beach.

  “Dorie,” Ellis said, tapping her friend’s ankle. “Turn over. Your back is getting blistered already.”

  “I know,” Dorie said, propping herself up on an elbow. “I think it must be all the hormones.” She stood up and adjusted the beach umbrella, tilting it forward until the upper half of her body was now in its shade. She sat back down and fixed her chair’s headrest so that she was propped up at a forty-five-degree angle. Finally, she slathered more sunscreen on her legs, and uncapped a bottle of water from the cooler.

  “That’s better,” she said, after emptying half the bottle in one prolonged gulp. She settled back onto her chair and picked up her magazine again.

  “Dorie?” Ellis began. “I’m not trying to be nosy, but did I hear you talking on your phone this morning?”

  “Yep,” Dorie said. “You guys will be proud of me. I called Stephen and I told him about the baby.”

  “You did?” Ellis squealed.

  “What?” Julia asked, removing her iPod ear buds. “What’s she saying?”

  “She called Stephen and told him about the baby!” Ellis said excitedly.

  “For real?” Julia asked. “Good for you. What’d he say?”

  “He was … taken aback,” Dorie said. “And even more so when I told him we’re getting a divorce.”

  “This came as a shock to him?” Julia asked. “What planet is he living on?”

  “The planet denial,” Dorie said simply. “He claims he still loves me. But he’s totally not ready to give up Matt.”

  “He told you that?” Ellis asked.

  “In so many words,” Dorie said. “God. He is just so screwed up, he doesn’t know which way to turn.”

  “Not your problem anymore,” Julia said. “You’ve got yourself and the baby to think about. He’s just going to have to get over himself and act like a grown-up.”

  “You don’t know him like I do,” Dorie said. “I know I shouldn’t but I feel so sorry for him. You guys, his father died. Like, a week ago! And he didn’t even call. I yelled at him, and he just said he didn’t think I would care. Can you believe that? Henry was my father-in-law! So then I really screamed at him, and I made him admit that he took Matt out to Omaha for the funeral. I was such a bitch! So he told me to fuck off. I don’t think I have ever heard him use that kind of language before. God. You should have heard me. I totally sounded just like my mother. It was depressing.”

  “It was the hormones!” Julia said loyally. “Anyway, whatever you said to him, he totally had it coming.”

  “You said it yourself,” Ellis said. “He’s all screwed up. So what next?”

  “Well, I’m going to have to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to the divorce,” Dorie said. “He doesn’t want anything. He says it’s all his fault, and he says I can have everything, including the house.”

  “So take it,” Julia advised. “He’s the one who screwed around on you. You deserve it.”

  “No,” Dorie said, shaking her head. “We bought the house together. I told him we’ll sell the house and split the proceeds. Neither of us can afford to keep it on our own. Although Stephen doesn’t know that. I always took care of all the finances. He doesn’t have a clue about that kind of stuff.”

  “If you sell the house, where will you live?” Ellis asked.

  “I’ve been thinking about that,” Dorie said slowly. “I guess I could move in with my mom.…”

  “Phyllis?” Julia said, “Are you nuts? Why would you subject yourself to that kind of torture?”

  “She is my mother,” Dorie said. “And her house is only five minutes away from school. It’s in a much nicer neighborhood than I could afford on my own. I’m pretty sure she’d let me have Nash’s old garage apartment, since he’s basically living at Granny’s house on East Forty-eighth. It’s got a little studio kitchen and a bathroom. It’s nothing fancy, but that way we wouldn’t actually be under the same roof with Phyllis. She retired from teaching last year, so maybe, at first anyway, she’d be willing to help with the baby, just until I get day care figured out.”

  “Oh, Dorie,” Ellis said sympathetically. “Is that really what you want to do?”

  “No,” Dorie admitted. “But I think it’s what I have to do. At least for the short run. I know Phyllis can be pretty difficult sometimes, and I’m dreading telling her about … everything … but she really does love me. She’d never turn her back on me. Or her grandchild. She’s devoted to Willa’s kids.”

  “There has to be a better way,” Julia said, flopping back down onto her chair.

  “I’d be open to any suggestions,” Dorie said. “But in the meantime, it is what it is.”

  “It sucks,” Julia said.

  “It really does,” Ellis agreed. “But we’ll think of something. In the meantime, take my advice and start buying lottery tickets. That’s what I’ve been doing ever since I got downsized.”

  Sh
e took a deep breath. All morning she’d been trying to figure out how to tell Dorie and Julia about her date with Ty without making it seem like it was a big deal. Although it was a big deal for her. A huge deal.

  “You guys,” she said slowly. “I know we made a girls-only pact when we got down here. But I’ve got a confession to make.”

  “You, a confession?” Dorie said lazily. “What did you do? Steal from the grocery kitty?”

  “I already know. Ellis has a boyfriend, Ellis has a boyfriend,” Julia singsonged.

  Pink tinged Ellis’s tanned face.

  “Really?” Dorie lifted her sun visor. “Somebody you met here?”

  “Right here,” Julia said smugly. “On this very beach.”

  “You met a guy on the beach? Where was I?” Dorie said.

  Julia could stand the suspense no longer. “It’s garage boy,” she said. “Ty Bazemore. Tell the truth, Ellis, you’ve got a date with Ty, right?”

  “Reaallly?” Dorie sighed happily. “That’s great, Ellie-Belly.”

  “Please don’t call me that,” Ellis said. “Especially within earshot of Ty.”

  “I wouldn’t,” Dorie assured her. “Although there’s no telling what Julia might do.”

  “I would never do anything to screw up a romance for Ellis,” Julia said loyally. “Just as long as she shares all the smutty bits with us.”

  Ellis rolled her eyes again. “It’s just dinner. I swear, we are not planning to elope. He’s … nicer than I knew. Really a sweet guy.”

  Dorie raised her right hand and made the gesture of a benediction. “Then you have our blessing. Anyway, the ‘no boys’ rule wasn’t my idea in the first place. It was Julia’s.”

  “I give,” Julia said readily. “Now let’s go get our little girl ready for her big night out. Did anybody bring any condoms?”

  Dorie giggled. “Don’t look at me. Apparently I flunked that lesson.”

  “Ditto,” Julia said, rolling her eyes.

  26

  Ellis had just gotten out of the shower and was peering into the tiny, clouded mirror over her dresser when Julia burst into her room.