by Sylvie Kaye
Sure enough, Aunt Vinny let them into the house. On the first ring of the doorbell, too. “Good morning,” she said, her voice pleasant as they trailed her into Jilly's bedroom where the rest of the elderly ladies were congregated.
"I personally selected the color,” Ken told the aunts, smirking at Zack and Eric, the obvious culprits of poor color choices.
"Go ahead and say it,” Eric teased. “Because you're the only one of us guys with any taste."
Ken beamed. “He does appreciate me after all."
"We didn't have any qualms,” Aunt Gloria said, her bluebirds bobbing.
"Then let's get to work.” Zack had his doubts about finishing the bedroom before Jilly came back from studying at the library.
"Let's each take a wall.” Ken passed out rollers, paint trays, and drop cloths while shouting orders like a fishwife.
Not that Zack had ever heard a fishwife, but his cousin Bob used the term to describe every one of his ex-honeys right before he dumped them.
Zack let Ken boss him. Any kind of organization was better than none. What the heck, as long as Jilly got the bedroom of her dreams. When he'd said I love you he meant it. He planned to give her what her heart desired if he could.
From the corner of his eye, he caught Aunt Adele studying him. As he flicked at the bristles of his paintbrush, he worried if his loving feelings for Jilly had shown on his face.
"Looky here.” Ken popped the lid off a gallon can. “It's ecru. Isn't it marvelous?"
Everyone studied the paint. Even Aunt Adele took her eyes off Zack long enough to have a peek. He wondered how many gallons it would take to cover the flamingo pink walls.
"The color looks like the sheepskin slipcovers in Bob's old Chevy.” But Zack figured anything not pink would do fine.
With approving nods, the aunts left the room.
Zack poured paint into a pan. “The painters at the hotel site advised me to use a W pattern for maximum coverage.” He demonstrated how to roll the latex paint, wanting to do the walls up nice for Jilly. The shocking pink must've caused her some sleepless nights.
Eric gave the W a shot, slopping his roller over the wall.
"Watch out. You're splashing paint on me,” Ken yelped.
"That's why you're wearing the coveralls,” Eric chided. “To protect your clothes, not show off your butt.” He laughed and slapped at Ken's behind with the paint roller.
Eric and Ken acted more like newlyweds than painters, and Zack was relieved he'd been wrong about Eric. Looked as if he was only interested in Jilly as a friend after all.
Aunt Gloria was standing quietly in the doorway watching the shenanigans. As soon as Zack spied her, she cleared her throat. “Can I get anyone a drink? Water, coffee, lemonade?"
When she got no takers, she wandered off.
Once they finished the first coat of paint, the madness began all over again with the second coat. Once again Aunt Adele stood in the wings, watching. Zack got the impression she wasn't scrutinizing the work as much as the workers. “Drinks?” she offered.
Everyone asked for lemonade and she waddled off, but before she returned, Aunt Vinny made an appearance. She leaned on her cane, watching them work, listening to their banter. When Aunt Adele returned, she served the drinks, then shrugged to her sister. The gesture seemed more resigned than approving. Both ladies left without a word.
Zack couldn't shake the notion that the aunts were scrutinizing them. But why? Eccentric came to mind. If nothing else, Jilly's aunts were that.
"Do you feel we're being studied like some kind of lab rats?” Zack asked the other men.
Eric laughed. “Probably has something to do with the goofer dust."
"What in the heck's that?” The ladies didn't need any help in the goofy department.
"My Aunt Hannah told me earlier this morning that the three of them bought goofer dust from Mambo Babs."
"What's a Mambo Babs?"
"Yeah.” Ken stopped painting and scratched his head.
"A voodoo woman with more power than Gloria, apparently. The ladies found out about Zack and Jilly's secret dating. Mickey Muller,” he said, pointing with his paint roller toward the downstairs apartment, “saw Zack drop Jilly off one night. At the aunts’ pleading Mickey arranged the meeting with Mambo in the cemetery."
"Oh, great.” Zack groaned.
"There's more. I can tell by the twinkle in your eye.” Ken grinned.
"Yep. It gets better.” Eric looked around to make sure they were alone. “The goofer dust is supposed to mess with a man's virility."
"That's why it landed in my lap.” Zack stopped painting.
"That's why they stopped breaking things to keep you in their eyesight and trusted you around Jilly lately. But I got it on me too,” Eric said. “When my Aunt Hannah mentioned my relationship with Ken during their phone call, Adele hung up and no one answered when my aunt called back. My guess is they're worried the spell backfired."
"That it messed with your virility.” Ken covered his mouth and muffled a laugh.
"And not mine.” Zack shook his head and went back to painting. Good thing he didn't believe in voodoo.
After lunch, Zack and Eric scrubbed up the room while Ken supervised. With more shouted orders from the small guy with the big voice, they put furniture into storage and took other pieces out.
Afterward, the ladies were called upon to assist with the window treatment. Aunt Vinny lovingly handed out the lace panels. Up and down, and up and down. Zack climbed the ladder, bunching the lace on the rod, while Eric moved the ladder from side to side.
Ken assisted the aunts in giving out commands. “A little more to the left.” Ken waved his hand.
"A little more to the right,” Aunt Adele contradicted.
"The lace drapes beautifully,” Aunt Vinny finally proclaimed while the other aunts and Ken nodded.
Zack sighed and Eric let out a groan of relief.
Ken put the last lamp, doodad, and flower vase into place right before Jilly arrived home, books in arms.
"Surprise,” their voices chorused, crowding her into her bedroom, amid the smell of paint, turpentine, and pine cleaner.
Her eyes lit up like blue sparklers. Her smile beamed. The look on her face was worth the pain-in-the-ass orders Ken had hollered all day.
"Aunties, you are too much.” A group hug followed, complete with laughter and tears.
The aunts were too much all right, and especially for one single girl. Zack was glad to help her out.
Jilly looked at the men next. “You guys are too much, too.” She hugged them, individually. When she got to Zack, her hug was closer, longer, tighter.
Aunt Gloria hrrmped.
Aunt Adele quickly clanged the dinner bell hard enough to re-shatter the patched-up crystal.
Aunt Vinny physically separated them, jamming her cane in between their bodies. “Come along. We've decided to serve dinner early."
Seemed the ladies were back to protecting their niece from Zack and his un-hexed virility.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jilly beamed when Zack sat next to her at the dinner table. He was happy to see her, and happier yet to see her so lighthearted.
"How did the studies go?” He stretched his hand out alongside of his salad fork to touch her cool, soft fingers.
Still dazzled from the surprise do-over to her bedroom, she seemed to glow. “I got a lot of homework done at the library today. But not as much work as you guys did."
"There were three of us.” Zack plucked the starched white napkin from his plate. He felt out of place in the lacy, lemon-polished dining room tonight. Although he'd washed up in the frilly powder room, dried paint still splattered his hair and work shoes.
Ken and Eric didn't seem to mind the hardened paint dribbled on them. Ken gushed over the food while Eric fussed over the aunts.
Neither their flattery nor attention kept all of the old dolls occupied for long. Every time
Zack glanced up, one of the aunts had their stern eyes beaded on him and Jilly.
Determined not to let them cramp what little time he had with Jilly, Zack ducked the aunts’ glares and focused on Jilly's blue eyes, bright smile, and halo of light hair.
"How's Ann? How are the kids at the preschool center?” He asked questions for the sheer pleasure of watching her lips move and her eyes sparkle. “How are you?"
He interrogated Jilly right through dinner and dessert. Right up until the clatter of dishes and cutlery told him the table was being cleared and it was time to leave.
After everyone exchanged goodbyes, Eric and Ken helped Zack load his ladder and painting equipment onto the truck. With a wave from Ken and a rev of Eric's BMW engine, the duo sped off into the humid, dusky evening.
Jilly stood out on the balcony. Both she and the red flowers waved to Zack in the evening breeze. “Good night,” she called down. “Thank you again."
He stared up at her and mouthed I love you. She smiled and mouthed the words back to him.
Life was good. Love was good. New Orleans was good. Zack drove home feeling good.
All it took was one phone call from Big Al the next morning on the job site to bust all that good to hell.
"Get over to Texas.” His father spoke in staccato sentences, which meant he was in crisis mode.
"When?” There was no sense wasting words or reason on him.
"Oscar's plane takes off in an hour."
"Any particular reason?” Zack hated this bullshit of prying every word out of the old man, but that was how it worked.
"Problems with zoning, ground breaking, unions. You name it.” He hung up and didn't answer when Zack redialed.
"I'll be back by tomorrow.” Resigned, Zack left his cousin in charge of the crew at the site. Back at his hotel, he threw a few things into a backpack and steered the pickup toward the airport.
He rang Jilly at the house, but got no answer. Briefly, he wondered where the aunts were. They didn't have an answering machine so he'd try again from Texas when the plane touched down. His plan was simple. Straighten out the problems in Houston, fast, and fly back to New Orleans and Jilly the following day.
Ann's keys to the preschool center jangled as Jilly hugged her dear friend and confidant. “Since Zack came into my life, everything has taken an upturn."
"I'm happy for you.” A silver strand of hair popped out of Ann's bun, but Jilly ignored the omen. Surely, it had nothing to do with her and Zack. “Why don't we grab a quick cup of coffee?” Snatching up her quilted tote bag, Ann flipped off the lights and the room went dim.
"I have fifteen minutes.” Jilly stepped outside and sniffed in the fresh air. Her homework was done so she had no reason to pass up a caffeine boost and a quick chat with Ann before class.
"A whole fifteen.” Ann locked the door and then locked arms with Jilly. They headed down the street to the cafe four doors away. “Actually, I don't have much more than that myself,” Ann said. “They're shorthanded at the nursing home, and with you not needing my help during classes, thanks to Zack, I signed on for evenings for the next few weeks."
"Your offer to help me out was kind,” Jilly said, “but Zack has everything under control."
"So tell me all about the upturn.” Ann steered them toward a lacy iron, sidewalk bistro table with matching chairs.
"Besides the job offer, Zack's nightly aunt-sitting, and the un-pinking of my bedroom, there's not much to tell.” Jilly sat down, feeling carefree and loved.
"How are your aunts taking to all these changes?” Ann took a seat and signaled to the waiter.
"Very well.” Jilly nodded with a smile.
"That's odd. When I spent time with them the weekend of your swampfest, they were hell-bent against Zack and change of any kind."
"A drive in Eric's BMW seems to have won them over. They have grand illusions of riding to church, bingo, and the cemetery in the lap of a luxury sedan. I warned them I'd be starting at the bottom in the accounting firm, if I get hired. But compared to their nineteen-sixty Plymouth even a stripped-down, economy car screams of luxury."
"I didn't mean the job.” Ann rolled her eyes toward the striped canvas awning overhead. “How did you ever talk them into accepting Zack and redoing your room?” She wiggled two fingers at the waiter. “Two lattes, please."
"It was Zack's doing. His and Ken and Eric's. I don't know what they said to convince my aunts. The new paint job was a graduation surprise to me. An ecru surprise."
"Ecru. How interesting. Have your dreams changed color, too?” Ann chuckled.
"Yes. No more dark clouds or pink ones.” The waiter brought their steamy mugs of latte and Jilly sipped hers. “Come to think of it, there's nothing but clear skies."
"Uh-huh.” Ann drank from her mug.
"You don't sound convinced."
"Oh, I'm convinced. I'm just surprised that you are.” She raised a silver brow. “What happened to your anti-trust campaign against men?"
"I'll admit I did think that way. Before. Well, for my whole life. Training at the knee is hard to break.” Jilly glanced at her wristwatch, having to leave soon to catch the trolley. “But since Zack showed up, well, life's been better."
"And with your aunts, what could be better than an extra pair of hands. And eyes. And feet.” Ann laughed.
"It's so good...” Jilly took a last sip of her latte and stood up to leave. “It's scary."
Ann grabbed her hand. “Don't be scared."
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Jilly plopped her books onto the hall table next to the ceramic umbrella stand. “Did Zack stop or phone?” she called out to her aunts. It had been three days since any of them had seen or heard from him.
"No, and we missed canasta.” Aunt Vinny rocked and crocheted.
Aunt Adele's brown eyes drooped. “I haven't been able to get over to see Hannah in ages."
"Zachary was supposed to take us to a budget grocery market this week.” Aunt Gloria's birds fluttered and crashed.
Jilly sank down onto the divan. “I don't understand what's happened to him. He was so reliable up until now."
Had he gotten fed up with catering to her aunts?
The poor dears. They were as much a treasure as a chore. If only he'd given them more of a chance.
"Now don't fret, dear.” Aunt Gloria strode over and stood behind her. She stroked Jilly's shoulders.
This bordered on mega-pity. Her aunt rarely touched anyone.
"He said he'd run errands until the semester was over. I counted on him.” Jilly patted her aunt's bony fingers.
"My poor Jilly Boo.” Aunt Adele bounced up from her chair and smothered Jilly in a hug.
No sooner had Jilly come up for air than Aunt Vinny made her way over to the pity fest. She patted the top of Jilly's head. “Men can't be counted on for long, dear."
One more pat, embrace, or dear and Jilly would burst into tears of self-pity. “Maybe he's sick,” she said in his defense, which turned out to be no defense. He could've called or had his cousin Bob call if he was too weak to pick up a phone.
"Men say things.” Aunt Adele's voice held sympathy. “Lots of things. And they mean them at the time, but—"
"They lie,” Aunt Gloria interrupted, matter-of-fact, and kept rubbing Jilly's shoulders.
"I was going to say they forget.” Aunt Adele tried to soothe the blow of Zack's desertion.
"They tend to forget if some distraction comes along,” Aunt Vinny said, the metal tip of her cane glinting in the glow of the lamp.
Jilly scooched over, making room on the divan. “Sit here, Aunt Vinny. And here, Aunt Adele.” She patted the cushions on either side of her, not wanting her aunts to topple over from the weight of their sympathy. “There's still room for you, Aunt Gloria."
"I prefer to pace.” Aunt Gloria stopped massaging and began marching.
Jilly wondered if Zack's distraction was another woman, one without aunts. I
f he was the type to become distracted in the middle of a promise, well, so be it. Trust, ha. Wavering somewhere between anger and hurt, Jilly bucked up her chin. “I'm hungry."
She wasn't. She'd probably have to choke down her dinner, but she didn't want to upset her aunts any more than they were.
Later in bed, Jilly struggled with a homework problem and Zack. Her aunts’ words of warning echoed. She had enough on her mind with work, and school, and now caring for her aunts without wasting a worry on the deserter.
Did he have no concern for anyone's welfare but his own?
If her aunts went un-chaperoned all day and night something was bound to go wrong. A fire, an accident. Who knew what?
What was Jilly going to do now? She couldn't handle everything that needed to be taken care of alone. Ann, Eric, and Ken would offer to pitch in where and when they could, but even the three of them couldn't fill the fulltime void left by Zack.
Not to mention the void in her heart. Zack had brought love and laughter and order to her life. Frustrated, she sniffed back a tear. His strong arms did more than carry her to his bed. He helped shoulder her responsibilities. She'd believed in him and loved him. How could he leave without a word?
There must be a good reason.
Other than serious illness, which Bob certainly would've phoned her about, she couldn't think of one. Should she call and ask? But ask what? Are you sick or just sick of me? Us?
She should've known better than to trust him. Her aunts had warned her. With her nerves stretched taut, she sniffled again.
Her aunts. She had to figure out how to juggle everything in her life and her aunts. She didn't have time to deal with tears or temper right now. When this hassle was over instead of living comfortably-ever-after as she'd originally planned before Zack came into her life, she'd have to nurse her construction-booted, tramped-on heart.
Zack Bigatowsky had turned out to be a big disappointment.
She swiped at her eyes and breathed in deep. Ranting wouldn't help any more than crying. After little sleep and no peace of mind, she waited for Ann in front of the locked door of Tiny Tykes the next morning. Jilly was early. She needed advice.