Straight To Hell. Michelle Scott

      Immediately, Jas’s selective hearing kicked in, and she came over. “Can you drop me off at the movies? And I need some cash.”

      Evelyn’s lips thinned. Jasmine’s childish behavior was one of the many reasons Evelyn had ousted Jasmine from the house. Simon, however, was already pulling out his wallet.

      “Can we go to Chuck E. Cheese or McDonald’s?” Grace asked. “Or that place that has the double fudge sundaes with the sparklers on top?” Evelyn winced, but agreed. Evelyn and I might have been distant, but that didn’t stop her from being a doting grandmother.

      After they left, my cell phone vibrated. It was a text from Ted, my ex-husband. “We need to talk.”

      As much as I loathed my ex-husband and regretted our marriage, I hadn’t completely soured on relationships. In fact, I would have loved some male support. I longed for broad shoulders to lean on, and a strong hand to hold mine. I would have given anything for a cuddle under the covers after this long, difficult day. Now, the only thing I had to look forward to was a hot shower and an empty bed.

      Ted texted again. “What are you doing right now?”

      His callousness made my insides shrivel. I texted back, “I’m at the funeral home. My mother died. Remember?” With great effort, I kept myself from adding: a$$hole.

      From the corner of my eye, I noticed a man watching me from across the room. I didn’t remember him coming in, not surprising since the evening had been a blur of unfamiliar faces. He had one of those chiseled chins that belong on male models, and thick, dark hair that begged to be tousled. His conservative V-necked sweater and leather loafers looked out of place among the flamboyant hippies and club kids.