Garage Band

The garage called. The car part was ready. Courtney and Jason packed their things.

Thank God, thought Rose.

They had had fun, she supposed. When she came home from work, Jason was playing computer games and Courtney was reading THE WOMAN IN WHITE. Jason got up and fetched Rose a glass of iced tea, but Courtney was so engrossed she didn’t look up until she’d finished the page.

How was work? This is a great book, she said. Have you read it?

I’m reading it for my book group.

Oh, is this your bookmark? The book looked so intriguing...I started reading. I’ve lost your place.

Didn’t you notice someone was already reading it? Rose asked.

I didn’t really think...you weren’t here, Courtney faltered.

This was Courtney’s least endearing trait. It was a family joke that Courtney always picked up the book that her mother or one of her siblings was reading and got hooked on it. She would wander out to a coffeehouse with the book and not return for hours. Where was the book? A frantic hunt would result. Courtney would eventually return with the book and look innocent. Everybody expressed annoyance. It never occurred to her that this was inconsiderate behavior.

She does it on purpose, Rose’s sister, Courtney’s mother, had confided. She seems so sweet, but underneath it she’s a little bitch. Her brother needed to write a paper on Henry James and she walked off with the two novels he was comparing.

Now Rose felt empathy for her sister. She was drained from work and wanted to read her novel for half an hour before preparing dinner, but her niece had usurped it. She stared at Courtney.

Maybe we can stop at B&N after dinner and buy you a copy, she said.

Courtney turned the page.

I need it back now, Rose said. My book group meets tomorrow.

Oh, Aunt Rose, what will you think of me? I’m so thoughtless, Courtney exclaimed charmingly.

Rose smiled and marched off with the novel.

As it turned out, she couldn’t read anyway because when Ben came home Courtney and Jason insisted on playing a CD of Jason’s garage band. It was vaguely bluesy and very loud. She came downstairs and cooked dinner and then they drove to Barnes & Noble, where she bought Courtney THE WOMAN IN WHITE, THE MOONSTONE, and NO NAME and Ben several jazz CDs. Then they drove to the garage and Ben wrote a check for the car repairs.

Courtney and Jason piled into the car.

Hey, man, keep my CD, said Jason. Thanks for everything.

Courtney smiled and waved.

Rose yawned. Another family reunion.

All families are psychotic, said Ben. Did Courtney actually try to steal your book?

Something like that.

She’s lucky to have landed the guy in the garage band.