Page 179 of You've Got Hate Mail
In a real romantic relationship.
But there’s no rush.
One day at a time.
We’ll get there, one day at a time.
31
A FEW GOOD ENEMIES
Cricket
The first thingI realize when I slip into the back door and through the mudroom of the main house is that the vibe is off.
Happy voices drift into the kitchen, but there’s something not right here.
I pause inside the hallway, trying to figure out why things feel off, and decide to approach the sitting room from the lesser-used door from the formal dining room.
When I peek in from this side, it takes me a minute to realize what’s wrong.
It’s Mabel.
She’s so tense that I can practically feel my own molars aching for her.
Caro and Mike have arrived—at least, that has to be Caro and Mike, right?
They have their backs to me. Caro’s taller than Ginny. She’s wearing shorts and heeled sandals and a loose-knit summer sweater over a pink tank top, with her hair tied up in a bun.Mike’s in jeans and a collared shirt, his curly hair sticking out from under his baseball cap.
Caro’s hugging Ginny, who’s smiling so widely that her eyes are squeezed shut. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“What am I, chopped liver?” Mike says.
Except that doesn’t sound like Mike.
Maybe he used a particular voice for his character inStrawberry Lemonade Sunshine?
And every other movie I’ve seen of his?
And the podcasts I’ve heard him do?
“Yes, actually, you are chopped liver,” Ginny says with a laugh as she moves to hug him.
Mabel’s eye visibly twitches.
She glances at me from the other doorway, arms crossed tightly over her chest, spine ramrod straight, and I mouthare you okay?
Her eye twitches harder as her lips tighten and she nods sharply.
Oh, no.
Oh, no no no.
Did Mike already ruin her impression of her celebrity hero?
What did he do?
Will I have to hate him now too?
