Hot Tea by Sheila Horgan Read Free Book Online

and picking the wrong guy, and whatever else you’ve been whining about.”
I couldn’t help it, my voice rose, “Gee, I don’t know.  Every idea I’ve come up with you’ve shot down within twelve seconds.  And the really shitty part is that every reason you’ve given has been valid.  That just sucks. You look better in my clothes than I do.  My roommate ran off and got married.  You’re going to fall madly in love and have babies.  I don’t have a job.  I don’t have a career.  I don’t have any prospects.  I can’t get my left foot behind my head, and, there is a slight, a very slight, possibility I might not win the lottery.”
She actually looked concerned, “A possibility you might not win?  This is serious.  The lottery started in, what, 1988?  Not only were you nowhere near old enough to play, but no other kids our age even knew what a lottery was, and you told Mom that you were going to win.  You’ve been telling anyone that will listen ever since.  There has never been a doubt in your mind.  Not since that first day.  What is going on with you?”
I whined, “I told you, my life sucks.”
“Give me a break.  You’re intelligent.  You’re healthy.  You’re tall and thin and have the voice of an angel, to quote Grandma anyway.  Personally I think you sound more like a wolverine with asthma, but everyone else thinks you sound good.” 
What a blessing my pain in the butt sister is, she can always make me laugh.
She wasn’t done, “You are beautiful inside and out, and if you don’t have a guy in your life it is by choice.  If your life suckith, it is because you choose for it to suck.  What would Mom say?”
We chanted at the same time.  You get out of life exactly what you expect.  No more.  No less.  Change your mind.  Change your reality.
I smiled and said, “Thanks for the pep talk, but it doesn’t change anything.”
“True.  That’s because at the moment you expect your life to suck, and not in a good way.”  She actually winked.  Eye rolling, that’s one thing, but winking?  Twice in one day?  There must have been a shift in the universe when I wasn’t paying attention.
I hate the fact that not only is my sister right all the damn time, but she can prove her point with humor.  I hate perfect people.  And yes, I am whining.

 
 
 
 
SEVEN
 
 
 
 
 
 
We were sitting at the table eating our sandwiches, Teagan looking beautiful, when AJ walked in, and just about swallowed his tongue.
All he said was, “Ladies.”
He disappeared into his bedroom.  Ten minutes later he walked out to find us hovering over the computer again.  He was freshly showered, smelled really good, and had that casual tossed together, but could have walked down a runway during fashion week, kind of thing going on.  Perfectly cut jeans.  A shirt that made his eyes even more intense than usual, or maybe the intensity came from the way he was looking at my sister.  Either way, now that we are in the age of equality among the sexes, sonnets could be written about his eyes.
“AJ, this is my sister, Teagan.  Teagan, meet AJ.”
“Good to meet you AJ.”
“The pleasure is mine Teagan.”  It was very clear by his voice and the look on his face, that it was true the pleasure was his.
“What are you ladies up to this evening?  Anything I can help with?”
I hit him with my best smile. “We’re doing a computer search.  I’m tracking down a murderer.” 
“A murderer?  Is there something Suzi didn’t tell me?  Why are you looking for a murderer?  Do you moonlight as a cop?”
Teagan laughed hard enough that AJ was charmed, but not hard enough to snort or do anything to embarrass herself.  It’s usually me that does that type of thing.
I took a breath and in a very even tone said, “No, I’m not a cop.  I saw an interesting article that said there is a $100,000 reward for the person that figures out a murder, I thought I’d give it a shot.”
“Sounds