January and the Single Heart by Vi Zetterwall Read Free Book Online Page A

up the stairs.  Loud enough for others to hear, she said, “Let me show you the upstairs and I’ll show you my old room.” 
    That, of course, was just a ruse.  Glen never got to see her old room.  She stopped halfway down the hallway and pinned him to the wall. “What in the hell do you think you’re doing?  What did you say to my Mom?  She thinks you are Eddie?”
    “No, I told her she must have heard you wrong.  I said you called me Red.  You know, because of the reddish tone in my hair.  I told her it was a nickname.  She bought it.”
    “I don’t believe this.  Every time I think things can’t get worse, another fire drill starts.  Cripes!  The damage is done.  She already introduced you to everyone.  They think you and I are together.”
    “I thought that was the whole idea.  You sounded so miserable I just thought I would help you out a bit.  Like you told the real Eddie:  It’s only for three hours. I get to have some free food, some free drinks and all I have to do is pretend to be your beau and listen to some bad jokes for a few hours.  I can do that.  Relax.  When it is over, I can take you home, and you can tell your Mom that we broke up and you’re never going to see me again … and neither will she.   Isn’t that what you were going to do with Eddie?”
    Jan looked at him, straight in the eyes this time.  Slowly, she articulated, “Yes, but I liked it better when it was my plan not yours.  You are a loose cannon and I don’t want to end up as fodder here.”
    Glen just cocked his head and smiled.  Resignedly, with about as much enthusiasm as a night janitor mopping the floor, she agreed, “All right, but keep a low profile and try not to do too much damage, OK.”
    Glen looked right at her and smiled.  “Got it.  Low profile.”
    She straightened herself up and actually helped Glen do the same.  Then they returned to the downstairs party.  They met a few of her friends while she was still holding on to him and she introduced him interchangeably as Glen and as Red.  Just to keep their stories consistent.
    As the evening went on, they mingled separately but Jan tried to keep an eye on him at all times.  She watched him as he seemed quite at ease talking with just about anyone, young, old, male, female , whatever.  He looked quite dapper in a very fine fitting gray suit with a perfectly matched blue tie.  He’s probably giving off a better impression than Eddie would have and … why do I hate that so much? Jan thought. 
    She watched him drinking conservatively, alternating mineral waters with an occasional glass of wine.  And she observed him with Aunt Marion, who rarely was pleased with anyone.   He spent close to twenty minutes talking with her.  It was starting to bug her.  What could he possibly be saying to Marion to keep her engaged for all that time?  And she WAS engaged.  For crying out loud, she was actually smiling.  The last time Aunt Marion smiled was … well … never.  But there she was.  Talking to my phony baloney boyfriend and practically grinning from ear to ear.
    With her curiosity getting the best of her, she edged her way across the room towards Glen and her Aunt.  Halfway there, she was accosted by Jennifer and Hannah, her two youngest sisters.  Hannah whispered in her ear, “Come with us, girl, we want to talk” 
    “In a minute.  I have to check on something.”  Neither sister wanted to be put off but Jan made it clear.  “I have to do something.  I’ll get back to you in a few minutes.”  At that, they both glanced at each other and backed off.  “OK, later, though, all right?” Hannah asked it but wasn’t really a question.
    Jan continued toward her Aunt and Glen but when she got there, only her Aunt remained.  Jan waved and came to greet her.  She looked around as she did it.  “Aunt Marion, it has been too long.  I saw you chatting with Red and …”
    “Red?  His name is Glen.  If you had any sense