She turned away from the mirror. When she had trouble undoing the halter knot of her dress, her bad temper made her want to use scissors on it, but she didn’t. She managed to strip down and put on her bathrobe. When she opened her bedroom door, she saw her mother on the phone. She was whispering, so it had to be a call to Forey.

Nella stopped talking as Kelly walked to the bathroom, but when Kelly was out of sight, Nella started again.

Kelly leaned against the door. She wanted to forget that this night had happened.

Tomorrow she’d skip church and go clean out cages. Better animal waste than facing Vera, Adam and Miguel again. Or answering questions about what the double date had been like.

She turned on the shower over the tub, got in and washed her hair. It took three shampoos to get all the hair spray out. She stepped out and wiped the steam off the mirror. With her wet hair slicked back, she again looked like herself. Well, maybe her eyebrows were better, but still the same.

“What in the world is going on?” she said aloud, but there was no answer.

When Robbie bounded down the stairs, he was jolted to see Adam sitting in a chair and drinking beer. It was eight thirty on a Sunday morning. He looked bad. He had on dress pants and a white shirt. His suit jacket and tie were slung over a chair.

“You look like crap. Did you sleep last night?”

Adam didn’t reply.

Robbie went to the kitchen and poured himself a bowl of Cheerios and added milk. Back in the living room, Adam hadn’t moved. Robbie sat on the arm of a chair across from his brother. “So what’s wrong with you?”

Adam took so long to speak that Robbie almost left. “Where are you going?”

“To church.”

“Since when do you go to church without someone threatening you?”

“Since I started sitting next to Lisa Chandless.”

“The preacher’s daughter?”

“Yeah. And before you ask, it’s just her. She won’t have anything to do with me if I go out with other girls.”

“I’m glad someone is having luck with women.”

Robbie made a scoffing sound. “No one will believe that! Vera’s family knows you spend every weekend in bed with her.”

Adam looked at his brother in surprise. “I haven’t been alone with Vera in over a month. What she does on the weekend is her own business.”

Robbie looked shocked. “But you’re not here and she’s not at home. Where are you two going?”

Adam was silent.

Robbie got up. He wasn’t going to beg his brother to share a confidence.

“I spend my weekends at the apartment on the Plaza.”

“The one Dad kept in secret from Mom?” Robbie was frowning.