A Christmas Arrangement by Annie Adams

lighting up.
    I put my hand to my stomach.  My hangover was in it for the long haul.  It felt like my entire digestive system was groaning.  “There’s nothing to tell.  I’m being…well I just shouldn’t say anything, it’ll only make things worse.”
    “No, you should say.  Get it off of your little chest.”
    I scowled at her ample bosom.  “Hyilarious, Madam Bustalot.” 
    She slapped her knee.  “Good one!  Now, what’s eatin’ ya?”
    “It’s Alex’s mom.  I know she doesn’t like me.  And I made that stuffing yesterday using her recipe—which she didn’t want Alex to share with me—and then I changed it and people liked it which bothered her even more.”
    “It’s just a recipe, junior,” K.C. said.
    “It’s not just that.  There was way more last night.”
    “I’m sure it’s not that bad.  It was just a dinner party, right?  I mean, what else could you have done?”
    I noticed Allie’s mouth twitching.  She stared down at the flowers in front of her, appearing to be deep study of her work.
    “All right.  Quincy’s not going to tell me.  Allie, what happened yesterday?”
    Allie looked up at me.  I shrugged as if I didn’t care.  She hadn’t been there at the beginning anyway.  She’d missed most of the good stuff.  “Go ahead,” I said.
    “I don’t know, really.  I didn’t see, but maybe his mom could have been a little offended by the um…undressing.”  The volume of her voice had decreased to a tiny whisper by the time she got to the last word. 
    “How did you know?” I blurted out.
    “Someone undressed?  What kind of party was it?  Maybe I should’ve been there.” K.C.’s eyes expanded above the tops of her cat-eye glasses.  Allie looked at me sickly.  “Tell me everything and don’t leave out a single detail.”
    “I don’t want to—” Allie said.
    “Just tell her,” I said.  Everyone saw.  And even if they didn’t,” I cut my eyes to Allie, “someone filled them in.  I don’t care, you might as well hear it too.”  My stomach groaned again and I grimaced.  Food hangovers didn’t usually increase in intensity with time did they?
    “Okay fine,” Allie said with a sigh.  “Mom says Alex was undressing Quincy while they were making out.”
    “Lincoln’s bootstraps!  I wouldn’t have pegged you for an exhibitionist.  Maybe a nudist.  I was a nudist at one time.  My husband and I…” she paused and looked at both of us.  “That story will have to wait.  I must hear about the undressing.  Go on, dear.”  Her arms shot out and she grabbed Allie’s arm.  “And by gum, don’t leave out the part where Alex undresses.”
    My stomach mocked me and revolted some more.
    “Well, I wasn’t there to see it, but I guess Mom caught them um…I don’t know…in the middle of something in our old bedroom.”  Allie looked as sick as I felt.
    “Whoa,” K.C said.
    “She most certainly did not!” I protested. “Whatever she thinks was happening in there, she’s wrong.  We were talking about how his mother hates me, as a matter of fact.  And we were making out in the kitchen.  Not the bedroom.”  My mother as always, had employed her artistic license in the recounting of events.
    I hitched in a breath. 
    “Quincy, are you okay?”  Allie said.
    “I’m fine.  I’m just a little nauseous.  I really ate too much yesterday.”
    “No wonder.  You were eating away your sorrows.”  K.C. patted her ample behind.  “Sorrows, I’ve had a few.”
    I chuckled at that one.
    “Speaking of nausea, how’s that sister of yours?  I had such morning sickness with my little buckaroos.  How’s she holdin’ up?”
    The front door of the shop opened and chimed the sleigh bells we’d hung just for Christmas.  I stood behind the partition separating the customer area from the design table.  “Allie, could you help the customer?  I’m worried about a potential emergency.”  I pointed to my stomach.  She