Real Life & Liars by Kristina Riggle Page A

it’s still 1966.
    “Oh, I forgot, Irina’s next door. Well, I’ll just say ‘Good morning’ to you, then. How did you sleep?”
    “Grand.” Katya gets out the blush stick and tries to sweep color across the apples of her cheeks. For this, she affects a wide smile that reflects the exact opposite of her emotional state. “Think Darius has recovered from his accidental peep show?”
    “He’ll live.”
    Katya pauses in her making up to look at her mother in the mirror. “If you need some proper yoga clothes, I’m happy to take you shopping.”
    “I don’t need some yoga clothes. Underwear works just fine on a warm day. Anyway, the sooner Darius gets to know us, the better. Get those blinders off right away.”
    “If he sticks around much longer.”
    “Katya.”
    “I can’t say I’ll be shocked if they split up. Can you?” Mira doesn’t answer, and Katya knows it’s because she’s right. Reenie’s closest brush with monogamy before getting suddenly married was a six-week boyfriend she heard about named Alex, whom no one ever got to meet.
    Katya continues making up: eyeliner, lipliner, powder, and she notices her mother is still standing there. She stops in midpuff with the powder and turns to face Mira. “What?”
    “Nothing. Just waiting for you to finish so I can get a proper hug.”
    Katya puts down her puff, checks her face, and crosses the room. She squeezes her mother’s shoulders and goes back to the mirror. “You got any Aleve around here? I’m not feeling well this morning.”
    “Indeed not,” Mira says, calling over her shoulder. “But I can make you some willow-bark tea. Excellent for headaches.”
    Katya grimaces into the mirror. Bark? No thanks.

CHAPTER 18
Irina
    IRINA SHOVES OPEN THE DOOR TO FIND DARIUS SHAKING IN THE corner of the room, curled up, fetal style.
    “Are you all right?”
    That’s when she notices his face, contorted with the effort of holding in laughter. He finally lets loose a guffaw, which turns to chuckles. Irina leans in the doorway and waits for him to collect himself. “You got it together now?”
    “I’m sorry, baby. But…damn. I may never get over the sight of that ass in the granny panties.”
    “Hey!” Irina whips a pillow across the room, and Darius ducks into the fetal crouch again. “That’s my mom, it’s not funny.”
    “Then why’s she hanging out her ass on the porch?”
    Irina shakes her head, feeling a headache pressing its way to the front of her head. “I don’t know, but don’t laugh at her. I hate that.”
    Darius rubs his hand over his face and breathes deep. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I’m not good with embarrassment.”
    Irina’s limbs feel heavy with sudden exhaustion. “You know, I’m feeling pretty tired. I think I’m going to rest for a while.”
    Darius is at her side in two beats of her pulse. “Are you OK?” His hand hovers over her stomach. She stretches out on the bed.
    “Fine, just tired is all. They say that happens in the first trimester.”
    Darius curls himself down to plant a kiss over her belly button. “Good to know. That means our baby there is doing her thing.”
    “I’m sorry, I feel like I should entertain you here, in a houseful of my relatives. But I’m just…”
    “No, it’s all right. I can study. Or if I get sick of that, I’ll dig up one of your dad’s books and read it. There must be one around here somewhere.”
    “Sure. Just don’t expect Tolstoy if you get ahold of a Dash Hammond book.”
    “Got it.” He plants another kiss on her forehead after she burrows under the thin cotton sheet.
    Irina turns over to face the window, which opens up to Patty’s house to the north. She sees a figure moving behind the house’s gossamer curtains as they’re tossed around by the wind. The air swirling around the room already feels heavy with summer, though it’s not even midmorning.
    Irina is not sleepy in the least. Exhausted, physically, but not sleepy. She simply wanted privacy,