The Fourteen Day Soul Detox by Rita Stradling Page B

drive,”
she said.
    “I can drive,” I said.
    “Um, no, I’m probably going
to insist on pushing the grocery cart around, too,” she said.
    “Ugh,” I said at her as I
passed on my way to my bedroom. “You made my bed?” I
asked as I entered my room.
    “You’re welcome,” she
said.
    “I’d be thankful if I liked
you,” I grumbled.
    Opening up my dresser, an empty drawer
stared back at me. When I opened another drawer, I realized I was out
of sweatpants too. “Crap, I’m out of clothes!” I
made a ‘ugh’ sound and laid back down on my bed.
    “You’re not out of
clothes,” Susan said, crossing over to my closet, “This
thing is stuffed.”
    “Have you talked to Beza yet?”
I asked.
    “Yeah, the kids are fine. After
breakfast, she’s going to take them to Reynolds’s Beach
Park, we can meet them there. Here, you can wear this.”
    Some material smacked me and I rolled
over to find a white, eyelet maxi dress.
    “Oh, I love that dress,” I
whispered.
    “Wear it,” she said.
    “It’s too big,” I
said.
    “Wear a belt. Seriously Jamie, if
you don’t stop bitching and whining, I’m going to smack
you.”
    “Ugh, go away,” I said, but
I grabbed the dress.
    After slipping on the dress, I fished
my leather cowboy boots from the very back of my closet. Crossing to
my bathroom, I finished getting ready and walked out to the living
room.
    Susan grinned wide as I walked into the
kitchen. “Wowee! Hot mama!” she called. “Is that
makeup I see on your face? I wonder.”
    “You’re one to talk, can
you say midriff?”
    “Your shirts don’t fit me
the way they used to,” she said, pulling her tank top over her
belly.
    “That’s my shirt? I didn’t
even recognize it,” I said, turning my head to the side.
    “My old shirt was nasty.
Pregnancy makes me sweat. I’m sweating right now,” she
said.
    “The shirt is yours, keep it,”
I said.
    She smiled. “I think I’ll
try on some more shirts then. I always wanted a Warped Tour shirt…
or maybe an Aerosmith on Tour—”
    “I don’t care if you’re
pregnant, touch it and die,” I said, pointing at her.
    She heaved a sigh. “Okay then,
let’s go get you some healthy shit.”
    “You’re going to freeze.”
I pointed to her belly.
    “Ha ha,” Susan said as she
pulled a big, knit sweater over her head. “The moment I put
this sweater on I start sweating. I’m so over this. Can I be
done?”
    “You have two months to go, my
friend,” I said. As I was slipping my phone into my purse, it
lit up with a text.

    Cameron: I
woke up wishing I was at your house with you. Think I’m going
to cancel my afternoon so I can come earlier… if you’re
available.

    I chewed on my lower lip, staring at
the message.
    “Cameron?” Susan asked.
    I looked up at Susan. “I should
cancel on him, shouldn’t I? I mean, if I’m going to break
it off with him, I shouldn’t have him babysit.”
    She raised her hands. “Don’t
ask me, I’m on team Cameron. That is up to you.”
    “ Team Cameron ? What, are
you twelve?” I said, staring back at my phone.

    Me: I
have to do a bunch of boring stuff, like laundry.

    Cameron: I
love boring stuff.

    Me: Okay,
when do you want to come over?

    Cameron: How
about one?

    Me: Sounds
good.

    I looked up at Susan. “I suck at
this.”
    “You have a couple days for that
one, girl. We either need to leave your house or I need to take this
sweater off,” she said.
    I opened my front door to the sight of
my neighbor Clarke’s tan, shirtless back as he stood in his
front yard. Averting my gaze, I stepped out into the cool misty
morning.
    “Whoa, looks like you lost your
shirt, friend,” Susan said as she exited my house.
    Gritting my teeth, I turned my
attention to locking up my door.
    “Oh, sorry,” I heard Clarke
say from behind me in a good-natured voice. “I just woke up and
came out here to feed my dog.”
    “You’re the new neighbor?”
Susan said.
    “Yeah, I’ve been here for
about a month