“How do I look?”, Linda asked her older sister Jennifer.
“You can’t wear that,” Jennifer answered. “The guy who cheated on you
is going to be at this party.” Jennifer took her by the arm. “Come on, I’ll
find you something to wear.” Twenty minutes later Linda stood in front of
Jennifer, dressed in a black minidress and matching high heels. “There, I’ve
done my best,” Jennifer said, looking her sister over. “The rest is up to you.
Now let’s go. We’re already late for the party.”
Linda had been surprised when Jennifer had invited her to the party. The
sisters had not been getting along lately at all. When she found out that her
boyfriend was cheating on her she expected her sister to rub it in.
Surprisingly Jennifer had been nothing but sweet to her younger sister.
“Guess who just showed up?”, Jennifer asked.
Linda did not have to guess. “Is she with him?”, Linda asked in reply.
“She’s here. You’re gonna need this,” Jennifer said, handing Linda a glass
of wine.
“I think I’ve had a little too much to drink already.”
“It’s not for you. It’s for her. If you’re any kind of woman you’ll throw this
drink right in her face. Now get over there.” Jennifer gave Linda a nudge in
the right direction.
“You’re coming with...”, Linda’s voice trailed off when she realized her sister
was no longer at her side. Linda took a deep breath, then decided she needed
another drink after all. Out of reasons to delay she pushed her way through
the crowd, looking for her boyfriend. (She still could not bring herself to think
of him as her ex-boyfriend.)
She found him. Sure enough, he was locked in a passionate embrace with
the other woman. The woman was Jennifer.
**************************************************
The ladies’ room door opened and Jennifer walked in. “I thought I’d find
you hiding in here,” she told Linda.
“I’m not hiding.”
“Of course not. You just came in here to fix your makeup. Tears are hell
on mascara.”
“I’m not crying.”
“You will be.” As if on cue tears started streaming down Linda’s face.
Jennifer put her arms around Linda and let her cry on her shoulder. “There,
there,” she said as she stroked her sister’s back consolingly, as if it were
not her fault that her sister was crying.
Eventually Linda’s tears subsided. Jennifer took a handful of tissues and
wiped Linda’s eyes. Then she took a tube of mascara out of her purse and
proceeded to fix her sister’s eye makeup.
"You know, you really brought this on yourself. You've been getting a little
too cocky lately and I had to put you in your place." Jennifer applied the
finishing touches to Linda's makeup. "There, now you're pretty enough to
steal your boyfriend back from me. Almost. Of course you could make it
easy on yourselfand apologize to me."
"Apologize for what?"
"I'm sure you can think of something."
"Like hell I will."
"Fine, if that's the way you want it.I'd like to see what your boyfriend
looks like without his shirt, and I know he's dying to get me out of this dress."
Jennifer started to walk away. Linda held out her arm to stop her.
"You win," Linda said. "I'm sorry."
"Now say it like you mean it."
Linda looked her sister in the eyes and repeated, "I'm sorry." Jennifer
grinned. "Are you satisfied now?" Linda asked.
"I thought I would be, but the funny thing is, you look so pathetic it
just makes me want to take your boyfriend from you even more."
“YOU BITCH!”, Linda shrieked.
Jennifer reacted by slapping Linda. “Don’t you dare call me that!”, she
said. Linda slapped Jennifer back. They began trading blows. At the same
time the sisters lunged at each other, knocking each other back. Jennifer
was pushed back into the sink vanity, which she used to steady herself.
Linda was almost able to keep her balance unassisted, until her high heel
landed on a cracked floor tile, tripping her. Linda fell back against the bathroom
wall and slid down to the floor. Jennifer stood over her sister and said, ”For a
minute there I was actually impressed.” Linda looked at the floor. She said
nothing.
Jennifer knelt down next to her sister. She put her hand under Linda’s chin
and lifted her sister’s head to look her in the eyes. “If we’re going to fight over
a guy we shouldn’t do it it in here. We should go out where he can watch.”
Linda did not reply. After about half a minute of silence Jennifer let her sister’s
chin drop. “Maybe some other time, then,” she said, getting up. Jennifer
walked away. As Jennifer opened the door Linda said, “I’m not afraid of you,
you know.”
“Good to know,” Jennifer said sarcastically, winking at her sister.
