Don't Bet on It

Chapter 7

At about five forty, we got into Emma's car to go to Laura's house. Emma started singing "Payphone" while I stared out the windshield. I really didn't want to see Dad, but I thought I should give Laura a chance. She didn't seem all that bad, besides the fact that she agreed to married him.

The mansion looked pretty much the same as it had the last time we'd been there. I wasn't exactly sure why I thought it would look different. It did kind of look like it was glowing, but that was probably just because the streetlamps were starting to bloom.

Emma slowly coasted into the driveway. We stepped out and walked up to the front door. Emma rang the doorbell.

I heard footsteps, and then the door opened. Laura stood in the doorway, wearing a neon yellow M&Ms sweatshirt, bleach jeans, and sneakers. Her hair was in a high ponytail. I practically fell over from surprise.

"Hi girls," Laura said, smiling. "Your dad had to work late, so it'll just be the three of us. Sorry about that."

She was sorry that Dad wasn't here? She didn't know us very well.

"That's fine," Emma said, returning the smile. She seemed like she was slowly warming up to her.

"Well, come on in." Laura held the door open, and we stepped inside.

Laura took us to the dining room. "I picked up sushi on the way home," she told us. "Normally I cook, but I got home from work later than I usually do."

I'd assumed that someone as rich and fancy as her would hire a cook. Apparently I was wrong.

The dining room was huge. Not palace huge, but definitely bitter than ours. There was a long wooden table in the middle that had about fifty chairs on either side.

"I've been thinking about getting rid of this table," Laura told us. "I just never have enough people over often enough, and when I do I don't normally have formal sit-down dinners. But Steven has become attached to it." I thought I detected a scornful note in her tone. "Apparently he enjoys hosting tons imaginary ambassadors."

Emma giggled.

After dinner, we followed Laura to the kitchen with our dishes. "I would take you on a tour," she said, "but everything looks better in the natural daylight."

"We're free on Sunday," I said.

Laura looked up. "I don't know. Steven's meeting some friends from out of town, and I assume he'll be gone the whole day."

"We're fin with that if you are," Emma said.

Laura smiled. "Okay. What time is good for you?"