Payne & Joie

Chapter 9

Even though the only things that disturb me are a mild pinch of cold and the darkness of the night I still wrap my jacket tighter around myself. Payne's house is the same as it was in the day, only with a dark shadow. As I drop my bike it looks pathetically small beside the enormous gate. I push a button that looks like it's connected to a speaker attached to one of the gate's stucco supports. Even though the voice that comes from it is friendly, I still jump when it greets me,

"Hi sweetheart! You must be Payne's friend, Joie, is it?"

The woman has a foreign accent that I can't quite pinpoint. But her excitement at my approach both alleviates and heightens my anxiety. I nod before remembering that she can't see me.

"Um, yeah, this is Joie," I speak into the com.

"Wonderful! I'm so glad to be able to meet one of Payne's friends. Oh! Where are my manners? I'm Payne's mom, you can call Mrs.Arlott. I'll open the gate for you, you must be freezing out there."

With a deafening creak the gate takes its time opening up to a well-kept driveway. It feels like its own walking path up to the enormous home. The purple begonias still guard the front. A sleek silver electric car sits in wait at the top of the drive of some luxury brand that is unknown to me. I follow the lights that line the stone pathway to the door.

My knocks echo as dull thuds. Almost instantly the door swings open and what replaces it is a middle-aged woman who smiles even more when she catches sight of me. I tighten my muscles as she wraps her arms around me. She smells of sugar cookies and something flowery. She brings me in while rubbing the sides of my arms.

"It's freezing out there! Go to the couch, I'll get you a blanket," Mrs.Arlott balks as she gestures to the living room I was in earlier.

The foyer is just as expansive as it was before, with expensive looking portraiture and landscapes dotting the wall.

"It's really not that bad," I say as I admire them. "It's only like sixty deg-"

When I try to answer Payne's mom I realize she is gone from the room, off to find a remedy to my "discomfort".

"Don't mind her," a voice calls from the sitting area. As it echoes I recognize it as Payne. He has one arm on the couch and blanket tossed haphazardly over his other. The TV glows brightly. "She does that with everyone. Come over, I want to show you something."

With a lazy wave of his hand I come to where he is sitting. He kicks his legs up on the sofa, the same sofa that Madeline had streaked mud on, except now there is nothing to say that it ever happened. It's piled high with fur blankets. A tantalizing smell wafts from the bowl of popcorn on the ottoman.

"I thought I was just here to pick up the disguise?"

"We have time, it's only 8 o'clock. Sit here, have some popcorn."

With his signature smile he opens up a space for me next to him within the mountain of blankets. I take my place next to him, but I'm careful to not actually touch him. I apprehensively reach for a few pieces of the heavily buttered popcorn. Panting, Mrs.Arlott comes from behind and tucks a blanket around my neck even though I was already surrounded.

"Thank you, Mrs.Arlott."

"Oh, you don't have to call me that, I was only joking. Call me Patty instead."

She has the same smile as Payne, one that shows all teeth and crinkles the eyes. She pats my shoulder before rushing into the kitchen. I turn to Payne who sips a bubbly drink. The TV illuminates his already gleaming eyes.

"Your mom's nice," I say, not sure what I should say.

"She is like that to everyone, frankly it gets on my nerves sometimes." Payne fiddles with the remote before giving it up and setting it on the side table.