Sugar & Spice

Chapter 23

"Oh, that's so much worse," Amy said. "Don't. You are going out tonight and you do not need her in your head."

"Part of me knows your right, but there's another part of me that knows my sister is the most tenacious person on the planet. That's why she's so good at her job. She won't call as much as Mom will."

"Good, then ignore her and she'll go away."

"That's...not Andrea's way. If I don't call her back within a day, she'll show up here."

"Oh god," Amy groaned. "Oh god, no. Not again."

"I know."

"Well, answer it tomorrow. After your dinner."

Crissy tapped her phone on her bed. "I'd rather fend her off now. Before she gets an early start and winds up sitting on my doorstep at some unholy hour of the morning."

Amy growled and jabbed a pin into Crissy's hair. Crissy winced and shied away.

"Okay," Crissy said. "That's enough for you. Finish your macaroons, Mother Bear."

Amy made a grab for the phone but Crissy held it at arm's length.

"Let me make the call," Amy said, holding her hand out.

Crissy laughed. "No way in hell. Sorry."

Amy pouted and wriggled into Crissy's pillows, settling the plate of macaroons on her stomach.

"Fine," she said. "But I'm listening to every word and if she gets bitchy, I'm giving you to the count of five. If you haven't hung up on her by then, I'm doing it myself."

"I can't hang up on my family after every conversation, Amy," Crissy said.

"Yes you can. Until they start being nice to you for a change."

"You just want to see me hang up again. You got way too much excitement out of it last time."

Amy grinned. "I did. It was gorgeous. Do it again. Make me happy, sugar."

Crissy shook her head. "You're impossible. And I'm taking this call downstairs."

Amy shrugged. "Take it wherever you want. I'll still find out."

"I'm sure you will."

Crissy left her apartment and returned to the comfort of her kitchen. She leaned back against the counter, the oven still warm from the cookies she had baked earlier. Slowly, she ran her thumb over her phone. This conversation wasn't going to be pretty, she knew that. This was the retaliation she had been waiting for.

Before she could give it another second of thought, Crissy called Andrea back.

"Mother is very upset," Andrea said.

Crissy laughed a little. "Of course she is. I am too."

"You have no right to be upset. You hung up on her. You hurt her."

Crissy gritted her teeth. "I have every right to be upset. She wanted me to break up with my boyfriend and I wouldn't do it and suddenly I'm the villain? I don't think so."

"She found a date for you for my wedding," Andrea shot back. "That was very selfless of her, you know."

"But I already had a date and she didn't even ask. I'm not going to break up with someone I care about just because she wants me to go to your wedding with another guy."

"How do you know this guy wouldn't be a better fit for you?" Andrea replied. "Mother knows what's best for us and..."

"No," Crissy cut in. "She doesn't. And if you're going to call and tell me that I have to break up with Quinn, it's not going to happen."