“I could tell this was coming, Pops.” Poppy glanced back atthe screen to a smiling Pixie, who was now wiping her eyes.
“Really? You’re not mad?” Poppy asked, trying to read hersister’s expression.
“How can I be mad? All I want is for you to be happy andfrom everything you’ve told me over the last couple weeks you are definitelyhappy. I’ve never seen you this happy before, Poppy. Truly. I’m very happy foryou, I promise,” Pixie said in a voice Poppy could tell was serious.
“Now, on to the most important question…” Pixie got on herserious face.
“What?” Poppy asked.
“Have you guys done the nasty yet?” Pixie asked with a laughand a lecherous leer.
“Ummm…not yet. But I think it’s coming soon. I’m ready and Iknow he’s ready. We’ve just been trying to take things slowly.” Poppy paused,noticing Pixie was eating a bag of chips. “Everything okay with you, Pix? Youonly eat junk food when you’re stressed out,” she asked, nodding to the bag hersister was holding.
“Yeah, just work shit. Brenda is fucking everything up andI’ve had to spend a lot of extra hours at work fixing her mistakes. You know Idon’t want to fire her, we’re old friends, so I’m super tired. Add to thatBrian being a dick lately isn’t helping. I was hoping to tell you I was engagedwith this call, but he didn’t propose on our anniversary so I owe you ten bucksfor losing that bet.” Pixie frowned and dug deeper into the bag of chips.
“Sorry, babe, that sucks. He will though. I remember yousaid he was working on the plans for a new building and was stressed with worktoo. Did he at least take you out for a nice dinner?”
Pixie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, we went out but it was to thatChinese place. The place which, by the way, I am now totally sick of.”
“Yeah, I can see that getting old really quick. Did he getyou flowers or anything?” Poppy felt like maybe she was digging to find somethinggood that Brian had done but there was a high probability he had totallyschmucked out.
“Don’t you remember, sis? Flowers are a waste of money,”Pixie said in a deep voice, imitating her boyfriend, who had indeed, apparentlymanaged to screw up their anniversary.
“Well shit, Pix. I got nothing. I thought he would have donesomething special, even if it was small.” Poppy was disappointed on behalf ofher sister.
“Oh, but he did,” Pixie said sarcastically. “He got me agift card so I can get new work clothes at that posh place on the Plaza. Youremember the one where I can’t fit into anything in the store unless we aretalking about earrings or socks.” Pixie raised one eyebrow, showing howpissed-off it must have made her.
“Well…maybe you both need a vacation?” Poppy suggested,trying to change the subject before she witnessed her sister losing her shit.
“Meh, nobody on Earth has time to take a vacation, Pops. Icouldn’t imagine leaving work right now. Nobody would get paid and the placewould probably burn down if I left for more than twenty-four hours…” Pixieseemed as if she were at her wits’ end but was trying to shake it off. “Timefor a subject change before I go crazy. Let’s talk about something thateveryone wants to know. Give me the nekkid details on Big, Buff and Galactic.”
When Pixie waggled her eyebrows like a lunatic, Poppy burstout laughing.
“Damn, Pix, I miss you,” she said, her tone serious, onceshe could stop laughing.
“So, no details? That’s not very nice. We’re sisters.Sisters are supposed to share everything. Just hold up the fingers of how manyinches you are getting in this deal. Give me something! I need to live throughyou since I haven’t had any with Brian for the last month.” Pixie held out herhands as if she were measuring. “This much? This much? Dear god, Poppy, if myhands get any farther apart, I’m going to tell them you may need medicalattention when you finally give him a chance at your pants.”
“Jesus, Pix, I’m not telling you. I will tell you that he isblessed. Very, very, very blessed.” She smiled and wiggled her own eyebrows.
“Oh my god, don’t do the wiggle. You look ridiculous. Only Ican pull that off,” Pixie said with a giggle.
After the girls chatted for a bit longer about random dailyhappenings, they were interrupted when Poppy heard the door swish open.
“I’ll let you go now, Pix. Wheaton is home. Call you later,okay?”
“Sure thing, chicken wing, and really…I am very happy foryou.”
“Thanks, Pix. I’m happy for me too. Now to tell my big guy.”Smiling at her sister who was grinning back at her, Poppy felt calm and readyto face Wheaton.
“Love you. Muuuwahh.” Pixie waved and then disappeared.
Turning to greet Wheaton with a smile, Poppy saw immediatelyhe was upset. He had a “tell” when he was upset, and right now it was glaringlyobvious.
“Wheaton, what’s wrong?”
“How do you always know when something is wrong?” he asked,getting a drink from the kitchenette.
“You clench your jaw really hard and I can see the vein popup in your forehead…and don’t change the subject. What happened?” Pixie walkedup behind him and wrapped her arms around him from behind.
Letting out a big sigh, Wheaton said, “We have to put a halton bride collection for a bit and the warriors who have not been selected areupset. I am worried we may have a riot soon if the cause does not get resolvedquickly.” Turning in her arms, he hugged her back. “Did you have a nice talkwith your sister?” he asked, hoping to distract her.
Poppy stared at Wheaton for a few moments in silence. Shecould tell what he was trying to do. She studied his face, hoping he would openup about his Council work at some point. He was always so secretive it wasstarting to drive her nuts. Poppy figured he dealt with things during the Councilmeetings that she wouldn’t understand but she would feel better if he at leasttried to let her into that part of his life.
“That was another subject change. Why is there
