War and Peas

that.“
    “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.“
    “Come on, Mom. You only want to buy me geeky-looking stuff.“
    “I thought only boys could be geeks,“ Jane said, perplexed. “And you’re the one who wants all that clunky, no-color, ugly unisex stuff, not me.”
    Katie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you’d have me in perky little white sandals and pink dresses with matching ribbons in my hair if you could. Mom, you’re okay, but your sense of style is twenty years out of date.“
    “But my checkbook’s not,“ Jane said firmly.
    This was such an old argument that either one of them could have recited her part and the other’s in her sleep. Often Katie actually seemed toenjoy the familiar dispute. Today she wasn’t in the mood. She followed Jane into the kitchen. “What’s for dinner?”
    Jane sighed. “Tuna casserole. And you like it, too, no matter what you say.“
    “I think I’ll eat at Jenny’s house.“
    “Jenny’s mother might have an opinion on that.“
    “I’ll call.“ But before she could pick up the phone, it rang. Todd, reporting that his friend Elliott had invited him home for dinner. After ascertaining that Elliott’s mother theoretically knew about this, Jane put away the tuna and pasta. Next time they asked what was for dinner, she’d lie. Her older son, Mike, was working as a delivery boy for a fancy deli and usually got dinner as part of his pay, so there was no point in cooking for him. In fact, she’d order out from the deli as well, she decided, after giving the contents of the refrigerator a once-over.
    She’d just settled down an hour later with a Reuben sandwich and the deli’s special homemade potato chips when Shelley knocked at the kitchen door. Jane waved her in.
    Shelley had brought her own enormous coffee cup and set it down across the kitchen table from Jane. “Well, you’ll be glad to know I did a Good Thing,“ she said. “After you left the museum, I went back in and apologized profusely to Whitney Abbot for upsetting him. I was gracious. He was even more gracious. All is sweetness and light between us.“
    “But you still suspect him?“
    “Of course I do. But I can’t think of a good reason, except that he’s a prig.“
    “And I still think you’re on the wrong track. From all I’ve heard about Regina, she and Whitney Abbot were perfectly suited. Remote, formal, socially acceptable, ambitious—“
    “But, Jane, that’s precisely the point! If they were such an ideal couple, why the shilly-shallying on Regina’s part about getting engaged and setting a date?“
    “Maybe she had a secret dream of a dashing reprobate sweeping her off her prim feet. Not such a bad dream, or an uncommon one.“
    “Are you telling me you’re turning Mel in for a pool hustler?”
    Jane laughed. “Not quite. Have a potato chip.”
    Shelley pointed at the shopping bags heaped at the bottom of the stairway. “What’s all that?“
    “Clothes for Todd. Nasty clothes. Cost a fortune and none of them fit. The trousers all fall down in folds around his feet, the shorts bag halfway down his calves, and the pullover shirts all look like I bought them at a Big and Tall store. Waste of fabric and he looks like a bag lady in them. Not only that, they’re all brown or gray or black. I tried to slip a slate-blue item past him, but failed.“
    “He’ll be right in style and look exactly like the rest of his friends.“
    “I always thought one of the primary things about human nature is that we’d all like to look better than our friends—if ft’s not too much trouble.“
    “Not for teenagers. Frankly, I like the baggy stuff. At least for the girls. I don’t want Denise inflaming the hormones of some gropey boy.”
    Jane nodded. “I remember quite a lengthy discussion a couple years ago with Katie about a pointy-boobed corset she actually thought I was going to let her wear over her clothes. I guess this baggy stuff they all wear is an improvement. But Katie wants me to spend a fortune on combat boots. Real combat boots! Jeez!”
    There was another knock at the door and this time Jane went to open it. Mel stood on the step, a grin on his face and a paper bag from Burger King in his hand. “Can I eat here?“
    “Sure. If I’d known you were coming, I’d have ordered you some real food.”
    Shelley and Jane were bursting with questions, but knew better than to interfere with his meal. He polished off the burger and fries and looked longingly at the remaining