Shirley, Goodness and Mercy(27)
Sandy began to berate him the minute they were in the car. “Your behavior tonight was appalling,” she said angrily. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing.” The car engine roared to life and he drove out of the church parking lot, eager to put the entire episode behind him.
“Telling Evelyn to shut up was probably the rudest thing you’ve ever done.”
“I wasn’t talking to Evelyn.”
“If not Evelyn, then who?”
Phil exhaled sharply. “The blonde.”
Sandy was quiet for a long moment—unfortunately not long enough to suit Phil. “What blonde?”
“The one standing in front of me. Actually, there were two blondes. No, three, only I didn’t see the third, only heard her.”
Once more his wife grew quiet. “Phil, there wasn’t any blonde standing in front of you,” she finally said. “No blonde singing first soprano.”
“Yes, there was.” He didn’t know how Sandy could be so blind. Did she honestly think he’d make up something like this? “Greg sent them.”
“Greg? Your brother?”
“Who else would do anything so underhanded?”
Silence again. Sandy didn’t seem to believe him, which irritated Phil even more. Of course Greg was behind this. He’d put those women up to mocking him in front of his wife and all these other people—and then disappearing. This was exactly the type of stunt his brother would pull, but Phil wasn’t going to stand for it. Oh, no. If Greg was planning to make trouble for him, he’d be ready.
“What does Greg have to do with any of this?” Sandy asked.
“He’s paid them to spy on me.”
“Oh, Phil, that’s crazy.”
“They had to be spies to know the things they did. Only someone who’s been watching me would know I have Greg’s loan application on my desk. Furthermore these women seemed to know how much I’m looking forward to turning him down.” He hadn’t meant to say all of that, but it was too late now.
“You’re rejecting Greg’s loan application.” The accusation in his wife’s voice stung.
“He’s a bad credit risk.”
“Phil, this is your brother.”
“My selfish arrogant brother.” Apparently his wife needed to be reminded of that. “Even at the end of her life, Mom was making excuses for him. Don’t you start.”
“You’re jealous, aren’t you? Both your parents are long dead, and you still think they loved your brother more than you.”
“They did.” It was a fact he’d lived with his entire life.
“Greg has come to you looking for help. It couldn’t have been easy for him.”
“It’s not going to get any easier, either,” Phil snapped.
“You sound…happy about it.”
Phil entered the ramp leading to the freeway with a burst of speed, pushing the accelerator all the way to the floor.
Sandy waited until they were moving smoothly along with the traffic. “Greg’s your brother,” she said again. “And you have the power to help him.”
Phil tightened his hands on the steering wheel. “You’re beginning to sound just like those blondes, singing their solos, humiliating me in front of everyone.”
“The blondes sang?” Sandy sounded worried.
“You mean to say you didn’t hear them, either?”
“No,” Sandy said. “Should I have?”
“Yes…no.” Maybe it wasn’t as bad as he’d first thought. “You’re not just saying that, are you?”
“Saying what?”
“That you didn’t hear them.”
“I didn’t,” Sandy assured him. “But I still want to know what they said.”
He sighed. “According to them, I like to think of myself as the good son and I wear a cloak of decency while plotting against my brother. Something like that.” Phil checked the speedometer and realized he was speeding. As he slowed the car, he glanced at his wife, only to discover that she was staring intently at him. “Don’t tell me my own wife agrees with them!”
Sandy didn’t answer, but her silence said it all.
“Go ahead and be angry,” he said, and noted he was speeding again. He seemed in an all-fired hurry to get home and he wasn’t sure why. If anything, this argument was bound to escalate once they got there.
“I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for Greg to come to Pacific union ,” Sandy said not for the first time. “Especially when he knew that you’d be the one who’d ultimately accept or reject his loan application.”