Homecoming Ch. 06

"Lord knows the last thing Lu's poor mother needs is some unplanned nine-month trip 'to visit a cousin' with the way Lula's been carrying on while you've been away. It's really for the best sugar." This last allusion to Lula's sexual prowess was more than Daniel had wanted to hear. He'd tortured himself for the last eighteen hours over what he'd believed were taboo visions of a woman who, it turned out, quite a few men had already had. His face reddened with anger.

Unnerved at the unexpected reaction to this last bit of manufactured information, Justine quickly tried to redirect the conversation with poise.

"Well, Daniel, let's not talk about unpleasantness right now...you're back in town. The Fourth of July is coming up and I don't have an escort to your mother's annual picnic. So what are we going to do about that?"

Annoyed at the obvious change of subject, Daniel turned his anger on Justine, "You just told me Lula is behaving like some kind of whore and now you want to talk about potato salad and fireworks?"

Justine's unflappable cool smile never reached her eyes, "Hon, just what in holy heaven are you supposed to do about it? The situation is already being handled. And you are not responsible for Lula or her behavior — you are not her father or her brother...thank GOD!"

Before Daniel could respond, Lula reappeared at the kitchen door with a steaming cup of coffee.

Just how much of that exchange had she heard?

"Miss Justine, I just wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. It's been a hectic morning and I guess I just took it out on you." Lu negotiated the screen porch door as she struggled to balance the cup of coffee.

It occurred to Daniel that Lu possessed far more grace than she was currently demonstrating; this revelation came a split-second too late as Daniel realized how this was going to end.

Justine, too wrapped up in securing an escort to notice Lu's thinly disguised rage, turned to face Lu just as the girl tripped over an imaginary wrinkle in a non-existent carpet on the porch. The hot liquid flew out of the cup; as if in slow motion, Daniel watched in horror as the steaming liquid splashed onto Justine, soaking her chest and pristine pink linen frock with scalding coffee. Daniel swore he'd heard a giggle escape from Lu's lips as they both watched Justine gasp in anguished shock.

"Oh, my god, Miss Justine, are you alright?" Lu managed to gush convincingly with concern.

"Miss Justine...I am so sorry...I can't believe how clumsy I am. I just can't believe it. Are you hurt? Did you get burned? Oh, your beautiful dress. Is it ruined?"

Daniel stared on in a mixture of amazement, shock and anger. Lula had just assaulted Justine with a cup of scalding coffee and now had the nerve to pretend that it was an accident. Her performance would have been flawless had he not heard her giggle immediately afterwards.

Justine, although suspicious at first, was thoroughly convinced that Lula's performance was genuine. Wanting to maintain her composure, she stifled her irritation in an attempt to rise above the incident.

"Oh, Lula, I'm fine...it's just a little coffee. I forgot that you're all thumbs. I blame myself for asking you to bring me something to drink before cocktail hour." Justine fought unsuccessfully to keep the edge out of her voice and conceal her anger.

"We all know that not a drop of that would've been spilled if you'd been carrying a glass of Mrs. Carven's peach wine."

Lula's face darkened with anger and Daniel stepped in before she could respond.

"Goddamn it, Lula, what the hell were you thinking? You could have burned her, for christsake!" Daniel turned to Justine, his attention and sympathy fully consumed by the heiress femme fatale.

"I said I was sorry," Lu struggled to maintain an air of innocence.

"Now, now...accidents will happen. It's not Lula's fault that she's at that awkward age." Justine stated calmly as she played up her benevolent martyr act and pretended to soothe Daniel's ire by rubbing his arm.

"I do have to say though that this turn of events changes everything," she cooed.

Daniel frowned as he clumsily attempted to pat Justine's porcelain décolletage with a kitchen towel he'd ripped out of Lula's hands, "Oh? How so?"

Justine literally purred her response, "Well, my father dropped me off here on his way into town and I was going to visit with your mother until he could swing back by and pick me up. Now I'm going to have to go home and get out of these wet clothes...and I still don't have an escort to your mother's picnic."

Lula rolled her eyes at the obvious solicitation.

"So could you please be a gentlemen and take me back home so I can change into something less damp? And along the way we can discuss our plans for the Fourth."

Our plans? The shameless hussy hadn't even gotten asked yet and she was already talking about their plans. A non-plussed Lula turned on her heels to retreat back into the kitchen, making sure to let the screen door slam on her way back inside the house.

"So the little black bitch did that on purpose," the blonde mused, silently celebrating her victory.

Justine smiled humorlessly as she watched a defeated Lula disappear from the doorway and retreat back into the house. Justine had won the battle and she intended to enjoy the spoils of war.