Chapter 40 · Month 22 · The Wedding

The Bad Day

The relative who offers to pay and then has opinions

Oldest line first — the newest line is at the bottom.

Algy designer
Mum's put a card down on her table — the offer to cover the extra twenty-two at $34 a head — and she's already reading me her list of opinions attached to it. I said we'd think on it and hung up with my palms damp, so, here's the thing: how do I take her money without taking her guest list?
Penny teacher
Well, she offered it as a gift and then read you a list, which makes it a bill with a ribbon on. Take the $748 and only the $748 — anything she's attached to the seats, we say no to in writing.
Algy designer
Today was worse than I let on — I got the invoice from the Fennick job and it's $1,150 short, so I've been carrying that round all afternoon. Not asking you to fix it; just didn't want to pretend the invitation was the bad bit.
Penny teacher
Then I'll say mine too, since we're doing confessions: I've been doing the maths on my mum's list every night and not telling you it scares me. Tell your mum the number's $748 and not mine to hand over — and tomorrow, the two of us eat toast and work out where the $1,150 goes.

Was the money spent, or only hidden?

One vote per chapter. No account.

← Chapter 39

What the audience made of it

Algy 0 Penelope 0 Both 0 0 votes

The next chapter opens with these numbers on the table. The character with fewer votes is expected to demand a recount.

The story fund →