Gus found a nice, quiet spot in the waiting room next to the window and motioned for
Austin to sit down. He plopped himself into a chair and slouched, shooting her a dirty
look. She sat down next to him, returned her gun to the cunning little holster in the
front of her dress, and crossed her legs elegantly. One sip of her coffee and Gus knew
that it had been brewed perfectly. Bless Mike.
She noticed Austin's attitude towards her was less than receptive, so she decided to
adopt a tactic that she knew was especially useful when one had to deal with unruly
young adult males and small children. Her voice was soft and deadly as she said to
him:
"I don't care who you think you are, or what you might think of me, but I'm
warning you right now. If you ever lay a hand on Carrie in anything less than a
gentlemanly manner, I will find out about it."
Austin saw that she meant it and instantly his mood changed.
He sat up and said: "I'd never hurt Carrie!"
"Then what were you doing grabbing her arm like that, hmmm?"
"She's being unreasonable." He folded his arms and did a good imitation of a toddler
pouting.
"How so?" Gus took another sip of her coffee. It was quite good. She'd be enjoying it
even more if she didn't have to drink it in the company of this immature young man.
"She won't go to Sami's wedding."
"Sami, her younger half-sister, right?"
"The only one she has. I don't understand it!"
Keeping her voice conversational, Gus replied: "The same sister who you slept with
while you were dating Carrie and whose son you are trying to raise as your own even
though some kid named Lucas is really the father?"
Austin blushed, clearly embarrassed. "How did you--?"
"Carrie's written letters to me, usually whenever she's very frustrated about
something that's going on in her life." Gus tucked a stray wisp of hair behind her ears
and, noticing that the coffee had cooled to the perfect temperature, took a long gulp.
Austin looked dumbfounded. He'd never had anyone speak to him like she did. It was
like she was a teacher and he was back in first grade. What was really disconcerting
was that she looked a lot like Carrie. Their eyes were the same shape, but Augusta's
eyebrows arched much more sharply, and her chin was a little more pointed. Below
the neck, Augusta had the kind of body that would inspire bedtime fantasies in any
normal, healthy male. . .
"Let me say something to you that might make sense," Gus offered, cutting in on his
perusal of her. "My own sister never came to my wedding, and I couldn't make it to
any of hers. I can understand how you would feel about wanting Carrie not to miss
out on this occasion, but try to understand that she needs to do what's good for her,
not what's good for anyone else. Let her make her own decisions."
Gus got up as if to go, but she paused for a beat, turned around and stuck her face in
his.
"And if I ever catch you pulling another stunt like you did a few minutes ago, I'll
be pleased to break each and every one of your fingers. Am I understood?"
Austin nodded nervously.
He watched her walk away, unable to comprehend that a woman who weighed maybe
half what he did, and who he topped by a good half of a foot had just thoroughly and
completely intimidated him.
