27. Traditional Technicalities: Bothered, me?

As Troy walked into his living room, he felt uneasy as two sets of eyes trained on him. He sat down recalling his call earlier instructing his wife not to cook for him. He chided himself mentally at how he had set himself up.

“You have lipstick on your lips.” The statement sounded accusatory, and Troy looked at his friend, his allegedly-pregnant-with-his-baby, ex-girlfriend.

Troy’s reply was coolly delivered, “Yes that can happen when one has a wife who wears makeup.”

Ritah looked hurt and tears welled in her eyes. Troy refused to be moved and told her there were facial tissues on the mantle if she needed them and went ahead to engage her uncle in a discussion on politics.

Ritah was stunned. ‘How could he?’ Ritah watched as Troy decidedly ignored her indirectly as she’d seen him ignore Eve.