Georgie on His Mind

Jennifer Shirk

Georgie Mayer's hand formed a tightly balled fist. Little
did her brother know he was about five minutes away from
a black eye.

She sat up, and her Very Vamp polished nails dug further
into her palms as the taxi rounded the corner of her street.
Oh, her brother was dead meat all right. Brad was acting
like some superhuman rubber shield, bouncing men away
faster than if she were nine months pregnant and wearing
a Who's My Daddy? T-shirt. He was sly, using those big
brother scare tactics in the beginning, but this ... this was
the last straw.

A black eye was probably too good for him. Murder was
the only way to end the insanity. It didn't matter that Brad
was a cop. She'd either have to murder him or live under his
Fascist regime until she died, or worse, until she became like
old Miss Wallinger-a spinster whose only joy in life seemed
to be painting Victorian birdhouses.

A jury would obviously be on her side.

The taxi came to an abrupt stop outside the condo she shared with her brother, and after paying the man with her
last twenty dollars, Georgie charged up the walkway to confront her date-terminating sibling.

She swung open the door and stood motionless as she surveyed the room. Brad was sitting on the floor in front of the
TV, polishing his stupid gun without a care in the world.
How perfect. Maybe having a police officer for a brother
would finally pay off. Because as soon as he reassembled his
gun, took off the safety, loaded it with bullets and instructed
her on how to shoot the darn thing, she'd have the murder
weapon.

Brad finally looked up when she slammed the door behind
her. "Hey, Georgie," he said with a pleased smile, "you're
home early. How was your date with Hank the Broom Guy?"

"You mean Hank the Floor Guy. He repairs hardwood
floors for a living. He doesn't sweep them." Dropping her
purse at her feet, she glowered at him. "How could you!"

He had the nerve to flutter his eyes, as if he was doing a
bad Scarlett O'Hara impression. "How could I what?"

"You had my date arrested!"

Brad shot up a finger. "Now hold on a minute. I-Hank
was actually arrested?" He looked about to laugh, but
thought better of it. The first intelligent thing she'd seen him
do since she moved back home.