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Lady Wynwood #7 early release Kickstarter

I worked on my first Kickstarter and it got approved! It’s for the Special Edition Hardcover of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 1: Archer and the release of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 7: Spinster. I contacted my graphic designer about the Special Edition Hardcover of vol. 1: Archer—it’s going to be SO beautiful! The Kickstarter focuses on the Special Edition Hardcover, but it’ll also include vol. 7: Spinster so that it’ll sort of be like a launch day for vol. 7, too. A third special thing that’ll be in the Kickstarter is Special Edition Paperbacks of all the books in the series. They won’t be available in stores, just in the Kickstarter (and later, from my website, and also in my Patreon book box tiers if I decide to do them). The Kickstarter is not live yet, but you can follow it to be alerted when it has launched. (You may need to create a free Kickstarter account.) Follow Camy’s Kickstarter

ひとり寿司第12章パート2




「ひとり寿司」をブログに連載します!


ひとり寿司



寿司シリーズの第一作

キャミー・タング

西島美幸 訳

スポーツ狂のレックス・坂井 —— いとこのマリコが数ヶ月後に結婚することにより、「いとこの中で一番年上の独身女性」という内輪の肩書を「勝ち取る」ことについては、あまり気にしていない。コントロールフリークの祖母を無視するのは容易だ —— しかし、祖母は最終通告を出した —— マリコの結婚式までにデート相手を見つけなければ、無慈悲な祖母は、レックスがコーチをしている女子バレーボールチームへの資金供給を切ると言う。

ダグアウトにいる選手全員とデートに出かけるほど絶望的なわけではない。レックスは、バイブルスタディで読んだ「エペソの手紙」をもとに「最高の男性」の条件の厳しいリストを作った。バレーボールではいつも勝つ —— ゲームを有利に進めれば、必ず成功するはずだ。

そのとき兄は、クリスチャンではなく、アスリートでもなく、一見何の魅力もないエイデンを彼女に引き合わせる。

エイデンは、クリスチャンではないという理由で離れていったトリッシュという女の子から受けた痛手から立ち直ろうとしている。そして、レックスが(1)彼に全く興味がないこと、(2)クリスチャンであること、(3)トリッシュのいとこであることを知る。あの狂った家族とまた付き合うのはごめんだ。まして、偽善的なクリスチャンの女の子など、お断り。彼はマゾヒストじゃない。

レックスは時間がなくなってきた。いくら頑張っても、いい人は現れない。それに、どこへ行ってもエイデンに遭遇する。あのリストはどんどん長くなっていくばかり ——

過去に掲載済みのストーリーのリンクはこちらです。

***


**********


レックスは子供が嫌いではなかったのだが、その時ばかりは全員を黙らせたかった。

「おばあちゃん!」ロータス幼稚園の中では、耳障りな子供の声のためにレックスの叫び声が消されてしまう。祖母は遊戯室の向こう側に立ち、レックスのいとこの子供、エリックが自分のことを片言でしゃべっているのを聞いている。それと同じように、祖母が孫の言うことも聞いてくれたらどんなにいいか。

「こんにちは、エリック。おばあちゃん、話があるの」

「エリック、あなたのいとこのレックスにハーイは?」

「ハーイ、あなたのいとこのレックス」

「おばあちゃん……」

「エリックを母親のところへ届けてから話しましょう。ママに会いたくなーい?」

エリックは曽祖母に笑顔をふりまき、一点のシミもないクリーム色のシャツをベタベタした手でさわった。

「ダメ、今、話したい。ここにいるのを突き止めるまでに、時間がかかりすぎたわ」

「水曜日はいつもエリックのお迎えなのよ」祖母は、エリックがプラスチックの恐竜をおもちゃの箱から出すのを見ていた。何と思いやりと愛情に溢れた曽祖母だろう。冗談じゃない!

「おばあちゃん、自営業の人たちに働きかけるの、やめてくれない?」

「何のことかしら?」レックスではなくエリックに対し、歌うような調子で言った。

「何のことだか、分かってるんでしょ」突然レックスは、祖母に何かを要求するなんて、バカげていることに気づいた。祖母がトモヨシ氏やジムに圧力をかけたことを、レックスは証明することもできない。

「別のスポンサーが必要だからって、おばあちゃんには関係ないことよ。女子チームを切るって決めたのはおばあちゃんなんだからね」

「まだ切ってないわよ」砂糖のように甘い祖母の声は、明らかに刃のような鋭さを帯びている。「私たち、合意したんじゃなかったかしら?」

「誰かを好きになることを強制できないわ。私の友達だって、いくら頑張って恋人を探していても、うまくいかない人は山ほどいるの」

「あなたの問題はね、そういう人を全く探していない、ってことなのよ」

「お父さんは別に気にしてないじゃない!」レックスは両手を放り上げた——幸運なことに、身長六○センチ以上の人は周りに誰もいなかった。「どうしてそこまで問題を大きくするの?」

祖母が瞬きすると、一瞬、年老いてやつれているように見えた。そして、ぼんやりお尻の右側をさすった。レッドエッグアンドジンジャー・パーティの日にかばっていた側だ。そして次の瞬間、表情が消えていった。

レックスはこれを想像しただろうか? 祖母が年老いて見えたことは一度もなかった。いつも完璧な服装、完璧な振る舞い、完璧な健康状態だった。それとも、他の人にそう思われることを祖母が望んでいる、ということなのか? その他の人類と同じように、祖母も自分の歳を感じているのだろうか? もっと曽孫が欲しいと言う彼女のキャンペーンの裏にある事実は、これだったのか?

祖母の厳しい目が、新たな力を得てレックスに突き刺さった。「あなた自身のためなのよ」

レックスはあきれた表情をした。(悪気はないけど、威張って全てを仕切りたがる祖母から、私を救ってください)

祖母の目は、黒い爪楊枝のように細くなった。「やっぱり、私が真剣だと思ってないようね。別のスポンサーが見つからなければ、私が真剣だってことが分かるわ」

「どうして中学生の女の子達に罰を与えようとするの? あの子たちは何も関係ないのに」

「あなたにとって大事なことだからよ」その頑固な視線の中できらりと光る抜け目なさ——だから祖母は、祖父のいいビジネスパートナーだった。「レックス、これはゲームじゃないの。ボーイフレンド探しを始めなければ、あなたにとって大事な人がどうなるか——」

わずかな氷がシャツの中に落ちた気がした。「どういう意味? 何する気?」

「私の影響力が分かったでしょ? リチャードがコンドミニアムから追い出されたら、どうするつもり? あなたのお父さんの車が差し押さえられたら?」

祖母は、自分の息子に対して本当にそんなことをするのだろうか? 孫息子に対しても? 孫娘一人のために?

確かにレックスは祖母の言うことを聞かず、反抗した。タスマニアデビルのように、祖母は敵のうなり声を警告であると捉えず——それを侵略行為であると捉えた。そして祖母は、同じ手段で応酬したのであった。

祖母はかがんで、エリックを抱き上げた。「うちに帰る時間よ、スイーティ」

祖母に凝視されて、レックスは一歩下がった。「レックス、もっと努力してるところを見せなさい」祖母は幼稚園から歩いて出て行った。

***

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