by Marji Spicer
“You bitch,” he spat.
“Is that all you’ve got?” she laughed.
“Thanks to you, I lost out on a guaranteed deal,” he snarled. “You’re lucky I still have a job.”
“No,” she said. “You’re lucky you still have a job.”
“You knew how fucking important that meeting was to me,” he growled. “I promised my boss I had that client for him.
“It sucks losing something that’s promised to you, doesn’t it? I guess you should quit making promises you can’t keep,” she said. “Nobody likes a liar.”
“It’s bad enough; I woke up an hour late and put salt in my coffee,” he yelled. “But that wasn’t enough for you, was it? You vindictive little bitch. How much time did you spend shortening all my pants and sewing the pockets shut?”
“Oh, that,” she laughed. “That was nothing; I enjoyed it. If that’s all, I have to go.”
“No, it’s not all. Where are my fucking shoes? You better not have destroyed them. I paid hundreds of dollars for those.”
“Don’t worry; your shoes are there. They’re in the last place you’d think to look.”
“I should—"
Joy hung up before he could finish his threat. It was turning out to be a beautiful day. He never even thanked her for his pink clothes. He must not have discovered them yet.
Chapter Six
A week later, she ran into Mike and a young woman at the local gas station. She looked like a hot mess. She wore an oversized, faded, purple t-shirt and black yoga pants. They were the clothes she’d slept in the previous night. The ponytail she had quickly pulled her hair back into was coming out. She hadn’t put on any make-up either. The need for sugar and caffeine had been more important than looking good.
Mike’s new girlfriend, so she assumed, was put together and polished. Her hair was smooth and sleek. Make-up perfect. She wore a cute wrinkle-free dress. The girl looked about eighteen.
Mike helped the girl into his car. He shut the door and turned to her. “Well, if it isn’t the little bitch. You’re a fucking mess already. You look like shit,” he sneered. “Imagine how bad you’ll look if you have a kid. You can’t even pull yourself together now. Good luck finding a man to help you out.”
“I don’t need a man.”
“That’s good. I don’t see much chance of you getting one.”
Mike looked at the doughnut and coffee in her hands. “Maybe, you should start by throwing that out. You used to look amazing. I miss that, Joy. I won’t miss the one you’ve become.”
Joy took a big bite of the chocolate doughnut. His lip curled in disgust. She flipped him off as he got into his car. He could kiss her big fat ass. She was over men like him. If she ever got into a relationship again, it would be with a nerdy accountant. She grinned when she saw his pink socks before he slammed his car door shut.
Later that day, Joy called her best friend, Emma, to meet her for dinner. She couldn’t wait to talk to her. It was time for some major changes. She brought the list with her.
Joy hugged Emma at the restaurant. They ordered dinner and a couple of drinks.
“Mike and I are done. I moved out.”
“Good, I couldn’t stand him.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because you were in love with him.”
“He said I was too old to have a baby.”
Emma shook her head in disgust. “You are not old.
“You know what else he said?” Joy asked.
“I can only imagine.”
“He said if I dropped twenty pounds, he’d get me a dog.”
“What an asshole. You’re better off without him.”
“I found out he had a vasectomy from get this, his ex-wife. He can’t even have kids. It was all a lie. How can I trust myself when I’ve been so wrong about everything? I’m so stupid.”
“A vasectomy? Are you kidding me? He’s an even bigger asshole than I thought,” Emma swore. “You aren’t stupid. Mike is a manipulative jerk. He can be charming, though. He showed you his good side and sucked you in. You just wanted something so bad; you were willing to overlook certain things. You had doubts, didn’t you? I mean, usually, if we look back, we see where we’ve lied to ourselves or excused things that we knew were wrong.”
“Yeah, I had a lot of doubts I chose to ignore. My eyes are open now. I’ll never let another man fool me again.” Joy’s eyes filled with tears. “What if I never have a baby?”
Emma squeezed her hand. “It’ll happen,” she said. “You can’t let this stop you from living life. You’ll be a mother. It’s what you were born to be.”
“He’s with someone else already. It hasn’t even been a week. The girl barely looks eighteen, and she's thin. The total opposite of me.”
Emma shook her head. “He did a number on you. You aren’t old or fat.” She has no idea. Joy was clueless about the effect she had on men. That jerk hadn’t helped. Emma was glad things were over between them.
Joy handed her the list. “Look what I came across. I haven’t done one thing on the list. Which means I have one year to do it all. All I need is a house, a business, a couple of months of sex with a hot guy, and a baby. That’s doable, right?” she laughed.
Emma looked over the list. “I guess this is your year. Maybe the sizzling hot affair will lead to a baby.” She held up her drink, “Here’s to one busy rocking year.”
Joy grinned and clinked her glass. She sipped her cocktail and wondered what Emma would think of her plan. She took a deep breath and let it out. “I’ve decided to have a baby on my own.”
“Go for it. A lot of women do that now.”
“I’ll probably have to go to a sperm bank.”
Emma snorted. “Don’t pay for it—men give that shit out for free all day long.”
“How come you’ve been so lucky with men?” Joy asked.
“I don’t do relationships. Remember? They don’t work for me.”
“What about Sean?”
“We have sex. That’s it. It works for us. No illusions—no hurt feelings. I’m upfront with what I want. I’m not about to give up sex. Trust me; there are plenty of men willing to hook up for ‘a friend with benefits’ only deal. When it’s over—it’s over. Maybe you should try it.”
“Oh, I plan on it,” Joy grinned.
“It’s not for everyone. I’m not ready for all that ‘you have to get my permission relationship crap.’ I figure if a man can play the field, so can I,” she said. “Make sure you protect yourself. Sometimes emotions and feelings get involved, and it gets messy.”
“As far as my heart goes, it’s hardened now. No one’s going to get it.” Emma hoped Joy could pull it off. Unlike her, Joy was a softie. “So, where do I start?” Joy asked.
“Start with the list. I think you were meant to come across it. As far as timing goes, it couldn’t be better. Now’s the time to try new things. You’re staying in a hotel, you hate your job, and you just dumped a loser. You still have your inheritance, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I haven’t spent any of it.”
“So, pick up and move. Your grandma did leave you quite a chunk of change,” she winked. “Buy a house in a small town and start the herbal business you’ve always wanted to. Find a man and get all the hot sex business out of the way. Then settle down and have a baby.”
“Where would I go?”
“I don’t know. Get out a map and throw a dart at it.” Emma looked at her watch. “Shit, I have to get going. I have an early workday tomorrow.”
“Ok, I’m ready to go too.” They stopped behind Joy’s car to say good-bye.
Emma hugged her. “I remember your grandma’s stories. What was the name of the town she used to say was magical?”
“I think it was called Bliss or something.”
“You believe in signs, don’t you? I mean, you’re always saying I need a sign.” Joy laughed. It was true. She did say that a lot. “There’s your sign.” Emma pointed to her b
umper sticker, which said Follow your Bliss! “Maybe you should listen to your bumper sticker. I wonder if the house that she talked about is still there? The big white one.”
“It’s probably gone now. It’s been over fifty years.”
“Why don’t you do some research? See what you can find out. Maybe it’s still there. Who knows there might be more signs?”
Emma thought she was kooky, looking for signs everywhere. Signs were real, and they did guide you if you paid attention.
As soon as Joy got back to her hotel room, she turned on her laptop. She searched until she found a local real estate company near Bliss. It didn’t take long to find the house; it took her breath away. The house did look magical. It was just as her grandmother had described it, except it was no longer white. All the signs are there. The house was for sale, and it was her favorite color, purple. It was also in her price range. The realtor’s name was the same as her grandma’s. Clara Belle wasn’t a common name, either. The stars were lined up.
She would call the realtor in the morning. It would take quite a bit of her inheritance. But she believed it would make her grandma happy to know she used the money to purchase the old Victorian.
Chapter Seven
The next morning, Joy picked up the phone and called the realtor. An hour later, she was on her way to the bank. Now all she had to do was wait and see if it was meant to be. She kept her fingers crossed. The house had been on the market for over two years, so she had a feeling her offer would be accepted. It might be crazy buying a house sight unseen, but she had a good feeling about it. She reassured the realtor that she didn’t need to see the house. She trusted her gut on this. If it were meant to be, it would soon be hers.
Joy had already fallen in love with it. She loved all the pictures that were on the website. It was move-in ready. She didn’t want to change a thing about the interior or exterior. Even the paint color choices were ones she would have made.
All the trim was original and stained dark oak. There were wide planked, hardwood floors throughout the house.
The kitchen was her dream kitchen. It had a farmhouse style sink, lots of cupboards, and a big walk-in pantry. She loved the vintage-looking appliances. Most of the rooms had built-in cupboards and bookcases. There was a total of four fireplaces.
The previous owners had made the master bedroom larger. It had a big, spacious walk-in closet, which she loved. There were more shelves in it than she’d be able to fill. The bathroom had an extra deep, clawfoot tub. The shower even had a sauna in it. She looked forward to using both.
There was also an acre of land where she could finally plant her gardens. She would put in cottage flowerbeds, include climbing roses and clematis. Also, she planned to plant lots of herbs that she used in her herbal remedies. Making herbal remedies was something she had learned from her grandma. It had been a hobby of sorts. Her small online business had picked up over the months. She would have plenty of room to expand her business. She wouldn’t have to rent a place now. Joy planned to turn the conservatory off the back of the house into her workspace.
She might be able to pick up a few landscape jobs here and there too. She had helped Emma out on a few jobs and got hooked on gardening. She loved to design and create cottage flowerbeds.
Emma owned her own gardening business called Dirty Girls. She thought the name was brilliant, and she did get a lot of business. Although at times, some men were disappointed when they found out what she did for a living. Emma thought it was hilarious. It was just like Emma to pick out a sexual sounding name.
A week later, Joy got the call. The house was hers. She couldn’t wait to move into her new purple house. Up to this point, she had lived in cramped apartments. She would enjoy all the open space.
Joy put her notice in at work as soon as she got the call. It would be nice not to have to work in an office anymore. She was excited about her new future. If things got rough, she could always rent out a couple of rooms. It wasn’t something she wanted to do, but it was an option. She had a good feeling about this place. Everything was packed and ready to go. She left instructions with the movers. They should be arriving early next week.
Today was the day. Her life was about to change in a big way. She was leaving the city behind and following her bliss. She would drive halfway today, get a motel room, and then continue in the morning. She could honestly say she was happy and content right now.
The only hesitation she had was the town being so small. Less than six hundred people lived in Bliss. She had never lived in a place so small. In the city, no one cared what you did. People were too busy with their own lives to care about yours.
In a small town, your business became everyone’s business. At least that’s what Emma had told her. Emma was from a small town. She said it might be a bit of a culture shock at first. Joy had a bit of a wild side. It usually only came out if she drank too much. She liked to go out and have fun. But she needed a different mindset now. She was going to have to think like a small-town girl. She wanted to fit in. What she didn’t need was a wild reputation.
Emma told her that once you earned a certain reputation in a small town, it was hard to live it down. She warned her that she might want to leave town to have her careless fling. She wondered if Emma was talking from personal experience. Once she settled in, she’d have Emma visit. She’d be interested in getting her opinion on the town.
Chapter Eight
Denver turned the TV off and tossed the remote onto the couch beside him. He stood up and stretched. A twelve-hour workday and a few beers should have tired him out. But sleep eluded him. He felt restless and bored. A feeling he hated. Maybe one more beer. If he went to bed now, he would only toss and turn.
He walked out onto his balcony to get some fresh air. Something was missing in his life; he couldn’t quite figure out what it was. Lately, he felt dissatisfied with everything. At night he longed for something that he didn’t want in the morning. When he was in this state, he became more aware of what he lacked companionship. Loneliness got you into all kinds of trouble.
He leaned on the balcony railing and looked across the street at the huge mansion. The founder of Bliss had built it. As a builder, he could appreciate all the work it must have taken to build, especially over a hundred years ago.
The Queen Anne Victorian was large and imposing. It was three stories high and had a unique turret complete with a witch’s hat. The roof was steeply pitched and irregular. Decorative columns framed a wraparound porch. The house was painted in three different shades of purple, and the decorative gingerbread trim and woodwork was painted white. Even the white porch swing was left behind.
For years, it had been in a state of disrepair and stood empty. A young couple, in their early twenties, had bought it. They completely restored the house. The best materials available were used in the restoration. The black slate shingles alone would have cost a fortune. If there was one thing he knew about, it was the cost of building materials.
The couple lived in their beautiful home for less than a year before they had put on the market. They had to have taken a huge loss on the house when they moved.
Bliss turned out to be too boring for the young couple. There wasn’t enough culture or excitement happening in the small town. He wondered why anyone who visited Bliss would think it would be a happening kind of place. As far as towns went, Bliss screamed boredom. He worked in enough towns to be able to get a vibe off one when he entered it. Bliss did not even whisper excitement.
Why would a couple even want to live in a house that size? It was pure insanity. It must be a bitch to heat in the winter. Winter months in Michigan could sometimes get brutal.
The couple had moved before they had a chance to do any landscaping. There was only a big lawn. Flower and herb beds would look nice. Maybe some roses and fruit trees too. God, I'm turning into a damn woman. Why am I thinking about flowerbeds? He was a builder, not a gardener. He could build planter boxes. No way in hell was he playing i
n the dirt. Shit, if Mark could hear him now, he'd never hear the end of it.
Denver had thought about buying the house at one time. He decided against it. Right now, his one-bedroom apartment worked for him. Owning a house would just be throwing money out of the window. He wasn’t home enough anyway. He didn’t need a house and a lawn to take care of when he was home. He would have had to hire a lawn service since some jobs took months to finish. On his days off, he wanted to be able to relax, not do more work.
Another downside to the house was that it was purple. Who lived in a purple house? Not him, that’s for damn sure. If he bought it, he would have to paint it. It would take a lot of paint to cover up that mess. What were they thinking? Purple? He shook his head in disgust. No way would he ever live in a purple house. It had to be the woman’s idea.
Denver noticed the house has sold while he’d been out of town. The new owners had to have a few kids. Why else would they buy a house that size? Kids were ok; it wasn’t like he didn’t like them. Now, would be a bad time to have a kid anyway. He wasn’t home enough to be a good dad.
His dad had worked out of town when he was growing up. It had sucked. Maybe in another ten years, he’d be ready to settle down and have kids
Denver had almost gotten married once, but that was ten years ago. He had asked his high school sweetheart to marry him right after they graduated. Karin wanted out of Bliss. Her plans were big, and they didn’t include this little hick town. She called the town Boringville. Denver liked to come home to the small town. He made it clear that come hell or high water; he wouldn’t move. He’d stuck to his guns. They got into a huge fight and broke up. Karin left town right afterward. She hadn't stepped foot in Bliss since. If they had gotten married, they both would have been miserable. Especially since he worked away from home. He would never have heard the end of it. It would have been non-stop bitching about how he got to leave, but she was stuck there. At the time, he had to work out of town. Staying in Bliss wouldn’t have paid the bills. Especially her bills. Now, he had enough money saved where he could send out his crew. But he liked the physical labor and staying busy. He wondered what Karin looked like now. She had married a rich plastic surgeon. He knew she would go under the knife. She had never been happy with her looks. She had been cute, but she wasn’t a great beauty.