by Cat Mann
****
I woke up in a very dark room. My eyes were soggy with tears and Ari’s pillow was soaked. I grabbed my cell phone off the nightstand and saw that I had missed three calls from Ari and one from Margaux. I started to panic. It was ten o’clock at night and Ari should have been home hours ago. I called him back and could hear his phone ringing in both of my ears, and it was getting louder by the second.
Our bedroom door opened and Ari walked in holding his ringing phone.
“Oh, my God,” I said, closing my eyes as relief washed over me. I was shaky and I didn’t know why. I couldn’t remember what I was dreaming but apparently the dream had gotten the better of me.
“Hey, are you alright?” Ari asked and took a seat next to me.
“Where were you?”
“I was watching a movie with Collin in the living room. I didn’t want to wake you; my mom said that Max wore you out today.”
“Were you alone with Margaux today?”
“Yeah, but only for a little bit,” he rubbed the stubble on his cheeks.
“Ari, I don’t feel comfortable with you working for her right now. I just keep getting this really uneasy feeling that she could use you to get to me.”
“Ava, don’t worry about that. She is perfectly fine. She is always professional and all she did was walk in my office for five minutes to talk.”
“Fauna said you were in a meeting with Margaux for hours.”
“I was in a meeting with her … and the whole rest of her staff. Ava, you know, it’s probably better that I am there, so I can keep an eye on her.”
“She called me tonight.”
“Yeah. She said she needed to talk to you about something.”
“Do you know what?”
“She wouldn’t say. Try calling her back to see what she wants.”
I looked at him as if he had gone crazy. I didn’t think his idea was a great one.
“Ava, it’s just a phone call.” He kissed my forehead, stood up and left the room.
I took a few quick breaths and called Margaux.
“Ava?” she answered.
“Um, yes, Margaux. I saw you called.”
“Yes, did you get your gifts?”
“Oh, uh huh … Thank you very much.”
She paused for a moment.
“Did you get the message?”
“What message? No, I only saw that you called. You didn’t leave a message.”
“Ava, you don’t understand – I need to talk to you.”
“So talk.”
Background noises filled the space in between our conversation, voices and the clinking of glasses, as though she may have been at a party or out to dinner.
“Call me tomorrow at work?”
She hung up the line.
I shook my head, trying to keep back the emotions I could feel bubbling up inside me. I took a few minutes to gain some composure and then got up to find Ari.
He was stretched out on the couch and Collin was sitting in the chair. They were watching a movie, just as he had said.
“Everything okay?” he asked, making room for me to sit down.
I nodded and took a seat to wait for a chance to talk with him. Eventually the movie ended, but Ari and Collin talked for almost twenty minutes about the movie and then for a few more minutes about the sequel. He finally stood up and Collin left to go out back.
“I called Margaux.”
Ari looked at me from the corner of his eye then slowly turned his head towards me.
“So … what did she say?”
“Nothing … just that she wanted to talk; she asked me to call her tomorrow.”
“Ok … are you going to call her?”
“No … yes … I haven’t decided.”
“What do you think she is trying to do?” he asked.
“I think she is trying to get me to come to her so she can finally finish me off.”
Ari nodded slowly and rubbed his eyes with his fingers.
“Maybe you can come to work with me tomorrow and you can talk with her at baio. I’m sure she won’t try to do anything there.”
“Ari, that’s a horrible idea, like walking straight into the lion’s den – and besides I have to watch Max tomorrow at your mom’s house.”
“Just an idea,” he rolled his eyes at me. “How come you’re watching Max tomorrow?”
“I don’t know. Aggie has an appointment or something. She should be away for only a couple of hours.”
“Ava, you should have told her you couldn’t do it. You have to get this stuff with No. 7 figured out.”
“I know,” I said, getting somewhat short with him. “You know, you’re the one who made me go out with her today, so don’t make it sound like I’m pushing off my responsibilities. No one knows more than I do that I need to get No. 7 figured out. My life is on the line, Ari.”
He softened a little bit and brushed my cheek.
“I’m sorry, Baby; you’re right. I should have told her no for you on Christmas. I just felt really bad for her.”
“It’s fine. I’ll watch Max tomorrow and then that’ll be it for a little while.”
Ari kissed me gently and I softened a little bit. I pulled myself to him and kissed him back, closing my eyes. He ran his fingers through my hair then down my back and then finally rested them on my hips.
“We will figure this out. I promise,” he said quietly in my ear.