Straight To The Heart (Three Of A Kind #3)

by Beth Rinyu

  “Gia, in case you’ve forgotten, we have a little thing called a schedule around here.”

  “Relax Sal! It’s not like business is booming right now.”

  “Yeah, well maybe I needed you here at five so I could go in the back and do my paperwork.”

  I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t believe he was even wasting time arguing over seven minutes. Not to mention, half the time when he said that he was in the back doing “paperwork”, he was really sitting behind the computer watching porn. That was confirmed when Chelsea, who was another bartender, and myself walked back there one day to the moans and groans coming from his speakers. He quickly closed his laptop, but it was too late, we knew what he was doing. Ever since that day, Chelsea and I refused to touch the keys on that laptop. Whenever an order had to be placed for something for the bar, we would make someone else do it – someone who didn’t know that there could possibly be certain bodily fluids lurking between those keys. Even with his beer belly, short stature and receding hairline, he still managed to land the ladies. It never lasted very long, probably till they got a load of his obnoxious, teenage-like demeanor. He was always good for a lot of laughs, like the time he tried to hit on my mother before he knew who she was. As expected, she was repulsed by his behavior and in turn lectured me about how I shouldn’t be working for such a sexist pig. They say there is someone out there for everyone, but I have yet to find anyone that would be the perfect match for Sal.

  “Well, I’m here now, so go.” I waved him away, making sure I gave him a playful wink for added measure. He stood there gazing at me, and I didn’t even want to know what was going through his perverted mind.

  “Hey, Gia! Can you get me a gin and tonic?” Earl, one of the regulars said as he walked through the door, thankfully taking Sal’s focus off his little sick fantasy that I’m sure he was conjuring up in his mind.

  “You got it, pal!” I replied, getting right to work, making his drink. “Be gone with you,” I said to Sal, who finally took the hint, going back into his office to do his “paperwork”.

  “So, what’s going on, beautiful girl?” Earl asked ask as I placed his drink in front of him.

  “Same old. Same old.” I replied.

  Earl was what you would call a sheep in wolf’s clothing. Standing around six foot five, bulked up with muscles and covered in tattoos. On the outside he appeared to be the last guy you would ever want to mess with, and I’m sure if you crossed him, he was, but on the inside he was a big teddy bear. He would come into the bar at least three times a week and in the time I’d been working there, I’d gotten to know him quite well. “Are you in Radio City Music Hall yet?”

  I let out a slight laugh at that ridiculous thought. “I wish.”

  “Someday, Gia. Don’t give up hope.”

  I shrugged my shoulders, wanting to believe that someday my big break would come but for now, I was stuck here, mixing drinks, listening to other people’s problems, trying to scrape up rent money, and dodging an oversexed boss.

  As the hours passed, the crowd started picking up. I was glad that Chelsea was working, which meant less time that Sal would be helping out behind the bar. I was even happier when he packed up his love machine laptop and was heading out the door. “See ya Sally!” I teased, trying to stay on his good side in case I needed to ask him to advance me the money for my rent.

  He shook his head and walked back over to me. Great. When was I going to learn to keep my big mouth shut? He motioned for me to come closer and whispered in my ear. “Tell Red over there to water down those drinks a little more, I’m not made of money.” We both looked over at Chelsea, who Sal had lovingly nicknamed Red because of her long red hair. She appeared to be playing counselor to a man who looked like his dog had just gotten run over by a truck. When he reached over the bar and grabbed Chelsea’s boob, Sal stepped in, kicking him out right away, proving that deep down inside he really was a pretty decent guy.

  “What a guy!” I shouted, hoping to earn more brownie points.

  “If he comes back, you girls tell Manuel,” Sal said, as he was halfway out the door.

  Manuel? Manuel was the cook, dishwasher and anything else we needed him to be. He was also one of the sweetest guys around, but I doubted that his five foot, one-hundred-pound stature would intimidate anyone. My safe bet was on Earl, if things started getting out of hand.

  “So, how’d you like getting groped?” I joked with Chelsea.

  “First time this week, I was beginning to think I was losing my touch,” she joked back.

  Chelsea and I were used to having some of the drunk male patrons become a little too touchy-feely. Most of the time we could handle it ourselves, but on the rare occasion when we couldn’t, Sal or his cousin, Dante who also helped out at the bar, would step in.

  “Hey, G….I have a really big favor to ask.” Chelsea pleaded.

  “What up?”

  “Would you be able to take my shift tomorrow night? Rob just texted me to let me know he was able to score Maroon 5 tickets.” She bit her lip in anticipation of my answer.

  Jasper would be home tomorrow which meant we had a lot of catching up to do, but on the other hand, Chelsea did cover my ass last week, taking on two of my shifts when rehearsals went over. I owed her big time. Not to mention, it would be some more money to scrounge up for my rent. “Yeah, that’s fine.”

  She jumped up and down and kissed me on the cheek. “Thank you so much, Gia. I love you!”

  Once things began to quiet down, I grabbed my phone, a cigarette and my lighter and stepped outside. I paced back and forth as I puffed away, in an effort to keep myself warm. My heart leapt from my chest when I looked down at my phone and saw Jasper’s name on the caller id.

  “Hey, you!” The smile was instantly plastered across my face.

  “Hey, baby, what’s going on?”

  “Working. Are you all packed and ready to head home tomorrow?”

  “Actually, I got back this morning. I had some emergency meetings I had to be at this afternoon. Then Ava had an awards ceremony at her school, and now I’m just exhausted.”

  “Oh.” I tried my hardest to sound upbeat and not how I was really feeling – disheartened.

  He’d been home since this morning and couldn’t even shoot me a quick text to let me know. “So, we’re going to this benefit tomorrow night at eight. I need for you to be dressed your best, so stop by my office tomorrow and grab my credit card so you could go shopping.”

  Ouch. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Were none of the dresses I currently owned good enough? “Well actually, I’m working tomorrow night at the bar.”

  “What?” his voice raised in annoyance.

  “Yeah, well one of the girls asked me if I could take over her shift for her.”

  “Well, tell her you can’t,” he demanded.

  “I can’t do that, I already told her I would. She’s made plans. Besides, I need all the extra money I can get right now for my rent.”

  “Gia, just tell me how much it is, and I’ll write you a check.”

  As tempting as the offer was, it was one I would never agree on. If there was one thing my mother had drummed in mine and my sister’s heads, it was to never depend on a man, and I refused to cave to that now, no matter how desperate I was. I was going to come up with the money myself, even if it meant stroking Sal’s ego a bit to get an advance on my pay. At least it would be my money that was paying the rent and not someone else’s.

  “No, Jasper. I will not have you pay my rent.”

  “Gia, come on! It’s really not a big deal!”

  I knew he was right, he was a multi-millionaire real estate developer, so to him it was a drop in the bucket, but for me, it was all about the principle of it. I didn’t want to feel like a kept woman and more and more often that’s exactly how I was beginning to feel, with the expensive jewelry, fancy restaurants, and shopping sprees he’d take me on. I had to draw the line with paying my rent. “I appreciate that offer very m
uch, but I prefer to pay my own rent, Jasper.”

  He let out an annoyed breath. He wasn’t accustomed to not getting his way in business or his personal life. “Look, Gia, we’ll just finish up this conversation tomorrow, I need to get some sleep. Just be careful walking home from the dive tonight. I really wish you would just quit that dump.”

  That was easy for him to say. He didn’t need to worry month to month about how his bills were going to get paid, and part of me resented him when he would talk about the bar that way. Over the past year and a half that place had become pretty special to me, and my co-workers and some of the customers were actually pretty good friends. That was one of the things about Jasper that drove me crazy, he looked down on anyone who didn’t have a bank account that was equal to his.

  “There’s really nothing to finish up, Jasper. I can’t go with you tomorrow night….end of story.”

  “Gia, I have to run, Ava’s calling on the other line. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  Dead air. Of course he had to hang up for Ava. How dare the little princess have to wait even one second? I hated feeling that way. She was his daughter, she should take priority. I just wished she wasn’t such a spoiled little brat! I took one last drag of my cigarette and threw it in the street.

  My life was like watching a train going at warp speed and getting ready to derail at any second. I was working at dead end jobs and chasing after a ridiculous dream. I had maxed out all my credit cards and just may possibly be homeless very soon. I fought against the sting of tears and looked down at my watch, two more hours until I was out of there. I needed to go home and have my own personal mini meltdown, feeling sorry for myself and drowning my sorrows in the last bit of Ben & Jerry’s that was in my freezer because after this week, I wasn’t even sure if I would ever be able to afford ice cream again.

  Five

  Cam

  Sometimes, I wondered if the off-season was more stressful than in-season. I was just finishing up my work-out after a shit load of meetings with my agent all day long. It was only a little after ten and I was beat. I was just getting ready to put my phone on Do Not Disturb mode for the night when I looked down and saw Gia wanting to FaceTime with me.

  I answered right away and saw her sitting on her bed with puffy eyes and a pint of ice cream in her hand and I just knew she was upset over something.

  “Hey girl, what are you doing up so late?” I asked, knowing it was after 1 am there.

  “I just got off from work a bit ago.”

  “So, why are you crying?” I asked.

  “What? I wasn’t….I mean, I’m not.” She was coming off as anything but convincing.

  “Gia?”

  She let out a deep sigh and looked away from the camera for a brief second. Her eyes began to fill up with tears when she looked my way again. “Because I am a total loser! I need to find a tattoo artist that will tattoo the letter L across my forehead…..but wait, oh yeah that’s right, I can’t even afford that!”

  “Gia, you are not a loser.”

  “That’s easy for you to say, you went after your dream and you got it and then some. Me, I’m still chasing mine like a hamster on a wheel. I’m going to be twenty-five years old in four days! Four days! And I’m no further in life than when I was in college. In fact, I may be worse off!”

  “Carrie’s got it all together. Great job, a great husband, and a baby on the way, and I barely even function most days!”

  “Gia, what are talking about? You work hard to support yourself. Just because things aren’t going so great now, it doesn’t mean they never will. I have total faith in you.”

  “Well, I’m glad someone does, because I’m about ready to go drown myself in the bathtub!” The seriousness in her tone scared me a bit. She let out a loud laugh, seeming to read my thoughts. “Relax, Cam, I don’t even have a bathtub, just a shower stall. Hmm…. maybe I could hang myself from the shower door.” Her laugh became louder, and I was happy to see a quick glimpse of the Gia I knew and loved. “I know it will be okay. I always manage to work things out, somehow. I just needed to vent to someone.”

  “Anytime. You know that, Gia. So, how’s what’s his face?” Really, I didn’t care, but I knew it made her happy to talk about him. So, if talking about him and their sex life would put a smile on her face, then I would endure it.

  The reaction I was expecting was the exact opposite. Her mouth turned down in a frown and her eyes began to tear up once again. “Oh, he’s okay.”

  “Just okay? Just the other day you were bragging about what a great sex life you and he have, and now he’s just okay?”

  She forced a smile and shook her head. “He just….I don’t know. We got into a little argument tonight. Well, not really an argument, more like a disagreement.”

  “Over what?”

  “Well, he got pissed when I told him that I had to work tomorrow night and couldn’t go to this really important function with him. He just doesn’t get that some people need every penny they earn to make ends meet. If I don’t come up with my rent money by the end of the week, I’m gonna be shopping for cardboard boxes!”

  “Gia, do you need –”

  “No!” She cut me off right away. “I got it all figured out. It’s gonna be fine.” She forced a smile, but I could see right through her. She didn’t have anything figured out, yet she still put on that tough as nails act.

  Her mood started to lift a bit once she began to tell me about Carrie and Jason’s honeymoon and all of the pictures she’d been sending her. I could tell she missed her sister like crazy, and I was happy to be a fill-in and be there for her.

  “So, what are your big plans for your b-day?” I asked.

  “Oh, same as always. I’ll be spending it with my other half, eating lots of unhealthy, greasy food, drinking lots of wine, and watching lots of chick flicks. Carrie and I have spent every single birthday together….it’s our tradition. Oh, but wait, Carrie can’t drink wine, and she really shouldn’t be eating unhealthy, greasy food either. Guess she’s just gonna have to sit around and watch me eat and drink her share!” Her smile grew wider and so did mine.

  “Well, I wish I could be there to celebrate with you.”

  “Yeah, that would be awesome. Hey, are you coming home for Thanksgiving?” She asked the loaded question. The same one that my mother ended up hanging up on me over the other night.

  “Ahh no, don’t think so.”

  “Oh, are we spending it with Willow?” There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

  I let out a slight chuckle. “No, we are not, and don’t believe everything you read in those magazines, I’m not seeing her anymore.”

  “Well, come on Cam, don’t tell me that there’s no leading lady in your life.”

  Should I tell her about Jessica, the fitness model that I’d recently started seeing? “There’s this chick I met through my trainer. She’s a fitness model.”

  She rolled her eyes and let out a laugh. “Of course she is. Can’t you ever just date a plain old girl without a kick ass body, great hair and a gorgeous face?” She shook her head and laughed even harder. “How about a nice bank teller or something boring like that?”

  “It’s not that serious…..it’s just –”

  “Sex.” She finished the sentence. I rubbed the back of my neck and shook my head over her bluntness. “Be careful Cam, just because you think it’s casual, she may be falling in love.”

  “Is that what is happening to you and What’s his face?”

  “No, not me. This chick doesn’t fall in love.” She let out a loud expressive yawn.

  “Well, I’ll let you go, since I seem to be keeping you up.”

  “Yeah, I’m pretty sleepy, but I feel a lot better since we talked.”

  “Good. And, Gia?”

  “Yeah?” she let out another yawn.

  “You’ll always be my leading lady.”

  She formed her biggest smile of the night. “Okay. That sounds good to me. Night, Cam.”

/>   “Night, Gia.”

  As I hung up the phone I got to thinking she may have called me to help her lighten her mood, but she’d definitely done the same for me. I just hated seeing her so upset and down on herself. Gia always tried to put on a tough demeanor, seldom showing her vulnerabilities to anyone, and I was honored that she felt comfortable enough to let her guard down with me and expressed how she was really feeling. I only hoped that she knew I’d really meant it when I said that she was my leading lady, and no matter what happened within our lives, that would never change.

  Six

  Gia

  I woke up, feeling a little better than I had when I’d gone to bed and seeing Jasper’s text wanting to do lunch had a lot to do with it.

  K….I have rehearsal until noon. I can meet you at your office around one?

  He replied back almost immediately:

  Sounds good.

  Suddenly, there was a little more spring in my step. When I stepped outside of my apartment and saw Mr. Sanchez, my bounce was fading. Three more days until I had to come up with the rent, which meant selling my soul to Sal.

  “Morning Mr. Sanchez.” I flashed him a smile, trying to kill him with kindness in the hope that he’d grant me an extension, but since I was already a week and a half late, that was doubtful. He nodded and went about his business. Clearly my plan wasn’t working. Looks like I’d be using some of that charm on Sal tonight. I sighed at the thought. It was like making a deal with the devil.

  My rehearsal was uneventful and I was happy to get out of there a little early, allowing me time to run home and jump in the shower before meeting up with Jasper.

  I always felt as if all eyes were on me when I stepped out of the elevator and through the doors of Jasper’s company which occupied the entire ninth floor of the high-rise office building. There were three different receptionists: Liza, who was closer to my age, Brenda and Shay who I guessed to be around my mother’s age. Liza was friendly and always cordial to me. Brenda and Shay - I was pretty sure, I didn’t fare kindly with those ladies. Jasper had told me that over the years they had gotten very friendly with Kathy, his soon-to-be ex, so I was pretty sure that was the reason for their coldness toward me. I would put on my most realistic phony smile and be sickeningly sweet just to annoy them a little more. I figured if they were gonna talk about me, I may as well give them a little extra to add to the conversation. Luckily for me, they were off or out to lunch. Liza greeted me with a smile and told me to go back after calling back to Jasper.