“Oh, Al, you’re not crying again, are you?” Lila asked, looking at me with her big blue eyes. I’d been known to break down over the last few weeks every time I thought about her moving away.
“No,” I lied, as one tear spilt over and ran down my cheek. Traitor.
“Who knows what will even happen when I’m out there? I could totally bomb and have to stay in good ole Iowa the rest of my life.”
“Don’t talk like that!” I threw an unused rag at Lila. “I want you to succeed. I want you to get contracts and offers and be on TV with a spray tan and eight pounds of makeup. I really do. I just don’t want you to leave me.”
“You could always come with me.” Lila had mentioned me going with her many times. And why not? I would actually be closer to my family in Seattle, and it wasn’t like I had much going on in Des Moines anyway. One more year of school that I could finish online. My job? I hated Blissful and all the baggage and secrets I had to carry around. Henry? I didn’t want to leave my new boyfriend. Plus, I did have more friends here than just Lila. And I was comfortable here. I liked my life in Iowa. I couldn’t begin to picture myself in California and rubbing elbows with famous people. It just wasn’t my scene.
“I know, I know.” I sighed. “And I’ve thought about it, I really have. I just...can’t. I have so much going on here. And I wouldn’t have anything lined up out there, no job or anything. It just wouldn’t be smart. And I don’t think I would fit in with the LA crowd anyway. I don’t have the celebrity knowledge like you do.”
“That’s the truth.” We declared the bathroom clean and headed towards the kitchen. “I don’t know what will happen, but if for some crazy reason someone likes me out there, you have to at least promise to come visit me. Someone has to keep my ego in check if I become a star.” Lila struck a ridiculous pose with one hand on her hip and the other in the air like she was waving at adoring fans.
I laughed, but still felt the tightness in my chest over possibly losing my friend to the world of Hollywood. “I will. I have to make sure you won’t forget all us little people when you’re schmoozing it up with Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.”
“Seriously, Alex? Brad and Jen split years ago. He’s with Angelina Jolie now.”
“Really? How did I miss that?”
“I have no idea. Angie stole Brad from right under Jen’s nose when they were filming together. They even posed on a magazine cover together with all these kids like they were a family. It was so distasteful.” Lila turned her nose up and started to load the dishwasher.
I opened the fridge and started chucking expired food in the garbage. “Wow, how rude. But speaking of couples, how did you really take last night? Was it weird not having Joel around?”
“Yeah, it was. But you know what I felt when we broke up?” I shook my head, even though she had already told me three times. I knew she needed to keep reminding herself that she did the right thing, and I was happy to listen.“I felt relief. I felt light and free and ready to do anything. I didn’t realize that I was letting myself suffocate all these years. I was letting myself settle when my dreams were so much bigger. And if he can’t support them, he’s not supporting me. I don’t know if I can ever be just a dutiful housewife who loves nothing more than waiting on her man and popping out kids. I need more. I need to live, I need the excitement. I at least need to try, or I’ll constantly be wondering what if. I’m just glad I finally realized it before I was super old–– like twenty-five or something.”
“Excuse me? Twenty-five? When did that become the new eighty? And you’ll hit that age in four years, need I remind you.” I laughed.
“No, don’t remind me! It’s just harder to get jobs out there when you’re past twenty-five. Thirty is practically deceased.”
“That whole town makes no sense. But back to the original topic –– I’m glad you’re okay with the breakup. And that last night wasn’t too weird for you. I half expected you to find someone to kiss.”
“Nah. I thought about trying, but the last thing I want to do is find my Mr. Right before I leave. I don’t want any baggage here in Iowa.”
“Besides me,” I reminded her.
“Besides you, of course,” she reassured me.
We worked side by side for most of the afternoon until our apartment sparkled and shined. We gave ourselves a much needed break and went to dinner with Carmen and Emma. Hannah was on yet another date with Peter. After dinner we rented two movies, a scary one and a chick-flick, and headed back to Wacker to have an enjoyable evening with friends, movies, popcorn, and vodka. I limited myself to two drinks since it was back to Blissful for me tomorrow. I didn’t want to face Kevin. I wasn’t sure how I could face Allie.
$$$
Alex, let’s talk when you get in on Tuesday and keep the incident to yourself. I feel a bonus coming your way! Happy New Year, Kevin.
I re-read the text from Kevin on my drive to Blissful. Wonderful. Another bonus to keep my mouth shut. When had my job turned from manager of a spa to secret-keeper, spineless, but much richer Alex? I stopped at a red light and looked at the text again. As well as an older text from Kevin, dated right before Christmas.
Dani shouldn’t know about this. Think about our family, Alex. A check will be in your mailbox tomorrow.
A check indeed had been waiting for me in my employee mailbox. A one thousand dollar check. That payoff was for the first time I had caught Kevin–– actually caught him and he knew I did, not just spying at him from my car or outside a treatment room. I didn’t even know the woman he was with, the woman he was screwing on one of the massage beds. Why did I have to stay late to run year-end reports that night? Why couldn’t I have done the work from home?
I knew it didn’t really matter. I had caught Kevin with other women three more times at the salon. All were different, and once with Allie. Yes, Allie, my friend and spa confidant. The one who told me she loved her fiancé and couldn’t wait to marry him. The woman who spilled “gossip” to me when I first started at Blissful about how Kevin could be a little overbearing but Dani was the biggest sweetheart. But there she was, riding Kevin like there was no tomorrow in her treatment room on the Friday before New Years’.
Kamille had officially resigned from Blissful around the holidays. After she stole another idea of mine–– this time for a holiday gift basket prize for a lucky client who rebooked an appointment–– I had reached a breaking point. I suspected she was snooping through my computer files and I was tired of coming up with new ideas, doing the research and getting everything prepared, just to have it stolen under my nose and passed off as someone else’s genius. I printed off the photos from my phone and stuck them in Kamille’s employee mailbox in a large envelope. I typed up a cryptic note that read: YOU’RE CAUGHT. LEAVE NOW OR DANI KNOWS.
Kamille put in her two weeks’ the very next day. I didn’t know if she had figured out it was me who caught her, and I didn’t care. She was gone, my ideas were safe, and that was one less employee I had to worry about Kevin screwing. I didn’t let Kevin know what I had done, or that I knew about him and Kamille. I still wanted to keep my job intact, at least for the time being. Once I found a new job and got my reference, I would be out.
I shook my head and kept driving. I hadn’t told anyone about the new twist at Blissful, the checks that were coming in or how I had forced Kamille to quit. Not Lila or the girls, Henry, my sister. I felt sick to my stomach every time I thought about what was going on behind closed doors. And how I was going along with it. I had even been physically sick when I thought about Dani and her three daughters. Did she have any idea her husband was having multiple affairs? Allie had told me once that Dani had her suspicions, but stayed with him for the money. But how could I possibly trust Allie and anything she said? She was sleeping with Kevin–– a married man, her boss!
I barreled into Blissful just before two o’clock. Tiffany was behind the desk, wiping down the counters with a dust rag. I gave her a wave and continued towards the o
ffice. The floor was pretty slow, with only Lindsey cutting a woman’s hair and Carolyn sitting on her chair reading a magazine. She straightened when she saw me and put the glossy down, attempting to appear busy cleaning her area. I didn’t even bother to reprimand her. I requested that stylists go in the break room when they didn’t have clients. I thought it was tacky for them to be lounging in their chairs where everyone could see them. Carolyn was lucky I had bigger issues to deal with.
I made it to the back office and swung open the heavy door. Kevin and Dani were both there, Dani sitting in the computer chair and Kevin hovering over the printer. Documents were spitting out, and he had his cell phone pressed against his ear.
“These numbers are not acceptable, Tony. We need to open three more stores in the next nine months. Three stores, nine months. That’s what we want. You need to figure out how to help us achieve that.”
He hung up and turned to face me, a big smile on his face. I wanted to puke all over his shiny black shoes. “Alex, hello! Did you have a good New Year’s?” he asked, his bushy brows pulling together like he was actually concerned about my holiday.
“I did, Kevin, thank you,” I managed between clenched teeth. “And yours?” I tried to sound as polite as possible.
“Oh, we had a terrific time,” Dani piped in, swiveling her chair away from the computer. “We stayed in and had family time with movies and Wii games, and then on Monday we took the kids to Blair’s Mountain to go snow sledding and tubing. Well, baby Cam just watched of course, but the other girls had so much fun.”
The sick feeling in my stomach churned some more. Happy family time. Right. I forced a smile. “That sounds wonderful. Oh, Dani, you might be happy to hear that Henry officially asked me out. I am off the market,” I informed her. At least that was a happy thought.
Dani stood and hugged me, her giant boobs pressing into me. I wanted to cry. I really liked her. I hated Kevin. I hated Blissful. I was so confused. “Good for you, honey! Are you going to invite him to your birthday party?”
My birthday party. I had almost forgotten. Dani had offered to throw me a party at Tango, one of the hottest restaurant/bars in town. The bottom floor was a fancy restaurant and the top was a happening dance club. The two would seem to clash, but it actually worked. The reservation book was full for months, but Kevin knew somebody who knew somebody who knew the owner and had reserved the twenty-third, a Saturday, for my twenty-first birthday blowout bash.
“Yep, I’ll be sure to invite him. He’ll probably bring some friends too, if you don’t mind. His friend Peter is dating my friend Hannah. And he lives with two other guys.”
“Bring them all! The more the merrier for your special day. I remember my twenty-first birthday.” Dani’s eyes turned wistful as she thought back a whole seven years.
“Really? Most people don’t remember their twenty-firsts,” I joked, thinking about how hungover Lila was the day after hers.
“Oh, I was pregnant with Brianna when I was twenty-one. No alcohol for me on that birthday. I was about seven months along and in full-on nesting mode already. Kevin and I ordered, what was it, four large pizzas and boxes of breadsticks and after all that, I still made him drive to the store to buy me a gallon of ice cream. I was a walking cliché of pregnancy.” Dani laughed and squeezed Kevin’s hand. Tears poked behind my eyes. I hated Kevin. “Anyway, I need to get going. I have to pick up Bri from school in a half-hour.” She kissed Kevin good-bye and gathered her things, floating out the office door.
Kevin and I stood alone in the office, the first time we were face-to-face since I caught him with Allie. I was speechless. And really wanted to be anywhere but in a small office with him.
“Well, Alex, let me start off by saying that I am so sorry you witnessed what happened between me and Allie. I don’t know what came over us, but I can assure you it won’t happen again.” His words sounded fake, phony, scripted.
“That was the first time you’d ever been with her?” I didn’t believe that for a minute.
“It was. And the last. I had come here from drinking with some of my buddies and I guess I had my guard down. I had been holding off Allie’s advances for some time now, but that night she just proved too much for me. I’m devastated about it.” He hung his head, but I still didn’t believe a word he said. A man that was smacking another woman’s ass while she rode him didn’t seem like he had tried too hard to hold off her “advances.” But was it Allie that did come onto him? Or was it mutual? My head was spinning.
“What happens next?” I wanted to know. Did I have to fire Allie? Would he tell Dani and she would fire Allie?
“I’m going to keep this little discretion from Dani. She’s not in the right state of mind to deal with something like this. You see, we’re trying for another baby, and she might even be pregnant right now. The timing just doesn’t work.”
I sucked in a breath, horrified. Dani might be pregnant with her fourth baby with this cheating, slimy bastard. “And Allie?”
“I spoke with Allie already and let her know that she is to never try something like that again. She apologized immensely and agreed that she was in the wrong. I agreed to let her keep her job for now. But one more slipup and she will be terminated.”
I wanted to laugh. And throw up. None of this made any sense. Dani wasn’t to find out, Allie got to keep her job. And what about me? I was just going to have to live with this secret? It was eating away at me.
“As for you, Alex, you’ve been doing a tremendous job as manager. Morale is up, our numbers are better from last year, and you’ve shown that you can successfully handle all the challenges being a manager has thrown your way.” Like seeing my boss bone one of my top employees. “I spoke with Dani, and we wanted to give you a little bonus for it.”
“But you just gave me a Christmas bonus,” I said. A five thousand dollar check with Merry Christmas–– you’re a star! written in the memo.
“That was just a Christmas present to you. We give bonuses to all the employees,” Kevin said with a wave of his hand. “This is an employee-deserved bonus. You’ve done a great job.”
Kevin handed me an envelope and walked out of the office. I stood still for a moment, dreading opening it. This wasn’t an I’m doing so great my bosses want to thank me check. It was a cover-up. A buyout. Hush money. I opened the envelope and took the check out. A ten thousand dollar hush check.
Chapter 16
The following Saturday was date night between me and Henry. Peter was out dining Hannah and Max and Kyle were both out of town. With Lila in LA and Emma and Carmen both at parties, I was off to Henry’s so he could cook me a fantastic dinner of spaghetti and meatballs–– his specialty.
I showed up just before six, dressed in black leggings and an oversized white men’s dress shirt. I wore only ballet flats that made navigating through the melting snow a bit difficult, bright red lips, and my hair in waves. I had to dress, apply makeup, and style my hair all on my own with the girls being so busy. I wasn’t sure how I felt about my abilities to achieve greatness with my looks.
The door was open so I stepped right into the house, slipping my flats off at the door. “Hello? Henry!” I shouted, walking through the living room and into the kitchen. My boyfriend was standing at the stove, a pot of bubbling water on one burner and thawing meat on another. Henry had a spatula in one hand and was dressed in dark jeans and a navy sweater. His hair looked a little damp and when I went to hug him, the fresh scent of body soap enveloped me. Delightful.
“Hey, babe. You look gorgeous.” Henry greeted me with a kiss on the lips, instantly putting my fear of not looking good to rest. “I hope you’re hungry because I am making a boat load of food.”
“Smells delicious. And I am starving. I played catch-up on homework all day and barely ate a thing.”
“Did you get slammed with assignments too after winter break? I thought it was just my instructors that did that.”
“Nope, same here. It’s awful. And with term e
nding in February, all our finals are coming up and I am stressing out over it.” I sighed. “But let’s not talk about school. Can I help with anything?”
“You can help by keeping me company while I finish up and drinking that glass of wine I poured for you minutes ago. It should still be cold.” Henry pointed to the kitchen table, where a wine glass was waiting.
I smiled at him and kissed his cheek. “You’re spectacular. Anyone ever tell you that?”
“Only the women I pour wine for.” He smiled back, stirring the noodles without taking his gaze off me.
I scampered over to the kitchen table and took a seat, drawing my legs up on the stool. The wine was delicious –– fruity and bubbly and cold. “Are you a wine drinker, Henry?” I asked.
“Not so much. I can try a glass every now and again, but I much prefer beer. Though beer doesn’t really go with pasta, so I might try a glass of the wine.”
“It sounds weird, but I love to drink milk when I eat pasta. But I don’t like milk any other time, except in my cereal of course. Is that weird?” I took another sip and savored the taste.
“Um, yeah, that’s a little weird. But everyone has those odd preferences.”
“What are some of your odd preferences?” I wanted to know.
“Well, speaking of cereal, I won’t eat any cereal that turns my milk a different color. You know, like those chocolate cereals when you have chocolate milk by the time you’re done. That freaks me out.”
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