Animalistic Galley Fin

by Lizzie Lynn Lee

  “That’s so generous of you, but the small one is fine.”

  “All right then. Want to help me pick up some furniture tomorrow? You’re definitely not working this weekend, right?”

  “No. I cleared it with Sabrina earlier. She said I can take as many days as I want. Paid days. So that’s good.”

  “You think she felt guilty?”

  Arielle shrugged. “Who knows? Sabrina and ‘guilty conscience’ are rarely used in the same sentence. Hey, shouldn’t we talk about rent?”

  “Rent?” Trent raised his eyebrows. “I don’t need rent from you.”

  “You and your family have helped me a lot in my time of need. Please don’t make me feel like a charity case.”

  Trent lifted his hands up. “All right. How about one dollar for the next three months since you lost everything in the fire. And after that, pay me whatever you paid for your old place.”

  “One dollar? Are you serious?”

  “Dead serious.”

  “Wow. I don’t know how to thank you. The apartment was rent-controlled, so we only paid around eight-hundred dollars for a three-bedroom place. Is that okay with you? It doesn’t seem like enough.”

  “Sure it is. Like I told you, your money is no good here. Besides, I may need your help with legal stuff for the gym, drafting contracts and combing over the documents for my project. Quinn likes meticulous reporting and everything needs to be documented down to the smallest detail. I think you can help me with that.”

  “Deal. I might not look like it, but I’m a whiz at tedious paperwork. I’ve handled setting up new companies with special tax exemptions before. A non-profit foundation would be no different.”

  “I believe you.” He looked at his wristwatch. “Are you getting tired? Do you want to go back to my mom’s or is there any place you’d like to go?”

  She scanned her surroundings. “You said you trusted me with furnishing the apartment? Why don’t we go to a paint store to look at samples? It’s been ages since I did some painting.”

  “Sure, why not? Sounds good to me.”

  Chapter Six

  Two weeks later…

  The girls in the office acted like someone in her family had died again when Arielle went back to work that morning. They offered solemn condolences on the demise of her apartment and asked her if they could do anything to help. Then they quietly whispered that they were shocked Chris and Sabrina were an item and expressed their outrage over how the two had stabbed her in the back.

  Arielle was surprised that people knew she and Chris were over. News traveled fast in this office, but according to Emma, the two weren’t trying to be inconspicuous, so everyone in the office knew what Chris and Sabrina were doing. And they were all appalled.

  To be honest, Arielle wasn’t even angry anymore. Trent and his family had helped her forget all the unpleasantness.

  She had been busy helping him move in and furnish the apartment. They went shopping for kitchen appliances and got mistaken by the salesperson for a newlywed couple. When she tried to correct her, Trent smoothly interjected that Arielle wasn’t his girl, yet, but he planned to make her his soon. Arielle was amazed Trent didn’t seem embarrassed at being seen with her, even in her shabby state.

  Unlike Chris.

  When she and Chris started going out in high school, she was small and delicate, while Chris was brawny and imposing. They were the perfect couple. But then stress got to her and she started to let herself go. Chris was always on her case, telling her to exercise or diet, veiled by an “I’m worried about you” excuse, when in reality he was mostly just concerned about his image. But Trent wasn’t like that at all; he seemed to relish her curves.

  Maybe what she needed was, in a cosmic joke sort of way, one hell of a bad day to stop her from clinging to her past and embrace the new. The apartment fire stopped her from living in her mother’s memories. Catching Chris cheating made her realize that there was nothing left for them to hold on to anymore. They had been great together in the past, but no more.

  She needed to move on.

  And that was why when she saw Chris, she only felt a mild annoyance as supposed to rage from his betrayal. But he should have broken their relationship off cleanly. Considering their history, he owed her that much.

  Interrupting her thoughts, Chris poked his head in her office. “Hey. Can I have a minute?”

  “If I don’t have any other choice.”

  He entered and closed the door. “How are you doing? I heard about the fire. I’m really sorry. If there’s anything I can do to help, you let me know.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Do you need to find a new place to stay?”

  “Nope.”

  “Are you staying with your aunt?”

  “God, no. You know she’s a hoarder. I’ve got a new place and a roommate.”

  “Where is it?”

  “The Village.”

  “Greenwich Village?” Chris seemed surprised. “You still have some of your clothes at my place. If you like, I can drop them off at your new place.”

  Arielle thought about it for a moment. “I don’t want them. Just put them in the dumpster.” It might sound like a waste, but she didn’t want anything that had been contaminated by Chris. Plus, Trent’s mom had been so generous, she had more clothes than she would ever need.

  “Are you sure?”

  She nodded. “Anything else? I’d like to get back to work.”

  Chris looked uncomfortable. Usually he was full of arrogant swagger; guilt must be eating him alive. “I’d like to apologize for what I’ve done to you. You have every right to be angry with me. I just want you to know that I never meant to hurt you. It just happened. I’m sorry. I just wasn’t expecting that Sabrina and I–”

  “Chris, I don’t really need to know the details.”

  “I just want to explain–” Chris shook his head. “I just want… Please let me explain so I can feel like less of a bastard.”

  “Don’t worry about.” She leaned back in her chair. “It was a long time coming anyway. You and I have been growing apart for a while. The world is what we make of it. We create our own happiness and misery. So why be intentionally miserable? I’m over you and me, and am ready to let all of this go,” Arielle paraphrased what Trent had said to her during their heart-to-heart. For a young guy, Trent was surprisingly deep. His head was chock-full of Eastern wisdom that he had learned during his stay at the monastery in Japan.

  Chris laughed weakly. “You’re being easier on me than I deserve. It’s making me feel like a dick.”

  “Why should today be different than any other day?”

  He raised an eyebrow, looking bewildered for a second before he got control of himself. “Try not to take all of this out on Sabrina. She had it hard too. She’s felt inferior to you since you were kids, especially considering her dad likes you better than his own daughter.”

  “Inferior?” This was new to her.

  He affirmed it with a small nod. “You may not have noticed, but Hoffman always compared her to you, and it affects her self-esteem. She tried hard to please him, but she can’t compete with you. You were more of a daughter to Mr. Hoffman then Sabrina ever was.”

  She knew that Hoffman liked her, but she totally hadn’t expected to hear that. “That still doesn’t excuse her shitty behavior, and how horrible she’s been to me, to everyone who works here.”

  “Don’t you think I know that?” Chris threw his hands up in exasperation. “I won’t make excuses. For her or for me. I hurt you and I’m sorry. She did too, and I know she’s sorry. Her pride won’t let her show her true self. Beneath her mask, she’s fragile, you know? I guess that was what drew me to her in the first place. You’re a much stronger person than she is, Arielle. You never lose your cool, even when things are awful. And you never give up when you face a challenge. Hell, you’re the toughest woman I know.”

  What was he talking about?
No, she wasn’t tough at all. She just wasn’t big on broadcasting her feelings to others. But she felt there was no point in correcting Chris, so she kept it to herself. Although, she did wonder how long Chris had been having this affair with Sabrina? She resisted an urge to ask him because it wouldn’t do her any good to know at this point. They were finished. The last strand of connection that tied them together had been severed when she caught him with Sabrina. This was a chance to make a clean break.

  She forced herself to smile. “Thanks, I guess?”

  Someone knocked on the door. They were both surprised when they saw Mr. Hoffman standing there. Chris unconsciously tugged his shirt and straightened his tie in the presence of the founder of the firm.

  “Mr. Hoffman. What a nice surprise. How are you, sir?” Arielle stood from her desk and shook his hand.

  “I’m the one who should be asking you that. I heard about the fire; are you okay?” Hoffman patted her shoulder fondly. He was a gentleman of about sixty-years-old with a receding hairline and a dapper figure. Even at his age, he still maintained a trim physique thanks to a five day-a-week tennis regimen. He was a handsome man in his heyday and had charmed many of his paramours with little more than a smile.

  “I’m good, sir. I wasn’t there when it happened. By the time I got home, it was all over.”

  “I’m so sorry, Arielle.” Hoffman acknowledged Chris’ presence with a nod. “I see that you put in the most billable hours last quarter, Rolland. Impressive work, as always. Is Arielle staying at your place now?”

  She and Chris traded glances. Hoffman didn’t know that Chris was seeing his daughter.

  Arielle answered quickly before Chris could. “I’ve already got myself a new apartment, Mr. Hoffman. My new roommate gave me a great deal.”

  “Oh, you’ve got a new place? That’s good to hear. Well, I just came down here to see how you were doing. Your father would roll over in his grave if I didn’t offer any help. You know that we have a condo in The Bronx, right? The place has been empty for years. I wanted to rent it out, but I don’t feel like dealing with tenants. If you’re pressed for a place to stay, you can have the condo. You know, until you get back on your feet.”

  “That’s so generous of you, Mr. Hoffman, thank you, but I’m in good hands. You don’t have to worry about me.”

  “How could I not? Your father entrusted you in my care. He saved me many times when we were in ‘Nam. Without him, I wouldn’t have come back in one piece. I owed him my life. The least I can do is help his daughter.” Hoffman beamed like a proud parent. “You’ll tell me if you’re in a pinch, won’t you?”

  “I certainly will, sir, don’t you worry.”

  The old man laughed boisterously. “Well, then. I’d better get going. I have a lunch date then a few rounds of golf with Judge Stevens this afternoon. Tell my daughter, I stopped by.”

  “You’re not going to see Sabrina, sir?” asked Chris.

  Hoffman waved him off, making his way to the door. “I’m sure she’s busy or something. Some other time.”

  “Dad?” Unexpectedly, Sabrina happened to be passing by in the hallway and saw Mr. Hoffman. “I didn’t know you were stopping by,” she said while balancing a stack of documents in her arms.

  “I came to see how Arielle was doing, that’s all.”

  Sabrina cast a look in Arielle’s direction. It wasn’t irritation, or a sneer like usual. It was a sad look.

  It was a side of Sabrina she had never seen before. Chris was right. Mr. Hoffman treated Arielle better than his own daughter.

  “You want to stop by my office, dad? I haven’t seen you in weeks.” Sabrina tailed her father out of the view.

  “Some other time. I’m busy.”

  Well, that was awkward. Mr. Hoffman made time to see her, but not Sabrina. Arielle could see now why his daughter turned out the way she did.

  Judging from his facial expression, Chris seemed to be having the same thought, but he didn’t say anything. He only nodded at her, then left her office.

  Arielle retreated behind her desk and sank into her seat. What a day already. The revelation caused her mixed feelings, but the residual anger she was feeling toward Sabrina melted away.

  ~~~

  During lunchtime, Trent stopped by the office, a giant bouquet of sunflowers in hand. It was a pleasant surprise to have him come over with a gift.

  “This is from mom,” he said, placing the flowers on her desk. The bright yellow floral arrangement was coupled with sprigs of baby’s breath. “She insisted you get this today. To lift your spirits. She knows work isn’t fun. So how are you doing?” He slyly checked out his surroundings. “You have yourself a nice office. Killer view too.”

  “Lucky me. When I got demoted, I got to keep my office. And my paycheck too. It seemed the firm wanted me to work less with the same perks.”

  He laughed. “Explain to me how the demotion was a bad thing… How about your secretary? Don’t associates usually have one?”

  “Well, except my secretary. She was reassigned to a new associate. No big loss. She wasn’t terribly good at her job anyway. By the way, how did you get in here? I know the receptionist doesn’t usually let visitors go straight in.”

  “Really? She was very nice to me.” Trent pointed behind him.

  Arielle realized there was a flock of women milling around her office door, staring dreamily at him. Emma, the receptionist, waved her hand energetically at Arielle while grinning from ear to ear.

  Why of course…

  Arielle stared at him. Good lord, he IS one hell of a looker, she realized. Any woman would fall for him instantly. What have I been doing for the past two weeks? “I see you have a bunch of female fans already. Maybe you should consider acting or a modeling career.”

  Trent grimaced. “No thanks. I’m not a people person. Maybe next time I should come with a paper bag on my head so I won’t make a scene.”

  “You’ll do no such thing.”

  He shot her his killer smile. “Well, I don’t want to bug you while you’re working. You’re going to come to my mom’s dinner party, right?”

  She nodded.

  “I’ll pick you up at six?”

  “Sounds like a plan. You know, your mom and I have really bonded. Aren’t you worried she might replace you with me?” she joked.

  Trent dismissed her with a wave of his hand. “Babe, you can have her all to yourself. A lot of the time, she drives me nuts with her constant mothering. It’s suffocating.” He started to leave, but turned back and planted a kiss on her cheek. “This is for our audience so they know I’m staking my claim on you.” He winked. The women by the door parted to make way for him.

  The most satisfying outcome from this pleasant interruption was seeing Chris’ expression. Once the crowd dispersed, Arielle noticed that her ex was standing in the hallway with his mouth gaping open.

  For the first time since she caught him with Sabrina, she felt that all the emotional anguish he had put her through had been paid back a thousand-fold.

  It was priceless.

  ~~~

  The dinner party that Trent’s mom had in her house was more about socializing than actual dinner. The chef that was hired to cater the event served them minuscule French frou-frou food that, even with the five-course menu, she and Trent were still hungry afterward. They decided to stop and get some sandwiches, then head to Washington Square for a late evening picnic in the park.

  They walked to see the fountain, then stopped to watch some street performers before heading to the bench area, away from the crowds. Trent had ordered Cuban sandwiches from a shop in the Village and she had a yummy gordito. They washed the sandwiches down with some iced tea.

  “Does your mother often have dinner parties catered by a chef like that?” she asked.

  “All the time. Mom can’t cook except for salads or maybe a dessert that doesn’t require the use of the stove or oven, but she’s good at microwave th
ings. But John, he’s good at cooking. He’d make someone a great wife someday.”

  Arielle chuckled. “How about you, Trent? Can you cook? I’ve only seen you with takeout.”

  “I can make grilled cheese sandwiches. And mac and cheese from the box. Does that count?”

  “It counts.”

  “Do you cook?” he asked back.

  “Nothing fancy. As long as I have the recipe, I can manage. My mom was a domestic diva. She forced me to learn to cook when I was six as part of ‘bridal training,’ she said. She was an old-fashioned schoolmarm.”

  “I bet she made great home-cooked meals. Do you miss her?”

  “Every day. But it’s a little easier now. I mean, toward the end of her sickness, I knew she’d be gone in less than a month, and yet, I wasn’t ready to let her go. But I had to. She was in so much pain. She didn’t even recognize me anymore.”

  Trent’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  The mood turned somber and Arielle quickly changed the topic of their conversation. “Anyway, I was surprised that Vanessa asked me to be her bridesmaid. It’s an honor, but I barely know her. And I don’t think her sister Stacy liked it.”

  The dinner party earlier was a get-together between the Alexander and the Lyle families to discuss the upcoming wedding of Quinn and his fiancée, Vanessa. Vanessa wasn’t exactly the woman she had imagined as Quinn’s fiancée. Quinn was refined, elegant and rather haughty and stiff, while Vanessa was a free-spirited nerd, friendly, with a down-to-earth personality. She had two sisters – stunningly beautiful sisters that didn’t look like her at all. The oldest one was the wife of a congressman and the other was an actress. Arielle thought both of them were rather stuck up. Especially Stacy, the Broadway actress. She gave Arielle a dirty look because Arielle came with Trent and the two were chummy. Stacy had even tried to change Vanessa’s mind about the bridesmaids’ thing while they were still at the dining table. Vanessa put her foot down and threatened to elope if she didn’t get the wedding she wanted.