“Hold up! You know that’s not true!”
“Really? You're letting a harasser run amok, and you wanted me to keep your secret about Enrique from Mark.”
“I did it to protect the store!”
“You did it to protect Enrique! Do you feel good about yourself?”
“How could you even think like that after I let you into my home? I also got you a job, and this is what you think of me?”
“Oh, stop it! You did all that so I would feel obligated to not tell Mark. I can’t believe you.”
“And I can’t believe you would even think that! We’ve been friends since freshmen year of college! We helped each other through so much, V! I did what I did because I knew the consequences we would all face. I knew Avery would do everything he could to keep managing his store, so he had to act quickly.”
“And why is that?”
Simone shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. Enrique told me that Avery didn’t care about the other locations; it was just the main store he wanted. Avery already knew that if any of the kids owned it, he would be gone.”
I folded my arms, realizing something wasn’t right. Avery had another agenda besides owning Suds.
“But do what you need to do, V. I just really hope you understand what you’re up against.”
“Oh trust me, I know.”
“But for what it’s worth, I’m really sorry about you and Mark. I know how much you like him.”
I nodded. “I do. I don’t just like him, though; I love him. We confessed our feelings to each other last night.”
“Oh, V; I’m really sorry.”
“It’s okay. I knew this would happen, but I didn’t listen to myself. Now, I don’t even know if we still have a relationship.”
“Just give it some time; Mark needs to process everything.”
“I know. But I’ll be back. I need some time to clear my head.”
Simone nodded. “Okay.”
I took a deep breath, grabbed my keys, and headed out the door. I wiped the tears from my cheeks, hoping I could get myself together before I started driving. I really hoped that Simone was right about Mark, because I really miss him.
Mark
Once Vanessa left my house, I couldn’t just sit there since it made me think about her, so I went to Nick’s Place near my house to drink my sorrows away. I’d received so much info in such a short amount of time, so I needed a few drinks. Not to the point where I’m wasted, just a bit to feel good.
Thirty minutes later, I was sitting at the bar, drinking my third beer when I saw Missy walk in. She sat beside me, asked the bartender for a beer, and turned to me.
“I heard about what happened. It was the trending topic among the employees when you left.”
“I’m sure. Did you know about my dad and Simone?”
“Wow! No, I didn’t. I’m just as shocked as you are. How they kept that going for so long without anyone knowing is surprising to me.”
“They shouldn’t have been together in the first place.”
“That’s true since your dad is the one who enforced a policy on work romances; but he’s the owner, so he can pretty much do what he wants.”
“And that makes it right?”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“What about my mom and Hector? You knew about that, too?”
Missy sighed. “Don’t do this, Mark.”
“Do what? I've just been hit with news that my loving mom was a cheater, too; how am I supposed to act?”
“I only knew because I accidentally heard a conversation between your parents. I think your dad was with Lucy to get revenge .He was devastated that your mom cheated on him; it even affected the business.”
I looked down at the counter and felt Missy’s hand on my shoulder. “Just because you now know the truth shouldn’t change how you feel about your mother. She was always sweet to me and would do anything for anyone. She even helped me during my pregnancy with Rina. I will always be grateful for that.”
“It doesn’t make me think any less of her. She was still a better parent than my dad.”
“I know how much she believed in your dream of being a chef. She pushed you so hard to be the best that you can be. And she never judged; she was proud of what you could do.”
“Yeah, she never judged like my dad did. Hell, he still does. He keeps saying that cooking is a woman’s job and that I’m a wimp for even considering it as a profession.”
“He only says that because of your mom. After the affair, he despised everything she’d ever done, even cooking. When he saw that you'd have rather been in the kitchen than with the actual car wash, he became jealous. He always wanted his first-born to take over the business, but he knew your heart wasn’t in it. That’s why, eventually, he focused more on the twins.”
“But when they didn’t want it, he came back to me.”
“Yeah, but like I said, it was always you he wanted.”
“Why would he be jealous of the relationship I had with my mom, though? Yes, I’m his son, but I still would have a relationship with my mother.”
“You wanted to spend all your time with her, that’s why. Any father would feel slightly jealous of that.”
“I don’t regret the time I spent with her. She taught me everything I know about cooking. When she died, a part of me died as well.”
Missy gently rubbed my back and sighed. “I know, Mark. When she died, it hit everyone hard, but that shouldn’t stop you from living your dream. You and I both know she wouldn’t want that.”
“That’s why I decided to go to Austin for a while. It took some adjusting, but I found my way.”
“That, you did. You overcame the negativity and did what was in your heart. And even when it comes to your new business, you took the initiative to do something great. Although you’re not going to be the head chef.”
“I’m slowly getting back into the kitchen.”
“You need to be in the kitchen, Mark. You’re a wonderful chef; stop doubting yourself. You did it in Austin.”
“Yeah, for someone else’s restaurant.”
“Now, it’s your time to shine. Take advantage of it.”
I looked ahead since I was about to order another beer, but Missy held out her hand.
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not, especially since you drove. I’ll take you back to your place and call Vanessa to get your truck.”
“No, don’t.”
“Why?”
“I guess you didn’t hear the part that she knew about my dad and Simone.”
“Mark –”
“No, don’t even go there. I’m not going to look the other way just because it's her. She’s been withholding information from me from the start of our relationship. From lying about her ex to covering for Simone, I can’t do it anymore.”
“So she withheld some information; the relationship is still new, Mark, so of course she’s not going to completely let you into her life right now.”
“She didn’t tell me that her ex was her boss. And she knew about my dad and Simone for four months! If she kept all that from me, I have to wonder what else she’s hiding.”
“I can understand that, but she probably felt obligated to keep the relationship from you since Simone helped her. As far as her ex, she was probably ashamed.”
“She still could have told me,” I muttered.
“Yes, she should have, but let me ask you something: Were you perfect in your previous relationships? Have you ever withheld the truth from someone because you knew telling them would hurt them? We all make mistakes, Mark, but that’s what happens when you’re human. You tend to screw up every now and then.”
“I’m not saying that Vanessa has to be perfect; I just want her to be honest with me,” I argued.
Missy looked ahead as I got the bartender’s attention. She noticed what I was doing and told him no. She swatted my hand and made me stand up.
“You’re leaving,” she said.
“Fine, I’ll drink at home.”
“You’re going to be sobered up by the time you get there.”
“Listen Missy, I appreciate what you’re doing, but I’m a grown man who is capable of doing things on my own,” I insisted, almost colliding into a stool.
“See, the beers are getting to you already. Let’s go.”
I shrugged as she took my arm and pulled me to the door. No matter how Missy tried to spin it, I still wouldn't forgive Vanessa. I just couldn’t.
***
Once we arrived to my place, she called Sebastian to go pick up my truck from Nick’s Place. Of course, Carmen decided to tag along, and she read me the riot act in Spanish. I stared at her as she went on and on about how stupid I was to be drinking and even considering driving, especially since I always stressed how stupid drinking and driving was to Victor.
“Are you done?”
“No, I’m not! Mark, I get why you’re upset, but there’s not much you can do about the situation. Mom is gone, and Dad, well, he’s in a relationship, and he’s happy.”
“How can you be so nonchalant about this? He’s with an employee!”
“Yes, but who am I to judge? Dad has always done what he wanted. I don’t like how he and Simone hid it from everyone, but I can understand why.”
“Well, I’m tired of the lies. I just want people around me to be honest with me.”
“Is this mainly about Vanessa?”
Carmen sat down and stared at me. I looked at the wall, trying to ignore her. “You love her, don’t you?”
“What does it matter now? The relationship is over.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. Vanessa made a mistake there's no doubt about that – but she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Believe me, I get it.”
“How would you know?”
“I was in a similar situation. Remember Zelda?”
“Yeah, your friend from elementary school?”
“When we were in our junior year of college, I went with her family to Florida for spring break. Little did I know, that vacation would changed my friendship with her forever.”
“What happened?”
“I caught her in bed with her stepfather.”
“Whoa! Seriously?!”
“Yeah. I was really torn because I knew how much her mom loved her husband. I mean, they hadn’t even been married for six months when it happened. Zelda always joked about getting with him, but I didn’t think she would actually do it.”
“So she asked you to keep it a secret?”
She nodded. “Yeah, and I did, but the guilt was getting to me. Every time I saw her mom, I wanted so much to tell her, but I had this loyalty towards Zelda. We were so close, like sisters, so it was tearing me apart.”
“Didn’t they get a divorce, though?”
“Yeah, because she suspected he was cheating on her, so I told her.”
“And that’s why you and Zelda are no longer friends?”
She sighed. “She chose that loser over the people who loved her. I haven’t heard from her since.”
“But how is that the same as what V did? You confessed.”
“Yeah, but it took me a while to do it. And I’m sure V felt the same way I did. She was probably so consumed with guilt that she didn’t know how to tell you.”
“Why is everyone taking her side? What she did was wrong!”
“And you’re being unreasonable. Maybe she didn’t want to tell you because of your anger towards Dad. You wanted to kill him.”
“That wasn’t just the only reason.”
“I know you have a lot of animosity towards him, but some things, you should just let go. There’s no point in fighting about it.”
“Do you think Vanessa will lose her job?”
Carmen shook her head. “I doubt it; now if Avery takes over, it’s a possibility.”
“We can’t let him own any part of Suds.”
“And we won’t. We’ll find some way to boot him out. I’m sure he knew about Dad and Simone being together; that’s how he was able to blackmail him into giving him that store.”
“What difference does it make, though? Everyone knows about the relationship now.”
“True, but with Avery, there’s always more to the story; and I’m sure Maya is a part of it.”
“How are you going to find out what's going on?”
Carmen smiled. “I’ll find a way, big bro. But right now, I need you to get some sleep.”
“I’m not tired.”
“Just do it so you can sober up.”
I rolled my eyes as Carmen helped me up. She took me to my bedroom, and I cringed. I was a little upset at the thought of what Vanessa and I'd shared earlier.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just go; I’ll be okay.”
Carmen went to the door and turned around. “Don’t let a few mistakes take away your happiness. In the past five months, I’ve seen a huge change in you. You even started cooking again. That reminds me, have you started making coquito cupcakes again? I could go for one right about now.”
I laughed. “I’ll think about making you a few.”
She smiled. “But seriously, you should run your restaurant instead of letting Victor do it, and you should stay with Vanessa. She has a good head on her shoulders; don’t let her slip away.”
“You barely know her.”
“I know enough about her from you. If she could always keep a smile on your face, then she’s a keeper.”
I lay down on my pillow as Carmen left. I looked at the ceiling, confused about what to do.
I loved Vanessa, but until she came clean about everything, we needed some time apart.
Vanessa
After driving around for an hour, I ended up at my parents’. I sat in the car, looking at the garage, wondering if I should even get out. They would sense that something was wrong, but I couldn’t really talk to them about it because they didn’t even know about Mark.
I must have been out of it for a while because I heard tapping on my window. I turned and saw Vivica standing by my car. I rolled down the window, and she gave me a bright smile.
“Why haven’t you come in, honey? You’ve been out here for a while.”
“Sorry; I must have been daydreaming.”
“It’s getting late, so come in.”
I rolled up my window and shut off the engine before getting out. I walked in behind her and to the kitchen.
“Where’s Dad?”
“You know Wednesday is his poker night with the guys, so it’s just you and me.”
“That’s a good thing.”
Vivica frowned. “Is everything okay?”
I shook my head, and she came over and hugged me. “Oh sweetie, tell me what’s wrong.”
“Where should I began?”
“It’s that bad?”
“More than you know.”
“Well, it’s always good to start from the beginning.”
She held my hand as she sat on the stool next to me
"I never told you this, but I’ve been seeing someone.”
Vivica’s eyes lit up, and she smiled. “Really?! Who is he?”
“His name is Mark, and we work together. He’s actually the owner’s son, but he’s a salesperson.”
Vivica looked concerned and a little confused. “You don’t seemed too happy though.”
I took a deep breath then explained everything to her. Throughout the conversation, she either nodded or rubbed my hand, giving me her full attention.
Once I was done, she blew out a huge breath. “Now, I see why you’re sort of lost. And this all happened recently?”
“Yep. It’s overwhelming, isn’t it?”
“Very. But you have to understand where Mark is coming from. You should have been honest with him.”
“I know, and I regret not doing so.”
“You say you love him, right?”
“Yes. I know it’s sudden, but –”
&nbs
p; “It’s never too sudden to fall in love. I still remember the day I met your dad. I knew the moment I saw him that I was in love.”
Into You Page 19