“Really?” Kendall turned in front of the mirror to get a better look.
“Are you an actress?” asked the woman named Marilee.
Kendall feigned embarrassment. “No, not really.”
“Well, if you’re spotted in that, you may want to rethink your career choice.”
Kendall giggled. “Okay, you guys, just break it to me gently. How much is this little number?”
“Like I said, I just marked it down this morning,” said the clerk. “Originally it was $680.”
Kendall attempted the math. “So, that’s like three hundred and change?”
“Three forty,” supplied Marilee. “And a steal.”
“Especially for you,” said the other one. “Because, believe me, you look like a million bucks.”
Marilee nodded. “This is the kind of dress that could change your life.”
Kendall was hooked now. “Okay.”
“What about shoes?”
“I have some gold sandals—”
“Not gold,” said Marilee. “This dress screams for silver. Do you have silver?”
Kendall shook her head.
“Well, we do. We have just the shoes.”
By the time Kendall left the boutique, she had managed to max out two credit cards, but she knew that the purchases were worth it. Marilee was right. This was the kind of outfit that could change her life. Also, she had come up with a revision to her original plan. Really, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of it sooner. Instead of appearing to crash someone’s party, she would simply be at Spago on a dinner date. Surely this party wouldn’t be using the whole restaurant. And when she ran into Matthew, she would act extremely surprised. She would explain how her date had just called to cancel due to a—a what? Perhaps his mother had died. Anyway, she’d come up with something. It would be all downhill after that.
Kendall felt nervous as she climbed out of the taxi. She knew she looked fantastic, but she also knew she was on foreign turf. But as she walked up to Spago, she could tell people were looking. She could tell they thought she was someone. And she was someone—or about to be—once it became known that she and Matthew were an item. She wondered if her photo might show up in some of the celebrity magazines.
“Kendall,” said a woman’s voice.
Kendall paused in front of the door in time to see Kellie and a guy approaching her. “Oh, hi,” said Kendall nervously.
“This is my husband, Glen,” said Kellie. She smiled at the short, dark-haired man attached to her arm. “This is the woman I told you about. She’s house hunting in Matthew and Heidi’s neighborhood. She’s an old friend of Heidi’s.”
“Nice to meet you,” said Glen.
“You look fantastic,” said Kellie as they walked into the restaurant together.
Kendall tried to remember if she’d really said she was an old friend of Heidi’s. Never mind. It was time to regroup. She either needed to break free of these two or somehow cook up a plan to pretend to be their friends. That was it. She’d cling to Kellie and hope that the realtor would hold up her end for her new client. Glen spoke to the hostess, and she pointed toward a sign that said “Happy Birthday, Heidi.” So it was Heidi’s birthday party. Just great.
Kendall was about to make a fast break for the bathroom when suddenly she found herself face-to-face with both Heidi and Matthew.
“Look who we brought,” said Kellie happily. Then she hugged and air-kissed the birthday girl. “Happy birthday, dahling!”
“Oh?” Heidi kind of blinked at Kendall, then made what seemed a forced smile. “Uh, nice to see you again.”
“Happy birthday,” said Kendall in a cheerful voice, putting on a confident smile as she stood straighter. She could feel Matthew staring at her. Was he as excited about this as she felt?
But Matthew’s face actually seemed to grow pale and he didn’t say a word, just stared.
“Kellie’s been fantastic,” Kendall directed this to Heidi. “She’s shown me lots of great houses with loads of potential.”
“You—you’re looking at real estate?” asked Matthew in a strained voice.
“Oh, yeah,” said Kendall. She smiled directly at him.
“I thought you knew all about it,” said Kellie.
“Well, it was Heidi who recommended you,” said Kendall lightly. Then to her relief, some other guests arrived, and Heidi and Matthew were distracted. Kendall followed Kellie and Glen over to where drink orders were being taken. Kendall ordered a double green apple martini and took in a deep breath. She remembered the salesclerks at the boutique and how they thought she might be an actress. Well, maybe she was. And if she could continue pulling this off, she might even win herself an Oscar!
Just as her martini arrived, so did Matthew. “I want to speak to you privately,” he said in a serious voice.
“Sure.”
“Meet me outside in about five minutes.”
“You got it.”
Then he walked back to where Heidi was greeting some of her friends. Hollywood, celebrity-type friends—the kind of friends Kendall would have before long. Kendall told Kellie she was going to powder her nose, then slowly meandered through the crowd and out toward the bathrooms.
Her heart was beating with excitement as she went out the front door. But where was Matthew? Certainly he didn’t expect her to stand out here on the street and just wait for him. Someone might think she was a hooker. So instead of standing, she strolled down the sidewalk. Just before she turned around, she felt a hand on her elbow and looked up to see Matthew by her side. “Come on,” he said as he escorted her on down the street, waving to a taxi parked nearby. “Let’s take a ride.” Then, before she could say a word, he practically pushed her inside and then ducked in beside her.
“Well.” She adjusted her dress and composed herself, then smiled.
“Where to?” asked the driver.
“Just go,” commanded Matthew. And the driver took off.
“It’s nice to see you—”
“Don’t start,” he snapped at her.
“What?”
“What the—” He stopped himself, then glared at her with clenched fists. “What are you doing here?”
“I just came down to—”
“Don’t give me any bull, Kendall. I know why you’re here.”
“But I just—”
“There’s a word for what you’re doing, you know.”
She blinked. “What?”
“Stalking. You are a stalker, Kendall. And if you don’t get out of town and out of my life, I will press charges. And it won’t be the first time, either.”
“But I just wanted to see—”
“I told you I’m married. I don’t need this from you.”
“But, Matthew, I only—”
“Seriously, Kendall. Get out of town. Get out of my life. And don’t ever come back. Do you understand?”
Kendall couldn’t believe it. She felt like Cinderella just now—except that she’d been thrown out of the ball without one single dance.
“I love my wife, Kendall. Sure, I’ve made some mistakes. But we’re working on it.” He swore now. “I can’t believe you crashed her birthday party.” He stared at Kendall like she was some horrible monster. “What kind of a person are you?”
She didn’t know what to say.
“Drive back to Spago,” he spat at the driver. “Drop me off there and then take this—this woman back to wherever she came from. But whatever you do, do not bring her back to Spago. Understand?”
“Got ya.”
Soon they were back in front of the restaurant. Matthew threw a twenty at the driver, then turned to glare at Kendall. “If I ever see you around my house or my wife or me again—I swear I’m calling the police and then my lawy
er. Don’t mess with me, do you understand?”
She nodded without speaking. A huge lump was growing in her throat, and tears were burning in her eyes.
“Good riddance!” Then he jumped out and slammed the door.
“Rough night,” said the driver.
Kendall just nodded, and her tears spilled over.
“Where to, little lady?”
She told him the name of her hotel.
“You know, you’re a real pretty girl,” he said in a way that she suspected was a come-on.
“Thanks,” she said with no warmth. The last thing she needed right now was to be hit on by a middle-aged taxi driver.
“You shouldn’t let that guy get you down,” he said kindly.
And now she just started to bawl. The taxi driver said a few more things, something about love and life and relationships, but she couldn’t really hear him, couldn’t take it in. She just wanted this night to end. How could she have been such a complete fool? As she paid the driver and got out of the cab, she wondered if there was a twelve-step program for idiots. Maybe she could join Stupidolics Anonymous.
Twenty-one
Megan
Megan picked up the coffee carafe and took a sniff. It smelled stale and acidic, probably the same batch she’d made earlier.
“Did you go to church this morning?” asked Lelani as she came into the kitchen and got a bottle of water from the fridge.
“Yeah.” Megan shoved the carafe back and turned the coffeemaker off.
“For someone who just got home from church, you seem a little bummed.” Lelani peered curiously at her.
Megan shrugged as she filled the teakettle with water.
“Is something wrong?” asked Lelani.
Megan put the kettle on the stove and turned it on. “I guess I’m just having second thoughts.”
“Second thoughts?”
“I broke up with Marcus yesterday.”
“Really?” Lelani studied her. “Why?”
“Oh, we got into an argument.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, Friday I wanted him to come to the singles group with me.”
“And he refused?”
“He wanted to go to Zeke’s.”
“Yeah, you mentioned that. To hear a jazz group?”
“A friend was playing …” Megan frowned.
“And that’s why you broke up?”
“Well, I’d had a rough day with Vera the day before. And I said some things to Marcus that I might not have meant. At least I didn’t mean them completely. Or I said them wrong. Anyway, it’s over. And it’s probably for the best.”
“What did you say to him?”
“Like if I was dating someone, I wanted that person to be supportive of my faith, and I wanted us to have similar values. Stuff like that.”
“And he didn’t agree?”
“He sort of agreed. But he didn’t really get it. He told me that we did have similar values and that I needed to lighten up.”
“Maybe you do.”
Megan frowned at Lelani. “Meaning I should compromise my beliefs?”
“That’s not what I—”
“Meaning it would’ve been better for Marcus and me to spend an evening in a smoky bar instead of going to a fellowship group at my church?”
Lelani’s brow creased, like she wasn’t going there. Megan didn’t even blame her.
“I probably handled it all wrong.”
“You really think it’s over?”
Megan nodded. “I told him it wasn’t worth it, and that we should call it quits before we got even more involved.”
“Did you mean it?”
Megan considered this. “You know, I think I just wanted Marcus to jump in and say something like, I want what you want, or I’m willing to give up some things.”
“Oh.”
Megan sighed. “It probably is for the best.”
“So you’re really not going to see him anymore?”
Megan shook her head. “Guess not.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“Not really, but the alternative …”
“Maybe you’ve just reached a new stage of the relationship,” said Lelani hopefully.
“You mean the we’re-not-together-anymore stage?”
Lelani kind of laughed. “That’s not exactly what I meant. But maybe God is doing something.”
Megan blinked in surprise. She wasn’t used to hearing Lelani talk about God. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve been thinking about what you told me the other night. Actually, I’ve been doing more than just thinking about it. I’m trying to live it. I’ve been praying, Megan. And I’ve been trying to trust God with things. Maybe that’s what you need to do about Marcus.”
“I have been.” Now Megan considered this—had she really? “Or maybe not so much. I’m not sure.”
“But it’s not too late.”
“It might be too late as far as Marcus is concerned. I think I hurt him.”
“But if it’s meant to be, if God wants you to be with him, then it can’t be too late, right?”
“I suppose not. I’m just not sure it was meant to be.”
“How do you feel about losing him?”
“Not so great.” Megan frowned as she moved the whistling kettle from the heat. “But at the same time, I’m sort of relieved. It’s like one less stressful thing in my life.”
“So maybe it was the right decision after all.”
“Maybe, but I think it’s kind of a chickenhearted relief.” Megan poured hot water over her tea bag and watched as it steeped. “Do you know what I mean?”
Lelani nodded. “Actually, I do. Like sometimes we stop something just because we’re feeling nervous, but not because it’s the best thing to do. Sometimes I feel like I did that with med school.”
“Why don’t you go back?”
“I don’t know.”
“What if God wants you to go back?” challenged Megan. Actually, she was relieved to get the spotlight off of her.
“I guess I’d have to go back, then.” Lelani smiled. “But hopefully he’d make it very clear if that was the case—and then send money.”
“Where’s Anna?”
“I don’t know. She took off earlier. I didn’t even see her in the house, but I heard her car leaving.”
“Any word from Kendall?”
“No.” Lelani just shook her head. “But I’m really curious as to how this insane plan of hers is going to turn out.”
“Do you think she and Matthew really have a chance to get together?”
“If Kendall has her way.”
“So what are you up to today?” Megan took a sip of tea.
“Just hanging.”
“Well, I have an idea. I mean, if we’re still having our big Christmas Eve party.”
“As far as I know, we are. I’ve already invited a few people.”
“So have I.” Well, Megan had only invited old Mrs. Fowler so far, and she doubted the old lady would come.
“So what’s your idea?”
“Well, it’s what my mom used to do. She’d bake sugar cookies a couple weeks before Christmas and—”
“Won’t they be stale?”
“Not if you freeze them. She’d put them between sheets of waxed paper and store them in the freezer. Then she’d take them out a couple days before Christmas and we’d frost and decorate them.”
“That’s a great idea. Do you have a recipe?”
Megan thought about this. “Not really.”
“Why don’t you call your mom?”
“Okay.” Megan picked up the phone.
“Maybe she’d like to come over and help us,” suggested Lelani.
“She might.” Megan paused before dialing. “But I don’t want to tell her about breaking up with Marcus, okay?”
“Why not?”
“My mom thinks he’s a nice guy.”
“He is a nice guy.”
“Yeah, yeah,” said Megan as she dialed her mom’s number. “But that’s not the main issue right now.”
As it turned out, Megan’s mom was game. Not only did she come over with her recipe, but she brought her cookie cutters too. And the three of them made dozens of shaped cookies.
“This has been so much fun,” said Lelani as Megan’s mom was packing up her things to go home. “Thanks so much for helping.”
“I wish I could come to your party.”
“You’re not coming?”
“No,” said Megan. “She’s off to Mexico to sit on a beach and drink margaritas.”
“Oh, it’s not like that,” said Mom.
Megan patted her mom on the back. “It’s okay. I think it’s a great idea.”
“Not me,” said Lelani. “I’ve had more than enough beachy Christmases. Nothing would make me happier than having snow.”
“I hate to disappoint you, but that’s probably not going to happen.” Megan’s mom pulled on her coat. “I can count white Christmases in Portland—and I mean in my lifetime—on one hand. And that’s not counting my thumb.”
Lelani laughed. “Well, anyway, it’s not like Maui.”
As Megan’s mom left, Anna came in. “Smells good in here,” she said as she peeked into the kitchen. They had saved out one plate of slightly deformed cookies to eat, and Megan offered this to Anna.
“A one-legged reindeer?”
“Yes,” said Lelani. “Those are the rejects.”
“Right.”
Just then the landline phone rang. Megan answered it and was surprised to hear Kendall’s voice. “How’s it going down in sunny Southern California?” asked Megan cheerfully.
“Not well.”
“Oh. Anything seriously wrong?”
“I need a ride from the airport,” snapped Kendall.
“Sure. Okay. When do you—”
“Tonight.”
Let Them Eat Fruitcake Page 18