Sunday smiled. “Roxy, you’ll do great! When you’re feeling insecure, just fake it until you make it. If you think successful, you’ll be successful.”
Roxy rolled her eyes. “Spoken by a beautiful woman who’s never had to want for anything.”
Sunday frowned. “That’s not exactly true.”
Roxy caught herself. “Oh, I’m sorry. All my life, you seemed to be everything I wanted to be and sometimes I forget your life isn’t a bed of roses.”
“More like thorns, these days.”
“Oh? I thought everything was peachy since your trip.”
Sunday shook her head.
“Has he hit you?”
“Oh, no. I just have to work some things out in my head.”
“Why can’t you just spill your guts to me right now?”
Sunday laughed. “No. We are eating and...more shopping.”
Roxy placed her hand to her chest. “Please...no more.”
“Oh, Roxy. It may grow on you.”
* * * *
Wednesday afternoon after Roxy finished up her last room, she went to the office. Caroline was on the phone talking. She glanced at Roxy and pointed at the conference room. Roxy nodded and knocked on the door. Her heart thumped hard. She tingled with nervous energy; her stomach churned.
“Come in.”
Roxy entered the room.
“Go ahead and sit down,” Meredith stated. File folders sat in front of her.
Crap! She’s going to tell me no fucking way!
Meredith smiled. “Sorry for all this. Charles and I are going to a board meeting tonight, and I’m trying to get prepared.” She smiled and paused. “Roxy, Charles and I were both very impressed in the changes you’ve made in your appearance. Even though, I know that it’s a superficial change.”
Crap! Here it comes.
“It’s also let us know that you’re ready to make the changes needed in order to look professional. That is an important part, because you would be representing the motel. You would need to make a positive first impression.”
What does that mean?
“Up until now, neither Charles nor I would have even considered you for the position. However, you did an excellent job that day when no one else was here. You’ve certainly won over Aunt Louise.” She smiled. “I think you’ve got a lot of potential you’ve been hiding from us. You will need to take some computer classes at the college. Of course, we’ll pay for those.”
Roxy jumped up. “You mean I’ve got the job?”
Meredith nodded. Roxy jumped up and down, screeching with joy.
Meredith smiled. “Roxy?”
Roxy caught herself and composed herself quickly. “Yes?”
“You’ll start next Friday. Caroline will do some training with you before she leaves. Until then, you’ll keep your regular hours and days. I already posted an ad for help and I think the other girls can fill in until we hire someone.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Chapter 36
Madison picked up a framed photo off the top of the television set and hurried into the bedroom. “Don’t forget to pack this!”
Justin glanced at it, laughing. “I won’t forget what you look like, Honey.”
“I know...but I want you to put this beside your bedside table, so you can look at me every night before you go to sleep.”
Justin set the picture in between some clothes in his suitcase. He turned to his dresser and pulled out socks and underwear.
Madison fought back the tears as she watched Justin place those in his suitcase as well. She stuck a finger into her mouth, chewing on a nail.
Justin glanced at her, walked over and pulled her hand away from her mouth. “Please don’t do that.”
“I know, I know. I’m just...nervous.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to drive us to the airport? Jeff doesn’t care one way or the other. Sally couldn’t get the time off work to take us.”
“No! I couldn’t. I’d have to see that damn airplane leave.”
“All right.” His face held concern. “Madison, we’ve talked about this. It’s a job. It’s only for a few months. I’ll e-mail you everyday.”
“I know. I don’t know why I’m being such a big baby about it. It’s silly. Just ignore me.”
“I’ll make enough to pay off the truck and my two credit cards; that way when I get back here, I know I can make it on unemployment for a few months if I have to. Hopefully by then I can find something else. I may have to settle for something way less than what I’ve been making.”
“Yes. I’ll be fine.”
Justin cupped her face in his hands. “I love you so much.”
She reached around him and drew his body close.
Hours later, she cuddled close to his exhausted body. “Can we make love one more time?”
Justin moaned. “Madison. I don’t think I can. We made love three times. I have to leave in a few more hours.”
“I’ll get up with you,” she whispered as her hand reached out to touch him.
Justin moaned again. Madison wasn’t sure if it was out of pleasure or simply giving in to her whims.
* * * *
The alarm rang, waking them both up. Madison got out of bed. Knowing that Justin would be leaving caused her anxiety to explode into a panic. “I’m going to drive you. Call Jeff and tell him.”
“Madison, it’s okay.”
“No! It’s not. I’m calling Roxy...no. Roxy is working today. I’m calling Jacki and Elvira. They can ride along with me.”
“You said last night it would make you crazy.”
“I don’t care what I said last night. I’m driving. That’s all there is too it.”
Justin grumbled. “You’re making me crazy.”
“I’ll be ready in five minutes.” She grabbed her cell and called Jacki. They agreed to go with her and be ready in a few minutes. “I have super friends,” she called out to Justin who was in the bathroom. She threw on a pair of jeans and a plain shirt. Justin came out of the bathroom and she hurried in.
“We got ten minutes,” Justin called.
“I know.” She put on a little make up.
Ten minutes is not enough time. You’ll still look like shit.
“I’m almost done.”
You don’t have enough eye shadow on. Your mascara is smudged.
“I’m done.”
Go back and turn off the bathroom light.
She turned back to the bathroom.
“Come on! We need to leave if we’re picking up your friends.”
The light was off. She grabbed her purse and ran out to the SUV.
The light is still on.
“Screw the light,” she said as she sped down the road.
“What light?” Justin asked.
* * * *
Twenty-five minutes later, they were on the freeway heading toward Seattle. Justin and Jeff talked about how long the flight was supposed to be and where they would be staying once they got there. Jacki and Elvira made small talk. Madison was quiet, driving, watching the traffic. She didn’t like driving in the traffic through Everett and Seattle. Yet, if she would have remained at home, that would have driven her crazy too.
“Jacki, do you have anything for heartburn?” Madison asked.
“I do,” Elvira said, pulling a small round of tabs from within her purse. Justin reached into the back and took it from her.
“Thanks.”
“You’re driving. Watch the road.” Justin opened the package and popped a couple into Madison’s open mouth. She chewed quickly, hoping it would ease the burning sensation. She hoped the next couple months were not going to bring on a barrage of physical ailments, all symptomatic of Justin being gone.
The traffic hadn’t been too bad and they arrived at the airport earlier than expected.
“Did you want to just drop us off instead of parking? You won’t be able to go all the way with us anyway with the security system.”
&
nbsp; “I’ll park.” She watched the signs and turned on the exit. Ten minutes later the SUV was parked and they all hurried along into the airport. Read the signs. Stairs and escalators, more stairs. More signs and arrows. Coming around the corner, Madison saw the security lines. Her heart thumped hard in her chest.
“Okay, Honey. You can’t go any further,” Justin said softly.
Madison looked up at him. Her eyes felt hot and wet.
Justin reached up and wiped away a tear. “Oh, Babe. Please don’t cry.”
“I’m not!” she said defensively.
He grabbed her and held her tight. “I’ll call you when I get there. It’s a long flight, so you might be asleep.”
“I don’t care what time it is, you better call me.”
“I promise.”
He kissed her, his tongue slipping between her lips. She responded; her hand reached up around the back of his neck, pulling him even closer.
“Come on, Justin,” Jeff called out, walking backwards down the walkway.
“Okay.” He kissed the tip of her nose and ran up to his friend before turning and yelling out, “I love you!”
“I love you, too!” Madison yelled back, tears streaming down her face. She watched as he made his way through the security maze. Elvira took her arm. “Come on, I think I know where we can watch his plane leave.”
Madison followed Elvira as she made her way around the airport. Fifteen minutes later, Elvira pointed out the window. “Southwestern, right?”
Madison nodded, and stared out the window. Justin would be boarding now. She waited patiently. Minutes ticked by. She watched as the luggage was put into the airplane and tried to figure out which one was Justin’s. More waiting. When the airplane began to move, her heart lurched. Madison stepped closer to the window, wondering if he was looking out one of the windows trying to see her. The plane taxied out to the runway. It went faster now; she could hear the engines whine. An old song popped into her head. “I’m leaving on a jet plane. Don’t know when I’ll be back again.” The plane lifted now. Madison laid her hand against the window.
Chapter 37
Jacki sat at the kitchen table sipping her morning coffee. Elvira was buzzing about her kitchen, emptying the dishwasher and starting a load of laundry.
“Hey, Babe. Why don’t you sit for a moment?”
Elvira stepped around the laundry room. “What?”
Jacki patted the empty chair beside her. “Have a seat.”
Elvira pulled the chair out and sat down. “What?”
Jacki grinned. “I’d be glad to help with the housework, but could we have a cup of coffee first? Converse a bit?”
Elvira smiled. “Sure.” She took a sip of her coffee. “It’s cold.”
Jacki stood up, took her cup, poured out the cold coffee and filled it back up with the freshly brewed.
“Thank you,” Elvira said, taking her cup from Jacki.
“I was thinking, maybe we ask Madison to go along with us today. She’s been so lost since Justin’s been gone.”
“I think that’s a great idea. I’ll tell her I need some advice on wall paper and curtains.”
Jacki laughed. “I wish we were that far along.”
“Still, I’d like to look around, price a few things.”
Jacki sighed. “Monday is the big day. If all goes right, the house will be ours.”
“I know! You won’t regret it. I promise.” Elvira beamed with happiness.
Jacki reached over and took her hand. “It’s our baby.”
Elvira’s face took on a mischievous look.
“What?” Jacki asked.
“We could adopt, you know.”
Jacki shook her head. “I’m not going there! This house will take years to finish, if not forever.” She took the last drink of her coffee. “Next thing you’ll want to do is get married.”
“You could buy me an engagement ring!”
Jacki laughed and handed Elvira the cell. “Call Madison.”
* * * *
Madison was dreaming about creamy sand beaches and Justin. They were walking hand in hand along the beach. Justin turned to her. “Honey, you have to answer the phone.”
“Phone?” She heard the noise too, now. Where was it?
Justin pointed to a palm tree. “Behind there.”
Madison ran around the tree, finding the cell phone laying there in the sand, ringing loudly. She bent down and picked it up. As she did, she saw Justin walking away from her, with some young, bikini-clad Hawaiian girl. “Justin?”
The phone continued to ring.
Madison woke up with a start. The phone beside her bed rang again. Feeling angry and out of sorts, she answered it. “Hello?”
“Hello? Madison, what’s wrong? You sound upset.”
“Oh, Elvira. I just had a bad dream.”
“Did you have any plans today?”
Just wallowing in my own self pity. “No, not really.”
“Jacki and I are going into town to look for materials for the house. I wanted your advice on wallpaper and such. Please come with us? Please?”
Madison combed her fingers through her hair, trying to wake up and forget about the stupid dream. She had a difficult time saying no to Elvira. She was so sweet. Unlike herself, the bitch. “I’ll go if we can go to a real restaurant for lunch, no Micky D’s...and if Jacki will bring me a latte when you come to pick me up. I suppose you plan on going soon? Since Jacki always gets up at the butt-crack of dawn.”
Elvira giggled. “We can be there in an hour. Will that be enough time to get ready?”
“Sure.” Madison hung up the phone. Princess jumped up on the bed and proceeded to give good morning licks to her favorite person. Madison hugged her close. “Ready to go outside and go potty, little girl?”
Madison swung her legs over the bed. However, instead of getting up and grabbing her robe, she ran to the bathroom.
* * * *
Half an hour later she climbed out of the shower. She proceeded to get ready and tried to focus on other things beyond the one thing that wanted to take precedence. Madison turned her CD player on, ramping up the volume. Still, her thoughts traveled in their own direction.
Since Justin had left, she had been riddled with anxiety for many days. Her OCD had kicked up a notch. One morning when she awoke to nausea, Madison chalked it up to her nerves. Now, weeks later, the nausea came and went, of its own choosing. Every new day the nausea hit her it was like a knife cutting away at her denial system.
* * * *
Jacki handed Madison the hot latté. “At your service, Madame.”
Madison smiled and took the coffee as she climbed into the backseat of the car. “Where are we off to first?”
“I guess to look at wallpaper. After that, I want to price sheet rock and kitchen cabinets.”
“Oh. They will be pricy. If Justin was here he could build them.”
“I know. Maybe he’ll be back by the time we are that far along with the remodeling.”
“I hope so.”
“Is he still e mailing you?”
“Yes. He calls once in a while too.”
“Everything is good?”
“Except he’s not here.”
Jacki turned to face Madison. “He’ll be home soon and rolling in cash!”
Madison laughed. “I don’t think he’s going to make that much.”
Her eyes squinted. “You look a little peaked today. Are you feeling okay?”
Madison deliberately met Jacki’s eyes. “I think I have a touch of something, maybe a cold.”
Jacki continued to stare at her for a few more seconds, as if not believing her.
* * * *
Elvira pulled into the Home Depot parking lot and the women piled out of the car. Just as they entered the store, a young woman waddled out past them, her stomach protruding from her pregnancy, a small toddler attached to her arm.
Madison looked away. Great.
Elvira grabbed a shopping cart.
She and Jacki argued who was going to push it. “This way then.” Elvira pointed towards an aisle. Jacki steered in that direction. Madison followed behind, glancing at the paint, and wondering if she should ask her dad about painting the house.
“Oh, look at this print,” Elvira said, picking up a large roll of wall paper. “What do you think, Jacki?”
Jacki glanced at the paper. Soft white background; intertwining deep pink roses, dark green leaves, and vines ran in vertical lines. She looked at Madison; her face registered a plea for help. Madison nodded. Jacki nodded, gave a noncommittal shrug. “I like it.
Elvira took out her small note book and wrote down numbers off the roll, along with the store name and price. “Oh, here’s another.”
Jacki pursed her lips. She glanced at Madison. “Thanks for coming along.”
Madison wrinkled her nose. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
“You two knock it off,” retorted Elvira, pushing the cart up the aisle.
Madison strolled along. She saw a couple pushing a cart with two children in it, fighting with one another. Am I being surrounded?
“Oh. Wow!” Jacki exclaimed, walking around the corner. She picked up a skill saw. “Check this baby out, Elvira.”
Standing still, and keeping her hands on the cart, she nodded. “It looks like a saw.”
Jacki moved it along an imaginary board, making sound effects, “Errrrrrrrrrwing,” swiping it up in the air. She smiled at her lover. “Think it will go with the wallpaper?”
* * * *
Madison picked at her lunch while the two women discussed what they wanted to do with the house. She wondered what Justin was doing now, so far from home. His emails had been chipper and upbeat. He had taken his camera and had sent several pictures; beautiful plants and flowers, chickens, water and beaches, more chickens, mountains, trees and more chickens.
“They run wild here!” he had emailed. She hoped he didn’t try to bring any home.
Her cell phone rang, bringing her back to the present. She read the caller’s name.
“Sunday, what’s up?”
Sunday cried, “It’s Mama. She’s gone, Madison. They just called me from the nursing home.”
“Oh, Sunday...I’m so sorry.”
(Don't Mess With) Clear Lake Women Page 21