by BL Miller
"Bye."
Rose put the receiver back in the cradle and reached for her cane. If there was such a car, Ronnie would have that paperwork in her private files. Reaching into her desk drawer, she retrieved a small key and headed into Ronnie's office.
Sure enough, behind the files for the Cherokee and Mustang was a folder marked Porsche and Rose pulled it out of the cabinet and returned to her desk. She set the folder down and called Susan's secretary to cover for her while she took the file to Wendy. When she picked the folder up again, a photo fell out. She looked at the red car, thinking it too speedy for Ronnie's tastes. Opening the folder to put the picture back, her eyes fell on a receipt sitting prominently on top of the other papers. It was a repair bill from Hans' Import Cars. Her eyes widened at the total at the bottom. I can't imagine paying a repair bill like that. Calculations of hours and materials filled up the receipt, but it was a hand scribbled note just above the total that caught her attention. Repairs started 12-5, completed 1-18.
Rose slumped into her chair feeling as if a sledgehammer had struck her in the chest. Repairs started 12-5. Right after the accident. If that wasn't enough, another receipt showed the Porsche had passed inspection only a week before. "Oh God…" A sick feeling churned in her stomach and she had to swallow several times to keep her coffee down.
There was no mysterious stranger driving drunk. It was Ronnie. Tears started to fall, smearing mascara down Rose's cheeks. That's why you wanted to help me so much. It was all a lie to protect yourself. Dabbing her eyes with a tissue, she reached out with shaky hands and opened the Rolodex. Her lower lip quivered and her vision blurred as she tried to find the number to the cab company Ronnie used to pick clients up from the airport. It was all a lie. Her hands shook so hard she misdialed the number twice before finally reaching the right one. Rose's voice wavered as she spoke with the dispatcher. She was informed there was one only a block away and it would meet her in front of the building. Without waiting for Susan's secretary to arrive, Rose gathered her purse and cane and left the office. It's okay, Ronnie. You don't have to worry about me anymore. She choked back a sob. I understand.
Maria was surprised to see a cab pull into the driveway and even more so to see Rose step out. She opened the sliding glass door. "What are you doing home in the middle of the day? Rose?
Child, have you been crying?"
"It's nothing, Maria," she sniffed. "Where's Tabitha?"
"She's lying down somewhere, why?" Rose didn't answer, instead walking past the housekeeper and heading for the stairs. "What's going on? Where's Ronnie?"
"At work," came the sad reply. To Maria's dismay, the cab seemed to be waiting for Rose. A few minutes later, Rose came down the stairs, one of Ronnie's suitcases in her hand.
"What is going on? Where are you going?" To her surprise, green eyes were rimmed with red.
"Would you please tell the man that this is the only bag? I have to get Tabitha." She set the suitcase at the bottom of the stairs and went back to retrieve her cat.
"Rose wait." Maria followed her up, stopping the young woman with a firm hand on her shoulder. "What's going on? Did you and Ronnie have a fight?"
"Did you know she was the one that hit me?" The look in the housekeeper's eyes answered the question. Rose nodded, having suspected as much. "I wish you had told me. I wish she had told me." She swallowed hard, not wanting to start crying again. "I need to get Tabitha."
"Where are you going? Does Ronnie know you're leaving?"
"Maria, I can't talk about this. Please, I just want to get my cat and get out of here." At that moment the orange feline appeared at the top of the stairs and headed for her open arms.
"Tabitha, come here, Honey." She scooped the cat into her arms. "Come on, sweetie. We have to go now."
"Rose, please wait a minute." Maria stood in front of the doorway, refusing to let the young woman pass. "Have you talked to Ronnie? You need to talk to her before you go and make any rash decisions."
"There's nothing left to say," Rose sniffed, angrily wiping away an errant tear. "I'll return her suitcase as soon as I can."
"Where will you go?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "I just have to get away." The cab horn beeped, drawing her attention. "I need to go now. Please take care of yourself, Maria."
"Rose, please don't leave. I'm sure if you just talk to Ronnie…"
"No." Her ankle was beginning to throb from the overuse. "Let her know that I'm not going to sue her or anything, so she doesn't have to worry." She walked out to the kitchen and then through the screen door. The driver helped her and Tabitha into the car, then came to the doorway to get the suitcase. Maria handed him a bag containing a box and several cans of cat food, her other hand busily pressing the speed dial on the phone.
part 13 (conclusion)
"Two percent growth is not what I expected when I hired you for this position," Ronnie said, her eyes darting from the report in front of her to the nervous manager. The shrill sound of the phone drew a glare from her. It had better be damn important to ruin a perfectly good chewing out.
"Excuse me." She reached for the phone before the annoying ring could be heard again.
"Veronica Cartwright…who?…Well, where's Rose? Why are you answering my phone?
Fine…put her through." She looked at the man seated across from her. "That's all for now. I'd better see higher numbers next quarter." She turned her attention back to the phone. "Maria?
What's wrong?"
Susan was walking down the hall toward Ronnie's office in search of her secretary when she saw her sister tear down the hall and head for the stairway. "Ronnie, what's going on?"
"I can't talk now. Gotta go." The door opened and she disappeared, footsteps pounding down the metal stairs. The redhead entered her sister's office. "Margaret, what happened here?"
"I don't know, Ms. Cartwright. Rose called me to come cover for her for a few minutes while she ran something down to accounting but when I got here she was gone. I assumed she couldn't wait but I haven't seen her since. Funny thing is Wendy called up a few minutes ago looking for her."
"You mean Rose never showed up?"
"No. I was going to go look for her but then Miss Cartwright's housekeeper called and sounded real upset. I put her through to the conference room. Then Miss Cartwright came racing in here and grabbed her purse and left. Didn't say a word to me. Do you want me to stay here?"
"No, that's all right. You can go back to your desk now. I'll close up in here. I don't think either of them will be back today."
Once her secretary left the room, Susan looked through the papers on Rose's desk. Seeing the folder for the Porsche, she opened it. The receipt on top still showed watermarks where tears had apparently fallen. Funny, I don't remember her saying anything to me about being in an…"Oh my God," she whispered. "No." Sitting in the chair, she turned the computer on and logged in under her ID. She opened the personnel file and compared the dates to the receipt. "Oh Ronnie." The pieces clicked into place and she was certain that Rose had figured it out as well. She thought about calling over to Ronnie's house but decided instead to drive over. If what she thought had happened, her sister would need her.
****************
When Susan arrived, Ronnie was on the phone. "What do you mean you don't know where she was dropped off? How many women with cats do you drive around everyday?…Well can you at least tell me if it was a hotel or a bus station? You think it was a hotel? Any idea which one?
You're a lot of help, thanks," she said sarcastically as she slammed the phone down. "They don't know or they're not saying. Damn useless cab companies." She looked up to see her sister standing there. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought you might need help." She pulled out the adjacent chair and nodded at Maria's motion toward the coffeemaker. "I saw the paperwork for the Porsche on Rose's desk. Ronnie, I have to ask. The accident…"
"It was me," Ronnie answered sadly.
"And you never tol
d her."
"No."
"So now she's found out on her own and decided to leave you."
"Looks that way," Ronnie sighed, staring at the phone. "Came here, packed a few clothes, took Tabitha and left."
"Maybe she just needs some time to think about it."
"I'd say she's already thought about it." She combed her fingers through her hair. "She's gone, Susan. She…she left me."
"Ronnie, she'll come back. You two love each other."
"She thinks I lied to her."
"You did lie to her," the younger Cartwright pointed out. "Ronnie, you have to expect that she'll be upset about this. You hit her and lied about it. I can't believe you kept that a secret. How did you think she'd react to finding out? Especially after the two of you have…you know…become lovers."
"I can't be without her, Susan." Her eyes fell on the empty chair which only hours before had been filled by Rose eating her breakfast. "I need her." She looked at the phone again. "How many hotels can there be in Albany? Maria, get me the phone book."
"I'll help. Where's the phone for the other line?"
"In the office. Ask them first if they take pets. That should eliminate most of them."
Forty-five minutes worth of calling hotels turned up no sign of her beloved Rose. Ronnie was very upset and frustrated by the time Susan came out, a piece of paper in her hand and a triumphant smile on her face. "I tried to think like she would. You know how she's worried about money. I started calling the cheaper motels and voila, found her."
Ronnie took the scrap of paper and looked at it. "The Barcade? That roach motel on Central?"
"It must be the cheapest motel in Albany that allows pets," Susan replied.
"I've got to go see her."
"Ronnie, wait." Susan put her hand on her sister's shoulder. "Maybe you should call and talk to her on the phone first. You're upset, she's upset. Maybe a face to face confrontation isn't such a good idea. What if you get there and she doesn't want to talk to you?"
"She'll talk to me," Ronnie said. "Why wouldn't she? Rose is a reasonable woman. I'm sure once I explain what happened, she'll forgive me and come home where she belongs."
"I hope so," Susan replied, not entirely convinced that her sister was right.
********************
Ronnie pulled her car into the pothole-ridden parking lot. From the driver's seat she looked at the aged and decrepit structure. The dingy cream colored paint was peeling away in several places and half the upper level was missing the railing. Dented doors and broken windows added to the flavor of the cheap motel. Ronnie was certain that she would be able to get Rose to come home with her. She was about to go into the office when she saw the familiar orange cat jump into one of the upper level's windows.
Rose stomped on the roach she saw scurry out from behind the toilet. Tomorrow she would call around for another place to stay. Knock knock. "Rose?" Ronnie's voice startled her. She had not expected to deal with her lover so quickly. Grabbing her cane, she walked across the stained carpet and stood behind the door, pressing her forehead against the cool metal.
"Go away, Ronnie," she said softly.
"Rose, please let me in. We need to talk."
"Please go home. I'm fine."
"You're not fine. If you were fine you'd be home with me." The doorknob jiggled, showing the executive's frustration with talking through the steel door. "Sweetheart, please just let me in so we can talk."
"There's nothing to say, Ronnie. Go home. You don't have to worry. I won't sue you or anything."
"Sue?" The doorknob jiggled again. "Rose, let me in. I'm not worried about you suing me. Come on, Honey. We need to talk."
"So talk. I can hear you." Rose knew she could not open the door. She was on the verge of tears as it was and seeing Ronnie would be more than enough to push her over the edge. "What did you want to say?"
A long silence. "I wanted to say I love you. That I want you to come home with me and talk about this. Please Rose, I'm sorry I lied to you."
"Sorry you lied or sorry I found out?" She closed her eyes. "Please…just go home, Ronnie."
"I can't leave without you."
Rose slapped her hand against the door. "You…you were my knight in shining armor, you know. I really thought you had come down and rescued me like a real life Cinderella." She did not bother wiping the tears that ran down her face. "And all this time you were just trying to protect yourself. What a fool I was."
"No…Rose, you don't understand."
"What don't I understand? You hit me, lied about it, made me think that everything you were doing was out of the goodness of your heart, then you let me fall in love with you." Rose lashed out, slamming the side of her fist against the door. "Damn you, Ronnie. Damn you. Why did you let me fall in love with you?" The sobs refused to be held back and she collapsed to the floor.
"Please go away Ronnie. There's nothing left to say." She hugged her knees against her chest and cried.
"Rose, please." The young woman refused to answer, even when the request was repeated several times. Eventually Ronnie walked away, her footsteps against the creaking wood drawing even more pain from the young woman's heart. Rose threw herself on the threadbare blankets that covered the bed and cried herself into a restless sleep.
*******************
Susan walked into the outer office to find her secretary sitting at Rose's desk. "How is she?" she asked.
"She hasn't come out of her office all day," Margaret replied.
"Are you still holding all of her calls?"
"Except…"
"I know," Susan waved her hand dismissively. "Maria or Rose, right?" She shook her head and headed for Ronnie's office. Margaret jumped up immediately.
"Ms. Cartwright, I don't think she wants to see anyone."
"Oh no, Margaret. She wants to see someone. It just isn't me." With that, she reached for the door handle.
"I don't…" Ronnie began, stopping when she saw who it was. "Susan, I'm very busy."
"Busy doing what? Hiding in your office and working yourself to exhaustion?" She closed the door and stood in front of her sister's desk. "Ronnie, you can't keep this up."
"Don't start playing mother hen with me. I'm not in the mood."
"And what do you plan to do? Stay in this depression? Have you looked in a mirror lately?"
The strain had taken its toll on Ronnie. Dark circles under her eyes were a testament to the lack of sleep. Her cheeks were drawn, her hair given only the barest of care. The sullen woman had taken to spending the night in her office, finding an empty home too much to bear. Susan recognized her sister's outfit as one kept in the office closet for emergencies.
"Come to my house for dinner tonight, Ronnie," she urged. "You know Jack and the kids would love to see you."
"No. I have things to attend to here."
"No word from Rose yet?"
"She left the Barcade a week ago and checked into the Maverick. Traded in one dive for another." Ronnie rubbed her face with her hands. "She must have left instructions with the front desk not to let any calls through. They keep taking messages but she won't return my calls." Susan nodded, having already known those facts thanks to frequent phone calls to Maria.
"Have you been over to try and talk to her again?"
"What's the point?" Ronnie sighed. "I did that twice and she wouldn't even open the door for me." She buried her head in her hands. "She just keeps telling me to go away."
"Sis, I hate to say this but maybe you should consider moving on."
Ronnie lifted her head and gave her sister a look of total desperation. "I can't, Susan. Don't you understand that she's everything to me?" A tear rolled down her cheek. "I need her like I need air or water. I feel so empty without her." She turned her head away, angrily wiping away the tears that seemed to form so easily during the past week. "What's all this worth?"
"Hmm?" Susan didn't understand the question.
"What's all this worth?" She gestured at the re
ports and papers on her desk. "What are gains and ratios and profits worth if there's nothing to show for it? What's the precious Cartwright reputation and status worth if the one woman I need most in my life won't even speak to me?"
"Ronnie, you're talking crazy now. You know as well as I do this business has to survive and make money."
"For what? So we can have a few more zeros in our bank accounts?" She stood up and looked out the window. "It doesn't mean anything without her."
"Veronica?" Ronnie wiped her face with her hand before turning to see Beatrice standing in the doorway. "I was downtown doing some shopping and I was hoping you girls would join me for lunch." She stepped inside and shut the door. "What happened to your friend? I thought she replaced Laura."
"She left," Ronnie said without elaboration. "I'm too busy for lunch today, Mother. Maybe Susan can go with you."