by Amy Storm
“Please, Melanie. Don’t do this. Don’t throw away what we have. I’m a different person now.”
“Yeah, you’re right. You’re nothing like the woman I fell in love with. I don’t know you at all.” She walked away.
Olivia stood alone with nothing left of Melanie except the coffee cup she had left on the bench. She watched the love of her life walk away from her. She had nobody now. She was back to square one, but she was in love. It was painful, a different kind of pain that hurt worse than any physical pain she had ever experienced before. She wasn’t going to give up. She vowed to fight with determination for the first time in her life for the woman she loved.
***
Olivia went home and sank down on the couch clutching the pillows to her chest. The pain was overwhelming. She picked up her cell phone and searched her favorites. When she saw the picture of Melanie, she lost it.
She went to the bedroom and changed into pajamas. On the way out, she caught her reflection in the mirror. She didn’t recognize the fragile and emotional person staring back at her. “Who the hell are you? What has happened to you? Why did you let yourself fall in love? You can’t handle this. Nobody will ever want to be with you once they find out about your past and who you are.”
She grabbed a cold beer out of the refrigerator. It was now or never time. She had to make a decision and get off the fence. Either she could call Melanie and apologize again, or she could move on and go back to her old ways. There was no chance in hell she would let anyone else see this vulnerable side of her again. Do I have a choice?
She picked up her phone and swallowed what little pride she had left. The phone rang five or six times and then someone answered.
“Hello?” a woman said.
“Who is this?” Olivia asked.
“Who the hell is this?” was the response back.
“Where’s Melanie?”
There was silence and Olivia heard a muffled conversation in the background.
Melanie picked up the phone. “What do you want, Olivia?”
“Who answered your phone?”
“I don’t have to tell you anything. You’re not my girlfriend anymore. Were you jealous? Were you worried I already slept with someone else? Don’t worry, I’m not interested in competing with you and all the sluts you slept with at the hotel.”
This wasn’t the conversation Olivia had hoped to have.
“I’m sorry, Melanie. Please forgive me. I’ve never been in love with anyone before. You changed me. I love you.”
The phone grew silent and she heard more conversation in the background before Melanie spoke again.
“I’ll call you tomorrow. I need time away from everyone right now, especially you,” Melanie said.
“But…”
Melanie hung up on her.
Olivia's blood boiled and her stomach twisted. Who the hell answered the phone? Was it one of Melanie’s friends? A client? A stranger? A lover? It should have made Olivia want to forget about Melanie and move on, but it didn’t. She was too exhausted and drained to fight any more, but she wasn’t ready to give up.
***
After a restless night, Olivia rolled out of bed with a throbbing headache and reality hit her like a ton of bricks. This wasn’t a nightmare she could just wake up from. Her life had gone from just getting by, to having someone to love, and then sinking to a new low worse than she had felt before. The phone rang and Olivia reached for it. She cringed when she saw who it was.
“Hello?”
“Olivia, it’s Mary. What did you do to my daughter? She’s upset, but she won’t talk about it. She told me to ask you about what happened.”
Olivia bit her lip and tried to choose her words before she dug a deeper hole than she already had with Melanie.
“I told Melanie that I had kept a secret that I wasn’t able to discuss with anyone until now.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Well, I, um…”
“Just tell me already. As long as it’s the truth, I can deal with it.”
“Well, I don’t own a cleaning business. I’m a private investigator hired to investigate the church.”
Mary sighed. “Oh, so you’re the reason our church was under all this scrutiny and backlash?”
“The Boswell family hired me to investigate Reverend Higgins and his associates to figure out who molested their daughter.”
“Why didn’t you tell me what you did for a living?”
“I couldn’t, Mary. It’s not that simple. When someone hires me, I have to ensure them that I will not speak a word to anyone about the case that I am on. I could end up arrested or killed depending on the type of case. I have to work undercover.”
“Well, I’m glad you helped Reverend Higgins clear his name. I can’t believe Bruno did all those things, those poor children.”
“I messed up with Melanie too. I love her, but she is so upset with me right now. I don’t want to go into the details, but she found out some things about my past, and I don’t know if she will ever forgive me.”
“You have to understand that Melanie has a past too, and her past is full of women who have lied to her and broken her heart. I know she cares for you and this is tearing her up inside. You are like a daughter to me, and I want you to be happy too.”
Olivia wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffled. “I hope it’s not too late to gain back your trust and Melanie’s love.”
“Why don’t you come over this evening for dinner? I’ll have Melanie come over too. We can get all this out in the open, but you have to prove to her that you’ve changed and that you won’t keep secrets from her.”
“I would love to, but I’m not sure that’s a good idea right now. She is upset with me, and I don’t know if she’ll ever find it in her heart to forgive me.”
“Well, I would love to have you come over. The two of us can still talk. Call me later and let me know what you decide.”
“Okay, I’ll call you in a few hours and let you know.”
“Okay, sweetheart. Remember, Olivia, no matter what happens between you and my daughter, you will always be like a daughter to me. I care for you.”
“Thanks, Mary.”
After the phone call, Olivia needed a distraction. She pulled the box down from a shelf in her closet that contained her parents’ case files from twenty-two years ago. This was the reason she became a private investigator after studying criminal law in college. It all started with the murder of her parents. Every now and then, she would pull out the files and try to find something new, something overlooked before. She knew there was a clue in there somewhere that seemed so inconsequential that it did not stand out on its own, but could be the missing piece she had been looking for. She not only needed to know who, but she needed to know why. What motive would anyone have for killing her parents?
She pulled out a copy of the initial police report and stared at each line. Every word on that page was there for a reason. Out of all the clues and evidence, these were the ones that were important to the officer who filed the report. It was all she had to go on. Crime scene investigation had come a long way since then, making these reports and photos seem archaic compared to investigations that occur now. It was a cold case with no new leads in two decades. There had been no new real suspects to pursue. Whoever did this not only took her parents’ lives, they destroyed any chance Olivia had at being normal. She had been an average teenager up until that night, but afterwards she was an empty and emotionless shell without a girlfriend or any friends. There was no way she was going to let this destroy her future with Melanie too.
One thing she did know was that her mom was shot first. She began thinking and discussing her ideas out loud. “Why would someone shoot Mom first?” In her experience, the perpetrator almost always incapacitates the man first thinking they are more likely to put up a fight or struggle. “So, was this a personal crime? Maybe they wanted to torture Dad by making him watch his wife
’s execution. Maybe they spared him long enough so he could suffer the emotional pain of losing Mom.”
Her mind raced as she continued to think through the possible scenario from this new angle. “What if this was a girlfriend that he had on the side, or a stalker, or someone he worked with?” She checked the time and realized she had worked through lunch. When she was in a zone, she lost all track of time. “Dammit.” She grabbed the yellow legal pad dangling off the edge of her bed and scribbled down her thoughts as fast as they came to her. As upsetting as this was, this was still the past and she had a future to worry about.
At least she still had Mary on her side. She shoved everything back into the box and threw the legal pad on top to remind her of where she was headed when she looked at the files again. Some time away from them to clear her preconceived ideas would be a good thing.
She put the box away and focused all her attention back on Melanie. She picked up her phone and called Mary.
“Hello?” Mary answered.
“Hi, Mary.” Olivia began having second thoughts about facing Melanie again.
“Did you decide to come over for dinner?”
Olivia’s voice was softer and more depressed than usual. “Yes, I’ll be there.”
“Great. Melanie will probably show up too. I can never get a straight answer out of that woman. I hope you two can talk through this and work things out. I’m pulling for you, Olivia.”
Olivia smiled. It gave her some comfort knowing she had someone in her corner. “I’ll be there in a little bit. Do you want me to pick up any bread or wine on the way?”
“How about a nice dessert? Would that be okay? I have a huge pot roast, stewed potatoes, carrots, and gravy with steamed white rice on the side. I also made a huge salad with fresh sweet red bell peppers and feta cheese.”
“Mmm, that sounds delicious. I’ll stop off at the bakery on my way over.”
“See you soon.”
“Okay, thanks again, Mary. Bye.”
***
Olivia took a nice warm shower to help calm her stress about tonight. She applied the perfume she had on when she went to Melanie’s house the first time for the photo shoot, the one Melanie had commented on. She slid into a pair of tight blue jeans, ones that she had never worn for Melanie before. She chose a bright white button-up shirt with a sexy, tight black tank top underneath. She tucked her shirt in. There was no way she was covering anything up, she needed all the ammunition she could use to get Melanie’s attention. If Melanie wasn’t willing to listen, maybe she could at least catch her eye. Nothing about her outfit cried casual this time. Instead, it screamed, Look at the sexy woman and body you’ll be giving up if you walk away. It was more the style Olivia was used to, but still not what the old Olivia would have chosen. That was okay because she was a different person now, one who was opening up to other people and caring about them in return.
She kept her makeup nice and natural because that’s how Melanie liked it. She brushed on a little bit of foundation, some mascara, and soft black pencil eyeliner to accentuate her blue eyes. She painted her lips a cranberry color, just enough to make them stand out.
She stopped by a bakery on the way to Mary’s. Without realizing it, she passed by the one she used last time. Once inside, she looked around trying to make a decision about what to get. She heard the woman behind the counter announce, “Next.”
Olivia wasn’t ready, so she ignored the woman hoping someone else would place their order while she browsed some more.
“Next. Olivia? You look different.”
Olivia looked up to find the owner of the now soft voice. Oh, shit. You look familiar, but I have no idea what the hell your name is.
“It’s me, Brittany. We met at Xavier’s Club on New Year’s Eve. You know the lesbian club downtown?”
Olivia’s mind was blank as she studied Brittany’s face.
Brittany leaned forward. “We kissed at midnight and then you took me to the Ubiquity Hotel and we…” Brittany wiggled her eyebrows.
Olivia had a flashback. She remembered meeting someone New Year’s Eve, but that is all she recalled. “Oh, yeah. I remember you, Brittany.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
Olivia looked around, but there weren’t any other customers around to divert Brittany’s attention. “Well, I told you, I didn’t do relationships.”
“I’m not into relationships either, but I sure enjoyed the fun we had in the hotel.”
The manager came in from the back of the bakery. “Is everything okay up here, Brittany?”
“Yes, Margie. I’ve got it covered.”
Margie gave her a look. “Okay, hurry along. I have some inventory we have to go over before you leave tonight.”
Brittany rolled her eyes when Margie turned around. “Okay, I’m helping this customer, and then I’ll be right with you.”
Olivia laughed. “Well, I’ll have the crumb cake and some of those rainbow cookies. They are so addictive.”
Brittany placed the crumb cake in a white cardboard box and tied the string. Then, she gathered a half dozen rainbow cookies and placed them in a paper bag and folded the top down.
“Call me sometime. Do you still have my number?”
“I’m sorry, Brittany, but I’m seeing someone now or at least I hope I am. We kind of had a fight.”
“I thought you didn’t do relationships?” She dismissed the question as it lingered in the air unanswered. “Anyway, if you get tired of being tied down by one person,” she winked, “or if you want me to tie you down, give me a call.” She wrote her name and number on the top of Olivia’s bag of cookies.
Olivia paid and left in a hurry without making any promises she couldn’t keep. That would be the last time she went to that bakery. On her way to her car she tore the top off the bag with Brittany’s number and threw it in one of the trashcans on the sidewalk. The last thing she needed was for Melanie to see the phone number and be reminded of her past again.
She arrived at Mary’s but she didn’t see Melanie’s jeep anywhere. Mary met her at the door before she had a chance to knock.
“Come in, Olivia.”
“Hi, Mary.” She gave Mary a hug while balancing the bag on top of the box from the bakery in one hand.
“Let me take those from you. Go get warmed up by the fireplace.”
Olivia took off her coat and fanned herself after Mary disappeared into the kitchen. It felt like a sauna.
“Oh, Olivia, what do you think about the green walls?”
“I love the color. Isn’t that the color of Melanie’s bedroom?” Olivia bit her tongue realizing what she had just admitted. Yes, Mary, lovely color. Isn’t that the same color of your daughter’s bedroom walls, which I have seen on many occasions?
“It’s okay. I may be old, but I’m not foolish enough to think you haven’t seen the inside of my daughter’s bedroom. Anyway, Melanie and her friend, Roxie, came over last night to paint. She had promised to do it for a while, but well, she was busy. Don’t worry, they’re just friends.”
Olivia forced a smile. “Roxie? Maybe that’s who answered Melanie’s phone when I called yesterday.”
Mary warmed her hands by the fireplace. “Melanie should be here in about a half an hour. She’s been an emotional wreck these past few days. She was hesitant about coming, but I think she wants to hear what you have to say.”
“I hope so. I’ve never connected with anyone before like I have with her. I’m sorry, this feels weird. I’m sure you don’t want to hear any of this, but her forgiveness and acceptance means a lot to me. She means so much to me.”
“Nonsense. I just want you both to be happy, although I would prefer you two were happy together. You’re special to her too, but you have to be honest with her from now on. That’s all she wants, love and honesty. That’s all anyone wants. Just be yourself. No more pretending and no more secrets. Forget about the past and start living your life open and be honest from this point forward. Don’t be the
Olivia she fell in love with if that’s not who you are. If she can’t appreciate that and handle the change, then it just isn’t meant to be, hun.”
“Thanks. I know you’re right.”
Mary took a seat beside Olivia on the couch. “I still can’t believe you are a top-notch private investigator. That must be an exciting career.”
“Well, it has its moments. It’s pretty stressful because some people still believe it’s a man’s job. I feel like I have to work twice as hard to prove myself, which I guess works out for the client, but it leaves me without any social life or time to relax. It challenges me and pushes me to my limits, but that’s also part of the reason I love it.”
“I understand. You’re a confident, bright, young woman.”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “Young? Not anymore.”
“Given my age, yes I would say forty is young. Anyway, what made you want to become a private investigator?”
Before Olivia could answer, they heard keys fall outside the door.
“Oh, that must be Melanie.” Mary stood to unlock the door.
Olivia’s throat tightened. She stood, then sat, then stood again. It was hard to make up her mind when all she wanted to do was run. She thought she was ready to face Melanie, but now she wasn’t so confident. She ran her fingers over her hair in case the wind had created any fly-aways before. She unbuttoned two more of the buttons on her shirt and wiped her palms on her jeans before shoving her hands in her back pockets to keep them from shaking.
The door opened and Melanie appeared just as beautiful as the first time she had laid eyes on her in the exact same spot months ago. Olivia blinked fast and dug her nails into her jeans to hold back the tears threatening to surface and betray the calm demeanor she was trying to pull off. Melanie looked amazing with faded jeans and a tight peach sweater that hit all the right curves.
Olivia took an unsure step forward. “Hi, Melanie.”
“Hello, Olivia.” Melanie threw her coat over the back of the chair.
Mary picked it up and hung it in the closet. “Why do you insist on carrying your coat instead of wearing it like normal people do?”