Janet

by E. L. Todd

  “Just go with it,” I whispered.

  Beatriz hugged Cassie, and Cassie looked like she was trying not to vomit.

  When Beatriz hugged Layla, Layla patted her on the back awkwardly, glaring at me.

  “Nice dress,” Layla looked down at it. “But good luck sitting down.”

  Beatriz laughed then ignored her. She turned to Kyle to hug him, which was totally inappropriate since she’d never met him, but Kyle extended his hand to shake hers instead. Layla looked pleased by his reaction.

  “It’s lovely to meet you,” Kyle said “Janet is a very awesome lady. You must be as well.”

  “Actually, I’m the cooler and hotter sister,” Beatriz said with a laugh.

  I clenched my fists. I hated it when Beatriz pointed out my lesser beauty, especially in public. Beatriz had a smaller waist, smaller boobs, and thinner legs. Even though she had a baby, she kept a tight figure. I had more curves in obvious places.

  Cassie placed her hand on my shoulder and comforted me, silently calming me down. “It’s just the weekend,” she reminded me.

  I sighed then took a seat.

  “And who are you?” Beatriz said when she reached Scott.

  “Scott, Kyle’s brother.”

  “Ooh,” she said. “I see the resemblance. You’re really hot.”

  I covered my face, morbidly embarrassed.

  Scott nodded but didn’t say anything. He turned toward everyone at the table. “What’s everyone ordering?”

  “Wine,” I said immediately.

  “More wine,” Cassie added.

  Layla sighed. “I need some vodka.”

  Kyle smiled at her but didn’t comment.

  Beatriz took her seat next to Scott, leaning close to him. “So, what do you do for a living?” Her breasts were practically popping out of the pink dress. If Scott looked down, he’d be able to catch a full view. He never glanced.

  “I’m a lawyer.”

  “I like that,” she said with a smile. “You must be well off.”

  My sister was driving me insane. She was clearly flirting with him.

  Layla cleared her throat. “How’s your husband?”

  Beatriz glanced at her. “He’s working.”

  I noticed the odd response. She didn’t even answer the question.

  Cassie turned to me. “So, have you talked to Ryan?”

  Scott watched my face while I spoke.

  “No,” I said. “I’ll see what he says next time I see him.”

  Scott looked at me then ordered his drink when the waitress came over. We ordered a few appetizers to have while we drowned in alcohol. When I looked at my sister, she was still looking at Scott, ignoring the rest of us.

  “A handsome guy like you must have a girlfriend,” she said.

  He didn’t look at her. “Actually, I don’t.”

  “Interesting…”

  Cassie glared at her but kept her mouth shut. I knew the only reason my best friend was being so quiet was out of respect for me.

  Layla turned to me. “Sorry I’ve been ditching our gym routine. I’ve been going with Kyle.”

  “It’s fine,” I said with a smile. “I’d ditch you guys to go with my boyfriend if I had one.”

  Scott turned to me, his eyes looking into my face.

  Cassie nodded. “Me too. I want a man that does boxing or street fighting. That would be so hot.”

  Layla shook her head. “I would hate it if Kyle did that. I’d be worried about him all the time.”

  “You would probably beat up his opponents,” I said with a laugh.

  Kyle brushed her hair with his lips. “That’s why I keep her around—protection.”

  “Not many girls can survive a bar fight,” I said.

  “My girl is a badass,” Kyle said. “That’s exactly how I like her.”

  Beatriz was still chattering in Scott’s ear. I was starting to feel really bad for the guy. She was leaning close to him, practically touching her arm with his. Scott drank from his glass then stared at the TV, seeming unaffected by her forward approach. I’d never been more embarrassed of my sister. Maybe she was drunk, but there was no way she was that far gone. We just got there.

  When the food arrived, we dug in. I grabbed a fried cheese stick from the plate.

  “You shouldn’t be eating that,” Beatriz said as she looked at me. “If you want your body to look better, you have to eat better.”

  Cassie gripped her glass, almost shattering it.

  “Beatriz, just stop talking,” I snapped.

  “Excuse me?” she asked, offended. “You’re the one that’s always trying different diets and crying about how much weight you’ve gained over the years.”

  I glared at her, feeling my hands form fists. “That’s not true at all. I’ve never cried over my weight. And I’m not even fat! I’m just not a stick like you. So I’ll eat all the damn fried cheese sticks I want, all the pizza, the hot wings, and the beers. Now shut up before I lose my temper and slap you.”

  Beatriz rolled her eyes then turned away.

  Scott smiled at me, liking my response.

  “If you didn’t say something, I was going to deck this bitch,” Cassie whispered.

  “I was really close to letting you,” I said. I grabbed a cheese stick and put it in my mouth, glaring my sister while I did it.

  She rolled her eyes again.

  The conversation died down in light of the uncomfortable argument. Layla ate most of the appetizers, but she’s always been a garbage disposal. Cassie had two glasses of wine because she could handle more alcohol than we could, despite her petite size. Somehow, my sister got hammered.

  Scott left and went to the bathroom when we were leaving. When I saw Beatriz follow him into the restroom, I felt my heart fall. I was slightly jealous that Scott wanted to hook up with my sister, but I pushed it to the back of my mind. I was more pissed that my sister would cheat on her husband. I didn’t have a high opinion of Beatriz, but that was even low for her, especially when they had a child together.

  “Poor Scott,” Layla said.

  “That’s an all time low for my brother,” Kyle said.

  “I seriously hate her,” Cassie said. “I want to punch her in the face. I hate her.”

  I sighed. “I hate her too.”

  Layla gave me a sympathetic look. “Should we wait for them?”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’m tired of taking care of my sister. If she wants to ruin her life, let her.”

  3

  The next morning, I was making coffee when there was a loud knock on the door. I assumed my sister returned from her one night stand with Scott. Just thinking about it made me want to vomit.

  I opened the door and saw her leaning against the wall, looking like a mess. Her makeup was smeared, her dress was wrinkled, and she looked like she hadn’t slept. Scott stood beside her, his hands in his pockets.

  “Have a good time?” I hissed.

  “Muh,” she said. She reached for the door and stumbled inside. She immediately dashed for the bathroom. When the sound of her gagging hit my ears, I knew she was totally hung over.

  I looked at Scott, who met my gaze with a serious expression. He was wearing a different outfit, dark jeans and a gray t-shirt. His appetizing physique was noticeable in the material. I understood why any single person would want to spend the night with him. “Thanks for taking her home.”

  He nodded. “It’s like trying to watch Bambi walk.”

  I laughed despite the seriousness of the moment.

  “And I didn’t sleep with her.”

  I wasn’t sure why he said that. He continued to gaze into my eyes, like he was reading my mind. “Oh. I just assumed…”

  “Well, I didn’t,” he said quickly.

  “Then what did you do?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest, making his chest more noticeable. “I put her to sleep in my bed and I crashed on the couch.”

  “She married,” I said.

  “I wouldn
’t have slept with her if she was single.”

  What was that supposed to mean? “Okay…”

  “She isn’t my type.”

  “Well, my sister is the most annoying person in the world. She isn’t anyone’s type.”

  Scott smiled. “You’re really cool.”

  “I’m cool?” I asked incredulously.

  “You seem surprised.”

  “I’m usually teased because I’m the most serious person in the world. My friends will be the first ones to tell you that I’m very uncool.”

  “They seem to love you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “They have to. That’s why.”

  “No, you’re getting confused with family. Family has to love you because of your genetic relationship. I think your friends love you because you’re awesome.”

  “Awesome?” I laughed. “I’m not going to be awesome when I give my sister a beating of a lifetime.”

  He smirked then leaned against the door. “What’s going on with her and her husband?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “She made it very clear that she wanted me to join her in the bedroom.”

  I shook my head, feeling my anger “I’m so sorry.”

  “Please don’t apologize,” he said quickly. “That’s not why I’m telling you this.”

  “Then why are you?”

  “So it’s clear that she wanted me but I rejected her.”

  “Okay…”

  “I think you should have a talk with your sister. There’s probably more going on under the surface.”

  My sister barfed again. I sighed. “I should go,” I said as I closed the door.

  “Wait.”

  I locked it then walked away. I felt bad for shutting Scott out, but my sister sounded like she was heaving her guts. I pulled her hair out of her face and watched her empty her bowels into the toilet. She was breathing heavily, sweating, and I rubbed her back as she finished. When she was done, I cleaned her face and got her into the shower, washing away all the grime from the evening before. After she was done, I led her to the couch and tucked a blanket around her. She moaned incoherently, gripping her head. I knew she was in pain but a part of me didn’t care.

  I went to her purse and grabbed her cell phone. There was no way she’d be able to make it home today, so I decided to call Hank to give him a heads up.

  He answered on the third ring. “Yeah?”

  I thought that was an odd way to greet his wife. “Hey, it’s Janet.”

  “Oh.” He paused for a long time. “Why are you calling me from Beatriz’s phone?”

  “She’s too wasted to come home today,” I said. “We got a little crazy last night and I don’t think she’ll make it until tomorrow.”

  The line was silent for a long time. “She didn’t tell you.”

  I felt my heart race. “Tell me what?”

  “Beatriz and I are no longer together. We are legally separated. I’ve been trying to get divorced but she’s made it as difficult as possible. I’ve asked her to sign the papers repeatedly but she shreds them instead.”

  I sat down so I wouldn’t fall to the floor. “What? When? How? What?”

  He sighed. “I’m sorry you found out this way. I didn’t realize you were in the dark. I suspect no one in your family knows, then.”

  “What happened?”

  “Beatriz…she just wasn’t being a good wife and mother. I grew frustrated with the way she was treating me and our son. I didn’t feel like it was safe for him. She’s a raging alcoholic and she needs help. When she refused to seek treatment, I left her.”

  “Oh my god…”

  “I’m suing for full custody of Joey. With her erratic behavior, I suspect I’ll win.”

  I was speechless.

  “And I want you to know that I would never keep him away from you or your family. But I have to protect my son. Beatriz isn’t in her right mind.”

  I started to pace across the floor.

  “She was terminated from the school for drinking on the job. Her career in education is over.”

  “I can’t believe this…I had no idea.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said.

  He sighed. “We’ll get through it.”

  “Are you living at the house?”

  “No, I’m living with my sister until I get my own place. She babysits Joey while I’m at work.”

  I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “I’m assuming Beatriz has nowhere to go.”

  “Yeah. She has the house, but it’s under my name so I’m selling it. It’s in foreclosure now.”

  “That’s a lot to take in.”

  “I’m sorry I dropped it on you like that.”

  “Well, I guess I should go…”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m sorry about all of this.”

  “Me too.”

  “You’ve always been family to me, Hank. That won’t change.”

  “I know, Janet. You’re a good sister. Joey is lucky to have you.”

  “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Bye.”

  When we hung up, I stood in the kitchen, still processing what just happened.

  My sister stumbled to the couch and lied down, her face as white as a ghost. I wanted to yell at her, tell her how disappointed I was, but I held it back. She obviously hit rock bottom and was clearly aware of it. I’ll let her come to me when she’s ready.

  4

  When I went to work on Monday, my head was elsewhere. My sister was still asleep when I left but I didn’t wake her. She would have to confide the truth in me. There was no other way to explain why she was still crashing at my place.

  After I put down my bag, I sat in my chair in the office and got to work. Like every morning, I had a stack of emails to go through. Most of them were from the department itself because people were too lazy to take the time to see each other.

  The founder of the firm was working a big case, prosecuting a criminal that broke into a house and tried to rape the wife who was home. Somehow, the wife managed to grab her husband’s gun and shoot him in the leg. Because of the injury, he was unable to walk. As a result, he was suing the homeowners for liability. Just thinking about it made me roll my eyes. The justice system was so flawed it was ridiculous. The judges had too much power, and the lawyers defended criminals without a guilty conscious.

  When lunch time came around, I left the building and ventured to the deli a few blocks away. They had good lunch, but I really loved the cookies they had. The tension was so high in the office that I needed a special treat to make me relax. When I reached the line, I saw Ryan standing in front of me.

  “Hey,” he said with smile. “You look like you’re about to fall over.”

  I sighed. “I can feel the stress seeping through the walls.”

  He nodded. “I’m so glad I didn’t get that case.”

  “It’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  He placed his hands in his pockets and shifted his weight a few times, unsure what to do with himself. I made him nervous and I wasn’t sure why. I was generally nice and easy to get along with. I’m not sure why I intimidated him. “A part of me wishes the case was mine so I could get that asshole, but the other part of me, the man that wants to live until he’s thirty, is thankful.”

  I laughed. “It’s enough to give anyone a heart attack.”

  He stepped to the counter and ordered.

  I looked at the menu and decided to get an egg salad sandwich. I was trying to limit the amount of meat I ate. I wasn’t a carnivore, but I still needed to incorporate more vegetarian meals into my diet

  Ryan turned to me. “What are you having?”

  I shook my head. “That’s very sweet, but no thank you.”

  He smiled at me. “I insist, Janet.”

  The cashier looked annoyed, like he wished I’d just do it to make his life easier.

  I sighed and stepped forward. “I’ll take an egg salad s
andwich, a black coffee, and a cookie.”

  “The big one?” the cashier asked in a bored voice.

  “Yeah,” I said, my cheeks reddening.

  Ryan paid for it and we sat down.

  I was just going to take my lunch back to the office, but he clearly had other plans.

  “I have a lot of work to do,” I said hesitantly.

  “So do I,” he said. “But lunchtime is important. I never skip it.”

  “You must be healthy, then.”

  He smiled. “I meant for the mental break. If I don’t take the time to clear my head, my work suffers. And that’s the very reason why the government forces us to have breaks.”

  “You have a point,” I said. I immediately took a bite of my huge cookie. It was as big as a pancake and soft and chewy. I could eat three of them if I was alone.

  Ryan looked at it. “Any good?”

  I swallowed. “It’s my favorite.”

  “May I?” he said as he nodded to it.

  “Of course.”

  He broke off a piece and ate it. “Damn, that’s good.”

  I chuckled. “Now you can’t judge me.”

  “I wasn’t.” He ate his sandwich and avoided my gaze most of the time. The anxiety was etched onto his face and deep into his eyes. Ryan seemed calm and collected most of the time, especially in the court room, but right now he seemed clearly uncomfortable. Now I felt tense.

  “So, are you excited about the gala?” he asked.

  “I’m excited for it to be over.”

  He laughed. “It’s another day at work, really.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.” I wondered if he would ask me to be his date again but he never did. When I thought about Cassie and our previous conversation, I realized Ryan was a good guy. He was cute, smart, and sweet. Maybe I should just give him a chance. If I never took a risk, I’d never get a reward. “I was thinking…”

  He looked up at me.

  “I would like to go with you if you’d still have me.”

  His smile was wider than I’d ever seen it. “I would love to.”

  I nodded.

  Ryan seemed to relax. “I think it won’t be so bad. We can complain about the gala together. At least we won’t be alone.”

  “I’ve gone the past three years by myself,” I said with a sigh. “I’m tired of being teased for it.”