by E. L. Todd
He ate a chip.
“Do you like working for Garrison’s firm?”
“It’s a great place to work,” he said. “I have no complaints.”
“Where did you go to law school?”
“UC Berkeley.”
“Were you raised in California?”
“For the most part,” he said. “I moved to the city after I had a bad break up.”
“Oh.” I drank from my coffee and set it down. “It must have been serious if you moved three thousand miles away.”
“It was.” He ate his chips without meeting my gaze.
I dropped the conversation since he seemed so uncomfortable.
“Have you lived in the city your entire life?”
“No. I’m from New Jersey.”
He cringed. “I’m sorry.”
I laughed. “It’s not so bad. I got tired of commuting to work so I moved into the city.”
“You’ll never go back.”
“Definitely not.” I finished my cookie then downed my coffee. Since my sister had arrived at my apartment, I felt tired all the time. She was a lot to handle, and after her ex-husband told me the truth, I was a little winded.
“Well, we should get back to work,” Ryan said.
“You’re right.”
When we left the coffee shop, he held the door open for me, being the gentleman I expected. We made small talk on the way back to the office. He was a nice guy and easy to talk to, but I still didn’t feel anything. I’ve always wanted to find that romance that knocked you off your feet, that had such sexual tension everyone could feel it. It just wasn’t there. I decided to give it more time. Perhaps I was so determined to see his flaws that I didn’t give him a chance.
“Have a good day, Janet,” Ryan said as he walked me to my office. “And I’m excited about Friday.”
“Me too.”
He nodded then walked to this office down the hall.
After I finished my workday, I went to the gym with Cassie.
“I fucking hate your sister,” she blurted when she saw me in the locker room.
I sighed.
“How could she cheat on her husband like that? She’s such a tramp.”
We walked out to the treadmill then started to walk.
“She’s legally separated from Hank.”
Her mouth dropped. “What?”
“It’s been going on for a while. Beatriz lost her job so she came to me because she had nowhere to go.”
Cassie shook her head. “She seems perfectly fine.”
“Well, she isn’t. She hasn’t told me the truth yet. I had to find out from Hank.”
“Oh my god…”
“Apparently she has a drinking problem. Hank is suing for full custody of Joey. And to be honest, I don’t blame him. She’s so erratic and emotional right now that she’d be a horrible mother.”
Cassie stared straight ahead, her hands on her hips. “I feel bad for her, but she still treats you like shit, Janet.”
“And now I know why.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I’m not following.”
“Since her life is nothing but complicated and depressing, she tries to bring me down with her. In actuality, she’s jealous of what I have.”
“What is she? Five?” Cassie shook her head. “I understand she’s going through a hard time, but that doesn’t give her the right to treat you like that.”
“It says more about her than it does me,” I said. “And everyone knows it.”
“And I can’t believe she slept with Scott.”
“She didn’t,” I said.
“And you believe her?”
“Scott told me when he brought her home.”
“Oh. I wasn’t expecting that.”
“He said she wasn’t his type,” I said.
“Hmm…”
“What?”
She shrugged. “Nothing.”
I wiped the sweat from my forehead with my rag.
“So, when are you going to get rid of her?” Cassie asked.
“I don’t know. I’m waiting for her to tell me the truth.”
“Just confront her.”
“She’ll discuss it when she’s ready.”
“You’re too nice to her, you know that?”
I sighed. “Yes, I know. But she’s my baby sister. I’ll always take care of her.”
Cassie rolled her eyes. “If she were my sister, I’d slap her across the face.”
“You like to slap people.”
“Because it’s effective,” she said with a laugh.
We completed our workout and dropped the conversation about my sister. Beatriz was annoying and a pain in the ass, but I felt bad saying mean things about her when she wasn’t around. She was going through the hardest time of her life and I was openly mocking her.
When I came home, Beatriz was still there. She was reading a novel on her kindle while she drank a glass of water.
“I’m surprised you’re still here,” I said as I kicked off my heels by the door.
“I figured you wouldn’t mind.”
I was hoping she would elaborate further but my attempt was unsuccessful. She drank from her glass and continued to read.
“No work today?”
“The school is on the color track, not the traditional schedule.”
I knew that was a lie but I didn’t call her out on it. “How’s Hank?”
“Good,” she said with a straight face. “We just got off the phone.”
“He must want you to come home.”
“He does miss me a lot. Hanks said he doesn’t know how long he can survive on take out.”
I stared at her face, not seeing any indication of a lie. It was freaking me out. She could be a serial killer if she wanted to. That’s how good she was. “So, how long are you staying, Beatriz? Tomorrow?”
She shrugged. “I’ll play it by ear.”
I opened the refrigerator and realized most of my food was missing. Beatriz was like a garbage disposal. And groceries weren’t cheap. I sighed then closed it. “So you had a good time with Scott?”
“Oh…that.”
“I don’t think Hank will like to hear about you spending the night with some other guy.” I crossed my arms over my chest and stared her down.
“Nothing happened,” she said quickly. “I just slept on his couch.”
That was the first time she said the truth.
“Let’s have dinner with Mom while you’re here.”
“No,” she said quickly, sitting up.
“Why not?”
“I just…she and I have been fighting. I don’t want to see her.”
“What are you fighting about?”
“She said I should I move to a private high school because the pay is better. I’m just tired of hearing the same argument with her.”
I rolled my eyes then watched television beside her on the couch. Normally, I changed out of my work clothes the second I came inside, putting on my comfy pajamas. But my sister’s presence was ruining that.
There was a knock on the door. Beatriz kept reading like she hadn’t noticed
I sighed then answered the door. When I saw Scott on the other side, wearing a suit with a purple tie, my eyes widened. I’d never seen him dress so professionally. He must have just gotten off work. His shoulders looked wide in the jacket. His legs were toned and slim under the slacks. He didn’t smile at me, but his eyes smoldered. I couldn’t read the expression. It was difficult to tell what he was thinking. He hid his thoughts well.
“Hi,” I said with weak voice. I felt my throat go dry when I stared at him. His chiseled jaw looked kissable. His eyes were the most noticeable feature. They were bright and blue, the spots of white and gray shining.
“How are you?” He put his hands in his pockets and stood up straight, his posture perfect. He looked into my face without any hesitance or anxiety. He stared me down like he was reading my facial expressions more than listening to my words.
“I’m good,” I said quietly. “How are you?”
“I’m great.” He fixed his tie then returned his hands to his pockets. “I just stopped by to see how your sister is holding up. She was pretty sick last time I saw her.”
I looked over my shoulder to see if Beatriz was listening.
“Who is it?” she asked.
I stepped out of the apartment and closed the door behind me. “She’s…fine.”
Scott stared at me, waiting for me to elaborate. The power of his gaze made me keep going.
“She’s going through a hard time. I apologize for the blatant way she came onto you. Thank you for taking her home the other day.”
He nodded. “I hope everything is okay.”
“Yeah…”
“How are you holding up, Janet?”
The way he said my name made my spine shiver. I heard my name spoken a hundred times a day. My boss said it, my friends said it, and my coworkers said. But it never sounded the way it did when he said it. I looked at him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. “I’m doing okay.”
“I can only imagine how much work your sister is,” he said. “Don’t let her walk all over you.”
“I don’t.”
He nodded. “Which is why I like you.”
“What?”
“Let me know if you need anything,” he said, extending his card. “I’d love to take you out for a drink to take the edge off. And I know you aren’t a heavy drinker like Beatriz.” He winked at me.
I took the card with a shaky hand, unsure what to do with it.
Scott stared at me, watching me hold his business card. “I look forward to hearing from you.” He nodded to me then walked down the hallway. “Have a good night.”
I stared at his receding back until he disappeared. What just happened? Did he ask me out? I don’t think so…He just gave me his number and said I should call him if I needed a break. Would he have asked for my number if he wanted to take me out? Had it been so long since I’d been hit on that I didn’t know how it worked anymore? I put the card in my pocket and walked inside.
“Who was that?” Beatriz immediately asked.
“Girl scout.”
“But it isn’t spring.”
“She wasn’t selling cookies.” I sat down and scared at the television screen. A mystery show was on but I wasn’t really watching it. Scott’s face was floating in my mind. The more I thought about it, the more I realized he hadn’t asked me out. Scott was a gorgeous guy. And if he wore a suit like that, he obviously had a successful job. There was no way he was interested in me. My sister was mortifying, and he was totally out of my league. The card sat in my pocket, forgotten.
5
The gala came closer as the week came to an end. I found a dress on clearance in Saks Fifth Avenue. It was normally two hundred bucks, but I got it for fifty. I was a hard core bargain shopper. I never spent full price on anything. I could afford quality items, but I chose to save my money. Having a big savings account gave me peace of mind. Life was so unpredictable that you never knew what might happen.
Ryan and I had lunch together, but we were both fairly quiet. Ryan seemed relaxed now that I agreed to attend the gala as his date, but he was still careful around me, like he was walking over egg shells. I wasn’t sure what I did to make him feel so nervous and uncomfortable, but I’d clearly done something.
When I went to dinner with Layla and Cassie, Layla was acting different.
“So, anything new?” Layla asked.
“No, not really,” I said as I drank my iced tea
She nodded. “Is your sister still around?”
I sighed. “I’m going crazy.”
“Kick her out,” Cassie said. “On that perfect ass of hers.”
“She still hasn’t told you the truth?” Layla asked.
“She will when she’s ready,” I said.
Layla rolled her eyes. “Your sister is a piece of work.”
“I’m well aware of that fact,” I said.
“So, are you still going to that gala with Ryan?” Layla asked, not meeting my gaze.
“Yeah, as far as I know,” I said.
Layla nodded. “So you like him?”
I shrugged. “He’s fine.”
Cassie eyed me. “You know what she means.”
“He’s nice…” I shrugged again.
“Is there something wrong with him?” Cassie asked.
“No,” I said. “He’s a gentleman and he’s sweet. We get along pretty well.”
“Do you like anyone else?” Layla asked.
“I haven’t met anyone else,” I said.
Layla stared at me. “So, no one has asked you out?”
“I would remember someone asking me out,” I said.
Layla looked into my eyes, searching for something I couldn’t see. I wasn’t sure why she was staring at me so intently. Her eyes were fixed on something in the distance in my eyes, something only she would notice. After a long moment, she looked away.
When I came home that night, my sister was already in bed. She was making a mess of my apartment. Dirty dishes were in the sink, lids were off containers in the refrigerator, her clothes were dispersed around the room. It was a total mess. I wanted to yell at her but I kept it back in light of her pain. She lost her husband and her son. What could be worse than that? I did her laundry and her dishes before I went to bed.
The next day, I went to work and watched the clock move slower than a snail. When the workday was almost over, Ryan came to my office.
“Are we still on for tonight?” he asked with a smile.
“Yeah.”
“I’ll pick you up,” he said. “What’s your address?”
I wrote it down and handed it to him. “I’ll see you then.”
“I look forward to it.” He left and moved down the hallway.
When I clocked out, I went to my apartment and started to get ready. The dress I found was burgundy and made of fine silk. It fit my curves but also made me appear thinner than I really was. I liked dresses that were somewhat deceptive. I pinned golden earrings into my ear and wore a matching necklace. When I pinned my hair up, a small strand kept falling. After using a whole can of hairspray, it still wouldn’t stay. I just decided to let it be. Otherwise I’d there all night, going to war with this tiny piece of hair.
“Where are you going?” Beatriz asked when she saw me.
“A gala for work.” I waited for her to compliment me but she never did.
She grabbed a bowl of popcorn and sat in front of the TV, shoving it into her mouth.
I sighed, knowing it was a lost cause.
The knock on the door announced Ryan’s arrival.
“Hey,” I said when I answered it.
He stared at me, his eyes wide. “You look marvelous.”
My checks blushed. “Thank you.”
“This is a very different look from the office.”
“I hope that’s a good thing.”
“A very good thing.” He pulled a bouquet of roses from behind his back. “For you.”
I smiled, taking them from his hand. After I smelled them I looked at him. “They are beautiful.” I placed them on the kitchen table and came back to the door.
Ryan looked at my sister on the couch. “Is that your roommate?”
“My sister.”
“Oh.”
“I’d introduce you, but she’s very unpleasant.”
“And has ears like fox,” she said, turning toward us. “It’s nice to meet you.”
He nodded. “Ryan.”
“Beatriz.”
I stepped out of the apartment and closed to the door. “I didn’t mean to be rude by not inviting you inside. My sister is just going through a hard time.”
“No need for apologies,” he said. He extended his arm for me to grab. “Shall we?”
“We shall,” I said with a smile.
We left the building and got inside the cab. I took advantage of the opportunity
to examine his appearance. He wore a black suit with a matching tie. It was a classic look. His shoulders and chest were evident through his clothes. I could tell he worked out regularly. His brown hair was light and highlighted the color of his eyes. His lips were curved at the end, not straight like mine.
He didn’t reach for me while we sat in the car. His hand grazed mine but he didn’t touch it. The lights from the city passed the window while we sat in silence. I tried to think of something to say but I was at a loss of words. Ryan seemed just as nervous. It seemed like we were in high school all over again.
When we arrived at the gala, Ryan opened the door and helped me get out. He hooked my arm through his and we walked inside. There were too many people to digest. They were dispersed around the lobby of the hotel, drinking from their flutes and wearing their formal attire. Most of the men looked identical in their plain suits. The women wore long length gowns. A few trailed across the floor.
“This looks amazing,” I said.
“I’m sure Mr. Garrison in very happy.”
“It wouldn’t have turned out this nice if I did it all alone.”
“I don’t know about that,” he said with a smile.
We moved to our colleagues and said our hellos. Unfortunately, most of the people in my office were lawyers, which meant they were men. There was one female lawyer that worked for us and she was amazing at what she did, but she and I didn’t along very well. She was too serious all the time, even more serious than I was. If I tried to make small talk with her, it always backfired horribly.
Some of the guys glanced at our locked arms but didn’t comment on it. I suspected to be questioned about it on Monday. Most of the people were strangers, lawyers and legal representatives from other firms in the city. A few of these events were hosted every year, trying to raise my money for the city or charity. Personally, I thought it was the time where each firm tries to prove they are better than all the other firms. And that was usually done by the amount of money that was donated from each place. When the lawyer’s at Garrison’s firm donated money, they were always given the best and most lucrative cases. As a result, everyone donated. Since I was the human resources director, I didn’t have to worry about giving away my money just to keep my job.
Ryan grabbed two glass of wine and handed me one. “Are you having a good time?”
“Yeah.”