Ross takes my hand and kisses it. “If anyone here gives you any trouble, have them come talk to me,” he says.
Is he saying that because he knows about Michael and my history? Or how we are together now? Or is he just saying that because that’s what he says to everyone? I glance at Michael, but he looks just as pissed off as earlier. Not much help there.
“I’m really sorry, but I think I need to go lie down,” Julie says. “I apologize, Scarlett. Usually I’m the life of the party, but now…I’m four months pregnant, and I just can’t seem to kick this morning sickness. Just a word of advice: adopt.”
“It was a pleasure meeting you,” I say. “I hope you feel better.”
“Once this baby is out, that’s when I’ll be feeling better.” She takes Ross’s arm, and they walk off.
“So Ross. Is he a good friend?” I ask Michael.
“He is. He knows everything about us.”
“What about Alexa?” I ask, trying not to sound too irritated, which I am. “Does she know?”
“Would you like to dance?” he asks.
Nice way to avoid the question. I remind myself that I will act professionally tonight, and not let whatever Michael does or says get on my nerves. “I would love to.”
“So this is a pretty grandiose event,” I say as he leads me to the floor.
He grabs my waist and twirls me around. “Alexa loves everything over the top. The bigger the better. The more the merrier. Especially when it comes to parties.” He presses his cheek to mine, and we sway to the music in silence for some time.
“Do you want to come with me to Hawaii next week?” he asks out of the blue.
“Hawaii?”
He gives me a smile. “You and me…the beach…massages…”
“It sounds heavenly, but I have work. Don’t you?”
“Since this deal has gone through, I thought we could celebrate.”
“Well, us normal people still have work Monday through Friday,” I say.
“I thought you cashed the check,” he says.
“Coincidentally, it hasn’t cleared yet, and I wanted to make sure it did before I quit. Besides, I don’t feel like it’s my money.”
“What?”
“I don’t really deserve it,” I say.
His eyebrows gather in the center. “Deserve it? Of course you do.”
“I didn’t earn it, though,” I sigh.
“You have got to stop thinking that earning money has to do with trading time for dollars,” he says. “If you want to make lots of money, you make deals. And contrary to what you think at the moment, you are a great negotiator.”
“No, I’m not.” Has he completely lost his mind?
“I feel your hand twitching on my shoulder. You’re not thinking about hitting me again, are you?” He smirks.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” I roll my eyes. His playfulness puts me at ease. Maybe this evening won’t be so bad after all.
“I see how it is.” He leans in closer, stroking his newly shaven cheek to mine. “For that…I’ll have to…”
“May I cut in?” I hear Alexa’s voice behind me.
“No,” Michael says.
“Please,” Alexa says.
“I don’t mind,” I say. Liar! I totally don’t want her dancing with him, although there should be no reason for me to be jealous. Right? I mean, they broke their engagement off. Well, as I recall, she was the one who broke it off. Not him. “I need to freshen up a bit.” I say and walk away. It’s not like anything can happen here anyway. They’re dancing in the middle of the crowded floor.
I head to the ladies lounge. There I see Julie lying on the couch with her eyes closed.
“Julie,” I say.
She opens one eye. “Scarlett. Sorry about earlier. I just need to let this wave of nausea pass.”
“Can I get you anything? Water? Some mints?”
She grimaces as if she might throw up. “No, no mints, please. They’ll make me even sicker. Maybe…can you find some pickles for me?” she asks.
I think I saw some at the buffet table. “Okay. I’ll be right back.” I head out into the ballroom again. When I see that Michael and Alexa are still dancing, my stomach clenches with jealousy. I look away quickly before I lose control and run over there to steal him back. I just need to be rational about this, realize that Michael has a past, and be okay about him working with his ex on this deal.
Locating the buffet table, I load a plate with pickles and head back to the ladies lounge. I sit down next to Julie.
“Is this enough?” I say.
She opens her eyes and she smiles. “Plenty. Thank you so much.” Sitting up slowly, she grabs a pickle and stuffs it into her mouth.
“Is this your first?” I ask.
“And last,” she says. “No one ever told me it would be this bad.”
“Are you sure you shouldn’t just go home?” I say, seeing how pale she looks.
“I should, but I would feel really bad making Ross leave early. This contract is one of the biggest he’s ever had,” she says.
“Yeah, Michael is pretty excited about it, too.” We sit in silence for a few moments as she eats a few more pickles.
“You go have fun! I didn’t come here to spoil someone’s evening,” she says.
“Well, if you need anything, text me.” I text her so she has my number. I go back outside to the ballroom, and thankfully Michael and Alexa aren’t dancing anymore. But then I notice that they aren’t even in the room. Maybe he went looking for me.
I meander down the hallway to see if I can find him. Unable to locate him anywhere, I step outside and onto the veranda to catch some fresh air. Right when I get out, I hear Alexa’s voice.
“Michael?” I say.
“Scarlett,” he says, looking at me. “I was just coming to find you.” His face is an ashen gray.
“Is everything…?” I look from Alexa to him and back to Alexa again.
“Everything is fine, Scarlett,” Alexa says with a satisfied expression.
Michael shoots her a disapproving look, takes my arm, and leads me back inside.
“What was that all about?” I ask.
“Nothing,” he says. “Just business. Shall we get something to eat?”
“Sure.” I feel rather uncomfortable with what happened out there on the veranda, and I should bring it up to him. But then, wouldn’t I be just like him: jealous for no reason? And shit, why am I jealous? He doesn’t want her, I remind myself. He has told me he only wants me. However, saying it doesn’t ease the uneasiness in my chest.
After we eat, Michael and I spend the rest of the evening socializing with his business partners and associates. He’s polite, and even funny at times, but from the way he turns brooding between conversations, I can tell something is definitely bothering him. I feel as if I have become second fiddle after he spoke with Alexa, and I catch him stealing concerned glimpses at her a couple of times. Has the deal gone sour? But what frightens me even more is the possibility: does she want him back? Does he want her back? The thought makes my stomach sink. I try to maintain my optimism, but by the end of the evening I’m exhausted.
The limousine drives us back to his place, but he suggests I go home. What happened to his earlier threats that he was going to tear me out of this dress?
He says he has a lot of catching up to do at work, and he’d only be a bore to be around. I tell him I don’t mind hanging around with him, but he encourages me to go home. I try to understand, but it bothers me why he can’t just be open with me. Reluctantly, I go home, hoping tomorrow he will be back to normal. Finally all the way back home again, I crash into bed and fall asleep.
16
The next day, I call Michael right when I get out of bed, but he doesn’t pick up. Is he ignoring me? His moodiness combined with his peculiar interaction with Alexa last night has me worried. Very worried. I leave a message on his phone, and convince Vivian and my father to come out to lunch with me. I decide to take t
hem to Michael’s restaurant, the quaint little diner where Michael and I had out very first date after I met him in church.
Before we leave, I need to make sure I have enough funds on my account so I can pay for the meal. Grabbing my laptop, I log into my online banking.
I almost have a heart attack.
The three-billon dollar check has cleared.
I sit in silence and stare at the screen for several minutes. Is this for real? I log out, and log back into my checking account again just to make sure the money is still there, just to make sure my eyes aren’t deceiving me.
Available balance: $3,000,002,624.71
Holy fucking hell!
I bring my hands to my face, and let out a scream as I fall into the mattress. I kick my legs like an obstinate child, and produce several more whooping sounds. Vivian runs up the steps, and when she appears in the doorway, her eyes are wide with alarm.
“Are you alright?” she asks.
“Yes…yes…sorry…I just…” I can’t explain this to her. “It’s nothing. Sorry I frightened you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Perfectly. Sorry.”
She shakes her head and goes back downstairs.
Then something unexpected happens. I start to cry. Not just a little whimper, but a full-on violent ugly cry. I cry because I feel as if the weight of the universe has been lifted from my shoulders, because I can afford all my father’s medical bills, because I can pay off his entire mortgage and keep the house my father and uncle built. I cry because I am suddenly unbelievably grateful to Diane for doing this, and to Michael for the insane shit he’s put me through, and because of all the hope this brings me. Lastly, I sob because of all this money can offer me and the ones I love, and also because I now can truly make a difference in anyone’s life. And although I still feel as if I don’t deserve it, I will make sure that every day I will live in such a way, and spend these funds so it didn’t come to me in vain.
After calming myself and coming halfway down off the cloud I’m on, I get showered and dressed. Driving over to the restaurant, I check the balance several more times just to make sure it’s still there.
When we arrive, the place is packed to the brim, and we have to wait nearly an hour for our table. The hostess shows us to a small booth, and we order our meals. Vivian looks particularly good today with her hair up in a bun, and her lavender and green dress. I notice how my father is smiling, and has a twinkle in his eye. Is it just that he feels he has a new lease on life? Or is there something going on between the two of them? No, my father wouldn’t be interested in her, would he? I mean, not that there would be anything wrong with that. It’s just, she used to be our nanny, and…well… it would be a little weird.
“So did you have a good week?” I ask my father.
“The treatments are wreaking havoc with my body, but I do feel less pain,” he says. “And Vivian is such a great help.”
Vivian gives him a warm smile, and flips her hair.
Oh. My. God. There is definitely something there. I’m not going to pry. Nope. Not going to do it. I’m just going to pretend as if I don’t notice anything. But I have to know!
“So are you two getting along?” I ask as casually as I can, taking a sip of my drink.
My father glances nervously over at Vivian.
Bingo.
“We are,” my father says. “In fact…” he says, reaching an arm over Vivian’s shoulder, “…we are engaged.”
I nearly spit out the water in my mouth. “What? When did this happen?” Stupid question. Every day while I was away, that’s when it happened.
“We just hit it off right away, and…being in the sunset years of our lives, we don’t want to miss a single moment,” my father says.
I glance at Vivian, and her face has gone beet red. “I knew something was up, but I didn’t think…wow.” I take a deep breath. Suddenly Vivian’s expression turns deeply worried. I reach over and take her hand across the table. “I…think it’s wonderful. It’s just very sudden.” I give her an assuring smile.
“Thank you,” she says. “And if you feel uncomfortable about it, we’ll give you time. There’s no rush for us to get married. You know how things are these days.”
No rush? Immediately I get this image of them doing the dirty. Oh, God, no. They can have their sex life, but I don’t want to know about it.
I stand up. “I just need to use the restroom,” I say, feeling the sudden need to distance myself from the situation.
I walk through the over-crowded restaurant. But on my way, I’m stopped dead in my tracks. In the corner, at the exact same spot Michael and I had our first date, I see him sitting there with Alexa.
Panic grips my heart.
Alexa has tears streaming down her face, and Michael is wiping them away with a handkerchief. I should give them privacy, but dammit! What do I do? This is a man who is supposed to be mine, who has sworn it’s only us, and here he is with his ex-fiancé of all people while at the same time ignoring my phone calls!? That the hell is going on? I sneak around the corner and hide behind the large plant right behind them.
“I just don’t know how I became pregnant,” Alexa cries. “What should I do, Michael? I’m already four months along, and…” She sniffles and lets out a gasp.
“Don’t worry,” Michael says. “We’ll figure it out.”
My stomach feels as if it just flipped itself inside out. I quickly do the math in my head. No. No. No! They were engaged when she became pregnant. This can only mean one thing: Alexa is having Michael’s baby. My heart hammers against my ribs, and I take a staggered step backward. I bump into a table.
“Excuse me,” I say to the guests sitting there. I turn around, and dart to the restroom, locking myself inside one of the stalls. So that’s why Michael was so upset. That’s why he hadn’t called me back. He’s going to be a father with his ex. Where does that leave me? Does he even want to be with me then? I’ll just be the tagalong woman, the girlfriend who broke up the family. God, I don’t want to be that! Shit! What should I do? He must be trying to decide whether or not he wants to continue his relationship with me. That’s why he’s not returning my calls. He doesn’t know what to do!
Warm tears spill out of my eyes as I try and come to terms with what all this means.
I need to talk to someone about this. I don’t want to talk to my father and Vivian, and Anne is in the hospital. She doesn’t need my drama when she has so much to deal with already.
I fish my phone out of my purse, and call Spencer. I don’t expect him to answer—he’s probably working—but at least I can leave him a message for him to call me back.
“Hello?” he answers.
“Oh, hi. I wasn’t sure if I was going to get you or not. How are you?”
“I’m well, Scarlett. How are you?”
I exhale sharply. “Not so well.”
“What is it?”
“Michael is…I need someone to talk to.”
“Okay,” he says. “Why don’t you come over? I have the day off. We’ll just hang out. Talk and watch a movie or something.”
“I’m at lunch with my father right now, but I’ll be there in an hour or so,” I say.
“I’ll be here. And Scarlett?”
“Yes.”
“Just breathe,” he says. “Everything is going to be alright.”
“Thanks.”
I hang up and throw the phone back into my purse. I roll up a wad of toilet paper and blow my nose.
This changes everything. Even if he wants to stay with me, this brings on a whole other set of complications. Complications we don’t need because everything is already so complicated. Oh, dear Lord, what do I do? I don’t want to go back out there and have him see me. I just wouldn’t be able to cope with it right now, and I’d definitely cause a huge scene because I wouldn’t be able to control my emotions. Maybe I should tell my father that I’m not feeling well and that I need to take the food to go.
Fina
lly, after sitting in the restroom for an unreasonably long amount of time, I head back into the restaurant. Thankfully, Michael and Alexa’s table is empty.
“I sincerely hope we didn’t cause you any anxiety,” Vivian says with an alarmed look on her face when she sees me.
“No…no. It’s not that. I’m just having an off day, that’s all,” I say, sliding in next to my father. I give him a warm hug, and look him in the eyes. “I’m really happy you found someone again. I know Mother wanted that for you.”
His eyes glaze with tears, and he kisses my forehead. “My sweet Scarlett, always such an angel. How are things going for you?”
“I’m getting back up on my feet,” I say. “I enjoy working at the Portland Museum of Art, and I even think I’ll take up painting again.”
“You should,” Vivian says. “I’ve seen your paintings around the house, and you are a very gifted artist.”
“Well…”
“Don’t be bashful,” my father says. “Scarlett, that’s one thing about you. You give yourself far too little credit.”
The waitress brings us our food, and luckily, the conversation turns to how we’ll move forward on repairing the house. During lunch, I see that Michael calls me, but I don’t want to talk to him here. And although this is something that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later, I just need to think about it for a little while.
After I drop Vivian and my father off at home, I head to Spencer’s. Driving over, I listen to the message Michael left me.
“Hi, Scar. It’s Michael.” He exhales at length. “I miss you. Sorry I missed your call. I…uh…I need to talk to you about something. I want to be honest with you. It’s about Alexa. Will you call me as soon as you get this? Love you.”
He sounds thoroughly dejected. God, I’m scared. He’s going to break it off with me. That’s what that voice is: the voice of utter regret.
Here I am again—heartbroken. I clutch the steering wheel until my fingers turn white and numb. I should never have…never have…
The Everlasting Chapel Page 13