by Anthology
“I haven’t seen him, and I’ve been here since around seven-thirty.”
“Can you get Shane?”
“Sure thing ma’am,” he rolls out all the way and hops to his feet, nudging Shane’s arm and nodding in my direction. Once Shane sees me, a look of defeat washes over his face. I step out. Roy is avoiding me, and poor Shane is afraid of me.
“Roy hasn’t been in all morning.”
“I know. I just need to pay for the service.”
Shane scratches his head and begins to pace, like he’s having a conversation with himself. “Shane, I just want to pay and get out of here.” He continues to pace.
“Do you have a check?”
“A check?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“The um, the computers are down. We can’t run a credit card.”
“Should I go get cash?”
“No! I mean no, that’s not necessary.”
“I don’t usually use checks to do anything. My checks are the original ones that came with opening an account. They don’t even have my actual name on them.”
“That’ll do ma’am.”
I don’t want to question this matter any further. This just keeps getting more and more complicated. I’m just thankful I decided to bring my important and hard to replace documents with me, like my bank account info, my birth certificate, passport, social security card, and insurance info.
Digging around my bag of documents, I find the thin black book. I laugh as I walk toward the office. Do I even know how to fill out a check?
Shane is typing on the computer and has a phone to his ear. He hasn’t made eye contact, and I have a feeling he is avoiding me on purpose.
“Shane, how much?”
“The computers are down. Just give me your number and I’ll get back to you.”
“If the computers are down what are you doing then?”
“Just trying to get it to work ma’am.”
I let out a long dramatic sigh, “Look Shane, I want to get outta here. So to the best of your ability can you estimate how much this would be? If it’s more you can call me, if it’s less you can refund me.”
“I’ll just call you.”
“Fine!” I stand right there and call the dealership that I should have gone to all along. I press three for the service department and listen to all the deals they have going on right now. Finally someone picks up.
“I need an estimate on a job.”
“Okay, what’s the vehicle doing?”
“Just one sec,” I say pulling my phone away from my cheek. “Shane, tell me what was wrong with my car, in mechanical terms.” His eyes bulge out of his head. I snap my fingers at him. “Focus Shane.”
“Blown head gaskets and cracked manifold,” I repeat word for word into the phone.
“Year and model?”
“I just need a general idea please.” Why is this so fucking difficult?
“This job could be covered by a manufactures warranty or an extended warranty,”
“It’s not. So please just an estimate.”
The guy clears his throat in an agitated kind of way, and I hear the keys clicking on a keyboard.
“It looks like it could run anywhere from seven-hundred and fifty dollars all the way up to sixteen-hundred depending on parts and labor.” I end the call and start writing out the check. As I write you can hear my pen scratching the paper. I write my contact info in the upper left hand corner nice and neat, but I angrily scribble the shop’s name and dollar amount out for sixteen hundred dollars. I would’ve paid another grand to get the fuck outta here faster if that’s what it took. I rip the check out and slide it over the counter, glaring at Shane for all this inconvenience.
Once in my car, I take a calming breath. I’m so stressed out over all of this. Roy is a complete asshole. Did he think I’d paid him in pussy? Or is Shane that awkward? This was the most difficult fling I had ever dealt with. I was vulnerable, and he was a brief escape, nothing more.
The rest of my journey was quick and relatively smooth.
CHAPTER FIVE
I had this grand plan to get right to work, but I ended up needing two days’ worth of sleep and another two days to get my apartment livable. I like everything in its place, or I can’t function properly. But, I am now settled and working long days trying to get my brand and name out there. One day I get a phone call from my accountant.
“Macy?”
“Yes?”
“For the last two months your personal account balance is over by sixteen hundred dollars. Do you have any idea what may have happened? I’ve checked my work twice. All of your receipts match to what I’ve got, but I can’t find that sixteen-hundred anywhere.”
It takes me a minute to remember. My car!
“It’s a cheque. I’m not sure why they haven’t cashed it, but I can find out.” I smile to myself. I hadn’t had any reason to reach out to Roy since I left. Our relationship wasn’t going to go anywhere. He wasn't going to leave, and there was no way in hell I was going to stay. But, that didn’t stop him from invading my thoughts every now and again. He unlocked some kind of sexual identity I never knew existed.
I just couldn’t bring myself to justify a call. He was the one who couldn’t dignify me with a goodbye, but I get it now. The whole situation brought out a side of me I didn’t like, and he may have been a victim of the same circumstance. I felt a tickle of excitement low in my belly. I took a minute to compose myself and then dug around my desk for the shop card. I found it and ran my finger over the greased smudged finger print. It fueled my feisty side a little more.
“Nelson’s Auto repair and parts. How can I help you?”
“Um, is Roy available?” There was a long pause, and I could hear my heart beats ticking away. Then a deep breath is drawn in.
“Roy passed last month.”
“Wh, wh, what do you mean?” I stammer, and my words slur together as my mind reels. I use my left palm digging it into my left eye socket trying to process my thoughts, my feelings, and my words. “Passed, passed what?”
“He died ma’am.”
“No. How? Why?” I start to cry, not sob, but the silent tears begin to trickle.
“Ma’am?”
“I told you not to call me ma’am!” I shout angrily into the phone. I somehow blame the person on the other end of the phone even though I have no idea what happened to Roy.
“Is this Miss…” I hear some kind of shuffling on the other end. “Miss, Miss Silva?” I start to hyperventilate. Who the fuck is Miss Silva? “I apologize. I mean Miss Seduva?” My hyperventilating has turned into a full blown sob now. “Miss Seduva?” he asks more cautiously. I let out a blubbery, snotty, grunt, and Holly appears rubbing her hand up my arm. She can see I’m a mess.
“May I?” She asks. I just begin to sob harder, and she pries the phone from my palm. I see her talking, but I can’t hear over my own uncontrollable cries.
Two weeks have gone by. I have not accomplished anything. I am virtually useless. Holly discovered that Roy had a rare type of brain tumor that had a high mortality rate, and of all the operations for this condition were exploratory at this point.
Apparently, it was such a delicate process that it was highly likely that if he did survive the surgery his quality of life would be altered significantly. Roy had chosen to live the rest of his life free of medical intervention. I couldn’t get my mind wrapped around how Roy could be dead, gone, and he never said a word to me about his condition.
I ended up calling the shop back and spoke with Shane. He was very polite and answered all my questions as best as he could. He repeatedly told me Roy was a very private person and had only let the guys at the shop know a few weeks before I had come through town. Shane also explained that there was some kind of guy code that didn’t allow them to ask too many questions because it was Roy’s choice to live without intervention.
Since that phone call, I spent much of my time rehashing eve
ry encounter we had. There was no indication that he wasn’t well. My whole entire evaluation of him was so off. I just thought he was one of those men who couldn’t find their place in this world. After spending three days with him, I chalked his personality up to living under the microscope of that dreadfully small town. All the while I was mad. Really angry. The worst part was I thought I was mad at him, but I later came to realize that I wasn’t mad at him. I was mad at death. I was mad at cancer. I was mad that death is so unchangeable. At the time, my memories of him felt like they were fading away, yet remained painful enough to know they were still there. I needed closure, so I went to the only place I thought was fitting to say goodbye.
I was mourning a man I never really got to know. It sounds silly that I would have such a reaction to someone I knew for only three days, but he changed my life in a profound way. He saw something inside me that I never knew existed. He ripped it out of me. It was a gaping wound at first. I felt tender and exposed like the new flesh under a picked scab, but once the new me was bared, I began to feel more comfortable than I ever had.
On the flight over, I researched on my tablet, trying to figure out the location of the photo. I remembered it clearly: a young Roy standing along the famous River Walk. Once in San Antonio, nothing was the same, with so many years having passed, but I asked around until I found the exact spot.
So there I sat watching as moms pushed strollers, couples held hands, and dogs were walked. Joggers and cyclists dodged the slower patrons. I just sat there in the heat of the San Antonio sun watching and waiting for my feelings to be validated, for someone to console me, for a cure for the diseases that plague the world. I sat there waiting for something…
“Nelson, stand right there and smile for me.” I watched as a mother directed a little, disgruntled, boy pose for the perfect photo. Maybe Roy wasn’t my happiness, but rather, the very path that would lead me toward happiness.
THE END
The Discover Ring
CHAPTER ONE
“Jason.” I moaned, as my boyfriend pounded my barely conscious cunt. The second my eyes peeked open, he climbed on top of me, and his morning wood slid inside. With my face smothered by his smooth chest, he pummeled me like a jackhammer. His grunts grew more urgent with each sharp thrust. My pussy and I finally started to wake up and slowly build to the edge of orgasm. It was a race for me to climax before…
“Ah Christ, Sylvie. Fuck!” Jason heaved as his creamy load bathed my walls. “Sorry babe. You feel so good. I couldn’t help myself. Did you come?”
“No. That’s okay. It’s still the best way to start the day.”
He gave me a quick peck on the cheek, pulled out, and laid on his side. Jason pursed his lips together while his hazel eyes washed over my body. “Damn, I wish your tits were bigger. I would love to fuck them and just cum all over your face.”
I covered my small B cup breasts with my hands. “I know. You’ve been saying that since my freshman year of college. I suppose if I packed on a few pounds that would help.”
He grazed his fingertips over my flat belly and smirked. “No. Don’t do that. With my luck it will end up on your thighs.”
I sat up with a jerk and concealed my body with a pillow. “Would you really want to change me?”
Jason took the pillow away and grabbed my hands. “Babe. You know I love you. I’ve just been thinking about us and our future. And maybe, yes, in a perfect world, I’d like to spend the rest of my life with bigger boobs. What can I say? I’ve always been a breast man. Isn’t there anything you’d like to change about me?”
“Aside from this conversation. No.”
“Oh come on Sylvie. I can take it. I see your eyes bug out every time the guy that played Superman is in a magazine. That’s your type. Tall, dark, and ripped. I’m not any of those things.”
True. Jason was 5’ 10”, with a toned slim build, and sandy blonde hair like mine, but to me, he was so cute, he was Superman. “I wouldn’t change a thing. I love you just the way you are.”
“And I’ve loved you since the day I laid eyes on you. I remember it like it was yesterday. Pretty freshman, rushing into the dining hall, late for her first class.”
I grinned and continued our story. “And I smacked into you and spilled my peanut M&M’s all over the floor.”
He gathered me into his arms. “And I said, ‘M&M’s for breakfast?’ To which you replied, ‘It’s the breakfast of champions.’”
“I thought you would laugh, but you helped me pick up the M&M’s and said since you were a senior, you needed to see to it that I got a sensible dinner. You asked me out before you asked me my name.”
“And you played hard to get. That’s why the anniversary of our first date is in two weeks instead of today. We met six years ago today.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” I beamed. “Do you want to go back to Bria to celebrate?”
He shrugged and rolled out of bed. “Sure. Whatever. It doesn’t matter.”
I shifted to my knees. “But, don’t you think it matters a little? Six years is a long time. I thought five years was a long time too.”
Jason rolled his eyes. “Sylvie. I know what you’re getting at. You were disappointed last year when I gave you earrings and not a ring. But, what did I just say?”
I mumbled. “You wanted to spend the rest of your life with bigger boobs.”
“That’s not what I meant and you know that.” He kissed my forehead. “We’ll talk about our anniversary later. Look at the clock. You’re going to be late again.”
“Oh good gravy!” I scrambled off the bed and padded to the walk in closet. “Did you pick up the dry cleaning? I was going to wear my grey dress.”
Jason headed to the bathroom and shouted over his shoulder. “It’s there. Why don’t you wear the navy one instead?”
His comment caught me off guard and I turned. “You don’t like my grey dress?”
He leaned against the doorway of the bathroom. “No…wear whatever you want. It’s just…the navy brings out your pretty blue eyes.”
“What does the grey one bring out?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, if I’m being honest. The grey one has gotten a little tight in the thighs.”
I hung my head. “It has? I didn’t notice.”
“Hey, it’s no biggie. Just lay off the guacamole at La Paloma when you have lunch with Ashley and Andrew.”
I retreated to the closet and grabbed my navy dress, choking back tears. God, I always hated my thighs. No matter how much I worked out, they just seemed a little too large for my body.
Jason shouted from the bathroom. “Sylvie. The bathroom is a mess. What’s with your make-up?”
I scurried to the doorway with my navy dress in hand. “Sorry. It’s Bare Minerals. Sometimes I get it everywhere. I’ll clean it up when I get home from work.”
“Thanks babe. Sorry, I’m such a neat freak.” He noticed the dress I chose. “Good. You’re going to wear the navy. You’ll look beautiful. Oh, and I’ll be working late tonight, so I won’t be home for dinner.”
“That’s okay. I might be late too. I’ll just grab something from the café at work.” I muttered under my breath. “I’ll get a salad.”
“Sorry. I’m late.” I scurried to our regular table on the patio of La Paloma for lunch with Ashley and Andrew.
“It’s okay Sylvie. I ordered for you.” Andrew said with his wry smile and deep voice. “Guacamole, chips and chicken fajitas should be coming right up.”
“So, what was it this time?” Ashley asked.
I took a quick sip of water and explained. “I was late for work, so I had to play catch up. But, the good news is it won’t cut into lunch because my next appointment isn’t for two hours. Do you guys have to rush back?”
Ashley, Andrew, and I worked at the Hyatt Regency in the special events department. Ashley Valdez was in sales, and I worked directly with the clients. A year ago, Andrew Riley promoted me to managing coordinator of weddin
gs. He was an exceptional boss, and the director of our department. I planned so many weddings. I couldn’t wait to plan my own. If Jason proposed on our anniversary, I could be Mrs. Sylvie Hancock-Stein by spring.
“I’m in no hurry to get back to work.” Ashley unfolded her napkin. “And, I’m assuming our boss man can do whatever the hell he wants.”
“Actually, that’s not true.” Andrew replied. “But today, I’m good. In fact, have a glass of wine with lunch. You two worked so hard last week, you’ve earned it.”
Ashley laughed. “You just want us to talk about our sex lives and spill our secrets.”
A huge grin split his face showing off his perfect, white teeth. “I do come for the enlightening conversations.”
Who knew how it started, but our lunch conversations always turned to sex. Ashley was gorgeous with olive skin and shiny black hair. She attracted plenty of male attention, but her relationships never went anywhere. She was a ‘one and done’ kind of girl. Andrew was a great audience and a good listener. It was nice to have a male perspective. He never said much about his love life, as if he could get a word in. He was five years older than Ashley and me, with dark hair and even darker eyes. Andrew was well over six feet tall with broad shoulders and a strong jaw line. Surely, he could date any beautiful woman he wanted, but in the two years we worked together, he never mentioned a word about a girlfriend. You wouldn’t think a man with such a commanding presence would also possess an awesome sense of humor, but he did. His laugh was big and booming.
The waiter arrived with our food and Andrew ordered a bottle of Pinot for the table. We had the perfect spot overlooking the river by the bridge. The smell of the Magnolia and Cypress wafted through the air on this lush September day in San Antonio.
Once the wine was poured, I asked. “So, Ashley, Chad made it to a second date with you. What happened?”
She covered her face with her hands. “Oh God, no. This is one date I can’t talk about.”
“Oh come on.” Andrew teased. “We’ve heard it all. You’re among friends.”
Her cheeks flushed. “Okay. But if I tell you, it stays here at our table.”