by S. E. Law
But then the squealing sound of rubber on asphalt screeches in our ears, and Missy and I turn to look. A car does a hard left into our parking lot before sliding in perfectly next to my beater vehicle. Except this isn’t just any car. This is a yellow Lamborghini, low-slung and sexy. As we watch with our mouths open, the door opens and a delicate foot in a designer boot steps out. This is followed by a tall, dark-haired woman in a fur coat. When she stands, it’s clear that she’s model thin and at least six feet tall. Six foot four, if you count the added inches from her boots.
Missy and I stare at each other in confusion, but to our surprise, the woman checks out the signage in our small strip mall, and then begins walking toward SexyFlow.
“Pen,” Missy says slowly. “I think that’s your new customer.”
I stare, my mouth hanging open, but then I manage to snap it shut just as she pushes the glass door open. Tinkling bells announce her arrival, and a gust of perfume hits my nostrils.
“Is this SexyFlow?” she demands.
“Yes,” I say courteously. “Can I help you?”
“I’m Marina Alpern,” she says in an imperious voice. “I have a ten o’clock appointment for a blowout.”
“Of course,” I nod, my voice polite. “Welcome. My name is Penny, and I’ll be your hairstylist today. Did you need a wash as well before we do the blowdry?”
The woman scrunches her nose a bit, like she’s just smelled something terrible.
“No, because I only use a special shampoo formulated for me by my personal stylist. He’s getting married this weekend, so he couldn’t see me for my usual treatment. That’s why I’m here,” she sniffs. “Otherwise, I usually see real professionals.”
“Of course,” I say courteously, ignoring the slight. “How fun. A wedding is definitely a big event.”
I bite my lip as Missy stares at the newcomer with barely disguised surprise. How can this woman be so rude? She just showed up two minutes ago, and yet she’s already shown herself ready to denigrate both our service and our salon. But I try to keep my cool. I ease the fur coat from the woman’s shoulders and say, “Missy, can you please take Ms. Alpern’s coat? Can you please hang it up in the back closet?”
Missy rushes forward but Marina raises a hand.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to keep my coat within sight. I don’t want it disappearing, if you know what I mean. You never know what happens in small towns like this, where people are unaccustomed to experiencing true luxury.”
Missy and I share a look. Okay, so this woman has not only managed to denigrate our skills and workplace, but also the town of Gainesville as well. It’s incredibly insulting, but I manage to stay pleasantly neutral. The customer is always right, after all.
“How about we drape it on this seat here?” I ask. “We don’t have a closet in the front of the store, so is this okay?”
“I suppose,” the woman sniffs while looking around the salon with barely disguised disdain. “Let’s just get this over with.”
I nod politely.
“Certainly,” is my quiet reply. “Now what kind of blow out did you want?”
The woman sits down and stares with satisfaction at her reflection in the mirror. Marina Alpern is beautiful, in an evil kind of way. She has blood red lips, white skin, and black hair, which is the coloring of Snow White. Yet somehow, she seems more like an evil stepmother than a sweet princess. It could be the fact that she has a nasty look about her at all times, or the way her lips twist sourly, like she’s just tasted a lemon. Or it could be the fact that she brandishes her wealth like a weapon in order to injure the people around her. Whatever it is, I silently give praise that the noise of the hairdryer will prevent any conversation.
But to my horror, as I’m wetting her hair in preparation for the blow dry, Marina begins to gab.
“Did I mention I’m getting married?” she asks slyly. “That’s why I’m in town, because my fiancé lives here. Here, check it out. Isn’t this a beautiful ring?” she chortles, raising her left hand. “My fiancé knows my tastes so well.”
Indeed, there’s a rock affixed to her knuckle which is the size of Mount Everest. Missy and I fawn over it accordingly.
“It’s beautiful,” I say, while smiling.
“Stunning,” adds Missy, unsure of what else to say.
“Yeah,” Marina adds with a smug smile. “It must have cost him at least six figures, but he can afford it. These rocks don’t come cheap you know, and it’s definitely not lab created. I wouldn’t go for lab created anything because artificial is disgusting. Only natural is worth owning.”
I spritz her hair again while trying to smile.
“I heard lab created stones are the same chemically as naturally-occurring diamonds,” I begin. But Marina cuts me off.
“No, they’re not the same,” she says in a sharp voice. “Lab created diamonds are for paupers. What Mother Earth provides is much more valuable, even if the stones have the same gemological profiles.” But then her voice softens. “It doesn’t matter, though. I know this talk is just wasted on the wrong ears. Perhaps you’ve heard of my fiancé though? He’s quite well-known around these parts, and provides a lot of jobs to the city.”
I nod, not really listening.
“Maybe. Gainesville is a small town, but I’m not very plugged into the news these days. I have my job and my son, and that takes all my time.”
Marina laughs with a note of scorn in her voice.
“Yes, of course. It figures. Small town minds for small town people. But my fiancé is a very wealthy man, and I’m sure you have friends or relatives working at his company. After all, he’s a major employer in this area. Have you heard of Lancaster Industries? My fiancé’s name is also Lancaster: Patrick Lancaster, to be exact.”
The spray bottle and comb almost drop from my hands. She can’t be serious. This woman is getting married to Patrick? How can that be? She’s a bitch, so what could he see in someone like this?
Even more important, Patrick can’t possibly be getting married, not when he has a son with me. What’s going on? The world spins and I feel suddenly dizzy. I’m going to collapse if I talk to this woman a moment longer.
“Um, Missy, can you take over for a moment? I just need to go to the women’s restroom for a sec,” I manage in a reasonably steady voice.
My co-worker stares at me.
“Sure,” she says, taking the comb and spray bottle from my hands. “Miss Alpern, I’m Missy. I’m a styling assistant at SexyFlow, and I’ll be prepping your hair. Penny will be back in a moment to blow dry it.”
With that, I race off to the restroom in the back of the shop. My heart is racing and I’m breathless. What’s going on? How can be Patrick be getting married to someone else? I suppose I always figured it was possible, but why? The pit in my stomach feels bottomless, and suddenly, nausea overwhelms me.
73
Penny
After suffering a dizzy spell in the bathroom at SexyFlow, I managed to pull myself together and walk back outside.
“It’s about time,” sniffed Marina upon seeing me. “My hair is drenched now, and I have a lunch date this afternoon. I need to get out of here sooner rather than later, if you don’t mind.”
I was numb now with shock. I couldn’t even feel hatred towards the woman for her rudeness.
“My apologies,” I said in a quiet voice. “I’ll get right to it.”
With that, I pulled out the hairdryer and fortunately, the noisy machine prevented any more conversation. I gave Marina Alpern the best blow-out of her life, but being a skinflint, she merely shrugged after it was done and left me a three-dollar tip.
“Thanks,” she said, picking up her fur coat and draping it about her thin shoulders. “This will do.”
With that, she swept outside, got into her car, and zoomed off with a mighty roar. Missy turned to stare at me with wide eyes.
“What the hell was that?”
I was too numb to feel anything at that mome
nt.
“I have no idea, but I hope she never comes back.”
“Me too,” murmured Missy. “What a bitch.”
I smiled halfheartedly and threw myself into work for the rest of the day. I wouldn’t let myself think about Patrick, his soon-to-be-bride, and his impending nuptials. I forced myself to focus on my customers, and probably provided the most attentive service they’ve ever had, even if in the back of my mind, thoughts about Patrick with Marina Alpern churned non-stop.
Now, I’m back home after an exhausting day, and I collapse on the bed. Georgie and my dad are already asleep fortunately, and as I lay on my faded pink bedspread, hot tears begin to slip down my face. What the hell? How can Patrick be getting married to her? It’s an absolute nightmare.
The hurt and betrayal in my chest cause my heart to contract painfully, and with trembling fingers, I pick up the phone. I have to talk to someone about this, otherwise I’m going to have a breakdown.
“Hey girl,” Eloise’s voice sounds out from the other side. “What’s going on? I have a hot date tonight, but you caught me just as I was stepping out the door.”
“Oh sorry. I can call back later,” I mumble.
But my friend can hear the distress in my voice and her voice sharpens immediately.
“Hey, are you okay girlfriend? You’re sounding a little shaky there.”
“No, I’m fine,” I say, taking a deep breath. “I can tell you about it tomorrow.”
But Eloise and I have been friends since forever, and her voice takes on a firm tone.
“You know what? I have plenty of time. The guy I’m meeting tonight is from Tinder, and he’s not that good-looking. Plus, he has a cat too, and I’m not a fan of cat guys, so I’d rather talk to you.”
Tears fill my eyes at my friend’s generosity.
“Thank you, Eloise,” I say as my voice cracks with sorrow. “It’s just that … well, Patrick’s getting married.”
There’s silence for a moment. Eloise is the only person in the world who knows that the CEO is the father of my child, and I hear her take a deep breath.
“You mean, your Patrick, right? Georgie’s dad?”
I let out a choked sob.
“He was never my Patrick. We just had a fling in a closet, remember? I’m nothing to him, obviously, because he’s starting a new family now.”
Eloise is silent again, but then she speaks slowly.
“How did you find out about this, Pen?” she asks. “Did you meet his fiancée somehow?”
I break down into full blown sobs and begin wailing into the phone.
“Yes, because she came into the salon today. She said her name is Marina Alpern. She’s getting married to Patrick, and Eloise, she’s so beautiful! She’s everything I’m not. She’s tall, rich, gorgeous, and skinny, and I’m none of those things.”
Eloise is silent for another moment.
“I’m so sorry, Pen. This is not the way you want to find out about your babydaddy’s impending nuptials. I’m sorry, honey.”
I begin blubbering again.
“I mean, I knew it could always happen. After all, it’s not like Patrick and I are dating, and he’s a very eligible man. I just never thought it would really happen, you know? But now it is, and I’m devastated, Ellie. What do I do?”
I can almost hear my friend shaking her head over the phone.
“He still doesn’t know about Georgie, right?”
I manage to speak through another choked sob.
“He doesn’t.”
“Then you have to tell him,” my friend says firmly. “It’s important that he knows before he ties the knot because then it’ll be too late.”
“Too late for what?” I ask, almost in hysterics now. “Too late to call off the wedding? Too late for him to take back his ring? Ellie, I saw the diamond and it was huge. It was sparkling and gorgeous, and he’s really getting marriiiiied!”
My friend tries to calm me down for a few moments.
“You’re going to be fine, Pen. You’re a strong woman, and you’ve faced worse than this. You were your mom’s lifeline when she was ill, and you’re a good daughter and mother now. You can survive this.”
I continue to wail even as Eloise speaks because I can’t withstand the hurt and pain pulsing through my veins right now. Patrick’s nuptials are going to kill me, and yet I know I have to survive this, no matter how much it stings. My son needs me, and Georgie has no one but me to depend on.
“You’re going to be fine,” my friend repeats again firmly. “This is a shock, I know, but you will move on, Penny. But it’s important that you tell Patrick now, before he gets married because he has a right to know before tying the knot with another woman. You never gave him a chance, Pen. Now is the time, trust me.”
I wail again.
“But what if he doesn’t care? What if he won’t acknowledge Georgie as his? What if he hates me for keeping his son from him?”
“He won’t hate you,” my friend says firmly. “In fact, he’ll be grateful because he’ll be able to establish a relationship with Georgie going forward. Men want to know when they’ve sired children, you know.”
I cry some more, unable to speak even as Eloise continues.
“Go now,” she says firmly. “Before you can change your mind. His fiancée is already in town, and didn’t you say she was attending a wedding of some sort tonight?”
“I don’t know for sure,” I blubber. “She said her hairdresser was getting married, so he couldn’t do her hair as usual. But she didn’t say the wedding was tonight, or that she was even invited.”
“It doesn’t matter,” replies Eloise in a persuasive tone. “Chances are that the woman can’t stay home on Saturday nights, and is out partying with her cronies. Go to Patrick’s apartment now, and tell him your news. You have to Pen. Do it for Georgie, if not yourself.”
With that, I take a deep breath and try to steady myself. Eloise is right because I’ve been avoiding the awful truth for a long time now. I didn’t want to tell Patrick about Georgie because I was fearful of the rejection that I would face. I was afraid that if I told him about my pregnancy, that he would reject both me and even worse, my son, and in fact, that may still be true. But with this new development in our lives, suddenly I know I have to put my cards out into the open, for my son more than anyone else. After all, Georgie deserves to have a father. But will Patrick accept my baby boy as his own?
74
Patrick
I’m sitting on the couch in my penthouse, overlooking downtown Gainesville. There isn’t much to see. The town is small, and the downtown area is really only one street with at most two bars open late Saturday nights. Yet, I can see the small figures of people walking to and fro below. The women limp along in their high heels, while the men stride confidently in their suits.
But the truth is that I haven’t been to a bar in over a year. Ever since I met Penny Lockwood, I haven’t even felt tempted to go out, period. I go to work, and then come home and hole up before watching Netflix and drifting off to sleep. Rinse and repeat, over and over again.
It’s pathetic. After all, I’m a thirty year old man, and I’m head over heels for an eighteen year old girl. How did this happen?
But that’s the problem. Meeting Penny threw my world into disarray even though it shouldn’t have, for a myriad of reasons. She’s my employee’s daughter. She’s only eighteen. She hadn’t finished high school when we met. She was at Lancaster that day in order to participate in Take Your Daughter To Work Day. The reasons to leave her alone were numerous, and after our sensational tryst, I forced myself not to call her.
It was hard. Many times, I would simply stare at her number on my cell phone screen, remembering the melodious tones of her voice. In my mind’s eye, I could see the sparkle in her eye, and the lusciousness of her curves as she took my hardness like a pro. I can hear her moaning again, and then smiling up at me sweetly once we were done.
Which is why I can’t get her out
of my mind, and why I’ve been living like a monk for the past year. No woman compares to Penny, and I’m prepared to die a slow death from my unrequited passion.
Suddenly, a voice crackles on the intercom, startling me.
“Mr. Lancaster, you have a guest. Should I send them up?”
“Yes,” I bark. I slump back on the couch, exhausted. It’s probably my dad. Lancaster Industries has been doing well in Gainesville, and my dad moved out here a couple months ago to lend a hand in the company’s expansion. He’s practically retired, but he still retains the title of Executive Chairman and loves coming into work each day to chat with the staff. He doesn’t do much, but he still enjoys seeing the offices and sitting at a desk, just like old times.
I lie there like a slug, waiting for a knock on the door. It comes in about five minutes, and I heave myself over to the front door before opening it.
“Hey Dad—”
But my words are cut off because it’s not an elderly, stooped old man on my doorstep. It’s the woman of my dreams herself: Penny Lockwood. My heart beats at a hundred miles an hour and I literally feel faint, like I’m going to pass out. She’s so beautiful that my eyes keep devouring her, as if she’s a vision that’s appeared from the skies above.
“Patrick?” she says in a small voice. “Hi. I know it’s been a long time since we talked, but I was wondering if maybe you have a minute?”
I step aside silently, swinging the door open for her to come in. What could she possibly have to say? Suddenly, my heart’s in my throat because I desperately need Penny in my life, but will she forgive me after our long estrangement?
75
Penny
I’m not even sure how I got through security to Patrick’s front door unannounced. Taking a deep breath, I strode into his fancy building like I belonged there. The lavish lobby was intimidating but with a bright smile I said, “Mr. Lancaster, please. In the penthouse apartment.”