Forbidden Fruit:
An Unlikely Love Story
______________
Michelle S. Fondin
Copyright © 2015 Michelle S. Fondin
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 1517081874
ISBN-13: 978-1517081874
DEDICATION
To CMK, thank you for spending the journey with me all those years ago.
Forbidden Fruit:
an Unlikely Love story
Chapter One
Senior year in high school and little to look forward to, thought Marissa Belknapp as she drove silently to work. Instead of tapping her fingers in time to the music, she tightly gripped her fists around the steering wheel of her Rabbit convertible until her knuckles turned white. Beads of sweat dripped down her face in spite of the summer breeze that rushed in from the open top. In her haste, Marissa had forgotten to push in her Depeche Mode tape, which usually accompanied her in the early morning rush. Even though this gesture had been unconscious, it was appropriate for the mood. Somehow the music had stopped.
People who knew her would never describe her as a pessimist. Marissa’s optimistic nature made her extremely likeable even though she wasn’t often the center of attention. Also, her headstrong determination helped her get what she wanted out of life, most of the time. So when things suddenly took a turn for the worse, it threw her off course. She found herself hurdling into uncharted territory with not so much as a life preserver to keep her afloat.
As a result, automatic pilot had taken over. And when her car pulled into its usual spot that morning, she couldn’t remember how she had gotten there. Indifferent, she shrugged, leaned over to light a cigarette and in a zombie-like fashion, stepped out of the car and into the blinding sun. The rays of light, which shone from behind, made it nearly impossible for her to see the keyhole. Squinting, she made futile attempts at entering the key into the door of the dry cleaners. “Dammit!” she shouted dropping her cigarette as she finally managed to push in the key. The smoke of the newly lit cigarette rose from the sidewalk. Marissa backed up to crush it with her foot, leaving the key in the keyhole. From behind her a cheerful voice rang out, “I’ll get it.”
Brogan, Marissa’s best friend since kindergarten, rushed to the door and unlocked it on the first try. Marissa muttered a small “Thanks” under her breath and led the way into the dark store. With a quick step Brogan turned on the lights and began setting up for the day. The early birds, who dropped their clothes off before going to work, would be coming in any minute and they needed to be ready.
The fact that Brogan came to the rescue made Marissa even angrier. Under normal circumstances she would have brushed it off and the girls would have been talking and giggling the whole morning. However, today Brogan’s perfect timing rubbed her the wrong way. Marissa didn’t need rescuing. She didn’t need pity. Yet every move anyone made these days, especially Brogan, seemed to make Marissa’s life appear pathetic.
At seven o’clock sharp customers began filing in the door with piles of dirty clothes. The girls wrote up the sales tickets, tagged the clothes and sorted them into piles. It was brainless work. Luckily it was only a summer job. In a few weeks it would be over and school would start again. Brogan had found the job in June and helped Marissa get hired. At first they thought it was the perfect summer job. They started 6:45 a.m. and were done by 1:00 p.m. With those hours, they had rest of the day to go to the beach or do whatever they wanted. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long before they discovered that getting up at six in the morning during summer vacation was no picnic.
By eight o’clock the rush had trickled out. The two friends sat down to take a break. On a typical morning one of them would run out and buy breakfast during the lull. But today they just sat there. Marissa dreaded being alone with Brogan because the silence was too awkward. Nothing had happened between the two girls. They almost never fought. They respected and loved one another like sisters. But the painful memory of Marissa’s recent past distanced the two girls tremendously. Yet, the discomfort of the situation shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Even though neither of them wanted to admit it, they had been growing apart since high school began. The gap was so large now they couldn’t ignore it, yet they never discussed it either. As a result, they reverted to meaningless conversation.
“Did you get your senior pictures?” Brogan asked.
“Yeah I did. They turned out pretty nicely,” said Marissa.
“Mine too. I almost can’t wait for school to start again.” Brogan added.
Marissa exhaled deeply. “Yeah I guess I’m ready for school to start again too. This job is getting to me. I feel like it’s draining my brain.”
Brogan let out a hoot as if Marissa had told a hilarious joke, “I know what you mean.”
Brogan commanded the art of small talk. Her comfort in social situations charmed even the most reticent person. As a consequence, everyone wanted to be her friend. Well, the fact that she was beautiful and stylish probably helped too.
On the other hand Marissa loathed small talk. It made her feel self-conscious. She continually thought that people didn’t really want to hear what she had to say because small talk made her babble. Consequently, a large room full of people made her clam up unless she happened to be performing. That was her forte. And she wasn’t necessarily less pretty than Brogan just different. She had been blessed, or cursed depending on her mood, with Middle-Eastern blood, which made her appear exotic. While Brogan’s Irish skin burnt at the slightest glimpse of the sun, Marissa wore a permanent tan. Brogan’s smiling green eyes danced as she spoke. And Marissa’s eyes, wide and dark, showed a rich, more serious nature.
As Marissa listened to Brogan talk about the beginning of school, she reflected on how their differences didn’t stop at their appearances. Had we met in high school, Marissa thought, we probably wouldn’t even be friends today. But they had such a deep history together that their friendship was simply written in their blood.
The door chimes broke Marissa’s reverie.
“Hey, ladies!” A cheerful voice cried out. “I’ve brought you breakfast.”
The bearer of delicious food slid a cardboard tray of coffee cups onto the counter and plopped a bag of doughnuts next to it.
Looking at the three coffee cups, Marissa realized that John, Brogan’s boyfriend, had brought her breakfast too. “Thanks John,” she called out.
John and Brogan met when Brogan was fifteen and had been together ever since. He was working his way through college but always took the time for a kind gesture. Still, Marissa constantly felt a little uncomfortable around him. John came from a wealthy family and always wore the latest fashions. Although he was not snobbish in the least, his outward display of self-confidence made Marissa feel like a little girl.
“I wanted to drop breakfast off for you ladies. And now I’m off to work,” John said merrily. He then turned to Brogan, pointed his index fingers out toward her and said coolly, “I’ll see you at one o’clock!” He waved and turned to go without kissing Brogan good-bye. John and Brogan were not into public displays of affection.
Marissa held up her paper coffee cup as if making a toast, “Thanks again John. That was really sweet.”
After a few sips of coffee and a bite of doughnut, the girls had to tend to customers once again. But instead of suits on their way to work, frazzled mothers with whining children in tow brought armfuls of clothes to be cleaned. Once the second rush subsided, Marissa glanced at the clock. The hands stayed at 9:15 am. How time drags at this boring job! thought Marissa.
For Marissa, one o’clock could not have come fast enough. She actually had nowhere to
go and nothing to do for the rest of the day. But she felt it was easier and better to sulk alone, in silence. When John came to pick up Brogan, he thoughtfully invited Marissa to hang out at the beach with them, but she politely refused.
Marissa headed hastily toward the car. The black vinyl seats had been soaking up the heat all morning. As she opened the door, she felt a wave of heat blast out onto her face. Man, it’s hot! she thought. Ignoring her commonsense, she sat down anyway and burnt her hand on the steering wheel. “Shit!” she cried out pulling her hand away. She turned the key and cranked the air conditioning to max. Hot air blasted out of the vents. The engine chugged. Marissa glanced at her watch. Impatience filled her body. She wanted to leave fast and just drive. But the ten-year-old car needed to cool off first. Yet, so did she. To pass the time, she pushed in the cigarette lighter and took out a cigarette from the pack lying on the driver’s seat. She lit it and inhaled deeply. She tried gripping the steering wheel again. “Much better,” she said aloud as she shifted into reverse and took off.
After driving aimlessly for over an hour, Marissa pulled into an empty parking lot, much like the one Barbara had taken her to a couple of weeks earlier. It was ironic. She hated the thought of that parking lot. It was the beginning of one of the worst episodes of her life. But Marissa desperately needed time alone to think, heal and figure things out. She turned up the music and laid her head on the steering wheel embracing it. Depeche Mode sang Strange Love on the radio.
Tears started streaming down her face. Then the sobs came. Uncontrollable sobs overcame her body. Marissa had never felt so incredibly alone. No one could possibly understand her pain. How could she even understand what had just happened? It was supposed to have been a blissful summer not disastrous.
Now Daniel was gone and Marissa was more confused than ever. She felt betrayed by him and by her mother. Marissa thought of Barbara. She would be furious that Marissa had been so late after work without warning. But Marissa didn’t care. She hated her. She had lost all respect for her and would never trust her again.
Marissa stared at the front passenger seat reaching for another cigarette. The pack lay open and empty. She glanced at the clock: Two-thirty already.
As she pulled into the driveway an hour later, Barbara was waiting at the door. “Where were you Marissa? You had me worried sick! Oh honey, have you been crying? Are you alright?”
“I’m fine mom!” huffed Marissa walking straight past Barbara. Marissa knew she probably smelled like smoke so she ran to her room to change. Barbara didn’t know she smoked and Marissa didn’t want her to know. It was one more battle she wasn’t willing to fight.
Barbara followed Marissa to her room. “Marissa, Dan called.” And then she paused smelling the air. “Do I smell smoke? Why do you smell like smoke Marissa?”
“Oh, Brogan and I went to Denny’s after work and we had to sit in the smoking section.” Marissa lied. “What did Dan say?”
“Well, change your clothes,” her mother said as she waved away an invisible cloud of smoke. “You smell awful!” Barbara turned to go.
“Mom, what did Dan say?” Marissa insisted as she tugged nervously at her hair.
“Oh, he asked that you call him back. Poor boy. I feel sorry for him.” Barbara faded into deep thought then instantly snapped out. “And Marissa, don’t talk too long! The long distance rates are very expensive during weekdays.”
Marissa stared at her mother in disbelief. Yeah right! she thought, ‘Poor boy’. You’re the one who drove him to craziness along with his own mother.
Marissa grumbled, “It’s not like it matters to you since I have to pay for all of my long distance calls myself!”
“Well, I was going to pay for this one Marissa. But since your mouth is so sassy you can pay for the call,” her mother screeched.
Marissa grabbed the phone from the hall and slammed her door. Yeah right, thought Marissa again, She wasn’t going to pay for the call, she just said that to get to me. She felt as if Barbara might drive her crazy too.
Barbara Belknapp, a heavy woman in her late forties, strived to be the supreme ruler of her domain. Yet, her life was a dichotomy. A divorcée of thirteen years, Barbara lived her life through her daughters: Marissa and Pamela. By day Barbara was an accountant. She needed order and perfection in her work. What she didn’t finish at work, she took home and obsessed over it until it was done to her specifications. By night Barbara fell apart. Maintaining order in her home became impossible. Without a social life of her own, she managed to infiltrate every possible aspect of her daughters’ lives. Once her daughters became teenagers, anger and frustration dominated her moods because she could no longer control them as she used to, even though she tried. In a pitiful attempt to justify her irrational actions, she argued that as a divorced parent, she needed to discipline for two. Marissa never understood her mother’s logic since she had a father whom she saw quite often. Child support apart, Barbara would have liked to forget that she had ever been married to him. The two almost never spoke. In Barbara’s mind, it was almost as if he didn’t exist. Ironically, his existence still haunted her. She feared her beloved daughters might leave her, one day, to go live with their father.
Marissa’s hands trembled as she dialed Daniel’s number. She knew it by heart but this time she was afraid. She was tongue-tied. She wanted to talk to him in the worst way but she longed for things to be like they were before. Something was lost; something that could never be gained back. Marissa hated to admit it but a part of her had lost respect for him.
The phone rang, once, twice, three times. “Yello!” A voice rang out cheerfully.
Marissa spoke softly into the phone, “Hi, it’s me.”
“Hey! I knew it was you,” Daniel rejoiced.
“What are you doing home in the middle of the day?” asked Marissa hoping that she might just leave a message.
“I uh, got fired.”
“You what?” questioned Marissa.
“Yeah, it seems they were a little ticked that I took a couple of weeks off to go on vacation. Don’t worry though I’ll find something,” Dan stated with enthusiasm.
Marissa got an uneasy feeling in her stomach. “So what did Fred say?”
“Oh, Freddy, uh he doesn’t know.”
“What? How could he not know?” said Marissa with surprise.
“Well, he leaves kind of early for his job and well, I didn’t want to burden him with the news. I’ve put in applications all over so I should get a job in couple of days,” Daniel explained.
Marissa decided it best to change the subject. “So what’s it like being back in California?”
“It’s really warm, no humidity. I go out to the beach everyday. But I miss you like crazy.”
“I know I miss you too. Uh Dan have you thought about checking into, uh counseling?” stammered Marissa.
“Mariss, I have no job. How am I gonna pay for counseling? Plus Freddy said I don’t need it,” Daniel answered with confidence.
“Dan, there are services available where you don’t have to pay. You need to get some help. I’m really worried about you,” Marissa begged.
“Baby, I’m fine really. That was just a moment of uh, temporary insanity or something.”
Marissa heard Barbara shouting her name from the hallway. It was as if she couldn’t resist budding into Marissa’s phone conversations.
Annoyed at the interruption but at the same time thankful for it, Marissa said even quieter, “Listen Dan, I’ve gotta go. But please promise me you’ll reconsider the counseling thing.”
“Uh yeah, I’ll do that. Baby, I kiss you all over. Call me back when you can O.K.”
“Maybe later on tonight, if Barbara leaves or something. I love you Daniel,” said Marissa almost inaudibly.
“Me too, bye.”
“Bye.”
Chapter Two
Marissa had just turned fifteen. She had gotten a part-time job working in an ice cream shop for two reasons. The first was t
o save up for a car. And the second reason was to escape the wrath of her mother. Since she was an excellent student, Barbara allowed her to work two days a week as long as her grades didn’t drop. Marissa had no intention of letting her grades drop because a car meant freedom and freedom meant getting a life.
It’s not like she didn’t have a life. She had always been pretty popular but not attached to a single clique. She had plenty of friends and boys showed interest in her. With her bubbly personality and contagious smile, Marissa appeared to fit in wherever she went. But inside she felt like she never quite fit in.
Her parents’ divorce had always given her a complex. At her Catholic school in an upper middle-class neighborhood, she was one of the only students whose parents were divorced. In her heart, this especially bothered Marissa. She longed for a real family.
One day while Marissa was scooping a cone of coffee and Heath ice cream for a customer, Daniel walked in the door. Marissa’s heart pounded hard as she looked into his eyes. She had never felt that way before. He stood there staring at her with his huge brown eyes. They were dark and penetrating. She immediately looked back down at the ice cream but glanced up at him through the glass case. He had moved his gaze and looked behind her as if he were searching for somebody.
When she finished with her customer, she shyly addressed the mystery guy. “Can I help you?”
“Yeah,” he said in a cool tone as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’m here to see Jenny. Is she working?”
Marissa’s heart sank. “Oh, yeah, um she’s in back. I’ll uh, go get her.” With a determined step Marissa went into the back room to search for her co-worker.
He must be her boyfriend, Marissa thought. I’ll just have to forget him. But then again, why did he stare at me like that?
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