by Donya Lynne
The Three Stooges remained speechless.
After several long, awkward moments, Dad stepped forward. “I think the three of you should go.” Dad squared his shoulders and gestured toward the door. “You weren’t invited today for a reason, Johnny, and until you can behave like a part of this family, maybe you should keep your distance.”
Mom nodded, even if the look on her face showed she was still trying to process Karma’s smackdown.
“Fine.” Johnny gestured toward the sliding door and followed Jo and Estelle as they disappeared inside. He stopped and glared at Karma. “We’re leaving, Karma. Enjoy your dinner.”
“Oh, we will.” Her own glare never wavered, and she held Johnny’s gaze like her eyes had claws. Johnny finally broke the contact and left.
“Okay, where did that come from?” Dad said, sitting down at the table.
Karma turned and looked at her parents. “I’m just done, Dad. I’m done being the victim. Especially Johnny’s victim.”
This was the new her. The empowered, strong, confident Karma. Okay, so she had a way to go before she was totally transformed, but standing up to Johnny, Jo, and Estelle was a major first step.
Mom hugged her. “I’m proud of you, honey. I mean, he’s my son, and I love him, too, but I understand where you’re coming from. He’s made your life pretty miserable for a long time now.”
Why couldn’t she and Johnny have the kind of relationship other people had with their siblings? At one time, she had tried everything to get along with Johnny. All she’d done was tear herself into emotional shreds. Until Johnny grew up and took his head out of his ass, she couldn’t be around him.
She headed inside to the bathroom.
The door opened and Jo stepped out, her face flushed. When she saw Karma, fire rose in her eyes. “That was a nice show out there,” she hissed, crossing her arms.
“Are you finished? I have to pee.” Karma was so done with this bitch.
Jo grabbed her arm, refusing to let her pass. “You might have your parents and everyone else fooled, but I know the truth.”
“Let go of me and get out of my way. I’m not playing your games, anymore.” She tore her arm from Jo’s grasp.
A smug grin plastered over Jo’s face. “I saw Mark pulling into your apartment complex the other night.”
Karma’s heart nearly stopped. “So? Big deal.” Jo could have been bluffing. Doubtful but possible. Karma began to shove past her only for Jo to block the hall.
“I couldn’t believe it was him, of course. I couldn’t imagine why he would be pulling into your apartment complex unless he was going to see you.” Jo looked way too imperious. “So I turned around. I had to know for sure, because, I mean…” Her gaze strolled down Karma’s body then back to her face. “Look at you.” She curled her upper lip. “You’re so…plain.” She said the word like it was another name for the plague.
Karma cocked her head to the side, her heart hammering. “You’re not going to get to me, Jo. You’re just trying to cause trouble. I’m not the only one who lives in those apartments. If it was Mark, he could have been there to see someone else.”
Jo’s smile turned sickly sweet with a hint of poison. “Oh no, he was there to see you.” She paused as if she wanted to prolong the suspense.
Despite the panic awakening her fight or flight response, Karma held herself together. It wasn’t as if she was completely uninsured if Jo had seen her with Mark. She still had a powerful ace in her pocket. If she had to play it to keep Jo’s mouth shut, she was ready. “Do you think you might get to the point sometime today, Jo. I really do have to pee.”
Jo puffed out a derisive breath. “I pulled around to your apartment and saw Mark’s car outside your building. Then I looked up to your window and saw you open the door and let him in. He kissed you.” Jo’s blue eyes burned with jealousy and arrogance. “So deny it all you want, Karma. You’re fucking him. You’re fucking our consultant.” A venomous half-smile widened her mouth. “He must be pretty hard up if you’re the best he can get.” She chuffed. “Just wait until I file a complaint with human resources about this. He’ll be gone like that.” She snapped her fingers. “And you won’t be the little do-gooder, anymore.”
Jo began to walk past, but Karma caught her arm and yanked her back, spinning on her.
“Well, if you do, make sure to tell them about how you’re fucking your boss while you’re at it,” she said.
Jo’s face drained of color, and the air in the hall plunged into ice.
“Oops. I guess I wasn’t supposed to know that, huh?” Karma offered a sugary grin. “Oh well, surprise!”
“You have no proof.”
“I have all the proof I need. I saw you with him. The same way you saw Mark with me.” She let that sink in. “You were at the store. In the condom aisle. I think you told him—and this is a quote—’I’m going to ride you so hard.’ And I think you might have also said you would fuck him right there if you could.” She paused to let Jo mentally catch up. “I was there, hiding behind the hair brushes, you unbelievable idiot.” She shook her head. “Jake. What are you thinking, Jo? Jake. He’s married. To the owner’s daughter. Talk about colossal fails. This takes the cake.” She offered Jo a half-shrug. “I wonder what would happen to you and Jake if someone were to let HR know you two are fucking each other? In the office, no less. Don’t think I haven’t figured that out, and I’m sure plenty of others have, too, and would vouch for my story if I came forward with what I know. I mean…” Karma sucked her teeth. “I’m not known to be a gossip like you are. I haven’t pissed off half the office with my backstabbing lies like you have. So, when I open my mouth about something this scandalous, I think I’ll have a lot more ears than you will. People might actually pay attention to what I have to say and not brush me under the rug as a frivolous troublemaker. Regardless, if this gets out, I don’t think it would be good for either of you, Jo. Jake would lose his job. Probably lose his wife. And you’d be shunned if not fired.”
“You bitch.”
Karma smiled. “Well, I’ve been called worse. By you, no less.”
Jo continued to seethe, but she seemed lost for words. Apparently, she hadn’t expected a rebuttal to her threat.
“So, you go ahead and turn Mark and me in, Jo, and I’ll be sure to do the same to you.” She crossed her arms. “Now, are you sure you saw Mark at my apartment, or do you think it might’ve-could’ve-been someone else?”
The color had returned to Jo’s face, and it was the deepest shade of crimson Karma had ever seen. The defiant-but-defeated look in Jo’s eyes made it clear she knew Karma had her by the throat. Her hands were tied. If she even whispered a hint of what she knew about her and Mark, Karma would have her job within the hour. And not just her job, but Jake’s, too. As well as Jake’s marriage. Karma would only get a slap on the hand, because at least she wasn’t involved with a married man—the owner’s son-in-law, no less. Jo’s crime was far worse than Karma’s, and Jo knew it. She stood to lose a lot more than Karma did.
“Fine. It was someone else.” Jo spun and marched away.
A moment later, the front door slammed shut.
Karma ducked into the bathroom, her hands shaking. She had revealed her ace. But at least now she had secured an unlikely ally in keeping her secret. And she had finally silenced Jo once and for all. Not to mention her brother. It was sort of exhilarating seeing the two of them finally get what they deserved. For so long, they had dished a nasty spew of insults at her, but today, in one empowered moment, she had turned the tables and shut them both down.
Johnny might still try to cause trouble, but her gut told her Jolene would no longer be a problem. There had been something in Jo’s eyes—something Karma could only describe as fearful awareness—that indicated Jo had come to the realization that she’d finally met her match. That she had pushed Karma one step too far and the jig was up. There would be no more picking on her. No more bullying. No more threats. It was clear that Jo now
realized Karma had the upper hand and was beyond her reach, immune to her petty games.
For Jo, that meant the fun was over.
Karma smiled at her reflection. She had achieved another pivotal moment. No more would she allow herself to be a victim. From now on, she called the shots. No one would take away her happiness.
She took a minute to let the adrenaline rush of facing off with Jolene subside. Then she found Spookie and carried her back out to the patio, where the bundle of black fur promptly made a bed in her lap.
If she couldn’t share her revelatory accomplishment with Mark, she would share it with the next best thing: the coolest cat in the world.
Chapter 33
Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.
-Oprah Winfrey
“How about that one?” Daniel said, pointing to a picture of a woman wearing a lacy red chemise.
Karma shook her head and made a stink face. “I don’t want red. It’s too cliché.”
Daniel arched a dubious brow. “And yet red is the color you were wearing the night the two of you met.”
“All the more reason to choose a different color,” she said with a decisive nod. “To mix things up.”
“Well, men love red,” Daniel scanned the rest of the pictures on the page. “But if you don’t want red, we’ll find something else.”
Daniel and Lisa had come over to help her look at lingerie. If she and Mark were moving forward, she wanted to be ready, and boxer shorts and a tank top as sexy bedtime attire just didn’t seem grand enough to impress a guy like him. And now that she had squashed the pesky bugs that were Johnny and Jolene, she was eager to shed all her old skins, including the sexually modest one. This required lingerie. Classy, sexy, make-him-stare lingerie.
Lisa had suggested a website called Yandy, where she had bought a few pieces of lingerie in the past, and while Karma had seen a few passable items, so far nothing had jumped out as the one that would turn her first time with Mark into something eternally unforgettable.
Lisa returned from the kitchen with a bowl of freshly popped popcorn. “Any luck?”
Daniel shook his head. “She’s shot down anything red or black, so I’m running out of ideas.”
Lisa set the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table. “Well, what about that one?” She pointed to a slinky garment that looked like purple Band-Aids connected by a whole lot of string.
Karma wrinkled her nose. “The thong I’m wearing has more material in it than that.”
“You’re wearing a thong?” Lisa said.
Daniel leaned forward and lightly smacked her butt. “Since when do you wear thongs?”
“Since a few weeks ago.” Karma buried her nose back into the website, wishing she hadn’t brought it up. “And hands off the merchandise, Danny, or I’ll tell Zach you’re going straight on him.”
“He’ll never believe you.” Daniel nonchalantly munched on a handful of popcorn.
She stuck her tongue out at him.
“My little Karma is finally growing up,” Lisa said, pretending to wipe a tear off her cheek.
Karma slapped Lisa’s leg. “Cut it out. Focus. I need to find lingerie for this guy. Something not sleazy. Something demure. Something—”
“What about that?” Daniel shoved his index finger toward the screen, pointing at a sheer, antique-white baby-doll with a lace and satin bodice. He tapped the screen and pulled up the details. Delicate lace decorated the hem, and a satin sash circled the high waist, which fell just under the model’s breasts.
“It’s innocent,” Lisa said.
“It’s perfect!” No doubt. This was the one.
Daniel clapped once and pumped his fist. “That will drive your man crazy.”
The frilly baby-doll wasn’t overtly sexy in an in-your-face kind of way. It was sexy in an I’m-still-innocent-so-be-gentle-with-me-but-not-too-gentle kind of way that fit her perfectly. Daniel was right. This would drive Mark crazy.
She scowled at the price. Almost sixty dollars. Why was lingerie so damn expensive? This was for a special occasion, though, so her credit card balance be damned.
“I’m getting it.” She added the baby-doll to her cart.
Lisa pointed. “Make sure to buy the white thong, too. It’ll look good underneath.”
“Good call.” Karma added it to the cart. “Can you guys think of anything else I need?”
Daniel sat back with a sigh. “Candle wax, whips, chains, handcuffs.”
“Danny!” She smacked his arm, making him laugh.
Lisa giggled. “You’re going to give him a night he won’t forget, Karma.” She grabbed a handful of popcorn. “I can’t believe you two haven’t already done the deed. I figured that would have been old news by now.”
Karma pulled out her credit card and started filling in the order information. “I wasn’t ready. And besides, he wanted to take his time.”
“I guess.”
Daniel gave Lisa a playful shove. “Leave her alone. Our little Karma is about to become a woman.” The two snickered.
“Fine, laugh it up.” Karma double-checked all her info on the screen, making sure to add two-day shipping, then tapped the icon to place the order before smiling at them over her shoulder. “Done.”
“Mark has been so good for you, girl,” Lisa said, smiling like a proud momma.
Daniel nodded in agreement. “Before long, we’ll be going to your wedding.”
Karma held up her hand and shook her head. “No, that’s not what this is about. Remember, I told you that this is just a temporary thing.”
“Temporary, my ass.” Daniel snagged some popcorn. “I hear the way you talk about him. You’re falling in love with him, Karma. And from the way it sounds, he’s falling in love with you, too. At least from what you’ve said.”
“You’re reading too much into things. Mark doesn’t want that. He made that clear from the get-go.”
“He might have made it clear from the get-go, but sometimes things change, honey. And it sounds like your beau and you are changing, if you get my drift.” Daniel’s eyebrows rose as he gave her a meaningful look.
Lisa remained quiet, but Karma could tell by her expression she agreed with Daniel.
“Well, you’re wrong. This is just about having fun. That’s all.” Karma set her tablet aside, dug her hand into the popcorn, and tried not to acknowledge that Daniel was right. She was falling in love with Mark. But that was her problem. Mark wouldn’t stick around and be her boyfriend after his assignment at Solar was finished, let alone be her fiancé or her husband. She refused to entertain the idea that their relationship would ever be more than two people sharing a mutual attraction for one another. No strings attached.
And if her heart got splattered to hell and back later? Well, that would be her own damn fault for wanting something Mark had warned her he would never give.
Chapter 34
Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
-Buddha
The following Saturday, Mark returned to Clover a day earlier than planned. It had been eight days since he had seen Karma. Well, eight-and-a-half, but who was counting?
Apparently, he was.
And he wasn’t going to let another day pass without seeing her.
He parked outside her apartment, picked up the bouquet of periwinkle hydrangeas and lilacs interspersed with white calla lilies, took the stairs to her apartment two at a time, and knocked as he hid the flowers behind his back.
He heard the deadbolt unlock. “Dad, you’re earl—Mark?”
“Hey you.” It took all his self-control not to pick her up, kick the door closed behind him, and carry her to the bedroom.
“You’re back early.” Her exuberant smile wrapped around his heart and squeezed.
“I thought I would take an extra day to get settled before Monday.” It was a lie. He had come back a day early because he couldn’t stop thinking about her and wanted to see her.
“I’m glad. I was starting to miss you.” She stepped aside to let him in.
He pulled the flowers from behind his back. “For you.”
She beamed and dove her nose into one of the lilies.
The way she closed her eyes and inhaled, all angelic innocence, made him stand a little taller.
“Roses seemed too ordinary for you,” he said, pulling a card from his pocket. On the envelope was a doodle of their faces, side-by-side, on the flap. He had been doodling her face a lot.
She opened her eyes and rewarded him with the most beautiful smile he’d seen in over a week. “That’s sweet. They’re gorgeous.”
He leaned in and kissed her, letting his lips linger on hers as he slid the card into her free hand. “So are you.”
She took the card then buried her nose inside the bouquet again before turning for a vase on one of her shelves. “I’ll just put them in some water.”
In the kitchen, she set the flowers and vase on the counter and grinned at the caricature of her face on the envelope. “This is pretty good.” She turned it toward him. “I’ve noticed you doodle a lot, mostly faces. What’s up with that?”
Leaning against the counter, he shrugged. “Just something I’ve done since I was a kid. I used to sit in my parents’ studio and draw pictures of the dancers. As I got older, I got better. Now, it’s a habit. I don’t even realize I’m doing it most of the time. I’ll be sitting in a meeting or on some conference call, and then I’ll look down and have a sheet full of faces.”
She laughed, opened the envelope, and pulled out the card he had gotten her. It was nothing fancy, just a sentiment of how much he enjoyed spending time with her. After reading it, she smiled and slipped the card back inside the envelope. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
She turned for the sink and grabbed the vase.
“So, it sounds like you’re expecting your dad. Should I leave?” He noted the silken, wavy spill of her hair over her shoulders, as well as the way her loose-fitting jeans hugged her rump. He might have been a man with a major foot fetish, but he liked asses, too, and hers was damn near perfect.