by Pizzi, Jenna
“Well, I guess James can come pick us up later because I still want Margaritas over at Sam Diego’s,” Emily proclaimed.
“Well, I am in. It’s been a long couple weeks. I could definitely use the break.”
“No word from Ethan?” Emily asked her.
“No. I think I pretty much blew that whole thing. I was so wrapped up in getting my own feelings hurt that I really didn’t think about his.”
“It’s not too late, you know.”
“What does that mean?” Rebecca asked.
“He should be back soon. He can’t be gone forever. He has a show to put on, right?”
“He could come back with someone new. It’s been weeks and I haven’t heard a word.”
“So you assume that means he’s moved on?”
“Yes,” she answered.
Emily put up the closed sign. They had stayed open a little later because of the Labor Day tourists. They didn’t finish closing until 7:00 PM. Emily grabbed her sweater and tossed Rebecca’s leather coat at her.
“Let’s hit it, baby. I can hear the cocktails calling our name.”
Rebecca cracked up laughing and flipped the lights off.
They grabbed two seats at the bar and ordered nachos and a pitcher of margaritas. They were laughing and enjoying themselves when an envelope dropped down in front of Rebecca. She quickly turned and saw Ryan and Christine smiling at her.
“Hi,” Rebecca said.
“Well hello, stranger. We saw you guys head over here after leaving the shop and we thought we’d hand deliver your invites. The gallery opens tomorrow night and we thought maybe you’d like to attend,” Christine told her.
Emily grabbed the gold embossed invitations.
“Fancy. They look like wedding invites.”
“Ethan likes to go all out,” Ryan said as he looked directly at Rebecca.
“Will Ethan be there?” Rebecca asked.
They looked at each other and then Ryan said, “Nothing could keep him away.”
“We’ll be there!” Emily shouted out.
Christine smiled gently at Rebecca.
“Good. We’ll see you tomorrow night.”
They left the table and Emily ran her fingers over the writing.
“Sweet Serendipity,” she said. “What a great name for a show. I can hardly wait.”
“I feel kind of strange about it. Maybe I shouldn’t go,” Rebecca said.
“Are you crazy, Becca? You’ve been talking about Ethan for weeks. Now is your chance to go and see him in person and tell him that you’ve been thinking about him.”
“That’s it, it’s been weeks. He’s moved on. I haven’t heard from him.”
“Sometimes you can be such an idiot. He sent his two best friends to come and deliver this to you in person. You suck at reading between the lines. He wants you there.”
The bartender had been listening in on their conversation and she walked over to them. “Are you guys talking about that hot art guy?”
Emily cracked up laughing, “Yup.”
“You’d be a damn fool to not go if he invited you. He’s, like, one of Plymouth’s most sought after bachelors. Rumor had it that he has it bad for a local girl. I guess now I know who the girl is.” The bartender poured them two more margaritas. “On the house, ladies.” She leaned in close to Rebecca and looked her in the eye. “If I was you and this is a man that you want, go and get yourself all dressed hot and irresistible. Don’t let him slip by you. I am a pure sucker for love, so go and get him.” She winked at Rebecca as she walked off to help another patron.
“See? It’s time Becca. He gave you time to make up your mind. The ticket is his way of finding out if you feel the same. If you show up, he’ll know that you love him back. If you don’t go, well, he’ll know that you meant more to him than he did to you.”
Rebecca downed her drink and felt the alcohol burn on the way down. She wanted to go. She knew she did, but she still had something holding her back. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she still had her doubts.
Emily had James pick them up out front. Emily practically stumbled to the car. He took one look at her and shook his head.
“You can barely walk, darling.” She leaned over and planted a huge kiss on his lips.
“At least you know you’re going to get lucky tonight.”
James pulled out onto Court Street and headed toward Federal Furnace Road. As he pulled into Rebecca’s driveway, she noticed that the lights were still on inside. She waved goodbye to her friends as they drove away. .
Inside, Tasha was playing Monopoly with the three kids. They all looked up when they saw Rebecca and said hello.
“OK kiddos, I didn’t realized it was that late. Why don’t we finish this tomorrow? Go on now and hit the sack,” Tasha told them.
The three kids reluctantly walked past Rebecca. Riley and Ashlee gave her a hug, but she noticed that Adam still was acting icy toward her.
“Good night, Adam. I love you,” she called after him. She heard him grumble and head up the stairs to his room.
Rebecca dropped down into the stool across from Tasha and slid the invite across the table. Tasha picked it up and looked it over.
“So he’s back. Good! I certainly hope you are going?”
“I’m gonna,” Rebecca answered.
“Thank God! I thought I was going to have to drag you there kicking and screaming,” Tasha teased. “I have a few little black dresses that will be appropriate for the occasion. I hope they are not too big for you because you are majorly skinny lately. It should knock his socks off.”
“I don’t know what you wear to this sort of thing. I have a black dress I bought that I thought maybe one day I’d have a reason to wear. I didn’t until now. It’s been sitting in my closet for years with the tags still on it.”
Tasha raised an eyebrow.
“Do tell, my dear. You purchased something sexy? I don’t believe you.”
“It was stupid, I know. Jack never took us anywhere that I’d get to wear it. I was out shopping. It was one of those impulse buys. I guess it’s time to pull it out of the closet.”
“Oh, this is going to be fun. This is just what the doctor ordered. Even though I’m your plus one, do you think we could sneak someone else in?”
Rebecca stepped forward and smirked at her best friend.
“Would this be the dark hunk of a man we saw you walking with?”
“Yes, you nosey Nellie. His name is Micah. He works at the healing center and he makes me feel like there is a tomorrow and a next year. He makes me realize that my illness is only a state of mind and I can correct it by correcting the energy that surrounds me. He’s amazing.”
“Oh my God, Tasha. You don’t even sound like the same woman. I am dying to meet him.”
“In all due time, baby doll. You’ll see him tomorrow and you’ll see just how amazing he is.”
The two friends sat at the table laughing and gossiping just like they did before all the bad, back when they would talk into the wee hours of the morning. Rebecca found herself laughing and Tasha laughed like Rebecca hadn’t heard since high school. Finally, Tasha placed her hand on her friend’s hand.
“I think I am ready to go back home now, too. You have been wonderful to me and to Ash, but life is moving on and so are we now that Ethan is back and now that I have met Micah. I just think that it’s time.”
“No. You don’t have to leave. If you want to have Micah spend the night, then by all means, invite him. Don’t leave!”
“Honey! No offense, but you kind of cramp my style. What if I want to get my freak on? I can’t do it with a house full of people. You know how it is, right?” Tasha winked at her.
“Ewe Tasha, that’s too much information. Although, I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear you talking like this. Honestly, I didn’t think…” She fell silent.
“It’s OK to talk about it. I didn’t think I’d get a second chance at love, but I can tell you that I’m grabbing
on with both hands and I am not taking one single thing for granted. You should take my advice. At least you don’t have cancer. I can’t believe it took me getting so sick to realize exactly what it is that I want in life. I don’t want you to lose sight of that, Becca. You are the closest thing I have to a sister and I love you so much. Stop living in the past. Put Brian to rest and realize that although he is not here physically, he will always remain with you spiritually. He wouldn’t want you to spend the rest of your life alone. You are so young and beautiful. You need to find your inner happiness. Maybe you should come to the healing center with me. One session, and I swear you will feel a difference. You can let the guilt that you are riddled with just disappear. You will see that there is something more to the world than what your eyes see.”
“Tasha, you don’t even sound like you.”
“Honey, I feel like gold, and it only gets better from here.”
The two friends enjoyed a cup of chamomile tea and then said goodnight to each other. Rebecca lay in her bed staring out her window at the nearly full moon. She hoped that Ethan was watching the moon and thinking about her, too. A sudden rush of warmth ran through her body, and she closed her eyes and slept soundly for the first time in a long time.
The following morning, Riley left with Ashlee for the weekend. Richard was taking them for one last trip to New Hampshire to go to the Flume Gorge and then do a little shopping at the Attatash outlets. The girls were excited because school was starting up the following Monday. Adam got invited to a birthday sleepover for his friend, Tim. Again, she’d be child -free and Tasha planned on moving back to her own house.
Rebecca helped Adam pack up his sleeping bag and an overnight bag. Adam kept grabbing everything away from Rebecca to do it himself.
“I don’t need help, Mom. I’m going to be eleven in less than a month.”
“I know, Adam. I don’t think that you are incapable of packing. It’s just what moms do.”
“I don’t need your help.” He ripped the bag from her hands and it threw it across the room. She felt herself tearing up, so she hurried from the room before he saw her crying.
Jack honked his horn in the driveway. Adam ran down the stairs and straight for the door.
Rebecca yelled out, “Wait a minute, young man!”
Adam stopped and rolled his eyes.
“What, Mother?”
She was slightly taken aback by the way he spoke to her.
“I wanted to say goodbye. You are going to a sleepover and then to your father’s, so I won’t see you until Sunday evening.” She wrapped her arms around him but noticed he didn’t hug her back. She grabbed hold of his shoulders. “I love you Adam, more than anything.”
“Goodbye, Mom.”
With that he was out the door. Jack stood at the doorway. He shrugged his shoulders.
“Boys will be boys. I’ll have him back by dinner time on Sunday.”
“Alright. Thanks, Jack.” She turned to close the door and Jack quickly put his foot in the door to stop her.
“I’ve been in counseling for a while now. I was hoping we could sit down and talk soon.”
“Jack, I am really glad that you are finally seeking help, but we’ve had our time and we couldn’t make it work.”
“I don’t accept that, Bec. I won’t accept that.”
“I have to go now, Jack. I’ll see you Sunday afternoon.”
She went back inside and closed the door. Her heart was racing from her interaction with Jack. Tasha walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her.
“I hope Jack has been leaving you alone.”
“He’s just Jack.” Rebecca put a pot of water on the stove to make a cup of tea.
“Don’t let him distract you from your target at hand. Tonight is about Ethan. This is his show, and this is your opportunity to finally move on,” Tasha told her.
“It’s not so much Jack that I am worried about. It’s Adam. I’ve never seen him so angry. He’s so angry with me. He yells at me and avoids me.”
“Sugar, he’s an adolescent, nothing more. He’s just lashing out because of the divorce. He’ll get over it. It’s totally normal. Ashlee was the same way at first, but Richard and I worked through it.”
“Maybe I should make an appointment for him to talk to someone. He won’t talk to me, so maybe he will with a doctor.”
“Or, he could look back one day and hate you for sending him to a shrink.”
The tea kettle whistled and Tasha walked out of the room to get dressed. Rebecca poured herself a cup of tea and went out onto the back deck. She sat at the patio table and sipped the tea. She looked once again at the familiar swing set that held many fond memories of her kids playing when they were small. She was lost in her thoughts when Tasha joined her.
“Honey pie, are you going to slip into something a little more revealing, or are you going for the frumpy housewife thing here?”
Rebecca looked at her watch and realized she was officially running late. She had been lost in her own thoughts.
“I didn’t realize what time it was. I don’t want to hold you up, just go meet Micah and I’ll meet the two of you there.”
Tasha looked at her with suspicious eyes.
“Do you expect me to actually believe you? You are going to talk yourself out of going tonight. I will sit and wait, even if it takes most of the night.”
“Tasha, you’ve been looking forward to going, so go. I promise I will be there. I’m not going to blow it off.”
“Naw, I’ll sit my ass here and wait for you. I will just ask Micah if he’d be a gentleman and come pick us up. He knows women always run late.” She picked up her cell and dialed Micah before Rebecca could argue with her. She slapped Tasha gently on her arm and knew Tasha would win once again.
Rebecca quickly showered and then rubbed lotion on her body. She looked at herself in the mirror. She wanted to feel beautiful tonight. She wanted to feel like Cinderella going to the ball to meet Prince Charming. She was only hoping that her Prince Charming hadn’t found a replacement. She blew her hair dry and made long ringlets to add body. She applied makeup and a sexy red lipstick. She walked in her closet and flipped on the light switch. She held the little black dress in her hands. She smiled to herself as she ran her hands over the soft fabric. She had always wanted to wear something like it. She remembered walking through Nordstrom’s looking at the dresses, wondering why the average woman would buy something so fancy. Now she knew: art gallery openings.
She carefully slipped into the dress. It flowed to her ankles in a flared skirt. She loved the keyhole detail with rosette on the front and back neckline. The ruched bodice clung to her body and gave her thin frame the curves she’d always longed to have. Since the dress was a halter style, she pulled out a black lacy scarf that doubled as a shrug. She placed her feet into her very uncomfortable but fashionable healed, strappy, black, toeless shoes and made her way to the kitchen.
Tasha leaned over the kitchen island, giggling like a school girl at something Micah had just finished telling her. Tasha stopped and whistled at Rebecca.
“Wow, girlfriend, that dress was a definite hidden treasure. Wow! I cannot believe you’ve kept that hidden from me.” She winked at Rebecca.
Rebecca twirled and looked back with puppy dog eyes.
“Is it too much? I have something else not quite to elaborate.”
“I will kill you if you change. You are stunning.” She reached her arm through Micah’s arm and smiled at her best friend.
“This is Micah. Micah, this is my sista from another mista, Becca.”
Micah took Rebecca’s hand.
“It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Becca. She talks about you constantly.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Micah. I’ve heard some wonderful things about you, too.”
“Well, now that that is out of the way can we finally make an appearance at this thing?”
Tasha picked up her clutch bag and practically f
orced Rebecca out the door before she could change her mind. Micah held the door open for the ladies, which made Rebecca smile at her friend. “I believe you found a keeper, Tash.”
Tasha smiled like Rebeeca hadn’t seen in a long time.
“I think you may be right. It’s strange how things work out sometimes. I never would have stepped foot in a place like the healing center if I hadn’t gotten sick, but it has changed my life in more ways than one. I’m going to be taking some classes from the owner himself. I want to learn everything I can about it. It is positively life altering, and so is Micah.”
Rebecca leaned back in the seat. She was happy that her friend had found something to believe in. She could see the change in her, and she couldn’t help but see the sparkle that Tasha now had in her eyes. She had honestly thought Tasha wouldn’t have had the opportunity to shine like that again. She placed her hand over her stomach. She had her own butterflies flying rampantly in her own stomach. This was the night she was going to tell Ethan that he was right about everything, and if it wasn’t too late, she promised she’d tell him how she felt about him.
Micah pulled up in front of the gallery, and a valet approached them. Tasha happily got out of the car and smiled.
“Nice! I don’t think I’ve ever been to an event where there was valet parking.”
The valet heard her and smiled.
“They rented out a public parking lot down the road for this event.”
Tasha put one arm through Rebecca’s and the other through Micah’s as the three of them walked in together.
The gallery was filled wall to wall with people. She noticed many of the guests pointing to paintings on the wall as they held champagne flutes in their hands. A woman holding a clipboard approached them.
“Hello, folks. Welcome to E.R. Art Concepts. Do you have an invitation?”
Rebecca pulled out her invite and told the woman her name. The woman scanned the list and stopped when she came across Rebecca’s name. She tapped the page and grinned at her.
“Well, we weren’t sure if you were going to come this evening. Mr. Roberts will be pleased; if you’ll excuse me, it is now time to open the exhibit.