Tinderella

by Bartlett, Jecca

  It was hard to feel lucky when she felt like hell. She needed to call...Crap! her cell phone. How was she going to break out of this damn hospital if no one knew she was here? Gooch. Where was Gooch. She tried to buzz the nurse, but before her hand could press the button, she was out again.

  When she woke up, she could still smell the smoke. She opened her eyes slowly, trying to recall where she was. She decided, based on the sounds, that she wasn't in her apartment anymore, and then she remembered that she probably had no apartment anymore.

  She was having a hard time focusing her eyes, when she spotted someone in the corner. It was Gooch. Of course it was.

  "Hey sleepyhead," she said as she approached the bed. "You're going to be okay, but it's going to take a few days. You've inhaled a lot of smoke, your lungs are irritated, and you need some rest."

  "But my stuff--"

  "We'll talk about it in the morning."

  "What time is it?"

  "It's about 5 am."

  "It is morning then," she said, even though it hurt to talk.

  "Yes, but let's wait until the Dr. comes in again."

  "Just, is...is everything gone?"

  Gooch sighed and shook her head, "Yes, most everything is useless, smoke damage, some water, not fire. The building is standing and you'll be able to move back in if you want to. But you're fine, and we'll get through this."

  She couldn't even think about all she might have lost, from the most important things like photographs, to the least important but necessary like a laptop and her cell phone.

  "Gooch, I have to get out of here. I don't have money, I barely have insurance, and if I don't work, I don't get paid."

  "I know, sweetie. But you can't work if you're coughing your lungs out. Hang on, we'll see what the Dr says, and we'll get through this. We will," Gooch said as she took her hand.

  She remembered thinking that it must have been the drugs, as her eyelids felt heavy again and she drifted off to sleep.

  When she woke up again it was hours later, Gooch was still there, and the Dr was as well.

  "Good morning young lady, it's good to see you awake. How are you feeling?" He turned to Gooch, "Could you excuse us please?"

  As Gooch turned to go, Cyndi stopped her, "No, Dr, please let her stay. She's family, and I want her to hear whatever you have to say, I'm afraid I won't remember."

  "Okay, well then," he went on to review her vitals and tell her how lucky she was.

  "When can I go hom...uh, get out?"

  "I think one more night here will be sufficient, and tomorrow we can spring you. But you'll have to take it easy, do you understand that?"

  Cyndi nodded yes, but her mind was racing. She was missing appointments while she was here, she had to begin to replace some clothing, she might need a computer and a phone, the whole idea was terrifying. She was starting from nothing. Again.

  Gooch took one look at her crestfallen face and held up her hand. "Stop right there, you're worrying, I can see it. I can feel it. There's no sense in that. We'll get through this, we will, together, I've got you. You've got you. There's insurance right? A renters policy?"

  Cyndi nodded yes.

  "Well then, we'll get that underway tomorrow. You can stay with me for the time being. Good thing I have that fancy dress of yours, you'll have something to wear home!"

  Cyndi looked at her, eyes wide, "Oh my gosh, I don't even have clothes to wear home, and her eyes filled with tears again."

  "You're set, don't worry, I've got it all figured out. Let's, um do something...I know, I think you can still get to the nursery window in this joint, without having to get past the TSA. Let's go see if we can look at babies. Come on, get in the wheel chair, let's go."

  Cyndi loved looking at the babies, and afterwards Gooch wheeled her to the cafeteria.

  "I know you're worried, you have every right to be, but it's not getting you anywhere, so stop. Tomorrow I'll come to see you and I'll bring paper and colored pencils and we'll make a plan to get things right again. Understand?"

  Cyndi could only nod, how lucky was she to have Gooch on her side?

  "Good, so stop thinking about it tonight. They sell fresh milkshakes here, want one? I do. I want a strawberry one, you?"

  "Chocolate," Cyndi managed to whisper past the lump in her throat, "and thanks."

  "No problem, sisters under the skin and all that crap. Be right back."

  ****

  The next day Gooch returned and they set about itemizing all she had lost, and the bare minimum she'd need to start.

  There was a knock on the door, and Gooch opened it to reveal Bailey from the thrift shop.

  "Hey girlfriend, I hear your weenie roast got out of hand. I'm sorry about that, but I brought you some stuff," she said as she wheeled a suitcase in behind her. "No mean feat getting this past the nurses, let me tell you," she explained as she unzipped it to reveal what looked to Cyndi to be an entire wardrobe.

  "Gooch here let me know what happened, and since you were just there we knew what would fit you, so me and the other Godmothers took it upon ourselves to set you up with some outfits. We even have some shoes in here, now I know people get squicked out about used shoes, but these are over buys, brand new. You've got sneakers for every day, and black pumps in case you need something dressier."

  Cyndi couldn't believe that virtual strangers would do this for her, and she was overwhelmed as she looked at the clothes. It was enough to get her through a week or so, with a couple of changes of blouses, jeans and some standard black slacks. She never would have complained in any event, this was amazing.

  When the Dr finally sprung her, late that evening, Gooch swept her away before she had a chance to think about how she didn't have any place to go, or anything left of her own.

  By the next morning when she woke up, her car was parked in the lot at Gooch's place, and the insurance company had been contacted. She was really feeling like she had to get back to work to bring in some money, when Jerry called and reminded her of her business interruption insurance. It would be a few days until it would kick in, but it would help her out.

  "There's just one thing," Jerry cautioned. "Too long out of the market and you can get scooped by a competitor, you know what I'm saying, right?"

  "Yeah, I do. I need to take some time out, doctor's orders, but I'll be able to buy some things that I need and get back at it. Thanks, Jerry."

  "Sure thing, kid. Although I really think you should consider selling--"

  "So you've said," Cyndi sighed. "I don't mean to snap at you, I'm just tired. Thanks Jerry, I will be in touch, I promise."

  She and Gooch spent the next several days unpacking her, making room in Gooch's condo, and generally trying to make a dent in the mountain of stuff she had to do.

  Somewhere in there, her stepmom called and she had to let her know what had happened.

  "Yes, Sarabeth, yes, I'm fine. No, no...well right, I'm living with Gooch for the moment. I suppose. Yes. Okay, right, okay. Um...how about next week? Yeah, I'm out of work for a week or so. Right...see you then. Yep, me too."

  Gooch looked up, "Well that sounds like it went well."

  "Not particularly, she wants me to come stay there."

  "You're staying here."

  "I know, every once in a while she tries to be mom-like. Usually when it suits her purposes. Like now. She wants me to bake for her party."

  "Oh," Gooch paused, "well that's a double edged sword, isn't it? You'd like to bake, right?"

  "Yeah, I would, actually. It's a pretty big crowd, but I can do some more delicate things, you know? Almond cookies and stuff. Pretty little cakes. It will be kind of fun."

  "Will be?"

  "I said I'd do it, call it therapy. I lost my apartment and all my stuff, Mr. Wonderful saved my life and I haven't heard any more from him, and the slut experiment failed. I need a new focus."

  "I'm not sure your stepmom's house is the best place for that, but you know, have it your way."

&nb
sp; "It's perfect for that, are you kidding. Get in, get out, be grateful I don't have to live with her. Ideal," she smiled at her friend.

  "Alrighty then! I should have asked you to do baking therapy for me ages ago. Who knew you wanted to be taken advantage of so badly?"

  "It's baking. It's good for me, I'm going to check out my cookbook....oh, right. I don't have any."

  Gooch said, "Want to go to the library with me?"

  "That's where they keep the books, right? Let's go."

  ****

  Cyndi loved the drive to her stepmother's house. She didn't think of it as her place anymore, and she wasn't really bitter about that, just resigned. What would she do with it anyway? She was glad someone was using it and enjoying it. Kind of.

  The trees formed beautiful arches above the roadway, and with the window down she could smell the nearby ocean. She came to the familiar stone gate and turned the car up the long winding drive. The house was situated to the right, with a carriage house for parking to the left. She parked the car and walked across the neatly kept driveway to the front door.

  Letting herself in she was struck by the smell. It always smelled like home, even though it wasn't anymore. She walked quietly to the kitchen and there was her stepmother in all her caftan-ed and bejeweled glory.

  "Cyndi, sweetheart, how are you?"

  "Fine, Sarabeth, I'm fine, thank you. How are you?"

  Her stepmother began a litany of her ailments, real and imagined while Cyndi moved to the guest suite to the right of the kitchen.

  "I'm sorry to interrupt, am I in here?"

  "Yes, yes dear. I always did like to keep you close to the kitchen," she chuckled.

  Cyndi rolled her eyes so hard she was afraid they might really get stuck. Right, keep her by the kitchen, she wondered idly if there were cleaning rags waiting with her name on them.

  It wasn't that bad, Sarabeth was clueless, not usually deliberately unkind, she was an opportunist but good grief.

  "Well if I'm to be doing the baking, it will come in handy. Let me just get this stuff settled."

  "Right, dear. Do you have anything else?"

  She looked at the suitcase, the same one Bailey had wheeled into her hospital room. "No, actually this is exactly all I have, Sarabeth. And the car's a rental. Will it be okay in the carriage house?"

  "Of course, it will. I'm so sorry darling, so sorry, maybe the girls will have something that fits you?"

  Right, because she wanted hand me downs from those two. Right on cue the two whippet thin stepsisters made their entrance. They had their mother's gaudy taste, big hair, giant hoop earrings, tight spandex jeggings, long nails. And vapid as the day was long. The whippet thin thing was why she wouldn't be able to accept any hand me downs. Maybe if two outfits were sewn together, but otherwise, no.

  "Hi," they said in unison and proceeded to air kiss

  "Thanks for the offer, but I'm not uh...built like your girls. I'm all set, I have friends in the city looking out for clothes for me. In the meantime, I've made some lists. I'm going to be a baking machine for the next few days."

  "I hate to ask for the help," her stepmother lied, of course she wanted basically free stuff for her party, but for Cyndi it was like therapy, so she ignored whatever the woman had to say and got on with things. Her stepmother kept talking in the background, every once in a while Cyndi added an um hmmm, just to keep herself in the game.

  In her head she was planning her grocery trip and making lists of pans she'd need and in what order to bake.

  She came out of her reverie just in time to hear her stepmother talking to her daughters about the guest list "and of course he said yes, but reluctantly, so let's make him feel welcome, shall we girls? You never know..." they all giggled at the prospect of netting some dimwitted well moneyed business-man and duping him into marriage. Cyndi sometimes felt sorry for Sarabeth, caged up with these two girls, husband shopping for them. But mostly not, reap what you sow and all that.

  "Sarabeth, I'm going to go to the store and get supplies. I'll be back later and start baking tomorrow."

  "Okay sweetie, let me know if you need anything, charge on the house account at the grocer," she waved her hand dismissively and with that she was gone, her dreadful daughters in tow.

  Cyndi had taken the money her dad had left her and started her business, and invested the rest. It wasn't the most stable life, but ten minutes in the Leary Island Looney Bin with Sarabeth and the sisters and she was grateful all over again that she had been free to move on.

  She wasn't going to last long here alone though, on the way to the store she placed a call to the Gooch. "Hey, you coming out tomorrow?"

  "To what, help you cook? I can't bake."

  "You can watch."

  "That's boring."

  "You can guard the kitchen to make sure the girls leave me alone."

  "Can I mock their '80's hair, and glitter eyeshadow?"

  "Don't we always?"

  "I'm in. Be there by 10."

  *******

  As good as her word, at 10 the next morning, on the dot, Gooch walked in. The kitchen was cleared of breakfast and Cyndi was making herself at home. The two big advantages of working here were the size of the kitchen, with what seemed like an acre of counter space, and two sets of double ovens. And help. There was even staff to clear away the debris and let her just concentrate on baking.

  The big advantage right now though, was that it was taking her mind off of everything else. The party was tomorrow afternoon and evening. Gooch had arrived with their dresses and make-up. She was staying in the same downstairs guest suite that Cyndi was. And now they were baking. Well, one of them was.

  Cyndi had bags of flour on the counter, along with smaller bags of almond flour, several bottles of bourbon vanilla, some kind of exotic looking golden sugar, and various spices. She had bowls lined up like soldiers, and as she finished up with one, emptying it into loaf or cake pans, or dropping batter by spoonfuls onto trays, it would be whisked away and a clean one set on the far end to replace it.

  Hours later she wiped her hands on her apron and declared herself finished. Instead of bowls and clouds of flour she was surrounded by piles of pastries on plates, towers of cookies, several frosted cakes, and delicate pastries containing fruits of every hue.

  Cyndi was exhausted, and Gooch was tired from just watching her.

  "What's the plan for tomorrow?" Gooch asked.

  "Well, we have the morning to ourselves. The caterer will be here to take over the kitchen early, the party begins at noon, and we just have to resist the urge to bolt until it's polite to leave."

  "I think we should stay, there are fireworks, right? Over the sound?"

  "Yeah, that's one reason she invites everyone, so nobody complains to the cops."

  "Smooth move. You got any beer in that big ass walk in fridge?"