Live & Learn ~ A Miss Independent Novel

by Kiki Leach

  “I know.” She looked behind herself to make sure no one else was coming into the room, and moved closer to him. “I’ve been trying to keep my distance for Vanessa’s sake, and for my own. I didn’t think that Nathan would actually go through with contacting you after I told him that elaborate story.”

  “About helping with your writing?” He chuckled.

  “Did he invite you here because of me? Because he thought that something was going on between us?”

  “He only said that any potential friend of yours was bound to be a friend of his and insisted I show up. I didn’t know about V or anyone else. I knew of him from what she had told me and I was cautious about it.” He paused. “But I didn’t want to pass up the chance to see you again. You made me kind of crazy the first time I met you, but the last time was, different.”

  “It was for me too.” She felt like turning into a pile of mush on the floor. She looked down at her feet and fiddled with her hands. “I don’t know what this is, but--”

  Nathan stuck his head into the room and snarled at seeing them together. “Sheil’s,” he called out. “Your food’s getting cold out here.”

  She smiled at Adrian one last time before returning to the dining room. Nathan thought to have a talk with Adrian about staying away from his fiancée, but knew how ridiculous it would sound given the entire reason he brought him out in the open in the first place, and backed away.

  **********

  Once everyone had finished dinner, Nathan insisted on dessert, but no one was truly interested in staying for much longer than they had to. Nikki was more eager than anyone to get the hell out of the house as she felt awkward being around Oscar and his wife, while she couldn’t even look in William’s direction anymore without feeling Alexis’ eyes on her.

  As everyone began gathering their things, Nathan continued to try and coax them all into staying, though Sheila said that it would be best if they all went home and called it a night.

  “For once, I agree with her,” Alexis said. She snapped her fingers and pointed. “Let’s go.” Everyone continued heading for the door, but Nathan slapped his hands together and grinned.

  “Hold on,” he said. “The night is still young and the fireworks haven’t even started up yet. This is supposed to be Fourth of July weekend. We’re supposed to have fun and make memories with each other and I’d like to do that as friends. Maybe the good ol’ philosopher can help us out.” He laughed. “That’s what he’s here for. Sheila might insist that you leave, but I’m not ready for anyone to go just yet. So why don’t we all just settle in and wait for the real action to happen outside in say…” He looked over at his clock. “About an hour or two.”

  “An hour or two and I might actually stab something,” Vanessa mumbled. Maurice stood behind and wrapped his hands around her shoulders, leaning down to her ear and chuckling. “I can’t stay inside this house any longer, Mo. Now that Oscar and Melanie have mysteriously been added to the mix, it’s nothing more than a bona fide freak show.”

  “Let’s just wait it out. If we stay, there’s a chance that when we get back to the city, Nathan will be out of our lives for good.”

  “I’m afraid that if we stay, it’ll give him more of an incentive to remain in them.”

  “Trust me on this, alright?” he said.

  “I’m trying, but--” She started as he bent down to kiss her lips. She fell into it, then shoved him back and slapped him in the chest. “That’s not fair.”

  William saw the sadness on Nikki’s face as she observed them together, happy and in love. He wanted to console her, but knew that he couldn’t. Instead, he went over to Vanessa and asked to speak with her in private.

  “I’m not really in the mood,” she said.

  “It’s about Nikki.”

  She thought about it for a few seconds, then gave her purse to Maurice. “You’ve got three minutes, which is all I’m willing to give.” He waved his hand and she stepped ahead of him. Nikki saw them walking off together and took a few sips of champagne before setting down the glass and following after. Oscar watched her go and had the urgency to do the same, until he remembered his wife was standing next to him. It was the first time he had seen Nikki in weeks and the first time since they met that she didn’t seem the least bit concerned about him or his wellbeing.

  Nathan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw everyone settling back in, though they had no intention of staying for him. It just seemed easier to stick around rather than be hassled by him once they returned to the city. Adrian was the only exception, but he vowed to stay for as long as he thought Sheila might want him around.

  Part Twenty-Eight

  Once Vanessa and William had moved to another part of the house, she folded her arms and lifted her shoulders. “What do you want?”

  “I want you to accept my relationship with Nikki.”

  “No. Are we done here?” She began walking, but he raised a hand to stop her. She dropped back.

  “I care about you, Vanessa, I really do. But what happens between myself and Nikki isn’t really of any concern to you.”

  “If it’s of no concern to me, then why are you insisting that I accept it?”

  “Because it’s what she wants.”

  “Well, we can’t always get what we want in life, now can we?”

  “You have,” he told her. “You have somebody that loves and accepts you for who you are, and that’s all Nikki wants in life too.”

  “Yes, it’s what she wants but are you the one to give it to her? She told me she’s an understudy in Wicked, that’s great, but would she have even gotten that part without your influence?”

  “Does it matter how she got it when she’s staying there on her own merit? You like to throw judgement onto other people, V, but you never seem to do that with yourself.”

  “Are you kidding me? I don’t accept this ‘thing’ you have with Nikki, and I don’t have too, alright? It’s not my job as a friend to just blindly accept whatever bad decision she makes in life--”

  “And what the hell was I doing when we were back in high school?” Nikki interjected. William turned to her and Vanessa dropped her head back as she moved around in front of her. “I supported every terrible decision you ever made, including staying with Nathan when everyone knew that he was no good for you.”

  “That was different. We were at least the same fucking age, Nik!”

  “All I wanted is for you to be nice to him, Vanessa! Is that so damn hard to do?

  “I was being nice by keeping my damn mouth shut after we talked! That was until he decided to bring me back here and berate me for being such a terrible friend.”

  “I never said that--” William said.

  “Well right now, V, that’s exactly what you’re being.” She held her hand up in front of William and he traipsed to the other side.

  “What the hell do you want me to do, Nicole, kiss the man’s ass?”

  “Actually, V, that’s my job now.”

  “Oh, O-KAY, that’s something I think we ALL needed to know, right?! I can’t believe that you still expect me to not think that this whole thing is weird! I’ve known the man since I was a child and he’s having sex with one of my best friends – maybe even in my house when I’m not there!”

  “EXCUSE ME?” said Alexis, as she walked into the room with Alexander. Gina shoved her way between them and burst into a fit of laughter. Alexander took her by the arm and hustled her out of the room as she complained that they were missing the fireworks inside rather than outside the house.

  “Shit,” Vanessa mumbled.

  Alexis turned to Nikki just as Oscar and Melanie entered. “You’re having sex with William Grant?” she asked. “The man is old enough to be your father!”

  “Alexis.” William stepped forward, inhaling a nervous and deep breath. “Let me explain.”

  She tossed her drink toward him. Champagne bounced from the glass and onto the floor. “I don’t want to hear a WORD out of you.”

/>   “Of ALL the people here right now,” Nikki began, “this is has been the LEAST of YOUR business.”

  “I’m making it my business” – she clinched her teeth and glided toward her, shoving Vanessa out of the way – “lit.tle girl.”

  Nikki tightened her jaw and raised the sleeves of her dress. “I’m not your child, Alexis, you don’t intimidate me and never have. The only reason I kept quiet is because he insisted and because of Vanessa, but truth be told, I can have sex with whomever I want and more importantly, WHENever I want. And there’s not a damn thing you or anyone else in this room can do or say about it.”

  “Do you hear the amount of filth coming out of your own mouth?” she asked. “This is EXACTLY why I never wanted you to be friends with my daughter. You are nothing like your parents who are the epitome of class--”

  “Mother, please!” Vanessa snapped, tossing her hands out.

  “No, you hush up!” She pointed in her daughter’s face. “I have told you from day one since becoming friends with this girl that she was nothing but a leech and a user and now she’s giving it up to a man who will gladly give her the world on a platter if she asks for it, which I’m sure she already has in both languages! She won’t need you or the gravy-train you’ve been providing her since childhood, Vanessa, because she’ll have everything she’s ever wanted right in the palm of her hands.”

  “I have never used Vanessa for her money or notoriety and I resent you for even saying that. You talk about my parents who are Broadway legends for God’s sake! If I was that desperate for money, all I needed to do was go out to Connecticut and get some.”

  “Maybe you should’ve taken your behind there from the get go the moment they decided to leave town and never hitched a ride back!”

  “Wanting something for myself doesn’t make me a bad person, Alexis. But it sure as hell makes you one bitter and angry woman. It’s no wonder Vanessa always called you ‘Frosty the Snow Bitch’ behind your back.”

  “Nik -- Aw, shit!” Vanessa cringed and covered her face. Melanie took a few sips of her champagne as she observed the chaos and chuckled into her glass. But Oscar hadn’t seen anything worth laughing about.

  Alexis turned to her daughter and asked her in a stern tone, “Is that true, Vanessa?”

  “Mother.” She swung her hair back and faced the ceiling as she anxiously grabbed at her necklace and exhaled between her lips. “You know that there are things you’ve said about me – that you don’t always mean! But you say them in the heat of the moment, that’s all that was about. Frosty the snow bitch, you know. It’s just a play on words to sometimes describe your personality – ha ha, tee hee, whatever.”

  “Why can’t you ever stick up for me?” Nikki whined over Alexis’ shoulder.

  Vanessa widened her eyes in disbelief. “That is all I have EVER done for you, Nik! From the time we were kids, I have always had your back. You heard my mother, she never wanted me to have a damn thing to do with you, but look at us over fifteen years later. I still consider you as one of my best friends, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to rally up with you when you’re being a bitch or when I don’t agree with what you’re doing, or what you’re saying or WHO you’re dating!”

  “So I’m being a bitch, on top of being a gold digger and according to your mother, the equivalent a parásito.” She shifted her eyes behind Alexis and saw Oscar and Melanie standing in the doorway. “Why don’t we just tell everyone what a slut I am too just to round it all out, isn’t that right, Melanie?” Vanessa and Alexis turned back at the same time. “Aren’t you just bursting to tell everyone in here how much of a slut I am? That’s why you came up here tonight, isn’t it?”

  Melanie looked up at Oscar, who narrowed his eyes at her as a way to keep her quiet. She took another sip of champagne and made a face. “I think you’ve officially gone off the deep end,” she replied. “And I for one and bored by all of this.”

  “You’re bored by all of this,” said Nikki, “okay, well that’s the last thing that any of us wants so let’s see if we can change that. How many times have you two played ring around the dick since he’s been back, huh?”

  “Oh my God.” Vanessa dropped her head in both hands and violently shook it back and forth. She pushed her hair back and clutched Nikki by the arms. Alexis threw her hands in the air and wondered why the hell she was even still there. “Why don’t we go get some air and cool off?”

  “No.” Nikki shook her off. “I want to know, I want her to stand there and look me in the face and tell me how many times she’s played ring around the dick with him since she’s been back--”

  “Thirty-nine,” Melanie piped up. Oscar knew she was lying through her teeth, but felt no need in stopping her. He was angry, and hurt, and wanted Nikki to feel just how much. “And if we’re counting on the way here as well, that would be forty-two.” The room fell deathly silent. Nikki gulped and shot visual daggers straight into Oscar’s eyes. He saw the pain forming behind hers and in an instant wanted to take it all back, but knew that he had to remain where he stood. “This is a fun game.” Melanie giggled. “I could play this one all night. How many more tricks do you have up your sleeve, Nicole?”

  Nikki wiped her face the moment a single tear rolled down her cheek and made a hasty exit down the hall and into the nearest bathroom, slamming the door. She tried to push it all down to the bottom of her stomach but after hearing those words from Melanie and seeing the content look her face, all while realizing that Oscar had no desire to dispute them, she leaned over and vomited in the sink. It made her physically sick to think of them back together in every way imaginable. For so long she had convinced herself it was just in name only. Even if she was happy to move on with William, the last thing she ever imagined was that Oscar and Melanie would get their happily ever after too.

  When someone began knocking on the door, she yanked the knob back but instantly regretted having done so. Melanie ran her finger down one side of the frame while sipping more of the champagne and smiling as if she had just won the state lottery. “You made a real ass of yourself out there,” she said. Nikki rinsed the vomit from the sink and began splashing cold water on her face. “And I enjoyed every second of it.” She slinked in behind her and placed her glass near the sink. Then she turned and leaned back to stare at Nikki’s face. “You have a little, something…” She pointed at the corner of her mouth. Nikki grabbed a towel and began wiping down her face. “I just want you to know something,” Melanie started, “that I think might be of news to you. Oscar is never going to leave me. We have a family. We have children. We have a life and years together that he will never take for granted again. You are nothing but a whore, the kind, from what I have heard, is only willing to open those legs wide enough for the biggest wallet that passes her on the street.”

  “I’m with William now,” she reminded Melanie as she continued to stare at herself in the mirror. “And it’s not just for the money or for the--”

  “Potential fame that will come with you being in the latest play that his friend is producing?” Nikki turned to her and crinkled her brows. “Everyone within this industry knows everyone else which is something you might want to remember before you think of taking this ‘career’ any further than you haven’t already. I would’ve asked the friend who told me how you were able to land the role of an ‘understudy’, but it was quite obvious how it all came to pass.”

  She placed a hand on her hip and bobbed her head. “You’re right, it’s just as you’re thinking. I got the role of an understudy the same way I’ve been able to keep my job all this time at The Bean. So while Oscar may ‘never’ leave you, he won’t be forcing me out anytime soon either. And neither will you.”

  “No matter what I said or how I were to treat you, you would stay there just to spite me.”

  She smirked and dropped her towel on the edge of the sink before exiting the bathroom. Melanie picked up her glass of champagne and practically chugged the rest. She knew there had to be
a way to rid Nikki from their lives once and for all, but couldn’t figure out just how to make sure it wouldn’t come back to bite her in the ass later.

  As Nikki traveled back through the house, she saw Alexander talking with William outside. Hands waved back and forth and they nearly came to blows on the deck before Alexis stepped in between and Gina pulled her father back. Nikki recoiled and found herself backing into Vanessa, which startled her.

  “I didn’t see you back there.”

  “Yeah.” Vanessa looked up and saw Alexis attempting to pull William off to the side to talk further. “You knew it was going to come down to this at some point.”

  “I did, but I never thought it would happen in this place,” Nikki told her.

  “Join the club. I don’t know where Nathan or Sheila went, but I’d like to let them know before we get the hell out of here that this Fourth of July ‘extravaganza’ can go straight to hell, just like them.” Nikki softly smiled. Vanessa gulped. “Does William know about the--?”

  “He knows,” she interjected. “I told him that night at Angelino’s, during the opening.” She sighed. “I don’t know what it is about seeing Oscar and Melanie together, but it just makes me--”

  “I get it. Believe me, I do. Maybe not in the same way due to how everything came about with you two, but I still get it, from both your point of view and hers, actually. And I’m sorry that either one of you have to deal with it.”

  “You’re probably not as sorry as what I said to your mother. I didn’t mean it.”

  “Yeah, ya did.” She laughed. “And she is fuckin’ pissed. But she’ll get over it. I guess. Maybe, someday. The ‘Frosty the Snow Bitch’ part really cut her deep and she’s iced me out for the time being, so to speak. In your case, don’t expect any more invitations to family dinners.”

  “She never invited me in the past, why would she change now?”

  “Right.” Vanessa wrapped her arms around herself and rocked back and forth. “I don’t like fighting with you, Nik. I don’t like the silence and I sure as hell don’t like the distance that’s formed between us over the last few weeks. It doesn’t make me feel good and has clearly made everyone else just as uncomfortable.”