by Alexa Davis
"No, just have some rolls and coffee brought in," I said, smiling conspiratorially at her. "Make sure they're from Le Pan Quoiden."
"My pleasure, sir," she smiled back as she picked up the phone and began dialing.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Emily
Trish and I made it to the airport just in time to start preparing for boarding. We'd located everything her mother had requested, shaking our heads at the six jars of vegemite.
"Who eats this stuff?" Trish asked as she pulled the jars from the shelf and added them to the basket.
"I do not know," I replied shaking my head. "People have odd tastes."
The flight home was uneventful as we had an almost empty cabin. I brought the businessmen in 2D and 3D hot towels after take off, but they both requested that I let them sleep until an hour before landing, so there were no meals or drinks to serve. Trish had a family of four in the center aisle, but the teenage children were eager to shut out all adult interference and watch movies, so they asked for next to nothing while their parents slept.
"What's going to happen when you get home?" Trish asked as we checked the drink fridge for the fifth time. We had already pulled everything out and cleaned it, as well as straightening up all the cupboards and making detailed notes about what needed to be restocked for the next trip.
"I don't know," I said. "I guess I'm going to suggest that we go to a marriage counselor."
"Wait, what?" she said, surprised at my seemingly sudden change of heart. "I thought you were going to go home to dump the drunk and see what happens with the billionaire boss!"
"Please, Trish," I said rolling my eyes. "Don't go there. That kind of stuff doesn't happen to girls like me. That only happens in the movies. I'm going to go home and see if I can salvage what's left of my marriage and try to make the best of things."
"Princess, I do not have a good feeling about this," she said in a singsong voice.
"Trish, seriously," I replied. "What other options are there? I've got a house with a mortgage and a husband who is depressed and unhappy because his baseball career is over before it even started. Maybe if I get him to go to counseling, we can figure out how to fix things and be happy together. I mean, isn't that what you're supposed to do?"
"Wow, that's quite a plan for someone who was talking about striking out on her own and seeing the world," she said as she opened a can of soda and poured it over crushed ice. "Why are you going to let yourself get trapped into a marriage that is dead and end up pushing out babies with a guy who may or may not stop drinking?"
"Is that what you think I'm going to do?" I asked.
"If the shoe fits..." She shrugged as she drank from the glass.
"I'm not going to get trapped, if that's what you think," I told her as I scrubbed the stainless steel sink with a steel wool pad.
"I'm not saying you want to get trapped, I'm just saying that's probably what's going to happen," she said as she leaned against the wall, looking at the glass in her hand. "I've seen it happen to way too many girls, and I know what a good person you are and how loyal you feel towards Tom. But, Princess, is it in your best interests to maintain that level of loyalty?"
"I don't know," I muttered into the sink. "I don't feel like I know anything anymore."
"Just think carefully about it before you decide to throw it all away on a guy who isn't worth it," she warned.
The buzzer for 2B rang and Trish set her glass down to go see what the teen wanted.
"Just think, Princess," she said patting my shoulder. "About you. About what you want and need. That's all I'm saying."
I nodded miserably as I stared at my own reflection in the shiny sink. The question was what did I want?
#
My heart sank as I pulled into the driveway. I could tell that Tommy hadn't watered the plants while I was gone, so still dressed in my flight clothes, I yanked the hose off the hook on the side of the house and connected it to the spigot. I was dead tired from the flight, but this made me angry enough to do something about it before going inside. I hoped it would give me time to calm down and get into a rational mindset.
I knew that part of the reason I was angry at Tommy had nothing to do with him, but I was still pissed at him for neglecting the house while I was gone, and honestly, I was dreading what I might find inside. It took me fifteen minutes to soak the ground, and when I was done, I could see that the plants were going to make it. He must have watered at some point or they'd have been beyond help. Or at least, that's what I told myself.
Nothing prepared me for what I found when I gathered my things and went inside the house. It looked like a bomb had gone off in the kitchen. There were fast food wrappers and chip bags all over the counters and a thin layer of what must have been cereal crunched under my shoes as I walked over to the sink to shut off the dripping faucet. Something smelled rancid and I followed my nose to a bowl on the kitchen table. It was full of what I could only guess was baked beans, covered with a thin layer of mold. I held my breath as I grabbed the edge of the bowl and carried it over to the sink and turn on the hot water.
"This is disgusting," I muttered as I squirted some soap into the bowl and let it fill with hot sudsy water.
"Oh hey, Em, you're home!" Tommy called from the backyard. I could tell he was already partly drunk just by the tone of his voice.
"Yeah, I flew in a few hours ago," I said, trying to keep my tone even and calm.
"I'm glad you're back, this place isn't the same when you're gone," he called. "Hey, come see what I'm working on!"
"A damn mess?" I muttered, irritated that he hadn't even apologized for the disaster, but as I walked out the backdoor I saw that the kitchen was the least of the mess. I gasped and put a hand over my mouth.
"I know, pretty awesome, isn't it?" he laughed happily as he raised a bottle to his lips and drank deeply. The backyard was covered in auto parts and on blocks. In the space that was supposed to be our patio was a huge truck with its engine half removed and spread out on a table that ran along the side fence. Our backyard looked like a junkyard.
I looked around taking it all in and then I turned and ran into the house crying.
"Em, what's wrong, babe?" Tommy called as he followed me into the house. "Why are you so upset? I've got a side job I'm working on. It's gonna bring in a big paycheck when I'm done with it!"
"Like all the other jobs you've done that have ended up costing us money?" I yelled at him. "Great! You've got a hobby and I have to work overtime to pay for it!"
"What the hell-" Tommy said with a stunned look on his face. "What's gotten into you? You on your period?"
"Oh my God, I don't even believe you," I said as I turned to face him. Tears were streaming down my cheeks as I looked at him. "You are so blind! You can't even see what's happened!"
"Em, what are you talking about?" he asked.
"I'm talking about the fact that you have spent the past three years wallowing in your grief and drinking to try and erase the fact that you will never play pro ball," I yelled. "I'm talking about the fact that the man I married was someone who had goals and a plan for how he was going to accomplish his dreams and that man has almost completely disappeared! I'm talking about the fact that I'm sick of coming home to a house that looks like a bomb went off in it and a husband who has been on a three day bender and can't even remember to WATER THE PLANTS!"
"That's a low blow, Em," he said quietly.
"Yeah, well, the truth hurts," I shot back angrily. He wasn't going to own up to his failings and I sure as hell wasn't going to let him blame it all on me. I looked at him for a long time waiting for him to say something, but he'd had too much to drink and couldn't formulate a sober thought. I nodded, grabbed my flight bag, and headed to the bedroom where I quickly grabbed some clothes and threw them into a duffle bag.
"Where are you going?" he asked quietly.
"I'm going to my mother's for a few days," I said in a terse voice. "You figure out what it is you want
to do about...this, and then let me know."
"Em, don't leave, please?" he begged. "Stay. We'll work it out. I promise."
"Tommy, you're an alcoholic and you have a serious problem," I said as I looked him in the eye. "I've loved you since I was fifteen, but I'm not going to stay married to a man who wants to perpetually be fifteen. I want a life. I want to be married to a grown-up who does grown-up things. The way things are right now? I don't want this life."
"That's so cold," he said sadly. "Really cold, you know."
"You made your bed," I told him, mustering up as much haughtiness as I could. "Now lie in it or don't, it's not my choice. It's yours."
"Fine!" he yelled in a drunken voice. "You're going to be sorry you cut and run. You'll see! I'm going to make it big and you'll be sad that you didn't stay with me!"
I shook my head as I tossed a few extra things into my bag, zipped it up, and threw it over my shoulder before grabbing the handle of my travel bag and dragging it back out the front door to my car. I loaded my things in the trunk and stood looking at the house for a few moments before I pulled the keys out of my purse and climbed into my car.
"Em! Em! EMILY! DON'T LEAVE!" Tommy yelled as he stood in the doorway looking like a lost little boy. My heart ached as I looked at him. I wanted to run back in and make everything okay. I knew that's what he was expecting me to do, but in my heart, I knew it wasn't the right thing to do. I knew it wouldn't solve anything and I knew the problem would just continue and I knew that if it did, I wasn't going to be happy. If change was still possible, and I had my doubts, then this was the only way to show Tommy I was serious about it.
I turned the key and started the engine. I looked up at Tommy in the doorway and sighed as I gave a sad little wave, then I backed out of the driveway and headed to across town to my mother's house.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Austin
At eight o'clock, the front buzzer rang and I went to the door to let my guest inside.
"Well, hello handsome." Anna grinned as she walked through the door carrying bags of food. She had obviously been to the stylist that day because there was not a hair out of place on her shiny blonde head. She was wearing a cream-colored halter-top that showed off her arms and cleavage to their best advantage and she'd paired it with a pair of skintight jeans that looked like they'd been painted on. The effect was upper west side boho chic and she pulled it off without a hitch. She promptly set the bags on the dining room table before crossing the room back to me. She reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck to pull me close so that she could plant a soft kiss on my lips.
"Hello, beautiful." I grinned as I wrapped my arms around her and marveled at how fit and toned she was. I had no idea how she kept everything so tight and firm, but there wasn't an ounce of fat on her body – but then, that was Anna. Nothing extra on her. "How have you been?"
"Me? Oh, I've been just fine, babe!" she smiled as she let go of me and moved to the kitchen, pulling out plates and silverware. She often knew the places I stayed better than I did. "What about you? How are things down under?"
"Oh ugh," I groaned. "It's a mess, and I don't know how to fix it because I can't find the source of the leak!"
"Huh, that sucks, babe," she sympathized. "Did you hire a private investigator to do some digging?"
"No, but I'm tempted to do that," I said as she began dishing up the food. She'd picked up a mix of Mediterranean dishes that she knew I'd like, and while she dished it up, I grabbed a two frosty bottles of Brooklyn Ale and popped the caps. "Why? Do you know anyone down under who does that kind of work?"
"No, but I know someone who would be happy to go undercover for the price of a luxury suite at the Marks in Sydney," she laughed.
"Who? You?" I said surprised that she'd offer to do something she knew nothing about.
"No, silly, I'm not trained to do that kind of thing, but I do have a friend who is," she said more seriously. "I'm just saying that if you can't figure out who is leaking the information, then maybe you need to employ sneakier methods for getting to the bottom of it."
"And nothing is sneakier than sending a beautiful woman in to do the job, right?" I grinned.
"Well, you asked." She shrugged as she brought the bottle to her lips and drank. I sat down next to her and began eating.
"We'll see what happens," I said. "What else is new with you? What's going on with what's-his-name?"
"Who?" she asked.
"The guy you were headed out to dinner with the last time we ‘rolled in the hay,’ as you so eloquently put it," I laughed.
"Oh him?" she said. "He was a nice dinner date, but definitely not the one. He was rude to the wait staff and you know how little patience I have with that."
"I know, you have exacting standards for your men," I said seriously.
"Austin, don't mock me!" she cried. "I'm serious! Manners and kindness are a huge deal to me. It says a lot about a man when he treats the staff as if they are less than human, and I don't want to raise a family with someone who has so little respect for others."
"I see your point, and I'm just teasing, you know that," I said with a warm smile. "I'm glad you have high standards, you deserve only the best."
"I deserve you," she laughed. "But since you and I aren't that kind of duo, I'll have to settle for one of the lesser men in the world."
"Oh stop it," I grumbled good-naturedly. "I'm not that great. Well, maybe just a little great."
"Jackass," she laughed. "Speaking of which, what about you? What have you found out there? Is there anyone special in your sights?"
I didn't want to tell Anna about Emily, but it seemed dishonest not to tell her, so I spent the rest of dinner replaying the events that had taken place in Sydney. When I was done, Anna looked at me thoughtfully.
"She's either not that into you or..." she trailed off.
"Or what? Don't hold back! Tell me!" I urged. Much like Honey, Anna knew the ins and outs of things, and I wanted to hear what she had to say.
"Either that or she's in a really crappy marriage and doesn't have the guts to leave," Anna announced.
"What the hell?" I said. "I checked her employee files, she claims single on her tax forms."
"That doesn't mean squat," she waved me off. "Lots of people claim single exemptions on tax forms for a wide variety of reasons. I'm just saying that she's married or something like it, and she's not happy, but she's not going to tell you that."
"How do you know these things?" I said in amazement.
"I don't know, probably because I've spent a lifetime watching other people do some of the weirdest things imaginable," she said as she speared a piece of chicken schwarma and popped it into her mouth. "Not much surprises me anymore, babe."
"So what do I do?" I asked.
"There's not much you can do," she said, tilting her head as she smiled at me. "If you pursue her, you're going to scare her off and come away looking like a billionaire douchebag. Let her do what she needs to in order to figure out her home life and then see what happens. I mean, if that's the issue. I could be totally wrong. It's been known to happen."
I laughed out loud as she said this. Anna was very rarely wrong about anything. I sat there staring at her until she looked over at me and waved her hand in my face.
"Yoo hoo, dream boy!" she called. "Anybody in there?"
I grinned sheepishly as I stood up and reached out and took her hand, pulling her toward me. It felt good to hold her, but something wasn't right.
"Austin," she said as she looked up at me and rested a hand on my cheek. "How about we just curl up on the couch and watch a movie tonight? Is that okay with you?"
"Sure, if you want to," I said surprised that she didn't want to head into the bedroom since that's usually what we did after dining together. "I mean, if that's okay with you."
"Look at me," she said. I looked down at her smiling at me and I couldn't help but smile back. "I'm not here just for the wild hot sex, though that is awfully nic
e if I do say so myself. I'm here because we're friends and I like being around you, sex or no sex. So, tonight, let's just hang out and be friends who watch a movie, okay?"
"Okay, then," I said visibly relieved. I would have taken Anna to bed if she'd wanted to, I mean, I'm a man and I have needs, but she wasn't who I really wanted to be with and she knew it. And, because she was my friend, she was willing to let go of that part of our relationship until I had figured things out. I looked at her again and then pulled her tightly against my chest. "You're the best, Anna."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she said as she returned the hug. "Tell Mr. Right to get his ass over here and figure that out, will you?"
As we stood in the dining room holding tightly to what we'd once been and what we were now becoming, I knew right then and there that Emily Warner was different from all of the other women I'd ever dated. She was special and I was going to have to figure out what was keeping her away from me.
Chapter Thirty
Emily
I pulled into the driveway at my mother's house, turned off the car's engine, and put my head on the steering wheel and for the first time that day, I cried. The tears fell hot and fast as I felt my heart breaking. I knew down deep that Tommy wasn't going to change and that no amount of fighting was going to make this marriage work.
I felt like a failure. I was a grown woman running back home to her mother despite the fact that, on my wedding day, I'd sworn up and down that I knew what I was doing and I was sure it would work. My mother had been skeptical, but she had believed me because I'd always been true to my word. I felt like I was letting us both down.
I took a deep breath, wiped my eyes, and put a bright smile on my face as I grabbed my bags and headed in to my mother's house. If I was going to take time to think about whether my marriage was over, I was going to do it in a place where I felt safe and loved.
"Emily!" my mother exclaimed as I walked through the door dragging my bags. "Are you hungry, honey? I've got tons of leftovers from the banquet. I can fix you a plate real quick."