Only Her Heart (The Jaded Hearts Club)

by Olivia Linden

  I nodded in agreement remembering his turnaround after our grandmother passed. He was angry and distant, and even his coach was concerned. In a matter of months he was my fun loving brother again. I hoped therapy would help me too, but sooner. I was already sick of all the crying and tantrums. I was at a point where I didn’t trust myself and it was scary.

  “I need a vacation!” I felt like a week of mindless entertainment was in order.

  “Don’t worry. I got you, Baby girl.” My big, little brother.

  The next morning I arose before my dreaded alarm clock. I decided to get a workout in before I went into the office. Drew and I were flying out at 7pm so I had a few hours to stop by my job. Working out felt good and burnt off a lot of nervous energy and tension that was running me ragged. I also used it to justify the breakfast muffins that I planned on eating with Donna.

  Walking into the office was an event. Everyone and the copy machine wanted to talk to me, see how I was doing and tell me how fine I looked. I wondered if it would have been easier if my scars where somewhere more visible. Makeup can hide a bruise, much like the way my depression was hidden deep inside me. Donna was waiting for me in my office with our frozen coffees, having been alerted by the mob of my arrival. When she saw me, she jumped up with a semi squeal.

  “Oh I’ve missed that face!” She pulled me into a big hug, squeezing me tight before we let go. Once again I was overcome with emotion, and touched by how much I was missed.

  “I’ve missed you too! All of this. I just needed some time to get my shit together.” I handed her the bag of freshly baked orange-cranberry muffins and then turned to close my door. We had lots of catching up to do.

  “So, tell me what I missed.” I took a huge bite out of my muffin, anticipating to be brought up to speed on the office antics. Donna didn’t disappoint. She filled me in on every detail, down to the mail room drama.

  “How have the last few weeks been for you? If you don’t want to talk about it I understand,” she asked.

  “The last few weeks feel like a year to me. Just last month we were at my aunt’s party having a ball. Now, I don’t know what’s what. John broke up with me. Evan visits. Julian shows up. We get attacked. John saves me. He has this insanely sexy cousin who is the detective working my case. Julian wants to be with me, and John wants us to try to work on things. Oh, and I have to leave town for a few weeks until they make some headway in my case.” I took a deep breath after that.

  Donna sat there looking stunned, and for a moment I thought it was from information overload. Then she burst out into tears. I rushed over to her in confusion. Clearly this couldn’t be about me.

  “Donna, what’s wrong?”

  “My marriage is over,” she whispered. I instantly felt a dagger of pain in my stomach for her.

  “What do you mean? What happened?” I looked at her, trying to make sense of it all.

  “He’s having a baby with someone else. My husband couldn’t wait for me to get pregnant, and now he’s having a baby with someone else,” she cried. I reached for the box of tissue off my desk and began to clean up her make-up.

  “Oh, Donna! I’m so sorry. When did you find out?”

  “A few days ago,” she said with a sniff. “The bruja called me to tell me, and when I confronted him, he just looked at me with this stupid look. He was caught.”

  I was shocked. I remembered how happy they looked together. This just didn’t make sense.

  “Are you sure? Where is he now?”

  “I kicked him out. I couldn’t stand to see his face. What am I supposed to do? I just sit there staring at the walls, not eating or sleeping. I feel so lost,” she sobbed.

  I looked at my friend, holding her hands in mine trying to decide how to help her. I hated that I hadn’t been there for her when she needed me, and I hated the thought of her sitting alone in her apartment.

  “I have an idea,” I blurted out.

  “What? Kill him and make it look like an accident?”

  I tried to hold in my laughter, but it came bursting out. Even Donna had to laugh at herself.

  “No, silly! Come to Miami with me,” I suggested. Donna’s eyes went wide with surprise and then excitement.

  “You think?” she asked, her Dominican accent peeking through.

  “I know!”

  She let out a joyful sob as she hugged me again. I guess we all need something to be hopeful about.

  Ch 07 Welcome to Miami

  Welcome to Miami

  The tropical air of Miami was a welcome change to the grey cloud that New York had become to me. I watched the familiar sights glide by as the three of us headed to Drew’s condo. I sat in the back, letting Donna ride shotgun so that Drew could point out all the sights. Donna’s mood had perked up since I suggested she come. She even made it to the airport before we did, which was amazing considering she had to pack without notice. I could hear her phone buzzing every few minutes, her husband wanting to know where she was. Despite what she told me, I hoped there was more to that story. Donna deserved better than that.

  Since it was late, we all decided to hit the sack. I let Donna have the guest room and adjoining bathroom, knowing that I would be up with Drew most nights. I could either sleep on the couch or run him out of his king sized bed with my ‘snoring’. The couch would be good enough for me tonight. I wasn’t tired yet, and pulled open the patio doors, stepping out onto the balcony to enjoy the view of the Atlantic. I took in a deep breath full of the warm ocean air and smiled. This is just what I needed. I took out both of my phones, and sent out text messages letting everyone know that we made it to our destination safely. Jackie text back ‘I hatechew’, Ryan text back ‘ok’, John sent back a smiley, and Aunt V was probably asleep.

  I was slightly miffed that John didn’t call me back. It was after 8pm in California, but that meant nothing. I remember how much time he used to spend on his West Coast clients. He worked too hard. A familiar chirp alerted me to my last responder.

  “Hello Julian,” I crooned.

  “Hey,” his deep, husky voice filled the line.

  “Hey, I didn’t mean to wake you, I just wanted to let you know I was good,” I said.

  “Don’t text me unless you can’t talk. I can’t see you, the least you can give me is your voice.”

  “Gosh, you are so demanding!”

  “Are you surprised by this?”

  “I shouldn’t be. God, knows!”

  We both laughed and then said our goodnights. I smiled out at the ocean, and I think it smiled back. I went inside to enjoy a much needed good night's sleep.

  I woke up feeling like a champion, and I knew exactly how I wanted to start my day. I pulled my sports bra and running shorts on, and headed for the beach. Before I moved to New York, I hardly saw the inside of a gym unless Evan dragged me there. I preferred to come to the beach and run until my feet couldn’t take it anymore. Early morning runs were my favorite. I loved all the different hues of orange, red and pink that streaked through the sky as I watched the sun rise. When I was done, I would stop by the closest cuban cafe for breakfast and strong coffee.

  This particular morning, I decided to run down the beach and walk back up. Drew’s condo was on 44th and Collins, and I had made it to 5th before I realized how far I had run. I looked around and saw the early morning traffic start to accumulate on the streets. Normal routine hadn’t stopped for everyone else. It was at that moment that I was determined to rebuild mine.

  I trotted over to David’s Cafe with a taste for some guava empanadas. The quaint cafe also boasted of having the best cafe-con-leche around, and I had yet to prove them wrong. I ordered through the walk up window, and then turned around to people watch as I waited for my order of Dos Huevos Con Bistec De Res, Papas Fritas, Tostada, Y Cafe-Con-Leche, better known as steak and eggs with french fries, toast and coffee with milk. I was sure Drew and Donna would appreciate this treat when they woke up.

  “Jade? Jade Spencer?”

 
I turned my head in the direction of the person with the unfamiliar voice, who obviously knew me. At first glance I had no clue who this stylish diva was before me. I mean I loved my fashion, but this woman was covered head to toe in labels. I bet her nail polish was designer. I watched as she swayed over to me in her four inch heels. A closer look at her jogged my memory.

  “Lana?” Lana was a girl that lived down the street from us back in the day. She was younger than me, but older than Drew. We weren’t close, but we never had any issues either.

  “Girl! I recognized your hair a mile away!” She took the liberty of tugging at my wild ponytail. I politely removed my hair from her exploratory grip.

  “Yeah, well somethings don’t change. It was straight when I left the crib. Look at you, though,” I gave her the thumbs up for her transformation. She used to be the designated tomboy of our street, and even managed to beat up my brother when he had teased her about it one too many times.

  “Oh! Thanks,” she said nonchalantly. “So, do you live around here? There’s no way we haven’t run into each other.”

  “No, actually I live in New York now. I’m just here for a few weeks. I’m staying with my brother who doesn’t live too far away from here. You remember Drew, right?” I was sure she did by the way she couldn’t help rolling her eyes.

  “Yeah, a little,” she admitted. Or a lot, but hey...

  “Well we have to catch up. Here’s my number, give me a call. I’m off to my day job now. Laters!”

  She handed me her card and twirled off. I looked around for the imaginary paparazzi that had to be following her with the way she sashayed away. The business card she handed me was glossy and thick. Lana Richardson - Event Planner. I laughed, and tucked her card into my pocket.

  “Mami! You breakfast, mami.”

  I smiled at my server and grabbed my Cuban breakfast to go. I had to laugh at that.

  When I walked into the condo, both Drew and Donna were up. Donna was sitting at the kitchen bar while Drew was fiddling with his coffee maker.

  “Good morning comrades! I have come to save the day.” I made a grand display of my breakfast purchase.

  “Is that what I think it is?” Donna asked as she grabbed one of the cafe con leches.

  “Yes, it is. No need to thank me. Your smiles and groans of pleasure will be well worth it.”

  Drew came over, gifting me with a high five before he dug in.

  “You are the best! Mad points for this right here,” he cheered.

  We ate in a comfortable silence and then decided to head out on the balcony to enjoy our food comas.

  “Oh, guess who I ran into getting breakfast?” I almost forgot to tell Drew that I saw his arch nemesis.

  “Evan?” He squeaked out.

  “What? Hell no, not Evan! Where did that come from?”

  “Oh, well he called asking about you when you were out. I told him you were here and he freaked.”

  “Jesus is real! Why would you do that?” If I had any energy to move, I would have tossed him over the railing.

  “Cause he asked. What’s the big deal? I thought you guys were cool now,” he tried to defend his asinine lack of judgement.

  “Cool as in almost cold, not as in friendly. Damn it! Well anyway, I saw Lana.” I saw a ghost of a smile touch his lips before he began to scowl.

  “Oh really? Is she still wearing sweatpants as her daily uniform,” he grumbled.

  “Oh no. Far from it. She looked like she just stepped out of a fashion magazine. Girlfriend was laced from weave to toe.”

  “Oh yeah?” His interest was now peaked.

  “Oh yeah,” I confirmed. “She gave me her number, and I was thinking about inviting her over for dinner one night. If that’s ok with you, bro.” I glanced over at Donna who was watching us with mild amusement.

  “I guess so. Did she ask about me?”

  “Nah, but she did say she remembered you, a little bit,” I teased.

  “Huh,” was his final response.

  I rested my head back against my lounge chair, holding in my laughter. My brother was hilarious. I knew he’d always had a crush on her, that’s why he used to tease her mercilessly. Lana never paid him the time of day because he was younger than her. I wondered what her reaction would be towards him now.

  “Alright lovely ladies. I’ve gotta head to school. What are your plans for the day?” Drew stood up, towering over the both of us. I blocked the sun from my eyes as I craned my neck upwards to look at him. If Donna felt anything like me, our agenda was looking pretty blank.

  “I’m thinking more of the same. What about you Donna?”

  Donna did a little wave of her hand in agreement. She had already slathered on her sun block and was quite cozy in her lounge chair. Drew laughed and shook his head.

  “OK, well try to get some rest or something.” He patted me on the head on his way inside.

  <3 <3 <3 <3

  Each passing day looked similar to the previous. I went for my early morning run, had breakfast with my housemates, and then spent the day lounging. Donna and I had taken to heading down to the beach instead of the patio some days. All ‘n’ all, it was a pretty relaxing time until I got a call from work. Aunt V, informing me that I had a new client. How did that happen? I listened to her list the details of the young R&B singer that was now under my charge, and instructions of where I was to meet her in Miami. Since I was already here, my aunt figured that ‘Angel’ should just meet up with me.

  “Aunt V. I don’t understand how I signed a new client. I’m pretty sure I would have remembered that,” I pointed out.

  “Well technically, I signed her, but after meeting with her, I knew you would be a much better fit. I mean, what am I supposed to do with a young girl?” My aunt was very skilled at pulling the wool over your eyes. Considering that I needed the money, I tried to look at things positively.

  “So when do I meet her?”

  “Excellent! You can pick her up from the airport in an hour, and then help her get settled, maybe show her around. I’ll leave that part up to you.”

  “Oh, wow! Gee, thanks,” I said, my voice laced with sarcasm.

  “I do what I can, honey. I have to run, but make sure you keep me posted. Muah!” And she was gone. I looked at my phone and then went back to stirring my pot of stewed chicken. I had finally decided to invite Lana over for dinner and figured I would appease Drew by making one of his favorite dishes. I huffed, glad that I was at a point where I could let the chicken simmer, since I had another task to attend to. Donna walked into the kitchen just in time to witness me chuck the serving spoon into the sink.

  “Whoa! What happened? You were doing the happy dance before.”

  “My aunt just informed me that not only do we, meaning me, have a new client, but that I have to pick her up from the airport in about an hour from ten minutes ago. How do you like that?” I complained.

  “How do you have a new client?” I was glad that she shared my confusion.

  “Exactly! And another musician. Apparently she’s an R&B singer who just broke up from a duo situation and needs to revamp her entire image. Wonderful. I can’t wait.” I plopped down on the couch to pull on my sandals.

  “Well, maybe it won’t be that bad. I know it sounds bad, but maybe it won’t be.” Donna always tried to keep me positive.

  “Well I hope you’re right. Can you do me a favor and keep an eye on dinner until I get back? This should be an interesting evening. You get to meet Lana, and now Angel.” I grabbed my shades and headed out the door. With mid day traffic, it would take me almost an hour to make it to the airport and park. Lucky me...

  Ch 08 Stereo Love

  Forty minutes later I made my way into the bustling baggage claim of Miami International Airport. I looked for the carousel that matched the flight info that my aunt provided. Then I spotted her even without looking at the picture I asked my aunt to send. Even with her petite stature she stood out from the crowd. Dressed in a pink and white stri
ped sundress, she wore her honey-blonded hair up in a messy bun. Her skin was much paler than I had imagined and I wondered what so many people had thought of me. What was she mixed with? Her hazel eyes held just a tad more green to them than mine, but were just as expressive. I straightened my own sundress as I headed over to the girl who could pass for my younger sister.

  The bored expression in her eyes vanished when she took one look at me, and judging by the suspicious gaze that replaced it, we were thinking the same thing.

  “Hi, Angel. I’m Jade.” I put out my hand, which she shook with a bit of reluctance.

  “Is this some sort of joke?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You're not going to spring anything on me later are you? Cause you might as well tell me now.”

  I pulled back slightly, too amused to be offended by her.

  “Well if you promise not to do the same, then I think we should be fine. Come on, I’ll take you to your hotel.” I turned to head back to my car. Maybe one day I would ask her what she meant, but today I had too much to do.

  “Wait. I’m sorry,” she sighed as her shorter legs struggled to keep up with my long strides. She couldn’t have been any taller than 5’4. I slowed down giving her a chance to catch up.

  “It’s just that my estranged father passed away recently and I found out I had a sister who was a couple years older, and well you kinda of look like… I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions, I hate when people do that to me,” she explained. I took pity on her instantly, taking her carry-on bag so that all she had to do was pull her roller bag.

  “It’s OK. People ask me what I’m mixed with all the time. Both my parents live in Jamaica, and as far as I know they are both alive. So I think we are out of the water as far as the surprises.