Uncorked

by Rebecca Rohman

  “The kids wanted to go on the roller coaster, but I never go on that thing. Whenever they go, George, my husband, takes them. Mitch was more than happy to take that role, so I thought I’d keep you company.”

  “Thanks, Charlotte. That was nice of you.”

  “This is totally none of my business, but Chella, I haven’t seen Mitch this happy in a long time.”

  “Really?” Chella replied, smiling.

  What’s your angle?

  “I’m sure Mitch has told you about our relationship and subsequent divorce. I’m not proud of how I handled things, but it was never my intention to hurt him.”

  “Charlotte, why do you feel the need to tell me any of this?” Chella asked politely.

  “I care about him. I’ve always wanted to see him happy. You’re the first woman he’s ever introduced to Emily. I get the feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other.”

  This is news… the first. He didn’t tell me that…

  “He’s fantastic. He makes me happy, too,” said Chella.

  “If Mitch is happy, I guess that means Liz is not.”

  Chella choked on her sip of tea. “What do you mean?”

  “Don’t be coy. Your response tells me you know exactly what I mean.”

  Chella couldn’t help but smile at her words, but she said nothing.

  “You’re a classy lady, not bad-talking your boyfriend’s mom. If you’re going through anything close to what I went through, I’ll keep you in my prayers.”

  “Does she ever come around?” Chella asked as the waiter returned with Charlotte’s glass of white wine.

  “After Mitch and I got divorced. But in all fairness to her, maybe she picked up on something I didn’t even recognize in myself at the time. I made huge mistakes with Mitch. It’s possible her instincts picked up on those long before I ever did.”

  “It’s interesting you can admit that.”

  “I screwed up. I loved Mitch, but I was never in love with him. I should have never agreed to marry him.”

  “Well, the two of you have a beautiful daughter to show for it.”

  “We do. I guess fate has its way of working things out.”

  “I guess it does.”

  “I’m starting to see why Emily likes you so much. Mitch, too.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You had quite the effect on Emily since she first met you. She hasn’t stopped talking about you and thanks to you, I don’t have to worry about my floor becoming weathered too quickly.”

  Chella laughed, “She told you that?”

  “I think you started her on a new hobby. And she’s giving everyone lessons on how sea glass is made.”

  “You have an amazing daughter.”

  “I think it’s safe to say the feeling is mutual. I like you, too, Chella. You’ve had a really great influence on her.”

  “That’s a sweet thing to say, I’m glad we’re having this talk. Excuse me, I need to go to the ladies room.”

  God… Why do I feel so sick?

  “Sure. I’ll be here.”

  Chella couldn’t believe how nauseous she felt. She washed her face in the restroom then used wet towels to help her cool off. As she headed back to the table, she felt dizzy and somewhat off balance.

  “Chella, are you okay?” Charlotte asked with concern.

  “I think I need to get to a hospital.”

  Chapter Nine

  Let me call Mitch,” Charlotte said, getting to her feet and helping Chella keep her balance.

  “No, he needs to spend time with Emily. You don’t have to stay. Just drop me off.”

  “I’ll take you, but I’m calling Mitch.”

  “Let’s wait to see what they say first. He hasn’t seen her in a while, and I don’t want to take away the time he has to spend with her.”

  Five minutes later, they arrived at a hospital down the street from the pier.

  “I’m in the waiting room,” said Charlotte as the staff took Chella in using a wheelchair. “If you’re not out within half an hour I’m calling Mitch.”

  Moments later, a doctor saw Chella.

  After explaining her symptoms to the doctor and answering some standard questions, the doctor suspected a concussion. When Ciao Bella exploded, she had hit the side of her head. She hadn’t hit it hard, and it was barely swollen, so she didn’t make anything of it. After an MRI, the doctor confirmed a moderate concussion. The doctor ordered her on strict bed rest for the next forty-eight hours.

  When she got out of the ER, Charlotte was still in the waiting room.

  “How are you?” she asked Chella.

  “I fell and hit my head yesterday. I have a concussion.”

  “Oh no. You should be resting.”

  “Did you call Mitch?”

  “I tried a few times, but I didn’t get through. With all the noise, he probably didn’t hear his phone ring.”

  “Thanks for everything. I really appreciate it. What time was his visit with Emily supposed to be over?”

  “Not for another three hours or so.”

  “I’m going to take a taxi back to the hotel. He needs to be with her right now. When you see him just tell him I went to get some rest. It’s been a while since they’ve seen each other, and I don’t want him getting concerned and cutting his time short with Emily.”

  “I can take you to your hotel if you like.”

  “Thanks, Charlotte. You’ve been amazing. Go spend some time with your kids. There are taxis outside. I’ll grab one. Make sure you give the kids a hug goodbye for me, please.”

  Chella waved as Charlotte drove away. She was pleasantly surprised how things turned out with Mitch’s ex that afternoon. Charlotte had been helpful and seemed to be an unexpected ally. When Chella arrived at the hotel, she followed the doctor’s orders. She climbed into bed and fell fast asleep.

  After Ferris wheel, roller coaster and carousel rides all afternoon, Mitch and the kids headed to dinner. Unable to find either Chella or Charlotte at the restaurant, he checked his phone and realized he had several missed calls from Charlotte. He was about to call her when she appeared at the table.

  “Hey. Did you guys have fun?” she asked the kids.

  “Oh, Mom, it was awesome,” Emily replied, her face was painted like a cat. Micky was Spiderman.

  “Chella wasn’t feeling well. She went back to the hotel to rest,” Charlotte told Mitch

  “What was wrong with her?”

  “She didn’t want you to worry. She wanted you to stay with Emily. I took her to the H-O-S-P-I-T-A-L.” Charlotte replied, not wanting to alert the kids.

  “What happened?”

  “Excuse me, Daddy. Can I have some quarters to get gumballs for Micky and me? Please?”

  “Sure, Sweetheart,” he replied, handing his daughter the money and watching as she and her brother ran to a machine a few yards away.

  “She said she fell yesterday. Apparently she hit her head. It was a small bump, so she didn’t make a big deal about it. She found out it was a concussion.”

  “I didn’t hear my phone ring when you called.”

  “She didn’t want you to know, anyway. She didn’t want you to leave Emily.”

  “How long ago did she leave?”

  “She went to the hotel about an hour and a half ago. I like her. Go and be with her. We have no plans for tomorrow. You can see Emily anytime you want.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. She shouldn’t be alone for too long at a time like this.”

  After saying goodbye to the kids, and thanking Charlotte a second and third time, Mitch rushed over to the hotel.

  Chella was still fast asleep when Mitch arrived. He didn’t want to wake her by turning on the TV, so he began reading through the letters. In three years, his father sent his mother almost two hundred letters, each apologizing for what he had done. By the fifth letter, Mitch got the point. Perhaps one day he’d get though all of them, but for now, he had enough.

  H
e walked aimlessly around the room. He thought of getting some work done on his laptop then remembered it blew up right along with the rest of the boat. For the second time, so had Chella’s. He sat at the desk and made a list of all the things he needed to replace. Luckily, his wallet hadn’t been destroyed. However, he knew Chella well. She usually walked around with ID, all her credit cards, checkbooks, and a host of other items that would be very inconvenient not to have when she went home. Most importantly was her cell phone. If Charlotte hadn’t been with her earlier, Mitch would have been clueless where Chella was or what had happened.

  He would miss the boat, at least until he could have it replaced, which took time. Chella always seemed so happy and carefree when they were on the boat, and they no longer had that escape. They’d need to find Aaron Stewart’s accomplice soon. God alone knew what other explosions or dangerous tricks he planned before his arrest, and this additional person was just as unpredictable and dangerous as Aaron. His thoughts were interrupted as Chella got up and walked toward him.

  “Hey, how are you? How do you feel?” he asked as she sat on his lap.

  “A little better. My head still aches a bit.”

  “I saw your prescription. It’s almost time to take your meds.”

  “I know. I’m supposed to take them with food,” she replied.

  “I’ll get you some soup, and you should get some more rest. Charlotte told me what happened. I should have followed my instincts and taken you to the hospital yesterday. This could have been much more serious.”

  “I know. It was such a small bump, I didn’t make anything of it until the doctor asked me.”

  “I’m going to see to it that you take it easy. You’re going to be in bed for the next couple of days.”

  When Mitch walked into his penthouse lobby a few days later, he was surprised to see one of the twins waiting for him. He stopped at the concierge to pick up his messages before heading up. The woman at the desk told him his visitor had been there every day between three and five for the last three days.

  “Why are you here?” he asked as he walked past her.

  “Could we talk? Please?”

  “Olivia?” he asked, uncertain of which twin it was before him.

  “Yes.”

  “I just got in from out of town.” He said, holding the elevator door open for her. “Come on up.”

  “Thanks,” she replied, looking somewhat relieved.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t have you arrested. Your sister just managed to push all the wrong buttons the last time she was here.”

  “She doesn’t know I’m here. She won’t be coming.”

  “Good,” he said, smiling at her. “Because then I’d have to call the police.”

  They reached the penthouse. Mitch offered her a seat at the island, and handed her a drink.

  “Why are you here?”

  “A few reasons, one of which I think you know.”

  “Let’s get to the ones I don’t know first.”

  “I can’t speak for Simone, but when I found out I had a brother, I always wanted to meet you. I wanted to respect my father’s wishes. That’s why I didn’t come sooner.”

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you too, Olivia,” he said with a smile.

  “The other thing is… I wanted to apologize for how things went the last time we were here. The situation could have been handled very differently. I know Simone’s delivery isn’t always the best, but she has good intentions.”

  “Right. Olivia, let me put you out of your misery. I’ve had some time to think about it, and I’m sure you know I saw your father. I’ll get tested.”

  “Really?” Olivia’s face brightened.

  “Yes, really. I wanted to get settled from my trip first.”

  He expected her to jump, scream, or show some sort of excitement. Instead, she cried. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “You don’t have to thank me.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “I’m sure you’re dying to call your sister and tell her.”

  “I can’t right now. She’s on duty.”

  “What does she do?”

  “She’s a nurse. Mitch, can I take you to lunch or out for a drink or something?”

  “That’s not necessary. You don’t owe me anything. Don’t get too excited though. We’re not sure I’ll be a match, and I don’t know if I can ever forgive your father or be able to see this through to the end. I don’t want him in my life right now. I’m trying to take one step at a time.”

  “I understand, but I appreciate your efforts.”

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure.”

  “How come it’s so easy for you to see past what your father did?”

  “It wasn’t, at least not for me, anyway. When I first found out, I couldn’t believe that my dad could be capable of doing something so horrible. He told us when we were thirteen. It took me three years to be able to start trusting him. I couldn’t understand how the man who was such a wonderful dad to me could do something so terrible.”

  “I take it Simone did not see it that way?”

  “Not quite. It upset her for a while, but not nearly as long as it took me. She said as much as she hated what he did, he was sorry, and he always loved us unconditionally. While that might have been true, I couldn’t compartmentalize it the way she did.”

  “I don’t know that I can ever get to that place. He hurt my mother. I would feel like I was betraying her.”

  “But she forgave him.”

  “I still don’t understand how she did that. I have a daughter. I think I’d kill anyone who did that to her.”

  “You have a daughter?”

  “She’s five.”

  “So you mean I’m an au—” she started to reply with excitement then immediately stopped herself. “Mitch, do you think we could ever have a normal brother-sister relationship?”

  “I don’t know what a normal brother-sister relationship is. I’ve always been an only child. I think I understand what you’re asking, though. The truth is, I don’t know. I just never imagined being faced with such a difficult and complicated situation my whole life.”

  She hung her head low after his response.

  “Olivia, this is going to take time. I like you, please don’t take it personally. I’m trying to deal with this situation the best way I can.”

  “I’m sorry that my dad hurt you and your mom,” she replied.

  “Thanks for saying that. I’m sorry too, but you didn’t do anything wrong,” said Mitch. “I appreciate you coming and trying to clear the air. You’re very sweet. I’m going to see your father’s doctor sometime this week. I’ll call you then.”

  “Thank you for seeing me. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Fall had arrived and the second phase of Chella’s promotion began. Everything went as planned in the first half of the promotion, and she was hoping that everything would follow suit for the second half.

  Today, the ads would be filmed. Soon, teens across America would be getting the biggest surprise of their lives with this joint concert to be held on December twenty-sixth. All Chella had to do was make sure they would be able to supply the demand at Christmas. The ads were running, the venues had all been organized and the products were flying off the shelves. The in-store promotions were equally successful.

  The competition had tried to put a dent in their sales but did not succeed. Board members were impressed with the results of this campaign; sales had already covered all their costs. Chella succeeded in securing a comfortable eighty percent of the market. If things continued, they would be doing more serious damage to their competitors’ bottom-line.

  Chella thought ahead to Mitch’s birthday in a couple of weeks. There had been no incidents, attacks, accidents or explosions, so Chella toyed with the idea of throwing Mitch a small surprise birthday party. Would it be safe to have friends over? Would it be
safe to have his friends and family from Santa Monica visit? The only person who might be able to advise her was Detective Carter. She would never want to put their friends and family in danger. At the same time, living the life of a normal person for the last few weeks had been fantastic for her and Mitch. She wanted to share that with friends.

  Even though things had calmed down on the safety front, Mitch did not drive his vehicle, despite the fact that it had been replaced. He was still renting vehicles and occasionally would take a cab or hire a driver to take him where he had to go. His intent was to mix things up and not stick to any one routine, enabling him and Chella to enjoy their lives as safely as possible. The police pulled two prints off the wreckage of his old car, but they weren’t able to make a match. The perpetrator had yet to be arrested.

  Chella had never planned a party for herself or anyone else. Her parties had been limited to having Vicky and Kacy for pizza and watching a movie on a Friday night.

  She called Detective Carter, and he put her mind at ease. He told her he’d be more than happy to send one of the guards over on the night of the event if it would make her feel better.

  Now she was faced with the task of who to invite. Of course, the usual suspects were all on the list, but she wondered about the twins, Emily and Liz. Emily because she was not certain she’d ever want to risk putting her in harm’s way, and Liz because of the obvious. After some thought, she decided she’d invite Liz. She didn’t want her to accidentally find out about this from one of Mitch’s friends and cause further distance between them. Chella hoped like hell she’d be on her best behavior that night.

  After much thought, she decided against inviting Emily and the twins. If she were certain they were safe and all was well, she would have, but putting Emily’s safety even in that slightest bit of danger was not a chance Chella was willing to take. She was not sure if Mitch was ready for the twins to meet his mom yet, and the fact that he wasn’t on the best of terms with one of them was another reason she decided against it. If they were going to meet Mitch’s family, Chella thought it should be on his terms.

  She sent out the invitations and organized everything in preparation for the visiting guests. She got the friendly calls out of the way then called the dreaded phone number. After a terse exchange with Liz, Chella got the so-called invitation out of the way. She had hoped that Liz would decline her invitation. No such luck. Liz would be arriving on Saturday morning.