Perfect Curves

by Lanee Lane

  "Where is she now?"

  "I finally got her up and to her appointment. She didn't seem like herself even after she was awake."

  "Keep an eye on her when you pick her up, please. I'll be by to get her when I get off of work. If she's still acting weird, we can try to talk to her therapist or we may have to make her go to the doctor."

  "You know I'll keep a close eye on her. See you after a bit."

  When I hung up the call I had a nagging feeling. After lunch, I had a few more clients, but I still couldn't shake the feeling of unease I'd had since talking to Uncle Dwight. The argument I'd had with Penny played in my head. The accusation that Abby had been using on the forefront.

  After my shift I headed to Uncle Dwight's house. A few minutes into the drive I changed paths toward my own home. I wanted to trust Abby. I needed to take a look around her room to clear my conscious. Then I'd go pick her up as planned.

  I stood outside her door debating if it was the right thing to do. It was an invasion of her privacy. It was for her own well-being I told myself. Besides, it was my house. I turned the doorknob and let the door creak open.

  Her room was neat. The bed was made and there were no dirty clothes littering the ground. She hadn't come with much of anything to begin with. I moved to the bedside table. I pulled out the drawers one by one. Thankfully there was nothing to see in there but a half eaten bar of chocolate.

  I looked under the pillows and mattress. Nothing there either. I went through the closet and a few other places where I thought things could be hidden. I decided to do a quick swipe of her dresser drawers before going. When I got the third draw down I heard something rustle. I moved things around until I saw a clear bag. I didn't know much about drugs, but I knew that this wasn't sugar or flour.

  I sat the bag on top of the dresser and stared at it. Finding it meant so many things. My sister was still doing drugs, she had lied, and I'd made the biggest mistake of my life pushing Penny away. I didn't know what to do with what I’d found so I called the facility that Abby had been going to.

  "Hello," a woman with a soft voice answered.

  "Hello, my name is Reed. My sister has been receiving treatment at your facility. I found something in her room and had some questions."

  After sitting on hold for what seemed like forever, I was transferred to someone else. No one had given me answers up to that point. The final lady told me that she couldn't give me patient information, but she could confirm there were no patients with the name Abigail in the facility.

  I sat on her bed and stared at the walls. I mind was fighting to make sense of everything.. If Abby wasn't in rehab then where was she going when we dropped her off?

  ***

  I asked Uncle Dwight to bring Abigail home instead of me picking her up. I let him know that I had something I needed to talk to them both about. I'm sure he could hear the anguish in my voice and agreed.

  I was sitting on the couch with my hands clasped under my chin when I heard the front door open. I had the bag I found in Abby's room sitting on the coffee table. Uncle Dwight appeared in the room first. Abby wasn't far behind him.

  "Hey Reed," Uncle Dwight greeted me.

  I greeted him but kept my eyes on Abby. I needed to see her reaction when she saw what was laying on the table. She began to smile and at me when her eyes dropped. Her eyes got big and her mouth opened slightly. She tried to school her features before looking back up at me, but it was too late.

  "What's going on Reed?" Uncle Dwight asked.

  He looked between Abby and me.

  "Abby, how long?"

  "How long what?" Uncle Dwight’s eye brows furrowed. He was confused, but not for long..

  I glanced over at him, "I decided to take a look through Abby's room since she's been acting so odd but claims she isn't sick. I had a feeling that something wasn't right. Penny told me that she saw Abby with a strange man a few weeks ago, but I didn't believe her. Imagine my surprise when I find this in her dresser." I pointed to the bag on the table. "I called the facility where she goes for treatment and they said they had no patients by her name."

  Uncle Dwight turned to look at Abby. Her face had gone pale and her mouth was turned into a deep frown.

  "What right did you have to go through my things, Reed? How dare you invade my privacy. You and your stupid girlfriend should mind your own damn business!"

  Rage was radiating from Abby, but she hadn't denied any of it.

  "Mind my own business, Abby? This is my house. Anything that goes on in here is my business. I trusted you. I defended you. I ended things with Penelope because I believed that you were trying. You've been lying this whole time!"

  "Hold on a minute," Uncle Dwight held up his hand. "Abigail how long has it been since you've been to treatment? Where have you been going when we drop you off?"

  "It doesn't matter, and it's one of your business where I've been going."

  "Abigail," Dwight's voice was forceful. "Cut the bull. We're your family and we've sacrificed a lot to make sure you were getting the help you needed. So you're going to sit down and you’re going to give us answers."

  Abby crumpled to the floor. Her head fell into her hands and she began to sob.

  "I haven't been since the first week. After you dropped me off my boyfriend would pick me up. He'd make sure he dropped me back off before either of you came back to pick me up."

  "What the hell Abby, why?" I was on my feet now. The anger raging inside wouldn’t let me sit..

  "It's too hard. I need it. It makes me feel good.

  "No, you don't need it. Abby, you can't stay here. I'm not going to have this in my home. I trusted you and you broke that. You can either go back to inpatient treatment or you can find somewhere else to stay. I love you and I want the best for you, but I refuse to watch you sabotage yourself and leave the rest of us to deal with the effects."

  My chest was rising and falling in quick succession. I’d been so stupid.

  Her crying started again. My need to comfort her was overshadowed by my hurt from the betrayal.

  "Abby, your brother is right. What you've done has hurt more than just yourself. Chasing a fix isn't worth the consequences. You need to get proper help. I can take you to the facility and we can see if they still have room for you. It's never too late, but you have to be willing. I love you two like you are my own. I'm willing to support you, but you have to want to succeed for yourself."

  As angry as I was at Abby I was also angry at myself. How had I missed the signs? How had I been so stupid to let her stop inpatient treatment so quickly? In my quest to protect her and make up for lost time I'd made terrible decisions. A feeling of guilt came over me. Ironic because my feeling of guilt and responsibility wass what led us here.

  Her cries continued for several minutes. I didn't think she was going to speak. Finally, in a whispered voice she said, "Ok, I'll go."

  I felt some tension leave my body. I only hoped that this time she was serious. She had to do this for herself. I realized that she was a grown woman and I couldn't control how she lived her life.

  Ambushed

  I'd like to say after a month that I'd stopped missing Reed so much. If I did, it would be a complete lie. I'd thrown myself into work to try not to think about it. My bosses were pleased with my work and I was on the fast track to a promotion. That should have made me happy, and it did to a certain degree, but I still felt like there was a dark cloud following me.

  I'd stopped going to the gym he worked at. I didn't want to risk seeing him. I couldn't deal with seeing him. I wouldn't be able to deal with him giving me the cold shoulder if I did. Noel said she'd seen him a few times, and he looked miserable. My response, he’d done it to himself. Still, I couldn’t deny the instinct to want to comfort him.

  I wouldn't relent though. He’d made his choice, and I wasn't it. No matter how much I loved the man I wouldn't allow myself to be treated like I was disposable. I'd done that before and I wasn't going to do it again.


  Noel and I were going out for drinks after work. She'd convinced me that I'd sulked long enough and I needed to go out and be among the living. I knew she wanted me to go on a few dates, but I wasn't feeling the dating scene. I relented to drinks as a compromise and a ploy to get her to stop with the dating talk.

  I went home to change and freshen up before meeting her. As I got closer to my front door, I noticed a bouquet of red and white roses with a card nestled in the middle. I picked up the card silently chastising myself for hoping that the flowers were from Reed. I opened it up and sure enough, my traitorous heart started to beat quicker.

  Penelope,

  I read somewhere that red and white roses are the best for apologizing. Red is supposed to represent love and fidelity while white is for truth and purity. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness after everything, but I do hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me one day. I was wrong and I am a total jerk for jumping to conclusions and not trusting you. You are one of the few people in my life that have shown me true care and compassion and I repaid you in the worst possible way. Please accept these as symbol of my apology. I hope that we can talk soon.

  Love Always,

  Reed

  Tears were streaming down my face. Why did he have to do this? Why after all this time did he have to pop back in my life with his sweet words and gestures? It was hard enough trying to move on without a reminder of him. I picked the flowers up and went into my apartment. I put the flowers in the kitchen and put the card beside it. I didn't want the constant reminder of him, but I couldn't bring myself to throw them away.

  ***

  Noel was sitting at a high top table when I walked into the bar. She waved like a loon when she saw me. I guessed that meant she was on at least drink number two. I always stuck to a two drink max and finished it early in the night so that I could be our designated driver if needed. I wasn't much of a drinker, to begin with, so it never really bothered me.

  "Hey good lookin," Noel said in greeting.

  "Hey crazy, I see you've already gotten started."

  "You bet, some hottie at the bar keeps sending me drinks. Who am I to deny?"

  "Of course not. Drink up sister."

  Our server came around and got my drink order. We also ordered a couple of appetizers since neither of us had eaten dinner. Noel told me about her latest boy toy. She'd moved on from the lawyer and was now rolling in the sheets with an Acupuncturist. The woman had an expansive taste in men. I'd give her that.

  "Enough about me. What about you?Are you ready to get back in the saddle?"

  "Actually I got a bouquet of flowers today. They were from Reed."

  "Did they come with a card or anything? I need details woman!"

  "There was a card. He apologized and said he now realizes that he should have trusted me. Whatever that means."

  "It sounds like he found out that his perfect little sister isn't so perfect and that you really were trying to help."

  "Whatever he found out doesn't matter now. He threw me away without a second thought."

  "Psh, girl he's given you a second thought. I've seen him moping around like a lost puppy at the gym."

  "Well he should have thought about that now shouldn't he?"

  "Yeah, he should have."

  Noel perked up and waved at someone behind me. I turned to see who it was. Two men were walking toward our table. One looked to be about six-two with dark brown hair that was cut close to his head. His face was clean shaven, and he was wearing a navy blue suit.

  The other man had dirty blond hair that was up in a man bun on top of his head. He had on gray slacks with a white button up tucked in and a bow tie around his neck. He was a hair shorter than the other man and a bit more rugged. Both men were sexy in their own right.

  I turned back to Noel with narrowed eyes.

  "Who is that?"

  "Oh, that's Ray, the acupuncturist I told you about, and his friend Max."

  "Noel, what have you done? This was supposed to be a girls night."

  I had to give her credit. She kept a straight face when answering me. Almost as if she truly didn't know what she was doing.

  "It is a girls night that now has boys as well."

  I frowned at my best friend. She knew I didn't want to date right now, and she ignored my wishes. Ignoring my wishes was a bad habit of hers. It was always in the name of love according to her. It didn't change the fact that I was pissed.

  "Come on Penny, it's been a month. I'm not asking you to marry the guy. I'm just trying to push you in the right direction of getting over Reed. You've made it clear that you are done with him, so what's the harm in meeting new men?"

  Noel may have had a point, but I still didn't like it. I also didn't like her meddling in my business and pushing me to do things I didn't want to. The two men were only a few feet away from our table so I tried to push down my annoyance. I didn't want to come off as a jerk even if I wasn't happy about the impromptu meeting. Besides, both of them were pretty easy on the eyes so it wouldn't be a total hardship to spend a couple of hours with them.

  "Hey, guys." Noel got up from her chair and hugged the dark haired man. He leaned down and placed a peck on her lips. I assumed that was Ray the acupuncture man. That left the blond. He had to be my distraction for the evening.

  "Ray, Max this is my best friend Penelope. Penelope this is Ray and his friend Max."

  Ray extended his hand to me first.

  "Hi Penelope, Noel has told me so much about you."

  I tried to stifle the laugh that wanted to escape. I was only partially successful.

  "I don't know if that is a good or bad thing coming from Noel," I said smiling up at Ray.

  He laughed and assured me that they were all good things.

  Max stepped forward and offered his hand. It was warm and large against my smaller one. I may have swooned a bit. I was feeling the man bun and bow tie. It was sort of hipster, but the full but neatly trimmed beard on his face gave him a bit of a rugged appeal.

  "It's a pleasure to meet you, Penelope."

  His voice was a deep timber. Normally it would have my knees feeling a little weak, but my heart didn't seem to get the memo. I knew I had a certain gym rat to blame for that.

  "It's nice to meet you too." I gave him my best smile. Even though my heart wasn't racing and my knees weren't weak, I decided to try to keep an open mind.

  The four of us sat at the table Noel and I had been occupying. We all started out making small talk. I found out that Max worked as an art teacher at a local high school. He also a painted and sold his own artwork on the side.

  Ray and Noel excused themselves to the dance floor leaving Max and I alone. We were quiet for a while watching our friends dancing to the music. Max broke the silence.

  "You had no idea that I was coming tonight did you?"

  I looked down into my drink like it would help me with my answer before looking back up at him.

  "Honestly, no. Noel has been nagging me to go out for a while, but I refused. I agreed to a girls night thinking it would get her off of my back, but she had other plans."

  I'd decided to go with honesty with Max because I felt like I had nothing to lose.

  Max nodded his head and looked at me quietly for a few seconds.

  "For what it's worth I'm glad we got to meet. You're very beautiful and I've enjoyed talking to you."

  His words made me feel shy and a little giddy.

  "Thank you, I've enjoyed talking to you too. Tonight has gone better than I thought it would."

  Ray and Noel joined us back at the table. They announced that they were ready to call it a night claiming they had long days at work. I knew they were leaving to get their after party started.

  When we left the bar Noel and I hugged goodbye. Max offered to walk me to my car. At my car, I turned to face him and thank.

  "Thanks for walking me to my car. I had fun tonight."

  "You're more than welcome. I had fun too. I was wond
ering if you would like to go out sometime. Just the two of us."

  I was caught off guard by his offer.

  "Oh, um I..."

  "It's ok if you don't want to. I just couldn't pass up the chance to at least ask."

  I was attracted to Max. In my mind I knew he was someone I would typically be interested in getting to know better, but my heart wasn't fully in it. In the end, my mind told my heart to shut-up.

  "I'd like that very much."

  The smile that he gave me made my lady parts tingle.

  "What's your number so I can call you to set it up?"

  I rattled off my number while he keyed it into his phone.

  "Great, I'll call you soon."

  He waited for me to unlock my car and get settled inside before heading to his own. I sat behind the wheel trying to process the events of the night. I had agreed to a date with a man that wasn't Reed. I wasn't sure how I felt about it, but I knew that it was a step in the necessary direction. I just wished my heart understood.

  All Or Nothing

  I checked my phone for probably the hundredth time that day. Just like I had every day since I sent Penny the flowers and card. Every time my phone vibrated my heart sped up. A mixture of anxiety and hope filled me. The hope was lost when it wasn't her. I didn't know what I had expected. I'd fucked up big time. I couldn't blame her if she never talked to me again.

  The only positive thing that had come from the mess was that Abby was getting help this time. Uncle Dwight and I were going to her therapy sessions with her once a week. Uncle Dwight and I also went to family sessions where we learned effective ways to support her and spot signs of relapse. I wasn't sure how I hadn't seen the signs. The therapist said that it was me deflecting and not wanting to see the worst in my sister. Especially after losing our parents in such a tragic way and our own estrangement.

  Turns out I probably needed to see someone a long time ago to help me cope with my parents. Uncle Dwight broke down in one of our sessions because he felt like he failed us by not getting us help. I didn't blame him and I told him as much. He saved us. If he hadn't stepped in and took us, Abby and I would have been split up. I now made a point of trying to remind him of how thankful I was for the sacrifices he made for us.