by Agnès Ruiz
“Let me”, Guillermo insisted.
He moved the hair and tucked it back behind her ear. Joanna shivered with the slow, soft contact. What she would give to stay there forever, she thought, surprised at such an idea.
She tried to remember the last time she had felt so good. Maybe it was with Zoé’s father. The image cast a dark shadow over her.
“What is it, Joanna?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all”, she lied.
Guillermo chose to believe her as he didn’t insist. On the contrary, he leaned forward and placed his lips on Joanna’s. She kissed him back. He put his hand on the back of her head and Joanna wrapped an arm around him, and straightened out the other slightly.
Seagulls screeched, flying above them before darting towards the sea, moving further away in their quest for fish. They paid no attention to them, or to a dog, barking in the distance.
Slowly, Guillermo unlocked from Joanna’s lips, keeping his eyes on hers, watching her reaction. Perhaps he feared rejection?
“Are you OK?”
Joanna smiled and nodded in confirmation.
“I... I don’t think I want to say anything about... what just happened.”
“And yet you are”, he said, laughing.
“Are we friends, now?”
“We are.”
Joanna sat up and bit her bottom lip. Maybe she still wanted to taste his kiss which was already too far away.
“I feel like you want to go home now.”
“I think we should.”
Guillermo didn’t press her. They got up and walked back to the car. Joanna didn’t turn on the radio this time. Guillermo appreciated it, but he was wondering if it was all a good idea.
“Are you going to see that Paul again?”
“Why do you keep talking about him?”
“He sent you a rose. That counts for something...”
“I tried to call him, to thank him... Then... I don’t know; we had a strange conversation.”
“What do you mean?”
“I heard laughing. Maybe I was imagining it, but I was under the impression that he wasn’t alone and that he... That he was...”
Joanna turned to look at Guillermo. She felt awkward telling him that she thought he was with a woman. But of course, he had fully understood. No need to go into detail.
“Maybe it was just his colleagues”, she reasoned.
“Yes, maybe. Is it important for you, to see him again?”
Joanna wanted to say no. Especially now that Guillermo and she had kissed. And that she’d liked it. But she didn’t like unfinished stories. And she had that feeling with Paul. She remembered telling herself that a date would be the beginning. She wanted to know what the Paul from her youth had become, and not only that he worked as an emergency doctor.
And then so much had happened, partly work and then her neighbour who had barged his way in.
“You’re here”, she finally announced instead of answering his question, leaving him in suspense.
28
Lorelli left the bank, furious. They had refused her the loan to buy the small restaurant next to the seaside hotel. Amélie Flaque ex-Blomingdale’s apartment wasn’t enough, either. And yet they were both keen to throw themselves into their new adventure. A nice, cosy little restaurant.
Lorelli spent days, and weeks putting her plan onto paper. Leaving nothing to chance, the ex-wife of Rodolphe G. Gaspardin had already carried out market research on the reliability of this new enterprise. Now it was all filed, carefully and precisely calculated and detailed.
It wasn’t enough!
“What else do they need?!” she shouted out loud in the street.
Lorelli was so upset with her bank manager that she passed the place she had parked her car. She had to go back on herself and check twice before realising that it wasn’t where she was sure she had left her car.
Suddenly she screamed with rage as saw it pass her. Her little car was being towed away. On its way to the impound.
Why had she not parked in a better place? Then she remembered. She had driven around the block twice and was already five minutes late for her appointment.
So, for better or for worse, she tried her luck in a corner, behind a large sedan. She wasn’t blocking anybody. She was sure. Yet Lorelli was perfectly aware that it wasn’t really an actual parking place, and that enraged her further.
“Not today, not now!”
She checked herself after a passer-by looked at her. It wouldn’t stop her from shouting in her head, after the steps she had to do now to get her car back.
Obviously, this terrible day was never going to end! She should have stayed in bed, she thought to herself. She was angry at the whole world at that precise moment.
Scowling, she hailed a taxi. When the jolly man tried to have a chat, she soon shut him up. The driver turned on the radio and remained quiet for the rest of the journey. As he expected, she didn’t leave a tip. He didn’t get a penny more than the exact fare.
Lorelli was satisfied that it was a small personal victory after such a vile day. The bank didn’t want to lend her any money!
She didn’t have any to spend, either, she said.
If she could, she would have walked home, if only to calm her bad mood which was only getting worse. Besides, it was far too great a distance between the bank and the seaside hotel.
She didn’t like walking, either, less so in high heels. For her appointment, she didn’t do things in a sloppy manner. On the contrary, she had pulled out all the stops: A blue suit which looked great on her figure.
Lorelli, who had not long turned 60, prided herself on having kept in shape, despite two pregnancies. Fond of eating well, she often had to watch herself or rectify her moments of weakness with sport.
She played golf every week, but her ex-husband and son laughed at her, saying she wouldn’t break into a sweat on an 18-hole course. Lorelli saw red when that happened. Naturally, she avoided mentioning that she went for a drink with her girlfriends, just after their round of golf.
She also took care of her appearance, since she could remember. She felt sorry for her daughter Joanna, who wasn’t following her lead in that way. She thought that Joanna should pay more attention to what she was wearing. She sometimes made a remark that was rarely appreciated. Lorelli didn’t lose hope...
In preparation for the appointment with her bank manager, she had rushed straight to her hairdresser. She went there once every two weeks in order to maintain the auburn colour that she loved so much, with a flirty purple streak. The hairdresser assured her it gave her face more light. Once, a replacement told her that it delayed wrinkles and crow’s feet.
Lorelli had threatened to change her salon. She made such a huge fuss that the unfortunate intern student who had said those terrible words was fired, after having to apologise to her client. She nevertheless softened before the young girl’s tears and clumsy apologising. But she didn’t say that she forgave her.
Seeing the young Mélanie in the lobby, Lorelli had a vision of that other young girl, from the hairdressing salon. She felt bad for being so hard on her. Why now? She wondered, surprised.
“How are you, Mélanie?” she asked, hiding her distress.
“Very well, Mrs Gaspardin, thank you.”
Lorelli embellished her words with a smile: for the staff this was something quite rare.
29
Lorelli continued on her way and found Joshua in his office.
“You’re alone; can I speak to you for a minute?”
“Mum, what a nice surprise”, Joshua said.
He had pulled a face as he saw her in the doorway. Lorelli chased the fleeting thought out of her mind. She had seen others and didn’t have fifty thousand options.
“I need a favour”, she attacked again.
“Such as?”
Joshua was cautious. He didn’t like it when his mother began her unexpected visits like this. They often turned sour.
“My car
was impounded. I would like you to do what you can to get it back.”
“Again!”
“Oh, please! Don’t lecture me. You know I could fill a whole file with the things you did growing up...”
“Can’t you just park properly, for once in your life?”
Lorelli raised her eyes to the ceiling, exasperated.
“I told you, no lectures. Otherwise I will not be held responsible for my actions.”
“OK, fine”, Joshua gave in. “Just give me the details.”
Lorelli complied and before finished, slipped out that she hadn’t managed to get a bank loan despite a rock-solid file.
“It’s a sound investment. You should invest with me. Open yourself up to new horizons.”
“Why would I need to do that?”
“My poor boy. You obviously can’t see further than the end of your nose.”
“Thank you, you are as charming as ever! The queen of subtlety.”
The tone was glacial Lorelli realised, a little too late, and began fawning over him in a flash. After all, she not only needed him to take care of her car, but also to get the finance she needed.
She would get nothing by pushing him away today.
“You know your father will remarry in a few weeks.”
With that, she had emphasised the “remarry”. She had even pulled a face of disgust which said exactly how she felt.
She didn’t mind going on about it to anybody who had the patience to listen. They were few and far between, and for several reasons. Some, cautious, preferred not to interfere; others, thought that Rodolphe G. Gaspardin was free to do whatever he wanted, with whomever he wanted.
Lorelli fulminated as she was with those who did not take it seriously.
She therefore went to her son’s office for the never-ending speech.
“You’ll see, Joshua, he’ll get himself conned. It’s going to ruin his health.”
“He’s been as fit as a fiddle since he got back”, Joshua insisted, not really wanting to be dragged into the conversation his mother was moving towards.
Lorelli was silent for a long time. She had settled into the chair facing her son and touched the ornaments that were sitting around.
She had given him some of them, such a letter-opened with a sharp tip. Every time she saw it, she couldn’t help but remark how it would make a great weapon to use as in defence. In fact, it was a good deterrent, used as such a utensil on his desk.
She twisted and turned it around in her hands, her mind going back to the meeting with her bank manager. Dark intentions coming to mind. She sighed. She knew it wouldn’t go any further. Thankfully.
She had other plans rather than rotting away in prison for some stupidity. There were other ways of getting what you want. She could knock on some doors... The first one being Joshua’s. She would make him give in; make him understand what she was proposing and that it would be in his interest more than her own.
“And you think that this little schemer with a too-perfect body, who’s probably had work done all over, will leave your father like that and benefit from the hotel without asking for anything in return? My son, you are so naïve.”
“And you’re here to watch over our nest eggs, is that it?” Joshua was amused, more relaxed now.
Lorelli grimaced.
Since when had Joshua been so perceptive? She remembered him being more gullible and easier to manipulate. Yet, she approved, with a grin.
“Indeed. I’ve always taken care of your assets. More than you’ll ever know, I’m sure...”
Once again, she let a silence separate them, wanting him to think about her measured words. Uncomfortable, Joshua moved in his seat. She saw him eyeing his computer screen then the time on his clock.
“Do you have an appointment? I seem to be disturbing you...”
“Well, I do have a tennis class to teach.”
“That’s right; I forgot you gave lessons off season...”
“It’s just this once”, Joshua said. “At least I won’t lose my touch, until the summer.”
“You’re right. You should never lower your guard... Like your father, really”, she insisted heavily. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, Joshua. You’ll lose big time...”
“I’m listening. You haven’t come to say that then leave...”
Lorelli’s smile widened. She had his attention. Even better, she knew what he would do, if he could. She sat back on the chair, crossed her legs and told him the amount she still needed to buy the restaurant next door.
“But I don’t have that much!” Joshua protested, stunned.
“Since you’re here, you’re not going to make me think you haven’t reaped any profits.”
“Of course, but I have expenses... You know I like travelling and...”
“So in sum, you don’t want to!”
“I CAN’T, it’s not the same thing”, he shouted, exasperated by his mother’s plaintive tone.
“The bank can give you a loan. You have a regular income, no other loans...”
“That’s not possible, I’m afraid... Believe me, Mum, if I could, I would lend you that amount with pleasure.”
“Since you say that...”
This time, Lorelli had another card up her sleeve: Guilt. She knew Joshua was sensitive. She saw him pinch his lips. He also had a nervous tic: He clenched and unclenched his fist several times before firmly grabbing the arm of the leather chair. As if he were putting pressure on something to calm him down. Finally, he brought his attention back to his mother.
“If you can wait for a month, I should be able to do something for you. Some cash flow.”
“A month’s too long... It could go right under my nose.”
“That place has been up for sale for a long time. It won’t go that fast.”
“That’s what you think. But with the season coming, people have been asking about it. And I’m afraid it’s gotten off to a bad start.”
“In that case forget it. Why do you want to wear yourself out with a restaurant? It’s a massive change. Have you even thought about it?”
“I do not intend to keep my hands tied, you know. I’m still young and capable of running a tight ship my way, with all due respect!”
Joshua preferred to say nothing. He knew it was useless to argue at this point. His mother sighed, showing him just how much he had disappointed her then she left his office. Before she had fully closed the door, he called her back.
“If I manage to find the money, I’ll let you know, I promise, Mum.”
“I don’t doubt it for a second, son. Don’t forget to take care of my car, at least you can help with something”, she let out as a goodbye.
30
Gloomy, Lorelli paced the corridors of the seaside hotel. Her first option had just slipped through her fingers.
She could still go to see Joanna. But she had little hope with that. Her daughter had complained about some large bills recently. She hadn’t understood everything: A leak in her flat which had damaged her neighbours’ place. To tell the truth, she had laughed about it until she had to gather the amount needed which she cruelly lacked.
She could also sell the jewellery that she had saved in the safety deposit box at the bank. She loathed having to go so far.
That jewellery was in case of a final notice.
It wasn’t for buying the restaurant. This investment was a property capital gain whose expenses and profits she wanted to manage. She could thus have control without depending on the risks of the seaside hotel.
Especially since she knew her husband wanted to marry that young thing. Nothing good would come out of such an undertaking.
After a lightening visit at Joanna’s, Lorelli understood that she would have to wait for a miracle. Nevertheless, she wasn’t as hard on her daughter as she had been on her son. Joanna was a mother who also had obligations and a head on her shoulders.
Joshua was very different; more versatile, sometimes unstable. He squandered his mone
y. In any case, that was the impression she had, or that he gave.
She realised that Joshua had almost become a stranger these last years.
What was he doing outside of the seaside hotel? Was he seeing anyone?
He was very secretive. Even Joanna didn’t seem to know anything. Lorelli had tried to find out. But she quickly understood that there was no more complicity between them as there had been in the past.
Before she left her office, Joanna reminded her about the leaving party that evening.
“What leaving party?”
“For Marguerite.”
“Oh, yes! I had forgotten. The poor thing is such a sorry sight.”
Joanna was surprised at the comment. Her mother was always strict towards her father’s secretary. But now, she was becoming her ally.
“Why do you say that? You don’t like her... You have never liked her.”
Lorelli looked at her daughter. She began to speak, but changed her mind.
“I will come by, you can count on me.”
“I would like you to do more than that, Mum, please.”
“Don’t ask the impossible of me, Joanna”, Lorelli raged.
“Is it so difficult? What is it between you two? You can tell me now, surely?”
Lorelli closed the office door and moved toward her daughter. She smiled at her, and then went to the window to look at the sea.
“Your office is better than your brothers’, you know?”
“Because of the sea view?”
“Indeed. Even if it’s smaller, the view is nicer. That makes all the difference”, Lorelli insisted.
“Joshua calls it my cubby hole”, Joanna laughed.
“A lot of people would like to have a cubby hole like this, trust me. I have seen a lot of offices; this one is very nice. You should enjoy it, my girl. Don’t let people walk all over you. Don’t rest on your laurels...”
“Look out, always look out... I know, Mum. You’ve told me so many times...”
“They are not only words, you know...”
“And Marguerite?”