Folded Corners

by Idabelle Aylor

  And it was true, Riggin had never wanted Rita in that way. But the joke was on them both, the audience chose their beloved Riggin and Rita to marry for the $1,000,000. So, they continued their farce.

  Riggin heard Pappy’s voice again, “Find a good girl, son. Find a smart girl. Treat her right and she’ll love you forever...and for real.”

  Sofey’s image danced in the road ahead of him. She swayed in the beams of the BMW’s headlights. “I’m here with Ford Daily. Would you like to join us? We have a great table, and we’re talking about romance books.” Her image smiled as her floral flowing dress followed the graceful movement of her body.

  She thinks I’m married to Rita. Riggin slammed his fist on the steering wheel so hard it made his hand ache. Looking around, he realized he’d driven straight to Terry’s house. He pulled up in the driveway and took a deep breath before getting out and walking slowly to the door.

  “Hey, man! What’s going on?” Terry looked behind Riggin, “Come in, come in. You alone?”

  Riggin nodded.

  Terry led the way to the living room and plopped down on the couch behind a coffee table with a box of pizza on it. He picked up a piece and took a big bite, “Wanna a slice?”

  Riggin fell back in the recliner and shook his head, “No.”

  “What’s up with you, man? You don’t look so good.” Terry leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees.

  Riggin rubbed his temples and closed his eyes. “Man, I’ve got to figure out what to do about Rita.”

  Terry laughed and leaned back again on the couch. “What to do about her?”

  “I don’t know if I can go a year pretending to be married to her.”

  Terry shrugged, “Then don’t.”

  “I’ll be giving up a million dollars!”

  “Did you have it before you went on the show?”

  “No.”

  “Do you have it now?”

  “No.”

  “Were you happy before going on the show?”

  “Happier.”

  “Are you happy now?”

  Riggin shifted in the chair. “No.”

  Terry took another bite of pizza and through a mouthful said, “Well, then you won’t be happy with half a million after a year pretending to be married to a woman you can’t stand.” Terry swallowed his food. “Plus, I bet there’ll be more to it once the year is over, ya know?” Terry leaned forward, “Like, I bet they make you guys go on other shows, have interviews, and pose for pictures together for the media.”

  Riggin’s eyes grew wide as he slowly stood. He felt like a fool for never once thinking about what the show would want from them after they gave him and Rita the million. “Thanks man, I gotta go.”

  Chapter 14

  “So,” Ford set a large mocha latte in front of Sofey and sat down in the seat opposite her at the table for two. “They said they’re working on the cinnamon rolls now and they should be ready in about twenty minutes.”

  Sofey smiled, inhaling the decadent coffee scent, “Perfect, it’s been like a week since I’ve eaten one.” She sipped her drink, “I think I might be addicted to them.”

  Ford leaned back and chuckled as he gingerly sipped his coffee.

  “You think it’s funny, but I’m seriously a little scared for myself. I’ve been contemplating looking into some kind of cinnamon roll anonymous group.”

  Ford blew into his cup, “Do they exist?”

  Sofey shrugged, “I don’t know, but if they do, they shouldn’t meet here, everyone would leave more addicted than when they showed up.”

  “That is for sure!”

  Sofey smiled, “So, are you heading back to Idaho soon?”

  Ford twisted his warm coffee cup between his hands, “Yeah, I am. I think I’m going to head out tomorrow morning pretty early. I’ll probably be back in a couple weeks with Granny’s van.”

  Sofey raised her brows, “How in the world is she going to manage without her VW Vanagon?”

  Ford laughed, “She’ll be just fine. I rented her a minivan, which she hates, but will tolerate for two weeks, ‘and two weeks only!’’ He pointed and shook his finger at Sofey.

  They laughed and each looked away from the other.

  “Hey, listen, it’s really not that far to Idaho, it’s like eight hours. You should come with me sometime.”

  Sofey blushed and caught her breath, “Uh - “

  “As friends!” Ford smiled

  Sofey slowly let out her breath and grinned, “O.K.”

  Ford reached for Sofey’s hand, “I think under different circumstances, maybe things could’ve been different, but - “

  “Oh,” Sofey smiled and laughed, “it’s OK, Ford. Really. I think you are a great guy. I mean it, I think you are such a catch, but I absolutely love being your friend, and I would hate to ruin that by pushing something we both know isn’t meant to be.”

  Ford leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and laughed. “How long did you rehearse that? Because I was rehearsing the exact same speech for like an hour this morning.”

  Sofey reddened, “I think I spent thirty minutes getting my facial expressions right in the mirror.” Throwing his head back, Ford laughed the deepest belly laugh Sofey had ever heard, and it was contagious. “I’m glad you find it so funny,” Sofey said between giggles.

  Ford wiped his eyes, “Whew, I haven’t laughed like that for a long time, Sofe. You made my stomach hurt!”

  “Mine hurts too.” She said, grabbing her midsection.

  “Well, listen. Seriously, I asked if you wanted to come to Idaho with me sometime because, as outgoing and charming as I am, there’s one person I freeze up around. And she happens to be the woman I am falling in love with.”

  “Ohhhh! Do tell…”

  Ford blushed and played with his coffee cup, “Well, her name is Opal. She’s nice. She’s smart. She’s funny. She’s beautiful. And she has the cutest gap between her front teeth!” He pointed to his own teeth to show Sofey where he was speaking of.

  Sofey nodded and laughed.

  “She’s a hairdresser and works at, Shears, a salon her sister owns.” Ford looked away, “She just makes me soooo nervous. So, I was thinking, if my friend, you, came to town to get her hair done, I’d have a great reason to start talking to her.” Ford looked at Sofey hopefully.

  Sofey smiled, “Yeah, I might be able to do that some time. But you probably won’t want to wait for me to get there before you go talk to her. Someone might steal her away before then!”

  Ford sat back, wide-eyed, as if he hadn’t ever thought about that possibility. “You’re right.” He looked at his watch. “Maybe I better head back tonight.” He took his phone from his pocket and pushed a couple buttons. “Hey, Granny, it’s Ford. I just -” He rolled his eyes, “I know you know it’s me. I just -” He nodded as he listened to June. “I’m heading to your place now. I’m gonna pack up and head home tonight.” Ford looked at Sofey and smiled. “No, Granny, Sofey did not cry and she is not heartbroken. She actually told me that she isn’t into me!” He winked at Sofey. “She’s sitting here with me now, smiling. Huh? Can’t you just talk to her when she gets to her house? I need to get going, Granny. Oh, for Pete’s sake!” Ford handed the phone to Sofey, the lines between his eyebrows pronounced.

  Sofey giggled and put up her index finger to Ford as she took his phone from him. “Hi, Juney.” Sofey smiled at Ford, “No, everything is good, and no hearts were broken here today. OK, I’ll stop by tomorrow and see your new minivan. Bye.” Handing the phone back to Ford, Sofey said, “I sure do love her.”

  Ford nodded as he stood up and put his coat on, “Me too.”

  Chapter 15

  Riggin found the last empty parking spot in the farthest row from the entrance to Anthony’s Seafood House on the bay. People emerging from their cars locked arms and hurried through the salty breeze, making their way to the front door. Once inside, it was standing room only waiting for their turn to sit down. Riggin was immed
iately glad he had made reservations, but it pleased him to see so many people excited for the excellent seafood Anthony’s had to offer.

  Riggin was seated five minutes after checking in with the hostess. Twenty minutes after being seated, Rita still hadn’t arrived, and Riggin was not surprised. The waiter had been by three times asking if Riggin was sure he wasn’t ready to order yet, when Rita finally sauntered over to their table.

  “Nice of you to show up,” Riggin greeted her.

  “Well, I had to be camera ready.” She said, sitting opposite him and waving her hands in the air, “And my nails had to dry.”

  “Wonderful,” Riggin mumbled.

  Rita rolled her eyes at Riggin then looked around as she unlocked her phone and popped her gum. “Nice place for us to give the media some pictures of the happy Jury of Love couple.”

  “Here you are,” the waiter set a basket of hot cheddar biscuits in the center of the table, wafting the buttery scent in all directions. “Is everyone ready to order?” he smiled looking at each of them.

  “Uh, no, sorry, man. Maybe give us five more minutes, please?” Riggin felt bad that Rita had been so late.

  The waiter lost his smile and nodded, flipping around to go check on the other customers who were actually ordering food.

  “Five minutes? How am I supposed to decide what I want to eat in five minutes,” Rita spat.

  “You were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago, dear.” Riggin reminded her through clenched teeth.

  “Fine, whatever!” Rita tossed her menu on the table. “I’m ready to order!”

  “Great!” Riggin leaned forward, putting his forearms on the table. “Now, I have something to talk to you about.” His eyes darted back and forth. “I see a guy with a camera two tables behind you.”

  Rita put her right elbow on the table and looked nonchalantly out of the huge window that ran the whole length of the restaurant. All the tables in the dining area had a window seat. Rita turned, pretending to be totally engaged with what the seagulls were doing, when she caught sight of the man with the camera. She turned back around with a forced smile on her face. “Goody,” she said flatly.

  “OK,” Riggin took a long drink of ice water, “I want to stop pretending. There, I said it. I want to stop pretending.” Riggin smiled, “Whew, that felt great!” He flopped back in his chair, smiling.

  Rita’s eyes grew wide, her mouth stopped chewing her gum mid-chew. Beads of sweat quickly formed on her forehead, “Stop pretending?”

  Riggin nodded happily, “Stop pretending.”

  “B...b...but, Riggin, I don’t love you! I don’t even like you!”

  “Great!” Riggin slammed his hands down on the table, drawing attention from the table behind him. “I don’t love you either,” he said in a softer voice.

  Rita closed her eyes and put her hand to her forehead. “Riggin, what are you talking about then? Stop pretending about what?”

  “Rita, is the million worth it if we’re miserable? I mean, what happens after we get the money? They’re gonna want us to do more shows. Possibly have our own show about being married. How incredibly awful would that be??”

  Rita opened her eyes and thought about that for a minute. “Well, I’d love to have my own show,” quickly adding, “But not with you.”

  Riggin nodded, “Exactly!” Riggin leaned in and whispered, “Let’s give them our show!” He winked at her. “Then, you and Guy, or Bobby, or whoever, can go do whatever you guys want to do.”

  “Let’s do it,” Rita whispered excitedly.

  “OK, you wanna start?”

  Rita’s eyes lit up as she nodded. “Take out your phone and start texting,” she whispered.

  Riggin obliged.

  Rita jumped up from her seat, knocking the chair backwards into the person sitting behind her. She whirled around, her long blonde hair following as if in slow motion, to look directly at the guy with the camera, who was now pointing it directly at her. She put on her best furious look and posed for a split second to let it get captured on film. Turning back to Riggin, she slammed her hands on the table, knocking her glass of water to the floor. Unscathed she bellowed, “On the phone again! Always on that stupid phone! Who is it, Riggy? WHO IS IT THAT YOU’RE SO IN LOVE WITH THAT YOU WANT TO GIVE ME UP?!? She better be worth a million dollars, that’s for sure! Because YOU have lost a million-dollar girl- ME!” With that, she picked up Riggin’s water glass and threw the contents at his face. Grabbing her gold clutch from the table, she turned in the direction of the camera and dashed out of the room with her left hand to her face.

  Riggin didn’t have to pretend to be stunned. Had she been holding that scene back all this time? He dabbed at his wet clothes as camera flashes lit up all around him. He shielded his eyes as he grabbed the check and left money, and a hearty tip, with the hostess before dashing out the front door to the safety of his car. He didn’t wait for the crowd to catch up to him, he was buckled and on the road in two minutes flat. He smiled all the way home.

  Two nights later Riggin was back in his car heading to Folded Corners. He bought a coffee and wandered around for ten minutes before casually walking to the cowboy romance section with the red chaise lounge. Just as he’d hoped, Sofey was snuggled up, reading.

  He watched her from behind one of the bookcases for a few minutes but seemed to him to be only seconds. Her frizzy brown hair was tied up in a loose bun with little flyaway hairs sticking out at the nape of her neck and above her ears. She bit her lower lip when she was deeply engrossed in a book, which was cute to Riggin; he smiled. She had put on earrings that night. He’d only ever seen her in earrings at his Pappy’s funeral, but he liked them on her. She was wearing her sweatpants and oversized sweatshirt again. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he’d find that sexy, but here he was staring at a beautiful woman in sweats and a sweatshirt, and he couldn’t help but be turned on.

  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His senses sorted through the smell old and new books, finding what they were searching for- the fresh, clean, smell of morning rain. It was Sofey’s scent, and Riggin couldn’t get enough of it.

  His eyes flung open as an unwanted thought pierced his mind. What about Ford? She likes Ford. Riggin peeked around the corner again at Sofey. She’s probably waiting for him now. Riggin looked around but did not see Ford. He looked again at Sofey and smiled sadly. What kind of person would I be to make her feel awkward by showing up single when she clearly has feelings for Ford?

  Riggin silently backed away and walked toward the front door. On one of the tables in the coffee area the magazine Rumors caught his attention. There on the front page was a furious Rita with the caption “Friggin Riggin Lost a Million Dollar Girl!” Riggin smiled and rolled his eyes.

  “I’m sorry to hear about your dinner disaster.”

  Riggin spun around to see Sofey standing there with an empty coffee cup. “Oh, uh, about that.”

  “It looks like it was quite the spectacle. I’m sorry.”

  Sofey’s sympathy melted his heart. “Thanks, but it’s really….” Riggin looked around, “Where’s Ford?”

  Sofey looked surprised. “He left to go back home to Idaho.”

  “Oh?” It was Riggin’s turn to be surprised.

  “Yeah, he has a girl he’s in love with there.” Sofey smiled, “I’m glad for him.” She said thoughtfully.

  “You’re not upset by that,” Riggin asked cautiously.

  Sofey raised her eyebrows, “Noooo. Should I be?” she chuckled.

  “No. Nope, you’re not supposed to be upset. I’m glad you’re not.” He looked over at the coffee shop. “Can I get you a refill on your coffee?” He held his hand out for her mug.

  “Sure, thank you.” Sofey smiled and blushed.

  “I’ll get it and I’ll meet you back at the chaise lounge. Go get comfy. I have some stuff I’d like to tell you.”

  Riggin set the giant cinnamon roll and two cups of coffee on the table in front of Sofey a
nd sat down next to her.

  “What is it you have to tell me?” Sofey asked excitedly.

  Riggin leaned back, took a deep breath, and blurted out, “It was all a hoax. The wedding, the huge ring, which is cubic zirconia, the marriage, it was all a lie.” Riggin watched Sofey’s stunned face. “I never loved her. I never even really liked her. We entered into an agreement so we could split the million when it was all said and done. But now it’s done.”

  Sofey’s head was whirling. “The marriage was a lie? A cubic zirconia ring?” She blinked several times bringing herself back to reality. “But there was a wedding on TV, I mean, I didn’t actually see it, June’s TV went out. But I heard about it, you and Rita got married. She had the most beautiful white long sleeve, off the shoulder, beaded, a-line, lace wedding gown with a 22-inch cathedral train that would put a princess to shame! I saw a picture of it in ‘Rumors’!”

  Riggin shook his head, “No, we pretended to get married. The woman on the show who ‘married’ us, isn’t ordained to do anything.”

  Sofey flopped back on the lounge seat. “Wait, what? What about Rita? What about the dress?!” Sofey shook her head, “Was I talking out loud? I mean, did Rita love you? She said she was on the show to find love.”

  Riggin laughed so hard he thought he was going to cry. “No! That scene you read about in that dumb magazine, that is how she really feels about me.” Riggin took a big bite of cinnamon roll. “I think she enjoyed throwing water on me.” He shrugged as he swallowed his dessert, “Plus, she thinks she’s in love with a guy from the show named Guy.”