California Girls

by Susan Mallery

  She found Ray and Kevin waiting at her desk. Ray appeared to be his normal grumpy, bearlike self, while Kevin looked fairly frightened. She was about to ask what was wrong when she saw Ray holding the postcard she’d slipped into his locker.

  He set it on her desk. “I’m sorry about Glen,” he told her. “We’re all sorry.” He drew in a breath and seemed to brace himself. “Would you like to take Coco Chanel for the weekend?”

  Her bad mood instantly vanished as she recognized the sweetness in his offer. There was no person or thing Ray loved more than his ridiculous little dog, and his offering her Coco Chanel was a genuine act of kindness.

  She found herself fighting tears yet again, but these weren’t about hurt or frustration, instead they were about finding support in very unexpected places.

  She smiled at Ray. “That is the most amazing gift anyone has ever offered me. Thank you so much. I wish I could, but with canceling the wedding and all, I couldn’t possibly accept. I’d worry I wasn’t taking good care of her.”

  Ray visibly relaxed. “I understand. She’s kind of a diva, so a lot of work, but just in case you need to spend some time with her, you can.”

  “Thank you.”

  Ray glared at Kevin, then walked away. The teen shook his head.

  “Damn, he must really like you. I didn’t think he’d trust his dog with anyone. I’m sorry about the wedding. I didn’t know Glen but from what everyone is saying, he wasn’t a great guy. They all think you were too good for him.”

  She hated knowing she’d been the subject of office gossip, but it was to be expected.

  “Thanks. It’s a lot to deal with.”

  “Ray said no one is really surprised. I don’t know if that helps or not, but I thought you’d want to know.”

  She told herself that Kevin was a kid and wasn’t being mean on purpose, then promised herself later, when she was home and by herself, she was making brownies and eating the entire pan.

  “Okay, then,” she murmured. “I need to get back to work and so do you.”

  Kevin nodded and left. She sank onto her chair and told herself eventually all this would pass. In a few weeks, she would barely remember that she’d ever been engaged. Glen who?

  Her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her jeans pocket and glanced at the screen. She didn’t recognize the number and wondered if it was one of her vendors.

  “Hello?”

  “Ali? Hi, it’s Selena. I just want to confirm we’re still on for tonight.”

  Ali’s mind was a total blank. “Tonight?”

  “I’m picking up the table and chairs, remember. I’m so excited. Our voucher came through so my daughters and I were able to move into our apartment over the weekend.”

  Selena’s voice was full of emotion. “I know it’s a silly thing, but we’ve been in and out of shelters for so long. Having a place of our own is a miracle. Your table and chairs are going in our kitchen. My girls will do their homework there, just like a regular family.”

  Ali knew in her head that there were dozens of free or almost free dining sets available online. That if she said hers wasn’t for sale anymore, Selena could find another one in about five minutes. That was what her head told her. Her heart, however, melted.

  “I’ll be home at five,” she said. “Does that work for you?”

  “Yes. My boss is loaning me his truck for a couple of hours. I remember you said the table wasn’t heavy, so he and I will be able to handle it ourselves. We’ll see you then.”

  Ali tried not to feel stupid. She was doing a good thing, she told herself. For someone more in need than her. It wasn’t as if she had an apartment for her furniture anyway. What did it matter?

  The problem was she had a feeling her actions were a lot more about beating herself up than being altruistic. She was caught up in an emotional death spiral and she didn’t know how to make it stop. Maybe she should spend a couple of days fussing over Coco Chanel.

  Her phone rang again.

  “Ali Schmitt?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s Veronica at the bridal shop. Your dress is back from alterations and ready anytime you want to come get it.”

  Of course it was, Ali thought, resting her head on her desk. “Great. I’ll be by in a couple of days to pick it up.”

  And then she would have to decide what to do with it. Perhaps some kind of sacrificial burning as a way to cleanse her spiritual life. Of course she would need sage for that, and possibly a permit.

  She straightened. Brownies, she promised herself. Later there would be brownies. And wine. Then she would figure out what on earth she was going to do with the rest of her life.

  * * *

  Finola arrived a few minutes early for her dinner with Zennie. As she walked into the café-style restaurant, she tried to remember the last time the two of them had gotten together without Ali and honestly didn’t think it had ever happened. Usually it was the three of them or just her and Ali.

  She spotted her sister already at a table and made her way across the restaurant.

  “Thanks for suggesting this,” she said as she sat down. “I appreciate the support. Everything has been so awful lately. I keep waiting for word to get out.”

  She didn’t get more specific—who knew who might be sitting nearby. She picked up her menu. “What’s good here? I am so having a cocktail. What about you?”

  “I’m going to pass on the alcohol, but you go ahead. As for the food, it’s all good.”

  There was something in Zennie’s tone. Finola studied her short hair and unlined face. Zennie had never been one for makeup or high style. She dressed for comfort, and her idea of a good time was a five-mile run or a 6:00 a.m. surf session. Finola didn’t have the athletic gene but she worked out plenty—mostly to stay camera thin.

  When their server arrived, she ordered vodka and soda, to stay on her low-carb program, then scanned the various entries. There was a nice grilled ahi she would get with a salad and a side of broccoli. She’d already calculated a second drink into her daily calorie plan and should be fine. She’d lost a bunch of water weight and had upped her strength training. In a week her clothes would be loose and in two, the weight loss would be noticeable. She couldn’t wait for the compliments.

  Zennie asked for herbal iced tea with extra lemon. When their server had left, Finola leaned toward her. “You doing all right? You seem...different.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m not sure. You tell me. Everything okay at work?”

  “It is.”

  “Good.” Finola sighed. “I’m exhausted all the time. I know it’s the stress, but still. I keep waiting to hear from, ah, you know who.” She glanced around again, but none of the other diners seemed to be interested in them. “So far the shows have gone well. We’ve had good guests and no surprises.” She wanted to say the house felt empty, but once again was aware of who might be listening. Damn. She should have suggested they get takeout at her place or something.

  Zennie looked at her. “Finola, I didn’t ask you here to talk about you. I wanted to tell you what’s going on with Ali. I’ve been waiting for her to say something, but it’s obvious she’s not going to. I guess she thinks what you’re going through is more important than what she is, but she’s wrong. It’s a big deal.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Yes, I know. Glen dumped Ali. The wedding is off.”

  Finola stared at her. The server returned with their drinks. Finola took a long swallow, then tried to understand what she’d been told.

  “It’s over? No, it can’t be. She never said anything.” Not a word. When she’d last seen Ali, her sister had been just like she always was. There had to be a mistake. “When did this happen?”

  “The same day Nigel—”

  Finola stopped her with a g
lare. “Not here!”

  “Whatever. That same Friday. She called me because she thought you were going to Hawaii and she didn’t want to ruin your vacation. When you showed up at Mom’s, she made us promise not to say anything so we could just deal with you.” Zennie’s tone made it clear she thought Ali was an idiot.

  “Like I said, I’ve been waiting for her to say something but when I realized she wasn’t going to, I figured you’d want to know. Or not.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You seem a lot more concerned about someone overhearing your news than worrying about your sister getting dumped a few weeks before her wedding.”

  “That’s not fair. I’m in shock. You just told me all this and I’m taking it in. You’ve had a couple of weeks to process. Get off me.” She took another drink. “Did he say why? Are we sure it’s over?”

  “It seems that way. Ali’s canceled the wedding.”

  The wedding. “She has to be heartbroken. Have you talked to her? Of course you have. How is she doing?”

  “She’s coping. It would be nice if you talked to her. You two have always been so close. It’s just wrong she’s going through this by herself to save your feelings.”

  “That’s Ali for you.”

  “Yeah, and that’s you.”

  Finola glared at her. “What does that mean?”

  Zennie shrugged. “You live a very Finola-centric life. I know you just found out what happened, which is on her, but no matter what, life seems to revolve around you. It should be Ali’s turn to get a little care and comfort right now. She’s lost Glen, she’s got the wedding to cancel and she gave up her apartment to move in with him, which means right now she has nowhere to live. Maybe she could move in with you for a few weeks.”

  Finola still couldn’t get her mind around all that was happening. First Nigel, then Glen. Ali canceling the wedding and needing somewhere to live.

  “I should go see her.”

  “You should.”

  There was something in Zennie’s tone. “You mean right now?”

  Her sister smiled. “You can finish your drink first.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Thirty minutes later, Finola stood at Ali’s door. She’d brought seafood dinner for two from the restaurant and desperately hoped her sister had vodka, soda and ice. She was still trying to shake off Zennie’s judgy attitude at their nondinner. It wasn’t her fault she didn’t know about the breakup. If no one said anything, how was she supposed to figure it out on her own? She wasn’t psychic and there hadn’t been the slightest hint. She and Ali were texting nearly every day and her sister had never said a word.

  She knocked loudly, then realized she’d never bothered to find out if Ali was home. Before she could figure out what to do if she were gone, the door opened. Ali stood there, a chocolate batter-covered wooden spoon in hand.

  “Finola! Did I know you were stopping by?” Ali stepped back to let her in. “I was making brownies and then I was going to get some takeout for dinner.”

  Finola held up the bags she held. “I’ve brought dinner. Ahi. I hear it’s delicious.”

  Ali looked confused but happy. “Okay, that’s really nice. Thank you.” She glanced back at the kitchen. “We’ll, ah, have to eat at the coffee table. I’m kind of short a table and chairs right now.”

  “What?”

  “Long story. Let me get the brownies in the oven, then we can eat dinner and catch up.”

  Finola followed her sister into her small kitchen and saw that there was indeed an empty space by the window in the corner. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten her dinner while seated on the floor, but as long as there was vodka and later Uber...

  “Do you have anything to drink?” she asked as Ali poured thick batter into an eight-by-eight pan.

  “Like water or soda or something else?”

  “Something else?”

  Ali grinned. “There’s vodka in the freezer and a choice of mixers in the refrigerator. Limes are in that bowl on the counter.”

  Five minutes later, the brownies were in the oven and the dirty dishes soaking. Finola had made them each a drink. As she handed Ali hers, she said, “Sweetie, why didn’t you tell me?”

  For a second her sister looked genuinely confused, then her expression cleared and she wrinkled her nose. “Mom or Zennie?”

  “Zennie. You should have said something. I want to know when things happen, especially when your fiancé turns out to be a complete asshole. You’ve been going through so much. Why didn’t you want me to be a part of that?”

  “It wasn’t that. Finn, your thing is bigger. I mean, come on, you and Nigel? That was magical. You’ve been together for so long and I knew you wanted to get pregnant. I couldn’t mess up that, so that’s why I didn’t call you right away. Plus, I thought you were on vacation. Then when I found out what had happened, my news just seemed unimportant.”

  Finola put her drink down and hugged her sister. “It’s not unimportant. It matters and I want to be here for you.”

  Ali hugged her back. “Thanks. It was a shock, although based on what a few people have said, only a shock for me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Ali leaned back against the counter. “A couple of people at work mentioned they weren’t really surprised. I’ve heard from some of our friends and they weren’t shocked, either. I guess everyone knew Glen didn’t love me except for me.”

  Tears filled her eyes. Finola knew that feeling of hopelessness and knew it didn’t help make things better.

  “I didn’t know,” she said quickly. “Zennie didn’t know. We love you and think you’re perfect. If Glen’s too stupid to see that, then good riddance. How are you coming on canceling the wedding?”

  “It’s going pretty well. Daniel’s been helping and that’s made a difference.”

  “Daniel?” Finola tried to place the name. “Who is he?”

  “Glen’s brother. He’s the one who told me, actually. Glen wasn’t going to do it. He told Daniel he would simply not show up. So Daniel had to do it. He’s been amazing.”

  Finola’s gaze sharpened. “Oh, God, you’re not falling for him, are you?”

  Ali flushed. “What? No. It’s not like that. He’s helped me cancel the contracts with the vendors and that kind of stuff. He’s been a good guy. Just don’t go anywhere bad, Finola. Seriously, I couldn’t handle it.” She turned away. “I know it’s not what you’re dealing with, but this is still huge to me, okay? I can’t take much more.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m just looking out for you. A rebound guy is one thing, but Glen’s brother would be a big mistake.”

  “As if that would ever happen.”

  There was a moment of awkward silence. Finola searched for something to say. “How are you on money? Do you need me to loan you some to pay for things?”

  Emotion flashed through Ali’s eyes. Her voice was controlled as she said, “I’m good.”

  “What about the apartment? Weren’t you moving out? Were you able to change the lease to stay here or do you have to go?”

  “I’ll be moving out, but it’s fine.”

  Finola thought maybe she’d gone a little too far with Ali, so she smiled and said, “You could always move in with me. There’s plenty of room, especially now.”

  Of course if Nigel did come to his senses and want to come back, having her sister around would be a problem. She supposed if that happened, she could get Ali a hotel room or something. Honestly, it would be easier if Ali turned her down, but she’d made the offer and didn’t see how she could get out of it.

  “I think me moving in would be too complicated,” Ali said quietly. “What with Nigel and all. Don’t worry. I have it covered.”

  Finola started to ask how, then realized she didn’t want to know. Because if Ali didn’t have it covered, then
she was going to have to fix the problem and she was just not in a place to do that. She supposed she could ask Rochelle to help. Her assistant was certainly full of ideas and energy.

  Before Finola could offer Rochelle’s assistance, Ali said, “Poor Mom. It looks like she’s going to have to wait a little longer for those grandchildren of hers.”

  Finola grinned. “She sure is, unless Zennie turns up pregnant.”

  They both laughed at the thought.

  Ali grabbed her drink and pushed away from the counter. “All right, you. Let’s eat dinner. You said you brought ahi?”

  “Yes, with salad and a side of broccoli.”

  Ali made a face. “Seriously? You eat like that?”

  “I have to stay thin for TV. You know that.”

  “But still. Did you at least bring a dinner roll?”

  “I’m not eating carbs right now.”

  Ali sighed. “So fish, salad and vegetables. Oh, joy.”

  Finola raised her glass. “And vodka, my love. There is always vodka.”

  * * *

  Zennie had never been a fan of eating in restaurants, so two meals out in two days wasn’t her idea of a good time. Although technically she’d only spent a half hour in the restaurant with Finola the previous night—she hadn’t actually eaten there. A thought that should have given her comfort, only it didn’t because her unease had nothing to do with the dining out experience, but was much more about the fact that she was on a blind date. Again. Worse, a blind date set up by her mother.

  Zennie knew exactly how it had happened. She’d been minding her own business, reading the surrogacy contract Hayes had given her, when her mother had texted the details of the date. Zennie had been flooded with guilt, knowing how upset her mother would be at the idea of one of her daughters finally getting pregnant but not keeping the baby. She’d succumbed to self-induced emotional blackmail, which was the worst kind.