“Mia doesn’t know what serious is,” Amy said.
“I’ve heard enough. Shut your mouth,” Lizzy said.
“I would not be surprised if the guy was married.”
“I said shut it,” Lizzy said. “Or I will shut it for you.”
“Prove it.” Amy put one hand on her hip and stuck out her chin. Her smug smile did not fade when Lizzy stomped over to her.
“Are you seriously going to slap her?” the model with the long hair asked.
“Yeah, but you won’t enjoy it as much as your man did last night,” Lizzy said to Amy.
Amy was the one who lost it. She clawed at Lizzy like an angry kitten. “You lying whore! He would never touch you!”
Lizzy shrieked as a nail raked across her face. She immediately clawed back, and then they grabbed each other’s hair and pulled. I took a step away from the madness. The other models were also screaming now, but they did not join the fight or try to break it apart. Some had their hands in front of their mouths while others shook them in the air as if there was a fly they wanted to ‘shoo’ away.
The receptionist, clearly alerted by all the screaming, stormed in. “What is going on in here?” Then she saw the two girls. They fell over and sent bottles of glitter into the air. The bottles smashed on the floor and the glitter covered the floor like fairy dust.
“Security!” Rosetta called. The big security man, who had stood guard at the door earlier, came running in. He easily lifted Lizzy off of Amy. She was kicking and thrashing as he stepped in between them.
“Stop it!” the receptionist told them. Then she noticed me, and I wished I could disappear into thin air like a ghost. “I thought I told you to leave!”
Caught! I bit my lip as the security guard grabbed my arm and escorted me out. He did not say a word to me, which seemed to make the situation worse. I forced myself to breathe, and once we were out of the building, I pulled my arm free and returned to my car. I was happy to be out of there and made a mental note to never become a model.
I thought about all the crazy things they had said. Most had merely been gossip and rumours. The only woman who knew Mia well was Lizzy – as they were obviously friends. I decided to focus on the things Lizzy had said. I wondered if it was true, that Mia had been dating someone. And it was rumoured that she was sleeping with her boss. Was it possible that one of these men murdered her? If so, who was he?
Charlotte
I got home later than usual. Juan was in her room and did not even notice me coming up the stairs. Both my parents were working, so they would not know I had come home late and would not bombard me with questions.
I went to my room, sat down at my desk which was close to the window, and started doing my homework. I was deep in thought and got such a huge fright when I looked up and saw two hands at my window sill that I fell off my chair.
“Dimitri!” I cried. “You scared me!”
His stealth and excellent tree-climbing skills reminded me of a cat.
“I’m sorry,” he said awkwardly. Then he stood there as if he was not sure whether to help me up. I got to my feet like the independent woman I am.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Should I go?”
“No, I did not mean it like that,” I said and immediately regretted making him feel unwelcome. “I enjoy your company.”
“I enjoy yours, too,” he said. “I was just feeling lonely, so I thought I would visit.”
I looked out of the window. “I don’t see your car.”
“We’ve not replaced it yet.”
“And your phone?”
“It should be repaired soon,” he said.
“How did you get here?” I was asking as many questions as my parents did. Luckily, Dimitri didn’t look annoyed.
“One of my friends lives close by. I caught a ride with him.”
“Oh,” I said and sat down at my desk again.
Amore was glaring at Dimitri, but she was not barking the way she always did.
“I think she is finally warming up to me.” Dimitri took a seat on the bed, and the dog immediately jumped off and ran to my feet.
I laughed. Usually, my laugh was contagious, but today I snorted and immediately felt embarrassed. Dimitri looked at me as if I was a beautiful flower, despite my stupid laughter. I wondered if he would try to pick and keep me. A part of me wanted him to.
“What are you thinking?” Dimitri asked.
“Uh,” I had to think fast. “Where did you learn to draw?”
“I taught myself. My father bought me a drawing kit when I was very young. I quickly realised that I had a passion for it.”
“And a talent,” I said.
He shrugged humbly. His eyes went to the school books in front of me. “I did not intend to come here and distract you.”
“You are a good distraction.” I gazed at him.
“Are there any other ways you’d like me to distract you?” he asked.
Was he teasing me? I was not sure if that question had hidden implications, but my heart was hammering like I had just run a marathon.
“You can teach me to draw.” I blushed once I realised how lame that sounded.
“Sure,” he said. “Do you have an extra chair?”
“I do.” I got up and went to the study, where I retrieved an extra chair and brought it back. Dimitri did not walk with me, and I assumed he didn’t want my family to catch him uninvited in our house. Juan was blasting music from her room and would have no idea he was there.
Dimitri took a seat while I packed up my books. I stuffed them back into my bag and only left the notebook on my desk.
“I don’t want to be the reason your grades slip,” Dimitri mumbled.
“They won’t,” I said. “I was doing some extra work. All of the work that has to be done for tomorrow is already done.”
“Good,” he said and opened the book. He paged past his name, number, and the pink orchid. “What do you want to draw?”
I shrugged. “What do you suggest?”
“I like flowers,” he confessed. “I could teach you how to draw one.”
“Can I get a picture from Google Images for guidance?”
“No,” he said. “You should use your imagination. That makes it more special and unique.”
If I was not going to copy a picture, I would have to choose a flower I knew well. “Why don’t we draw a red rose?”
“All right,” Dimitri said. “You have to picture it in your mind and then put that picture down on paper.”
“That’s easier said than done,” I said.
“I will show you,” Dimitri said.
I was so close to him, but I resisted the urge to touch him. I wanted him to make the first move. He was speaking. He was explaining and giving instruction, but I was not listening. I was examining his jaw line and the little muscle that bulged every time he spoke. His chocolate eyes as they raced over the paper. His long fingers and clean nails. He held the pencils as if they were fragile. I wondered how his hands would feel on me...
He finished the rose. It was beautiful. The rose was red, its stem a faded green. The background was grey and dull so that it focussed attention on the rose. Dimitri signed it for me.
“I hope you listened,” he said, “because next time you are drawing me one.”
“Am I?” I asked.
“Yes.” He offered me his silly trademark smile.
“But I have one condition,” I said.
“And what is that?”
“Join me and my family for dinner this weekend.” He went pale, and I laughed.
“They are not that bad, I swear. They are dying to meet you.”
“I’m not good with parents,” he warned me.
“And I don’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” I said
Before Dimitri could reply, my dad arrived home. We heard his car and the garage door open.
“You have to leave before he sees you. I did not ask for permission for you
to be here.”
Dimitri laughed. “I slept in your bed, but now you are scared?”
“Go!” I said.
He laughed then made his way to the open window, where he climbed out with the grace of a predator.
“I’ll see you tomorrow night at six,” I told him.
“Okay.”
Then he disappeared into the night, and it was as if he had never been there. My father came upstairs. He greeted me first, and I asked him if Dimitri could join us for dinner. My father agreed and said that he looked forward to meeting him.
I looked out of the window but saw only houses, the road, and the big tree next to our house. I turned from the window and went to my desk where I studied the beautiful rose Dimitri had drawn. I was suddenly overwhelmed by a longing I had never felt before. I admitted to myself, alone in my room, that I had a crush on Dimitri.
Chapter 12
Charlotte
I came home from school and sat around waiting for the time to go by so that Dimitri could join us for dinner. I was too excited to sit still and do homework. I danced around in my room and tried on several different outfits. I could not make up my mind about which one I liked best. I asked Juan’s advice, and she told me I should wear red if I wanted to stand out.
“It’s the colour of romance,” she said. “I’m sure he would find you more desirable if you wore red.”
So, I wore red and put on some makeup – light and natural because I did not want to look like I was trying too hard. I took out my contact lenses and wore my glasses because he had told me that I look cute in them.
I went downstairs and it felt like flowers were blooming in my stomach. My mother had five raw fillet mignon steaks in the fridge. The table was set neatly, and I felt a bit shaky.
“Sit down,” Ned said and pulled out a chair for me. “You look like you might fall over.”
“This is exciting,” Andrea said. “I can’t wait to meet your friend!”
I hoped I would not regret inviting him. My family could be overwhelming and pushy. I sat at the table and gripped my chair. “I can’t wait.”
“What time did you say he was coming?” Andrea asked.
“At six,” I answered.
“That was ten minutes ago,” Juan said as she came downstairs.
My chest ached, and I checked the clock and realised my sister was right. Dimitri was ten minutes late.
“Maybe he is stuck in traffic,” Ned suggested.
“Maybe,” I said.
I remembered how he had failed to show up for our movie date. Maybe he was not reliable. I tried my best to stay positive. We waited until it was half past six.
“Maybe you should call him,” Juan suggested.
“His phone is broken,” I said.
“Do you have his parents’ number?” Ned wondered.
“No,” I said.
When Dimitri was two hours late, we accepted that he was not coming. I was embarrassed and had lost my appetite. I went up to my room without eating anything. Once there, I could clearly hear what was going on downstairs. Everyone else made sandwiches, because it was already late and Andrea did not feel like cooking anymore.
“What a terrible boy,” Juan mumbled.
“We don’t know what his reason is for not showing up,” Ned said. “Let’s wait and find out before we start hating on him.”
Andrea said, “I like the way you think.”
I heard a drawer open and feet moving. Moments later someone was climbing the stairs. I counted the steps until Juan knocked on my door.
“Charlotte,” she called. I did not answer. “I can hear you crying.”
Juan entered my room. I had the blankets over my head as if I could hide forever. Amore lay next to me for comfort. My hair was spread all over the pillow, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
Juan put a plate on the bedside table and sat down on the bed. “I brought you food.”
“I’m not hungry,” I mumbled and wondered if Ned didn’t object to having food in my room because he pitied me.
“At least don’t hide from me.”
Slowly, I pulled the sheets away from my face and wiped off my tears. My throat felt tight and raw. Juan took my hand. “Boys are dumb.”
“You’ve never been stood up before,” I said.
“Yes, I have!” Juan said. “Have I never told you the story?”
I shook my head. Juan tugged her hair behind her ear and smiled as she spoke. “About three years ago, when I was your age, I met this boy. His name was Brendon. Brendon was gorgeous. He was tall and fit, and he did so well in sport. One day, he came over to me, and we started talking. We got along really well, and he asked me if I wanted to go to dinner later that week. I agreed and assumed it was a romantic date, not just two friends hanging out. I showed up at the restaurant and I waited for him, but he never came.”
“That sucks,” I said.
“It gets worse,” Juan said. “I spoke to him about it the next day. He had ditched me for a guy!”
I laughed. “He was gay?”
“Yes!” Juan said. “And I seriously thought he had a crush on me.”
The laughter made me feel better. I squeezed my sister’s hand. “I don’t think Dimitri is gay.”
“If he is not into you, he must be gay,” Juan argued. “Why do you like him so much?”
“I can talk to him freely,” I said. “I’m not afraid to be myself. We get along so well.”
“If you can talk to him freely, you should tell him how he made you feel tonight.”
“I will do that,” I said.
We made buttered popcorn and watched a movie. We fell asleep next to each other and almost overslept the next day. My mom hugged me when I came into the kitchen. I ate breakfast quickly and left as soon as I could. I tried to avoid conversation with everyone. I could not focus at school, and one of the teachers yelled at me for daydreaming. I apologised and then daydreamed further.
When the final bell rang, I was thankful because I could go home. I hurried towards my car, but once I could see it, I stopped still. I blinked to make sure that my eyes were not deceiving me. Dimitri was leaning against the passenger door. He looked up at the sky and only noticed me when I cleared my throat.
“Hey...” he said.
I crossed my arms and gave him an angry look. I could tell that he was nervous – as he should be.
“Can we talk?”
“Sure, we can talk,” I said angrily. “What did you have to eat last night?”
A guilty expression crossed his face. “I can explain.”
“You always stand me up and come up with some excuse.”
Dimitri looked down. He appeared tired and lifeless, and his eyes were sad. I tried to stay strong and resist the urge to forgive him immediately.
Don’t let your soft heart get the better of you.
“Let me show you what happened last night,” he finally said.
I watched him as he stood hunched over gazing at his feet. Something was most certainly off. “All right.”
I unlocked my car and opened the driver’s door. That was when a group of college students came walking down the street. They were loud and drew much attention to themselves. Quinton was one of the boys. He was laughing with his friends, and he noticed me the same time I noticed him. I diverted my eyes, but he came over anyway. I was about to get into my car when he reached me. He put his hand on the door and said, “Hello Charlotte.”
“Quinton,” I said tightly.
“I was hoping I would see you again.”
“I can’t say the same,” I mumbled. I still felt stupid for freaking out in the graveyard, and I was also upset that he had ditched me.
He looked down guiltily. “I owe you an apology.”
I tilted my head to the side and waited. The boy swallowed and met my eyes. “I am sorry for disappearing on you the night of the party.”
I took a deep breath and decided to let it go. If I were him, I might also have run away from a
crazy girl. “I’m sorry I freaked you out.”
“You were just drunk,” he said casually. His dismissal of the idea of the ghost and putting the blame on alcohol was clearly the logical explanation. “Anyway, I was hoping I could make it up to you.”
“Right now?” I asked.
“Yeah. We can go get some ice cream.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m already going somewhere.”
“With who?”
“Him.” I gestured to Dimitri, who was sitting in the passenger seat.
Quinton frowned and shook his head. I remembered that Juan told me he found himself another girl at the party after I left. I hoped the sight of Dimitri made him jealous.
“Oh. Okay,” Quinton mumbled.
He took one last look at Dimitri before going back to his friends. I had a feeling I would not hear from him again, and it was no loss.
“Who was that?” Dimitri asked as I climbed into my car.
“Just some jerk I met at a party.” I started driving. “Where are we going?”
Dimitri looked out of the window. “To the hospital.”
Chapter 13
Charlotte
We drove in silence, and I resisted the urge to ask questions. Dimitri clenched and unclenched his fists, and his nervousness was rubbing off on me. We reached the hospital in Canal Winchester after thirty-eight minutes of driving.
I had not been to many hospitals. I was healthy and had never broken any bones. My family also never needed to go to the hospital. I entered the building first, and Dimitri fell in step beside me. The too-clean smell hit me like a punch in the nose. The floors were white and polished, and made me think of an asylum. What were we doing here?
Dimitri led the way to a room with many empty beds. His shoulders tensed as he went to a single bed at the end of the room where a little boy lay. He had the same curly hair as Dimitri, his eyes were closed, and his eyelids fluttered as if he was dreaming. His left leg was in a cast.
“Is this your brother?” I asked.
“Yes, this is Ethan.” Dimitri said.
Most of the beds were empty, but the one opposite Ethan had an old lady. She was on a drip, and she sat upright in her bed as she watched the small television in the corner of the room. The sound was off, and she turned her eyes to me.
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