by Lexie Ray
“They love having someone to visit with,” I said. “Plus, it’s fun.”
“That’s the most important thing,” he said, kissing me goodbye for the day.
The elderly residents became my friends. I found that I looked forward to seeing them each morning as much as they did to see me.
One morning was different. There was an almost visible ripple of energy in the air.
“What’s going on?” I asked the wheelies, as they called themselves — the residents in wheelchairs who rolled themselves to the entrance to greet me every day. “Is it bingo day already? I thought we already had it this week.”
“Better than bingo,” one sweet old woman promised, grabbing my hand and shaking it.
“I don’t know that there’s anything better than bingo,” I said. The residents sure were serious about that game. It sometimes got cutthroat.
“You’ll see,” another man said.
I walked down the hall to the common room with my wheeled escort. It was a daily tradition that I arrive with my honor guard on wheels, as the employees called it.
Many of the other residents were standing at their doors, I noted with surprise.
“For you, Cocoa,” a woman said, giving me a rose.
“Why, thank you!” I exclaimed, accepting the flower and lifting it to my nose. It smelled wonderful.
“This one, too, Cocoa,” another woman said, holding out a rose.
“Well, this is very special,” I said. “I don’t know what I did to deserve this, but thank you!”
I looked on and my eyes widened. Every resident in the hallway was holding out a single rose for me.
“What’s going on here, guys?” I asked, accepting each flower as I made my way down the hall.
“Better than bingo,” the woman in the wheelchair repeated.
When we reached the common area, every table place was set with a wedge of cake and flute of sparkling apple cider.
“Is it someone’s birthday?” I asked. “Now, this is fancy.”
“Guess again.”
I whirled around at the sound of a familiar voice. Liam was standing at the entrance to the common room, surrounded by employees and residents alike. By that time, I was holding an entire bouquet of roses.
“What is all this?” I asked, laughing. “This is pretty elaborate.”
“Collette Bell,” Liam said, his eyes shining, “I love you.”
Residents cooed as my heart swelled. I loved him, too. I knew that I did.
“I know it might be a little soon, since we’ve met each other,” he continued, “but these last few months have been magical.”
“You can’t make love wait,” one resident said.
“That’s why I wanted to ask you to do me the favor of being my wife,” Liam finished.
Then, right there in the common room of the senior center, he dropped to one knee and held a box up toward me.
My hand covering my mouth, I approached him and dropped to my knees in front of him before holding him close.
“Of course I will,” I said into his ear. “We don’t have to make love wait.”
“What’d she say?” a resident said from the back of the room.
“I said yes!” I laughed, standing up with Liam. Everyone applauded.
“You didn’t even look at the ring,” he said, looping his arm around me. He opened the box and slid a gorgeous diamond onto my ring finger.
“I didn’t have to,” I said, trying not to ogle the rock now weighing my hand down. “You’re all that I want.”
We sat down and shared cake and drinks with the residents.
“You’ll want to let people know, won’t you?” Liam asked. “We could host a brunch at the penthouse. Invite your friends, invite your parents, invite everyone.”
With a small stab of regret, I realized that there was still a lot that Liam didn’t know about me.
“Actually, I’m an orphan,” I said. “I’ll invite Casey, though.”
A momentary look of pain crossed Liam’s face, but he chased it away with a smile. “Of course you’ll want to invite Casey,” he said.
I knew I should write Granny a letter or something. Maybe I’d just make mention of it in the next envelope of money I sent to her.
“Well, you’ll get to meet my parents and my brother,” Liam said. “You’re my family, now.”
I smiled and leaned forward, kissing him as all the residents tapped their plastic flutes with plastic knives.
I took a moment to text Casey to tell her the good news.
“Get it, girl!” she shot back. “Get that booty on lockdown!”
I laughed out loud at that, showing Liam the screen.
“The old ball and chain,” he said, kissing my hair. “I think I’d like some of that booty right now.”
“Lower your voice, Mr. Millionaire,” I said, my eyes darting around. “We’re in public.”
“I don’t think anyone heard me,” Liam said, grinning.
I shook my head, trying not to laugh.
We held the brunch that weekend, Liam paying God knows what to have it catered.
“When I’m your wife, will you let me cook for you sometimes?” I asked, feigning a pout at all the beautiful food laid out on his countertops.
“Never,” Liam said, kissing me. “I will only take you to the finest restaurants. We’ll never even keep food in the house.”
I shook my head and jumped in his arms as the doorbell rang.
“Don’t be nervous,” he said, laughing. “My family’s going to love you.”
It was Casey at the door — a big relief.
“Check this place out,” she marveled. “No wonder you didn’t want to live with me anymore.”
“Oh, stop,” I said, pushing her. “I fell in love, is what happened.”
“I’m so happy for you,” she said, giving me a hug.
The doorbell rang again and I stiffened. I didn’t understand why I was so jumpy. I loved meeting new people — especially those whose family I was going to be a part of.
Casey examined my engagement ring as Liam answered the door.
“Mom and Dad!” he exclaimed, hugging two finely dressed individuals. I smiled, seeing that he took after his dad in looks but mom in coloring. He was the culmination of the best of both of them. I wondered if they ever realized it.
“This is Collette Bell,” Liam said, sweeping his hand over to me.
“Please, Cocoa,” I said, holding out my hand. “Nobody calls me Collette except for your son, when he forgets that no one calls me Collette.”
“Oh, please,” Mrs. Henry said, holding her arms out. “You’re going to be my daughter-in-law. Give me a hug.”
Laughing, I complied, hugging Mr. Henry afterward.
“Where’s Michael?” Liam asked, closing the door.
“Oh, you know your brother since the divorce,” Mr. Henry said. “Out burning the midnight oil last night. He’ll be along later, I’m sure.”
We filled our plates and sat around the dining room table, chatting.
“Liam has told us all about your volunteer work at the senior center,” Mrs. Henry said. “What a selfless thing for a young girl like you to do.”
“It’s actually pretty selfish,” I said, laughing. “I love going. They’re the ones keeping me entertained all day.”
“You have a kind heart,” Mrs. Henry said, patting my hand. “I can tell.”
“So, when’s the wedding?” Mr. Henry asked.
“Dad, we just got engaged this week,” Liam protested. “Let us have a while to savor it before launching us into the planning phase.”
“Well, the estate is yours to make use of, if you want to have it there,” Mr. Henry said.
Estate? Casey and I exchanged a quick glance. This was crazy.
“Cocoa and I will discuss it,” Liam said. “But look. You’re overwhelming her. Let’s talk about something else.”
“I’m not overwhelmed,” I said. “I know a lot goes into w
edding planning — or at least, I think it does. This is my first one.”
Everyone burst out into laughter at my hurried words. I joined them when I realized what I’d said.
“I’m glad this is your first, dear,” Mrs. Henry said, wiping her eyes with a napkin.
Another knock on the door had Liam jumping up, putting his fork on the table.
“That’ll be Michael,” he said. “I’ll get it.”
“So, sweetie, what do you do?” Mrs. Henry asked Casey.
She grinned. “I’m studying to become a nurse,” she said.
“How wonderful!” Mr. Henry exclaimed.
I was relieved that she left out the stripper part. Casey gave me a wink that told me she’d been thinking about revealing her night job.
“Casey, Cocoa, this is my brother, Michael,” Liam said from behind me.
“Call me Mike,” a voice said as I turned around.
I froze in my seat, dragging my eyes up to Liam’s face. I’d never noticed a resemblance because I’d never thought to look for one. But there it was. They both shared their mother’s blond hair and blue eyes, and both were easy to smile. However, that’s where the similarities ended. While Liam was fit, Mike was chunky around the waist. Liam had also been luckier in the cock department than his older brother. Liam also wasn’t cruel. Even if we fought, I was pretty sure he wouldn’t try to rape me in the middle of a place of business.
Mike’s eyes narrowed, looking at me and wondering where he’d seen me before. His eyes widened as he realized it and I cringed at his knowledge.
There was a blessed, breathless moment when I thought he was going to keep quiet about his realization. I thought he might do that for me — for what he’d done to me and to keep the peace with his family. I was marrying his brother, after all.
But then, Mike’s face gave a terrible smile, the one I’d seen when he attacked me at Mama’s nightclub, and I knew everything was over.
“You’re marrying a whore, Liam,” Mike said.
The entire room froze, forks clattering to the plate.
“Young man, if that’s your opinion of a joke —” Mr. Henry said, rising from his seat at the table.
“Just stating a fact,” Mike said. “I’ve fucked her.”
“Watch your mouth,” Liam said, his voice soft and dangerous. “There are ladies present.”
“That one, absolutely not,” Mike said, pointing at me. He eyed Casey. “That one, I have my doubts about. Our mother is a lady, of course. One lady present, and she doesn’t mind my cursing that much, do you, Mom?”
“Please be polite, Michael,” Mrs. Henry begged. “This is the woman your brother is going to marry.”
Mike snorted. “Please. Liam doesn’t even tolerate buying used cars. I don’t know why he would want a used bride.”
Liam fisted his hand in his brother’s shirt and yanked him closer. “Stop, whatever you’re doing,” Liam said, still in that soft, terrible voice. The faint tremble of his hand was the only hint of his rage.
“I can’t let you make a mistake this big, little brother,” Mike said. “I’ve paid for the privilege of her company. She was a prostitute before she met you. That’s a fact.”
A hand snaked its way into mine underneath the table. I looked over at Casey and she squeezed my hand, her eyes wide.
At the same time, Liam shoved his brother away. Mrs. Henry gave a thin scream.
“I don’t know why you’re so angry,” Mike said, laughing. “I’m just giving you the truth. She’s a dream in the sack, isn’t she? She should know — she’s had enough practice.”
Liam slugged his brother in the face, Mike’s nose spurting a shower of blood.
“Boys, enough!” Mr. Henry shouted.
I clutched at Casey, terrified of what was happening. Liam was my fiancé, but he had a very public face. If the truth of my past came out, how could he be expected to marry me anyway?
Mike hadn’t stopped laughing. “Your fiancée ruined my marriage,” he continued. “Look, I have the proof.”
He dug out his phone from his pocket.
“Please stop,” I said, speaking up for the first time. “Please stop.”
“Not until your life is just as ruined as mine,” Mike said, not looking up as he scrolled through his phone. “Bingo.”
He held out his phone to Liam, who took it with disgust.
“I don’t want to see your filthy pictures,” he said, scrolling through several images with distaste. Then he paused and brought the phone up to his face. He swiped at the screen, swiped at it again, his mouth straightening into a grim line. He knew what he was witnessing — me sleeping with his brother, I realized, a dull roar filling my ears. Everything was lost. Everything was over.
“At least we both have good taste in whores,” Mike said.
Liam lifted his eyes to me, their normal shine dull, listless.
“Is this true?” he asked, a desperate edge to his voice. “Maybe they’ve been edited, the images. Someone’s idea of a joke?”
I hadn’t noticed I’d been crying until that moment, tears soaking the top of my dress.
“I left that life,” I said. “It’s not part of me anymore.”
Liam looked like I’d socked him in the stomach. “You — you never wanted to talk about your past,” he said.
“Because it’s the past,” I said. “Please, Liam. I love you. I’m not who I used to be.”
“Once a whore, always a whore,” Mike commented.
I pointed at him, breathing in and out through my nose, rage consuming me.
“He beat the shit out of me,” I said, staring daggers at Mike.
Liam sank into a chair, looking like he was going to be sick. “This can never come out,” he said. “This can never come out.” He kept repeating it and repeating it, like a broken record.
My mouth twisted. Was my fiancé not even going to defend me against his brother?
“Of course,” I said. “You have your business to think of. Excuse me. I forgot what’s important. Not love, no. Money. Your reputation.”
“What would you have me do?” Liam said. “If the tabloids got a hold of this — Christ, if the New York Times got a hold of this — the business would go under. No clients would trust me. I’d be ruined.”
“We’d be together,” I whispered. “That’s all that matters. We’d be together. Nothing else is as important as that. Be brave.”
Liam shook his head and dropped his face to his hands. “It’s no good,” he muttered.
I pressed my lips together, desperate not to cry one more tear even though my heart was breaking. How could the love of my life not want to take a chance? I was who I was because of my past. Why couldn’t he see that?
Casey stood up and took me by the hand. “You don’t have to do this,” she said. “We’re done here. You’re coming home with me.”
She was right, I knew. I was done here. There was no love for me in this house. No love for me from Liam. He couldn’t overcome my past even with the love we shared in the present. His reputation was too important to him.
I let myself be led to the door before Casey stopped.
“You know, I forgot something,” she said. “Wait for me just a moment.”
I watched her march back to the dining room and kick Mike in the balls. He collapsed with a high-pitched wheeze, clutching at his crotch.
“That’s what you get, your fucking asshole!” Casey roared, making me jump. “I had to clean up your handiwork, you son of a bitch! Cocoa was a goddamn mess after you got done with her!”
Liam and his parents stared at her in shock as she marched back to the door and took me by the hand.
“It was nice meeting you, Mr. and Mrs. Henry,” Casey said in a normal voice. “Liam, if I see you anywhere near Cocoa, you’ll get the same treatment as the sorry sack of shit you call your brother.”
Chapter 8
Casey was a true friend, I realized, as we took a taxi back to her apartment. I was weeping
too hard for public transportation. It had warmed my heart to see Mike go down after she’d kicked him, but I was shattered at Liam’s inability to continue loving me. What we had was real — as real as my past, but more powerful. At least, that’s what I thought.
