Payback and a Bottle of Merlot: Like Sisters Series Book One

by Bria Marche

  “No friggin way! There’s no way in hell Mr. Asshole was there. Tell me it wasn’t Jack. Or was it Jack and Sasha?”

  “Both of them, in the flesh. I’d like to know where the hell they were going. How could he be that vile, that cold? He knows my dad is in the hospital and he took the opportunity to run off with his skank? How can anybody be that horrible of a person?”

  “I have no idea. So what are you going to do? Did they see you?”

  “No, they didn’t see me, thank God. I’m not sure what to do. First off, I’m here to support my mom and dad, and second off, I have no clue where they went, or how long they’ll be gone. I’m staying here for another week, but when I get home, our plan needs to go forward at a rapid pace. That much I’m sure of. It’s time for Sasha to find out who Jack really is. We’ll have everything in place and ready to go as soon as they’re back from wherever that jerk took her on vacation. I have to stop talking about him before I lose my mind. Damn it, I’m so worked up right now, I wish you and Tina were here so we could get drunk while I vent to both of you.”

  “Honey, you deserve it. Get out of bed and go pour yourself a large glass of wine. Better yet, take the bottle back to your bedroom and drink the whole damn thing.”

  “Vic, that’s the smartest advice you ever gave me. I’m going to do that right this second. I’ll talk to you in a couple of days. Bye, girlfriend.”

  “Bye, Chica, and try to get some sleep. Drink that bottle of wine. It might help.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Mia took Vic’s advice and headed straight for the kitchen. With the lights dimmed as low as possible, she tiptoed down the hallway hoping not to wake Matt in the living room. As she made the turn toward what she thought was the kitchen, Mia slammed into the edge of the sleeper sofa, fell on top of it, and landed squarely on the back of her peacefully sleeping brother.

  “Son of a bitch, Mia! What the hell are you doing? It’s after midnight and I was sound asleep… thanks. I think you knocked the wind out of me.”

  “Come on Matt… if I knocked the wind out of you, you wouldn’t be able to talk right now. Anyway, I’m looking for a bottle of wine. At this point I don’t give a shit what it is either. I’ll drink Mogen friggin David right now,” she whispered, as she felt her way through the dark.

  “What’s up your ass? And turn on the damn light before you slam into something else.”

  “It’s nothing you need to worry about. We’ve got enough to think about with Dad’s health right now. I’m sorry I fell on you. I’ll be out of here in a minute as soon as I find a bottle of wine, a corkscrew and a glass.”

  “You’re going to take an entire bottle back to the bedroom with you?”

  “Yep, that’s the plan, good night.”

  “Wow… something has you fired up. Keep the noise down before you wake Mom, and get some sleep if you can. I’ll talk to you in the morning,” Matt said, while pulling the blankets over his head.

  Mia had no idea where anything was in her parent’s house. That posed a problem all its own. Where the hell is the wine anyway? Damn it! Somewhere in the kitchen would seem logical.

  After ten minutes, Mia found one bottle of wine behind the oatmeal in the pantry. “Oh my God! A bottle of Mad Housewife Chardonnay. How appropriate is that? Am I getting punk’d right now? I need to buy a case of this if I want to keep my sense of humor over the next week,” she whispered. The bottle opener was in the drawer with the dish towels. What the hell? Either Mom is hiding the fact that she drinks wine now and then, or she is absolutely losing it. Mia grabbed a glass and headed back to the bedroom with the bottle of Mad Housewife tucked under her arm. Yum… warm white wine sounds perfect.

  She woke the next morning sporting a killer headache. Ann knocked on the bedroom door and entered. “Mia, do you want some pancakes before we leave for the hospital? What the… why on earth is there an empty wine bottle on the floor? Do you have a drinking problem, sweetheart?”

  “Jeez, Mom… No I don’t, but now I feel like a teenager who just got busted. Do you have any aspirin?”

  “Yes, but… well… never mind. There’s fresh coffee, orange juice and hot pancakes on the griddle. Come on out and eat with us.”

  “Yeah, I’ll be right there, thanks.”

  Mia stumbled out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. The conversation between Matt and Ann stopped as they both stared with their mouths gaping open. The food on their forks froze, suspended in mid-air.

  “What? Haven’t either of you seen a scary looking, hung over woman before?” Mia asked, with a snicker.

  “Not one that looks as bad as you do,” Matt said. “How does your hair get matted to the side of your head like that? It’s amazing.”

  “Shut up, dork. Mom, where are the aspirins?”

  “In the cabinet above the sink, honey,” she responded, as she poured Mia a steaming cup of black coffee. “You’ll feel fine after breakfast and a hot shower.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” Mia said, while slinging back four aspirins’ with a gulp of water.

  “So what was last night about, Sis?” Matt asked, when they had a few minutes of alone time at the hospital.

  They sat together, just brother and sister, in a secluded corner grouping where their conversation wouldn’t be heard. Ann was consulting with the doctor while Tom was in speech therapy.

  “I don’t know, things just aren’t the way I thought they would be.”

  “Are you talking about your marriage, or your career?”

  “Do you really want to know about my life? I mean, it’s not like we talk that often. I wish we were closer, but it never turned out that way.”

  “Mia, we can be closer if we make the effort. Liz and I love you. Of course, the age difference and distance is a factor, but we can work on that if we try.”

  “Do you mean it?”

  “Of course I do. We’re a family, and we need to be there for mom and dad. We can’t be so wrapped up in our own lives that we forget about the rest of our family. At least, that’s the way I feel. So what’s up?”

  “Jack.”

  “That’s what I thought. What’s going on between you two?”

  “He’s sleeping with someone else, but he thinks I’m clueless about it.”

  “That bastard. How did you find out?”

  “I saw them together at Grand Central Terminal when I went into the city to do a photo shoot. Thank God he didn’t see me. Here’s the real kicker. For the past three years he’s said every time he stayed in the city or came home late, it was because he was spending time with his daughter, Claire. Matt, it’s so damn humiliating to say this, but there isn’t a daughter at all. Claire is the cat he and his first wife had together.”

  “Claire is a cat?”

  “Yes, and as a matter of fact, she is a very nice Persian cat I met a few weeks ago,” Mia said, as she dabbed at the tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

  “Oh my God. You’ve been carrying this around, and now the problems with Dad? How do you stay sane?”

  “By drinking Mad Housewife Chardonnay,” she said, with a small laugh.

  “We have some serious talking to do later,” Matt whispered, when he saw Ann coming down the hallway with the doctor.

  “Do you want to walk over to the rehabilitation center with me to check on your dad? The doctor says he’ll need outpatient physical and speech therapy a few times a week, nothing more. Isn’t that great news?”

  “That’s wonderful news. I’m so happy to hear that, let’s go,” Mia said, as she gave her brother a nod of approval.

  Two days later, they were able to take Tom home from the hospital. He would return to the rehabilitation center four days a week for his therapy sessions. Matt and Mia planned to stay for another week so they could sit in on a few of the sessions with Ann. She was given a long list of occupational therapy maneuvers that Tom needed to work on at home, too. He would mend, but it may take up to six months according to the doctor before he would be function
ing normally again.

  “Mom, do you guys want to spend a few months with us in L.A.? Liz and the kids would love it.”

  Staying with Mia wasn’t an option with the problems she and Jack had. Her parents would notice something was wrong. Mia was thankful her brother made the offer.

  “Well, honey, it isn’t a bad idea. I’ll see what your dad thinks when he wakes up. He could do his therapy in L.A. for a few months, if the doctor agrees.”

  “Let’s talk about it over dinner. We’ll get everybody’s input before we decide.”

  ***

  Mia spent the evening relaxing in bed and catching up on her phone calls. She turned the TV volume up a bit to muffle her private conversations. Three days had gone by since she talked to any of her friends. She took a sip of the chilled Chardonnay she had on the nightstand, and tried Jack’s number first. She’d love to make him squirm in front of Sasha, but she was sure he wouldn’t answer the phone. Knowing Jack, it was turned off. It went directly to voice mail. She wondered where he and his lover were. Are they at some island in the Caribbean? He has to be, the bastard. Why else would they have flown south? Damn him, I need to get him out of my head. I’ll call Vic and update her on everything.

  Mia put on her pajamas and brushed her teeth. She wanted to lie in bed comfortably for her phone calls, certain they would last until she was ready to fall asleep. She plumped the pillows with a few punches, had her wine handy, and called Vic.

  “Hey, woman, what’s up?” she asked, already in a better frame of mind. Vic had that effect on her. Vic was like a happy puppy most of the time, fun and animated. Mia loved basking in her upbeat glow.

  “Hey, soul sister! How’s it going, Chica? How’s your dad?”

  “He’s better, but it will take time. He doesn’t have to stay at the rehabilitation center though. He can do all his therapy as an outpatient. That’s great, huh?”

  “That’s excellent. I’m happy for all of you. How’s your mom holding up?”

  “She’s good, but a little drained. Matt offered to have Mom and Dad stay with them for a few months. They talked it over at dinner and it sounds like my dad is okay with it. It’s up to the doctor to make a final decision though.”

  “Good for them. They’ll enjoy it, and your mom won’t have to care for your dad alone. They couldn’t stay at your house given the circumstances, right?”

  “Yeah, for sure. Vic, I told Matt what was going on.” Mia sipped the wine and re-adjusted her position on the bed.

  “Really? What did he say?”

  “Well, we talked in length after Mom went to bed last night. I told him how we were planning to expose Jack to his mistress and maybe even publicly.”

  “Did he think we were nuts and over the top?”

  “No, actually he laughed out loud and said it was a great idea. He admitted he never liked Jack from the minute they met. Anyway, have you seen Aaron or Reggie around town at all?”

  “Of course I have. I don’t know, you may never get Reggie back. They seem to be pretty tight. You may have to give up your dog, or hook up with Aaron to keep him. I’m just saying.”

  “You crack me up. Okay, I’m going to give Tina a quick call and then get to sleep. I’ll talk to you in a few days. I’ll be back on Saturday. I love you. You’re the best.”

  “I know that. Love you right back, sister. Night, Chica.”

  “Night, Vic.”

  Mia made a phone call to Tina, keeping it short since she was beginning to fade. Maybe I’ve had a little too much wine. I’m getting pretty tired. She went over the same details she had earlier with Vic about her dad’s recovery, and she also asked Tina about Aaron. The call only lasted fifteen minutes. Mia professed her love, said she would call again in two days, and hung up. After the final gulp of wine from her glass, Mia began nodding off, wondering why she was thinking about Aaron so much.

  “Morning, Sis.” Matt was scrambling up a dozen eggs as Mia walked into the kitchen. Ann busied herself at the table with Tom, trying to help him pick up a folk with his left hand. “Mom and I talked to Dr. Eriksen this morning. He said he would arrange the transfer of dad’s therapy to L.A. until September. I think by then they should be able to come home and do fine.”

  “Mom, are you cool with all of this? And Dad, you’re on board, right?” Mia asked, wanting to make sure her parents didn’t feel pressured into the decision.

  “We’re fine, Honey. We can consider it an extended vacation. We haven’t seen Liz and the kids in over a year. Matt is going to help us set up our bill pay right through the bank, and the post office can hold the unimportant mail. Otherwise, we’re good to go.”

  “Is there anything I can do for you guys before I leave Saturday? Matt, do you need me to take care of anything?”

  “Yeah, take care of yourself.” Matt gave her a smile. They both knew what he meant.

  Mia walked over to her brother and gave him a hug from behind. She flipped the bacon over and tossed a few slices of bread into the toaster. She whispered in his ear, “You’re the best brother.”

  “I better be. I’m the only one you’ve got,” he replied, grinning. “Okay, who’s ready for breakfast?”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Mia finished packing Friday afternoon, then relaxed with her family on the patio after dinner. She put together a pitcher of iced tea and sat it on the wrought iron table. “God, I miss being around all of you. I hate to leave, but you’ll both be in good hands with Matt and Liz.” Mia poured glasses of lemon flavored sweet tea for everyone as they sat in the backyard enjoying the evening. She put a straw in her dad’s glass so he could drink it easier. The evening air was warm but not stifling, since the Gulf breezes kept everything more tolerable.

  “Why don’t you and Jack think about moving to Florida, honey?” her mom asked.

  “That’s just not in the cards right now, Mom. Anyway, I love Tarrytown. Maybe someday… you never know.” Mia’s mind began drifting off. She didn’t know if Jack was going to be home or not when she arrived tomorrow. And if he was, what would she say? In her heart, she hoped the house would be empty. She needed to talk to her friends and think about the next move, before she faced Jack again.

  “Mia? Did you hear me?” Ann asked.

  “What? I’m sorry, I guess I blanked out. What did you say?”

  “I asked why Jack didn’t come with you.”

  Matt gave Mia a sideways glance, waiting for the white lie to cross her lips.

  “Oh… he’s busy, but he did send his regards. I’ve been keeping him up to date on Dad’s progress.” Another white lie. Mia hadn’t talked to Jack at all since she left New York.

  “That’s nice. You two should come visit in the winter, as a little getaway to warm weather. Wouldn’t that be nice, Tom?”

  Tom agreed with a slurred “yes indeed” and a cockeyed smile.

  “I love you guys so much,” Mia said, teary eyed. She walked around the table and gave each member of her family a hug and kiss.

  Mia’s flight was scheduled to leave Tampa at two o’clock Saturday afternoon. She’d leave for the airport at eleven-thirty to return the rental car. It would be early evening by the time she reached Tarrytown. She sat at the computer in her dad’s office, printing out her boarding passes. Damn it! I have a two hour layover in Atlanta… ugh! Now it will be eight o’clock before I get home. Tomorrow will be a long day. Mia sat with her parents and watched a TV show for an hour, then said good night. She wanted to take a few minutes to call Aaron before she went to bed. With a glass of wine in hand, she walked down the hallway to the spare bedroom. She closed the door and let out a big sigh as she sat on the edge of the bed. Mia felt irritated as she kicked off her shoes and put on her pajamas. Jeez… how in the hell did my life get so screwed up? I’ve wasted enough time on Jack. It’s my turn to be happy. She grabbed her cell phone, lying on the dresser, and tapped the calendar icon. She scrolled across the months and chose Saturday, July 26. That’s the day my life is going to change. I�
��m going to Vic’s cousin’s wedding that night. Something good will happen, I can feel it. She tapped the button at the top of the screen to create an event. The three word event she wrote across that date on the calendar read—Start New Life.

  Satisfied with something concrete and written down, Mia knew she couldn’t change her mind, nor did she want to. It’s written. Now I have to make it happen. She didn’t have to scroll through her contact list to find Aaron’s number. His name came up first anyway, being in alphabetical order. She plopped down on the bed and waited for his friendly voice to answer. Three rings later, the familiar sound of Aaron’s happy go lucky “Hello” crossed the phone lines and the miles.

  “Hi Aaron, how’s it going?”

  “Mia… I’m fine. How are you? What’s up?”

  Something sounded different in Aaron’s voice. His tone was off. His words sounded anxious, rushed, and not at all like he wanted to talk right then.

  “What’s up? Are you okay? You seem weird.” Mia could hear Reggie barking and carrying on in the background. Then from nowhere, a female voice laughed, and called out to Aaron to come back and join them. “Oh… you have company? Sorry, Aaron, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll catch up with you Sunday when I pick up Reggie. I’ll be home tomorrow night.”

  “Sure, Mia, not a problem. Reggie is fine and we’re having a great time. I’ll talk to you when you get back, bye.”

  “Okay… bye.” Mia was shocked to say the least when she hung up. “There’s no way. I swear to God, I’m gonna go nuts. Who the hell was playing with my dog? Damn it. He didn’t even answer my question when I asked if he had company. Suddenly your hearing is bad, Aaron? And you’re having a great time with Reggie, and who else?” Mia stormed out of the bedroom and back down the hallway to the kitchen.

  “I thought you went to bed,” Matt said, as she flew past him. “Uh oh… not the wine again. Luckily Mom and Dad turned in already. Are you sure you don’t have a tiny wine indulgence issue, Sis?”

  “Shut the hell up, and no I don’t. There happens to be a few people in my life that are really pissing me off lately. Yes, I am self-medicating this week. There, I said it, are you happy? And would you care to join me?”