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

by Bria Marche

  Monday afternoon Mia made a call to Karen to update her on the plans. She hadn’t talked to Karen since before she injured her foot.

  “Hi, Karen. Sorry it’s been so long since we spoke. I’ve been laid up for five days with a sprained ankle.”

  “Mia, are you okay? How did it happen?”

  “I fell down a hill, but it’s a long story. I just wanted to catch up with you. My plan is to get some shots of Jack and Sasha Wednesday after he gets off work. I’m only guessing, but I think he’s either going to stay with her for a few days, or actually take her with him on a business trip to Chicago. I don’t care what he’s doing, I just need to get the pictures. My friend, Aaron, loaned me a great camera with a telephoto lens. I’ll be able to get good shots if I can catch them together. At least it’s a start.”

  “Mia, let me go with you. There’s no reason to do this alone. We’re a team now. I can drive, and you can take the pictures. How would you do everything alone anyway given the condition you’re in?” Karen asked, as she turned on the faucet and filled the water dish for Claire.

  “Really, you’d go with me?”

  “Of course. Where do you want me to meet you? I can be wherever you want at any time.”

  “Well, I planned to rent an economy car, so at the car rental company?”

  “No way, I’ll drive. Jack won’t recognize my car anyway. It’s big and you’ll be much more comfortable in it. There, it’s decided. What time should I be at your house?”

  Mia nibbled on green grapes while lying on the chaise in the backyard soaking up the sunshine. “How about four o’clock?”

  “Sounds good. Bye, hon.”

  “Thanks, Karen, bye.” This is perfect. We can go over the photo shoot plans on the drive into the city. We can finally get the ball rolling. Jack might be out of my life within a month after all. Then I can move on and do whatever I want… with whoever I want.

  ***

  Karen and Mia watched from Karen’s Lexus sedan across the street from Jack’s office. The parking lot was small, but they snagged the perfect spot right as someone pulled out. They faced the entrance of his building. The car windows were open, and they enjoyed the sun and mild breeze as they sipped their Diet Cokes. The sun’s rays bounced off Mia’s long, golden hair. She checked the time: 5:47 p.m.

  “Jack’s secretary, Abby, sticks around until at least six-thirty. She checks any missed messages and clears all the voice mails before she leaves. I better call now before Jack comes out. He should be heading to the elevator already. Abby won’t be able to tell him I called.”

  “Do it, Mia. I can’t wait to find out what she’s going to say.”

  “I know, me too. Here goes.” Mia nervously scrolled down her contact list until she reached Jack’s office number. She hit the green telephone icon and waited for the ring. “It’s ringing. I’m so damn nervous.”

  “You can do this, be strong.”

  “Good afternoon, Plan-It Kidz, New York. Abby Lee speaking, how may I direct your call?”

  “Abby? It’s Mia James, Jack’s wife. How are you? Is Jack still there?”

  “Hello, Mia. Jack left a few minutes ago. Can I help you with something?”

  “Yes, you can, if you don’t mind. Jack said he’s leaving for Chicago tonight. I’m planning a little surprise trip to Chicago myself. I thought we could make it a fun weekend, but I don’t have his itinerary, and I forgot where he’s staying. I’m wondering if you could help me out with that.” Mia’s hand was shaking so hard, she could barely hold her cell phone.

  “I’m sorry, Mia, but I’m confused. Jack doesn’t have any trips lined up until early August after his promotion. Are you sure you have the right month? Maybe you heard him wrong.”

  “I bet you’re right. Sorry to bother you. Don’t tell Jack I called, he already thinks I’m an airhead,” Mia said, trying to sound nonchalant. “So his promotion is definitely in July, right?”

  “Yes, he suspects it, but he doesn’t know the date yet. We’re hosting a celebration party for him Friday evening, July 18, at seven o’clock. We’ve reserved the Le Grand Paris Ballroom at the Sofitel. It’s going to be quite an event. I guess we can’t keep him in suspense forever.”

  “Of course not. I plan to join in and surprise him at the party. We have a group of friends he’d love to reconnect with, and what better way than at a party in his honor? If there’s anything you need me to do, please call.”

  “Sure, Mia, no problem. Take care, bye.”

  Mia hung up. “Holy crap, Karen, I did it. I was so nervous. Jack is such a lying dirt bag. He’s staying with her until Saturday afternoon, knowing full well how hard it is for me to get around. What a self-centered jerk. Now that we know when his promotion party is, I’m sure we’ll find a way to mess it up.”

  “That sounds awesome. As far as Jack lying about Chicago, I’m not at all surprised, knowing his sleazy ways. Should we wait here until he comes out?”

  “Yeah… he should be outside any second. He’s probably going to walk to her place. It’s pretty close.”

  “It’s weird how you and I became friends because of Jack’s lying and cheating. Nothing would make me happier than to blindside him.”

  “That makes two of us. It will be a day to remember. Oh my God, there she is, Karen. Sasha is walking toward Jack’s building. I wasn’t expecting this, damn it. I’ve got to start taking pictures now. I can’t miss this opportunity.”

  The camera bag sat on the passenger side floor next to Mia’s feet. The camera was set up with the telephoto lens, and ready to go. All she needed to do was start snapping pictures.

  “Hurry, Mia, she’s almost to the door.”

  “There she is, I can see her through the lens. I have to make a tiny adjustment first.”

  Mia began clicking the shutter again and again. She didn’t care if some of the pictures were just of Sasha. Jack would appear soon and kiss her, long and hard, just like the first time Mia saw them together.

  “C’mon Jack, show up. I’ve got to get you together in a close up lip lock. Everyone needs to see what a dirt-ball you really are. That squeaky clean image the executives have of you, is about to go right down the drain, along with your dignity and your prized career.”

  “There he is, Mia, he’s coming out the door. Snap them, don’t stop. Get every move they make.”

  “Oh, I’ve got them dead center. Nothing is going to get past me. I have them as close as you are to me through this viewfinder. I’ll get every kiss and then some.”

  Jack embraced Sasha and drank her in with a long, sensual kiss. Mia was mesmerized again by his actions, but this time was different. She had to focus on getting the best shots of Jack’s face. There could be no mistakes. It had to be obvious that this man kissing someone other than his wife, was indeed Jack Barnes. Mia continued to snap pictures of them, kissing, hugging and walking arm in arm down the street.

  “Karen, follow them while I load another roll of film. Stay far enough away so he doesn’t recognize us if he happens to glance back. This lens will pull them in as close as we need them.”

  “Got it, sister. I’m all over this. I hope nobody starts honking at me for driving so slow. Good, they turned the corner. Now I can follow them on a street that isn’t quite so busy.”

  Mia continued to shoot picture after picture. Jack ran his hand up and down Sasha’s smooth, golden arm while Mia took the picture. He stopped and kissed Sasha on the sidewalk, another shot. Mia even caught him caressing Sasha’s derriere as they walked. The camera caught that as well. Two blocks later, they disappeared into a small, dark, Cuban restaurant.

  “What do you think?” Karen asked, relieved they weren’t seen. She drove up another block and parked the car in the shade of a large oak tree in an apartment parking lot. They both needed to catch their breath, wind down, and decide what the next move would be. Mia opened the passenger window. She needed to inhale some fresh air and get the image of Jack and Sasha out of her head.

&n
bsp; “I used up two rolls of film. I’ll look on my phone and find the nearest one hour photo processing center. Let’s get these pictures developed and see what we’ve got. We might be lucky enough to have the perfect shots, or we just might have to take more, but the sooner we go, the better. There’s a Walgreen’s four blocks from here that does one hour developing.”

  Mia and Karen dropped off the two rolls of film and explained it was urgent they developed the prints within the hour. Mia left her phone number and said to call the second the pictures were ready. They headed back and sat outside the restaurant with a new roll of film in the camera, ready to go, if necessary.

  “Karen, what do you think this is all about, with Sasha, I mean?” Mia was over Jack, yet curious why he ever married either of them. She examined her cuticles as Karen pondered her answer.

  “I wish I knew. It doesn’t seem like Jack is satisfied with just one woman.”

  “I don’t know how your relationship was like with him, and it’s weird to compare, but he didn’t ever seem very interested in me. It was like he just wanted to win. I was a conquest, it seems. Sasha may have been the grand prize all along, and he never intended to let go of her. He’s the sicko kind of guy that has to prove he can get anyone he wants, even if he really doesn’t want them.”

  “I get that, but why marry us? That seems extreme to me.” Karen looked puzzled, not understanding anything about the man she was once married to.

  “Who knows? It’s going to get dark soon. I won’t get many more good shots of them today.” Mia glanced at her watch: 7:51 p.m. Her cell phone rang out, startling her. “Hello? Yes, we’ll be right there, thanks. The pictures are done. I think I should stay behind in case they come out. You can be there and back in less than ten minutes. All I need is a place to sit where they won’t see me if they leave.”

  They scanned the area and noticed a retaining wall wide enough to sit on. It was in the shade with plenty of parked cars hiding its location from anyone coming out of the restaurant.

  “This will be fine. I’ll sit here and watch. Now go, hurry. I hope they don’t leave before you get back, but I’ll snap more pictures if they do.”

  Karen sped off for Walgreen’s as Mia waited, hidden from view, watching the doorway of the restaurant. Ten minutes passed without movement. Mia’s eyes were so focused on the door, she didn’t realize Karen was honking the horn at her.

  “Damn it, Mia, look over here.” Karen honked a few more times before Mia nonchalantly looked in her direction.

  “Shit, Karen.” Mia wrapped the camera strap around her neck and limped over to the car. “I’m so sorry. I guess I was fixated on the stupid door. How do they look?”

  “I haven’t checked yet. I have to find a place to park where we can still see the restaurant. Here’s a spot.” Karen waited for the two motorcycles that were parked together to leave. “We’re pretty close, what do you think?”

  “Does Jack know your car?”

  “Nope.”

  “Then I think we’re okay. Hurry and grab the spot. Let’s see if these pictures will be his undoing.”

  Karen slipped her car into the parallel parking spot and opened the window on Mia’s side before killing the engine. The car windows had a slight tint to them and keeping the driver’s window closed helped hide their identity. Karen handed Mia the envelope containing the pictures.

  “Out of all of these, I hope to God we get what we need,” she said, with a reassuring smile.

  Mia opened the envelope and saw just what she hoped for. In front of her and Karen was a goldmine of incriminating photos of Jack and Sasha. Of course they hadn’t planned to use any that showed Sasha’s face. With what remained, they had at least fifteen good, close up pictures of Jack’s marital infidelity.

  “Perfect, just perfect. I am a damn good photographer if I do say so myself. These prints are going to raise some prominent eyebrows at Plan-It Kidz.”

  A cheerful high five between them was all they needed. They drove back toward Tarrytown and stopped halfway for dinner. A celebratory bottle of Merlot was shared between the new friends. Mia was happy to have three days to herself before picking Jack up at the train station sometime Saturday.

  “Cool, I have the next three days to do whatever I want. How about a barbecue at my house for the 4th of July, Friday night? I’ll invite Tina and Vic too. We can find some shit to blow up.”

  Karen laughed at the thought. “That sounds like fun. We can all pitch in so you aren’t on that foot so much. Count me in, I’ll bring the wine. We can go over our plan for Sasha. We’ll be ready to go within a week.”

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Mia rigged up a long lead in the backyard for Reggie. She didn’t need to order an outdoor pen and depend on someone to help set it up. This process would work just fine. She could sit on the patio and enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning or a cold beverage in the afternoon whenever Reggie did his business. I’ll have a lot to clean up when my foot is stronger, but for now it’s okay if he does his thing in the backyard. It’s making my life a little easier. Reggie sniffed around numerous trees as Mia sat back and relaxed on the chaise. She scratched out a grocery list for Friday night’s barbecue menu. This is exactly what I need. There will be a lot of friends around and more house parties once Jack is gone. It would be a riot to have both Aaron and Max here Friday night. I could only be so lucky.

  Mia set the pen and paper down on the chartreuse side table to the right of the chaise. She took a long sip of her iced tea and began to daydream. Her future goals needed some serious thought. She wasn’t about to waver from her ideal life plan one bit. A three year speed bump delayed those plans, thanks to Jack. But he wasn’t going to discourage her from pursuing her dreams. She wanted that wonderful husband to have children with. Living in a quaint village with no drama sounded idyllic to Mia. Aaron was the perfect man to be married to, and he loved Mia unconditionally. But there was that woman she saw him with. It had to be her voice Mia heard over the phone when Aaron was watching Reggie. What the hell is going on with him? Then, there was yummy, sexy, Max. Mia didn’t know him like she knew Aaron, but she was very familiar with Max in a different way. He seems to love being around kids, but does that mean he wants kids of his own? Why hasn’t he ever settled down? There were too many variables for Mia to think about right now. One thing at a time. For now Jack has to go. We’ll plan everything Friday night during the barbecue party.

  The sky was a vibrant blue, void of any clouds. The sun pierced through the azure palette like an enormous yellow tennis ball above Mia’s head.

  Wow, what a gorgeous day. It must be around noon. She reached for her cell phone and shaded the screen to see the time: 12:13. “I called that one,” she chuckled. She scrolled down to Tina’s name and pushed the green call button. “Hey girl, what’s up? Are you guys on your lunch break?”

  “We certainly are, sister. Today is busier than hell since we’ll be closed Friday. A long lunch and a few cold ones at Bottoms Up is just what the doctor ordered.”

  “Sounds fun. I put the grocery list together for the party. Can you swing by after work and pick it up? I’d rather have you get everything than to be in the grocery store zooming up and down the aisles on a Rascal.” Mia laughed at the vision in her head.

  “That would be way too funny. I’d put that sucker on YouTube in a heartbeat.”

  “Yeah, that’s the problem, you actually would. Okay, see you later. Go enjoy your lunch and tell Vic ‘hi.’ Out.” Mia set her phone down and smiled. Life was pretty good. Other than jerk-off Jack, Mia couldn’t complain about anything. She had the best friends, an occupation she loved, and good health. She lived in the perfect town and had a nice house. Yep, it’s just right, for now, anyway.

  ***

  The “closed” sign hung from the door of the salon on Friday. The party got started mid-afternoon. This would be the first time Mia actually hosted anything at her house since Jack moved in. Her friends were always kept at arm’s len
gth when he was around. Nobody wanted to be around Jack anyway. As far as socializing with Mia’s friends, Jack considered himself too good for any of them. Mia was ecstatic to have this holiday gathering with the girls. It would be like old times again. Perfect timing Jack. You can do your sleazy thing with Sasha while I enjoy real friends. You’re nothing but a buzz kill anyway. Mia would have loved to invite the entire neighborhood, but the four women had some private planning to do.

  The coals glowed on the grill, and a pitcher of cold Sangria waited on the picnic table. There was an arrangement of snacks and finger food ready for nibbling. The doorbell rang and Mia laughed, knowing it had to be Karen. Vic and Tina would just barge in, and Mia wouldn’t want it any other way. Karen will learn soon enough. Mia limped to the door and welcomed Karen in. Her arms were overflowing with bottles of wine.

  “Are you moving in?” Mia asked, sizing up the quantity Karen brought along.

  “No, but too much wine is far better than too little. I even brought a bag of fireworks.”

  “Awesome. Fireworks and alcohol, the perfect combination. C’mon in. Let’s put the white in the fridge and the red on the table. Vic and Tina should be here any minute.”

  Voices and laughter echoed from the foyer into the kitchen.

  “Sounds like the crazies are here,” Mia said, as she chomped on a carrot stick. “Hey chicky mamas, are you ready to party?” she asked, when they rounded the corner.

  Air kisses flew and bags of food were placed on the kitchen counter. The room sounded like an egg laying hen house with everyone clucking at the same time.

  “Let’s get the steaks on the grill since that will take the longest. We can crank up the music, drink wine and talk smack,” Vic suggested, while flamboyantly tying an apron around her tiny waist.