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

by Bria Marche

  She heard footsteps coming toward her. The slider opened and closed. Jack stomped across the patio with a rather full glass of Johnnie Walker Black Label, and scowled at Mia. “Where’s dinner?”

  “In the kitchen, Jack, waiting for you to make it. I’ve already eaten downtown with my friends.”

  “What friends?” he asked, with a snarl.

  “You know damn well who my friends are, you just don’t want them around. Do you have any friends? If you do, who are they? Give me some names.”

  Jack was silent. His blood began to boil. She deliberately taunted him, knowing full well he would hold on to his secret, and say nothing.

  “Back to your question. If you want dinner, make it yourself, or go out. From now on, I’ll need advance notice if you’re coming home for supper. I’m not going to cook a big meal anymore if I’m eating alone.”

  “I’ll be home for dinner every night from now on, at least for a while,” he sneered.

  “Why, Jack? What’s changed?”

  “Nothing. I’m just going to eat dinner at home. Do you have a problem with that?”

  “Nope… do you?” she asked, as she sat up and faced him. She cocked her head, mocking him with her eyes. Mia took another gulp of her lager and stared him down.

  He glared at her, a little too long for Mia’s comfort, guzzled his Scotch, and stormed into the house. Within seconds, the garage door opened and close again. She heard his car roar down the street.

  “Good riddance. Don’t choke on a bone,” Mia said, as she found that cozy spot again on the chaise and continued reading. Her mind drifted from the book to Aaron and Max. There was going to be a time, very soon, when she would have to talk to Max. Mia cared about him a lot, and if it wasn’t for Aaron, Max might have been that special man for her. But there was Aaron, and Mia was positive, deep in her heart and soul, he was the one. Aaron was the man she would be happy with for life.

  She checked the time on her phone. He’s home now from the shop. I should give him a call.

  Daniels Camera Shop closed at six p.m. during the week, five p.m. on Saturdays, and was closed all day Sunday. Mia went in the house and popped open another cold beer. Aaron’s number was the first one on her contact list. She tapped his name on her phone, and listened for the ring.

  “Hi, Aaron.”

  “Hi, gorgeous. Are we still on for tomorrow, and the next day, and forever?” he joked.

  Mia laughed as she poured the beer into a clean mug she pulled out of the freezer. “What am I going to do with you?”

  “Do I really have to spell it out for you? You did take sex education in school, right?” he teased.

  “You’re crazy! Yes, I’ll be over in the morning. There’s a lot to talk about. We can laugh and tease like now, but we do need to have a real conversation, a serious one, soon.”

  “Sweetheart, I want to have a serious conversation with you. You’re my future wife, Mia, my one and only. We better be serious about it. I want you for life, but only if you feel the same. So yes, our serious talk can start in the morning, okay?”

  “Okay, that sounds nice. I’ll see you at eight o’clock. Bye.”

  “See you in the morning, honey. Bye.”

  Mia hung up, with happy thoughts of Aaron. After years of wishing, she now realized the love of her life was there all along, right in her own hometown.

  ***

  She rolled over to the sound of the service door closing and footsteps in the kitchen. It was after midnight. She punched her pillow and smiled as she dozed off. In less than two weeks Jack would be gone for good.

  Mia laughed at the sight of Aaron when he opened his door the next morning. There was that smile, that enormous smile he wore every day. It was infectious, and she loved it. Everything about him excited her. She was sure it always did, but she was too preoccupied trying to save her pitiful marriage, to notice.

  “Good morning, sunshine. I made pancakes and bacon.”

  “Are you kidding me? Aaron, it’s a work day. You didn’t have to go to the trouble.”

  “Hush, my beauty. Sit, eat and be merry.” Aaron kissed her on the cheek, then poured orange juice into the waiting goblets.

  “There’s no way our mornings are going to be this easy and relaxed once there’s a few kids,” she teased.

  “Honey, I can’t think of an image more wonderful than that. Those rug-rats could be screaming and throwing food, and I’d still be happy.”

  “Yes you would, and that’s one reason I love you. I can’t think of anyone better suited to be a father than you. I can’t wait to have kids with you. Thinking about our future makes me want to pinch myself to see if it’s a dream.”

  “Mia, our dreams are going to come true, and I couldn’t be happier. So, I’ve given this idea some thought, and want to run it past you. Should we date for a while and get to know each other like couples do? It would look more appropriate in the community for both of us, too.”

  “You’re right. That’s exactly the way we should go forward. I want to fall in love with you naturally. I don’t want to take anything for granted. We need to learn more about each other as time goes on. I want to know everything about you, how to make you happy, and your likes and dislikes, don’t you agree?”

  “Absolutely. There’s just one thing I need from you right now. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since high school.”

  “Yes, Aaron?” she asked, as a smile formed on her lips.

  Aaron reached for Mia’s hand and helped her up from the table. He cupped her face in his strong hands and kissed her lips softly. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck. She pulled him closer and kissed him deeply. They searched each other’s steamy mouths, flicking and mingling their tongues as one. Their hearts pounded loudly since this was new for both of them. Aaron moaned with pent up desire for Mia.

  “Aaron, we have to stop before we can’t. I want to save our first time together for a special night, just you and me, all night long with no interruptions. Jack has to be out of my head, and my life, before we can make love.”

  “I understand, honey, and I love you for saying that. How about dinner tonight?” he teased, like he had so many times before.

  “It’s a small town, Aaron. I’ll let you know when the time is right.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise.”

  Chapter Thirty One

  Sasha was settling in, and it wasn’t so bad. She and Tina were getting along pretty well. Sasha met some downtown merchants and a few of the neighbors over the past three days. Tarrytown wasn’t Manhattan, but if she wanted to fit in, she would have to adjust. The low key lifestyle and close knit neighbors were like a breath of fresh air. She was beginning to like it.

  “Tina, would I be crazy to consider moving here permanently?” she asked. Sasha scooped up a heaping teaspoon of sugar, dropped it into her morning espresso, and gave it a thorough stir. She watched Tina’s face, waiting for a surprised expression.

  Tina poured milk into her bowl of corn flakes and thought about the response she was about to give. “Sasha, it’s entirely up to you, but Tarrytown does grow on people. The industry you’re in is focused on exposure, but keep in mind what we do for a living. Mia is a wonderful photographer. She can get your pictures out there for the world to see. Karen has worked in the business, she knows how to promote people. Then there’s Vic and me. We place ads for our salon throughout Westchester County, and you can be the face of Hair Brained, if you want to. Sure, we don’t live the ‘high life’ in Tarrytown, but I’ll be honest with you Sasha, it’s a great life the way it is. I wouldn’t live anywhere else, and I’m pretty sure I can say that about Vic and Mia too. And Karen is less than a half hour away, but she enjoys being here with us. Someday she might consider putting her house on the market too. We can all live in Tarrytown. Do you own your place, or rent it?”

  “I own it, and it’s in a beautiful neighborhood. I’m sure it would be easy to sell. I could get over $850,000 for it, wi
th the way prices are in Manhattan. It’s a two bedroom, two bath unit on the third floor, and there’s great views. I do want to change, Tina. I can tell how close you and the girls are, and I want that kind of friendships too. I’ve never had anyone close to me, except… well… Jack. Models are catty and competitive, and I’ll admit, I’ve been like that myself. I want to be like you guys, and I’m trying to get off of my high horse. Jack didn’t help since he was full of himself too. Do you think Mia and Karen hate me, because of him?”

  “Honey, they don’t hate you. You’ll be fine. It would be great if you moved to Tarrytown. We’ll help you find a wonderful house to buy. You’d love living here, I’m sure of it.”

  “Thanks, Tina. I’m going to put my apartment on the market and see what happens. When Mia kicks Jack out, he’ll move back to the city, right? I mean, he wouldn’t stay in Tarrytown would he?”

  “Oh God no. Jack hates living here. He always has. You’d be well hidden with us, Sasha. He wouldn’t have a clue where you went. For all he’d know, you moved back to France, or something like that.”

  “That’s true. I’m going to call a Realtor today. Thanks, Tina,” Sasha said, with renewed excitement.

  “Okay, I better go to work. We can all get together for dinner tonight. There’s a bicycle in the garage if you want to buzz around. It’s only two miles to the salon from here.”

  “I don’t know how to ride a bicycle, Tina.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes, seriously.”

  “That’s pretty sad. Okay, here’s what you can do. Write yourself a ‘to do’ list today. Jot down everything you’ve never done but want to try, and everything you want out of your life for good. That should keep you busy.”

  “That will be fun. The first thing out of my life for good has already been taken care of, and that’s Jack,” Sasha said. “Talk to you later, Tina.”

  ***

  Mia rang up Vic while she was driving home from Aaron’s house. “Vic, we need to have lunch today. Aaron and I decided to give it a shot, that is, after Jack’s gone. I’m sure Aaron is the man for me. I’ll tell you everything at lunch. I’m so excited. I just want it to be you, Tina and me… okay? Sasha can stay home for this lunch date.”

  “Oh my God, Mia, I can’t wait to hear everything. It’s about time you saw Aaron for the hot guy he is, and do I need to remind you he’s been in love with you forever?”

  Mia laughed, “Yeah, I know all about it. Anyway, we’ve got to go over Jack’s promotion, oops, I mean demotion party too.” Mia turned the corner onto Rosewood Drive and approached her driveway. “Oh my friggin God! I’ve gotta go.” Her phone abruptly went dead just as Vic was about to speak.

  “Mia? Mia? What the hell?” Vic called back immediately, and it went straight to Mia’s voice mail. Shit. I’ve got to find out what happened.

  Mia was beyond nervous when she realized who the person sitting on a big, black Harley, smack in the middle of her driveway, was.

  He took off his sunglasses and gave her an enormous grin. “Hey, hot stuff. I’ve been waiting a while for that phone call you promised me.”

  “Max! I don’t believe you’re sitting in my driveway,” she said, as she switched off the ignition and climbed out of her car. “You’re seriously nuts,” she said, trying to hide the awkwardness she felt. Now what the hell do I do?

  “It looks like your ankle is as good as new. Do you want to go for a ride?”

  Mia was relieved at his suggestion. Max was way too tempting to be alone with in the house. Anything could happen. He is too hard to resist, smarter to keep him outside. Plus she had Aaron to think about. He was her future, not Max. “A ride would be great. There’s a nice park we can go to only ten minutes away. I just have to put my stuff in the house first.”

  “I hoped you’d say that. Okay gorgeous, let’s go.”

  Max and Mia sped off on his customized Harley with the sun’s rays bouncing off the gleaming chrome. The wind blew through Mia’s golden hair as she snuggled against Max’s back with her arms wrapped tightly around him. She felt his strong, lean muscles twitch under the thin, white tee shirt he wore.

  Oh God please help me stay strong and true to Aaron… please.

  Vic cringed at the sound of the rims scraping against the concrete as her car squealed to a stop along the curb. She cursed as she ran up the sidewalk and rang the bell. Nobody answered. “Son of a bitch, where is she?” Vic lifted the three artificial rocks in the flower bed looking for the spare house key. “There you are, damn it. This is like the friggin three shell game.” She turned the doorknob and went inside, quieting Reggie as she called Mia’s name. She checked every room, the garage and the patio. No Mia, yet her purse sat in plain sight on the granite kitchen counter top. Vic called Tina in a near panic. “Tina, Mia’s missing!”

  “What the hell does that mean for God’s sake?”

  “I mean, her stuff is here but she isn’t.”

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m at her friggin house.”

  “Why? What made you go there instead of coming to work?”

  “I was talking to her on the phone, and all of a sudden she freaked out and hung up on me. I rushed over here and her car is in the driveway, but she’s gone.”

  “I bet she went for a walk. Just stay put and keep trying her phone. I’ll take care of the salon. If she isn’t back in an hour, call the police.”

  “Okay, if she comes home I’ll let you know right away.”

  ***

  “Isn’t this a great park, Max? I come here a lot when I just want to be alone and think about things,” Mia said, while Max parked the motorcycle and muscled it back onto the kickstand.

  “Yeah, it’s pretty nice. So how are you, Mia? You’ve been on my mind a lot these last few weeks,” Max said, offering his hand while they walked.

  “Really?” Mia asked, somewhat surprised.

  “Yeah, you left quite an impression on me.”

  “Let’s sit down over here on the bench. I’m really glad to see you, Max, and I was planning to call. To be honest, I just didn’t know what to say.”

  Max laughed and gave her a wink. “I hear that a lot. You seem serious, Mia, what’s up?” Max bent down and picked up a blade of grass, making nervous busywork with it.

  “Max, if things were different I could see myself easily falling in love with you. You’re thoughtful, sincere, a real gentleman and extremely hot. It boggles my mind that there aren’t twenty women chasing you at any given time. You have everything any woman would want, including me.”

  “Then what’s the problem?” he asked, forcing a smile.

  “I’ve been in love with someone else almost my entire life, but it only became crystal clear these past few weeks. I know he’s the right man for me. He always was, I just didn’t see it. I’m so sorry. I don’t regret anything we did, not for a minute. What we had was beautiful, even if it was just for a few days. I would never take back those days, never. You were exactly what I needed and wanted, and you still would be, but I have to follow my heart. I know this is what I want to do, it’s the right decision.”

  “I appreciate your honesty, Mia. That man of yours is damn lucky. Your heart and soul is in the right place, and you’re a beautiful woman. I wish I was that guy.

  “Max, can we remain friends? I mean, do you think it’s possible? I would hate to lose you to the wilderness, and never see you again. You’ve touched my heart. I want you to be in my life, I really do.”

  “I don’t want to lose you either. If being friends is the only option, then I guess I have to accept that. The alternative would suck. Do you want to go home now, or can we hang out for a while?”

  “Let’s stay for a while. Friends hang out, don’t they? I’ve got to walk Reggie, but he can wait for a half hour. I appreciate you so much, Max. You mean the world to me.” Mia reached for Max’s hand and held it. She smiled at him with tears in her eyes.

  “Hey, I don’t want to make you cry.
If I’m that horrible to hang out with we can go,” he teased.

  “You goof. Let’s just enjoy each other,” Mia said, as she wiped her eyes with his shirt.

  Chapter Thirty Two

  Reggie watched nervously as Vic paced the tile floor. He whimpered with his head tilted to the side. “Sorry, Reggie. I’m a wack job, right?” She looked at the clock on the kitchen wall at least fifty times already. “Damn it, I might as well make some coffee.” She poured a carafe of water into the Mr. Coffee top filling reservoir and scooped grounds into the filter. Just as Vic hit the start switch, she heard the distinct sound of a motorcycle outside. “What the hell?”

  Max pulled into the driveway and turned off the bike.

  “That’s weird. I wonder what Vic’s car is doing here?” Mia said, as Max helped her off the motorcycle.

  “Who’s Vic,” Max asked, wondering if he needed to make a quick exit.

  “Oh, don’t worry, Vic is one of my best girlfriends,” Mia said. “It’s short for Victoria.”

  The front door swung open and Reggie dashed out barking loudly, with Vic right behind him. “Son of a bitch, Mia! Where the hell were you? I almost had a friggin heart attack worrying about you!”

  “Whoa… this is your best friend?” Max asked, startled.

  “Oh my God, Vic, calm down. I’m sorry I didn’t call you back and explain why I hung up. I was shocked to see Max sitting in my driveway, that’s all.”

  “Max? You mean the Max? Oh my God. I’m meeting Max Cole, the enigma forest dweller?”

  “What? I live in Peekskill.”

  “Yeah, right… whatever. I watch Mythbusters. Um… hi, I’m Vic, or I mean Victoria. Okay fool, take a deep breath and start over,” she said, as she fluffed her hair. Vic rambled even more while Mia and Max stared at her, wide eyed and laughing. “Okay, I’m starting over. Hi Max, I’m Vic… toria. Nice to meet you.”