by K L Finalley
"Honey, you do whatever you want to do. I'll be back later. I don't know when. Maybe, you should catch up with Elet. Surely, you have things to discuss."
Jacqueline didn't speak. Mallory's comments made her think of Elet. She hadn't spoken to him in nearly two weeks. She did need to talk to him.
~~~~~~~~
It was a late on a Thursday afternoon last month when Elet Walden had called. Jacqueline was sitting in her office reviewing the upcoming edition of the paper when her cell phone vibrated. Surprised that he was calling, she answered quickly. The two exchanged pleasantries for a while before she asked, "What's up? You never just call me to talk anymore."
"I know, but I should."
"Well, of course, you should, I'm your only friend." She teased hoping to lighten his mood. He chuckled softly. However, she sensed that something was on his mind, so she said, "All right, spill it. What's bothering you? You're acting strange."
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are. You called me at work. You asked how my day was going, but you haven't said much else. So, out with whatever it is you want to talk about."
"Maybe, you could drive out here sometime."
"Aww, you miss me? Sure, I can come by this afternoon. What time will you be there?"
"I'm here, now."
"Okay, then I'm on my way." Without saying good-bye, he disconnected the line. That confirmed that something was suspicious. She gathered her belongings and placed them in her leather messenger bag. She stopped at Grant Kincaid, her assistant's, desk to tell him that she was leaving for the day, then she headed down the elevator to the news floor to explain to Mallory what had happened on the phone with Elet.
"What? You're going to see Elet? Why?" Mallory pretended to be puzzled.
"It's hard to explain. He called me and was acting weird. He asked if I would come over. I couldn't say no. So, I'm gonna swing by his place for a little bit, but I'll still pick up Zoe from school. Okay?"
"Okay. Just let me know if I need to get her. I can work late another night this week if you need to be with him."
"No, I got her. I'll call you later." And, Jacqueline turned to leave. As she walked away, she thought the hardest part of working with your girlfriend was pretending that she is not your girlfriend, even when the entire office knows. She had wanted to kiss her goodbye or speak in a less matter of fact way, but they had agreed to remain as professional as they could in the office. So, instead, she walked away with purpose. She didn't stop to make small talk with anyone who tried to lure her into a conversation. She headed to the elevators and out the building. Walking at a pace that exceeded her normal lumber, she arrived at the Laredo in blistering speed. She roared its engine and raced out of the parking garage and off to Seminole Heights.
Using pure muscle memory, she weaved in and out of traffic. In ten minutes, she was at the house Elet had been renovating. As she drew the Jeep onto the new driveway, she realized just how distracted she had been on the drive over. She hoped that she hadn't run a light or hit a pedestrian. She exited the Jeep and turned to face the street behind her to see if any angry driver might have followed. After a few moments of standing in the driveway, she heard her name.
"Jacqueline? Are you here?"
"Yeah, I was making sure no one followed me."
Confused, Elet asked, "Have you come to kill me?"
Jacqueline laughed, "No, you sounded so out of it that I raced over here. When I pulled up, I wondered how I got here. Then, I was scared that I might have been a part of a hit and run and people might be chasing me."
Elet laughed, "It's funny how that happens."
Jacqueline stood in the sun in front of him. He looked fine. His sandy blond hair was tussled as though he had been working. His skin had its usual outdoorsy tan. He was barefoot and his long toes were as speckled with as much paint as there was on his overalls. Standing there in his driveway in overalls with no shirt and no shoes, this tanned man's look was wasted on her; but his neighbor, Betsy, from across the street was enjoying the view. Jacqueline noticed that she had stopped sweeping her porch and was very obviously staring at him. Using her head to point in Betsy's direction, Jacqueline said, "Nice outfit."
Unaware of Jacqueline's teasing or Betsy's leering, he responded blankly, "I was working on a new piece out in my studio."
"Elet, are you okay? You seem distant."
"Actually, I'm great."
"Really?" She asked.
"Really. The house has turned out great. You haven't had a chance to see it, have you?"
"No, I'm sorry. I haven't. Why don't you give me the grand tour?" He held his hand out in the direction of the front porch. Jacqueline complied and walked towards the house.
His brick bungalow house was built in 1922. He had purchased the house to act both as a home and a studio. With the help of his brothers, most of the home's renovations had been completed without a professional.
"I like the new driveway," she said.
"It's not new at all. This baby has secrets in her." He stopped and crossed his arms. Jacqueline thought of how Betsy was enjoying the flexing of his bronzed arms. "Do you remember what it used to be like? It was just grass. I mean, it had been driven on so long that people had made it a drive way, but it looked like it was just grass. Well, I was gonna pull it all up, dig down, and have concrete laid. Silas got to digging with the backhoe and hit something. BANG." Pleased to see that she had found something to warm him up, she listened as he went on. "Reese and I stopped planting the shrubs and came to see what he hit. Turns out there was a driveway down there. A damn brick driveway."
"Was it intact?" She asked
"Hell no. Some of the original bricks were broken. Some of them were missing. We had to dig out all the original bricks by hand, and, then level the damn thing. We laid the original ones in the middle and found some pavers that would work with a nice pattern. It turned out really well." He unfolded his arms, stuck his hands in his pockets, and raised his body onto his tiptoes. Standing by his side, she looked back at it as well. "You never know what you're gonna get," he said and jogged onto the porch. Following behind him on the paver path that matched the driveway, Jacqueline caught up to him on the blue front steps onto the porch.
He raced ahead to open the door and led her inside. She was overcome by the beauty of it. The front door opened into a sitting room. It had been painted a light turquoise color that was accented in white trim.
"You've outdone yourself."
"My dad would have been proud of his boys. We got in here and planned to gut this thing. I mean, we removed layer after layer of paint and wallpaper. We got down to what I thought would be nothing but studs. Then, underneath all the garbage there was these tall baseboards and thick window casings. I was gonna add a new ceiling, and then we discovered the damn thing had coffered ceilings all along. This fireplace was sitting behind wood panels with a kerosene heater in front of it. Amazing."
He led her from room to room pointing out tidbits that he had found. The chandelier that was in the dining room was found in the loft. That the bookcase in the fourth bedroom had books on it as if someone had left them for him.
When the two entered the master bedroom, Jacqueline teased, "Um, this is obviously Alex's pick."
"Yeah, a dark red bedroom. How'd you know it wasn't me?" He laughed. "I traded the wall color to make this old fireplace work again."
Looking around, she responded, "The red works, though."
"Yeah, I really do like how it's all turned out."
As they passed through the modernized kitchen with green-tiled floors, she leaned against the ceramic counter and asked, "You know, if you just wanted me to come out and see the house, all you had to do was invite me."
He ran his hands through his hair. His mood darkened to where it was when she arrived. "No, I need to talk to you about something." In the middle of that thought, he opened the backdoor and exited onto the back deck.
"This place gets nicer and nicer," she remar
ked as she stood outside on the deck that overlooked the landscaped backyard. As she inhaled the ginger that surrounded her, she noticed that he was crossing the yard towards a detached garage. She stared at him for a moment, not sure why she was here or what was going on with him. She wondered if the source of his apprehension was in the garage, so she followed him.
She scurried across the yard and into the garage - which was not a garage at all. It was a studio. With an overhead LED lighting system, there was printmaking machinery, two computers, a 3D printer, paint, canvases, photos, and a darkroom. While the inside of the house might have been a mix between an old world and a new world, this space was all modern. She was glancing around the room at his machinery and his visual art. The two art forms wove together the collage that best reflected him. After absorbing the contrast of this place from the hipster vibe of the house, her eyes found him seated in a metal chair twirling from side to side. His toes gripped the bottom rung of the metal stool like crow's feet clutching a branch.
He said, "I've been trying to figure this out for a while and there's no right way to say this, so I'm just gonna say it.... will you stand up for me?"
She squinted her eyes. "Huh? Stand up for you? Like in a fight?"
He pulled his lips tight as if he was disappointed. "No, Jacqueline, will you stand beside me?" She still looked puzzled. He tried again. "At my wedding. Will you stand beside me? Will you stand up for me?"
Slowly, she was coming to understand what he was asking. "You want me to be your best...."
"Person," he filled in her quest for the right term.
Laughing, she said, "Hmm, I guess convention failed us. Wait, what about your brothers?"
"How could I chose between them? Reese isn't thrilled at the idea of me getting married and Silas is only thrilled about getting drunk in a tux in a room full of single women. My options aren't great. Besides, you're the one. I mean when I want to talk, we talk. It used to be you and I who were close. You introduced me to Alex. You helped orchestrate the first date and the proposal. You are my person."
She thought against asking about Reese's problem with him getting married. It would be a conversation that the two of them could have later. Right then, she walked over to him, stood in front of him, and said, "I'd be honored to be your best...person." They said person in unison.
He rose from the stool and drew her in close. In her ear, he whispered, “Thank you."
~~~~~~~~
"Honey? Honey? Stop daydreaming and go get the croissants!" Mallory snapped Jacqueline back.
"Okay. Okay." Jacqueline spat out the toothpaste that had pooled in her mouth. She rinsed, found her shoes, and left to pick up breakfast.
Chapter 3
After breakfast, Mallory excused herself from the table. As she entered the kitchen, she looked back into the dining room at Zoe and Jacqueline who remained at the table. Jacqueline teased her with the final croissant and Zoe leapt from her seat and tried to reach it as Jacqueline held it over her head. Smiling, Mallory went to the bedroom, leaving the two to play at the table. As she closed the door behind her, she rested upon it. She wasn't sleepy. She had slept peacefully throughout the night. She wasn't unhappy. She had found someone who had made her and her daughter happy. Instead, she was overcome with panic. Try as hard as she might, she couldn't shake it. Recently, in the moments when she experienced a happiness she had never before, it was interrupted with pangs of terror. Rubbing her forehead, she wanted to both laugh and cry. She wished that she had the same abandon, the same freedom that Jacqueline and Zoe enjoyed. She wished that she didn't fear tomorrow or the next day or six months from now, but she did fear it. She had raised Zoe as a single mother for the past six years. She knew that finding someone to share her life with meant also finding someone who would share Zoe's life. While she had stumbled before and picked men who had failed her, failed Zoe, or failed them both, Jacqueline was different - in every way possible. The potential loss of this kind of bliss frightened her. As she stopped rubbing her head, she overheard Jacqueline say, "I'm gonna get you." The declaration was followed by the giggling pleads of her daughter. And, then, just like that, the panic passed. Relieved, she sighed, and walked into the bathroom.
Months ago, when she entered this bathroom for the first time, the left side of the counter top was bare. Now, the other side was Mallory's side and it was filled with makeup, makeup remover, perfume, hair accessories and so much more. As she stood in front of the mirror, she wondered what face to apply today. Tapping her fingers against the counter, she thought of eye color and lip stain. She thought of combinations that would suit daytime shopping. She wondered if she and Jacqueline had evening plans. In time, she chose a palate and a style based upon today's events rather than any additional travels. Knowing that she, Olive, and Paige were accompanying Alex to a boutique to search for her wedding dress, the day was certain to be fun; therefore, she determined her hair, makeup, and outfit should match the sentiment.
She exited the bedroom after an hour to silence. The sun had overtaken the living room and kitchen. It had forced Jacqueline and Zoe out of those rooms. Unlike earlier that morning, Mallory heard the sound of the television. The noise came from Zoe's bedroom as Mallory had expected.
Sitting on the bed still dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, Zoe said, "Are you leaving now?"
"Yes, baby. Where's Jax?"
Down the hall, she heard Jacqueline respond, "I'm in here."
"Be good tonight. Try not to fight with Abbie or any of the other girls."
Zoe stood on the bed to explain, "But, Mom, I told you. It wasn't me who started it. Nikki said that it was her turn and it wasn't..."
Fearing that Zoe might regurgitate the entirety of the last sleepover confrontation, Mallory interrupted, "I know, Zoe. I know. Let's just all be friends this time, okay?"
A flustered Zoe gave up and plopped down on the bed, "Yes, Mom." With that, Mallory leaned forward and kissed her tangled curls, then she walked down to the office.
"Look at you," Jacqueline said.
"What? Do you think my makeup is wrong?"
"Not at all. You look great." Jacqueline rose from her large mahogany desk and walked towards her. Mallory was posing as if Jacqueline was going to take her picture. Jacqueline reached to hug her mid-pose. "Will you call me when you're done?"
"Of course, I will, but I want you to call Elet after you drop off Zoe."
"I know. I will,” Jacqueline mumbled as she kissed Mallory's neck.
"And make sure that she packs a nightgown or real pajamas in her sleepover bag. If I could get the two of you to wear pajamas, I would get a Nobel Prize."
"Pajamas are itchy," Zoe announced from her room.
"Whatever, I'm outta here. You two be good,” She kissed Jacqueline and headed for the door.
~~~~~~~~
As she exited the high rise building, Eduardo, the night doorman, was leaving for the day. With his gray coat undone, he exposed his wrinkled white button-up shirt. He said, "Good afternoon, Miss Cummings. It's a nice day out."
"It looks beautiful. Warm and breezy. Just how I like it."
"Have a nice day. I'll see you this evening."
"Have a good one," she replied without thinking. As she fished for her sunglasses in her purse, the conversation between her and Eduardo replayed in her mind. Her mind repeated over and over I'll see you this evening. The chances were very high that she would see Eduardo in the evening. He was neither incorrect nor presumptuous. Most Saturday nights were spent at the penthouse. But, the phrase haunted her.
Despite being an avid radio surfer, she did not listen to the radio on her drive to Alex's apartment. Instead, she drove in silence. All she heard was the sing-song tone of Eduardo's voice reminding her that he also presumed that she would return to the penthouse by the evening. Her arm rested on the window frame and, once again, she rubbed her forehead.
When she arrived at the apartment complex, she sat in her car and reapplied makeup to her forehead an
d checked her eyes. After the touch-up was complete, she looked into her own eyes. She saw the worry in her face, but she didn't want to succumb to it. Not today. Today was supposed to be about Alex. She gave herself a half smile and said, "Stop driving yourself crazy. Everything's going great."
~~~~~~~~
As she stepped out of her car and trudged up the three flights of stairs to Alex's apartment, she reconsidered that today may not have been the day for heels. But, as she knocked on the door, she discarded the idea. The blue heels complimented the white shorts and blue and white striped shirt far too well not to be worn.
Half-dressed in very short baby blue shorts and a bra, Alexandra Stevens opened the door without acknowledging Mallory. Shaking her head, Mallory entered the dimly lit apartment and made herself at home. She passed through the path that separated the red leather couch and its matching loveseat from the glass table. Tossing her blue hobo purse on the couch that appeared to contain Alex's entire wardrobe, she entered the kitchen. She stood for a second awaiting the automatic lights to sense her presence. Then, she thought, this isn't home. Turn the lights on, dummy. Running her fingers along the wall, she found the switch. Once the fluorescent bulbs illuminated the kitchen, she leaned into the black refrigerator and retrieved a bottle of water. Rather than go in search of Alex, Mallory sat on a bar stool at the breakfast nook fearing that moving to the couch would force her to fold Alex's laundry. Sitting there, she overheard Alex speaking softly and sweetly, it was the voice a woman only used for a person of romantic interest. She smiled and thought of how well things had been going for everyone in these last few months. Less than six months earlier, they had all gone on their annual girls' trip. Jacqueline had rented a villa on Seaborn Island. Days prior to leaving, Alex had accepted Elet's marriage proposal. Mallory and Jacqueline were friends, but they were skating the line of friendliness and flirtation. For all of them, the time spent in the villa had caused their emotions to run high. Fearing change, anxiety pushed Alex into the arms of another man, a secret they had all sworn to keep. At the same time, Mallory felt overwhelmed by her developing feelings for Jacqueline and lost the ability to conceal them. Since their return, Alex had maintained her fidelity to Elet; and, she and Jacqueline had become the public couple their friends had already assumed that they were. But, the surest sign of happiness was that she never realized that she had just thought of the penthouse as home.
