by Marie Jem
After the run and the detailed cleaning, I showered and drowned in a bottle of wine as I watched television in my bathrobe.
<><><>
The following morning, I awakened on the sofa. I had fallen asleep while watching television. I was glad when I realized it was Friday and I wouldn’t have to return to the drama at work until Monday. Stefano called on my way to work and asked if I wanted to go out that night, but I declined, since I would see him the following day at the Halloween party.
Laura greeted me that morning wondering what type of mood I was in. I was in a much better mood and even Taryn Simmonds was not going to put a damper on that. I didn’t care about her or her ability to sabotage my career. I believed in karma and knew that one day it would turn around and bite her.
Chapter 17
Saturday morning was beautiful with clear skies and the sun shining bright in the sky. I knew it was going to be a fun day with the Halloween party that night. I drove to the grocery store and stocked up on groceries for the week, so I wouldn’t have to worry about that the following day. I did an hour of yoga and even went for a run. The weather was too perfect to pass up an outdoor run. Stefano called to confirm the location and time he would meet me outside the house where the party was going to take place. The party wouldn’t begin until eight in the evening, so I didn’t begin to get ready until after five o’clock.
I showered and pulled back my hair, since I would be wearing a wig. I applied heavier makeup than usual with crimson red lipstick. I put on the short black wig shaped in a bob with bangs and the headband with a feather in it. I wore the short, sexy flapper girl dress and fishnet stockings. The black satin gloves went up past my elbows. I had a long pearl necklace that I tied a knot in and it hung low, down to my naval. I wore black patent leather stiletto heels and examined myself in the mirror. After a few adjustments, I approved of the look and headed out.
Once I sat inside my car, I plugged the address into the navigation, so I wouldn’t get lost. The house was in the Hollywood Hills and I knew I would be driving through some winding roads to get to it. Stefano called shortly after I left my place.
“Hey, are you on your way?” he asked.
“Yes, I should be there in a half hour or so, depending on traffic,” I replied.
“Cool. I will be there in less than twenty. I will wait outside for you,” he said.
“I’ll see you there,” I replied, “Oh, by the way, what are you dressed as?” I asked.
“You will find out when you get here,” he said, not revealing his costume.
“Oh, I see. Two can play this game, huh?” I joked.
“Yup,” he said. I could hear the grin in his voice.
It was very dark outside and as I had predicted, the home was at the top of a hill in the Hollywood Hills, so there were quite a few winding roads to drive through. After making myself nauseous from the drive up there, I finally arrived at my destination. The house looked very modern and large. It reminded me a lot of the type of house that Alex had. I parked my car wherever I found a parking spot and walked up many steps to get to the front door. Stefano had mentioned he would meet me outside, so I decided to call him, since I did not see him around.
“Hey, I’m here. Where are you?” I asked.
“I’m outside,” he said.
I kept looking around, but did not see anyone I recognized. I noticed someone dressed as Iron Man, taking off his mask. It was Stefano. He walked toward me, smiling big.
“Well, hello, Iron Man. This is a great costume on you,” I complimented.
“Thank you, sexy flapper girl. Why don’t you turn around, so I could see all of you,” he joked. “Seriously, Claire, you look really hot in this costume,” he said.
“Thanks, Stefano. Likewise,” I replied. Stefano took my hand and led me into the house. The first thing my eyes caught were the huge windows in the back, which revealed the entire city. The views were breathtaking. The ceilings were incredibly high, making the home look bigger than it actually was. Stefano introduced me to the host of the party, who was a music producer and had worked with some of the artists that Stefano danced on tour with. Everyone Stefano introduced me to automatically assumed that we were a couple. I looked around to see if there were any single girls in a group that I could lead him to.
We went outside to the backyard where we found an open bar and the DJ. An infinity pool made up most of the backyard, since the house was on a hill. There was a buffet of various types of food. Stefano and I got food from the buffet and a drink from the bar. After we were finished eating, I nudged him with my elbow when I noticed a girl, hanging out on her own. She was very pretty, dressed as Cleopatra. I had a feeling Stefano would take a liking to her.
“Hey, Stefano, look at the one o’clock position, at Cleopatra. What do you think?” I asked.
“You’re really serious about finding a date for me tonight, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Of course I am. Did you think I was kidding?” I asked. “We are not leaving here tonight until we find you a date,” I said.
“Well, we might be here all night,” he replied.
“I’ve got all night,” I said, narrowing my eyebrows at him.
Since Stefano wasn’t going to go up to Cleopatra, I decided I should make conversation with her. After all, she looked lonely and uncomfortable. I wondered if she was there with a friend who found herself a date and left her alone. I got another drink from the bar and headed toward her.
“Hi, I’m Claire. I’m here with my friend, so I don’t know a lot of the people here,” I explained.
“Oh, hi, I’m Mandy. I’m in the same boat as you. I’m here with a friend who found herself a cute guy,” she replied. I was right.
“You know what? Maybe I should introduce you to my friend, Stefano. I’m not planning on staying, so he thinks I’m a party pooper. Let me get him,” I said, flagging down Stefano. I motioned for him to join us, so he began to walk toward us.
“Hey, Stefano, this is Mandy,” I introduced the two of them. “Mandy’s friend found herself a date, so she kind of needs someone to hang out with,” I explained. “Since I have to leave soon, I thought you could keep her company. Maybe you can show her around and introduce her to your friends,” I smiled.
“Hi, Mandy, it’s very nice to meet you,” he said with a smile.
I could see that Stefano thought Mandy was beautiful and I knew they were going to get along just fine. We all chatted for a while. It turned out that Mandy loved to dance and she had done some dancing as well. Stefano’s eyes lit up when she talked about her dancing experience. I had stopped drinking alcohol, since I did not want to drive back home under the influence. I hung around for another hour and told Stefano that I was tired and wanted to head home. He excused himself from Mandy and walked me out.
“Claire, thank you for what you did tonight. You’re the most selfless person I know,” he said, genuinely.
“I told you I would find you a date. Who knows, maybe she will become something more,” I winked. He gave me a hug goodbye and told me he would text me later that night or the following day. I drove home very happy and satisfied that Stefano seemed to have a connection with Mandy. My duties as a friend were fulfilled and I could sleep comfortably that night.
<><><>
It was approximately eleven thirty when I arrived home. It felt great taking off the wig and stiletto heels. I folded my costume neatly and put it away. I hadn’t checked my cell phone for calls or texts, so I decided to do that. There were a lot of text messages from Alex.
Hey, how is your Halloween party going? What did you dress up as?
Party is great! I dressed up as a flapper girl. How did your fundraiser go?
Glad you are having fun. Wish I could see you in that costume. Fundraiser went well. We were able to raise a large sum of money.
That’s good. Got to go. Goodnight.
Goodnight and be careful out there.
He did not need to know that I had le
ft the party early and was home. I had a feeling Alex would contact me that night. He really couldn’t stand the fact that I was out on a possible date with another guy. If he was allowed to have a wife at home, I was allowed to do whatever I wanted without answering to him. All is fair in love and war.
I didn’t hear from Stefano for the remainder of the night, which was a sign that he was having a great time with Mandy as I had predicted. I called it a night after flipping through channels on the television and not finding anything but scary Halloween movies. It wouldn’t be a brilliant idea to watch horror movies before bed, as it would just trigger my nightmare to return. I decided to finally call it a night at one o’clock in the morning.
<><><>
My phone rang early in the morning and awakened me. It was Stefano, “Good morning, Miss Matchmaker. Did you sleep well last night?” he asked. I could hardly open my eyes and had no idea what time it was.
“Good morning. What time is it?” I asked.
“It’s almost ten. I’m surprised you’re still in bed,” he replied.
“Yeah, me too,” I replied, struggling to open my eyes. “So, tell me about last night. What did you think of Mandy?” I asked, curiously.
“I really like her, Claire. As much as I didn’t want to meet anybody new, I have to say you are pretty good at the matchmaking thing,” he said. “We stayed at the party until about three in the morning. Her friend had to leave, so she took the car and I offered to take her home. She loves to dance and likes to cook. She loves animals and fast motorcycles. What I also liked about her was that when I took her home and asked if I could go inside for a nightcap, she declined. She seems like the kind of girl who respects herself, like you. We are going out again today,” he said, a smile in his voice.
“That’s great! I want the details of that date as well, please,” I replied. I was really happy that Stefano had liked Mandy. I knew that she was his type physically, but I was worried he would make an excuse not to go out with her again. Now if only my love life was going as well as Stefano’s and everyone else around me. I was beginning to think I would be alone forever. I feared I would never trust another man again and end up in a rocking chair in my elder years with a couple of cats as pets to keep me company.
With those thoughts, I jumped out of bed, changed into my running attire and decided I would go for a long run to shake off the crazy thoughts in my head. It was another great day for a run and it felt invigorating. I knew the remainder of that day was going to be a good one. As I was running, I noticed a large, white utility vehicle driving on the other side of the street. I began to panic and stopped running. I took a good look at the driver inside and confirmed it wasn’t him. This man was young, maybe in his thirties at the most. I told myself I had to stop panicking every time I saw a white van. There were thousands of white vans on the streets every day and I knew I had to stop scrutinizing every aspect of them, especially the driver.
When I returned to the condo, I showered and made myself an egg and cheese omelet and devoured it. I was so hungry that I forgot to chew before I swallowed. I then realized that I had nothing to do that Sunday. The past few Sundays had been spent with Stefano, but this Sunday I was alone. I didn’t want to call and bother anyone. If my friends did not have any plans I knew they would contact me. I knew Katherine had plans with John, Stefano had plans with Mandy, Kristen had mentioned going out of town with her love interest, and of course Alex had a wife to have and to hold. I was definitely getting a clearer picture of my future rocking chair and cats.
I heard a knock on my front door and it startled me. I wasn’t expecting anyone and they would have to get through the guard anyway. I was sure it had to be a neighbor. I opened the door to a tall blond man, probably in his thirties. I had seen him around the complex, so I knew he lived in the community.
“Hi,” I said, nervously.
“Hi, I’m sorry, I would have called you, but I don’t have your phone number. I’m Joshua and I live a few doors down from you,” he introduced himself. He had a large kit in his hand, which looked like an emergency kit. “On the night we had that earthquake, I recall you mentioning that you did not have an emergency kit in case of a disaster,” he said, handing me the large kit.
“Thank you, Joshua. I’m Claire by the way,” I replied, extending my hand and shaking his. “You really didn’t have to get this for me. I could have purchased one myself. Could I pay you for it?” I asked.
“No, no, my wife Sally and I had a few extra of these and they expire in a year anyway. I gave one of the other ones to another neighbor who wasn’t prepared as well,” he replied.
“Thank you so much, Joshua,” I said, grateful that there were still nice people left in the world. “I hope I never have to use it, but it’s good to have just in case, right?” I added.
“Exactly. I’ll see you around, Claire,” he said as he turned around to head back to his place. He stopped and turned around as if he had forgotten something. “Here’s our home and cell numbers just in case you need it,” he said, handing me a small paper with his phone number on it.
I gave Joshua my home and cell phone numbers just in case he needed to call before he knocked, so I wouldn’t be startled, wondering who was on the other side of the door.
I had seen Joshua a couple of times in the community and wondered if he was in the military. He had a buzz cut hairstyle and seemed to march as he walked. He had looked a bit intimidating to me before, but I knew sometimes looks could be deceiving. He seemed like one of those people who were extremely prepared for disasters and I knew he was a good neighbor to have around.
<><><>
Monday morning was a complete disaster. I woke up late, spilled the shake I had made for the road all over my shirt and pants and had to go back inside and change my clothes. I was afraid of what that day had in store for me. The traffic was horrendous due to plenty of accidents and it wasn’t even raining. I parked my car in the employee only structure and it must have been pure luck to have to share an elevator with Taryn.
It must have been the horrible mood I was in that instigated me to confront Taryn about the accusations she had made about me. “Good morning, Taryn. I would like to make a few things clear, since we are so fortunate to be sharing this elevator on this lovely morning. Quit making accusations against me. I will go directly to human resources and report your wicked ass if I hear one more accusation against me, whether it’s about your fluctuating weight, or your undelivered files,” I said, my eyes piercing directly into her evil eyes.
She did not even blink the entire time I confronted her. “Is that a threat, Miss Morgan?” she asked with a disgusting smirk on her face.
“Consider it your first and final warning. Between you and that pig Mark Kohler, I don’t know who’s going to get it from me first,” I said and stormed out of the elevator before I pulled every follicle of hair from her scalp.
My heart was about to pound out of my chest as I walked to my department, but I felt so liberated. Somebody had to put that witch in her place and I was glad to have done it. I didn’t care what trick she had up her sleeve next, but there was no way I was going to take it sitting down.
Laura noticed I was late and disheveled and completely not myself that morning. I told her about my horrible morning and the elevator ride with Taryn. She was beaming with excitement that I stood up to Taryn again and refused to allow her to bully me. “Good job, Claire. She needs to put a brake on those false accusations. Ugh! She’s such a witch. I just can’t stand that woman,” she said with so much emotion.
“That makes the two of us, Laura,” I replied. I had decided from that day forward that if Taryn Simmonds tried to bully me again, I would bully her right back. I was going to push her into a tighter corner than she could ever imagine. Two could play that game. I wondered if anyone had ever stood up to that woman. She must have had a lot of victims, but I would not be one of them. I was a lover, not a hater, but she brought out the scorpion in me and experien
ced my venomous bite in the elevator that morning.
Laura and I went to our favorite falafel place for lunch and laughed as we recalled the events of that morning. I had thought it was going to be a bad day, but it turned out to be just fine by the afternoon. I received a text from Alex.
Taryn told me a crazy story about you threatening her in an elevator this morning? It’s not true is it?
I showed Laura the text and she couldn’t stop laughing. That woman had some nerve crying to Alex and complaining about what I had said to her. She probably thought he would feel bad for her and fall for her false tears.
What are you talking about? Sounds like she’s trying to make you feel sorry for her so you can hold her in your warm embrace as she’s always dreamed you would.
Yeah, I knew she wasn’t being truthful. She has issues, that woman.
May I ask why this is any of your concern?
I’m not concerned. I was just asking a question.
Please do not send me any texts that involve Taryn Simmonds. I have no interest in her feelings. Maybe you should treat her to a nice dinner or even better, fulfill her desire with a night of hot sex. Oh, I forgot, you’re MARRIED. But that never stopped you before, so why should it stop you now? Enjoy the rest of your day.
You’re impossible, Claire. I can’t believe you said that. I have no comment.
Neither do I.
Laura was speechless when she read the texts. “Claire, what has gotten into you today? Some days you’re really sad. Some days you’re really happy. Some days you are really mean, so mean that I’m a little concerned about you. I don’t want you to say or do anything out of anger and get yourself into trouble,” she expressed.
