by North, Avery
At first, everything seemed normal except that she never saw him at the weekend. He had told her that he worked as a deputy warden at the nearby correctional facility and worked most weekends, which made sense to Rachel, so she never questioned it. She got used to seeing him on the occasional Wednesday or Thursday night, but they texted each other all the time, and sometimes in the evening, even when he was working, they would have phone sex, which Rachel enjoyed in a weird way she would never have guessed before.
Her friends all warned her that something didn’t seem right, but she ignored them. She told herself that she knew Gary and knew that he would never lie to her. She trusted him. She trusted him until the first red flag showed itself – and it was a pretty big one.
It was a Saturday morning. For the first time, Gary had said he had the weekend off and made plans to take her away for a fun-filled weekend, just the two of them. Rachel was so excited as she sat in her apartment, waiting for Gary to arrive. She had no idea where they were going − Gary wanted it to be a surprise so he wouldn’t tell her anything.
Three hours later, she was still waiting for him. The texts she sent him went unanswered, and Rachel began worrying that something had happened to him.
Finally, around two in the afternoon, she got a text from him apologizing profusely, saying a stabbing at the prison had forced him to rush in at five in the morning, and he had been in meetings, and conference calls for the rest of the day. It didn’t look like they would be able to get away. Rachel was upset but tried to be understanding, especially the next time she saw him. He cried because he was so angry he had disappointed her, and she couldn’t help forgiving him.
The lost weekend was forgotten, and Rachel resolved herself to just seeing him during the week until her phone rang one day. Answering it, she didn’t recognize the voice on the other end of the phone.
“Is this Rachel?” A woman asked at the other end.
“Yes, it is,” Rachel answered, thinking it was someone selling something that she didn’t want. “Who is this?”
“My name is Mary. Mary Johnston,” she said.
Rachel frowned, thinking it was a strange coincidence. That was Ross’s last name.
“Are you any relation to Ross Johnston,” Rachel asked innocently.
“Yeah, he’s my husband, and I would really appreciate it if you could just fuck off and leave him alone,” Mary snarled.
“What? No, that can’t be. The Ross I know isn’t married,” Rachel answered, shocked.
“Tall, good looking hung like a horse, curly brown hair, green eyes,” Mary said bluntly.
“Ummm, yes, that sounds like him,” Rachel said, confused. “He works as a deputy warden at the correctional facilities here in town.”
“Ha, nope,” Mary laughed meanly. “He’s a manager at the Smart and Save.”
“Oh my God,” Rachel said, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach.
“Look, he’s got four kids and another on the way. He’s a cheater and a liar, and God knows why I stay married to him, but please, for the sake of his children, please leave him alone,” Mary pleaded before hanging up the phone without another word.
Rachel sat there, stunned, her eyes filling with tears. All the promises that he had broken over the last few months that she had forgiven him for were all lies. The stabbing, the riot, the urgent calls he sometimes received when he was with her − all lies.
Finding Gary’s number on her cellphone, she texted him three words, "WE ARE THROUGH” before deleting him from her contacts.
She never wanted to see Gary again, nor did she ever think she could trust a man again until Ross came along.
Chapter 3
Rachel put the finishing touches on her make-up and looked at herself in the mirror.
“Rachel, you are smoking,” she said, smiling. The make-up tips she had gotten from the beauty consultant at Sophia's were just what she needed to make her eyes pop. Ross was going to be awestruck when he saw her tonight.
It was their six-month anniversary, and Ross was taking her to Grégoire’s, a very high-end French restaurant that Rachel had been dying to try. She had told all her co-workers about it; they were all very jealous and told her to tell them all about it afterwards.
Rachel was dabbing a few drops of the perfume that Ross liked on her wrists when she heard her phone ring in the other room. Running to pick it up, she saw it was Ross.
“Hey, baby,” Rachel purred. “I’m almost ready. Are you on your way?”
"Hey, sweetheart, I’m afraid I’m going to have to cancel our plans,” Ross said sadly. “I’m so sorry.”
“Why?” Rachel said, trying not to sound too disappointed.
“There was a fire at the main terminal at Terminix, and all their computers are down. They’ve called everyone in to start retrieving information before it’s lost forever. It looks like I’m going to be working all weekend,” Ross said worriedly. “I’m really sorry. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
Rachel sighed. She knew his job was important, and Terminix was one of the leading computer storage facilities for several large companies. Rachel knew the havoc it would cause if that information were to be lost.
“Okay, Ross. I understand, but you owe me big time,” she said, feeling sorry for him as well as herself. “I hope it gets sorted, but try not to get too tired. I’m sure you will be working around the clock.”
“Thanks. I gotta go,” Ross said. “Love you! I’ll call you once I’m done.”
“Love you too,” Rachel said as she hung up her phone. Now, what was she going to do with her evening?
✽✽✽
Rachel sat her desk, trying to concentrate on the schedule she was meant to be sorting out. She hadn’t heard from Ross all weekend, and even though she knew he was working, it bothered her that he hadn’t sent her a little text or something. He knew that she worried about him.
“Hey, have you got a minute to talk,” Susan said from the doorway.
“Sure, what’s up?” Rachel asked, sitting back in her chair. “Uh oh, this must be serious if you are closing the door.”
Susan sat down in the chair on the other side of Rachel’s desk and looked at her. “How was your anniversary dinner?” she asked casually.
Rachel swallowed and tried to think of what to say. “Oh, it was great,” she said quickly, hoping that that would satisfy Susan and they could move on.
“Honestly, how was it?” Susan said, looking at her friend.
Rachel pursed her lips. “I can’t fool you, can I.”
“Nope, so tell me the truth. How was it?”
“Canceled,” Rachel said, feeling almost ashamed. She had made such a big fuss about going to the restaurant and now dreaded people asking her about it.
“So, he canceled it. What did he say?” Susan asked calmly.
“He had to work. There was a big fire at Terminix, and Ross was called in. Something about retrieving information before it got lost,” Rachel said, making a face. “Can’t say I wasn’t disappointed, but I know he has an important job, and he was needed, so I guess I shouldn’t be mad.”
Susan shook her head sadly. “Rachel, there was no fire at Terminix, and all that information is backed up onto the central system. There’s no way information can get lost – even if there is a fire.”
Rachel sat, looking at her friend in disbelief. “I know you don’t like Ross, but you don’t have to sit here and try to put him down. I believe him; you must be mistaken.”
“Rachel, think about it. A huge company like Terminix − if they had a fire, it would be all over the news. Search on Google if you don’t believe me. There’s nothing about a fire there. Plus, there’s something else,” Susan said, she looked even more concerned now, “Rachel, he was out with someone else that night.”
Rachel felt her words like a slap in the face. “W-w-what?”
“Carl was out on Saturday night with some friends that were in town. Old college friends. They went to Grégoire’s.�
��
“And?” Rachel said, beginning to get frustrated with Susan taking her time.
“Ross was there, with someone else,” Susan said grimacing. “I know you don’t want to hear this … ”
“Maybe it was a mistake,” Rachel said, feeling bile rise in her throat. “It could have just been someone who looked like Ross.”
Susan shook her head. “When Carl told me they were going there, I told him that you were going there with Ross as well. I told him that should he look for you and say hi from me,” Susan said. “So Carl was looking around for you. That’s when he saw Ross. He started towards the table to say hi, then realized it wasn’t you sitting there.”
“Who was she?” Rachel asked, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach.
“No idea. Carl didn’t approach the table, but he did say they were acting like they were more than friends,” Susan reached over and held Rachel’s hand.
Rachel felt her eyes fill with tears, and they spilled over onto her cheeks. “I can’t believe this. What’s wrong with me? Why do I always attract cheaters and liars?”
“I hated telling you this, but I knew you needed to know,” Susan said, getting up and going around the desk. “Rachel, I’m so sorry. I know you really loved this guy.”
Rachel got off her chair and fell into Susan's arms as she sobbed. “I just don’t understand!”
“Some guys are just scum − there is nothing wrong with you!” Susan said sternly, patting her on the back.
Sniffing, Rachel sighed. "That's it. I'm done with men. I don't care if I end up dying a lonely old woman. I'm not falling in love again."
“Oh, don’t say that,” Susan chuckled. “You just haven’t found the right one. He’s out there − look how long it took me to find Carl.”
Wiping her eyes, Rachel nodded. “I know, but damn it. He was so good in bed, Susan. Like, mind-blowing.”
Susan laughed. “There’s more to a relationship than great sex, you know.”
“Yea, I know, but still,” Rachel said, shaking her head. “Guess I’ll be giving Ross the boot.”
“What if he comes back with an excuse?” Susan asked, looking at her friend, remembering the many excuses Gary had given that Rachel always accepted without question.
Shaking her head, Rachel looked back at Susan. “Nope, no excuses this time. He’s out the door and on his ass. I don’t need this crap.”
“Do you want to take the rest of the day off?” Susan asked.
“No, I’d just go home and cry. Better to stay busy. Thanks for looking out for me, though." After Susan left, Rachel picked up her phone and found Ross’s number. Yet again, she typed in those three words she was so familiar with “WE ARE THROUGH” before hitting the delete button.
Chapter 4
Friday afternoon was typically busy at the front desk, with lots of guests checking in for weekend stays. Rachel always made it a policy that she would come out and help when it was busy, giving her a chance to meet some of the guests but also letting her observe her staff in action to make sure they were following all the Chiltern guidelines and giving excellent customer service, which was very important to the Chiltern.
“Rachel, the computers aren’t working!” Fiona cried as she desperately hit the buttons on her keyboard.
“What?” Rachel cried, running over and checking. “Did you try rebooting?”
“Twice and it’s still not working,” Fiona was getting more panicky as more people came through the front door. “What are we going to do? There’s a hockey tournament in town, and they are all arriving at the same time. This place is going to go nuts!”
Rachel quickly checked all three computers on the front desk. All three were down. Looking up at the crowd of people waiting to check-in, she held up her hands to get her attention. “Excuse me, everyone! We seem to be having some technical difficulties. If you could just be patient for a few more minutes, we’ll see if we can get the system back up and running and begin checking you in.” Guests informed she ran down the hall to Susan’s office.
“We have a problem − all the computers are down,” Rachel said as she entered Susan’s office.
"So I see," Susan said, gesturing at the keyboard in front of her.
"I have a lobby full of people to check-in, and three stressed out desk clerks,” Rachel said, pointing towards the lobby.
“I’ll call IT right way,” Susan said, picking up the phone. “Calm everyone down. Panicking won’t solve anything. I already have a plan.”
Rachel nodded but then realized that calling IT would mean she would see Ross, who she hadn’t seen since she ended their relationship. “I can’t …”
“It’s okay; I know what you are going to say. We fired him so that they will send someone else. You won’t have to worry about seeing him ever again,” Susan said, smiling. “I got your back girlfriend.” Rachel waited until Susan had finished talking on the phone then said, “Thanks. How long before someone comes?”
“They said they would send someone right away,” Susan said, getting up from her desk. “In the meantime, I’m just going to pop into the restaurant; then, I'll come by the lobby and help get things organized.”
Rachel walked back towards the crowded lobby, wondering what Susan had planned. She knew how people got when they had to wait unexpectedly.
“How long do we have to wait?!” someone shouted from the crowd as soon as they saw Rachel.
“Someone will be here to look at the computers very soon,” she said. A minute later, Susan walked into the lobby and faced the crowd. “Can I have your attention, please! We seem to be having some technical difficulties with our computers, but help is on the way. Unfortunately, we can't check you in until they come back online, so if you would like to go into the dining room, lunch is on us. Check-in with the hostess, give her the name that is on your reservation, and order whatever you want.”
“Does that include alcoholic beverages?” someone yelled.
Susan smiled. “Yes, two glasses of whatever you like,” she said, knowing that if she didn’t limit it, people would take advantage of their hospitality. The last thing she wanted was drunk, angry customers.
There wasn’t much Rachel could do, so she went back to her office to wait for the computers to get back online. As she sat there going over the monthly schedules, her computer beeped, indicating that they were back up.
“Finally,” she said, getting up to check the front desk. She had no doubt that there would be a rush, and she wanted to be there to make sure everyone behaved themselves.
As she approached the front desk, Rachel noticed a rather tall, muscular man standing at one of the front desk computers.
“Can I help you?” she asked, assuming he was an annoyed customer who had decided to try to check himself in.
The man looked up at Rachel, smiled, and nodded. “Hi, just checking to make sure everything is okay,” he said as he looked back at the screen, hitting the return button on the keyboard.
“Are you the computer guy,” Rachel asked as she smiled at the people lounging around the lobby waiting to check-in.
“Yes, I replaced Ross,” he said nonchalantly, still looking at the screen. “Okay, everything is good to go. Which other computers are hooked up to the system directly?”
“There’s mine in my office,” Rachel said, pointing to her door.
“Mind if I have a look?” he asked, picking up his bag.
“Yep, right this way,” Rachel said as she turned and headed to her office.
Chapter 5
Rachel sat down on the sofa in her office as the computer guy checked her computer.
“Everything looks good. No major damage to any of the files,” he said, standing up.
“Thanks. I’m sorry − I didn’t get your name,” Rachel said, standing up at the same time.
“Chris,” he said, smiling. “I actually own the company. The Chiltern Hotel is one of our best customers. After what happened with our last technician, I wanted to make s
ure everyone was happy.”
Rachel looked at him and grinned gratefully. “Yes, it’s hard to get good help these days.”
“Anyways … Rachel,” he said, looking at the name tag on her shirt, “If there is anything else you need, don’t hesitate to call. I’m going to take over this account, so you’ll be dealing with me directly from now on.”
“Lucky us,” Rachel said, “It’s good to know we are in safe hands.”
Chris held out his hand, “I promise we’ll take good care of you.”
Part of her really didn’t want to get too friendly with him, but another part of her was intrigued. There was an air of confidence around him, and as much as Rachel tried to stop herself, she was attracted to him.
As their eyes met as they shook hands, Chris held her gaze, before Rachel cleared her throat and let go of his hand. As much as she missed having a man in her life, she didn’t want to repeat her last two relationships.
“So, if you ever need any help again, here’s my card,” Chris said, taking a business card out of his pocket and handing it to her. “My cell phone is on there too. Night or day, feel free to call.”
Rachel took the card and smiled again. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Even if you just want to talk, it doesn’t’ have to be about computers,” Chris said, suggestively, “Call me anytime.”
Rachel looked at him uncertainly, not really sure what he was suggesting. “Excuse me?”
“You know, if like on a Saturday night, you don’t feel like staying in but have no one to talk to, call me. We can meet up for a coffee or a glass of wine, maybe two,” Chris said, giving her an impish grin.
Realizing what he was getting at, Rachel quickly said, “Thank you for the offer, but I’m good,” and put the card on her desk, waving goodbye to him as he walked out.
Rachel took a minute to let him leave then headed out to check on the front lobby. She was pleased to see that everyone was checked in, and there had been no riots so far.
