by Kylie Parker
“Yeah, that…” Olivia cringed, “Hairy guy.”
“I forgot she liked them smooth.” Michelle muttered under her breath.
“I heard that.” Olivia said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. “Why are you asking?”
“Just curious,” Helen shrugged.
“James was really surprised to see him,” Olivia added. “He said he hadn’t seen him in twelve years.”
“I’m confused.” Helen spoke in frustrated tones. “They’ve known each other for so long and James didn’t even invite him?”
“I’m a little too happy to care, my dear.” Olivia faked a British accent. “Tonight’s my wedding night. And I…” She paused and leaned towards Michelle and Helen, “…want to enjoy it.”
“Well, well, well…” Rick interjected, a silly smile on his face, as he sauntered towards the chair beside Gina. “This table shouldn’t be called ‘bridal’. It should be called ‘the table of cute asses’.”
“Oh, boy…” A huff of exasperation left Helen, as Michelle and Olivia glanced at each other.
“And what a fine specimen we have here,” he continued, seating himself next to Gina, “a tall redhead. A little thin for my taste, but still, a great piece of…”
“Don’t say it,” Gina grumbled, turning her head to the left to face him.
“Damn it, Rick!” Helen cried, slamming her hand onto the table as she glared at him. “Stop talking about asses!”
This time, her loud voice grabbed the attention of most of the guests. Helen could feel many pairs of eyes on her, as Michelle and Olivia burst into sweet, hearty laughter. In a split second, the yard was filled with more and more laughing sounds, adding to her immense embarrassment.
“No…” she whispered, lifting her hands to her face. Helen closed her eyes and covered them, bending down towards the table. “Kill me. Kill me now.” She said, hitting her head on the surface.
“Rick, I know you’re James’s best man, but, if you don’t do as Helen said, I’m going to give you something else to talk about,” Gina stated, her voice calm as she intensified her stare.
“What would that be, sugar?” He smirked.
“Crushed nuts,” she growled. Olivia found that so funny that she laughed even harder, burying her head against Michelle’s shoulder.
“I’ve found her.” Rick’s eyes glinted with amusement, as he pointed at her. “I’ve found a woman grumpier than James! I’ve found her!”
“Don’t point your finger at me!” Gina raised her tone, snatching his finger out of the air.
“Girls, I need to borrow your friend here.” Rick assumed a more serious voice. “Excuse us.”
“Helen.” Michelle gently squeezed her on the shoulder. “One o’clock. The biker’s leaving.”
Her words acted like a wakeup call. Helen opened her eyes and forced her gaze up.
“What do you think I should do?” She asked.
“Go talk to him.” Michelle encouraged.
“I thought you liked him, too.” Helen spoke, confusion written all over her face.
“Please, darling.” Michelle snorted. “There are thirty reporters in here, plus, the place is packed with ‘Platinum Media’ executives. Imagine the headline, if I go after him. ‘Former twerking queen loves bikers. Read all about it on page three.’ Just go, will you?”
“Thanks.” Helen said, rising from her seat. By the time she moved around the table though, the stranger was already at the gate. She was unwilling to draw any unwanted attention upon herself; so she maintained a slow pace, with her gaze fixed on the road up ahead.
“Alright, Mr. Biker. Who are you? Where do you know James and why in the world are you leaving so soon? I mean, you just got here. What’s your rush?”
The distinctive sound of thunder-headers rocked the beachside resort, as the motorcycle roared into life. Helen quickly climbed down the stairs, her pulse rising by the second. The ground vibrated under her feet, as he turned on the throttle. His crooked smile reappeared, as their gazes met.
“Hi…” She waved, hesitantly. “My name’s Helen. Helen Weir.”
“Hey, Helen Weir,” He gave an amused nod, his voice rich and deep. “I’m Marcus.”
“Marcus what?” Her next question did not find an answer. Marcus turned his gaze downward, as she took another step towards him. “Why won’t you stay a little longer?”
“Look, I have a plane to catch.” He spoke in a much louder tone. “I’ll be seeing you.”
Marcus kicked the powerful motorcycle into gear, before rolling on the throttle once again. The Harley bucked and leapt forward, the deafening racket reverberating through her skull, as he rode off. The echo of the thunder-headers was still lingering in the air, when Helen heard Michelle’s smoky voice.
“That couldn’t have gone well,” She remarked.
“This is James all over again.” Helen spoke, a touch of sadness in her fruity voice.
“No, it’s not.” Michelle disagreed. “Not unless you have a crush on this guy, which I seriously doubt. Did you even get his name?”
“Don’t be silly,” Helen smiled. “I just liked his looks. His name’s Marcus. He wouldn’t give me his last name.”
“James just joined us,” Michelle informed. “He wouldn’t even say that. He just said what we already knew: That the two of them had known each other for a long time. Come on. Let’s go back to the party.”
“Why is there all this secrecy?” Frustration was lingering in Helen’s voice. “Why…”
“This is our friends’ wedding” Michelle interrupted, her tone stiff. “Do you really want to start asking James questions about that guy? You know him a lot better than I do. Sooner or later, he’ll snap.”
“You’re right.” Helen nodded. “Mr. Grumpy will yell at me.”
“Yeah, he will.” Michelle laughed, offering her hand. “Let’s go.”
Without much thought, Helen took her Michelle’s hand with her own. The two friends climbed up the stairs, as James and Olivia stepped onto the empty dance floor. The band started playing Berlin’s “Take my breath away”, as they returned to their table. The image of the happy couple’s dance painted a smile on Helen’s face, as her mind drifted back to the night of their reunion.
What a night: loads of music, emotion, a huge hug and a long, sweet kiss. I’m happy for you two. You’re made for each other. Olivia, you’re the only one who can tame that brute. In a way, I’m relieved I’m not with him. James, you’re lucky to have her. Hold on to her. I just hope I can find something like this…
3
Helen, Michelle and Gina wished the best to the newlyweds and left Barbados early the following afternoon. Helen would carry bittersweet memories from her first trip abroad. She had been there for one of her closest friend’s marriage. Olivia’s happiness filled her heart with joy, but, at the same time, it reminded her that she was still alone. Helen had no reason to worry that she wouldn’t find love. After all, she was only 24 years old, but still, she envied her friend’s luck. Olivia had found her one true love and she hadn’t.
Nevertheless, the discovery of her special one was not Helen’s biggest problem. Olivia and James’s wedding was the conclusion of a hectic, but very fun, four-month period. Her parents had allowed her to drive back and forth to New York almost on a daily basis, until the wedding. Most of the time, Helen visited Olivia. They would usually go out to a nearby club or even frequent “Barry’s”, the bar where Michelle and James often performed. More than that, Michelle and Helen helped Olivia pick her wedding dress and, along with Gina, plan the wedding. A strong bond began to develop among the four women. It wasn’t long before they realized that they had quite a few things in common and, even though Helen could not stand Gina’s cynicism sometimes, she liked her as well. She was much less sentimental than Olivia, but her sarcastic jokes and her strong character appealed to Helen.
The only thing that gave Helen some hope of escaping her dull, uneventful routine in Shandaken was the idea
of working for Michelle. Although it would not last long, she would have an ideal chance of travelling to the West Coast. Visiting the golden beaches of Malibu had always enthralled her. Moreover, she and Michelle would get to spend a lot more time together. Her job would not be difficult, as it didn’t entail much, and she only had to work during Michelle’s concerts. In Helen’s mind, it was a dream job, but she still had to convince her parents.
Mom and dad won’t like that. Don’t understate things, Helen. You know they’ll hate it. You’ve been driving around like crazy over the past few months and they were very lenient. They allowed you to enjoy every second of the preparations. God knows you had a great time. Is it bad that I want more? I mean, I’ve never lived away from Shandaken. All this is still very new to me. Shopping, hanging out in the big city… I already miss that. Who’d want to go back to working at the supermarket, after experiencing all this? Let’s hope my parents can understand me…
Sadly for Helen, it was already 1am when she entered Shandaken. Whatever plans she had of discussing her future plans with her parents would have to wait until the next day. Jetlagged, but with a heart full of content, she unlocked her front door and pushed it open. Helen snuck a peek into the living room. Her mother, Debbie, had fallen asleep in front of the TV. Grabbing the handle of her suitcase, she tiptoed into the house, while her gaze settled on her mother. Before she could cross the room though, a strong gust of wind slammed the door shut.
“God!” Debbie gasped, jolting forward out of her sleep.
“Hi, mom,” Helen said, her voice low as she turned left to face her. “Sorry for waking you.”
“It’s okay, child.” Debbie assured her daughter, her chest rising up and down. “Welcome home. How was Barbados?”
“Amazing,” Helen uttered, her voice filled with sadness as she dragged her gaze away from her mother. “Too bad you couldn’t make it. Where’s dad?”
“He’s in our bedroom. You sound upset, sweetheart,” Helen remarked, rising up off the couch. “What’s wrong?”
“Now’s not the time,” Helen heaved a long, deep sigh. “Go back to sleep. We’ll talk about it in the morning.”
“Well, I’m up now.” Debbie spoke in a soothing voice. “And tomorrow will be quite busy for the both of us. Come on, child. Tell me; what’s bothering you?”
“I’m going to miss them.” Helen confessed, her voice wobbly, as she turned her gaze to her mother’s face. “Michelle, Olivia, James… I’m even going to miss that cynical ginger, Gina.”
“You can always visit them in New York, pumpkin,” Debbie said, her tone calm as she started towards her. “Besides, James told me he’d be staying in his cabin a lot this winter.”
“Winter is five months away, mom,” Helen whispered, feeling tears rising up in her eyes. “And James needs to focus on his work, which means Olivia won’t be here much.”
“What are you saying?” Debbie asked in a voice riddled with tension. “You want to move to the city? Is that it?”
“I don’t know, mom.” Helen lightly shook her head.
“Look beyond your friendships with them, Helen.” Debbie advised. “New York is one huge, vicious place. Things move faster than you can blink there. Sure, you’ll be closer to them, but, most of the time, you’ll either be too tired to see them or you won’t have time for them. What are you going to do, anyway?”
“Mom, don’t get ahead of yourself, okay?” Helen requested as her voice broke and a tear rolled down her face. “I just said I’ll miss them. I haven’t thought about living in New York, getting a job there or anything else like that.”
“I can understand why,” Debbie said with a relaxed nod. “All this time was like a long vacation for you and them. But, do you really think it’s going to be like that from now on? I got news for you. It won’t. Pretty soon, life will happen. James is a rich man; he’s more than capable of taking care of his wife. Michelle’s on her way to stardom…”
“She asked me to work for her,” Helen interrupted.
“What?” Debbie squinted at her.
“Michelle,” Helen drew in a sharp breath. “She wants me to be her personal assistant.”
“Go on.” Debbie urged.
“She’s going away on a West Coast tour in a couple of weeks. It’s a temporary thing, though.” Helen explained, running her hand through her hair. “It will only be for a month, give or take.”
“What about your compensation?” Debbie asked.
“We haven’t talked about that yet,” Helen replied, her voice lower, as she gazed deep into her mother’s eyes. “I wanted to discuss it with you first.”
“It’s for just a month?” Debbie raised an eyebrow.
“Yes,” Helen gave a firm nod. Just after her sharp answer, her mother leaned in towards her, arms wide open and took her in her embrace.
“You can go.” Debbie said in her most comforting voice, slowly leaning back. “I’ll talk to your father. I’m sure he won’t mind.”
“Really?” Helen breathed out, surprise written all over her face. “I thought it’d be harder to convince you. I mean, you won’t have any help at the supermarket.”
“I’ve been doing it for four months now.” Debbie smiled. “I can handle it for a little while longer.”
“Thank you so much, mom,” Helen whispered, a broad smile spreading across her face, as she circled her arms around her mother’s back. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”
“Don’t mention it, honey.” Debbie assured, gently pushing her back. “Now, go get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
4
In spite of her workload, Helen was in a very festive mood. Her mother had given her the world the night before. At last, she would be her own woman. She would not depend on her parents anymore, at least for a short while. Helen worked tirelessly, carrying boxes or handling the register, humming lyrics of her favorite songs, and smiling at everybody. Most of her customers were used to her cheerful attitude; she had always been a happy girl, but a rude customer could – and often did – ruin her mood. Still, when she did face one that morning, she managed to baffle the several bystanders and did not even argue with him. On the contrary, she flashed a smile to dismiss him.
She called Michelle in the morning and told her the news. As one would expect, she was thrilled that her friend would become her personal assistant. Indeed, Michelle was so ecstatic that she kept cheering throughout their conversation.
The remaining days were no different. Helen waited patiently for the moment that she would leave her uneventful life in Shandaken once again, eager to reunite with her friends. To her dislike, Michelle was too preoccupied with rehearsals to drive there and Helen was simply too exhausted to do the same. Nevertheless, they both showed understanding; neither of them complained to each other.
When the big day finally came, Helen hugged and kissed her parents and drove out of the small, mountainous town, with a mind filled with questions, but with a heart burning with anticipation.
Malibu, California, here I come! Long, sunny beaches; gorgeous sunsets; loads of Michelle’s concerts; I just hope I don’t have to deal with Mr. Grumpy too much. He may be a great guy, but I just want to punch him in his fat face when he complains about everything. Okay, that’s just wishful thinking, Helen. He’ll be there, too. There’s nothing much you can do to avoid him. Nah, who cares? I’m going to be on my own. Is there anything more important than that? Well, sure there is: an honest relationship with someone. One thing at a time, darling, one thing at a time.
Helen parked her car in the underground parking lot of “Reigns”, a luxurious hotel in Manhattan, but, as she made her way to the elevator, she heard a familiar voice, echoing in the space: Gina. As she swept the lot, she spotted Rick’s Mercedes, heading for the exit.
“No, it can’t be her.” She told herself. Seconds later, she stepped out of the empty car on the penthouse, only to discover that the door to the suite was wide open. Michelle was be
hind it, whereas Olivia was sitting on the couch, laughing heartily.
“Hiiiii!” Helen sang, easing her suitcase down.
“Hey, girl,” Michelle smiled at her, as they exchanged a warm hug. “Come on in.”
“Liv, welcome back!” Helen cheered, sprinting across the living room. “When did guys come back? How was Jamaica?”
“Amazing,” Olivia chuckled. “But not nearly as amazing as this.”
“They got back last night. Jesus, country girl,” Michelle protested, while picking Helen’s suitcase up from the floor. “What have you put in here, rocks?”
“Um, why’s she laughing that hard?” Helen asked, looking up at Michelle.
“Oh, yeah,” Michelle gave an amused snort. “Gina and Rick were just here.”
“Gina and Rick?” Helen exclaimed, as her mouth fell open in utter disbelief.
“Yeah,” Michelle affirmed, smiling down at her. “They’re a thing. Rick was about to say something smart about…” she paused, “his favorite part of a female body. Gina glared at him. He stopped right away.”
“When did they…?”
“Get together?” Michelle finished Helen’s sentence. “Barbados. They hooked up on Olivia’s wedding night.”
“Oh, my God!” Helen’s voice became even more high-pitched. “How’s this even possible?”
“It makes sense, if you ask me.” Michelle stated. “He’s wacky, and talks a little too much. She’s restrained, and a little too serious. They’re a perfect fit.”
“So, there’ll be no more ‘sweet ass’ jokes?” Helen inquired, her voice dropping an octave lower, as she waited for her friend’s reply.
“Nope,” Michelle said with a grin. “I’m going to miss that, to be honest. Not the comments; just that crazy look in his eyes. He sort of looks like a mad scientist, every time he talks about butts.”
“Finally,” Helen sighed in relief. “Where’s James?”
“On his way to Shandaken,” Olivia interjected. “He won’t go anywhere without his guitars and his sheet music.”
