by Mary Carter
“Isn’t this gorgeous?” Grace said as they stood outside taking in the view.
“Good luck with your guitar?” Jake said.
“Oh my God,” Grace said. “You are a little jealous.”
“My name is Jean Sebastian,” Jake imitated in a horrible French accent. “But you can call me Jean Sebastian.” Grace laughed. “I think your friend Carrie Ann likes to stir up trouble,” Jake said.
Grace didn’t answer. What a Pandora’s box her acknowledgment would open. “I still don’t get why Stefano told me he saw you go into Carrie Ann’s apartment,” Grace said.
“How does Stefano even know what I look like?” Jake said.
“He’s been watching us come and go,” Grace said.
“Great. Stefano and Jean Sebastian. I’d better never leave your side.” Jake looped his arm around Grace’s shoulder.
“Speaking of leaving my side—why didn’t you come back to the apartment?”
“Because you texted me and told me to meet you here instead,” Jake said.
“No, I didn’t,” Grace said. “You texted me and told me to meet you here instead.”
“You’re trying to make me think I’m going crazy, aren’t you?” Jake said.
“Are you sure the text was from my number?”
“It’s a new phone, babe. I didn’t memorize your number.”
“Oh.” That made sense. They’d each bought disposables in Spain. She didn’t have Jake’s number memorized either. “Let’s make a pact to memorize each other’s number.”
“Agreed,” Jake said. Grace looked in her purse for her cell phone. She brought it out. She opened her messages and held them out to Jake. He read through them, shaking his head.
“I didn’t send any of these.”
“But you responded to some,” Grace said. She showed him.
He read them aloud. “ ‘Got caught up. Meet you at Miró . . . Phone dying.’ Oh my God. These aren’t from me—none of them.”
“And you weren’t in Carrie Ann’s apartment?”
“Why do you keep going back to that?”
“Because if you were at Carrie Ann’s apartment, then she had access to your cell phone and she could have sent the messages.”
“My phone is always in my back pocket,” Jake said.
“Wait,” Grace said. “So you were in Carrie Ann’s apartment?”
Jake sighed, looked away. “Someone who has a big birthday coming up shouldn’t ask too many questions.”
“Oh, God,” Grace said. “Don’t tell me you’re letting Carrie Ann use that as an excuse to get you in cahoots with her?”
“Cahoots?”
“You know what I mean.”
“I’m sorry, Grace. But secrets are allowed when you have a big birthday coming—”
“Stop saying ‘big.’ ”
“Good-bye, youth; hello, thirties.”
“Enough.”
“Dirty thirties? I like the sound of that one.” Jake grabbed her and kissed her hard. Grace pulled back. God, she wanted him right here and right now. He wasn’t usually this passionate in public. He was doing this out of jealousy. Grace could live with that. But first she had to make sure he stayed far away from Carrie Ann. She had worn that little red dress just to rile Jake up. Grace had to admit, Jake wasn’t the only one who was jealous.
“Apparently I haven’t done enough to convince you that you cannot trust a single thing Carrie Ann says.” Grace was suddenly furious. Here she was, extending herself to Carrie Ann again, and what was Carrie Ann doing? Luring Jake into her apartment for God knows what reason, using Grace’s “birthday” as an excuse, and then getting ahold of his cell phone.
“There’s no way she could have taken my phone out of my back pocket without my knowing.”
“I told you Carrie Ann used to be a magician?”
“You’re saying she slipped it out of my pocket?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Not possible.”
“She was really, really good. Even for a little kid. Incredible slight of hand.”
“No. Not a chance.”
“Was she ever standing really, really close to you?”
Jake blushed; it was all the answer Grace needed. “It’s okay. She’s like that.”
“Let’s just say I believe you. Why would she do that? What does she have to gain?”
“I don’t quite know yet.” Tell him. Tell him who she married. Then tell him everything about the past.
“You were right. You don’t owe her anything. We’ll say our good-byes after the museum.” Jake sounded determined. Grace should tell him about her mistake, how she had accidentally kind of invited Carrie Ann to come to Nashville sometime. And then tell him how someone like Carrie Ann would take that to heart. “Hey—did you talk to your mom?”
“I couldn’t call from the computer. You password protected your laptop.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Well, someone did.”
“Are you serious?” Jake had graduated to angry. “Let’s go,” he said. He took her hand and started to pull her away from the entrance.
“It’s okay. I talked to my dad. Mom is fine. She was resting. I didn’t mention you-know-who.”
“I want to go see my laptop.”
“But we’re right here. You’ve been wanting to see this museum.”
“Well, now all I want is to get us away from your psycho friend.” As if summoned, Carrie Ann appeared at the top of the hill. Jake looked at Grace. She squeezed his hand.
“Let’s just get through this,” she said. “Please?” Jake didn’t look happy, but he didn’t say anything to Carrie Ann, and he willingly entered the museum.
They walked through the exhibits in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. One of the first things Grace saw was a small room painted red. A grand piano sat in the center of the room. Above it was the most magnificent chandelier Grace had ever seen, hovering and glittering over the piano. Black, white, and red. The effect was arresting, almost violent in nature. The image lingered long after she moved on.
She found she loved the sculptures better than the paintings. One was of a man doing a backflip. He seemed to hover midair, and, despite staring and walking around it, Grace couldn’t figure out how they were holding it up. Carrie Ann was smiling as if she knew, but Grace wasn’t about to ask her. She should pull Carrie Ann aside and confront her with what Jake had told her, but Grace just didn’t have an argument in her at the moment. She wanted to shut everything off. She was going to stop letting Carrie Ann kidnap them.
The roof had a garden with more Miró sculptures and a view of Barcelona. The people who lived here were so lucky to have all this in their backyard. There weren’t too many places in America, if any, that had this much culture with a beach feel. The sun felt even hotter on the roof, and Grace leaned against a barrier and closed her eyes.
“Somebody has an admirer.” Grace opened her eyes. Carrie Ann stood in front of her, that smile on her face again. In her left hand she was holding a folded piece of paper.
Grace eyed the offering, but didn’t take it. “What’s that?”
“Jean Sebastian’s phone number. He wanted me to give it to you.” Grace glanced around. “Jake’s downstairs, staring at lines and circles.”
“I don’t want it,” Grace said.
“You don’t even want to know what he said?” Before Grace could answer, Carrie Ann opened the piece of paper and showed it to Grace.
Hola, Grace.
IT WAS A PLEASURE
I’d very much like to meet again.
And, indeed, underneath he had left his phone number. Grace couldn’t help but feel a tingle of flattery, and she prayed Carrie Ann didn’t see the blush working its way up her face. “He’s hot,” Carrie Ann said. “I flirted my ass off, but he kept asking about you.” Carrie Ann shook the piece of paper in her hand as if she were ringing a bell. “He’s going to meet us for drinks and dancing tonight,” she a
nnounced.
“What?” Grace said. “No.”
“No?” Carrie Ann said. “Why not?”
“Well, just . . . I mean. Because.” We’re not going! Tongue-tied around Carrie Ann again. Grace hated that about herself. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same. “Jake has a headache,” Grace said. “I’m not sure if we’ll go.”
Carrie Ann eyed her. “Did you tell him you invited me to Nashville?”
And, there it was. Proof that Carrie Ann had not only taken Grace quite literally, but here she was acting like she was going to book a seat on their flight back. “Not yet.”
“Why not? The sooner the better, don’t you think?”
“So—you’re planning on coming soon?”
“Isn’t that what you meant?”
“I just . . . wanted you to know . . . you weren’t alone.”
“So you didn’t really mean it.”
“Of course I did. I just didn’t know you were thinking about visiting so soon.”
“I can’t be anywhere near Stan. And I don’t want to travel Europe alone.”
“Maybe you’ll meet a handsome stranger who likes to travel and run off with him,” Grace said. “Did Jean Sebastian tell you he travels for a living?”
“You want me to travel Europe with a guy who fell in love at first sight with you?”
“That’s ridiculous.” Grace felt her face heat up again. Had he really said that to Carrie Ann? She was pretty sure he had to have felt the same instant attraction. Which didn’t mean anything. She wasn’t going to see him again. Carrie Ann could find another boy toy.
“He didn’t write me a note,” Carrie Ann said. She thrust the note at Grace.
Grace looked up to see Jake approaching. “Let’s talk about this later,” she said. She shoved the note back at Carrie Ann. Carrie Ann gave a knowing smile. Jake joined them, and Carrie Ann immediately looped arms with him like he was one of her many accessories. Then, as if in slow motion, the note from Jean Sebastian fluttered to the ground.
“Whoops,” Carrie Ann said. Grace lunged to pick it up, but Jake got to it first. He handed it to Carrie Ann. Carrie Ann smiled and took her sweet old time taking the note back from him. Gone were the tears, the fear of the psycho husband, the “I’m all alone” lament. Grace had a sinking feeling that she’d been played. Hook, line, and sinker. “How’s the head?” Carrie Ann said to Jake as she rubbed the piece of paper between her fingers. When Jake frowned she reached up and ruffled his hair. Grace wanted to kill her. Jake raised an eyebrow and looked at Grace.
“I told her about your headache,” Grace said. “And how we might not be able to go dancing with her and Jean Sebastian tonight.”
“I’m afraid it’s turning into a migraine,” Jake said. “In fact I’d like to go back to the room and lie down. Will you go with me?”
“Nonsense,” Carrie Ann said. “Don’t you two know the best thing about vacationing in Europe?” She waited, but neither Grace nor Jake replied. “Foreign drugstores! Spain has some great medications. We’re going to one right now, and I won’t take no for an answer.”
The pharmacy was in a stone building that looked like it was from the 1500s. On the outside a neon green circle with a plus sign was the only clue what the building was. Grace hated to admit it, but she agreed with Carrie Ann. It was fun to check out medications in a new country. The pharmacist handed Jake some tablets that he said would cure a migraine. Grace wondered if he had anything to cure a frenemy from the past.
Jake leaned over and whispered in Grace’s ear. “As soon as we buy this, we’ll say we have to go back to the apartment so I can take it.”
“Agreed.”
“Get what you needed?” Carrie Ann sailed up the aisle, her arms full of bottles. “I fucking love it. I think there’s codeine in all of this.”
Grace couldn’t help but laugh. Sometimes she had really missed Carrie Ann. “Don’t worry. When I come to Nashville I won’t take up your entire medicine cabinet,” Carrie Ann said.
“What?” Jake said. “When you what?”
“Come to Nashville,” Carrie Ann said.
“You’re coming to Nashville?”
“Of course. Grace invited me.”
“We have to get back to the apartment right now,” Grace said.
“We’re going out at nine o’clock,” Carrie Ann said. “I’ll come by.”
“We’ll let you know,” Jake said.
“Even if you’re still down for the count, you’re not going to keep Grace in, are you?”
“Grace always makes her own decisions.”
“Of course she does. So, Gracie, you’re coming tonight, aren’t you?”
Carrie Ann stared at Grace. Jake stared at Grace. She was going to have to take some of Jake’s headache tablets. Grace headed for the door. “We’ll let you know,” she called over her shoulder. What she hated more than anything at the moment was that she really did feel like going out, and drinking, and dancing, and just letting loose. One big dance-off, and then she and Jake could go home. The only thing she had to figure out was how to keep Carrie Ann from following her. Maybe the Jean Sebastian angle was still viable. He’d only met Grace for a few seconds. Carrie Ann was hot. A few drinks, some close dancing—this might just solve all of Grace’s problems. And all she had to do was get Jake to see it the same way.
Once outside Grace started in the direction of their apartment building. She was grateful that for once Carrie Ann took a hint and let them off on their own. She was still in the drugstore trying on sunglasses. For all Grace knew she was going to try to charm the pharmacist out of the really good stuff. Suddenly, Jake grabbed her arm and swung her around. “Where do you think you’re going?” Jake said. Grace stopped. Jake was smiling.
“Oh God,” she said. “I totally forgot you don’t actually have a migraine.” Grace tensed, expecting Jake to confront her with inviting Carrie Ann to Nashville. Instead, he laughed and pulled out a small device, the size of an iPhone. “What’s that?”
“My new video camera.”
“It’s tiny.”
“It will do the trick. What do you say we stroll through the food market. Then we can go to the downtown park. The one with the fountain and the giant elephant tusks. We’ll take silly videos to send to your mom.”
“Perfect.” Hand in hand they now walked in the opposite direction of the apartment. “What if we run into her?” Grace said. She really didn’t want to hurt Carrie Ann’s feelings again. Carrie Ann’s manipulative side could be tamed with kindness, but inflamed when she felt slighted.
Jake looped his arm around Grace’s shoulders and kissed her cheek. “We’ll tell her she was right—European drugs work fast.”
Mercat St. Joseph de la Boqueria welcomed shoppers with a triangular entrance sign made of stained glass and iron rods. The enormous food market was alive with people and produce. Pig heads. Fruits and vegetables. Seafood. One stand had jars of honey and spices, the next succulent crabs on ice, and the next colorful premade juices in tall plastic cups with long straws. You could find just about anything here, and it was where all the Catalan chefs came to buy produce, meat, or seafood for the numerous top restaurants in Barcelona. It was a parade of food, the Mardi Gras for foodies. Grace decided to keep her eyes feasted on the arrays of fruits and vegetables rather than on the animal heads, or in some cases entire bodies, glass eyes staring at you forever. Poor little piggies and goat heads, all hacked off and lying on one side, eye staring up at the rafters of the market. Grace crossed herself and murmured, “Circle of life.” Jake filmed nonstop, slowly panning his new camera over every gross item.
A case full of delicate eggs resting on straw had a sign: NO TOCAR; don’t touch. Another bin had mushroom caps as big as Grace’s head. And more eggs, ones that looked as if they’d been laid by a dinosaur, probably ostrich. A candy stall beckoned. Jake loved licorice. She bought a pound of it, then faced Jake.
“Carrie Ann is married to Stan Gale,” she s
aid.
“The kid you used to bully?”
“I shouldn’t have put it that way. I didn’t bully him. I just didn’t like him, but I still let him think he was our friend.”
“So—wait—didn’t she say her husband was an abusive psycho?”
“Yep.”
“This gets weirder and weirder.”
“She said she wants to get away from him. So she asked me to travel Europe with her for the next couple of months—”
“No, Grace. You didn’t.”
“Of course I didn’t.”
Jake looked like he was about to read her the riot act. “Good. Because I could barely get you to enjoy ten days, so it would really—”
“I just told you I wouldn’t. You know I couldn’t leave my mom for that long.”
“But you’d leave me for that long?”
“I didn’t say that.” Grace heard her voice rise in frustration. Several heads turned. Great. They were becoming one of those couples who immediately unraveled while traveling together. Although she could see how easily it could happen. She was tired and stressed, and even the fun parts felt strained because of the energy you had to expend when everything was so new and exciting. Having an out-and-out brawl was almost tempting. Especially since they were in a food court. So many things to throw. There was probably a song in there somewhere: I threw some grapes in Spain because my man was a pain. . . .
“Really?” Jake said. “Now?”
“Shit.” She couldn’t believe it was that obvious when she was mentally composing. How could she possibly leave any mystery in the relationship when he knew her inside and out? “I’m just trying to explain why I told Carrie Ann that she could visit us in Nashville.”
