by Marsh Brooks
“You won't leave with her to California, will you?”
“No, boss,” Myra replied. Phil's attempted joke did not register.
After they hung up, Phil wondered what Stacy was up to. The last thing Phil needed was for Stacy to show up in Miami. His love life was a mess and he didn’t want any more problems.
##
When Isabel reached home that evening, Richard was already there with Rebecca watching television.
“You look tired Bella,” Richard said.
“I am,” Isabel replied.
Rebecca's eyes were fixated on a news anchor delivering “Breaking News.”
“When does this stop being Breaking News? Every half hour they repeat the same thing,” Rebecca said before looking at Isabel. “The lawyer called and said you needed to call her today if you could. She will be working late at the office tonight.”
Richard and Isabel then called the attorney, who told them the details of the offer, including the six-figure amount that Isabel was going to receive.
“Besides the money they are giving you for pain and suffering, the insurance company also agreed to put money in escrow to pay for all of your medical costs and treatment,” the attorney told Isabel. Isabel was ready to accept the insurance company's offer, when the attorney proposed to make a counter-offer for additional money for pain and suffering. Although she acquiesced to her attorney's suggestion, Isabel was ready to put this accident behind her.
Isabel could not sleep that night. In the past few weeks, her life had taken several turns that she never could have imagined. First, it was the accident, then Phil, and now Rebecca's pregnancy. By the time morning had come, she was tired, wide awake and still in bed. It was almost 10:30 in the morning when the phone rang. She didn't pick up. A few minutes later, Rebecca knocked on her bedroom door.
“Come in,” Isabel said.
Rebecca didn't come in. She simply said, “It's Tia Marcia, she wants to talk to you.”
After a short struggle to reach the lamp on the night table, Isabel picked up the phone, which was next to a brown alarm clock.
“Good morning, Tia Marcia.”
“Did anything happen between you and Phil yesterday?” Marcia asked without returning her greeting.
“Huh, what do you mean?” Isabel asked, not knowing what her aunt knew or how to respond without divulging any information regarding her conversation with Phil.
“His doctor just called to tell me that Phil called to tell him that he wanted to continue his therapy at another center.”
“But your place is recognized as one of the best in South Florida,” Isabel argued.
“I know. His doctor tried to convince him to stay but he would have none of it.”
“Did he tell the doctor why?” Isabel asked, fearing what the answer would be.
“No. He was sitting on the bench next to you, yesterday. Did he say anything about that?” Marcia asked.
“No,” Isabel responded. Isabel was technically correct. Phil didn't tell her that he wanted to continue his therapy somewhere else. But deep inside, Isabel knew why. How could she tell her aunt that Phil was doing this because of her?
“Well, I tried to call him but he was not in his office. I will try to call him again to find out why. To be frank, I liked him and all of the nurses here kept telling me how nice he was to them. He even gave a job to the daughter of one of our gardeners,” Marcia said.
“It might have been because of me,” Isabel admitted. She was not sure whether Phil would tell her aunt when she talked to him, but she was not going to lie to her aunt or let her aunt find out directly from Phil.
“What do you mean? I was right, wasn't I? Something happened between the two of you yesterday?”
“Yes,” Isabel admitted.
“So what was it?”
“He told me how much he liked me and I told him that I didn't want to talk to him or see him again.”
“Why on earth would you say something like that? Couldn't you be more diplomatic? Besides, I was hoping he could help with your accident case,” Marcia said.
“My case is almost settled. Besides, what could I tell him? I am engaged to be married to Richard.”
“I see,” Marcia said. “So when is the wedding Isabel?”
“What? My wedding date doesn't have anything to do with it. It's just that I am engaged.”
“I know you're engaged. You've been saying that. Tell me, do you love Richard?” Marcia asked.
“Why do you ask?” Isabel answered.
“It would have been simple enough to say, 'I love him', but you didn't say that, why?”
“Well, I am not sure, OK?” Isabel's voice was rising as if she had been caught in a trap and wanted this conversation to end.
“You're not sure because of Phil?”
“No. Well yes, but I would never do anything to hurt Richard.”
“Isabel, do you really know Richard?”
“Of course, why do you ask?” Isabel asked.
“Why have you never gone to Orlando with him?”
“He goes to Orlando for his construction projects and he doesn’t have much time when he’s there,” Isabel responded.
Marcia was burning inside because she wanted to tell Isabel that Richard's trips to Orlando were to spend time with another woman. But she could not. Marcia, herself found out about Richard's cheating by accident. Even though it had been over a year since she saw Richard with the blond woman in the back of the Brazilian restaurant, the image of the woman kissing Richard's earlobe was still vivid in her mind.
Had she not been meeting some physician friends for dinner that night, Marcia would have never known about Richard's indiscretions. After that night at the restaurant, Marcia then hired a private investigator who confirmed to her that Richard and the woman had, on several occasions, spent the night together in an expensive house in Orlando. To this day, Marcia still asked herself why Richard was with Isabel. What did he want? Why was he living a double life? What was he up to? She tried to investigate further but had been unable to find out why.
She couldn't explain to Isabel why she had hired a private investigator to follow her fiancé. She knew that Isabel would not be happy about it. She hoped that Isabel would find out about Richard's indiscretions on her own.
“Isabel, I hope you know what you're doing. You're with Richard, yet, you have feelings for Phil,” Marcia said.
“It's not like that. You know that. I have known Richard for years. I don't know much about Phil. I only met him a couple of weeks ago.”
“How do you expect to know about Phil if you refuse to talk to him?” Marcia asked.
“Richard has been good to me. I will get over Phil and I am sure he will get over me also,” Isabel said firmly.
“I hope you're right. If not, you will be making the biggest mistake of your life,” Marcia said. “I’ve got to go now. I will talk to you when you get here.”
After speaking to her aunt, Isabel realized the enormity of her mistake. She might never see Phil again. She loved Phil. But was it really a mistake? She wasn't the type to betray a person's trust. She would never betray Richard. She would marry Richard.
Chapter Eight
When Marcia asked Isabel if something had happened to cause Phil to decide on a different center, she did not expect that to be the case. Now that Marcia knew, she would have to tread carefully when she called Phil. She had been embarrassed by the whole situation. She was the one who convinced Phil's doctor to send him to the Center to continue his therapy for the injured ankle. Now that Phil had gone to his doctor to say he wanted to make a change, it would make the doctor think twice before referring another client to her.
As she was dialing Phil's number, she reminded herself that her goal was simple, to get Phil to change his mind. Beneath it all, however, she also hoped that it would be an opportunity for Phil and Isabel to get together again. Maybe the second time could be the charm.
“Mr. Pierce?” this is Marcia.
“Dr. Gomez?” Phil said, surprised that she would call him herself at home.
“No, Marcia.”
“OK, Phil not Mr. Pierce.”
“Got it. How are you?”
“OK, I guess,” Phil replied.
“I spoke to Dr. Klein who told me of your decision to leave the Center, and I wanted to know if I or any of my staff had done something that led you to make this decision.”
“All of you have been great,” Phil replied.
“I am glad to know that,” Marcia said. Phil had not expected to receive this phone call and did not know where this was going. He could not tell her it was because of her niece. How could he?
“I just spoke to my niece Isabel and she seemed to blame herself, thinking she might have been the reason for your decision.”
“huhh”, Phil was thinking. Things were taking a turn he didn't expect. What's wrong with this family? he thought. Everyone seemed to know about everyone's business.
“I was calling to ask you to reconsider,” Marcia continued, “We want you back at the Center. You were making good progress. Besides, although she didn't come out and say it, I know that Isabel would want to see you again.”
“My decision may have seemed childish. The fact is I just didn't want Isabel to feel uncomfortable knowing I was around, after she told me that she didn't want to ever talk to or see me again,” Phil said.
“Well, you don't know much about women, do you?” Marcia said. “We don't always say what we mean. Sometimes, you cannot just give up. If you love someone, sometimes you have to fight for her. ”
“She told me that she loved Richard,” Phil said.
“As I said, you have a lot to learn about women,” Marcia said. Then she told him a joke that she once heard, about a man who went to see God, after God had agreed to answer one question for him.
The man then asked God, “Tell me about the meaning of life.”
“This is a very complicated question,” God responded. “Ask me another one.”
“Tell me how to understand women.”
“Well,” God said, “the meaning of life is.....”
The story caused Phil to laugh and Marcia said, “What did you expect a woman who is engaged to say? That she didn't love her fiancé? All I am saying is that if you are making this decision to leave because of what happened between you and Isabel, you might not have gotten the complete picture of the whole situation. If you love her, you should not give up so easily.”
“OK, let me think about it,” Phil said. “I thought I was doing what was best for Isabel, what she would want me to do.”
“I hope you decide to stay with us. Even you do not, I hope you give yourself a second chance with Isabel,” Marcia said before she hung up.
Phil didn't know what Marcia had against Richard. But a jolt of happiness ran through his body. Could it be that Marcia was right? Could it be that Isabel shared his feelings? If so, he would know soon, because it was time to go watch the ducklings play again.
##
Stacy always thought that it was easy to love someone like her. She was very beautiful and could be nice and charming when she wanted to. In Phil's case, it would take a little work because she had hurt him. Now that she was in Miami, she was not going to leave any stones unturned.
Before, she could move to the next step in her plan, she needed to have Phil's full attention. Michelle had told her that she overheard Jeremy talk about a woman who was paralyzed that Phil liked, who was receiving treatment at the rehabilitation center that Phil was attending. She needed now to have a talk with her. But first, she needed to know who she was. It was like going for a movie audition. Always take your rival actors seriously. You don't always win a part in a movie by simply repeating lines in front of a casting director. Sometimes you have to bend the rules. She didn't get to where she was by being nice. She didn't play nice in business and she didn't intend to play nice in love either. The way Stacy saw it, if two women wanted the same man, one would have to lose him. Stacy was not going to lose to an invalid.
##
That afternoon, when Isabel rolled her wheelchair in front of the lake after her therapy, she was surprised to see Phil sitting on the end of the bench. She knew that her aunt was good at handling people and she wondered what Marcia might have told Phil to make Phil change his mind.
Phil turned when she pulled her wheelchair on his left, and said, “the ducklings are having more fun today than usual.”
Isabel turned to look at the ducklings playing in the lake. But in reality, she was not seeing them. Her mind was racing, her palms sweating, and her heart palpitating. She was so happy to see him. She wondered whether she would ever be able to resist him. She tried it before and had to endure a long and sleeplessness and painful night.
“Phil, I'm sorry for what I said to you yesterday,” she said. Phil could see the pain in her face and wished he could hold her. How do you hold someone in a wheelchair? He didn't know how. Even if he managed to, would she push him away?
“It wasn't you, Isabel. It was me. I realized that telling you how I felt about you when you don't know much about me might have been overwhelming to you and I’m sorry,” Phil said.
“You are the last person that I would want to be mean to. I really felt very bad about what happened. I should have told you that I was engaged, and when I heard this morning that you might never come back, I wanted to take back everything I said to you,” Isabel said.
Then Phil grabbed Isabel's hands and held them in his palm, Isabel fidgeted. She felt her fingers burning from his touch. “Isabel, I love you and I know that you're engaged to be married. But I want the person you marry to be me. I will not rest until I know I've earned your love.”
“The thing is that I love you, too,” Isabel said. “But it's complicated. I am engaged and we don't even know anything about each other.”
“Well let's start,” said a happy Phil. They didn't kiss, but Isabel felt good to be next to him, to feel his love for her. She wondered what it would feel like to be kissed by him. She knew that she was still engaged. She was feeling guilty about the situation. But she was happy that her hands were in his hands, the hands of the man she loved.
Isabel and Phil spent the next few hours talking about Isabel's family and how Isabel had to become a mother to Rebecca after the passing of Isabel's own mother. They talked about Isabel's college years and how she started her computer company. Isabel didn't talk to Phil about Rebecca's pregnancy. She felt that she would be violating Rebecca's privacy. Isabel, on the other hand, also learned that Phil searched for his real parents, but never found them, and also how he created a company that provided trial expertise to law firms. They felt so much at ease that neither one wanted to leave.
It was very late when both decided to depart from the Center. Phil had never felt such happiness before, and Isabel was feeling drowsy from so much love and so much fear of the future. Richard was spending a couple days in Orlando. What was she going to tell Richard when he got back?
Unbeknownst to Phil and Isabel, someone had spent the past hour watching them from a car in a parking lot across the lake. As Phil and Isabel left, Stacy started the car. Stacy had seen enough. It was now time for her to act. A smile spread across Stacy's face. She only acted when it mattered. Like an academy award winner in a blockbuster movie, she was going to rise to the occasion.
##
When Isabel reached home that evening, all she wanted was to take a quick shower and go to bed. She had had a wonderful afternoon with Phil. But overall it was a bad day. She could not simply walk away and hurt Richard who had treated her well, but yet she didn't want to lose Phil. By the time she fell asleep, she was tired of thinking, tired of all of the emotions flooding her heart.
The next morning, she was still distraught over what took place between her and Phil. Some people viewed cheating as sleeping with someone who is not your partner or spouse. To her, loving someone else was also cheating. She felt like s
he had cheated on Richard with Phil.
##
When Phil woke up the next day, he was still very ecstatic about the day before. He never knew that sitting and holding hands could feel so good. He was still in deep thought about Isabel, when the phone rang. It was Jeremy.
“Hi old buddy.”
“Hi Jeremy, how are you?”
“Fine. Guess what?”
“What?” Phil asked.
“I'm on my way to the airport.”
“Good. Are they kicking you out of the country?” Phil joked.
“Don't be funny,” Jeremy responded. “I am flying to Miami today.”
“Cool,” Phil said. “What time do you think you'll be here?”
“My flight leaves at 11:00 in the morning and I should be in Miami in about an hour and a half. After that, I have a meeting at 3:00 pm. So, I should be at your place by 6:00 pm.”
“Great. It'd be fun to see you.”
“I'm not sure. How is your Greek tragedy going?”
“What Greek tragedy?”
“You, falling for a woman who is in a wheelchair and engaged to another man.”
“This isn't a Greek tragedy," he answered. "When you meet Isabel, you will love her.”
“Has she told you that she was going to dump her fiancé for you?” Jeremy asked.
“Well no, but she loves me.”
“You just confirmed my point. You love her and she loves you, right?”
“Right,” Phil agreed. Once Jeremy meets Isabel, he will change his mind about her, Phil thought to himself.
“Tell me, Phil, do you know what Romeo & Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, Cleopatra and Mark Antony, Orpheus and Eurydice, and Napoleon and Josephine have in common?” Jeremy asked.
“They are famous love stories. I didn't know that you read them,” Phil said.
“I don't,” Jeremy said.
“So, what do they have in common, Mr. love expert?” Phil asked, in a mocking manner.
“They are considered great love stories but they never end well for the two people who are said to be in love.”
“What does that have to do with us?” Phil asked. But deep inside he knew what Jeremy was trying to say.
