by Alice Ward
I stepped through the front door to find her sitting on the couch. She was watching television and didn’t notice me come inside. It made me nervous that she was so oblivious. If someone broke in, she wouldn’t even realize until it was too late. Not for the first time, I was grateful that she lived in a safe neighborhood.
“Mom,” I said, walking over to her. “Hi.”
She startled. “Oh, Dani Bug, I didn’t hear you come in.”
“I’m sorry. I should have knocked.”
“Don’t be silly,” she laughed. “You never have to knock. How are you?”
“I’m okay,” I said with a fake smile plastered on my face. “I had a long weekend. How are you feeling?”
“Just wonderful,” she assured me. “I feel just wonderful today.”
“That’s great,” I said and meant it. She really did seem to be okay. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and her eyes were alert. So often now, she was pale and disoriented. I liked to see her this way. “So, Mrs. Gleason checked on you this weekend, right?”
She blinked rapidly and almost seemed surprised to see me beside her. “What?”
“Mrs. Gleason,” I repeated. “She came over this weekend?”
“Um,” she blinked again, and suddenly, her eyes weren’t as alert. She looked around her, trying to find her bearings. I hadn’t meant to confuse her.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said quickly. I grabbed her hand and held on. “Let’s talk about something else.”
The lines on her forehead deepened, but she nodded. “Okay.”
“My art show went well. I—”
“You had a show?” she asked with excitement. My stomach dropped.
“I did.” I ignored the tears pricking the backs of my eyes. “Last week.”
She turned fully to me, looking for a moment like a little girl. “Oh, how was it?”
“It was great,” I lied. “I sold so many paintings. I think my art is really starting to take off. You would have been proud of me.”
“I’m always proud of you,” she gushed.
My throat clogged. “Thank you,” I managed to say. She patted my hand and turned her attention back to the television. I knew she couldn’t focus on our conversation for too long. It was draining for her. She did the best when she could just sit and relax. Her mental capabilities were failing her more and more. I hated seeing it. It broke my heart each time she got a little worse.
We sat together for a few hours, just watching television and relaxing. Everything was fine until it wasn’t.
Mom squealed and jumped to her feet. Right away I could see the problem. She had wet her pants.
“It’s okay,” I said gently, but she had already begun to cry and fret over the mishap. “You change and I’ll get this cleaned up.”
She looked mortified, her cheeks flushed a bright pink as she trudged to the bedroom, and I got to work on the seat cushion. After that, I did a load of laundry while she napped, my mind spinning like the washer the whole time.
Seeing my mother that way was the hardest thing I’d ever experienced. Just a few days before, she seemed okay. Now, she was deteriorating again. These things happened so quickly that I was never prepared for them. One second, she just forgot small details, and the next, she couldn’t remember how to use the bathroom properly. While I folded her clothes, my eyes began to water. I didn’t know what to do.
I didn’t have the resources to care for her properly. She so desperately needed to be in a home, but I couldn’t pay for it. My mind turned to thoughts of Talen, and I wished I hadn’t stormed out of dinner the night before. Talen had a way of getting under my skin. In the short amount of time that we’d known each other, he was able to infuriate me more than anyone else ever had. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was about him that bothered me so much, but I hated it.
Still, I knew I shouldn’t have left like that. In the moment, I didn’t think I could handle being his wife for an entire month. Just talking about the plan made me queasy. Coming up with a backstory? A lie? It sounded so terrible, so unlike me, that I wanted to run screaming from the restaurant. While I didn’t scream, I did run. I ran all the way to the street and grabbed the first cab I saw.
It wasn’t smart, but it was what I needed to do. As I stood in my mother’s house, listening to her soft snores, I knew I’d made a mistake. Talen was offering me a chance to finally make some real money. I worked constantly, either at my part-time job as a waitress, or my other part-time job as a bookstore clerk. Together, I was still barely able to pay for rent and essentials. My paintings weren’t selling the way I needed, and my mother’s condition was getting worse every day. She couldn’t wait much longer. I sighed and folded the last of the laundry, thinking that I needed to call Talen as soon as I got home.
That afternoon, I said goodbye to my mom and headed home to get ready for my waitressing shift. I’d seriously thought about staying the night in case she needed me, but she seemed better. Her mood had improved by the time I left, and she almost seemed like herself again. She would be okay until the morning at least.
I drove through town, enjoying the silent comfort of my car. My head was still spinning with thoughts of Talen and my mom. I’d made my decision while I folded her laundry, but I still didn’t feel right about it. The idea of calling Talen and asking for a second chance felt wrong. My cheeks flushed with shame before I even made it to the restaurant.
Hours later, my feet hurt but I had another hundred dollars in my pocket so I couldn’t complain too much. It was after midnight when I let myself into my apartment, and my eyes fell on my easel. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep for a while, and I wasn’t ready to call Talen yet, so I placed a blank canvas on the wood and went to work. Again, I didn’t plan my painting. I just chose a few different colors, and let my emotions lead me. I thought about my mom and Talen. I remembered the way I felt when I woke up next to him, my new husband. As my paintbrush hit the canvas over and over again, tears formed behind my eyes. I blinked them away, not wanting to obscure my view of the painting.
When I was done, I took a step back and admired my work. The painting was of the chapel where Talen and I got married. It was blurry and unclear, exactly the way I remembered it. It looked like it had been doused in water, the colors running smoothly together. I smiled to myself. I didn’t need anyone to tell me this painting was good. I knew it was. There was a beauty to it that wasn’t easily achieved. I was immediately proud of myself and filled with a sense of confidence.
I rode that confidence all the way to my phone. When I picked it up, I dialed Talen’s number without hesitation. It rang twice before he picked up.
“Dani,” he said, his voice sleepy. I glanced at the clock and realized it was after four in the morning. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I said back. “Sorry for calling at this hour, but I wanted to apologize for the way I acted last night. I shouldn’t have left dinner. That was rude.”
“Yeah,” he said but not unkindly. “It was, but I understand. This entire situation is crazy.”
“I’d like another chance to make this work,” I said quickly before I could lose my nerve. “I think we can both get something out of this arrangement.”
“That’s what I’ve been saying since the beginning.” There was a bite to his tone.
I didn’t appreciate it. He was upset about the previous night, but that wasn’t an excuse. This wasn’t easy for me, and I wished he could appreciate that. Instead, he was acting like a child. I was frustrated, but I forced myself to stay calm. Picking a fight with him wouldn’t do either of us any good. He needed my help, and I needed his money. My mother’s face flashed before my eyes, and I took a deep breath. She was my reason for everything. I had to find a way to help her, even if that meant sucking up to Talen.
“You were right.” I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”
“Okay,” Talen sighed. “Well, if we’re going to do this, then your attitude needs to change.”
“My attitude?�
� I asked, immediately bristling.
“Yes. You can’t keep walking out when you don’t like something. You have to actually participate. Otherwise, no one will believe we’re a couple.”
He was right, and the knowledge made me want to scream. Instead, I took one of the deep, cleansing breaths I learned in a yoga class long ago.
“I can do that,” I promised. “But I’m not the only one who needs to change.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that you can’t keep bossing me around,” I snapped and immediately went back to my yoga voice. “I’m not your property, Talen. I understand that you’re paying me to do this, but I’m still a person. You need to show me some respect.”
“I have been!” he argued. “At least, I’ve tried, but you haven’t exactly made it easy.”
“Neither have you,” I fired back, all hope of calm lost.
We were both silent for a few seconds. I could hear Talen’s breathing on the other end of the phone. We were butting heads again, and I seriously wondered if we would be able to pull this off. Finally, I sighed and sat down on my couch. One of us needed to budge, or we would end up right back where we started.
“Let’s just agree to be nicer to each other,” I said softly. “You respect me, and I’ll respect you, okay? We have to work together, right?”
“Right,” Talen agreed. “We do.”
I leaned my head against the cushion, feeling very tired. “Okay. So let’s just start there.”
Talen was silent for a few minutes. I waited to hear his response, hoping that he would agree with me. I wasn’t about to let him walk all over me, but I knew I could be a bit nicer than I’d been. This situation wasn’t entirely his fault.
“Dinner tomorrow night,” Talen suggested. “We can talk more then, okay?”
“Sounds good.” I tried to smile, but I was glad he couldn’t see me. The smile was weak and all my trepidation would have shown in my eyes.
“I’ll text details. Have a good night. Um, I mean morning.” There was actually a bit of humor in his voice. We seemed to be making some progress.
“Good whatever,” I said, really smiling this time, and hung up.
I set the phone down and laid back on the couch. With my eyes closed, I tried to remind myself why this was a good idea. I would have to see Talen again, and I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I had to believe it would be worth it. I thought about the money and how much it would mean to my mother. She would be able to move into a stable environment where she would always have someone around to help her. That, more than anything, was my motivation.
When I sat back up, my eyes fell on my painting again. It looked even more beautiful the longer I gazed at it. I could see my pain and sadness reflected in every color. There was an undeniable desperation in each brushstroke.
And as I stared at my reality as told on canvas, I began to cry.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Talen
Dani’s phone call took me by surprise. When she stormed out of Le Jean, I never thought I would hear from her again. I fully expected to get served with divorce papers in the next couple weeks. Instead, she called me and apologized. She still sounded slightly angry, but she admitted to being partially at fault. She was right. We both needed to be nicer to each other if our fake marriage was going to work. I hated that she continued to challenge me, but also appreciated her strength. Dani wasn’t the kind of woman who would roll over and play dead. She could hold her own against me and anyone else.
I picked her up with no real plan in mind. I was dressed casually. The last thing I wanted was a repeat of our last attempt at dinner. I thought Le Jean might have been too much pressure for her. She was just now ready to work things out, and I didn’t want to scare her away again. So, this time, I wore jeans and a tight-fitting button up. I looked good without trying too hard. As I knocked on Dani’s door, I felt that same nervousness that overwhelmed me the last time I arrived at her apartment.
Dani answered the door wearing a long sundress. She looked pretty in a simplistic way. I smiled at her and stood aside to let her out since she was clearly not letting me in. She smiled back and followed me to the car. Again, we didn’t say much as we climbed inside, but the air between us didn’t feel tense.
“I didn’t plan anything for tonight. Is there someone you’d like to go?”
“Um.” She looked surprised that I’d asked. “There’s a tiny little Italian place down the street. It’s a mom-and-pop shop, but the food is amazing.”
“Sounds perfect.” I backed out of the parking spot and followed her directions to the restaurant. We arrived within five minutes. When we stepped out of the car, I scanned the outside of the building. The restaurant really was tiny, but it had a certain charm to it that was appealing.
We walked inside. Dani led the way to an empty table without waiting to be seated. I assumed they didn’t have a hostess. I looked around, taking in the ambiance. The room was dimly lit, and the tablecloths were dark red. There were candles lit on each table. If I didn’t know better, I would have said this was the perfect place for a date, but I knew that wasn’t Dani’s intention. From the look of the menu, the food was going to be authentic.
I ordered manicotti, and Dani ordered chicken alfredo. We both stuck to the simple things, each of us ordering a glass of wine to accompany our meal. I smiled when Dani ordered hers, glad that she was loosening up a little. I could tell from the way she nursed her glass that she was drinking to calm her nerves, but I didn’t care. I was just happy to see her relaxing again.
“I’m glad you called,” I said. “Really, I am.”
“Me too,” she said with a shy smile that was so attractive. “I felt bad about the way we left things. This situation is so screwy. It’s hard to remember that it isn’t all your fault.”
“I know.” I wanted to take her hand, comfort her in some small way, but I didn’t think my touch would be welcomed. “I didn’t exactly make this easy for you, Dani.”
“Hey, you didn’t force me into that chapel.” She laughed and pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “That was both of us.”
“I still don’t know exactly how that happened,” I admitted, still trying to sort through that night.
“Me either.” She laughed again. “When in Vegas, right?”
“Something like that.” I laughed back and took a sip of my wine while Dani finished her first glass. I ordered her a second one, and she thanked me.
“So…” She drew out the word, her grin widening, causing my cock to twitch. “I guess we should come up with a backstory.”
I relaxed a little. “We should.”
“Well, since I don’t know these investors, what do you think we should say?”
I thought about it for a second. She was right. It really should be my decision, but I was nervous. I was afraid to say or do the wrong thing.
“I think we should say we met a few years ago. We met and became friends, but didn’t start dating for a while.”
Dani nodded. “Where did we meet?”
“Well, college is out.”
“We could always say a strip club,” Dani teased. “Stick to the truth.”
“Ha. Ha. Not funny.”
“A little funny,” she argued.
“Somehow, I don’t think my father would appreciate that very much.”
“How about an art show?” Dani suggested. “We met at one of my art shows.”
“You’re an artist?” I asked and realized how little I really knew about the woman across from me.
“I am.” She looked down at her fingers. “Not a very successful one, but I paint.”
“That’s amazing. Art show it is. We met at your art show and became friends. Then, we started dating a few months ago and just knew it was right. We got married privately, just the two of us because we wanted it to be intimate.”
“Perfect.” Dani nodded. “That way no one will ask too many questions about it.”
; “Exactly. But we should decide where we did it. Maybe Paris? Or Rome?”
“I don’t know.” Dani shook her head. “That may be too far-fetched. I mean, I’ve never even been out of the country. And aren’t marriage licenses public record?”
She had a point. “Then where?”
“The church of Elvis, of course,” Dani teased.
I chuckled along with her, and soon, we were both laughing. It felt like back in the hotel room that Sunday morning. We laughed hard, and I watched as tears formed in Dani’s eyes. For the first time, I really believed we might be able to pull this off.
We ate and talked, drinking wine while getting to know each other. By the time dinner ended, we were both slightly tipsy, and our story was set. We officially met at Dani’s art show, became friends, slowly fell in love, then got married. It seemed like the perfect story. I didn’t think anyone, except maybe my father, would be able to poke holes in it.
“So,” Dani said. “There’s only one thing left.”
“What’s that?” I asked while I paid the bill.
“Why did we keep it a secret?” she asked. “We got married privately to protect our intimacy, but why didn’t we tell anyone right after?”
“Maybe we were just too blissed out.” I shrugged. “Our love was just so strong that it overshadowed everything else.”
Dani rolled her eyes. “If you think people will buy that.”
“You don’t?”
She laughed and placed a hand on my arm. I wasn’t even sure if she knew she was touching me. “It’s just so cheesy.”
“People love cheese.”
“Fair point,” Dani conceded.
Once the bill was paid, we left the restaurant and headed toward my car. We climbed inside, and I started the engine to let the air conditioner work its magic on the sweltering evening.
“Listen,” I said. “I know this is going to sound bad, but I was thinking. If we’re going to act married, then you should probably stay at my place for a few weeks.”
