Catering to Three

by Kalissa Alexander

  Julie tried to keep her hands from shaking as she walked away from Deanna. She didn’t look back. All she could think about was putting as much distance as she could between herself and Noah’s ex-wife. Every fiber of her being was screaming in agony. She might not know Deanna well, but her instincts told her that Noah’s ex would do exactly what she threatened. Before she reached the sliding glass doors to go inside, Deanna walked in front of her, barring her progress.

  “Oh, and if you’re thinking about telling Noah about our conversation, I wouldn’t if I were you. I would hate to let it slip that he and the boys were only some of many men you’ve been fucking. You see, I have friends in San Francisco that owe me. I could call in a few favors very easily, and Noah would believe them because he would have no reason not to. Are we clear?”

  “You’re an evil woman,” Julie cried. “Now get out of my way.”

  “I said, are we clear?”

  “We’re clear,” Julie said in defeat as she pushed past Deanna and into the house where she ran for the bathroom. She closed the door behind her as she fell to the floor in a heap, her body shaking with sobs.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Julie still wasn’t sure how she had made it through the party, but somehow she had, and no one had been the wiser that she was crumbing inside from that woman’s threats.

  Noah had called to ask her if she would like to go out to dinner or eat in. She had all but forgotten she was supposed to go see them tonight. Normally she would have never forgotten something like that. In fact, she would have been thinking about it though out the day.

  But, after the day she had, the only thing she wanted was to close her eyes and make it all go away. She needed to a break from everything. No sooner had the idea come to than she was calling the airline. Once her flight was confirmed, she decided to leave a voice mail for Noah, Keith, and Mark. She knew it was cowardly, but it was her only option at this point. She couldn’t chance having them try to change her mind.

  She held the phone and waited until she was prompted to leave a voice mail. “I’m sorry to be leaving you a message like this. It’s just that my dad’s not well and I have to go home. I can’t really talk now, but I’ll be in touch soon.”

  Julie knew that Deanna could have cared less if she had continued to see Mark and Keith. It was Noah she wanted out of Julie’s life. But Julie knew she couldn’t see one man and not the other two. She loved them individually and as a whole. She also knew they would have never allowed it. She had never thought in her wildest dreams she could have fallen in love with three men. But she had, and now they were being ripped away from her by a jealous ex-wife, and maybe, just maybe, it was what she deserved. She had been harboring a fantasy that she knew could never come true. Deanna had simply been the catalyst to make her face it.

  If it wasn’t for the real possibility that Deanna would ruin her and Kelly’s business, she would have gone directly to Noah and told him about Deanna’s threats and confronted him about his feelings for the woman. She knew in her heart that neither he nor Mark and Keith would have believed Deanna’s lies, but there was the real possibility Noah was still in love with her. Her mind was going wild with suspicion and guilt for what she knew had always been a relationship that was destined to end.

  She had a short layover in Phoenix. When she deplaned, she turned on her phone. There were over a dozen missed calls from Noah, Mark, and Keith. She sat down in a small café where she ordered a sandwich and a cup of coffee. She proceeded to text them that she was fine, still in transit, and that she’d be in touch soon. That should satisfy them for a little while. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to them. She wasn’t sure she could without bursting into tears. She desperately wanted to feel their strong arms around her. She needed them to tell her everything would be all right and not to worry. The thought of never feeling their hands on her body or their lips on hers made her physically shiver from the coldness that surrounded her heart.

  Thankfully, once she was settled in for her next flight, the pill she had taken to calm her nerves made it easy to fall asleep and put an end to the torment that consumed her, if only for a little while. She slept soundly until she heard the pilot’s voice announce they were circling Logan airport. Julie stretched, turning to her seat mate, who was smiling at her. The woman, probably in her sixties, had kind eyes.

  “You must have been real tired,” she said.

  “I was. I hope I wasn’t snoring.”

  “No snoring. Although you were talking. However,” she said quickly, “it was all garbled. So your secrets are safe.”

  Julie tried to smile. Secrets were something she seemed to have more of than she would have ever imagined. It wasn’t long before they were taxiing on the runway to their gate. Once the plane came to a stop, she helped the woman, who said her name was Margaret, retrieve her carry-on and proceeded to look for her own. Most of the passengers had left before a stewardess came to help in her search.

  “I thought I stowed it in the overhead across from me, but I can’t find it anywhere.”

  “Not to worry, I’ll look in first class. We did have a shortage of space and I did have to rearrange a few bags with some being taken up front. I’ll be right back.”

  Unfortunately, the stewardess came back empty handed. “I have no idea what happened to your bag. Possibly another passenger took it by mistake. You’ll have to go to customer service and fill out a claim form. I’m so sorry.”

  Julie just shook her head. “It’s just par for the course with the luck I’ve been having.”

  When she finally found customer service, it was packed with irate travelers. She wasn’t the only one missing luggage. She waited for a half hour before she was finally able to speak with a representative. They took her information and assured her they would contact her when her bag was found and deliver it to the address she had given them.

  At least there was an abundance of taxis lined up at the curb when she walked through the sliding doors, exiting the airport and into the cool evening air. She hadn’t even packed a jacket, not that it would matter now since her bag had disappeared. She gave the cabby her parents’ address. They weren’t expecting her. She had thought about calling but then stopped herself, fearful they would tell her they were busy and not to come. It had been well over two years since she had seen them. Most parents would be happy for an unexpected visit from their child, but her parents weren’t most parents, and surprises weren’t something they enjoyed.

  When she paid the taxi driver, she realized that her parents were going to assume something horrible had happened. She was visiting without warning and as far as they were concerned, she had no luggage. Taking a deep breath, she walked up to the front door and knocked.

  Her mother opened the door, shock written all over her face. “Julie?”

  “Hello, Mother. It’s me. Can I come in?”

  “Of course you can come in. I just,” she said, moving back so Julie could enter, “can’t believe it’s you.”

  “I know this is a bit out of the ordinary, my just dropping in like this, but I had this wild idea that I’d surprise you.”

  “Surprise is an understatement,” her mother said, closing the door behind them. “Your father’s in the garage working on that old car he’s fixing up. Give me a minute and I’ll go get him.”

  “Then you don’t mind if I stay?”

  “Julie, you’re our daughter. This is still your home. You can stay for as long as you like. Now, wait here and let me get your father.”

  Julie looked around the home she had lived in until she went to college. It looked the same except for some new curtains and a few new furnishings. Nothing was out of place. Her mother may not have been the best of cooks, but she was an excellent housekeeper.

  When ten minutes had passed, Julie began to wonder if her father might be less than happy about her surprise visit. However, a few minutes later he walked into the living room with a smile on his face.

  “Julie, I
couldn’t believe it when your mother told me you were here. I think we’re both in a semi state of shock. You might have called and warned us.”

  “I told Mother I wanted to surprise you.”

  “Where’s your luggage?” he asked, his eyes darting around the room.

  “Lost, I’m afraid. I’m hoping the airline will call soon telling me they found it.”

  “No matter, I’m sure your mother can find something for you in the meantime.”

  Her mother ushered them into the kitchen, where she pulled out a pie and made a pot of decaf coffee. She explained they couldn’t drink anything but decaf at this hour. Julie told her that was fine.

  She knew they wanted to question her about her appearance from out of nowhere, but that wasn’t their style. They were never ones to pry, and tonight she was thankful that they expected nothing more than small talk.

  “I’ll have to call your sister in the morning. I’m sure she’ll want to see you, and wait until you see the kids. They have grown so much. Pictures just don’t do them justice.”

  The last picture Julie had seen was one her mother had sent her about a year ago. She suddenly felt guilty that she had never been a real aunt to them. But then again, her sister had never promoted that kind of thing.

  Although she had slept on the plane, she was exhausted.

  Her mother showed her to her old room that was now a guest room. All signs of her were gone. It felt strange to be sleeping in her old room even if it didn’t resemble the room she remembered. Her mother gave her a nightgown and a change of clothes for the next day.

  “I hope these fit. They’re a little snug for me, so they should fit you.”

  “They’ll be fine. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. And, Julie?”

  “Yes, Mother.”

  “I’m glad you’re here, and when you’re ready to tell me why, I want you to know that I’ll listen without judging you.”

  She didn’t have the energy to argue with her mother. Her parents had assumed the worst. They probably thought she was in some kind of trouble, although, unlike her sister, she had never given them an ounce of worry when she was growing up. She just smiled and kissed her mother good night.

  Thankful that she had put her phone charger in her purse, she plugged in her phone before she sent a text to Noah, Keith, and Mark—just enough for them to know she was okay and she’d contact them tomorrow. She sent Kelly a text, too. She really wasn’t up to talking to her or answering her questions. She had lied enough to her for one day.

  The next morning, Julie woke up early and decided she would cook her parents breakfast. She found the coffee and rummaged through their refrigerator and cupboards until she find the makings for pancakes, eggs, and bacon. She knew her father had always loved a big breakfast.

  The aroma of bacon filled the kitchen. It wasn’t long before the two of them were strolling into the kitchen. They were both still in their robes. She noticed that her father had his arm around her mother’s shoulders.

  “I’m having bacon,” her father said.

  “But no more than two pieces,” her mother warned, “and only one egg.”

  “Sorry. I should have asked first,” Julie said, feeling the sting of her mother’s reprimand.

  “Nonsense,” her father said, coming to put his arm around her. “It’s good having you here, and it’s been too long since I woke to the smell of bacon.”

  “I never make it since he’s got high cholesterol, but how would you know that? I only buy it because I like to make my own bacon bits for salads. But since this is a special occasion,” her mother said quickly, giving Julie only a minor look of disapproval, “we’ll let it go just this once.”

  Julie knew she deserved her mother’s reminder that she hadn’t been around much. She watched as they sat at the kitchen table she had already set for the three of them. She poured them all coffee.

  “This is very nice of you, Julie,” her mother said. “I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful.”

  “I really should have asked first. Tomorrow, I’ll make you one of the healthy breakfasts that our clients love. Just what the doctor ordered for a low-cholesterol diet.”

  “I’m not sure I’ll like it half as much,” her father joked. “I’m a bacon and eggs man.”

  “Well, I’m all for Julie’s idea. Speaking of your clients,” her mother continued, changing the subject, “how’s that going?”

  “It great. We’ve taken on a lot of new clients and big events. We’re doing better than we ever thought we would at this point. I love it. Going in with Kelly was the best decision I could have made.”

  “I’m glad to hear it,” her father said before he took a sip of his coffee. “Good coffee.”

  Julie smiled. “It’s not decaf. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Only at night do we have the decaf,” her father said, taking another sip.

  “Oh, and Julie,” her mother said, coming over to where Julie was buttering the toast, “I left a message for your sister. She’s always up early. I expect we’ll see her tonight for dinner.”

  “Really?”

  “Don’t sound so skeptical. I know you two haven’t always been close, but your sister misses you, too.”

  Julie didn’t have the energy to argue with her mother, so she just nodded her head. She hated the artificialness of the relationship she had with her family. She wouldn’t have come home at all except she really didn’t know where else to go. She needed time and distance away from Noah, Mark, and Keith if she were to figure out her next move.

  Sadly, she thought, taking a sip of coffee, she only had one move if she were to keep Kelly’s half of the business safe as well as her reputation. It wasn’t fair that someone like Deanna could get exactly what she wanted at another’s expense. The pain of her loss was tearing her apart. How, she thought looking away from her mother, was she going to get through this?

  Chapter Eighteen

  Julie’s suitcase had finally shown up the following day. She had packed light, but nevertheless, it was nice to not be wearing her mother’s clothing that was at least two sizes too big.

  The calls from Noah, Mark, and Keith had not stopped. She continued to send them text messages in response. However, after her last text message, Noah had sent her one that said, “I want to hear your voice. Call me. Please.”

  That was yesterday, and she still hadn’t called him. She couldn’t tell him over the phone that she couldn’t, no, didn’t want to see him anymore. She had thought she would be able to put everything straight in her head if she were away from them, but so far she was still conflicted and not at all sure about how to approach them. And she knew that was because it was going to be the hardest thing she ever had to do in her life. She missed them so much, it hurt. She had only been away from them a few days. She couldn’t imagine how hard it was going to be living in the same city and not being able to be with them.

  During the second week of her visit, she received a call from Kelly. James’s wife had delivered a healthy baby girl. He was over-the-top happy, and he was also going to need to take some time off when his wife came home with the baby. Julie told Kelly her father was much improved and she would be coming back the next day. Kelly was apologetic. Julie couldn’t bear to hear her say she was sorry one more time.

  “Kelly, I was coming back in the next couple days anyway. I’m not needed here any longer. So, please, stop saying you’re sorry. You’re making me feel bad.”

  “Okay. I won’t say I’m sorry again. Promise.”

  “I’ll call you when I’m back at my apartment to let you know I made it safe and sound. We’ll sit down first thing in the morning and go over everything.”

  “See you soon, Julie.”

  “Yes. See you soon.”

  When Julie told her parents, they seemed genuinely sorry that she was leaving. For the first time since she could remember, she had felt sad that she was leaving her parents. She began to question was she had always assumed was
their lack of love or caring. Was it possible that she, in her own way, had misread the situation?

  When she was packing, her mother came into her room and sat on the bed watching her.

  “I had a nice visit, Mother.”

  “We did, too. Makes me wish we had made more of an effort to come and see you. It was wrong of us. I guess we didn’t know how you’d receive us.”

  “I don’t understand. I would have loved to have had you visit.”

  “You never invited us.”

  “I guess I thought that went without saying.”

  “Maybe in some families, but not ours. I know you knew that your father and I had issues when you and your sister were teenagers and even before that. I didn’t handle his infidelity very well, using you girls as weapon at times, but I do want you to know that we came to understand and forgive each other in the last few years. It’s good between us now.”

  “I noticed a difference. I’m happy for you.”

  “Sometimes it’s too easy to just let things go and not do anything about them. I don’t know why you and Chad divorced, but I’m glad you didn’t just settle for a life with someone you didn’t love. I want you to be happy, Julie.”

  “Is that what you did?”

  “I’m from a different generation. I did love your father once and we’re comfortable with each other now. We probably should have divorced, but we didn’t, and now we’re making the best of it.”

  “I don’t want to just make the best of it,” Julie said sadly. “I thought I was in love with Chad, but I don’t think we ever really loved each other.”

  “You deserve love, Julie.”

  “Do you think love has to be the conventional kind? I mean, does it always have to be between one man and one woman?” Julie looked at her mother’s shocked face, wishing she could take her question back. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you that.”