Finally getting her voice back, Gina interjected, “You know what? We've got to get back to the office, I've got an appointment at one.” She flagged down the waiter and gave him her credit card. He must have been used to the women and their busy schedule, because he was back with the receipt in no time.
Tess got out of the booth quickly, mainly because Gina was prodding her in the side. After glaring at Gina, Tess smiled at me. “Let's get together later, okay?”
I shrugged. “Okay, sure. Maybe we can talk more later.”
Tess urged, “Absolutely. You've made the right choice, Estelle.”
Walking back into the office, I wasn't even able to make it to my desk before Slick descended upon me. “Hey, Estelle. I came by to see if you were hungry...” His voice trailed off as he watched Gina and a gloating Tess walk in after me.
Tess smirked at Slick as she answered for me, “Not to worry, Mick.” She put her arm around my shoulders, which made me hugely uncomfortable. “I took good care of Estelle, we had a fantastic time at lunch.”
I smiled at them both and moved away from Tess as smoothly and quickly as I could. I knew there was about to be a showdown, and I wanted a good view. I grabbed my coffee mug and headed toward the back room. Once out of sight, I leaned against the wall and pretended to drink my coffee. From my vantage point, I could just see the three of them.
Gina apparently didn't want a front row seat like I did, because she quickly excused herself and rushed down the hall. I watched her impossibly tiny waist disappear into her office and wondered why she wasn't interested in the commission tug-of-war. Maybe she was pretending to be sensitive to my feelings, hoping the other two sharks would kill each other in the water? Crafty.
My thoughts were disrupted when I heard Tess lecture, “Mick, Mick, Mick...you really shouldn't underestimate the bond between women.” Pulling her cell from her purse, she read a text while rattling on, “We really are the more sensitive gender. I know you like to think you've got a knack for pleasing the ladies.” Her eyes moved from the cell phone and ran slowly up his body. “And perhaps, in some ways, you do. But sweetie, we're talking about entire homes here, not just bedrooms.”
Slick leaned in and hissed, “Tess I swear to God, you'd better stay the hell away from her. We both know that I've been working on her for weeks!” I saw Tess shrug and smile while Slick fumed. He leaned in closer and threatened, “You think you've got the upper hand, but we both know I can bury you any time I choose.”
Tess's back stiffened and her grin vanished. “Mick, take it easy, I'm just trying to make a living, same as you. It's not personal.”
It was Slick's turn to grin. “Well, if you don't want it to get personal, you better stay the hell out of my way.” He started to walk away, but turned back. “You're a sharp girl, Tess. For the most part. Use that pretty little head of yours from now on, okay? We both know there are some things that are more important than money.”
Seeing Slick head my direction, I hustled around the corner, seemingly oblivious to their confrontation. He was so intimidating with Tess that I wasn't able to make eye contact. I sat down at my desk and turned on my computer.
Slick watched me sit down, then came up and perched on the corner of my desk. “Hey, Estelle? I was wondering if you might be up for checking out some more houses tonight?”
I struggled to meet his eyes, surprised to see that they were full of warmth. “Uh, maybe. What houses?”
“You remember that woman, Ms. Bennett? She wants to look at some more places tomorrow, and I really want to preview them first.” He cocked his head and raised one eyebrow. “Didn't we have fun last time?”
I shrugged. “Yeah...I mean, sure it was fun, but I don't know...”
He chuckled and put his hand over his heart. “Estelle! You really know how to hurt a guy, you know?” He pleaded, “Please? Look how pathetic I am, I need you. I really want a smart woman's opinion on these places. What do you say?”
He was so smooth. I suddenly thought of Joe, a guy from high school. He was such a jerk; so cocky and mean. He liked to tease everyone, but he was so cute. He never went one day in school without a girlfriend. I hated him and loved him with equal passion. Of course, being the spaz that I was, the only attention I ever got from him was the gut-wrenching, teasing variety.
Slick was just like Joe; even though I'd watched him eviscerate Tess not five minutes ago, all I could think about were his brown eyes and nice car and big houses and...
“Hang on.” I held my hand up as a warning. “I'll agree to look at houses, but I insist on choosing the dinner place.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “I knew you were going to bring that up! Deal. So, after work, we'll drop off your car again?”
It made sense to me. I wanted to pick up an extra change of clothes anyway-can't be too careful.
Chapter 7
The next morning I was shocked into consciousness by my ringing phone. After taking a second to wonder who would call me so early, I wiggled over to the edge of the bed and grabbed the phone. “What?” I all but barked.
“What do you mean, 'what?' Where are you?” It was Kami, barking right back at me, as only a best friend can.
I pawed the nightstand for my glasses. They were missing again. Why was it that regardless of how carefully I placed them on the table, they always moved in the middle of the night? Blind without my glasses, I grumbled and sat up in bed. Leaning to within an inch of the alarm clock, I made out the time: 10:27. Shit.
“Oh my God, Kami, I'm an idiot. I'm sorry. Give me fifteen minutes and I'll be there, okay?”
“Fine. Fifteen minutes,” she huffed in a tone that told me all was not forgiven.
I bolted out of bed and grabbed some clothes. As I put my incessantly curly hair up in a bun and brushed my teeth, I thought of what to say to Kami. We usually talked nightly, and I hadn't returned her calls all week. I hadn't even listened to the messages. It wasn't intentional, I'd just been so busy with work and my evening field trips with Mick, the only time I'd spent at home was to shower and sleep. I zipped out the door, hoping that if I hurried I could make it to the store in ten minutes.
As I jogged up the sidewalk I saw Kami leaning against the building. She had her head back against the wall and her arms crossed. I knew the pose. I'd seen her use it when LBJ was testing her nerves. Hopefully she wouldn't put me in a time out.
Before she could say anything I pleaded, “Don't hate me, okay? I'm sorry.”
“Estelle, don't give me that puppy-dog face. I'm not your dad or your boyfriend.”
“I know, you are way better than either one. You are my best friend. My understanding, forgiving best friend.”
She opened the front door and scoffed, “Don't push your luck. You know I get one free Relaxurday a month. And you already made me drink my coffee alone.”
You might be asking yourself, what is a Relaxurday? It's what Kami calls our Saturday's together. It was our standing appointment. Kami and Jack-the adult one-gave each other one Saturday a month off. He spent his with his friends, usually playing basketball, or more likely, video games. We spent ours the same way every time: Coffee at the corner Starbucks, then shopping (mostly browsing). After that we'd grab lunch, where we agreed to never order anything healthy. We'd cap the day with either a manicure or pedicure. And if we were feeling downright crazy, we'd go for the full treatment.
Judging from Kami's attitude, I could tell I'd be springing for her mani/pedi. I knew she cherished our Relaxurdays, and I'd been blowing her off a little. Following her into the store, I vowed to be at my best; I'd be the most entertaining, attentive best friend on the market today.
After a day that felt never-ending, we grabbed a late lunch. Kami had been civil throughout the day (the new shoes perked her up a bit), but even despite my constant banter, she barely defrosted. After we'd ordered our cheeseburgers I saw her check her watch for the third time since we'd sat down.
“What's going on? Do you have to
get home early or something?”
She looked up at me with an expression I couldn't place. “No. I have all day. But I'm sure you've got to leave early, right?”
“No. I never have to leave early.”
She shrugged and flipped through the dessert menu. “Well, that used to be true. But we both know you're a lot busier now.”
I studied her posture. Something was going on. She was sitting up perfectly straight, her shoulders back. She looked like...like someone who was ready for a fight. I realized with dread that I was the one in the ring with her.
Hoping to ease the tension, I teased, “Yeah, I'm so busy with all my new friends.”
She shook her head sharply. Apparently joking was the wrong move. “Exactly what I was thinking. Do you realize you haven't returned any of my calls this week? Then on top of everything, you forgot all about today.”
“Whoa! Kami, what's going on with you? I overslept. It's not like I meant to miss coffee-”
“Why did you oversleep? You're usually up by nine.”
I stammered, “Um, I...I got in later than usual last night.” I averted my eyes, feeling as if I'd missed curfew and was being grilled by my mom.
“Yeah, and I bet I know who drove you home last night too. How is Slick anyway?”
I knew I was in trouble. Kami and I were close enough that I knew how she worked. I'd seen her like this with Jack, and I'd always been thankful I wasn't her target. When angry she was like a dog on a bone. I was about to be eaten alive.
“Kami, come on. Don't tell me you're jealous of Slick? We both know he's only interested in my pretend stash of cash.”
“Yeah, I do know that. But I don't know why you're willing to play along when you know he's just using you.”
I leaned back in my seat, embarrassed at her harsh words. “I'm using him too. I'm using all of them. Now everyone talks to me, takes me to lunch, asks my opinions on listings...it's fantastic.” I reasoned, “Besides, you thought it was a good idea too.”
She shook her head and argued, “I didn't say it was a good idea. I said it would be funny. But it's getting a little out of hand, Estelle. I thought you were just going to see how they changed. I didn't think you were going to change.”
“Change? I have not changed,” I disputed.
“Let's cut through it, Estelle. You love all the attention. And I don't blame you, really. But going out to dinner with Slick last week? And again last night? Next thing I know you'll be bonding with Gina and Tess.”
I looked down at my untouched burger. It was already getting cold. I took a drink of my soda, hoping she'd calm down and we could change the subject.
She was silent as I carefully studied the ketchup bottle. After too long of a pause, I got suspicious and looked up. Her eyes were wide and I could see her wheels were spinning. “Wait a second...I haven't heard you mention the gruesome twosome in quite a while...”
“So? I haven't seen them around much.”
She challenged, “Really? You always have something to say about them, even if it's just about their clothes...”
I confessed, “Fine Kami. Tess and Gina took me to lunch the other day.” She took a breath to speak, but I cut her off. “Don't even say it. We're not friends, and I was going to tell you about it, but you didn't give me a chance.”
“I didn't give you a chance? I must have missed all those calls from you, the ones where you were dying to tell me all about it, the ones where you apologized-.” She set her napkin on the table and dug through her purse. “I guess now that you have new friends you don't need your old one any more.”
From the tremble in her voice I knew she was about to cry. “Kami, you know that's not true. I tell you everything.”
“You used to. You used to call me all the time, complaining about the agents and the office. And I was always there to listen.” She scooted to the edge of the booth, turning back to me. “I guess now I'll have to make some new friends too, maybe some that wont drop me when a better deal comes along.”
She was actually going to walk out on me. I sat there dumbfounded, watching my best friend essentially dump me in a public restaurant. How had this happened so fast? “Wait!” I yelped.
She turned back, eyebrows raised expectantly.
“Kami, what's the real problem? I know you can't be this angry because of one week of missed calls.”
She leaned down toward me. “Maybe you're right, it was just one week, like any other week in my life. I hope all your new pals are worth trading in your old ones.” She chuckled slightly and added, “Have you thought about how long this will last? How long do you think Slick will wait? At some point, Estelle, he's going to collect.”
Chapter 8
I had no idea what time it was. I knew it was dark...inside the bar at least. After Kami walked out of the restaurant, it took me a few minutes to get myself together. I paid the bill, grabbed my purse and started the walk back to my apartment. I was so confused about Kami. Part of me knew there had to be something I'd missed.
A much larger part of me however, was completely pissed. I knew she was jealous of me. She'd worked at Lawson & Stone for years, and had never once had lunch with an agent, much less intimate dinners.
I decided to walk around for a while instead of going home. I was still so confused. I walked for hours, still no closer to an answer. And as much as I'd hoped for one, still no call from Kami.
I was still walking and thinking, when a woman bumped into me. She was giggling, her arm around the waist of an equally giggly man. They stumbled down the street, blissfully unaware of what anyone thought of them. Suddenly I wanted to be that girl. I turned and headed through the door they'd just exited and plopped down onto the nearest bar stool.
I had no idea how much time had passed, but I knew I was on my fourth martini. The bar stool hadn't changed, but the atmosphere in the bar had morphed. When I first sat down it was almost empty, with that sad, “if you're drinking this early, you're an alcoholic” vibe. Now the tables were full, the music was blaring, and the bartenders were hopping.
I was definitely drunk, but not so drunk that I didn't notice the only stares I got were from the bartender. And typical of my luck, they weren't the I-wanna-lay-you-down-right-here kind of stares. They were more in the neighborhood of, man-how-am-I-going-to-get-this-train-wreck-outta-my-bar variety. Fortunately, I found that if I played with the olive in my glass I could block his stares out.
Until he actually spoke to me. He approached in response to me waiving my empty glass at him. “Sorry, babe. I'm cutting you off.”
I leaned over the bar and attempted to purr, “Hey now, you're not going to turn me away are you?” Unfortunately, purr gave way to slur halfway into the sentence and none of it was coherent.
Frowning, he took my glass away. “You want me to call you a cab?”
“NO! I DON'T NEED A CAB! WHAT? YOU DON'T THINK I HAVE ANY FRIENDS I CAN CALL??!”
He held up his hands defensively and backed away.
I dug out my phone and squinted at my contacts. I knew that Kami wouldn't be able to turn me away if I called her for a ride. We'd have this patched up by the time she dropped me off at my place.
“Hello?”
“Hello?” That's not Jack.
“Yes, hello?”
“Who the hell is this?” I yelled into the phone, “Why are you answering Kami's phone? I swear to God, if you're sleeping with her I'm going to kick your ass!” Granted, the martinis might have been a little stronger than I thought.
“Estelle?”
How did this guy know my name? Was Kami sleeping with someone we both knew? Gross! “Who is this?”
I heard a deep chuckle come through the phone. “Having too much fun tonight? Shouldn't you know who this is? You called me. It's Mick.”
“Mick?” I stared at the bar for a second before it hit me. Kami's last name was Sawyer. Right above the entry for Slick. Whoopsie.
I could hear amusement in his voice when he answered, �
��Yep, it's still me. Did you just call to yell at me for sleeping with...Kami, was it? Rest assured, she's all yours, I've never slept with a Kami before.”
“Shut up, Mick. I didn't mean to call you. I meant to call someone I can depend on. Bye.”
I hung up the phone and was eying my phone list for the second time when the phone rang. Without bothering to check the caller ID before answering, I squawked, “WHAT?!”
“Sorry to bother you again, I just thought you might not want to call your friend.”
Exasperated, I huffed, “Why not?”
“Well, because it's 11 pm, and she may not be happy with a booty call coming in this late.”
I bellowed, “What? I wasn't calling her for a booty call! She's my friend. I need a ride-”
“A ride?” Slick asked suggestively, “Is that an invitation?”
Still in my martini haze, I couldn't follow the quick banter. “What? Never mind. If it's that late, I'll call a cab. Sorry I woke you.”
“You didn't wake me. Where are you?”
I looked around, searching for some sign of my location. All I saw were dartboards, bottles, and a ton of people. “I have no idea.”
Another chuckle made it's way to my ear. “Estelle, hand your phone to the bartender. Judging from your state-and volume-he'll be the one glaring at you with his arms crossed.”
I looked up, annoyed to see that Slick was spot on. Mr. Surly was staring at me, arms crossed. It was apparent that he wanted me gone. I held out my phone. “Someone wants to speak to you.”
I watched as he listened, nodded, gave out a name I couldn't quite make out, then slid my phone back over the bar. I managed to throw my arm over it before it slid off onto the floor. “Hey! You almost broke my phone!”
“Well, if you can afford to drink all night, then you could afford a new phone.”
I glared at him. “You know, I'd think a bartender would be used to dealing with drinkers, call me crazy!”
Before walking to the other end of the bar he scoffed and said, “I'm plenty used to it, lady. Doesn't mean I like it.”
The Millionaire Myth Page 4
