by Powers, Jade
“No. It’s not.” Kendra said, the shock of the moment starting to fade and her mind whirring in a thousand different directions.
“I don’t know you,” Scott said to the woman. He turned to Kendra, “I’ve never seen this woman before in my life.
“After all of our years together? You just take up with some whore like I’m nothing?” Now the woman started to cry. She lifted her chin and said to Kendra, “Home wrecker. I hope someone does to you what you did to me.”
As the woman grew louder and more emotional, the entire restaurant watched. It was humiliating. Kendra glanced at the exit, but they hadn’t paid yet, so she couldn’t exactly leave.
“Excuse me, Ma’am, I must ask you to leave,” The manager stepped up to the table, his movement effectively forcing her to step back. Her makeup was perfect and the evening dress she wore sparkling blue with matching shoes. Scott stared at the woman in horror. Kendra felt sick.
“I’m done here.” The woman’s voice broke and she sniffled. Her storm out of the restaurant was slow and elegant. She turned to look over her shoulder once, to see if Scott acknowledged her. Kendra watched the woman, watched Scott. She knew that it was over.
“I swear I don’t know who that is,” Scott said.
It was like asking Kendra to believe in Santa Clause. No woman would cause a scene of that magnitude without a reason. Scott looked innocent. That didn’t mean a thing.
“I’d like to go home now,” Kendra said softly. The toffee cake and ice cream had been so rich that between dessert and the dramatic interruption, Kendra thought she might throw up. It was nerves. She knew that.
Scott looked hurt. Kendra could give him that much. But what difference did it make? He was just sad he’d been caught. He should have broken up with the mystery lady before asking Kendra out.
The ride home was absolutely silent. After a few more attempts at declaring his innocence Scott gave up and dropped Kendra off.
SCOTT LISTENED TO THE stranger’s harangue in absolute disbelief. Before Kendra, Scott hadn’t been on a real date in a year and a half. Some part of him wondered if there was going to be a moment where everyone started laughing, and Kendra said she was just putting him on for fun. Except for the fact that Kendra was looking increasingly confused and hurt as the woman went on.
The moment went from bad to worse when he tried to defend himself. Too many stories about cheating men had worked their way into society. He was innocent. He tried to tell the woman it was a case of mistaken identity, but she just raised her voice and pitch and continued on. By the time it was done, Scott felt utterly embarrassed to the point that he would never come back to Marcello’s. It was a high class place and this woman yelling at him was anything but, no matter how she dressed up or fixed her hair.
On the drive home, he told Kendra, “I swear to you. I don’t know who that was.”
Kendra mumbled something and looked out the window. Scott wasn’t one to feel scared, not about emotional matters. But he read the end in Kendra’s face. He felt helpless to fight it. There was no convincing Kendra, and if she didn’t trust him, what was the point? A relationship needed trust to thrive. Without trust, love withered.
“Kendra, talk to me. Please.” Scott said.
“I don’t want to see you anymore. Not after this.” Kendra wouldn’t look at Scott, as if Sharing a glance might damage her beyond repair. He pulled into her driveway and watched her walk to her door. Stunned, he waited until she closed the door, and then he drove away.
He replayed the scene in his mind. From the first, he had the feeling that it was staged, but Kendra was as hurt and confused as he was. His coworkers could take a joke too far, but this was beyond anything anyone would do to someone. It wasn’t funny. The whole thing had been damaging and devastating and overwhelming.
Mulling over the past year, Scott sifted through every encounter. There weren’t many that stood out. He didn’t go out of his way to make enemies. He didn’t gossip about his love life at work. No one even knew he was dating, much less that he would be at a Marcello’s this evening. Slamming his car door, Scott stormed up the walk, feeling stripped bare. It was a full night and the neighborhood was quiet.
Scott changed into a t-shift and boxers. Sleep evaded him. He tried to think of all the reasons a woman would have for pretending to be scorned. Nothing useful came to mind. The weekend was long and unfulfilling. Scott usually enjoyed his time off. Now, he just wanted the weekend to end. He needed work to keep his mind off Kendra. No way was he going to call Kendra when she acted like he had two-timed her. Without evidence!
Some trust. He was lucky this happened before they’d gotten serious. At two o’clock he went to the gym. Scott grunted hello to one of the guys but avoided conversation. While he lifted, he thought about Kendra, her blonde hair tickling his nose, her perfume befuddling his senses.
Exercise didn’t clear his head. Scott left the gym as baffled as when he had arrived. He still cared for Kendra. That was it. He needed to convince Kendra that he was a stand-up guy who wouldn’t fool around.
He cleaned house, just in case, then picked up the phone. Of course it rang to voicemail. He left a message. “Kendra? It’s Scott. Hey, whatever went down yesterday, I was as shocked as you. I swear I don’t know that woman or why she accused me. Are you there? Please pick up the phone.”
Scott paused far longer than he should have before hanging up. Saturday and Sunday were wasted. While putting his lunch in the work refrigerator, he ran into Terry Pierson. Scott wasn’t about to throw around accusations like the lady at Marcello’s. None of his work colleagues would set him up like that, would they? No. None of them even knew about Kendra.
Faking a smile, Scott asked, “Terry, how was your weekend?”
“Good. Yours?”
“It was alright.” Scott wasn’t about to engage in gossip about his love life. No one knew he dated. No one knew he broke up. So why would some random woman accuse him of cheating on her.
“You bothered by something?” Terry asked.
“Not particularly, why?” Scott said.
“You’re just not your smiley self.”
Scott shrugged and mumbled something about not getting enough sleep. That was a good excuse for all ills that might befall a person. He had to find his accuser. That was the only way to clear up the whole mess. That or look for another girlfriend, because he had the feeling Kendra wouldn’t take him back, not without proof of his innocence.
Work sucked worse than usual that day. Last year this time, Scott was happy at work, happy at home, no tangles. Now he was miserable. Scott pushed through the morning, burying his feelings beneath a pile of work.
IT HAD BEEN ONE WEEK since Kendra’s love life had been upended. She spent Saturday morning at kickboxing class. Kick. GRRRR. Punch. Take that, and that! How dare Scott have another woman? How dare that woman interrupt the perfect dinner? Kendra missed Scott already, that baritone laugh as he wrapped his arms around her and snuggled for hours, more than any other man she’d dated. Hell, Scott was more than a date. They’d passed into a deeper relationship
Gone now. Punch. Punch. ROAR.
Putting her all into class, Kendra tried to forget Scott, but the thoughts twisted their way into the most innocuous of activities. This morning when she ate a bowl of cereal, she thought of Scott slurping his milk, a habit that Kendra teased him about the first time she witnessed it. Now she ate alone.
Should she give him a second chance? Kendra wished she’d stopped reacting the night before and calmed the woman down long enough to hear the whole story. So what if it embarrassed Scott. At least then she would have some indication of how long his relationship with that woman had lasted before Kendra. Maybe they had been on a break or separation, and each person thought it meant something else. Confusion happened. Mistakes happened.
No. No mistake.
He denied knowing her. If he was separated from the woman, he lied on at least a couple of points. Kendra tried to sh
ut her brain off while sweated poured off her body. Side-kicking to exhaustion, Kendra wanted to bury herself in movement. She had hoped the kickboxing class would relieve some of her angst, but instead it gave her plenty of time to think.
Kendra didn’t wait around when class ended. She went home and moped, wanting Scott to call so that she could yell at him, dreading the moment he did because she didn’t want the drama associated with a two-timing man.
Hours passed and Kendra paced the house, turned on the television, turned off the television, paced more, took Millie for a walk, checked the answering machine, but no one had called. Earlier in the week she had deleted the message from Scott. She expected him to call one more time. So far, no luck. Of course, she told herself that no matter what, she absolutely could not pick up the phone for Scott. No way.
When the phone finally rang at four, Kendra jumped from the sofa so fast that she scared Millie. She ran to see the caller ID. Unknown name. Unknown number. Probably a sales call.
Kendra rummaged through refrigerator and freezer looking for something sweet. Except for the occasional dessert eating out, Kendra ate healthy. With a sigh, Kendra opted for a peach. Her emotional state called for a huge bowl of ice cream and maybe a hot brownie underneath it.
What played in her head...what disturbed her and had bothered her all week, was Scott’s second insistence of innocence, after all the fervor. Was it possible? He sounded sincere...both times.
If only he would call again. Maybe she should call him. Did Kendra really want to walk in on her husband and some floozy having sex in her bed? It reminded her of her parents’ divorce. No kid should ever hear that her mom found Dad and the next door neighbor in bed. Their angry words scorched the fear across Kendra’s neurons. That someday she would walk into the house early and find her husband compromised.
Her weekend was spent deep in thought. Kendra needed to consider what was best for her life, what mattered, what didn’t, what she should keep, what she shouldn’t. By Monday morning, she still hadn’t come to a conclusion.
At least Drew wasn’t hanging around the entryway when Kendra walked in Monday morning. She wasn’t ready to face anybody, not clients, not loan officers, and certainly not Drew.
It was too good to be true. When she didn’t see him around, Kendra left her door open. She only closed it when she thought Drew would be a pain in the butt, which lately was all the time. Still, it didn’t do to be rude to the others who passed through.
Drew put an arm on the door jam, trying to look casual and utterly failing. Kendra noticed his sport coat was a little short in the sleeves. Drew asked, “How is lover boy?”
The guy did not let up. Kendra pasted a smile on her face, “Great. We went to Marcello’s the weekend before last. I had toffee cake. Never had that before. What about you? Did you have a good weekend?”
“Fine. Played a few rounds of golf.”
Kendra mumbled, “That’s nice.”
Fortunately, Drew caught the hint and left before Kendra’s itch to be rude materialized. That guy got under every nerve she had. At least when she was annoyed at Drew, she was too busy to be hurt by Scott.
Chapter 8
THE FALL MONTHS IN the Pacific Northwest are mild harbingers of winter. October and November feel like summer a gentle August. Kendra still missed Scott. She’d never hurt this long over a failed relationship, nor had the pain ever lingered until her heart felt like an unresolved toothache, ignored and buried under the myriad tasks of daily life.
On a bright October morning Kendra strolled into the coffee shop and bakery on seventh. In two hours she had a house to show in North Tacoma. Instead of sitting around feeling sorry for herself, she decided to treat herself to a pastry and a latte. After placing her order, Kendra waited near the public bulletin board. The coffee shop allowed patrons to hang their business cards or flyers.
A single card caught Kendra’s eyes. The image was that of the woman who had broken up her relationship with Scott. This woman was a real estate agent as well. Kendra thought of Drew smirking outside her office. Whenever Drew asked, Kendra pretended she and Scott were still a thing to keep him from bothering her. Now she wondered if Drew hadn’t set the whole thing up. Pulling the card down, she stuffed it in her pocket.
By then the barista was finished with her latte. Kendra found a quiet little table in the corner to sip coffee and think. Now she would have a real answer, the truth about what transpired in August. If the truth meant that Scott was living with the woman who broke them up, then Kendra would know to move on.
She decided to call from home, after the showing. Kendra took her time walking the couple through the colonial style house. It was one of Tacoma’s old homes, recently renovated with a cheery yellow exterior and an updated kitchen.
The buyers wanted to make an offer. Kendra returned to the office to draw up the papers. From that point, Kendra was focused on contracts and terms and walking her first-time buyers through the process of buying a home. She didn’t have a chance to call until late that afternoon. Still, she wasn’t willing to wait.
“Cherry Jamison.”
The voice was just like Kendra remembered. Kendra was sure Cherry wouldn’t remember her voice. It wasn’t like she spent a whole lot of time talking while Cherry was railing at Scott.
“Hi, I’m looking for a house. You know Drew Fryer?” Kendra closed her eyes and bit her lip, not sure what she was hoping for.
“Yes. He’s one of our competitors, but he and I have worked together on occasion. Did he recommend me?”
In a manner of speaking.
Kendra said, “Nah. You caused a scene at Marcello’s a few months back. I was just wondering what kind of agreement Drew made with you.”
Silence. Cherry said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I was the woman at the restaurant. I recognize your face. Scott is adamant that he was innocent, that he had never seen you before that day. So what gives? Is Drew that desperate that he’ll hire actors to break up my relationships?” Kendra pressed her lips together to stop talking. She needed to keep quiet and give this woman time to tell her the real story.
“He said you were in an abusive relationship and you needed help to get away. He said you’d asked if he knew someone who could pull it off. I’ve been in a couple of plays at the Lakewood Theater. I hadn’t sold a house in two months. I needed the cash, and he paid well.” Cherry tacked on that last bit as if she knew how stupid the whole thing sounded now that she was repeating it back.
“There was no abuse. Drew has been making a nuisance of himself since I started work. So you never met Scott before that day?”
“Never.” Cherry hesitated. She said, “Drew set it all up.”
“He paid you to break us up?” Kendra was a little overwhelmed with the knowledge. Not that she ever liked Drew, but their working relationship had been okay.
“Yeah. Drew said you two were still together and that I must have done something wrong. He never paid me the second half of what he owed me and wanted the rest of his money back, but I told him I did what he paid me for. I haven’t talked to him since.” Cherry sounded offended. Funny, since Kendra was the one who had suffered for months from Cherry’s actions.
Kendra said, “Thanks for telling me the truth. I’m going to confront Drew about it.”
“He broke the agreement first. Do what you like.”
Kendra didn’t waste any time in calling Scott. He didn’t pick up, not that Kendra could blame him. Kendra left a message, “Hey, Scott. It’s Kendra. I’m sorry for not calling for so long. I found the woman who accused you at the restaurant. I know you weren’t involved, and I’m sorry for not believing you.” Kendra swallowed, the ache in the back of her throat seeming to hold back her words, “That’s all. Bye.”
What a dumb message. Kendra wished she could go back and erase it and say something else. It was done now.
KENDRA STORMED INTO the office. Drew was out. That was just fine with Ken
dra, because his dad was in. Eugene was in his late sixties and ready to retire, but he still spent a few hours in the office every day just to keep an eye on things. It was Eugene who brought Kendra in, and so far she had impressed him with her attitude and work ethic.
“Hey, Gene. Do you have a minute?” Kendra was glad she was still in her black pencil skirt and vibrant pink blouse. She wore a pink and yellow scarf that gave the outfit a mature look.
“What can I do for you?”
Kendra stepped into Gene’s office and closed the door behind her. She took the seat closest to Gene and jumped right into the conversation. She said, “It’s about Drew.”
Eugene sighed and took off his glasses, wiping the lenses, “I knew it would come to this. Is Drew pestering you?”
Kendra watched Gene, trying to get a feel for what direction his empathy would fall. He was fiddling with his glasses and looking down. Kendra almost stopped talking and decided to handle it herself. What finally decided her was that Gene put his glasses back on, and with a piercing gaze lifted his eyebrows and said, “Well? What has he done?”
The unspoken words this time echoed in Kendra’s mind for him. She said, “He hired another woman to make a scene at the restaurant where I was eating with Scott to break us up.”
Eugene chuckled. Heat rose to Kendra’s face and she clenched her hands to avoid from doing something she’d regret, like slapping Gene or tearing the computer off his desk. She said, “Imagine if my dinner date was a commercial venture worth a million dollars. This was not a prank. It was not funny. And if you don’t want to deal with it, I will.”
“I’m sorry. You’re completely right. I wasn’t laughing at you or the situation. I was laughing because even if Drew managed to break you and Scott up, you’d have another dozen men lined up before you’d look at that knucklehead.” Gene gave Kendra his best benevolent smile, the one he used to sell ten-acre lots.
