by Hazel Kelly
I just hoped he would be excited for me because nothing would guarantee my success like his support.
Sure, he didn’t throw his endorsements around lightly, but if even two or three of his long term partners agreed to hold an event at my club in the new year, my business would be up and running.
I raised my fist and knocked on the door.
I never used to knock until I walked in on him and Ella once. Ever since then, I didn’t risk it. Granted, they were only kissing, but it still ruined my appetite for a good two hours.
“Come in.”
I pushed the door open and felt my chest loosen when I saw that he was alone.
“You know it warms my heart that you think you’re going to catch me in here with a beautiful woman every time you stop by.”
“Wish I could say it does the same for me,” I said, walking in and taking a seat.
He leaned back in his chair. “I’m glad you said that.”
The shades behind him were angled in a way that was slightly blinding from the crisp winter sunshine so I scooted the chair forwards an inch so I wouldn’t have to squint. “Why?”
“Cause it’s exactly why I called you in here.”
“I’m not following,” I said, fiddling with one of my cufflinks.
“You can’t sleep with the staff anymore.”
My lips fell apart.
“And not just because there aren’t any more staff for you to sleep with that are attractive and age appropriate.”
“Isn’t June in the restaurant in her early thirties?”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “I’m being serious.”
“So am I.”
“Did you sleep with June, too?”
“No,” I said. “If you’ll recall, it was grandpa that loved a woman in a hairnet, not me.”
He slammed his fist on his desk. “Damn it, Ben.”
“Jesus, calm down.”
He raised his finger at me. “Let me make my point.”
I pursed my lips.
“Martine’s daughter tried to quit this morning.”
My eyes drifted up as I remembered Connie going down on me in her maid’s uniform. “Why?”
“She wouldn’t say exactly, but I know it’s cause you took advantage-”
“On the contrary, it was all her idea.”
He shook his head. “I don’t believe that for a second.”
“You can believe what you want,” I said. “But the truth is that I was very upfront with her.”
“Go on.”
“I told her I wasn’t looking for a relationship and that it was never going to be anything more than a one time thing.”
He squinted at me. “You said that?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, but when she insisted she get down on her knees and-”
“Enough.”
I raised my eyebrows. “The point is, if anyone was taken advantage of, it was me.”
“You’re full of shit, you know that?” He shook his head. “I could’ve sworn we had this conversation when you first showed up.”
“Back when you were full of shit?” I asked. “That was different. That was you telling me not to mess with a staff member you were already messing with, if you’ll recall.”
He clenched his jaw. “How many?”
I cocked my head. “How many what?”
“How many of my staff could sue you for sexual harassment tomorrow if they wanted to?”
“None.”
“Answer the question.”
I rolled my eyes up and held my chin. “Four. But I could sue every single one of them back with just as much cause.”
“Who else?”
“That’s not your business, Will.”
“Nothing has ever been more my business.”
I lifted my hands in the air. “Well, obviously you know about Connie.”
“Yeah, and she needs this job, Ben. I promised Martine I would take care of her family after her husband died.”
“I assure you I did nothing to compromise that promise.”
He closed his eyes and held the bridge of his nose. “Who else?”
“Two of the waitresses- one of which doesn’t work here anymore- and one of the girls at reception.”
“Which girl?”
“The only one that could be called a girl?”
He folded his arms. “That’s not okay.”
I craned my neck forward. “Did you convince Connie that she should stay?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Good, cause she does great work.”
Will raised a finger towards me. “Wipe that smile off your face.”
I swallowed.
“You know if you spent half as much time chasing money as you did chasing women, you wouldn’t have to chase women at all.”
“I don’t chase women.”
“You expect me to believe they just throw themselves at you? With your hair messy like that and your laissez-faire attitude?”
I sighed. “I don’t expect anything from you, Will, and I know it’s a long time since you were in your twenties-”
“Shut up.”
“But you’re right.”
“Sorry?”
“I shouldn’t have slept with your staff members. I know that.” I glanced down at my feet and then back up at him. “And I’m genuinely upset that Connie feels uncomfortable after unhinging her jaw like that-”
“Fuck Ben!”
“Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.”
He waved a hand in the air. “I thought you were actually going to be sincere for a second.”
“I’m trying to be- I was.” I shook my head. “Look. I don’t want her to be uncomfortable. I’ll talk to her, okay?”
“I don’t know if that’s-”
“No, it’s my mess. I’ll clean it up,” I said, biting my tongue to suppress the jokes running through my head about her being in housekeeping even though it was so difficult it wasn’t even funny.
“Fine.”
“And I won’t do it again.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“Fair enough.”
Will sighed and leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him on his desk. “You know what would be even more impressive than you spreading your seed like a goddamn cowboy?”
My mind went completely blank. “What?”
“If you could actually get a woman to go out with you more than once, a woman with some class,” he said. “Who doesn’t need your money.”
I raised my eyebrows. “A woman like Ella?”
“Shut the fuck up,” he said, raising a finger at me.
“I don’t have time for a relationship right now.”
“Why?” he asked. “Cause you’re so busy being a cowboy?”
“No.” I straightened up in my chair and fixed my eyes on him. “Cause I’m about to start my own business.”
He tilted his head towards me. “Sorry- you’re what?”
“I’m not going to be working here with you anymore in the new year,” I said. “As grateful as I am for how much you’ve taught me over the last year, it’s time for me to do my own thing.”
He furrowed his brow. “Is this a joke?”
“No.”
“So I’m supposed to take you seriously now, am I? Now that you’re done making jokes?”
“If you wouldn’t mind.”
“And what is it that you think you’re going to do with all the skills and aspirations you’ve been keeping to yourself this whole time?”
“I’m going to open my own club.”
“A club?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Club Abbott.”
Chapter 7: Carrie
I swear sometimes I thought my parents wanted me to get married more than I did, though I suspect that was only down to their advanced ages.
But even though I knew it would break their hearts, I couldn’t put off telling them anymore.
At this point, the only thing more depressing than
telling them the wedding was off was practicing telling them one more time.
And unfortunately, despite the fact that my apartment had felt unclean since I caught Simon and that woman in it, it was the kind of call I had to make from home.
I leaned in the doorway of my bedroom and looked at my stripped bed. I hadn’t gone in the room at all except to get my phone charger, and even then I’d avoided looking around in case something might burn my eyes.
At least he’d had the decency to clean up my sick.
He even put the sheets in the washer and ran the load. Of course, they were still sitting there, mostly cause I couldn’t figure out how to set them on fire when they were soaking wet.
I mean, I couldn’t sleep on them again, could I? Would my dignity allow that? Then again, for all I knew I’d already done it.
Why couldn’t he get a hotel room like a normal cheater? Why did he have to desecrate my personal space like that?
The weirdest part was that I wanted to blame her.
It was like some part of me still felt compelled to defend him, compelled to believe she was some kind of experienced temptress. Like those witches in fairytales who take on a fair appearance to trick people even though they’re really evil through and through.
But I knew that was naïve.
The fact that he brought her back here to my home was proof enough that it was premeditated. It’s not like he slipped on a patch of ice and his dick landed inside her. There wasn’t a jury on Earth that would accept a plea of temporary insanity on his part.
He was a pilot for Christ’s sake. He spent more time sober than anyone I knew. In fact, it used to be a point of contention when we started dating in college because he was insecure about the fact that I would go out and get deliberately shit faced so often.
I had to constantly console him that he could trust me, which he could. Obviously. I’d never even been with anyone else.
In fact, I always thought I would wait until I was married- not cause I was some kind of prude, but simply because that’s what my parents did. And I’d never known a happier couple.
I wanted that.
But I was so sure after a few weeks that Simon was the one, I told him I didn’t want to wait. He was so good about it. So good it made me nauseous to think about it now.
Meanwhile, I thought his inclination towards jealousy and control was proof of how head over heels he was for me. But I knew now that was bullshit.
Obviously, his behavior was only a ruse. Like when homophobes bully homosexuals to hide the fact that they, themselves, are closet gays.
And now here I was wondering whether I hated him more for what he did- for what he destroyed- or for the fact that he made a fool out of me.
I sighed.
How could he do this? When I loved him so much every way I knew how?
The phone rang in my hands and I looked down at the screen before picking up.
“Mom,” I said, straightening up. “I was just about to call you.”
“Your father’s had a heart attack.”
“What?”
“He was raking in the backyard and-”
“Is he okay?” I leaned against the doorframe.
“He’s fine,” she said. “It happened this morning.”
“Why didn’t you call me?!”
“I didn’t want to worry you until I knew he was okay-”
“And what if he wasn’t?”
“Then I would’ve worried you.”
“Where are you?”
“At the hospital. He’s surrounded by nurses down the hall, loving every minute of it no doubt.”
“How long are they going to keep him there? Should I fly out?”
“No, honey. Absolutely not. I don’t want him enjoying too much attention or he might pull this crap again.”
I could hear in her voice that she was doing her best to hide the fact that he’d scared the shit out of her.
“Plus, he’s fine now, Carrie. I promise. The doctor said it’s normal for this to happen at his age.”
“That doesn’t make it okay.”
“Better than a stroke,” she said. “Besides, I’ve been trying to get him to change his diet since the first one so this little incident will only help my case.”
“I’m coming out there,” I said, shaking my head. “As soon as I-”
“Please don’t. Not that we wouldn’t be delighted to see you, dear, but it’s our turn to come see you. Plus, you should save your money for the wedding-”
“That’s why I was going to call you.”
“About the wedding?”
“Yeah.”
“What about it?”
“There isn’t going to be one.”
“Oh no! You haven’t decided to elope have you? Your father’s been worried you were going to do that and I told him-”
“I’m not eloping, Mom.” I took a deep breath. “I’m not getting married at all.”
“Why? What’s happened?”
“Simon and I broke up.”
“What? How could that be? Are you sure you haven’t just had an argument, honey? The stress of planning a wedding can really take its toll on even the strongest couple.”
“I’m sure, Mom. It’s over.”
“Why? You’re so good together! It doesn’t make sense.”
I couldn’t tell her the truth. She was old enough now that she might have a heart attack herself and with my dad already in the hospital… And she would tell him. I knew she would. That was one of their things.
I could hear my dad’s voice in my head when I thought about it… “Your mother and I have no secrets from each other.”
If I had a penny for every time he said that, I’d have enough to pay for Simon’s hit.
But they fell in love at a different time, a simpler time- before everyone had more secrets than they even had time to tell. Plus, these days it seemed most people were more interested in the secrets of the fictional characters on their favorite prime time shows than they were of the people they saw every day.
Though that was probably for good reason.
Was it that simple? Had I just been so oblivious to Simon’s cheating that he hadn’t been able to find a good opportunity to tell me? No. Surely he was just a cheating piece of shit.
I shuddered to think of all the time I spent getting stains out of his shirts so he wouldn’t go around looking like a mess. Because I was so proud of him. Pathetic.
“Carrie? You there?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“So what happened?” she asked.
“We just decided we didn’t love each other enough,” I said, my chest loosening at how much easier that explanation was to say, to swallow.
“Maybe you’ll work it out, honey.”
“I don’t think so. We considered it pretty carefully before we decided.”
“In that case, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. As long as Dad’s okay, I’m fine.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I promise,” I said. “Obviously I’m disappointed, but it’s for the best.”
“Simon must be a mess.”
I pursed my lips.
“Is he doing okay?”
I clenched my jaw. “He’s hanging in there.”
“I swear the day he came to ask for your hand your father and I were blown away by how candid he was, by the sheer depth of his love for you.”
“That’s not helping, Mom.”
“Right. Sorry.”
“But don’t tell Dad until you think his heart can take it, okay?”
“Good idea. Might wait a few days.”
“Please do.”
“I’ll call and let you know how he’s doing in the meantime.”
“Thanks, Mom. That would be great. Give him my love.”
