by Bria Marche
The guys sauntered into the kitchen—it was halftime. “Who’s a baby?” Max asked.
“Vic said Mario was,” Sasha piped in.
The guys laughed. “Yeah, Vic is probably the only person who could say that without getting an ass whipping,” Max said.
“I only said he was the baby of the family. Don’t exaggerate, Sasha. Isn’t there some place you guys have to be, like outside?”
“True enough. Let’s go.” Josh grabbed a handful of beers and they walked out single file.
Vic grabbed her cell and hit Karen’s number. It went to voicemail. “Damn it! I’ll try again after lunch. We’ll go in one of the bedrooms and put her on speakerphone. We need to know all the dirt.”
***
Mario and Karen arrived at the store early that morning. Weekends were extremely busy due to the end-of-season sales. Winter gear and coats were flying off the shelves as fast as Karen could restock them with the spring line. Tee shirts replaced sweatshirts. Mountain bikes filled the racks, and skis were marked down by twenty percent. Tents, assembled on the sidewalk by Rick, were set up as display models.
The annual April street dance and festival would be held that weekend. Tourists from all over were out in droves, spending money in the retail shops and restaurants. Karen barely had a chance to think about anything other than helping customers. She finally had a free minute to call Vic at lunchtime, when the store activity slowed down, but needed somewhere private to talk. She scanned the store. There was Mario. He was going over the features of a mountain bike with a very enthusiastic customer. The kids were at the cash register, and Rick busied himself setting up more displays. Karen had about ten minutes, tops. She slipped into the office and closed the door. The window facing out over the store provided her with enough notice in case anyone came her way.
***
Vic’s phone rang twice. “What the hell—I was just going to call you. We’re all at Aaron’s house and want the 4-1-1. I’ll put you on speakerphone.”
“Wait. I can’t talk in front of everyone.”
“The guys are glued to the TV, watching basketball, so it’s just us. We’ll go into the guest bedroom.” Vic closed the door behind her after everyone was comfortably sitting on the bed. “Okay, now you’re on speakerphone, so spill.”
“I only have a minute. I’ll give you the condensed version so you guys can process it. I’ll call back later to hear your opinions, okay?”
“Yeah, sure, just start talking, but leave out the juice. I don’t want to hear the details about how you and my brother did it.”
“We want to hear the juice,” Sasha wailed.
“Zip it, Sasha. You can talk to her about the juice another time. Okay, talk.”
“Mario has a girlfriend here in Telluride. She’s going to try to get him back. What the hell should I do? She’s like ten years old, and hot. I swear I should have jammed that damn corkscrew into my brain last night.” Karen sobbed into the phone from pent-up anxiety. She’d held it together for twenty-four hours, and her emotions were in overdrive.
“What the hell! I’ll kill that sleazebag. Mario never mentioned a girlfriend… ever. How do you know all of this?” Vic yelled.
“She works across the street at the friggin’ sandwich shop. I heard her talking about him. She has dreadlocks, for God’s sake. How do I compete with that?”
“At least we know Mario isn’t gay. We can give you dreadlock extensions if you want,” Tina said.
“I’d rather find out Mario is gay than compete with that child, and I don’t want friggin’ extensions. I just want Mario to love me.”
Silence filled the phone lines since nobody had expected to hear what Karen had just blurted out. The girls stared at each other with their mouths gaping open.
“Shit… I didn’t mean to say that so early in the relationship. That’s right, we never had a relationship, just a hookup. Now I sound pathetic. TMI, I know. Damn it! I’m coming home.”
“Just wait. We have to discuss this. Don’t do anything rash yet,” Mia said.
“Oh no… this can’t be happening,” Karen screeched into the phone. “She’s here! She’s in the store, talking to Mario. My nightmares are coming true. She just put her arms around him and kissed him. You adolescent bitch! I’m going to kill you!”
“Karen, you’re going off the deep end. Stop screaming, and take a breath. What’s Mario doing?” Mia was already shredding her cuticles with her teeth.
“He’s turning white and nervously looking around for me. I'm going to hide behind the door… now he just walked outside with her.”
“Somebody take me to the airport!” Vic said. “I have a couple of people to dismember, starting with my brother.”
“No, stay home, I’m out of here. Mario’s store is his problem. Maybe Daisy Dreadlocks can help him get things in order. I need to pack my clothes and catch a shuttle to the airport. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
The girls were dumbfounded by the turn of events as Karen hung up the phone. Mario didn’t seem the type to do something so hurtful to Karen, or anyone for that matter. Vic tried to call his cell phone, but it went to voicemail.
“Leave it alone,” Mia said. “Karen and Mario have to figure this out themselves. They’re adults. We’ll get more info when we see her. Let’s go to her house Tuesday and talk.” Mia was the only rational one at the moment. Everyone else wanted to kill Mario and the dreadlocked hotsie-totsie.
The girls followed Mia down the hall back to the kitchen. They filled their glasses to the top with Merlot, and the whispers were silenced while they ate lunch. The basketball game ended 110-72 with the Cavs beating the Knicks. With a click of the remote, Aaron powered off the TV, and they joined the girls again in the kitchen. Mia made coffee, Sasha served the pumpkin bread, and they came up with a guest list for the double wedding.
***
“Sarah, I figured you’d come looking for me sooner or later,” Mario said as he took her by the elbow and led her outside.
“Aren’t you glad to see me? I’ve missed you so much. I think about us every day.”
“There isn’t an us. There were you and Brad, but I heard he bailed on you. Billy told me everything.”
“Leave it to Silly Billy. He exaggerates. Brad had a better opportunity in Jackson Hole for the winter, and I didn’t want to leave Telluride—that’s all. I knew you’d come back sooner or later. We can start over, Mario. I never stopped loving you.”
“Well, apparently you did. Anyway, enough talk. I came back to take care of business at the store. We’re over with, and I’ve moved on. I’ll be in town for a while, but that doesn’t have anything to do with you. Keep your distance, and I’ll keep mine. Now go—we’re done.”
A text message alerted Mario. He pulled his cell out of the front pocket of his jeans. It was from Billy, and he had a very interested investor sitting at the bar at Slopes at that very moment. The guy wanted to hear more about Gravity. Mario texted back that he’d be there in five minutes. He walked away, leaving Sarah standing on the sidewalk. Mario was almost at the front door when he realized he’d forgotten to tell Karen he was going to Slopes. Damn it. He sent a quick text, saying he had a meeting to attend and would be back as soon as he could.
Chapter Sixteen
Karen took the downtown shuttle back to the condo. It made a continuous loop from Colorado Avenue to all the resorts every half hour until ten o’clock at night.
When she arrived at the lodge, she asked the concierge to call the airport-shuttle service for her. The last flight heading east out of Grand Junction was at five thirty. Even with a short layover in Atlanta, it would be twelve thirty before the plane touched down at LaGuardia. By the time she reached Tarrytown by train, it would be close to three in the morning.
Jamming everything she’d brought into her suitcase, she had little regard for the art of folding or rolling clothes for travel. A glass of wine helped calm her nerves while she scribbled out a brief note to Mario saying
she had an emergency back home. She needed her friends and their insight before she would confront Mario about their so-called relationship.
Karen waited on the carved-log bench just outside the front doors of the Cimarron Lodge. Her suitcase sat to her right on the pea gravel. She stared down the hill at the town below her. It was beautiful. In another life, with a different man, she could embrace this town. But at the moment, the only thing she felt was betrayal and humiliation. The shuttle bus lumbered up the driveway toward the lodge. She handed the driver her suitcase, looked back at what she thought was a slice of heaven on earth, and climbed in.
At five forty-five, the jet engines revved on the runway. The passengers stared out the windows as the heavy plane took to the sky. Within minutes, the evening lights below Karen looked like small, twinkling stars. They faded into darkness as the jet climbed in altitude, heading for Atlanta.
***
Mario didn’t get back to Gravity until four o’clock. His phone had been turned off during the meeting with Brian Link, Billy Mayberry’s friend and investment partner. They’d ended the meeting with a shot of Jägermeister and a handshake. It looked promising. They would get together again on Wednesday and go over all the tax returns for Gravity, both the ski school and the store. Mario was honest with Billy and Brian, explaining how his absence as an owner had hurt the business and how he had returned to straighten things out. Wednesday at two o’clock, the three of them would meet with Brian and Billy’s banker and accountant.
Mario entered the store. Business was still brisk. He was full of excitement and anxious to tell Karen about the meeting with Brian and Billy. He hadn’t thought of turning his phone back on until that moment. He was surprised to see Karen hadn’t responded to his earlier text. Mario looked around but didn’t see her. She wasn’t helping customers or working behind the counter, and the office lights were off.
She’s probably picking up something to eat. Mario closed himself behind the office doors and unlocked the safe. With the sales crew taking care of everything on the floor, he had time to go over the prior four years’ tax returns. Gravity had made a good profit. Billy understood, and didn’t seem too concerned when Mario explained it was just bad management this first quarter of the new year. Mario promised to let those managers go and to stay on board until new ones were hired, or until Billy and Brian bought the store. It was also a plus that security measures were set in place. Mario took his business very seriously, and had to give some thought to filing charges. He really didn’t have solid proof since the store had never been set up with security cameras. In hindsight, Mario knew he’d messed up on that one. He looked out the office window toward the sales floor again. Where the hell is Karen? I’ve been back for a half hour, and she still isn’t here. Mario called her cell, and it went to voicemail. “Hey, Karen, where are you, hon? I might have some good news. Call me back. If you aren’t picking up dinner, I’d love to take you out for a nice meal. I’m at Gravity.”
Mario put the tax returns back in the safe, locked the office door, and went out to assist the customers. He checked his cell again. No messages, no texts. Another half hour had lapsed. He asked the staff if Karen had told any of them where she was going. Everyone admitted they’d been too busy earlier to notice when she left. The last time anyone saw her, she was in the office, but that was around lunchtime. I know she was here when Sarah came in. Oh no… if Karen saw Sarah kiss me, and then I never came back after we went outside, she must be thinking the worst. She probably went back to the condo.
At five thirty, Mario left and took the shuttle up the hill to the lodge. He tried Karen’s cell several times on the way. He saw their unit from the road. The balcony was dark, and no lights were on inside. What the heck is going on? Where is she? Mario was becoming genuinely concerned. Abruptly leaving without a word didn’t seem like Karen’s style. They’d been having a great time together, or at least Mario had thought so.
He unlocked the door to their unit. Darkness filled the space. He slapped at the wall, feeling for the foyer light, then flipped the switch. Maybe she didn’t feel good and came back early. I bet it’s the allergies. She must be sleeping. Mario walked the length of the hallway and stepped into the master suite. Even with the light off, he could see well enough to realize nobody was in bed. He checked the guest room too—nothing. Mario felt panic setting in. She has to be in the hot tub. He opened the slider and saw the balcony was empty. He rubbed his temples and anxiously checked his phone again. His mind was jumbled, yet he drew a blank. Mario caught a glimpse of the notepad next to the wall phone and telephone book. A pen sat with it on the breakfast bar. Karen had written a note saying she’d left. She was gone, and Mario’s heart sank. There was a bit of relief that she was fine, but the message said there was an emergency back home. What the hell is going on? Why didn’t she let me know? Mario remembered he’d had his phone turned off all afternoon. Damn it. She probably called a million times, and my phone was off. Wouldn’t she have left a message though? He tapped her number on his cell and left his own message. “Karen, I just got back to the condo and saw your note. I’m sure you won’t get this message until after you land, but call me. I’m worried about you. It’s six o’clock.”
***
Mario felt deflated. There was nobody he wanted to share his optimism with more than Karen. She’d left, and he had no idea how long he would be staying in Telluride without her. He’d call the Summit first thing in the morning and get that squared away. The crew in Hunter was trustworthy and competent. Mario didn’t worry about them being able to handle the store without him. His hope had been to have Karen stay on in Colorado with him until things were settled. It would have given them a chance at a real relationship, in work and in love.
He took the resort shuttle back down the hill to Slopes. Dinner and a few drinks were as good there as anywhere else, and the first shuttle stop was only a half block from the front door. Mario took a stool at the bar. Happy hour was winding down since it was Sunday and people had to work the next day. He thought back to a few nights before when Karen had sat there with him. They’d had a great time. Wow, I didn’t see this coming. What should be a night of possible celebration is just me, alone, with a beer and an empty condo.
His mind was full of questions and concerns. He wanted Karen by his side during the day and in his bed at night. He missed her already and felt an empty, gnawing ache inside.
“Would you like another beer, handsome?”
The all-too-familiar voice startled Mario out of his thoughts. There was Sarah, leaning over the bar, inches from him. Her breasts poured over the top of the tight tank top she wore, and she proudly flaunted them in Mario’s face.
“Sarah… I forgot you work here. I guess my brain isn’t engaged tonight.”
“I can help you with that. Where are you staying? I get off at nine.”
“C’mon, knock it off. I’ll take another beer and a menu, please.”
“I wasn’t kidding, Mario. You knew we’d bump into each other. It’s unavoidable in a town this size. I want you back, and I’ll do whatever it takes to show you I’m sincere.”
“I sincerely want another beer and a menu.” Mario got up and walked over to an empty table. He could avoid Sarah and her innuendos if he sat in the dining area. Sarah was stuck bartending tonight.
The waitress approached and took Mario’s order for a half rack of ribs and German potato salad. “I’ll take another Guinness too, please.”
Mario paid his tab and left when Sarah’s back was turned. She had been watching him from the bar the entire time he was eating. He made sure to leave before she got off work for the night. The last thing he wanted was to put up with her and her pleading. He tried Karen’s phone once more when he returned to the condo. No answer. She must still be en route. I’ll try again tomorrow. Mario sat in front of the TV with a cold beer, thinking of her until he dozed off.
***
A slight wobble and the screeching sound of the wheels h
itting the runway jarred Karen awake. They’d just landed at LaGuardia. She stretched, yawned, and checked the time. It was 12:42 a.m.
What a long night, and I still have two hours before I get home. Her seat was at the tail end of the airplane, the only seat she could get at such short notice. She’d been lucky to find a flight at all. Karen sat and waited for the jet to clear before standing to grab her carry-on bag. It would take another thirty minutes to get her luggage and board the train to Tarrytown. She still wouldn’t reach the warmth and comfort of her bed until after three o’clock. She turned her cell back on and saw the flashing light of a waiting message. It was Mario, wanting her to call him when she landed.
That will have to wait. I need everyone’s opinions first. I’ll call the girls in the morning and see if they want to do lunch.
While lugging her suitcase and carry-on to the waiting area for the train, Karen had ample opportunity to think over the last twenty-four hours. Did I miss some sort of sign? Was Mario’s mind on Sarah instead of me? He seemed as attentive as always, but he had to know he would run into Sarah at some point. Why did he even bring me along?
Tears pooled in Karen’s eyes, and a killer headache was setting in. The train slowed to a stop, and she boarded. Seven other sleepy passengers accompanied her in the train car to Tarrytown and beyond.
Chapter Seventeen
Karen rose at six even though she’d barely slept. She cinched the belt of her aqua velour robe and put on a pair of Acorn slipper socks. They were toasty warm. There’s nothing four aspirin and strong coffee won’t fix. She zombie walked to the kitchen. Claire meowed and slithered against her robe, causing a few static sparks to fly. The cat hissed and left to curl up on the back of the couch. Whatever. It’s nice to see you, too.
Karen rinsed out Claire’s water dish and refilled it. She poured a scoop of kibbles into her bowl then cleaned out the litter box. The coffeemaker beeped, indicating it was full.
