by T. L Smith
He tried calling. Mel even started to notice I wasn’t accepting his calls. I could see the questions in her eyes, but she was smart enough to not ask. Thank God.
“You have someone requesting to speak to you at reception. But they aren’t scheduled in your calendar. What would you like me to do?” Vicki asks with her iPad in hand. She’s been better this week, not as bitchy and is actually listening to me. I do have the means to fire her, but I have withheld hoping she’ll change since she’s been with the company for so long.
“It’s not…” I don’t say the words, she knows though.
“No. It’s a woman.”
I nod my head and shut down my computer as I walk out the front to see who it is. It can’t be Mel as she left yesterday to go home. And I don’t know that many people outside of where I work, so I’m interested to see who could be asking for me.
“Hey, I want to see how you are later? Maybe an early dinner?” Tracey stops me with her hand on my arm. I simply nod my head in answer. I won’t be telling her everything, some things are better left unsaid.
“Great, I’ll come grab you soon.” She walks away as I continue to reception.
When I arrive, she sees me before I see her. “Hi, Storm.” Damn! I wish I’d been paying better attention because I would have turned the other way, instead of walking directly to her.
“Selena, why are you here?”
She looks around then back to me, her Gucci bag sits high on her shoulder matched with her brand clothing which I know is real thanks to my job. Her eyes rake me up and down before she fakes a smile. “Is there somewhere private we can talk?”
“Follow me.” I hear the click of her heels as she follows me to my office. Tracey spots us, her eyes going wide. As I step into my office, there’s a large bouquet of flowers sitting on the desk. Walking to it, I open the card and Echo’s name is the first thing I see. I don’t bother reading it as I close the card throwing it in the trash.
“Echo never sends flowers. So, who’s the lucky guy?”
Choosing to answer her is something I don’t want to do. She’s a viper, give her a little she’ll take a lot. I’ve seen girls like her in action my whole life. Ones who think they’re better but in reality, they’re broken and wanting someone to fix them. That would be why she left Echo, even if she loved him. He didn’t fix her.
“You haven’t answered as to why you’re here.” I sit in my chair as she looks around then sits as well, her legs cross as she places her bag on the floor then those seedy eyes look back up at me.
“Mike told me he saw you.” I nod my head, I have nothing to hide. “Are you trying for him as well?” she asks in the most serious tone as if that’s something normal to do.
What the fuck is wrong with this woman?
“You’re insane, right?” I ask confused.
She doesn’t answer just stays in the exact same position with her hands in her lap.
“Who would do that? Go for one brother then the next?” I can’t help myself. Hell! Maybe she does love Mike more, who am I to judge. But she’s now sitting in my office, where she came to me, and is asking me these crazy notions as if I would be that thoughtless to do that to Echo after she did.
“You’re judging me, I can see it.”
“I’m sure you can hear it, too,” I reply in a voice that’s more sarcasm than anything else.
“You can’t help who you love, I happen to love both.”
I lean forward, my elbows hitting my desk as I speak to her. “You don’t, sweetheart. You wouldn’t have kissed the other man if you truly loved only one. Because you knew it would break both their hearts.”
“You think you know better, don’t you? That you’re so self-righteous. You aren’t. You’ll just be another notch on his bedpost when he’s done with you, too.”
“How about you take the flowers when you leave, Selena? Seeing as he never bought you any. He’s bought me more than enough.”
She stands to reach for her Gucci bag and looks to the flowers. I reach into the trash grabbing the card opening it to show her Echo’s name before I throw it back in the can.
“Take them. Maybe you can think he sent them to you. Since you like to believe you’re God’s gift to these two men and their feelings don’t seem to matter to you.” Her eyes zoom in on the flowers, and for a moment I think she’s about to take them. Instead, she pushes them to the side and they fall to my floor. She smiles as she looks at me in triumph. What a fool she is.
“Selena’s back to her old tricks again I see?” Tracey says opening the door and stepping in. Selena spins facing her. Tracey has her hands crossed over her chest ready for whatever Selena’s about to say.
“You… I guess you like her, right?” Selena laughs at her own words.
“I do, actually. You see she isn’t a tramp, and she doesn’t lie. Two things you’re very good at.”
Selena straightens to full height.
“You were only allowed around them for pity, did you know that? They never liked you.” Tracey laughs at her words. “You do know you never really knew what he did for a reason, right? You can’t be trusted. So, it makes you wonder if he ever really loved you considering he wouldn’t tell you what he actually did. But do you know that Storm knows? She knew pretty early on.”
Selena looks back at me. I didn’t know that she wasn’t aware of what he did for a living. What did she think he did to make money?
“He doesn’t want you, he wants me. You should know… that’s all I came to tell you. He’ll always want me.” She pushes past Tracey as she makes her way out. I sit back on my chair wondering why the fuck I agreed to let her in, in the first place. That bitch has no one but multiple screws loose.
“I told him, just letting you know,” Tracey says holding the door ready to walk out.
“You didn’t?” I groan. I don’t want to see him, not after the words he spoke to me on the weekend.
“I did, sorry. But he asked to let him know if you ever needed him.”
I stand to reach for my purse. “I don’t need him. Ever. We’re going to have to miss dinner, Tracey. I have to go.”
“You can’t escape him forever, you know.”
I smile when I look back at her. “Oh, but I can.” I take the stairs knowing full well Selena would have taken the elevator. When I get to the doors, I see her standing out the front of the building. And I see him too. He’s shaking his head at her firmly. Selena’s hand lifts and she’s trying to touch him on his arm. Echo shakes her off not letting her touch him.
Looking for an escape I can’t see one, the only way out is past them both. And the last place I want to be is in the same vicinity as them. They’ve made my life more complicated than it needs to be. I was getting by watching my movies before they came along and ruined everything. Now my life is a total mess, plus my head. He’s done things to me that a man like him who’s tied up with someone else shouldn’t be able to do. It’s unfair. I should have asked for a dating history check before I let him kiss me. Damn it! That was the moment I knew there was no going back.
He lifts his eyes, anger in them as he speaks to her until they reach me. I’m standing still unaware of what I should be doing. I didn’t expect him to have arrived so quickly. I was hoping to escape without sighting him. My luck isn’t that great lately. Seems I’m always being put in shit positions and places I don’t want to be.
Selena looks back noticing he’s stopped talking and sees me as well. Her hand lifts to his face and turns it back to look at her. That’s all I can stand to watch, looking for my closest escape I find the bathroom and lock myself in there. Hoping and praying that when I can finally leave he’s gone.
“Tracey, you made this happen. You need to come down and make them disappear,” I say into the cell.
“Storm, where are you?”
“I’m in the bathroom. Hurry up.”
She giggles. “Are you hiding?”
“Tracey… they’re both are standing out the front
. Make them leave. Now.” I hang up and sit on the toilet. The door is knocked on and few times and I ignore it hoping whoever it is will go away. Then it happens again. And I know it’s him before he even utters my name from those sinful lips.
“Storm, why are you hiding in the bathroom?”
I open my cell sending a text to Tracey to hurry up. I’m not answering him, he needs to go away so I can go home. Where it’s safe.
“Storm…”
Looking up to the ceiling I try to stop the tears that want to fall. The ones that scream about the fact that I’m lying to myself, and that the feelings I have for this man are purely manifested in my head when really they’re sitting evident in my heart. Like a fucking tornado wanting to blow through the rest of me to wake me up and realize this is it, it’s the love I never had with Matthew. That the feelings I have for Echo can’t be blown away a second longer. Even though no matter how hard I try I can’t make them disappear.
“Storm, I will break this door down. People are starting to stare. Not that I care, but I figure you might.”
He’s right, it’s my place of work.
Then my cell dings and Tracey tells me she’s here. I try to listen to what they say while keeping my head held high to stop the tears, until a softer knock raps on the door.
“He’s gone. Sorry, Storm.”
Wiping at my face, I pull the door open and find Tracey standing there.
“Thank you,” I say walking away.
I plan to go home and watch a shit load of When Harry Met Sally.
24
Echo
She has serious issues, this much I know for sure. Tracey calling to let me know Selena was there is not something I was expecting. And why the fuck do they all feel the need to go to her? My brother, now Selena. Storm clearly wants nothing to do with it until they bring her into it. Just before I arrive at the doors to her building I notice Selena walking out, sunglasses covering her eyes as she struts with her head held high. She should be looking at the ground after what she’s done.
“You get a kick out of torturing me, right? It’s the only explanation I can come up with,” I say. Selena stops walking and turns to face me. Her hand goes to touch my shoulder, but I brush her off.
“I’m going to leave him, for you.”
“You’re insane,” I reply while shaking my head at her crazy words.
“I thought you’d be happy. This way, you can stop playing with the redhead woman and come back to what you know you want.”
Shaking my head firmly, I clench my fists at her stupidity. “I never loved you.” It falls from my lips like I’ve drank truth serum. “I think I was fixated on you because you were all I knew.”
Her sunglasses are now on top of her head as she looks to the ground scanning, then back to me. “You don’t believe that you love me, Echo?” She goes to touch me again, but I push her hand away.
“I don’t, I really don’t. You can go and try to win my brother back. But be aware, I will tell him exactly what you just did here, and whatever you come to say to Storm as well. He likes her you see. Respects her. Something you have completely lost. Now, please do us all a favor, and fuck off.” I look past her to see Storm standing in the lobby area of her building. When she notices my stare, she quickly starts walking away. I watch her disappear into the ladies bathroom. Just as I try to go after her, Selena stops me with her hand on my shoulder.
“You love me, Echo. I’ll give you one more chance, it’s the least I can do.”
I throw her hand off me as I scoff while ignoring her words, and head straight for the woman I do want. She doesn’t answer when I knock—I know it’s because she’s hiding from me in there. I don’t blame her, I was an asshole. A big fucking asshole at that.
Tracey walks in and says, “You should leave, give her more time.”
My hands run through my hair. “I have given her time, more than enough. I didn’t cause this.”
Tracey shakes her head as I look to the closed door.
“You did cause this, now just go.”
I do as she says.
Clearly, Storm wants space and somehow, someway, I have to respect that. Even if it kills me inside to give her that space she craves.
“You’re always in a relationship issue, have you noticed that?” Falcon points out as we sit at Darby’s house drinking. We come here at least once a month to just unwind. We aren’t inside his main house, but in a space where he throws parties, and we drink until we can no longer see straight.
“Fuck you,” I throw to him.
“Think about it, at least every week you had an issue with that bitch. Now, you’re still having issues with that bitch even after she left you.” Darby nods but doesn’t say anything. Creed watches his cell.
“I’m not with her.”
“You’re a love addict. That’s what you are,” Falcon says standing, declaring it as if he’s just come up with the word.
“Sit down,” Creed groans.
Falcon does so and looks at me. “You are, though. You crave love. Even if it’s from the wrong woman. It explains why you stayed with that bitch.”
“I thought I loved her. You wouldn’t know what that’s like.” Drinking my beer, he shakes his head at me.
“I don’t need to know, I see it in you enough to turn me off for life.”
“Once you find it though, I’m sure it’s worth it.” We all look at Creed, who isn’t paying us any attention as he continues to stare at his cell.
“She isn’t going to have the baby tonight. Put it down,” Darby tells him.
Finally, he looks up at all of us watching him. “It’s worth it,” is all he says then checks his cell again.
“And what… you think this redhead chick, who doesn’t even want to talk to you, is it?”
I shrug. I don’t really know, all I know is that I want to be around her. All the time. And I don’t get sick of her, which is an even bigger fact for me. I don’t want breaks from Storm, not like I needed with Selena.
“Have you ever liked a girl for more than one night?” I ask him back. Falcon doesn’t do relationships, he’s the exact opposite of me. That’s why we always give each other shit on the topic, one loves harder than the other. Actually, the other doesn’t at all.
“None have kept my interest for longer than one night, you should know that.” He used to try to sleep with our girls until we put a stop to it. The girls who work for us are a no-go, no matter what. Falcon, other than us, is only close to one girl. That’s his sister. “So what do you plan to do, love addict?” he asks me taking the subject away from him. He’s good at that.
“Get her back.”
“I have a feeling she isn’t going to be as easy as Selena.” Darby laughs at Falcon’s words. “You do know Selena tried with all of us, right? We didn’t want to tell you, but figured now you should know considering you’re over her, right?”
What the fuck! I didn’t know that.
Creed looks up again from his cell and I ask him, “She tried it on you?”
He nods his head and I know that Falcon’s words are true.
“Thank fuck you never told the bitch what we really did, hey?”
“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?”
They all stare at me.
“You believed you loved the crazy bitch. Who are we to tell you otherwise?”
“So, what about Storm then?”
Falcon smirks. “Oh, I tried to insert myself in her. That one may be a keeper. Or she’s blind. Either or, I’m going to leave that up to you.”
Of course, he tried on with her. He’s only human and she’s only one of the most beautiful women on this fucking planet.
“I really like her,” I murmur.
“We know,” they all say in unison.
“She’s better for you though, you used to miss work all the time. With her you don’t, and even when you thought you might, you let us know. With Selena, you always needed to escape. With Storm, it’s like you’re
too afraid to escape,” Darby says.
“I never looked at it like that.” It’s true though, I haven’t gone to the beach once since I’ve been with Storm, and I looked forward to seeing her every chance I could get. “Giving her space is fucking hard.”
They don’t say anything, the quiet ticks on and Creed stands, runs to the door not even bothering closing it as he leaves.
“Baby?” Falcon asks.
We all shrug having no idea. He’ll let us know when he knows.
“Can you believe his ass is going to have a baby?” Falcon laughs.
“Hello.” The cell goes to my ear without even looking at the caller.
“Echo.” My mother’s voice comes through on the other end of the cell. “We’ve been trying to call you, Storm gave me your number. You need to come to the hospital.”
“Why?”
“It’s your brother. Please, just come.”
Falcon throws keys at me. “Take my car.”
I do, running out the door the same way Creed did moments before. Unsure of what I’m about to face.
Selena is the first person I see when I reach the waiting room in the emergency department. My parents are sitting next to her holding hands.
“What’s going on? What’s wrong with Mike?”
Selena falls onto my chest, crying loudly as she clings to my shirt. My father stands to leave, my mother sitting on the seat not moving.
“One of your brother’s clients shot him.”
My legs become shaky. I didn’t expect that—my brother getting hurt. Not in this way, not like that.
“Is he alive?”
My father nods and taps my shoulder for his form of comfort. “He’s in surgery. We’re waiting to hear more.”
“And what’s she doing here?”
Selena lifts her head from my chest and looks up at me her tears instantly gone. “He’s my husband, Echo.”
“You could have fooled me,” I say remembering her words. Selena doesn’t love anyone but herself. That much is evident.
