Mistaken Identity

by Jay, Donna

  The bitchy comment severed Kelly’s invisible line of tolerance. With no more fucks to give, Kelly nailed Colette with what she hoped was a look of utter contempt. “One that got him dead. ”

  There was no mistaking the warning look Paula shot Kelly, but the fact the look was directed at her and not Colette added to her resolve to continue.

  “The funny thing is, my mother made him sell his death-trap, as Paula likes to refer to my Triumph, but it wasn’t enough to save his life. Ironically, he died cocooned in a metal cage.”

  “Jesus, Kelly.” Paula exploded. “What’s got into you tonight? I’ve told you I’m sorry your father was killed. It’s still no reason to tempt fate.”

  The way Paula said the word ‘killed' felt like a punch to the gut. He died, passed-over, or more specifically, met his death when a massive bolder came down in the Manawatu Gorge and sent the huge double milk tanker plunging into the water below.

  Nicole leaned in close, her shoulder brushing against Kelly’s. “I’m ready to go when you are.”

  Certain it would please Colette immensely if they left, Kelly held her ground. “I’m not done yet,” she said quietly.

  Sitting up straight in the tall back chair, Kelly put her hand over top of Nicole’s on the table. “Dad drove trucks for ten years. When I turned thirteen, and wanted to earn some pocket money, I would go to work with dad on the weekend and scrub his milk tanker. It was at the depot that I met this wonderful person.”

  Kelly squeezed Nicole’s hand recalling the sullen teenager she’d seen sitting in her father’s truck reading a book while he scrubbed it clean.

  Spotting Kelly, Nicole had climbed down from the cab, strolled across the yard, and introduced herself. After a brief chat, Nicole turned to walk away. The second her back was turned, Kelly had squirted her with a hose.

  As outraged as Nicole had been at the time, over the next month they met up every Saturday morning, and within six months they were inseparable. Despite living on opposite sides of town and going to different schools not a day went by when they weren’t in touch.

  “Aw, how sweet.” Grace smiled.

  Ashleigh nodded in agreement.

  Colette scowled.

  Paula sipped her wine and Kelly would’ve given anything to know the thoughts running through her head.

  “Every job has its merits,” Kelly stated.

  “Right,” Nicole agreed before completely killing the mood.

  The way her leg jiggled up and down, brushing against Kelly’s, should’ve alerted Kelly to the fact that even though Nicole was smiling, Colette’s attitude had left her simmering.

  Nicole glanced around the room then settled her gaze on Colette. “My mother works at an old folk’s home.”

  “Oh, is she an R.N.?” Colette asked, her smile so fake it might as well have been painted on.

  Aware Nicole’s mother wasn’t a registered nurse, Kelly braced herself for Nicole’s response.

  “My mother’s a caregiver and while she might not have any fancy titles or degrees, the world is a better place because of people like her.” She shot daggers at Colette with her eyes. “I have far more respect for someone who is paid shit to clean up shit than for someone who gets to where they are by kissing their boss’s arse. ”

  “That’s enough,” Paula warned, her voice deathly quiet.

  The tension in the room was so thick it was palpable. Kelly’s mind raced along with her pulse. She couldn’t recall ever feeling so uncomfortable.

  A chair screeched, and Nicole pushed back from the table. She stood, turned her back to Colette and faced Paula head on. “Thank you for the dinner invitation. Sorry for speaking out of line.” She glanced down at Kelly and gave her a sad smile. “Clearly I don’t belong here.”

  “No kidding,” Colette mumbled under her breath.

  It took a mighty feat of self-restraint for Kelly not to launch herself across the table and wrap her hands around Colette’s neck.

  “Who wants coffee?” Grace asked, bolting for the kitchen before anyone had a chance to reply.

  “I’ll help,” Ashleigh scrambled out of her chair and followed on Grace’s heels.

  Then, like a knight in shining armour saving the day, or a Dame saving the night, Lucy breezed through the door. “Hey, kids. What’d I miss? ”

  With her gaze locked on the floor, Nicole mumbled a reply. “We were just discussing what our parents do for a living.”

  “Oh, how exciting.” Lucy rubbed her hands together. “My dad’s an undertaker.”

  “Really?” Kelly asked, taken aback and smiling at the amused look on Lucy’s face.

  “Nah, but right about now I’m wondering if we need one. Who died?”

  Smiling, Paula shook her head. “Come on ladies, let’s call a truce. If I wanted to watch a pissing match, I’d hang out with men.”

  It was a ridiculous comment but when Lucy jumped off the stool and held her hands in front of her jeans, swinging her hips as if she was peeing all over the floor, Kelly couldn’t help but chuckle.

  Retrieving their cooler bag, Nicole pulled her cell phone out of the side pocket. “I’m going to call a cab, you coming or staying?”

  “Coming.”

  Neither of them smiled at the word that normally evoked all kinds of innuendos, and Paula didn’t attempt to stop either of them as they exited the house.

  Chapter 7

  After a good night’s sleep, sprawled out diagonally in the comfort of her own bed, Kelly was finally able to smile when she thought about everything that had transpired at Paula’s potluck dinner. While the various dishes people had contributed hadn’t revealed any surprises, the conversation certainly had. The look on Colette’s face when Nicole put her in her place had been priceless.

  Dressed in pink shorty pyjama’s, Nicole stumbled into the kitchen, looking more like a child who’d just stumbled out of bed than an adult.

  “Morning.” She shielded her eyes from the mid-morning sun streaming in through the window.

  “Speak of the devil.” Kelly handed Nicole a steaming cup of coffee.

  Nicole glanced around as if someone else was in the room. “Who? ”

  “You, you clown. I was just thinking about last night; the look on Colette’s face, then Paula’s.”

  “Oh, don’t remind me. Sorry if I embarrassed you.”

  “You didn’t. If anything, you did me a favour.” Kelly took a sip of coffee; murmuring in delight as the rich flavour washed over her taste buds.

  “How so?” Nicole asked around a yawn.

  Eager to make the most of the warm day, Kelly cracked open the back door. “Come on, let’s sit in the sun and talk.”

  Once they were seated on the top step, cushions under their backsides and the scent of warm grass tickling their nostrils, Kelly turned to Nicole.

  “Last night, I saw Paula through your eyes and I didn’t like what I saw. I’m going to break it off with her.” Before falling asleep, Kelly had thought long and hard about her relationship and when her heart didn’t ache she knew she’d made the right decision.

  Care and concern radiated in Nicole’s eyes.

  Taking a guess as to why, Kelly added, “The only part you played in our breakup was sitting back and letting me make my own mistakes, so don’t for a minute think any of this was your fault.”

  Nicole placed a hand on Kelly’s forearm. “It’s been a rough week for you, Kel, and as much as I don’t think Paula’s going to take the news lying down, I can’t say I’m sorry to hear it.”

  She puffed out her chest. “If she goes all Rambo on you, I’ve got your back.” She deflated. “Not really, I’m a lover not a fighter.”

  The words were so lame they both burst out laughing.

  “Thanks, girlfriend.” Kelly bumped shoulders with Nicole. “So, tell me, my little sleuth, in amongst all the chaos, did your panty sniffing radar go off?”

  With a clunk, Nicole set her coffee mug down on the concrete step. Her eyes lit up. “I wond
ered when you’d ask.”

  In awe of her friend, Kelly swallowed a slice of humble pie. Nicole was practically bursting at the seams, yet she hadn’t said a word until she was sure Kelly was ready to hear it.

  As much as she was dying to know what Nicole had to say, Kelly took the time to ask Nicole if she was okay. “How are you doing? You know you can tell me if you’re upset about the way Colette or Paula spoke to you.”

  An airplane flew overhead. They both glanced up, watching it soar through the clear blue sky until it was little more than a white spot in the distance.

  Nicole turned to Kelly. “Hell no, I’m not upset. When she made fun of what our parents do for a living, I wanted to stab her eyes out, with my fork.”

  Nicole softened her voice and pointed back and forth between them. “You and me, we didn’t come from money or brains.”

  “Hey speak for yourself.” Kelly grinned. “I’ve got plenty of brains, I just didn’t want to wear them out at university.”

  Truth was, Kelly had never dreamed of being a lawyer, or an accountant or anything else that required a degree. She earned half as much money as people in power, but suspected she was twice as happy. She’d never been surrounded by riches, but she’d always been surrounded by love.

  “You know what I meant.” Nicole nudged her in the side.

  “I did.” Kelly planted a wet kiss on Nicole’s cheek. “And that’s why we’re friends. We appreciate the simple things in life.”

  “Hey, watch who you’re calling simple,” Nicole shot back.

  The easy camaraderie between them was something Kelly cherished. Out of nowhere, a pang of sadness hit her. Why couldn’t she meet and fall in love with someone like her best friends, Steve and Nicole?

  Kelly shook off the thought. Envy had no place in her heart, it wouldn’t change a thing and she never wanted to become bitter or jealous.

  “Do you want the good news or the bad news?” Nicole asked, unaware of the thoughts tumbling through Kelly’s head.

  “Give me the bad news first, and don’t tell me you think it was Colette.”

  “’fraid so.” Nicole sighed. “Think about it, it’s the reason she’s so snippy with you. She’s covering her backside.”

  “Oh my God, do you think so? ”

  “Nope, just pulling your chain.” Nicole giggled. “The good news is I can’t imagine it was Colette. The bad news is you’re not going to be able to pursue the person I’m ninety-nine percent sure it is, without causing a lot of grief. And now that you’ve decided to break things off with Paula, I don’t think you should go making any confessions.”

  Having no idea who Nicole was hinting at, Kelly couldn’t agree or disagree. “Spit it out. Who do you think it was?

  “Ashleigh,” Nicole said softly.

  Kelly snorted coffee out of her nose. That wasn’t the name she expected to hear.

  “You okay?” Nicole thumped her on the back. “I tried to break it to you gently.”

  “Thanks.” Feeling like she’d stepped into another nightmare, Kelly wiped her mouth and cleared her throat. “How did you come to that conclusion?”

  “Remember when Paula not so subtly divulged to everyone you’re into bondage?”

  It wasn’t something Kelly was likely to forget in a hurry. “Yeah, why? ”

  “I know you heard every word she said, but you couldn’t see every face.” Nicole pointed to the narrow concrete path running along the back of their flat. “Ever seen someone turn that colour?”

  Unsure if she was following along, Kelly narrowed her eyes. “You mean grey?”

  “Yes! That’s the colour Ashleigh turned when Paula mentioned you were meant to get your kink on then you got sick.”

  “Maybe the part about me being into kink embarrassed her.”

  “I wondered the same at first, but if that was the case she would’ve blushed not paled.” Nicole’s voice rose in pitch. “She looked panic struck, Kel, like she was freaking out someone would see right through her. Lower your head.”

  Humouring Nicole, Kelly did as she was told. She bent her neck and fixed her gaze on her bare feet. Her long hair fell around Kelly’s shoulders and framed her face.

  “Now, without lifting your head, look at me.”

  The innocent act of peering through the long, brown strands made Kelly feel like she had something to hide.

  “That’s what Ashleigh did,” Nicole exclaimed. “She didn’t make eye contact with me for the rest of the night. It was almost as if she knew I knew.”

  Unconvinced, Kelly asked the more puzzling question. “What was she doing in Paula’s room?”

  “Who the hell knows, it could’ve been for any number of reasons. Remember at our house warming, Tina drank too much and had to lie down for a while? Maybe that’s what happened with Ashleigh, or she could’ve been tired, or staying the night but couldn’t crash on the sofa until all the guests had gone home.”

  Not knowing the answers, Kelly rubbed her friends shoulder. “I’m not disagreeing with you, Nicole. But we’re still relying on a lot of guesswork.”

  The strap of Nicole’s pyjama top slid down her arm. “You’re right. The only way you’ll know for sure is by asking everyone you suspect. And that would be rather silly.”

  After climbing to her feet, Nicole held out a hand. Kelly let her pull her up then shook out her legs. Nerves pinged as the circulation returned to her backside .

  “Ashleigh’s a sexy woman for sure. She’s also engaged. To a man.”

  “She’s also your soon to be ex’s dear friend.”

  The word dear made Kelly cringe, it was a term of endearment she wouldn’t miss.

  Nicole, who must’ve mistaken Kelly’s grimace as dread over the impending break-up, patted Kelly on the knee. “I know it won’t be easy. Breaking up never is.”

  Resisting the urge to ask Nicole if she was going to break out in a song, Kelly returned her warm smile. “You’re right, even when you’re doing the dumping.”

  It wasn’t something Kelly looked forward to and she hoped Paula didn’t turn on the tears. But if she did, Kelly would just have to remind herself that their differences no longer attracted her to Paula. And, if Paula’s shallow minded attitude and the ugly shadow who followed Paula everywhere, Colette, wasn’t enough to make Kelly stick to her guns, looking at her through her friend’s eyes certainly would.

  A lawnmower fired to life putting an end to their peaceful chat. In unison, they bent and picked up their empty coffee mugs before stepping back inside and closing the door behind them.

  Kelly rinsed her cup then held her hand out for Nicole’s. The more Kelly thought about it, the more of what Nicole said made sense. Ashleigh certainly had withdrawn, but then again that could be put down to the tension in the room.

  Where had Craig been that night anyway? What effect had the tryst had on their relationship? If Ashleigh was plagued by guilt it wouldn’t be doing them any favours.

  “If you’re right, and it was Ashleigh, I feel I owe her an apology.”

  Just as she was about to bite into a banana, Nicole lowered her hand and narrowed her gaze. “I’ve said it before and I’m going to say it again. I don’t see what possible good can come of approaching her. You need to chalk it up to experience and put it behind you.”

  It was an experience Kelly didn’t intend to ever repeat. Scarred for life, she doubted she’d ever slip into a dark room again with the intentions of having sex.

  Chapter 8

  Determined to get the inevitable over with, Kelly picked up her phone. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips when her call went to voicemail.

  Hello, this is Paula. I can’t come to the phone right now. However, your call is important to me so please leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

  The formal tone of Paula’s message, something that used to turn Kelly on, grated on her nerves. More proof it was time to end things.

  Beep.

  “Hi, it’s me. I’m hoping we c
an catch up later today. Clear the air.” Surely, she didn’t need to elaborate as to why. “So yeah, call me when you’re free.”

  Kelly disconnected the call, feeling more nervous than before. She didn’t want to stew in her own juices and go over and over what she’d say to Paula. Chances were, no matter how much she rehearsed her speech, the words would abandon her once they were face to face.

  It wouldn’t be the first time she’d lost her train of thought once Paula put her two cents worth in. Kelly picked up her phone, tapped her finger on her leg then put it down again. Deciding fuck it, she picked it back up and tapped out a text message.

  Last night you became very ugly in my eyes. I can’t possibly date someone who doesn’t respect my best friend, or worse, me! You should’ve told Colette to shut her mouth and swallow her brown tongue instead of berating me. You suck, have a happy life.

  Feeling somewhat better, and a tad amused, Kelly held her finger on the delete key.

  When her phone rang, Kelly almost dropped it as if she’d been burnt. That would teach her for entertaining the idea of sending such a juvenile text.

  She scrambled to right herself, took a deep breath, and answered, “Hi, Paula.”

  “Good old caller ID sucks the life out of surprising anyone doesn’t it?” The playful tone of Paula’s voice surprised and worried Kelly.

  For some reason, she didn’t seem to be pissed off. Rather than put Kelly’s mind at ease it worried her. It would’ve been easier to break things off if Paula was angry and being a bitch. Not this cheerful creature on the other end of the phone.

  “I didn’t think you liked surprises?”

  “Of course I do, as long as they’re nice ones.” Paula chuckled, then lowered her voice and spoke in a sexy drawl. “Why don’t you come over and surprise me? I have the house to myself for at least an hour.”

  Stress, rather than excitement made Kelly’s pulse race. Boy, did she have a surprise for Paula, just not the kind she was expecting. “I’ll have a quick shower then be right over.”