Enigma Rose: A Novel

by SE Reynolds

  Yesterday was everything I hoped for and more. After Josh so graciously fixed my sign, we walked to the Little Yellow Deli and ordered sandwiches and root beer. We had a little picnic at Old Town Park. There was not a cloud in the sky, and the humidity was low. We found an empty picnic table under a cherry tree. It was like God created the day just for us. We watched little children running around the park and their parents chasing them. Josh said kids remind him of drunk adults. He's right; they have no filter, no fear, just stumbling and tumbling. I laughed so hard I snorted.

  "You snorted! That's cute," he said.

  "No, it wasn't," I insisted.

  "Do you want kids, Stacie?"

  "Maybe one or two or an entire litter."

  "You give up yourself when you have kids, Stacie. You may want to rethink that at your age."

  "My age?"

  "I mean, you're at an age where you are set in your ways. You have a nice clean house; you can come and go as you please. You can spend your money any way you want. Why would you want to mess all of that up over a biological need that will pass in a year or two?"

  Before I could respond, a Frisbee came out of nowhere and hit Josh right on his forehead.

  "Ouch! What the hell?" he said as he looked around to see who decked him.

  "Are you okay?" I asked.

  "Nah, this little ding? I've had worse."

  A scared little boy approached us. He must have been seven years old if that.

  "Sorry, Mister! Can I have my Frisbee back?"

  Josh could have scolded him but instead told him to "go long." The little boy ran across the lawn, and Josh threw the Frisbee to him. Before I knew it, we were playing Frisbee with the little boy and his brother. Only a parent could shake that ding off.

  I didn't want the day to end, but he had to get back to JJ. When we got to my house, he walked me to my door and gave me a sweet kiss goodbye. It was on the mouth, not on the cheek. The date was real! We held hands, hugged, and ended it with open-mouth kisses. It was like a scene out of a romantic comedy, where the two main characters fall in love as they frolic around town discovering each other, and some upbeat romantic song plays in the background. That was us just yesterday. I don't want to cancel on Josh. Even if he had a change of heart about us, I don't want to exist without him in my life. If it means I have to swallow my feelings, be friends with Virginia, and watch them from afar, I will. He can have her, and then, just like in the movies, he will realize it's his good friend Stacie, he really loves.

  I arrive at the women's shelter at 3:00 p.m. The shelter is an actual house, not some cold brick building in the middle of a city. It's in a nice residential neighborhood and looks like any other house on the street where a happy family would live. The house is your typical Cape Cod-style: white with black shutters. There is a swing set on the side of the house and a garden full of red and yellow flowers and nicely trimmed shrubs lining the front walkway. A camera crew is set up, and a handful of people are scurrying around the house. There is a small crowd across the street holding signs and chanting.

  "Safehouse equals unsafe neighborhood! Safehouse, find another home!"

  Josh is on the front porch of the shelter. A red ribbon is strung across the banister, keeping us separated, so I wave to him. He sees me and awkwardly climbs over the ribbon.

  "Perfect timing, Stacie. Come with me," he says, grabbing my hand and leading me across the street to the protestors.

  He waves the camera crew over.

  "Let me know when it's on," he says to the cameraman.

  The cameraman gives him a thumbs up.

  "Hey folks, in case you don't know me, I'm Joshua Steadman, mayor of this great city. This is Stacie Shewster, partner at Simon, Franklin, and Shewster law firm. We are teaming up together to make sure women and children of domestic violence get a fighting chance. We know you have concerns; I get it. You are worried these women, who need a safe place, will attract the wrong kind of people and bring down your property value. I totally get it. But these women were once part of a family and a household trying to raise kids. The only difference is the person who should have honored and protected them didn't. That person destroyed them, physically and mentally. Their children witnessed things no child should ever witness. These women made a choice to find peace and safety for themselves and their children. These women are not deviants. They are strong, brave women who want a better life. They could be any of you nice ladies here today. I'm not turning my back on them like I wouldn't turn my back on you."

  The crowd quieted down except for a short, portly man who was wearing a Make America Great Again baseball cap. He was the ringleader of the small group.

  "Easy for you to say, Mayor, you don't live here!"

  I can tell Josh is looking for the right words to say, and he's struggling. The camera is still rolling. He needs my help.

  "Hi…um, I'm Stacie Shewster, a divorce lawyer and have witnessed a lot of bad marriages. Women will come to me wanting to leave their husbands but then talk themselves out of it because they realize they don't have the means or a place to go. They go back home, and way too often, they are back in my office, bruised, defeated, desperate. And instead of dealing with a no fault divorce case, I am now involved in a case of domestic violence. I'm here with Mayor Steadman to make sure this place is one of many where they can find shelter, but not just shelter, safe shelter, a place that will give them the time to find jobs and resources to be independent. They are not here to cause trouble. They want what all of us want, a loving family, a place where they can sleep peacefully, a place where they're not walking on eggshells waiting for a shoe to fall or worse. This mayor cares. This mayor is fighting for what's right for everyone. We should go back, Mayor Steadman. You have a ribbon to cut," I say as I take his hand and lead him to the front porch of the shelter.

  The rush of my impromptu speech lingers with me throughout the ceremony. I really do feel like his partner. He's right; we can do great things together. We could make a difference in people's lives together as a team. I’m falling in love with this man, and I don't want to be one of his many. Before I can really move forward with him, I need to know the truth about Virginia. The ceremony is over, the press is gone, and now I finally have him to myself.

  "You were amazing, Stacie," Josh says as he walks me to my car.

  "Thanks, Josh."

  "I didn't know you knew Virginia?" I ask.

  We continue to walk, but the pace seems to slow down.

  "Who?"

  "Virginia. I don't know her last name, but I can't imagine there are many Virginias around town."

  "Yeah, I know her. Why?"

  "She came by the office this morning."

  "Virginia?" he asks as he suddenly stops walking.

  "What did she want?"

  "She wants us to be friends."

  "Us?"

  "No, Virginia and me. She said dating a mayor leaves her with free time, so she thought she and I could be friends. Go out for drinks. We have Misty in common."

  I continue to walk, leaving him behind me, but he catches up.

  "We dated, briefly, but we dated, past tense. It's over now, Stacie."

  "She doesn't think so, Josh. It's okay. You don't owe me an explanation. We are friends no matter what."

  I'm done talking, and I really don't want to hear Josh tell me his first lie. We finally get to my car, and my only desire now is to get away, hide, and lick my wounds.

  "Thanks for letting me participate in the ribbon-cutting. What a great cause. It will help so many families," I say as I open my car door.

  Josh grabs my arm, preventing me from getting in.

  "Do you have a few minutes to talk, Stacie? I need to explain a few things to you."

  Chapter 35 – Joshua

  Virginia is a shit show, I think as I hear Stacie tell me about Virginia's visit to her office. What the hell is she doing? Marking her territory? Yeah, that's what she's doing. It's a bold move going to see Stacie. Doing a slow
fade with Virginia isn't working. She needs to be hit over the head like a rat, short and swift. I've got to come clean with Stacie, and I can't let Virginia ruin a good thing. She's not going to destroy my plans.

  "Do you have a few minutes to talk, Stacie? I need to explain a few things to you."

  I don't wait for her to answer. I walk around her car and slide into the passenger seat.

  "Nice ride," I say as I pull the passenger door shut.

  "Thanks. What did you want to say, Josh?"

  "Right, listen, after Melissa died, I was so busy taking care of JJ, making sure he was okay, trying to be mom and dad, and trying to get back to work before the deputy mayor tried to snake her way into my job, I didn't have time to date."

  "And you were grieving at the same time, Josh. I can't imagine how you held it all together."

  "Yeah, right, I was grieving, and I was lonely. I thought it was time to start dating again. I met Virginia at Misty's grand opening and thought she was pretty. We chatted, I got her number, we went out on some dates, and that's about it."

  "How many dates, Josh?"

  "I don't know. Does it matter?"

  "I guess not, but she made it clear it wasn't casual."

  "It was maybe three or four dates. We had a good time, but then things got weird fast."

  "What do you mean by weird?"

  "She sent me a couple of strange texts. At first, I didn't think much about it, but then she sent a really disgusting text, and I knew she wasn't right. She apologized, said she was drinking, medicated, or something, but it was beyond that. I really think she has anger issues, deep anger. I don't think she's stable."

  "Oh my God, Josh, what did she say?"

  "You don't want to know, Stacie. It's pretty ugly."

  "I'm a lawyer; I've seen and heard some pretty ugly stuff."

  "Okay, I'll tell you, but I don't want you to worry or freak out. She saw us, you and me, on TV the day I gave the speech at Benny's. She saw us on the news, and I guess she thought you were with me, as my girlfriend. Later that night, she sent me a text, a crazy jealous text. She said bad things about you and…."

  "And, what?"

  "That's it. She's just disturbed. Please don't make me repeat what she said."

  "I'd rather not know, but I'm sure I can guess," Stacie says. "I saw her, Josh. I saw Virginia that day at Benny's when you gave your speech."

  "I didn't see her there?"

  "She never came in. She was standing on the sidewalk right outside the door staring at me. She saw me. I saw her. She looked really surprised, shocked to see me, and then she left. I'm not sure what upset her. Why would she leave like that?"

  "Because she thought you were with me. Like I said, she has some deep issues. So that's why I didn't just break it off. I thought if I slowly back off, she'd just go away. I never officially broke it off with her. I just stopped communicating with her. I guess she isn't getting the message, and now, I think she is messing with you, Stacie. I'm so sorry. I'm going to fix this. If you never want to see me again, I understand."

  "Thanks for telling me this, Josh," she says as she takes my hand. "I'm here for you always, Josh. I hate to say this, but I sensed something was off about her from the day I met her. I was having a private conversation with Misty at the studio. I was telling her about JJ and the ice cream incident. Virginia interrupted us and asked me if I was talking about you. She seemed so adamant, wanting to know if it was you I was talking about."

  "I'll fix this, Stacie. I hope this hasn't ruined things between us. Virginia is old news; she was never the headline. But now I met you, and I really think we can do great things together. With you on my arm, I can't lose. You are awesome, Stacie, just awesome."

  Suddenly, Stacie launches at me, and I'm pinned against the passenger-side window. She puts her arms around my neck and buries her face into my chest.

  "Really, Josh, you mean that?"

  "Yes, Jess…Stacie"

  Really Joshy, I'm your best friend? Yeah? If anyone tries to hurt you, Joshy, why I ought a…."

  Chapter 36 – Virginia

  "Thank God you had a cancellation, Misty. I need you to kick my ass today. When this session is over, I want every fiber I have oozing with sweat."

  "I ought to kick your ass for interrupting me yesterday while I had a client. Not cool, V."

  "I'm sorry. It will never happen again."

  "It better not, but hey, I got to warn you; Stacie is here. She's in the locker room. I thought she'd be gone by the time you got here, but she's lingering."

  "Really? I've never seen her here on a Tuesday."

  "Well, she seems very motivated today and very giddy."

  "I'm sure she is. She got herself a new boyfriend, or should I say she stole my boyfriend."

  "V, come on. It's done. Move on."

  "You're right; that surveillance video gave me all the confirmation I needed. It's time to ride off into the sunset with my head held high. Joshua made his choice, a bad choice, but whatever."

  "I know it's hard to swallow. I've been there, V."

  "No, you haven't! Misty, you are always the dumper. I love how you get bored easily and move on before they can hurt you. I admire you for that. Don't start being a pussy, okay."

  "Okay, I promise."

  "I'll be back in a minute. I need to pee."

  "V, I wouldn't go in there. It could get really awkward."

  "It's a small town, Misty. I'm going to run into her and him and her with him. I just need to move on. Besides, I always pee before a workout. I had a kid. If you have me doing squat jacks, I'm sure to have an accident."

  "Okay, see you in a minute. Behave yourself."

  I leave Misty in the lobby and quietly enter the locker room. I will not make eye contact with her; I will not be polite with a friendly greeting, not even a smile; I will pee, wash my hands, and leave, but, oh my, I didn't expect to see this. There she is, Ms. Stacie Shewster, so pale she is almost pink, wearing only her white, old lady bra and white bikini underwear. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was four months pregnant. Oh, I know, Stacie, that's what you are betting on with the mayor. If only he knew what you really looked like, all stripped down, no professional business suit to mask what you really are: a little fat pink pig desperate for a baby to fill your aging uterus. She doesn't see me. She seems very distracted in her little thoughts. I retreat quickly to the bathroom stall. I can see through the crack she has surveyed the area and feels comfortable again, knowing I'm safely in my bathroom stall. She poses for the mirror, trying to suck her gut in while she twists and turns, making sure her butt is not as big as her belly. But before she can rush to put her clothes on, I stand on the toilet seat, my cell phone in hand, and snap! I've got it, a perfect Stacie Shewster picture, au naturale. I've heard men prefer a woman that isn't all dolled up, so Joshua will surely appreciate this. I climb off the toilet seat and sit on it as I originally intended. I let the warm urine flow. It feels very soothing, but not as soothing as it will be when I show Joshua this lovely picture of his new girlfriend.

  Chapter 37 – Virginia

  I feel like I'm in a really bad B movie: confronting Stacie, destroying private property, distracting Misty so I can destroy evidence of me destroying private property. But I got a little pick me up at the end of the day yesterday. I open my phone and study Stacie's picture, all fat, and pink. I should forget about Joshua and Stacie before I end up in jail or worse. Oh man, I would love for Joshua to see his new girlfriend in her true form. I'm tempted to send it to him, and I almost did after my third glass of pinot last night, but I fell asleep before I could. I know as soon as he sees it, he will snap back to reality and realize she is nothing and—

  "Knock, knock. Virginia, you need to finish the criticism by the beginning of next week, okay?" Jerry says as he stands in the doorway of my office.

  "Damn, Jerry! That's what I get for keeping my door open. Please close it on your departure."

  I pick up the manuscript I've put
down ten times in the last hour. I need to finish editing this by the end of the week. It's a ten-thousand-word literary criticism on a book of poetry by some poet I never heard of, Agatha Grace.

  Grace's poem, The Wrath of the Abused, is a haunting tale of a physically abused victim who has become the abuser. Her rage is suppressed until she falls in love. The vulnerability of loving someone scares her to the point that hating her lover is easier than loving him…Grace's simple short sentences are not typical melodic poetry but a matter-of-fact encounter of descent into her enraged madness.

  This is not just isolated to the physically abused, I thought. Abuse comes in so many forms. It's not just the obvious. It could be a simple, negative comment said in passing from a parent to a child or a disturbing act witnessed by another. The effects of abuse spread from one person to the other and inevitably results in irreparable damage. I put the manuscript down. Have I become that, an abuser, a Stacie abuser? I open Stacie's photo. If I send this out, it will damage her, make her feel even less of herself than she already does. She's just a pathetic little leech that, by some miracle, landed a man like Joshua. If she sees this, especially on Joshua's phone or in some sort of social media post, it could really send her over the edge.

  I lay my cheek on my desk. All this drama is exhausting. It's meant for the Gen Z's and the millennials, not for women like me who are mothers with careers and real responsibilities. I can't wait to get home, pour a glass of white, and watch the evening news. My eyes are getting heavy as my jaw relaxes, and drool puddles underneath the side of my mouth. Stacie’s picture floats through the darkness of my shut lids as I fade deeper, but a vibrating sensation pulls me back. I lift my head and realize it's my phone. It's a text message from Joshua.

  Hi, I hope you are well. I have some free time after all. Do you want to meet at Ryan's in an hour?