“Oh, I wouldn’t think so either,” I said with a giant fake smile on my face. My thoughts flashed back to earlier today when Lisa Jacobs was whining about her loneliness, her suffering because my husband couldn’t find enough time to spend with her. Skank. I wanted to ask Brenda to keep an eye on Lisa. Maybe she could strike up a conversation with her and find out if Lisa’s attraction to Greg was something I should be worried about. My eyes drifted down to Ava. There was no way I could question my husband’s possible infidelities in front of my daughter. My questions would have to be addressed at a more appropriate time.
“I’m meeting with Kay on Thursday night at Red Lobster, six o’clock. Would you like to join us?” I posed.
“Oh gosh, I’d love to.” She frowned. “I can’t though. My son, Jimmy, is having an end-of-school thing and I need to attend.” She frowned again. “Maybe next time though.”
Brenda rarely joined us because Jimmy always had something ... sporting event, piano recital, choir, and karate. Once it was a chess tournament. Jimmy was ten-years old. You name it, he was in it. “Yeah, sure. We’d love for you to join us. I’ll give you a call.”
“Thank you. That would be lovely.” The customer in front of her finished up and she was called to the register where she started handing clothes over one at a time to the cashier. She pulled out a nice pair of black pants that should’ve been mine. And there went an equally impressive beige and white sundress. Yes, I was going to have to drive across town.
“Next,” the cashier called out from the lane over.
It took only a moment to ring up my two purchases. After paying for it, I called out to Brenda, “It was good seeing you.”
“You too,” she called out, adding a small wave. “We'll talk later.”
Yes, we will.
◆◆◆
Ava and I were barely back on the road when my phone pinged from an incoming text. “I'll check it,” Ava offered.
“Thanks, hon,” I said as I changed lanes and veered onto Loop 820.
“It’s Dad. He says he’s on his way home.”
“Already?” I questioned. “I was planning on stopping at the grocery store.”
“Can we have barbecue sandwiches instead?” Ava proposed. “I’m starving for barbecue. I’ve been craving it for days now.”
I frowned, knowing barbecue was expensive. “We can,” I told her. If Greg was already on his way home, I wouldn't have time to buy groceries anyway, let alone go home and cook it.
“Three chopped beef,” I said after rolling my window down and speaking into a menu box.
I heard the cash register ringing up the numbers. “Twenty-nine eighty-seven. Please pull forward.”
Ridiculous. And that was without fries or drinks.
After paying the ticket, I was passed a warm, already greasy, brown bag. The delicious smell consumed the car immediately and caused my stomach to growl.
“Yummy,” Ava said, taking in a deep breath. “Hurry up and get home. I can't wait to eat it.”
Placing the bag in the front seat next to me, I waited at the exit for a break in traffic before pulling out and heading for home. Greg’s tan Toyota Camry was already in the garage when I pulled in beside him.
“Daddy beat us,” Ava remarked. She was out of the car and in the house before I barely had the car in park. Gathering my purse, our shopping bag and our meal, I went inside to find Greg carrying Ava, her legs wrapped around his middle and they were embraced in a powerful hug.
“Go wash up,” he told her, gently sliding her back on the floor. “Hey, you,” he said coming to greet me with a big kiss.
“You’re home early,” I pointed out, tossing the Ross bag on the kitchen island.
“Shopping?” he asked, eying the sack.
“Yes, for Ava. She has a field trip on Friday. It’s a picture event with everyone wearing a white shirt.”
“Oh, okay, I see,” he said. His tone sounded much like it was fine to spend money on Ava ... just not on me. Perhaps I should curb the shopping spree I was planning, at least for now. He hadn’t noticed my nails either and suddenly I wasn’t about to bring it up.
“So, you’re home early,” I repeated.
He chuckled. “After the first two witnesses, the defendant cracked. The trial was recessed, and we worked out a plea bargain. He agreed to twenty-five years without the possibility of parole.” He beamed. “The judge released the jury and tomorrow we’ll wrap up the loose ends. It’s pretty much a done deal.”
“Congratulations,” I said, reaching for paper plates and then doling out our sandwiches, along with clear plastic containers of pickles for each serving. “I know you worked hard on the case.”
“I couldn’t have done it without Taylor. We’re a great team.”
“Yeah,” I choked out. Good old Taylor.
My mind rushed to bad places and, once again, I wanted to confront Greg more thoroughly about his great teammate. His female teammate. My daughter, seated at the table, was well within earshot of our conversation. Instead, my mouth clamped shut and I bit at my tongue. Distracting myself, I brewed a pot of tea, filled the glasses with ice and grabbed a bag of chips. Moving to the table and taking my seat, we began eating.
“Dad, will you help me with my homework,” Ava asked. “It’s math.” She scrunched up her button nose.
“I'd love to, baby.”
I loved that Greg was available to help her. She much preferred his help to mine as he had a way of explaining things better than I could. It was something they did together every night when Greg worked at Blevins & Howard. For months now he couldn't spare the time, having his own homework to contend with. A lot of nights he hadn’t even come home until after Ava was already in bed. Which of course, I now found questionable.
As soon as the meal was over, she and Greg spread her assignment out on the table in order to begin working on her equations. Greg truly had a way with his daughter. He was patient and calm and was able to communicate processes to her such that she grasped concepts more quickly. Ava was already a bright child, but when Greg helped with her learning, she excelled.
While they busied themselves, I cut the tags from Ava’s shirts and hung them up to release the wrinkles. Then I picked out what I planned to wear to work the next day. At one point my mother called and we touched base about our respective weekends, ending our conversation with me reminding her to pick Ava up from school tomorrow.
“Oh, I wouldn’t think of forgetting my precious granddaughter,” she said.
I laughed. “Well, I would think by now if you did, you’d be suffering from dementia.”
“Not yet,” she said with a light chuckle. “But I did forget to buy Ava’s favorite strawberry yogurt. I won’t be going back for another week, so if you run by the store, pick some up for me.”
“Okay, I will,” I agreed.
My mother, Angela Thomas, Angie to her friends, was the best babysitter one could ever hope for. Since I didn’t get off work until five, my mother happily retrieved Ava and took her to her house. Ava also loved staying the night with her whenever she had the chance, and my mom enjoyed her companionship. Since my father died from a heart attack three years ago, my mother had tried busying herself with quilting, bingo, and a book club. And especially spending time with Ava. She’d also adopted a Shih Tzu. Piper, she called her, was mostly white, with some tan and gray on her ears, tail and what looked to me to be a mustache. Ava loved the little dog with the smooshed face. She pampered the poor little thing to death whenever she was at my mom’s. Thankfully, the dog was playful and had a demeanor gentle enough to tolerate Ava’s constant brushing of her long silky hair and primping the poor thing up with pink and yellow bows.
“I’ll talk to you later,” I told my mom, concluding our call.
It took an hour before Ava’s homework was completed and then we spent some family time playing Crazy Eights, one of Ava’s favorite card games. Ava and I had been sorely missing times like this. It was truly nice havi
ng Greg home at a reasonable hour.
As soon as Ava was tucked in bed, Greg took my hand and led me to our bedroom. “Finally,” he said, planting kisses on my lips and neck and then pulling my blouse over my head. “All I’ve thought about all day was another romp.”
“Me too,” I lied. All I'd thought about all day was Taylor Anderson and Lisa Jacobs and which one of them had their claws deepest in my husband ... if not both of them.
CHAPTER THREE
(Tuesday - Seven Days Before)
“Last night was incredible,” Greg told me after turning off the blaring alarm.
“It was,” I agreed. Last night when we crawled in bed together, all I wanted to do was confront Greg about Lisa Jacobs. Then I wanted to scream about Taylor Anderson. I wanted answers. I deserved it. He needed to explain. And if he couldn’t, or I didn’t like the answers, in my mind, I had kicked him to the curb. Then I thought of Ava. My precious, sweet little girl. Ava loved Greg most of anyone. She was truly a daddy’s girl. If Greg and I divorced, she'd be devastated. She would be seriously traumatized. I couldn’t bear the thought of it. So, yes, I performed in bed to the extreme. Pulled out every trick in the book. My thoughts were concentrated on keeping my husband and saving my child from excruciating heartache.
Greg rolled back over. Through a crack in the blinds, the morning sun lit up his face. He leaned in and kissed me and cuddled me. It felt wonderful. “I’ll be working on the paperwork and final touches on that case today. We’ll have a hearing for the judge to sign off on the plea deal. By then, it’ll be too late to start anything else. I expect this will be another short workday.”
“Oh, okay.” I draped a leg over Greg holding him next to me. “I won’t be able to get off work until five.”
“Yes, I know. I was thinking your mom might agree to keep Ava overnight. We could make a whole evening of being alone. Maybe some dinner out and then...” He arched his brows.
I giggled. My heart swelled. It seemed two consecutive nights of romping were turning into three. I hated counting chickens before the eggs hatched, but if I didn’t know better, I’d say my husband was enjoying his wife. What had I been so stupidly worried about? His only relationship with Taylor Anderson was a working one. And Lisa Jacobs was probably some kind of stalker. Greg loved me. And only me. There was nothing to worry about.
◆◆◆
Ava had to be at school at 8:30 a.m. and my shift at the bank began at 9:00. Luckily, the morning shift at the bank allowed me ample time to drop Ava off at school and have time enough to arrive promptly at work. As soon as I said goodbye to Ava and watched her disappear into the schoolhouse, I started for work. During my drive, I called my mother about Ava staying the night.
“Hello, Emily,” my mother said. “And no, I haven’t forgotten to pick my granddaughter up from school today.”
I chuckled. “That’s not why I was calling.” In the background, my mother’s dog was yelping her head off.
“Piper shush,” my mother yelled at her pet. “Sorry. She’s at the front window and saw a jogger going by the front of the house. She’s worked herself into a frenzy. Piper, come here.”
After several long minutes of barking and yelling, things finally quieted down. “Good girl,” my mother said. “Sorry dear. Now why were you calling?”
“Well, I was wondering if you’d keep Ava for the night.”
“On a school night?” My mother sounded surprised. She had kept Ava before during the week, but it was a rare occasion.
“Yes. As you’re aware, Greg’s been working late ever since he took the A.D.A. job. He’s wrapping up a case today and will be home early. He asked if we could have some alone time together, just the two of us.”
“Of course. I’d love to keep Ava.” She paused. “I’m really glad to hear that you two are planning something together. I know you’ve complained quite a bit about how much this new job was demanding of Greg’s time. I’ve been worried to death that he was going to ruin your marriage over it. It sounds like you two are keeping things in perspective. Marriage is like a blossoming flower. It needs to be tended to in order to bloom and grow.”
“Yes, I agree. I’ve been doing my best,” I said. I wasn’t about to tell my mother about Taylor Anderson or Lisa Jacobs. There was nothing to worry about there. Greg and I were fine. We were.
“Okay, then. I’ll pick Ava up from school and then I’ll drop her back off in the morning. Then we’ll be back to routine.”
“Yes,” I acknowledged. “Thank you, Mom. I really appreciate it.”
“Well, you two have fun tonight,” she said in closing.
“Okay, thanks again and goodbye,” I said as I wheeled into the bank parking lot and killed the engine. Ejecting myself from the driver’s seat, I smoothed out my solid brown dress and adjusted the brown, cream and black paisley jacket. Adjusting my purse to my shoulder, I walked from the personnel parking spaces through the double-glass doors of the United Federal Bank.
“Good morning, Emily,” Dianne called out. Dianne Livens was one of three tellers who worked each shift. Bailey Hutchins was the second. The third was alternated between me and Jordan Hughes. However, Jordan was being promoted to a trust officer position and was in-training today with Harold Cummings. Harold was a month or so away from retirement.
“Good morning,” I called out to Jordan and Harold, giving them a little wave.
“Hello,” Harold said, nodding his almost bald head.
Jordan looked up at me through her black-framed glasses. “Hi,” she said back and grinned wide, showing a mouth full of white teeth. She was excited about her upcoming opportunity. Fred Jenkins, the bank manager, had offered me Jordan’s position. It meant he wouldn’t have to train anyone, and it made his life easier. While I hadn’t yet talked to Greg about it, I was considering becoming a full-time employee.
Ever since Ava was born, Greg had wanted me to be a stay-at-home mom. It had been the best decision for us. Childcare was expensive and I wanted the bonding time with Ava. Ironically, Ava still ended up bonding more closely with Greg, even though he spent so much less time with her. Don’t get me wrong, Ava loved me to death. But her overzealous love for her father was obvious and not a comparison to the love she felt for me. Jordan’s position would be available after Harold’s retirement. However, if I took the position, it would be a game changer. For one thing, it would tie me down. School would soon be out for the summer and I was looking forward to spending some quality time with Ava, as opposed to having to rely on my mother, or worse, having to hire a sitter which defeated the whole purpose of taking the job. And too, Greg had mentioned a family vacation, one Ava intended to plan. It would be awkward to take the job and then need to ask for time off if we went anywhere. Also, I liked picking Ava up from school, attending class events, helping with bake sales, going to PTA meetings, and other activities my daughter found herself immersed in. While I didn’t consider myself a helicopter mom, I certainly wanted to be there for Ava whenever she had after-school activities or even just wanted to have a friend come over for the evening. If I took the job, it would mean giving up these treasured moments. Greg wouldn’t want me to take the position and I wasn’t sure I wanted to commit either. For now, I was in complete limbo.
As a teller, we shifted between assisting customers at the walk-up counter and the drive-thru window. It was late in the day when Rhonda Payne pulled up to the first of three bays. I knew Rhonda from Ava’s school. Her daughter, Yvonne, was in the same class.
“Good afternoon, Rhonda,” I said through the speaker system.
“Oh, hello, Emily,” she said in a rather startled voice. “I didn’t realize you’d be working today.” Her mouth tightened and she suddenly looked fidgety.
“What can I help you with?” I pressed when it looked like she was about to drive off.
“Uh, yes, well, okay. Gosh. I’d like to cash this check.” She fumbled around in her purse and then inserted a paper slip into the pneumatic tube and a swish o
f air sent the clear cylinder heading my direction.
Opening the hatch on the container, I pulled out the check to make sure the proper endorsements and ID had been presented. Flipping the check to the front to determine the dollar amount, I noticed it was written from a personal account belonging to Paul Jensen, Molly’s husband and the know-it-all investment broker. While it seemed strange that Rhonda would have a personal check from Paul in the amount of five thousand dollars, the even odder thing was the notation on the check’s memo. From Gregory Mills was written in the bottom left-hand corner. Why would that be?
I wanted to ask her about it more than anything, but it was the bank’s policy to never inquire personal questions about anyone’s finances ... unless, of course, they were requesting a loan. Then you could crawl up their butt with a magnifying glass. But there was no way I could ask Rhonda about this check. Not without risking a reprimand or jeopardizing the upcoming full-time position. Instead, I doled out the cash amount for the check and sent it back through the conveyor.
Rhonda grabbed at the return tube and yanked the money out.
As I called out, “Thank you and have a nice day,” she drove off without a word.
“It’s time for my break,” Dianne announced as she headed for the breakroom. We were allowed fifteen minutes in the morning and another fifteen minutes in the afternoon. Our lunches were only thirty minutes long, which meant I had to bring my lunch with me.
While Dianne was still on her break, Bailey began squirming around. “Sorry, I have to go to the restroom. Can you handle things by yourself for a few minutes?”
“Sure,” I told her. There were only two cars in line outside and no one was at the counter. “I’ll be fine,” I assured her.
One customer made a quick deposit and the second backed up and changed over to the ATM dispenser. Discreetly I looked around to make sure neither Dianne nor Bailey was in sight. Then I grabbed my phone camera from my purse, opened the till drawer and pulled out Rhonda’s check from Paul. Positioning it on the counter, I snapped several quick pictures of the check, both front and back. Then I stuffed it back in only to notice my hands were trembling uncontrollably.
The Hotel Page 5