Chapter 6

“You’re moving out?”

Angela looked at Joanne’s face. Joanne didn’t know Thomas was there yet. As soon as he spoke her entire affect changed and Angela instinctively knew that there was going to be a sparring match. Before she could even plead with her with a look, Joanne pivoted around and said, “You’re kidding, right? I know that she told you she was moving out. Do you only process things you want to hear?”

“Jo…”

“No, Ang. I’m sorry, but I want to hear what he has to say for himself.”

Thomas was looking at Joanne like he could kill her. Angela shuddered again and said, “Come on guys, don’t ruin this for me.” That was when Thomas broke eye contact with Joanne and looked at Angela.

“Ruin it for you? Moving out of my house is such a huge big deal because I’ve been so inhospitable to you? I’ve made you pay rent? I’ve charged you for utilities? I’ve made you sleep…”

“Okay dufus, she gets it. You’re a prince who let her stay here for free. Get off her back now,” Joanne said, sarcastically. Thomas didn’t take his eyes from Angela’s face.

“Thomas, it’s not that. Please don’t do this. You’ve been so generous and I’ve told you time and time again that this is just about me…both of us really, needing our own space. You knew I was moving next week. Carla is out a week early. It’s only a week, Thomas. Please don’t make a big deal out of this, okay?”

“Obviously it is a big deal. You were dancing around like you just received your pardon from the Governor.”

“I’m sorry. That wasn’t meant to hurt your feelings. I wasn’t thinking…”

“Oh my God!” Joanne exclaimed. “What are you doing? Ang, you do not owe this…him, an apology. Come on; let’s go start packing you up.”

Thomas didn’t say another word…but Angela could tell by the look on his face that this was far from over.

**

“Angela, Ana McAllister is here,” Marg poked her head in just before noon.

“Okay, great. Send her in please.”

A few minutes later Ana breezed in wearing a white jumpsuit and as usual, looking like she just stepped off of the runway in Milan. Angela stood up and went around the desk to give her a hug. “How are you? How was your trip?” Ana had just gotten back from Italy where their company was working on a new design for one of their sports cars.

“It was fabulous,” she said, dropping down into one of the plush, leather chairs. Angela sat down next to her and said,

“Is Italy as beautiful as I envision it?”

“It’s definitely a place you need to see someday. Have my brother take you to Tuscany on holiday…or better yet, have him marry you there.”

Angela laughed. “I’m not sure we’re anywhere near there,” she said.

“I wouldn’t be so sure my brother isn’t,” she said. “I talked to him in Chicago this morning and as I was trying to talk to him about business, all he wanted to do was gush over you. You’d think he was in high school all over again.”

Angela felt her face go hot. Steve was great at both telling and showing her how he felt, but it was nice to have confirmation as well. “Your brother is amazing,” she told Ana.

Ana rolled her eyes and said, “He’s alright,” with a smile. “So, do you have those photos for the layout for me?”

Angela reached over onto her desk and grabbed the file. Opening it up, she said, “They came out great…but they had a great subject to work with.”

Ana took one of the pictures featuring her brother and their new American sports car. She rolled her eyes again and said, “You’re as bad as he is. I want dibs on bridesmaid,” she said. Angela blushed again and acting like she hadn’t heard the last comment she said,

“I really like the third one from the left. I think the logo will fit nicely right above the car in that one.”

Ana perused the photos in her hand while Angela laid the rest out on the desk for her. Suddenly Ana asked, “Kim hasn’t been giving you any more trouble, has she?”

“No, actually Kim has been almost disturbingly quiet lately.”

“She has enough trouble with that nut she lives with,” Joanne said, walking in the door. Angela smiled at her and shook her head.

“Steve mentioned something like that…what’s the deal there?” Ana asked.

“I don’t really want to talk about it…”

“He’s a freak. He’s obsessed with her and she’s moving out…tonight, thank goodness!” Joanne said.

Ana furrowed her brow. “Is he really obsessed? That doesn’t sound good…”

“He’s just crushing hard,” Angela said, not positive why she was defending him. Mostly, she really didn’t want to talk about it. She would be moving her things tonight and that would be the end of it all…she hoped. “Anyways, let’s talk about something else,” she said, giving Joanne a hard look. Before anyone could say anything else, Marg stuck her head in the door.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Angela but there’s a courier here with a package for you. He needs you to sign.”

“Sure, send him in.” The courier came in and sat the package, an 8 x 10 Fed Ex envelope. She signed for it, thanked the courier and while Joanne and Ana chatted about friends they had in common, she slid the envelope open. She shook out the contents and audibly gasped. That drew Ana and Jo’s attention. They both also gasped when they saw the photos spilled out on her desk. They were three 8 x 10 glossy photos of a very naked Kim and Steve. They were date stamped for the night that Angela had dinner with Thomas…the night that Steve filled in for Ana and met with Kim at the bar.

“That mother-fucker!” Joanne exclaimed.

Ana looked up at her and Joanne said, “Oh honey I’m not talking about your brother. Thomas is responsible for this, I’m sure of it.”

Angela was holding back tears. She could feel an anxiety attack trying to take hold and she was doing everything in her power to hold it back. Ana looked at her and said, “Steve loves you Angela. I know my brother. He can’t stand this bitch. I don’t know what Joanne is saying…how this Thomas guy could be responsible…but honey something really freaky is going on here. I’ve never seen my brother as enthralled with a woman as he is with you.”

Angela still didn’t say anything. She didn’t trust herself. She was afraid as soon as she opened her mouth, the tears and anxiety would take hold. She took a deep breath and looked at Joanne. Joanne had tears in her own eyes. She looked like her own heart was breaking. “Tell her, Ang. Tell her what that freak has been doing to you.”

Ana and Jo were both staring at her. Angela felt a stray tear escape and roll down her cheek. She reached up and wiped it away before beginning. “There have been some really strange things going on. It started after I told Thomas I was looking for a place to move out. First, I was having these really bizarre dreams and Thomas was in them. Then I would wake up feeling like I hadn’t slept at all and I’d be sore all over…”

“Did you see a doctor?”

“Boy did she!” Joanne said. Angela gave her a look and Joanne looked chagrined and sat back in her chair.

“Yes, I saw a doctor. The doctor thought I was a drug addict. He said that I have “track marks” on my arm and that my system was positive for drugs. I’ve never taken anything stronger than a Tylenol in my entire life.”

“Son of a bitch! He’s drugging you? Jesus!” Ana looked shocked and Angela didn’t blame her. It really didn’t make any sense when you said it all out loud. Joanne sat forward in her seat and Angela looked at her quickly. The one thing she hadn’t told Ana was that she’s pregnant. She didn’t intend to and she didn’t want Joanne to either. She had to figure all of this out first. She gave Joanne a look and her friend’s face said she got it, although she wasn’t happy about it. She sat back and Angela looked down at the photos again. Suddenly Joanne sat back up and said,

“If Thomas is drugging you and…doing things to you, Kim could have just as easily drugged Steve, right?”

Ana had a hopeful look on her face now too. She sat forward and said, “The day I had Steve meet with her…the guy I went to meet is a client of this firm as well. He’s one of Kim’s personal clients…I introduced them. Shit! I knew he was acting strangely all weekend. He told me he wanted to “rekindle” what we had in college…but then he was all weird and distant with me. I wrote it off to him being a fickle asshole. What if it was all a set-up? That bitch Kim!”

“I don’t know,” Angela said, “God, I would love to believe that’s true…”

“I’ll find out. I’m going to track Carlo down today and bring him in here. Then they can both look me in the eye and tell me what they did to my brother.”

“No Ana…please, I’m out of there today. This is over. Please, I don’t want Steve to know any of this.”

Ana drew her brows together in the middle. “Why? I don’t understand. They deserve to be brought down. I’m pulling my account from this firm.”

“Please,” Angela looked at her with pleading eyes.

“I love my brother,” she said, “And I know he loves you.” She stood up then and said, “I have another meeting to get to, Angela. Are you going to be okay?”

Angela nodded and tried to force a smile. “I’ll be fine.”

“I’m not leaving her until we get all of her stuff moved and she’s safely tucked into her new apartment,” Joanne said.

“Good.” Ana hugged them both and left. Angela looked at Joanne and said,

“I don’t think she’s going to leave this alone.”

“Good,” Joanne said.