“A week!” I yelled at the banker who stood across from me tapping her pen on the counter top.
“I’m sorry Ms. Smith but that is how long it will take to get your money refunded.”
“I don’t understand why do I pay for fraud protection if it is going to take a week?”
“You do realize Ms. Smith that technically this isn’t fraud. You signed him up on your account. We are only doing this as a courtesy.”
The sigh that I let out was loud enough for the security guard to hear me across the bank floor. “I understand I do I am just frustrated.” The banker seemed to really care about my situation, after all she was a woman and they tended to be more companionate than men. I picked up my purse and placed it on my shoulder, “Thank you again for your time I really appreciate it.”
She smiled at me and nodded and then I left. As I walked down the main street of Kemah I breathed in the bay. The scenery was so magnificent this time of year, especially when the tourist weren’t lulling around making a mess of things. I had always wanted to get a boat and go fishing but Albert never wanted to. He wanted to live on the bay and watch the boats. Not play on the boats.
Well Albert wasn’t in my life anymore so screw him and his ways. I was going to go fishing on a boat. This weekend. It was time to live for myself and no one else.
Absent mindedly I walked right into a tree. I swear it hadn’t been there the whole time but clearly it had. It was large and thick, at least six feet in diameter. It isn’t like those just pop up out of nowhere.
“Ow.” I rubbed my face with my hand and tried to soothe some of the aches. This day was just going to be hard and I needed to accept it. It started off with a hangover and just went downhill from there.
Mom had dropped me off at the pool hall after breakfast so I could have access to my car. Which had two flat tires upon our arrival. Turns out I parked on two nails, one in each tire. Which meant my spare was useless. I looked over at my car parked in the public parking lot and said a small prayer everything was okay as I approached it. I just wanted to get home.
“Thank God,” I walked around the car two times just to make sure everything looked kosher before I unlocked the door and slid into the front seat. When I inserted the key into the ignition the music started right up and I instantly relaxed listening to the sound of Hugh Jackman singing songs off of the current album of Les Miserable.
As I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. I maneuvered it out of the jean clothing and saw Albert’s picture flashing on the screen. At some point I am going to have to face the music and talk to him. Might as well be now.
“Hi.” I said breathy and sad sounding.
“Hello M.”
I missed him, I couldn’t help it. We had been dating over two years, since our last year of college. I don’t want those years to have been for nothing and worse, meant nothing.
“What can I do for you Albert?”
“You can talk to me.”
“I am confused as to what I am doing right now.”
“I realize you are talking to me, but I need to talk about something serious.”
I sucked in a breath and tried to focus on the road and not the stabbing pain in my heart that suddenly made me want to collapse. “Like how I found you and Beth in bed, together.”
“Yes, well no, but yes.” I heard Albert sigh, I imagined it wasn’t the easiest thing for him right now but I didn’t care.
“Is it yes or is it no Albert?”
“I need the ring back.”
Thank the good lord I was at a red light because had I been driving I would have probably stopped right in the middle of the street. “You want my ring? Hell no.”
“It isn’t yours, it’s mine and I need it back.”
“Not going to happen.” I was sure as hell not giving this man back a ring he have me since he is the one who cheated on this relationship and not the other way around.
“It wasn’t really mine to give away.”
“You are crazy why you would give me someone else’s ring; we were supposed to be planning our wedding. What the fuck Albert!” Anger was overflowing my body and I knew it was only a matter of time before I lost it completely.
“It was my grandma’s ring Merewyn! Come on, you can’t keep it.”
“Too late I’ve already pawned it.” I lied. “You know to make up that money you stole from me.”
“Merewyn! No I need it back where did you pawn it at? We have to give them the money back.”
“See that’s the thing Albert I don’t have to do anything you say. So no, I am not giving you the ring back. You will just have to tell your mom you lost her mother’s ring because you couldn’t keep it in your pants.”
I hung the phone up, I couldn’t listen to him anymore and it just wasn’t worth it. I focused on driving and getting back to my house. My cell phone kept buzzing inside my cup holder and I refused to look down and see who it was. Most likely it was Albert and I really had nothing to say to him now. Five minutes ago I would have said I still loved him, foolishly, but now I can really see how he is. Just an asshole.
The look of my mom and dad’s house on the horizon made me smile. I loved seeing that building. It always gave me a flood of warmth over my body knowing I had somewhere safe to come home to no matter what. My car pulled into the drive way and after I placed it in park I looked up to see my aunt looking at me from the living room window.
Oh great now I have to face this situation.
Beth’s mom was my dad’s favorite sister and while I always liked Aunt Cathy I just never really loved having to spend more than ten minutes with her. I took a few deep breaths and then grabbed my purse and opened the car door. The steps I took towards the front door felt to me like I was walking on death row. Everyone was watching and judging me. Which made no sense, I was the victim. Ironically I think that’s what most people in prison say to themselves too.
I knew that if anyone should be ashamed it was Aunt Cathy, it was her daughter who was screwing my fiancé. So why was I walking into my home with my head hung down low and my heart racing so fast that it might jump out of my chest.
The front door opened and my mom gave me a sympathetic smile. “Hi honey.”
“Hi,” I said giving her a look saying what the hell without words being exchanged.
“Cathy is here, isn’t that a nice surprise.” Her tone was telling me to play it off like I didn’t know anything and that made me question my mother’s sanity.
Walking over the threshold I turned my head to the right and grinned at my aunt, “Hey there! Good to see you.” I went to give her a hug, my mom always taught me to be polite even if you wanted to stab someone’s eyes out. I couldn’t disappoint her when she was looking at me.
“It is good to see you, I heard that you and Albert broke up, I’m so sorry. No one will tell me what happened and Beth told me not to talk about it with you. But you know how good I am at following directions.” She smiled at me, my god she had no idea.
“Yeah Beth is right I really don’t want to talk about it.” I looked at my mom and gave her the look for help and she just smiled and turned around and walked out of the room.
Thanks for nothing Mom, I thought to myself.
“Aunt Cathy, I guess I have to tell you something. Since Mom left me here alone.”
“What is it sweetie?” She was drinking a cup of tea and looked so happy. I was going to hurt her, just, not fair.
“Can we sit?” I asked her and pointed to the love seat that was next to the window.
“Sure.” She didn’t hesitate. As we were sitting there I felt my right leg start to bounce up and down. Nerves were running through my system. “Aunt Cathy, Albert and I. I,” I took a deep breath; this was harder than I thought it would be, saying these words. “I thought we were in love. But we’re not.”
“I am so sorry dear that has to be hard to realize.”
“Let me finish.” I looked up at the ceiling and then at her and frowned, “I found Albert and Beth in bed together, and I just, can’t marry him now.”
The look of Aunt Cathy’s face right then and there told me she had no idea and that she was disgusted. “I don’t understand Merewyn, what are you saying?”
I took a deep sigh and let it out slowly. It was hard for me to even think about let alone say to Beth’s mom. “I’m saying Albert and Beth had an affair. I don’t know if it was a one-time thing or it has been going on for years. All I know is I caught them three days after Albert proposed to me. And now I am heart broken.”
My fingers started to tap my knee and I couldn’t handle this anymore, “Please excuse me.” I said before standing up. I looked down at her and gave a soft smile, “I love you Aunt Cathy but I just can’t be in this room with you right now. I’m too hurt.”
With that I turned towards the hallway and walked off to my room. As I passed by the living room I saw my dad sitting in his chair. He turned his head so we could see each other’s eyes. I gave him a small smile and he nodded his head to me. I’m sure he heard everything. He would be upset I kept it from him but I know he will understand.
I wanted to slam my door like I was a teenager to express my frustration but I didn’t. I slowly closed it shut and hearing the click I felt sudden relief. I was in my haven. And all I wanted now was to call Jessie.
So what’s stopping you? I said silently in my own head.
Decency? Timing? Not wanting to seem desperate?
“Great now I am talking to myself.” I said out loud.
Without a second thought I pulled my cell phone out and saw the notification stating I had 6 missed calls. Opening them up I was relieved that only five were from Albert, one was from Jessie. There now I didn’t have to have a cheesy reason to call him, I had a legit one. Pressing the green button on my iPhone over his name I plopped down on my bed and waited for him to answer.
“Hey there M! Glad you called me back.”
“Why hey there Jessie, I’m glad you called.”
“Oh? Glad I called huh?”
I let out a laugh, “Careful that head of yours won’t fit through the door if you let a simple polite statement like that inflate your ego.”
“You know my ego can’t get any bigger.”
“I’m sure it can. What do I owe the honor of this phone call to?”
“Since you’re getting down to business, I wanted to check on you.”
“That’s sweet.” I noticed I was twirling my hair on my finger just like I did in high school, what’s up with that? “I’m surviving, you know how it goes.”
“Yeah that’s why I’m calling. I wanted to make sure you had enough distractions going on to keep your mind off that nonsense.”
“Distractions like oh say Beth’s mom sitting in my living room when I got home today type?”
I heard Jessie suck in a breath, “Oh ouch, that had to burn.”
“What really burned was when I had to tell her about the affair.”
Jessie let out a laugh and I could hear him slapping his leg in the background noise. “Now that’s rich! What did her face look like? Oh God Beth is gonna want to kill you for that! Good job!”
“Well,” I said with a bit of pride on my shoulder now, “it did feel good I won’t lie.” I let out a little laugh. “And she looked like I had just told her that her perfect daughter robbed a bank. It was really true shock. I feel really bad about it. But hey I mean lies are lies and they are always discovered.”
“Whatcha doing now after that entertainment?”
“I’m layin on my bed trying to think of something else to think about so I don’t try and kill a blood relative in her sleep.”
“Want some company?” He asked in a half serious half teasing tone.
I couldn’t respond right away. The idea of him being with me again made me smile and that scared me. “Yes.” I hadn’t even realized it slipped out of my mouth until it was already out there.
“Great come on over.”
Now I was in a pickle, “I don’t really want to walk back out there I feel loads of shame all over me.”
“Why you’re not the one who went around screwing her cousin you’re the one they hurt. No shame on your part sister!”
A shudder went through me when I heard that last word. “Ew don’t call me that.”
“It is just an expression. Although if you were to pretend to be my sister that is one form of foreplay I could be okay with.”
“Oh my God Jessie!” I squeaked out laughing.
“So my place?” he nudged.
“You could do like the old days?” I offered in a hushed tone.
“My Miss Merewyn did you just suggest for me to come sneak into your daddy’s house and stay in your room with you?”
I couldn’t help giggling again, “Yeah Jessie, I think I did.”
“See you in five.”
The line went dead and that’s when the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach hit. Jessie was on his way over and I looked like a mess and emotionally was a mess too. What have I gotten myself into?
Frantic thinking started and I began looking around the room and quickly cleaning up all the clothes that were tossed on the floor. Straightening the bed sheets and my desk papers. Then I took a glance at my hair and almost gasped out loud at how crazy it had become. I rushed into my bathroom; thank god it was connected to my room, and quickly freshened up.
The latch on the window! I thought. I raced over and unlocked it and then just waited. My heart was thumping like a drum and with each breath I took felt it calming down. I knew my face was flushed but I didn’t know if it was from the anger I felt walking into my room seven minutes ago or the anxiety I felt now at the idea of Jessie coming over. Either way I had to calm my nerves.
I was staring at my television and if I had been Superman I would have burned a hole right in the middle the way I was glaring at it. The tapping on my window pulled my attention and my face instantly lightened when I saw him waving at me from the other side of the pane glass.
The smile easily formed on my mouth and I stood up and walked over to the window seal, pushing the pane up with one hand.
“Hey stranger.”
“Stranger to you never, been a long time since I tried climbing in. Wonder if I am too old.”
“I always wondered why you didn’t use the step stool dad always keeps out there.” I reached my arm around the window and pointed.
“Damn.” Was all I heard from him as he walked to go pick it up.
I crossed my arms on the window and rested my chin on top of them. He looked cute still from behind and when he leaned over to pick up the stool I felt like a silly school girl as I grinned at the tight jeans that showed off his ass. There wasn’t any rule against me appreciating his body, no matter how friendly he and I said we were. Men do it all the time.
He sent a smile over his shoulder at me when he turned his head towards me and saw me smiling at him. Damn I was busted.
“See something you like there Miss M?” He slowly walked back in my direction grinning.
“I see a lot of something I like.” I mumbled as he placed the stool under my window and placed one foot onto it.
“Well move over and I’ll come in there and you can tell me about everything you like.”
“Maybe I should make you pay the toll like when we were younger.” I playfully said teasing him.
“Only if the payment method from back then is still accepted at this fair maiden’s window.”
My heart was racing but I kept the flirting going, “Guess you will have to try and see.”