Chapter Twenty-One
Opal didn't contact Boyd that day. She didn't want to seem eager, even the whole new relationship, if that's what someone might call it, was total bullshit. The best thing to do was keep playing hard to get, to add to the realism. It was interesting to think that women would jump into bed with a guy on the first date and then try to play hard to get. Apparently they did that sort of thing all the time, judging from the forums and social media discussions Opal looked into while researching. Even when being a bad girl and trying to ruin a man's life, Opal was ever the bookworm. She reflected on how similar her current situation was to the average college girl, laughing to herself at her computer desk.
Her mobile started vibrating on the desk beside her laptop.
"Hey there, good looking. How are you feeling today?" said Boyd.
"Hi. You sound chirpy for someone who drank so much last night." She knew that she should have felt bad, found it hard to engage in small talk with the guy. It just seemed to flow so easily though, natural.
"What? I just got through having a discussion about how much better I feel, and how I'm 'sober'. One day and already I'm making big life changes apparently.
"Who was saying that?" There was some definite jealously in her, hoping that it wasn't another woman, or even a female friend.
"It was just the other woman I had over after you left. Yeah, the sex isn't as amazing, but that's the price you pay for convenience, isn't it?"
"You're a dickhead."
"Thank you. It was my lawyer, if you must know."
Opal's heart started to sink. "Really? Is something wrong?"
"Oh, no. She's been kind of like a mother to me ever since my own mother, well, you probably know the story. Everyone seems to learn all about it easily enough."
"Well, I had to do some research when you told me who you were. Sorry …"
"It's not your fault. Anyway, nothing to worry about. Just talking to a family friend who tried to fill in for my parents, mostly in a legal sense."
"Have you given her a lot to worry about, in a legal sense?"
"I think you might already have guessed what the answer to that question is. Enough about my past though. What do you say to another date? My friend would love to see you again."
"What, who's your friend? Oh, I see. You're making a bad joke about your penis. That's very witty, Boyd. I wish I'd known about your sharp sense of humor sooner. I would have dropped my panties the second we met."
"Then I wouldn't have been as desperate to get to know you, Opal. I'm glad you weren't like that. But I'm also glad you didn't make me work too hard to get to know you."
"You don't know me yet, believe me. I'm not as special as you might think." More guilt, knowing she was a terrible person, a liar. Snap out of it. You need to pull this off. Stop getting cold feet, she told herself. "So, a date, huh? How about you take me out more a day of fun tomorrow? Say, come and get me at eleven?"
"That can be arranged. I look forward to it. Bye."
"Bye." Opal checked the time: just past five. She was assuming that he'd want to meet up with her that night. It was all too much to handle; that's why she wanted to put it off until the next day. Maybe she would have time to sort her head out by then, or back out if that's what she was going to do in the end anyway. At least then she could avoid dragging this poor guy any further into her evil web of deceit.
Opal called Judith and asked if they could meet up. She got the machine. "Hey, gorgeous. I know you're swamped filling my shoes at work. But I really miss you. I'll show you to your favorite dessert bar." She tried to sound as pathetic and sickly-sweet as possible, hoping the promise of free sweets would tempt Judith.
It did, and they met up at Harry's Sweet Treats on the corner of the block where Judith's apartment was, a thirty-minute taxi ride from Opal's place.
"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist this offer," Opal said once they'd taken a seat at the dessert bar. The tables were the sparkling kind of metal that some beachside ice cream bars had. There were pictures of all sorts of crazy desserts on the walls, as well as happy, yet stuffed, people who'd won the various eating challenges that were on offer.
"Well, I guess I can put up with your company if there's free fudge."
"I've missed you, hon."
"I've missed you too, Opal. You should see how stressed out I've been without you at work. That, and it's taking up all my time for socializing. I'm sorry I haven't been around the past week."
"That's not your fault. I would have been too ashamed of my new job anyway." Opal looked at the menu she had in her hands. She'd been clutching the thing like it was a safety charm or something. "What are you going to order? Remember that I'm paying."
"That depends. What kind of money are you making at the strip club?"
"Shh! Don't tell everyone in the place. I'm not exactly proud of what I do. I know I'm just working bar, but what women wants to work at a place like that?"
"Strippers? Women who like women? People who don't give a shit what others think of them?" Judith had a sparkle in her eyes that often meant she was ticked off.
"They’re really over working you, aren’t they? I thought they were going to bring in outside workers to pick up the slack. At least, that's what Alfred told me when he fired me."
"He has, but it's impossible to bring them up to speed. They're not there every day either, just part time. I'm on my own the rest of the time. I tell you, I'm this close to quitting, I don't give a shit what happens. Hey, maybe you can get me a job too. I used to take a few bar shifts in college."
"And I'm sure you'd get great tips, little cutey like you. But I need you on the inside so I can bring Owen down."
"Yeah, about that … he threatened to 'bring me down' if I did any more snooping. How he knew, I don't know. I'm just lucky he only has his suspicions to go on there. You know, he told me that I shouldn't even associate with you."
"Is that why I haven't seen you since I left?" Opal felt a great wash of sadness overcome her.
"You know me better than that. If anything, it's made me more determined that he's the guy behind you getting fired. I've just been too busy, I promise. Would you mind if I backed off looking for evidence at the office for now?"
"Do you what you gotta do, Judith. I don't want to cause any trouble. So, have you decided what you're ordering yet? That double choc fudge supreme looks mighty tempting."