Chapter Four
Echo
I finally peeled myself off of the bathroom floor and gathered my things, I found it easier to hail a cab and have it take me directly to my apartment. I didn't want to risk the chance that I'd burst into tears on the subway and be the recipient of sympathetically annoyed looks from strangers. I didn't trust myself to keep it together long enough to reach my station.
The cab driver was kind and after asking if I was okay, left me in peace with my grief. The whole ride home I thought about who I could tell that wouldn't break the code of silence. Mr. Baines had asked me to keep a secret, and I wasn't going to violate that trust. When the cab pulled up in front of my apartment, I handed the driver a twenty-dollar bill and told him to keep the change. He looked at me like I was crazy.
"Life's too short," I said as I wiped the tears from my cheeks.
"Well, then God bless you," he shrugged. "I hope you find peace."
I got out and fished my keys out of my bag before I pushed the door open and climbed the four flights to my apartment. I was too exhausted to cook dinner, so I called down to Nemo's.
"'Sup chica?" Armando asked when he heard my voice. "Long time, no see!"
"I know, sorry about that," I said. "Work's been...difficult."
"I'm sorry to hear that, chica," he replied. "You should come down and do karaoke with us, it'll help release the stress. I got some new tunes last week!"
"That's great, Mando," I said trying hard not to let his kindness break down my resolve to stay strong. I knew that if I started crying and he asked why, I'd tell him. "I'll have to come check it out this weekend."
"You okay, chica?" he asked.
"Yeah, fine," I said swallowing hard. "Just a rough day and I'm starving!"
"Then lay it on me! Whadda you want to eat tonight?" he challenged.
"Will you just decide for me?" I asked. "I'm too tired to even choose. You know what I like, just pick, okay?"
"You are giving me the choice?" he asked. "I get to choose dinner? Good, then I know exactly what you need! I'll have it up to you in thirty minutes."
"Great, thanks Mando," I said. "I'll have cash for the delivery."
"Aw, c'mon, you know your money's no good with me!" he laughed. There was a beat of silence and then he added, "If you need me, you know where I am."
"Thanks, Mando," I choked out before I ended the call and collapsed on the couch.
There was something about being home that made things feel a little less desperate. I loved my tiny two-story apartment with the twisty staircase leading up to my bedroom. The whole place wasn't more than five hundred square feet, but it was perfect for me. To the left of the entry way was a walk through kitchen with the bathroom positioned off to the left side. The living room was large enough to hold a pullout couch, a coffee table and a bookcase. A sliding glass door led out to a tiny balcony where I spent most of my summer weekends curled up in a papasan chair that the previous tenant had left behind. Off to one side of the living room was my favorite part of the apartment. A spiral staircase that led to my bedroom. The space was so small that I could only fit a double bed and one nightstand in it, but with the built-in bookcases, I didn't need much more than that. The whole place was cozy and warm thanks to my ability to find the perfect mix of modern design and bohemian chic at thrift stores around the city.
I climbed the stairs and dug out a pair of sweats that smelled reasonably clean and a t-shirt. I need to change out of my work clothes and shed the feeling of overwhelming grief. As I hung up my dress, I noticed my graduation day picture sitting on the shelf above my bed. I took it down and looked at it closely. I was shaking hands with the NYU President while Dr. Powell stood ramrod straight right next to him with his hand extended toward me waiting to congratulate me on my accomplishment. Just as the tears began to flow fresh and fast, there was a knock on my front door.
"Echo, dinner is served!" called a familiar voice. I ran down the stairs and opened the door. "God, I thought you'd never answer!"
"Cece! Where have you been?" I cried as I pulled the plump girl in for a hug. She looked casually glamorous as usual in a low-cut black t-shirt, a pair of tight black capri pants and open-toed sandals that showed off her impeccable red pedicure.
"Girl, you don't even want to know," she said stepping back and rolling her eyes. "Let's just say it was a long trip and I'm glad it's over."
"I'm so glad you're back!" I said. "I missed you something fierce, and I know Mando did, too."
"My brother didn't miss me a bit," she said rolling her eyes so far back that I was afraid she'd lose them in her skull. "He doesn't know his ass from his elbow, forget about him actually knowing enough to miss me."
"Don't let him hear you say that out loud," I warned as she handed me a brown paper bag. I unfolded the top and sighed as the scent of freshly made tacos and beans with rice wafted up out of the containers.
"Oh please," she said as she reached in and began unpacking the bag for me. "Get a plate, chica. You're gonna eat good tonight!"
I laughed as I pulled out two plates knowing full well that Cece would stay and eat with me because Mando had most likely sent her up to keep an eye on me. As she dished up the food, she eyed me suspiciously.
"Something's different about you," she said as she plopped a huge spoonful of beans onto a plate then added another spoonful of steaming rice flecked with cilantro and peppers. "What's happened since I left?"
"Nothing much, just the usual," I said trying to put Dr. Powell's death out of my mind. "Work, work and more work."
"Don't bullshit me, Echo," she said as she stacked three tacos on each plate and tossed some lime wedges next to them. "I know bullshit when I see it."
"Dammit, Cece," I laughed. "Let me have some privacy, will you?"
"Never, I'm the queen of nosy," she smiled as she handed me a plate and then reached into the cross body bag she was wearing and pulled out two beers and ordered, "Open these."
"Yes, your highness," I laughed as I positioned the cap of one bottle on the edge of the kitchen counter and then quickly smacked down with the palm of my hand so that the cap flipped off on to the floor. I made quick work of the second one and before I knew it, Cece and I were sitting on my couch chowing down on the best meal I'd had in weeks.
"Now, tell me what's going on," she said before putting a forkful of rice and beans in her mouth.
"I can't talk about it," I said as I pushed my food around on my plate. "I was sworn to secrecy."
"Secrets are what kill us, Echo," she said solemnly. "I'm not kidding. Any time someone asks you to keep a secret that makes you feel bad, it's a bad one. Spill it."
"My boss is dead," I blurted out.
"Wait, what?"
"My boss is dead," I repeated. "I don't know how he died, just that he died yesterday and that I'm not supposed to talk about it because the guy who is now in charge told me not to."
"Is this the boss that was at your graduation?" she asked.
"Uh huh," I nodded as the tears welled up and then started to fall. Cece set her plate down on the steamer trunk that doubled as my coffee table, and then put her arms around me rocking me back and forth while I cried harder than I had in the bathroom at work. "It's not fair!"
"Nope, it's not," she murmured as she patted my head. "It sucks balls."
"It sucks balls, indeed," I smiled through the tears. Cece let out a snorting laugh that made me giggle and before we knew it, both of us were laughing so hard we had to hold our sides. As I wiped the tears from my eyes, I looked at her and said, "I don't know what's going to happen now."
"Maybe that's a good thing?" she offered. "I mean, you've been wanting to get out of that assistant position and do some real programming work for a long time. Maybe this is your way out."
"But what about my job?" I asked. "Now that Dr. Powell's dead, they might let me go. And if I lose my job, how am I going to afford all of this?" I gestured around the apartment.
"You're not going to lose your job or your apartment, silly chica," Cece chuckled. "You're going to land on your feet; like you always do. And if you need some help along the way, well, me and Mando are always here and all you ever have to do is ask!"
"I can't ask you for help," I said shaking my head. "You guys are hanging on by a thread."
"Oh please, we've been in far more precarious positions," she said waving me off. "We're actually in a good place right now with the delivery service taking off and karaoke bringing in the late night crowds. Besides, you're family, and we always help family."
I hugged her tightly as I nodded. I hoped I wouldn't need their help, but if I did, it was nice to know it was there.
"So, what's up with you?" I asked as I pulled back and picked up my plate.
"Girl, you don't even want to know," she grinned as we resumed eating. Over the next hour, Cece filled me in on all the details of her current love interests and gave me the odds on each one and their chance of making it past the initial dating stage. Cece's love life always amazed me because she managed to juggle three or four guys at a time, all while never losing track of who was who and what his status in the dating hierarchy was.
Guys came and went from Cece's life on a regular basis, but rarely did they leave unhappy. Sometimes, when things weren't working out with her and a guy, she'd connect him with a friend she thought was better suited. I often teased her that she was a one-woman dating site and that she ought to charge for her services. She laughed it off and said that life was too short to be dating people who weren't right for her, but she didn't like to see people sad and alone.
"I've got a guy who might be perfect for you, Echo," she said waving her fork at me. "He's smart, interesting and seriously hot."
"Yeah, not so much," I laughed shaking my head. Cece had been trying to fix me up for as long as we'd known each other. She knew I had a think for smart men, but that my job kept me too busy to really get out and meet any. She also knew that my experiences with boyfriends had been less that successful, so she tread lightly and only suggested guys that she had thoroughly vetted.
"C'mon, chica," she urged. "You're young and smart and hot! You need to get out in circulation and meet some eligible men! You need to shake that booty while you still can!"
"Oh my God!" I burst out laughing. "It's not like I'm so old and decrepit that I've lost my chance! I'm twenty-seven! I'm still young!"
"Yeah, but you're not getting any younger," she said with a sly grin.
"You're evil!" I protested.
"Be that as it may, I still think you need to meet this guy," she said as she stood up and carried our plates to the kitchen. "I have to get going. Got a date with the hot Italian tonight. He's taking me to a club in Jersey."
"A club in Jersey? Do they even have clubs in Jersey?" I laughed.
"Pshaw! Of course, they do!" she said with mock indignation. "There are some of the finest clubs in the tri-state area in Jersey! Do not mock Jersey."
"I'm not mocking!" I laughed. "I was being serious."
"Yes, there are clubs in Jersey," she said. "Not sure how well this guy is going to work out, but I'm willing to take a chance and see what happens."
"You're so brave, Cece," I said as I walked over to where she stood and gave her a big hug.
"So are you, chica," she said hugging me back. "You just need to use that courage to get yourself a man!"
"Get out of here!" I laughed as I pulled back and lightly punched her in the shoulder. She laughed all the way out the door and down the hallway.
It wasn't until the next morning that I realized she'd left the money I'd given her for dinner tucked under the sugar bowl in the kitchen. I grabbed it on my way out the door and made a mental note to stop and give it to Mando on my way home.