CHAPTER 31
TILLIE
I sat in my garden, the pale blue hydrangeas and roses of all colors in full bloom, their sweet perfume drifting through the gentle breeze as Milo and Leo swirled around my ankles, their soft tails tickling my skin.
The house was as quiet as usual, the gardeners having gone home long ago. I’d gotten rid of almost all the help once Reggie left. Reggie loved having people at his beck and call, living in the far East wing of the house, but to me, it was completely excessive and unnecessary. It always seemed odd to me to live with people you didn’t care about. There was something so cold about it.
Sure, once again the silence was deafening, but at least I wasn’t living with people I barely knew.
Leaving Vegas was hard, but I took all the lessons I’d learned with me. Richie had been on my mind since I’d returned non-stop. I’d waited for his call but it never came. Somehow, though, I knew Daine had been telling me the truth. Richie cared about me. We had chemistry, it was undeniable.
I still held out hope that once he got his legs back under him, he’d call. In the meantime, I spent my days lounging by the pool and reading in the garden. I was determined not to allow my life to waste away anymore, in fact, I was contemplating where I’d go next and my eye was firmly planted on a trip to Monte Carlo next, which was already Mario-approved.
He’d taken perfect care of the property and my boys while I was gone and in the process we’d managed to deepen a friendship that I already adored. Tonight, he was stopping by for a glass of wine on his way home to Malibu.
As soon as the doorbell rang, the boys leapt towards the front door, purring frantically around his ankles as soon as Mario stepped inside. He kissed my cheek and headed straight to the kitchen.
“What a day!” he exclaimed. “I had the client from hell, Tillie!”
“What happened?”
“This socialite from Beverly Hills,” he began, shaking his head as he poured himself a glass. “She comes in once every two weeks, and she barely has two hairs on her head! She’s never satisfied, right? Well, today, she made me repeat the dye job twice because her hair color didn’t perfectly match the new drapes in her library, where she’ll be hosting her monthly book club meeting tomorrow.”
“Wow,” I said. “That’s dedication to detail.”
“That’s one way of putting it,” he replied. “I call it batshit crazy!”
We strolled out to the garden with a fresh bottle and sat in the lounge chairs under a huge camellia tree I’d planted when we first moved in.
“So, I saw your ex again, on Entertainment Tonight this time,” he said, glancing at me sideways.
“Yeah, I saw that, too,” I said. “He’s everywhere it seems. I’m trying not to watch but it’s hard to turn on the television without seeing that baby bump.”
“What an asshole,” he said. “I can’t believe he didn’t tell you first. And to do that to you while you’re still married.”
“It’s Hollywood, Mario, you should’t be surprised.”
“I’m not surprised but he’s still a prick.”
“You know what?” I asked. “I don’t really care.”
“Come on, Tillie, you don’t have to fake it with me.”
“I’m not faking it,” I insisted. “I thought it would hurt me more. Maybe it was because I was distracted by Richie, I don’t know. And maybe Reggie was calling that day to tell me but changed his mind. I wish him the best, even if it's with someone half his age.”
“It’ll never last, you know this, right?”
“Probably not,” I shrugged. “But that’s his problem, not mine.”
“Have you heard from Richie yet?”
“No,” I sighed.
“That’s too bad,” he said. “I still think you should call him. Maybe hearing from you is just the thing he needs to pick himself up.”
“I don’t know.”
“Too bad you can’t buy the club for him,” he joked. “Talk about a pick-me-up.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” I replied, cocking my head.
“I wasn’t serious,” Mario said. “You barely know the guy, Tillie.”
“That’s true,” I said. “I just felt so connected to him, you know?”
“I do,” he sighed. “I haven’t felt that in a long time, but I remember what it’s like. It hits you in the chest like a brick. Hell, like a whole wall of bricks hitting you all at once.”
“Exactly,” I agreed.
“It’s so rare, though, that kind of connection,” he replied. “You’re one of the lucky ones.”
“Am I?” I said. “Is it worse to feel it and lose it than to not feel it all?”
“Trust me, it is,” he said. “It’s worse not to have it all. It’s been so long since I really connected with someone. I’d give my right ball to feel that again.”
I laughed, shaking my head.
“I don’t want to think about your hairy balls,” I said.
“Tillie, I already told you, they’re not hairy!”
“Right,” I replied, taking a huge gulp from my glass. “I don’t want to think about them either way.”
“You’re the one who brought them up!”
I burst out laughing, shaking my head, “I am not!”
He shrugged and smiled over at me.
“I’m glad we’re friends, Tillie. We should have done this a long time ago.”
“Me, too, Mario. Me, too.”
***
The next morning when I woke up, my head was spinning with things that weren’t there before Mario inserted a tiny idea into my head.
I spent the morning sorting it out, writing down plans, and checking my gut, two times, three times…
Finally, after breakfast, I picked up the phone before I could change my mind. After a quick series of calls, to my attorney, my accountant, and a real estate agent, my plan was fully in motion.
I said a little prayer, hugged the cats, and left my house setting off on a mission that would change my life forever.