After sleeping better than I’d expected, I headed into work early. I needed to apprise Ruby of what had happened with Lola, all while running a business with a smile on my face.
I parked in the spot reserved for the manager, then let myself in. The aroma of clean towels and freshly washed sheets assailed my senses, and I inhaled deeply. They were soothing balms to my soul.
Having spent most of my childhood sleeping on a lumpy mattress that stank of mildew, clean linen was something I would never get enough of.
The front door opened, and I called out to Ruby. She wandered into my office bold as day in killer heels and a red pantsuit.
“Morning, Boss.” She tittered, and I shook my head, choosing yet another battle. As much as she was still adjusting to me being the manager, she was always respectful and did a fabulous job.
“I need you to reschedule Lola’s appointments for the next week.” Hopefully, that would give me enough time to meet with Victoria and come up with a plan.
“A week! God, is she dying? Shit, she hasn’t got the flu, has she? I mean the flu-flu, not just a cold.” Ruby shook her head. “I told her to have the flu shot, but would she listen. Oh, no.”
I massaged my forehead, waiting for Ruby to finish.
“Oops, sorry. I just had a shot of espresso.” She hiked her handbag strap up her arm. “Seriously, what’s up? Is she okay?
“Have a seat, Ruby.”
“Oh, shit. You’ve got that look.” She dropped her bag at her feet, worry etched across her face.
“What I’m about to tell you goes no further.”
“Of course.”
Rather than start with what happened, I tossed out a question. “What do you know about Lola and Simone?”
“Not a lot, but I think she had a soft spot for Simone. Like you and that cop lady.” Her eyebrows drew together. “Speaking of which, what happened to her? She hasn’t been in lately.”
“She’s playing it safe after Caroline came sniffing around.” That was only half of it, and although I trusted Ruby, I kept my private life to myself.
“I wanted to attach clothes pegs to that woman’s clit. Make her scream like a banshee.”
While I appreciated the sentiment, I was also a professional. “Caroline was only doing her job, and thanks to everyone being vigilant, we dodged that bullet.” I glanced at my watch, aware the rest of the staff would be arriving soon. “Back to Lola.”
Ruby looked at me expectantly.
“She’s on suspension.”
“Holy mother of all things holy. I didn’t see that coming. Although, maybe I did.” Ruby stared at the ceiling as if searching for a word. Apparently, she found more than one. “She’s had a bug up her arse ever since you took over.”
“You don’t say.” It wasn’t like I hadn’t noticed. I just needed to figure out what had brought on her mood swings. I recalled her saying she was having trouble at home, but I wasn’t convinced that was all that was going on.
I rested my elbows on the desk and steepled my fingers. “Did you know Lola’s a racist?”
“Hmm, I’ve heard her toss out the occasional slur, but nothing that gave me cause for concern.”
“Ruby, any racial slur is cause for concern. It’s unacceptable. Period.”
“Have you got yours?”
I clenched my jaw. “Don’t make this into a joke, because I’m not laughing. Reschedule Lola’s appointments. I’ll deal with the rest.”
Ruby got to her feet, looking dejected. “Sorry.”
I huffed out a tired breath. None of this was her fault. “Me too.” I stood. “We all good?”
“Of course. I’m not that delicate, but I could be more sensitive. Sorry again.”
“It’s fine.”
Not long after Ruby exited my office, my phone chimed. Seeing Deanna’s name immediately lifted my spirits. My smile grew as I read her message.
Hey, hope you slept well. I’m still in bed. Think I might stay here all day. Wanna join me when you finish work?
My reply came without thought. Try to keep me away.
Bring your PJs if you like.
That one took me by surprise. Smiling, I punched out a reply. I don’t own any pyjamas. Still keen?
You can always wear a pair of those knickers you keep your mind in.
I chuckled to myself. Deal. See you tonight.
Perfect.
I tapped out two words and hit send. I am.
Piss off.
***
That sleepover led to many more, and over the following few weeks, we fell into a routine of sorts. Well, as routine as two people who worked odd hours could. Deanna’s hours were crazier than mine, but we made it work. We spent more time at her house than mine, and I was introduced to her sister, Tammy, and her husband and kids.
After enjoying brunch out on the back patio and tossing a ball to Harley, I filled the sink and rinsed the dishes.
Deanna picked up the tea towel. “Remember the night you told me you jumped out of the pot and into the frying pan?”
How could I forget? I also thought I’d done a great job of avoiding the rest of the story, but apparently, my reprieve was about to end. “Yeah. What about it?”
“I want to know the rest.”
The corn fritters we’d just eaten turned to cement in my belly. I wasn’t in any hurry to relive my past, but if Deanna trusted me enough to open up, I needed to trust her too. “Is it too early for wine?”
“It’s never too early for wine.” She reached for the bottle of red I’d brought, but I stopped her. It had been a long time since I’d used alcohol to numb my feelings. “It was bad.”
“As in the Titanic bad?” Deanna nudged my side, and I loved how she could make me smile while my stomach was in knots.
“Yep, that ship sank and never resurfaced.” I gave her a sad smile. “After Brad tried to assault me, I moved in with my cousin, Kirsten. She got me a job at a strip club, and I crashed on the couch at her flat.”
“How old were you?” Deanna handed me a cup of coffee, and I followed her back out to the patio.
“Sixteen. Not old enough to be working in a club, but I managed to avoid arrest. So did the sleazeball I worked for.”
“Shame,” Deanna said, and I couldn’t agree more. It would’ve saved me a lot of heartache.
“Six months after I started working there, I moved in with Layla. She showered me in gifts, and it was the first time I’d slept in a comfortable bed. The downside was, she was screwing the boss.”
“She cheated on you?” Deanna asked softly.
“No. I knew. She told me she did it to keep his attention off the other girls.” I laughed without humour, embarrassed by how naïve I’d been. “One night, I arrived home from work, and Layla was lounging around on the couch with Vinnie. That was our boss’s name.”
“How very gangster.” Deanna rolled her eyes, unknowingly taking away some of the anger thoughts of that night always evoked in me.
“I dragged Layla into the kitchen and asked what the hell he was doing there. She knew I hated him. I’d told her more than once I wanted to cut his balls off. Layla told me to chill the fuck out and relax. I didn’t want anything to do with him, so I headed for our bedroom. Layla followed me. She smiled, but I could see anger brewing beneath the surface.”
“Was she abusive?”
“Not physically, but she was emotionally manipulative.” At sixteen years of age and desperate for love, I’d been easily swayed, but not after that night. “She cajoled me into joining them for a drink. We smoked a couple of joints, and I zoned out. When I spotted Layla and Vinnie throwing each other cagey looks, I thought I was being paranoid.”
“Weed can do that to you,” Deanna said.
“Yeah,” I agreed, angry with myself all over again. “But I should’ve listened to my gut. I thought something was up from the second I arrived home. Turns out, I was right.” I took a deep breath, taking a minute to gather my courage. “When he excused himself to use the bathroom, Layla practically threw herself at me, pulling at my clothes and groping my breasts. I asked her what the hell was going on. She said she was warming me up and suggested we have a little ‘fun’ with Vinnie.”
“As in a threesome?” Deanna’s outrage was palpable.
It also pretty much summed up how I’d felt that night—angry, confused, and manipulated.
“I flat out refused. Layla begged me. Told me if I didn’t go along with it, he would beat her, and we’d both be out of a job.” I remembered the click of the bedroom door, and my stomach threatened to revolt. “Vinnie wandered into the bedroom, bypassed Layla, and stepped right up to me.” You going to play nice, girlie, or do you want it rough? The memory of the stale alcohol and smoke on his breath sent a violent shiver up my spine.
Deanna shook her head. “I don’t think I want to hear any more.”
I smiled around my anguish. “You haven’t heard the good stuff yet.”
Harley dropped a ball at her feet, and she tossed it for him. “I don’t know if I want to.”
“Oh, but you do,” I assured her. “I slid onto the bed, Vinnie slid on next to me, and Layla slid onto the other side.” I swallowed the bile burning the back of my throat. He’d either kidded himself into believing I wanted him or didn’t care that I was being emotionally blackmailed. “Layla unzipped his pants and coaxed me to put my hand there.”
“No!” Deanna’s hand flew to her mouth.
“That’s what I said. In my head anyway. But I’d been too busy plotting my next move to speak.” Adrenaline pulsed through my veins as if it was happening all over again. “I pulled Vinnie’s trousers down to his ankles, then rolled off the bed and got the fuck out of there. When he tried to grab me, he tripped over his pants. I flipped him the bird and never looked back.”
“Where’d you go?”
“Back to my cousin’s. A week later, she kicked me out.” If I’d thought Layla’s betrayal hurt, it was nothing compared to the crippling pain I’d suffered when Kirsten turned her back on me. She apologised ten years ago, on my thirtieth birthday of all things. I said I forgave her and asked her never to call me again. I had no idea how she got my number, and I didn’t need friends like that.
Deanna’s eyebrows drew together. “I don’t get it. Isn’t this the cousin who used to buy you underwear and other gifts?”
“She worked for Vinnie, and after that night, I was on Vinnie’s shit list. Anyone caught associating with me would be fired.”
Deanna nodded as understanding dawned. “And she needed her job.”
“Yeah. Apparently, she cared about that more than me.” I hated how bitter I sounded. I got it; I truly did. She hated her family almost as much as I did, and losing her job would’ve meant moving home. But it still stung.
“Please tell me you didn’t end up on the streets.”
“No. That same night, I phoned one of the other girls from the club. She couldn’t take me in, but she gave me the name of a safe house for abused women. I didn’t feel like I fit under that umbrella—”
“You were abused!” Deanna said adamantly. “More than once. Of course you belonged under that umbrella.”
Harley whined, and Deanna calmed down. “Sorry, boy.” She stroked his fur. “Go on.”
“I met a wonderful woman there. She taught me I was in control of my destiny and to never let anyone treat me like dirt or make me feel like I was nothing more than a piece of meat. I haven’t since.”
Admiration shone in Deanna’s eyes. “Now look at you. A business manager!”
“Swanky, right?” I parroted Piper’s words.
“Very.” Deanna squeezed my hand across the table. “The past shapes us all.” She looked away, but not before I caught a flash of sadness in her eyes.
I pulled on her arm, drawing her gaze back to mine. “Talk to me.”
“It’s Breanna’s anniversary next Saturday.”
“I’m sorry.”
She nodded. “Me too. But meeting you has helped mend my heart. Don’t get me wrong. I’ll always have a special place for her.”
“Of course.” I’d be stupid to think otherwise, and I was humbled Deanna trusted me enough to talk to me about Breanna without feeling like she had to sneak around.
“I always go to the cemetery and spend time with her on her anniversary.” Deanna hesitated. “Are you okay with that?”
I chuckled.
“What?” She sounded uncertain.
“If you could read my mind, you wouldn’t have had to ask that question. I’m more than okay with that. Do you want me to come with you?”
Deanna chewed her lip. “That’s a very kind offer, but I’d rather…it’s just—”
“It’s fine,” I interrupted, putting her out of her misery. “But promise you’ll come straight to my house afterwards, so I can give you big hugs.”
The smile returned to her eyes. “Only if you cook dinner.”
“Done.”