Chapter 11
Hayley huffed and puffed as she tried keeping up with her daughter, Gemma, while they hiked the back road behind the Kebo Valley golf course. It was a dark and dreary Saturday morning, foggy, cold, and drizzling rain. But Hayley was determined to drag herself out of bed, pull on her sweats, and get out the door because she was in desperate need of some exercise after gorging on pizza for dinner and staying up late polishing off all the popcorn and candy they had brought home from the Criterion Theatre while watching Rosemary’s Baby, a thriller starring Mia Farrow as a young New York City wife whose actor-husband makes a deal with a satanic cult to bolster his career in exchange for impregnating his wife with the devil’s spawn.
The plot sounded ridiculous to the kids but they were jumping and screaming by the second hour.
Hayley had dragged along Leroy on their morning walk because he too was in need of some physical exercise. He was not exactly happy to be out in the rain trotting alongside her while she pulled him along by his leash.
“I dread going in to work today,” Gemma groaned as she picked up the pace.
Hayley had to break into a run to catch up to her.
“Because it’s Saturday?”
“No, because of you know who.”
“Has Edna done anything else besides the scheduling mishap?”
“Not yet. But it’s like she’s lying in wait, biding her time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike again and make me look bad. I can’t stand the uncertainty and suspense.”
“Well, you should really talk to Aaron about it.”
“I think that’s what she wants. If I go and complain she’ll just deny it and it will make me look like a crybaby.”
Hayley spotted a black BMW racing toward them, the car’s high beams cutting through the thick fog.
“That looks like Liddy’s car,” Hayley remarked as it sped along the road.
Suddenly as it got closer, the BMW without warning swerved to the left, careening right for them.
“Mom, look out!”
Gemma pushed Hayley hard and she fell into a muddy ditch, yanking Leroy off his feet as his collar choked him and he let out a tiny yelp. Gemma dove after them to avoid getting slammed by the car, which screeched to a stop, pebbles and gravel on the road flying everywhere.
Gemma helped her mother get back up on her feet. Hayley’s sweatpants were covered in mud as was Leroy’s entire body.
The window on the driver’s side slid down, and Liddy popped her head out. “Where the hell have you been?”
“Good Lord, Liddy, you nearly ran us down!”
“I did not! Why are you covered in mud?”
“Didn’t you see us?” Gemma asked, picking up Leroy and petting his muddy head to calm him down.
“Yes. Why do you think I stopped? I’ve been looking all over for you! Why haven’t you returned the four voice mail messages I left for you?”
“Because I left my cell phone home last night when we went to the movies and never bothered to check it until this morning. I saw that you called so I was just going to call you back when we got home from our hike. What are you doing here?”
“I was worried something happened to you and I know this is the route you take when you go hiking with the dog in the morning so I came out looking for you.”
“What’s wrong, Liddy? What’s happened?”
Liddy took a deep breath. “Well, it’s pretty bad.”
Hayley and Gemma exchanged worried looks.
“What? Has someone died? Is it Mona?” Hayley said, suddenly concerned.
“No! It’s not Mona! Although it’s a miracle that woman hasn’t keeled over from a coronary with all the butter and carbs she consumes!” Liddy said.
“So what? Tell us!” Gemma said, more impatient than her mother.
“Well, Sonny and I went out to dinner last night at McKay’s because you know how much I love their Duck Confit Spring Rolls . . .”
“The point, Liddy. Get to the point,” Hayley sighed.
“Well, who should be at the next table when we sat down but Aaron and his new lady friend.”
“Please tell me that isn’t why you left four frantic phone messages and came racing out here this morning nearly mowing us down!” Hayley screamed.
“Of course it is! Don’t you want to know who he’s dating? It was exactly who we all suspected! And now I have hard evidence! I have an eyewitness! Me!” Liddy said, perplexed as to why Hayley wasn’t reacting more to this big news.
“No, Liddy. I don’t. I told you I don’t care.”
Hayley would be lying if she didn’t admit to herself that deep down on some level she was slightly curious to know, but she certainly wasn’t going to allow Liddy and Gemma to see that.
“You can’t be serious,” Liddy said, mouth agape.
“It’s none of my business . . .”
“Crystal Collier!” Liddy blurted out.
Really?
Crystal Collier?
Well, truth be told, Hayley was slightly surprised because Crystal just didn’t seem to be Aaron’s type. She was a local lawyer with a very tough, hard demeanor, extremely ambitious, and with a habit of being very direct with people, sometimes at the expense of their feelings.
“Sonny despises Crystal because she’s stolen several of his clients, but he managed to fake it and smile and say hello as we passed by the table.”
“Well, you’ve alerted me to this earth-shattering news so your work is done, Liddy. Thank you for sharing,” Hayley said, shaking her head, trying hard to cover her amazement that Aaron was dating an obnoxious ballbuster like Crystal Collier.
“Gemma, you work so closely with Aaron I’m shocked that you didn’t already know,” Liddy said, eyeing her suspiciously.
“I did know,” Gemma said quietly.
“Why wouldn’t you tell your mother?” Liddy screamed.
“Because as I’ve said a hundred times it’s none of my business!” Hayley yelled.
Gemma turned and put a hand on her mother’s shoulder. “I didn’t mention it because I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”
“Gemma, there is absolutely no reason to pussyfoot around me. I can handle Aaron dating someone new. In fact, I really, truly am happy for him that he’s getting out there again but . . .”
“But what?” Liddy demanded to know.
“Crystal Collier?”
“See! You’re as dumbfounded as I am! How could Aaron choose a woman so aggressive and in your face? She’s so not his type!”
Liddy was right.
Crystal was far from Aaron’s type.
But then again how did she really know that?
Maybe Crystal was exactly the kind of woman Aaron was attracted to and it was Hayley who hadn’t been his type.
That would certainly explain why their relationship didn’t last.