18. Losing the Mask
18
Losing the Mask
W hile she spent her Monday at the office pretending not to have a hangover, Nicole planned for Tuesday to be different. She walked into her office with a cup of coffee, ready for a brand new day at work. For some, the possibility of going to jail would make them want to ditch going into work. Not for Nicole. Work was better than sitting at home wondering if a jail cell would be her next residence.
“Morning, boss lady,” Reggie said with a warm smile.
On other days, Nicole might have pretended to be annoyed, but she reveled in hearing that greeting. She didn’t know how many more times she would get to hear it. “Morning, Reg. Any messages?”
“Message in a form of flowers.” Reggie nodded toward her office. “I already put them on your desk, and no. I didn’t peek at the note, but share it with me when you’ve read it.”
A large bouquet of white roses sat on her desk. Nicole was so used to flowers being delivered to her, she could have opened a flower shop like Lena Headley’s character in Imagine Me & You . “Did the delivery boy tell you who these were from?”
“Sorry. He only gave me the name of the florist. ”
Nicole picked up the card, her stomach dropping as she read the note. “Debts eventually demand their due.”
No sender named. No name was needed. It was William. His warning in his handwriting. He didn’t even bother to try to disguise it. It wasn’t the first threat Nicole had received from a mark. You didn’t survive this long in this world without drawing them. What made this one different was how much it unnerved Nicole.
And that was before she noticed how the sunlight from her window disclosed faint markings on each of the petals. Nicole picked up the bouquet and walked to the window. She held the flowers up to the light and watched as letters slowly materialized, as if out of thin air. One by one, the labels revealed themselves.
“Gold-digger,” “Bitch,” “Liar,” “Depraved,” “Wretched,” “Two-Faced,” “Conniving,” “Heartless,” “Opportunist,” “Vile,” “Subhuman,” “Irredeemable,”
Each petal on each of the twelve flowers had a word engraved on it. Each word was a reminder of all the things she’s been called. All the things she was.
Nicole dropped the flowers into the trash and fell into her chair. She was no stranger to cruelty. In her former line of work, it came with the territory. It was a necessary evil to perform her job, but this was different. This was a direct attack against her. William wanted to rattle her, and it worked.
Words were one thing. His actions were another. He knew where she worked, knew where Maya performed. He wasn’t playing fair. Nicole didn’t want to play his game at all.
The worst part about his message was the reminder he wasn’t going away. Her hopes for him to leave them alone relied on a private eye to find something they could use to blackmail him with. Nicole prayed this private eye was worth the money being spent on him because her and Maya’s futures were in his hands .
She had never trusted someone with her future before. The feeling she had now told her why. She hated it, but would have to accept it. What other choice did she have?
Nicole’s phone rang, bringing her out of her head. “Hello?”
“Nicole? Hey. It’s Spencer,” his strangely comforting voice said on the other end.
“Hi. What can I do for you?”
“Nothing. I wanted to check on you after yesterday. Kinda left you high and dry at my place. I apologize for that. I should’ve woken you, but you seemed like you could use the sleep.”
“Oh, no, no. It’s okay. You didn’t have to. I was happy to get the extra rest. Thank you for being considerate and opening up your home to me. I’ll have to return your clothes and robe the next time I see you.”
“Did I ask for them back?”
Nicole smiled, biting her lip. “No, I suppose you didn’t. But what am I going to do with a pair of boxers?”
Spencer chuckled, a deep, sexy sound that she hadn’t realized he possessed. “Sleep in them. Make your boyfriend jealous, thinking you have someone on the side.”
She swallowed a laugh as she leaned back against her headrest. “Is that your slick way of asking if I have a boyfriend?”
“Apparently, I’m not slick at all if you figured me out.”
“The answer is no. I don’t have a boyfriend. Not sure why that matters to you, but there you go.”
“I was just curious.”
“Curiosity satisfied, then.” Nicole needed to find a way for them to get back on track before they derail further from it. “Uh — I’m sorry I fell asleep in the car and put you in an awkward situation. I never meant to put you in a position where you had to put me up in one of your guest rooms. Please tell me Nessa didn’t see you have to carry me in?”
“No, no. She was spending the weekend at her grandmom’s which let me have a night out in a bar. How much do you remember from that night?”
Nicole’s cheeks heated at the question. “Um… I have a foggy memory of us playing pool, and me saying some very inappropriate jokes I would never otherwise say to a client sober.”
“So what you’re saying is I should get you drunk more?”
Nicole smiled at the joke, but it didn’t reach her lips. She couldn’t find it in herself to laugh. Her mind kept coming back to those petals, and the words etched into them.
“You still there, Nicole? To be clear, that was a joke.”
“Yeah, I’m here. I’m sorry. For getting drunk and for embarrassing myself. You’re my client and I want you to have respect for me and I feel like I have ruined any chance of you ever taking me serious again,” she admitted.
“Hey, no, no. You don’t need to apologize. I had a good time with you that night. It was fun to let loose and do something normal again. I haven’t lost any respect for you, Nicole. Actually, I’m quite impressed. I was a little worried when you were drinking like a fish, but you’re a pro.”
A laugh escaped her then. “Thanks, Spencer. For the drinks and letting me confiding in you. No matter how inappropriate it was.”
“I should be thanking you. You listened to me as I dumped my family troubles onto you. You gave advice I hadn’t considered before.”
“Oh, no. I am not the person you should take advice from. Or someone you should emulate.”
“What do you mean? You have your own business that’s up and running.”
Nicole couldn’t tell him there was a good chance she might be in jail and her business would be defunct as a result. Instead, she said, “ Work isn’t everything. I have a relationship with my daughter that can at best be described as rocky. And she’s building a life for herself that I fear one day I won’t be a part of. Either by her choice or…” she trailed off, thinking back to those flowers. “…or my circumstances change.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah, me too.”
There was a pause. Nicole was waiting for him to ask more, but he didn’t. “So… what are you doing today?”
“For Nessa’s party? I have a meeting with a vendor tom-”
“No, I, uh, was wondering if you would be interested in taking an hour out of your day to spend with me and Nessa.”
Spending a day with a precious five-year-old girl and a guy who inexplicably made her laugh sounded like a perfect distraction from her current situation. “Sure, but what would we be doing?”
“How do you feel about crashing a six-year-old’s birthday party?”
* * *
Nicole arrived at Spencer’s house at 3 p.m.. The party wasn’t scheduled to start until 4 p.m., but Nicole had the idea of them leaving early so they could buy a gift. If she was going to be a guest at a little girl’s birthday party, she had to do it right. Even if the little girl was a bitch who hadn’t invited Nessa. Killing them with kindness was never a method Nicole subscribed to, but it might just work in Nessa’s case.
The elevator doors opened to Spencer’s welcoming presence. “Hi. I’m—”
“Oh my God, is that Ms. Nicole?” Nessa shrieked as she ran out of the kitchen and met them. “I told Uncle Spence to get me when you got here!”
Nicole knelt to her level. “Hi Nessa. Are you excited about going to your friend’s birthday party?”
“Cindy Green is not my friend. Friends don’t leave other friends off their invite list.”
When Spencer informed Nicole that Cindy invited everyone in her class to her birthday party, but Nessa, Nicole was furious. Spencer told her she wasn’t alone. It was the reason they decided to crash the party.
“She did a bad thing, but don’t worry. We’ll buy her the greatest gift she’s ever received and she’ll be begging to be your friend.”
“We’re getting her a puppy?”
“No. Puppies are not gifts, but we will find her a gift she likes.”
Nessa’s mouth dropped. “Can we get her a pony?”
“Absolutely not,” Spencer interjected. “Ms. Nicole and I will brainstorm while you go put on your socks and shoes.”
Nessa ran up the stairs to her room. Spencer gave Nicole a knowing look. “Thanks for coming and joining this mess. I’ll need someone to bring Nessa home when I’m arrested for trespassing.”
There he was, doing it again. Doing the impossible. Coaxing a laugh out of Nicole. “You’ll be fine. Worse comes to worst, you can flirt with Cindy’s mom and get out of trouble.”
“You say that like it’s worked in your favor before.”
“It has, but the key is to not get caught by their partner. Otherwise, you’re in more trouble than you started in.”
“I have a feeling I’ll learn a lot about your past before our partnership is over.”
“Don’t be so sure. I don’t like to rehash the past. I prefer to keep it in the rearview.”
He nodded, considering her words. “Is there something you’re running from?”
“Aren’t we all?”
“I think we are, but not all of us have the skills to escape. ”
Nicole looked at him with a quirked brow. She didn’t expect a response like that. “How are we on time?”
“We’ve got an hour before we need to head over. Any gifts you used to lure the popular girls into befriending you when you were a kid?”
“Nope. I wasn’t popular growing up. I didn’t make it a priority to learn how to befriend them.”
“Why weren’t you popular?”
“How do I word this that doesn’t sound so pathetic?” Nicole pondered, then sighed. “Because I bounced from one foster home to another, I couldn’t stay at a school long enough to make friends. On the flip side, I sure did garner a reputation. One that followed me from school to school. I was branded the troubled girl everyone should steer clear of. See, I told you. Pathetic.”
“Yeah. You’re right. Those kids were pathetic for choosing to believe those rumors about you instead of choosing to get to know you.”
She shrugged. “Kids are mean. I think it’s to prepare us for how mean adults are going to be.”
“That sounds like a story.”
“You really want to hear all my childhood traumas?”
“I want to hear what makes you, you.”
Nicole stared at the ceiling as she remembered the story she spent her whole adult life avoiding. A story she had locked away so that no one could sneak a peek. Now she was ready to unlock it for someone to hear. There was a trusting and honest quality about Spencer. One that she wanted to embrace, not hide from.
“My senior year of high school, I tried to make friends with the popular kids. I thought, what the hell. It’s my last year, and if I’m ever going to make friends, this is my last chance. I got assigned to be this popular guy’s lab partner. All year, we worked together and built a good relationship. For our final project, I invited him to my house.”
“You never did that before? ”
“No. I changed houses and schools so often. I never felt comfortable asking or bringing someone over. But it was for a school assignment, so I did it. When he came over, we worked for a bit until his interests turned from science to sex.”
“How old were you?”
“Seventeen. I wondered about it, but I wasn’t seeking it out. Then and there in the moment, I didn’t want to disappoint him. And I thought, if not him, then who? I didn’t have any suitors knocking on my door, and I didn’t think I ever would. So we had sex. It was okay. A little painful, but it could’ve been worse. Then it was.”
“What happened?”
“My foster parents came home from Bible Study to find us in bed. They threw him out and berated me. Followed it up by throwing out my clothes. Ending it by slamming the door in my face. That’s how I became homeless at seventeen.”
Spencer’s face fell. “Did you contact social services?”
“No. What was the point? I was turning 18 in a month and was going to be thrown out, anyway. It ended up being okay. The experience taught me to be strong.”
“You shouldn’t have had to be strong so young.”
“Nessa shouldn’t have to be either, but we aren’t always dealt the hand we deserve.”
“Is that why you accepted my offer to join us? You wanted to help her get a win?”
Nicole nodded. Nessa reminded her of herself. She didn’t want to see her be hurt. “I’m going to help her win over her classmates if it’s the last thing I do.”
“How do we do that?”
“By winning over that brat, Cindy Green. Nessa will need the upper hand to win over the rest.”
Spencer smiled. “And how are we going to win her over? I’m afraid puppies and ponies are out of my budget.”
“Why don’t we just give her money? Money gets their attention, and their parents’ approval.” Nessa hopped down the stairs, proud of her suggestion.
Nicole and Spencer shared a knowing look.
When Cindy unwrapped the large gift box and it revealed a check for $2,000 with the inscription, “This check is non-refundable. Happy birthday,” the crowd went silent. Cindy stared at the check in astonishment and then at her mom, who was gawking.
“Mommy, can we get a puppy with this money?”
Her mom, Maggie, laughed nervously. “Let’s wait and see what your father says first, honey.”
“Oh, we’re so getting a puppy,” she whispered to her friend sitting next to her.
“Cindy, is there something you would like to say to Nessa and her uncle?”
“Yes!” She turned to face Nessa, who was sitting further down the table, a chair having to be added to accommodate her. “Thank you for the money. When I get my puppy, you can come over and play with it.”
“That’ll be awesome. I would love to. What would you name the puppy?”
“If it’s a boy…”
As the chatter faded around her, Nicole’s attention was solely on Nessa’s radiant smile. It had been too long since she had taken joy in another person’s happiness. Gently, she leaned into Spencer’s side, their shoulders bumping as they stood, watching the children with the other parents. He reciprocated her nudge by bumping her hip with his own, his grin mirroring hers.
After they ate the pizza and cut the cake, Nicole went over to Nessa, using her chair to bend down and meet her gaze. “Are you enjoying the party?”
“I am. Crashing parties is fun. I’ll have to do it again.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to. After everyone sees your party, they’ll never leave you out of anything again.”
“Do you think they’ll come to my party if I ask them?”
“Why don’t you see for yourself?” Nicole pulled out the custom designed party invitations she got made for Nessa’s party. They were printed on white cards, with pink and purple balloons adorning the borders, her name in gold glitter like the star she was. Nessa’s eyes widened as she took one, tracing the details with her small fingers.
“These are so pretty,” she whispered in awe.
“Why don’t you go around and pass them out?”
She took them, then skipped around the party, handing out invitations to her classmates as each promised to attend. Nicole looked around for Spencer to see if he had the same stupid grin on his face that she had. When she found him, he was not grinning. Quite the opposite, in fact.
He was wearing a slight frown that the moms he was talking to either didn’t notice or ignored as they talked his ear off about something. Nicole stood and went in for the rescue.
As she approached Spencer, she could feel the tension in his demeanor. His jaw clenched as he nodded along with the mothers’ chatter. His eyes darted around as if looking for a way out. Nicole stepped beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder, as if to ask if he was all right. He looked down at her hand and gave a small shake of his head.
“Oh hi, Nicole. We were just discussing how noble we thought Spencer was for taking care of his niece while his sister is out of commission,” the mom named Donna explained.
“It really is an amazing thing,” said another mother named Susan. “We would love it if Spencer would join the PTA. It would be nice to have a man present at the meetings.”
“Yeah. It would be nice,” Kate interjected. “But if Spencer doesn’t expect Nessa will be staying with him for much longer, it’s probably best he passes the invitation along to his sister.”
Nicole understood why Spencer was looking for a way out of this conversation. He was Nessa’s guardian, but these women considered it to be a foregone conclusion his sister would get custody of her back. He must have felt hopeless hearing them discuss his place in Nessa’s life as temporary.
As the three moms continued to prattle on, Spencer’s discomfort radiated off him. While Nicole felt her own protective instincts kicking in. “Excuse me, ladies. I don’t know if you know this, but it’s considered disrespectful to make assumptions about someone’s living situation.”
The three mothers exchanged looks of surprise, taken aback by the comment.
Donna awkwardly cleared her throat. “Oh. We just assumed-“
“That’s the problem right there. Assuming instead of asking for clarification. Spencer is doing an incredible job of taking care of Nessa. It’s not for you to speculate on his or his sister’s plans for Nessa’s future.”
Susan shifted uncomfortably. “We’re sorry. We didn’t mean to be disrespectful,” she muttered. The other mothers echoed her.
“Thanks,” Spencer accepted their apology. “For what it’s worth, I would love to be a part of PTA. I’m sorry for not putting my hat in the ring earlier.”
Nicole didn’t move her hand from Spencer’s shoulder, even after the mothers moved on to speak with the other parents. Once they were alone, Spencer sighed with relief. “Thanks for the save,” he muttered, his tone still a little off.
“You saved me from a jerk in a bar. I saved you from a bunch of nosy moms. I guess that makes us even.”
“No way. Those moms were much scarier than that guy at the bar.”
Nicole smiled, having to agree. She dropped her hand from his shoulder and asked, “What was their deal, anyway?”
“I guess the only men who show up to these things are dads, not single guys in their thirties.”
“What you’re telling me is they find you irresistible,” she teased. “You know what? I can see it. The good looks, the money, the nobleness, the prospect of you not being saddled with a kid forever. You’re an attractive option.”
“You think I’m an attractive option?”
Nicole blushed, her words catching up with her. She opened her mouth, ready to backtrack, but she couldn’t deny what she said was true. “I just mean they would find you an attractive option.”
“Uh-huh,” he said with a sly smile.
Nicole rolled her eyes, not wanting to feed his ego. “You know what I meant.”
“Sure I did.”
Nicole ignored Spencer’s gaze as it swept over her. She forced herself not to make eye contact, choosing to watch the party unfold in front of them. What she couldn’t ignore was the burn of her fiery cheeks and the smile that remained plastered on her lips.