Chapter 3 ~ Isabella ~
"I can't find it!" I turned around in front of the mirror in my bedroom, searching, and let my gaze sweep over the scattered clothes. Today really wasn't my day. It would be best if I called the whole thing off and curled up on the sofa with a cup of tea. I was much more in the mood for that than... celebrating.
"You're definitely not going to find that necklace this way, Isabella," my neighbor Hayley replied, amused. "It's probably buried somewhere under all the clothes you've so generously spread around here."
"But I was looking for the necklace yesterday too, and it was still tidy in here then!" I said desperately. "It's the necklace with the green stone that Joanna gave me for my birthday last year! It's really important to me!"
"It'll turn up, I'm sure," Hayley tried to reassure me. "You'll see, as soon as you've tidied up in here, the necklace will appear in some corner and you'll wonder how you ever could have missed it."
"The green stone would go so well with this dress!" I looked at myself in the mirror and turned back and forth again.
"You look really great even without it." Hayley was doing her best to cheer me up. She was right. The knee-length, light green party dress with the fine organza fabric complemented my dark hair and brown eyes well. The necklace would have simply made the outfit perfect.
"Today is really a shitty day," I grumbled. "I shouldn't even go. I should call Judy and claim I'm sick. I can't even afford to go. A bachelorette party. A bachelorette party in a fancy hotel. That's unnecessary spending. I didn't have the money before. Now even less, since I don't have a job anymore."
"Whether you're almost broke or completely broke, that really doesn't make a difference, Isabella," Hayley wisely remarked. "You should have some fun. You really need it, especially today. You've earned it, my dear!"
For Hayley, that settled the matter. She got up from the huge light gray beanbag from which she had been watching me and went into the living room.
"I'm going to water your plants," she called through the half-open bedroom door. "I noticed when I came in earlier that they're all half dead. When was the last time you watered them?"
"No idea," I answered and leaned forward to check my makeup one last time. Was the lipstick not smudged? Did the eyeliner look good? If I was going out, I at least wanted to look perfect.
"You really should take better care of your surroundings. If these plants weren't so withered, everything would look a bit cozier in here and you'd be in a much better mood!" Hayley sounded cheerful, but determined.
"I've been fired and have no money, where am I supposed to get my good mood from?" I replied grumpily, once again wondering if it was such a good idea to go to a bachelorette party right now.
"I really don't understand why you don't just ask your sister for help. Then your problem would be solved within hours," Hayley replied.
I took a deep breath. "I've thought about that too. Joanna would surely help me. But I got myself into this mess alone and I want to get out of it alone. It's a matter of honor for me. Besides, I can't reach Joanna right now anyway. She's in the Australian Outback with her husband and their little one. She's been looking forward to this trip for years. Being far away from civilization. She had to work on Chandler quite a bit to make it possible."
"Too bad for you," Hayley sighed. "But you'll manage. Even without Joanna. You'll see, in the end everything will be fine. Your SITUATION won't improve if you sit around here tonight. But your MOOD will significantly improve if you go out. Believe me."
I had to agree with my friend, like it or not. Hayley grunted briefly, put the watering can on the windowsill, and came over to me. She looked at me with pursed lips.
"You look perfect, Isabella Abbott. Just be careful not to steal the show from the bride."
The compliment cheered me up now and I giggled. "You're mixing something up, Hayley. This is just the bachelorette party. The wedding is next month. THEN I mustn't steal the show from the bride."
"You might do that anyway." Hayley grinned at me encouragingly. Then she pulled something out from behind her back. "Here, the car keys. So you don't have to search for them forever again and at least arrive on time now. You more than deserve to have fun and enjoy yourself, and you shouldn't miss a minute of it." With these words, she pressed the key into my hand and kissed me on the cheek.
Touched, I cleared my throat and hugged my friend. "Thank you, Hayley. You're really a sweetheart. I'm lucky to have you as my neighbor."
"No sentimentality," Hayley said with mock sternness. She smiled. "Go and have fun. Since you kicked out that idiot Owen, you haven't really been out partying. Every time I wanted to take you out, you hid in here like a snail. Now don't let your boss ruin your mood. You'll find a new job! And now think about something else."
I closed my eyes briefly and tried to get into a party mood. I wasn't quite there yet. Nervously, I took my green bag and checked if I had forgotten anything. "I really haven't done anything like this in a long time. No money. And before, that idiot Owen always made a huge fuss when I wanted to go out and played the jealous one here. And he was the one who cheated on me!" My voice grew louder.
"You shouldn't think about that anymore. That's long gone. Today is for celebrating!" Hayley looked at me with mock sternness. "Weddings don't happen every day. So go on."
I smiled. Hayley had stood by me when I kicked Owen out. She was standing by me now. I would never forget that.
A little later, I was sitting in my dented Toyota, driving towards Lower Manhattan. Thousands of thoughts were swirling through my head.
You're too impatient, Isabella. Remember what Joanna always said: Focus on one problem. ONE. Solve that. Then move on to the next.
But that was easier said than done.
Losing my job worried me much more than I had let on to Hayley. The next loan payment was due in two weeks. If I couldn't come up with it, I'd have to move out.
But where to?
Calm down, Isabella, maybe you're looking at everything too negatively and you'll find a job. And you can ask the bank to give you a little extension.
I had already done that several times, though. It wasn't very likely that I'd get another extension. That left friends and family. But I was determined to make it on my own.
It's time to show the world what you can do and that you're capable of surviving on your own and overcoming tough crises without running home to someone who'll protect you and take care of everything. It's time to grow up, Isabella Abbott! Now you can prove that you ARE an adult and not just pretending to be one.
"But first, it's time to celebrate!" I scolded myself out loud. How could my thoughts always wander like this?
Think about the party, Isabella. Fiona doesn't need someone who's moping and worrying about a thousand things while everyone else is laughing, celebrating, and drinking!
It had been a while since my last bachelorette party. Judy had gotten married over a year ago. I giggled at the memory. Back then, I had to sing karaoke. "Let's Get Loud" by Jennifer Lopez. Oh yes, my performance had been loud. And it had caused great amusement. The girls had literally doubled over with laughter because the song was unrecognizable. "If I hadn't known what you were singing, I... I don't think I would have even thought you were singing at all," Judy had spluttered, slightly tipsy.
The karaoke had been my punishment for forgetting the crown at home, which was a mandatory part of the outfit.
Wait!
Did I have the crown with me now?
I felt the top of my head.
Nothing.
Damn it!
As I drove through New York's busy evening streets, I tried desperately to remember if I had put the crown in my bag. I glanced to my right. The green bag was on the passenger seat, looking as it always did. I couldn't tell from here if the small, foldable crown was inside. It might still be at home in a corner, along with Joanna's necklace.
I cursed inwardly. Why did I always have to be so scatterbrained?
I definitely didn't want to sing karaoke again. If I didn't have the crown with me, I'd turn around, get it, and just arrive a little later. THAT would probably be less noticeable than forgetting the crown.
Carefully, I leaned a bit toward the passenger seat and pulled the bag towards me. I kept an eye on the traffic as best I could and opened the bag's zipper with one hand. The damn thing got stuck halfway.
Crap!
Nervously, I looked for a spot where I could stop briefly. But it was like always: no gap opened up at the curb. At least none that I would fit into.
Be honest, Isabella: None that match your parking skills.
"I'll find a great job. Then I'll get rich and buy a car with parking assist," I said out loud to no one in particular. You had to have some dreams, right?
First, find the crown.
As best as I could with one hand, I tugged at the zipper.
"Just open already, you stupid thing."
Nothing happened.
I stuck my right hand into the narrow gap and felt the objects inside the bag.
My key.
My wallet.
The sunglasses.
My phone.
My fingers probed further, always making sure not to lose sight of the traffic.
There.
There was something else.
I tried to feel the object, but since the bag's zipper wasn't fully open, I couldn't reach in any further.
"Damn it all!" I cursed.
I'd have no choice but to empty the bag. I moved my hand back. Or rather, I tried to. Nothing happened. I was stuck in the middle of shitty New York traffic, and my hand was stuck in my bag.
"Shit!"
I shook my hand with the bag to get rid of it.
Nothing.
I shook more vigorously.
Wham! The bag flew in a high arc against the right side window, bounced off and...
Crash!
A loud bang sounded.
I was thrown slightly forward and landed in the seatbelt, which caught me.
"SHIT!!!"
Stunned, I looked through the windshield at the red car in front of me. It was right in front of me, looked new and expensive, and I had just crashed into its rear with a distinct crunch.
Isabella Abbott, how can you be so stupid! How can you! You should have paid better attention. This is what you get!
Yes, this is what I got.
Speechless with shock, I watched as the car door opened. A man got out and slowly approached me.
And what a man.
An impeccable suit. And with it he wore... sneakers? I blinked. Indeed. Suit and sneakers. Despite the serious situation, I had to giggle. I'd never seen that before.
I liked it.
Just like the rest of the man.
Messy blonde hair. Bright blue eyes that now fixed on me through the windshield, looking annoyed. Some light stubble and a straight nose in an attractive face.
My heart beat faster and I ran my tongue over my lips.
You need to get out, Isabella.
With trembling fingers, I undid my seatbelt. I could barely tear my eyes away from the face of the stranger who now stood directly in front of my car, moving his thumb and index finger.
Money.
He was making the sign for money.
Now you're really in deep shit, Isabella Abbott.
I had no money.
Instead, I had carelessly caused an accident that damaged an expensive car. My insurance would certainly not be enough to cover it. As was common in the US, I only had insurance with a very low coverage limit. I had thought anything else was unnecessary.
If I had thought the day couldn't get any worse, I was now being taught otherwise.
All the ideas I had just been developing to find a solution to my predicament now collapsed like a house of cards.
No money.
No job.
A bank that would soon be breathing down my neck.
Caused an accident with significant damage.
How would I ever get out of THIS mess?
The stranger looked at me expectantly.