Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
“ Y ou alright, hon?” asked the cab driver, her salt and pepper curls bouncing as we flew down the highway.
“Mostly. Do you mind if I eat in here?”
She scoffed. “Have at it, kid.”
The funk of my cold burger from lunch blended into the older Prius’s ambient aromas in an almost pleasant way. I nibbled at it, watching for Blue Herons in the Columbia River as we drove east toward River Gorge.
“That hunk didn’t want to take his hands off you.” The driver grinned at me in the rearview mirror. “Good lookin’ guy.”
I raised my eyebrows, the burger hard to swallow in my too dry throat. Dominic ... It was as if my stomach thought we were on a roller coaster that had dropped off a cliff. “He’s trouble.”
She honked a laugh. “Yeah?”
Nodding, I hunched over my take-out box. We hadn’t even exchanged cell phone numbers, and he was thinking about renting something in River Gorge? The way he’d pinned me against his car with his fist in my hair… I squirmed in the seat. What’s wrong with me?
I yanked out my phone and texted Maria to ask if she wanted company. If she didn’t, I’d wear a hole in my room pacing.
Maria
Hell yes I want company. We should think about dinner…
Me
I’ll cook out of your freezer again—if you don’t mind?
Don’t bother asking. Do it!
You have frozen baguettes and meatballs. Add a jar of marinara from your pantry… I think I saw Parmesan somewhere too.
You’re a genius. There’s ready bake bread in my freezer? Can’t believe I forgot. I love that stuff.
When I knocked and entered Maria’s apartment, she was in the shower. I grabbed dirty dishes from the living room. After a week of cleaning her kitchen, the place almost felt like home. I turned the oven on and set about clearing the counters and loading the dishwasher. I’d brought over some of my laundry, so I went ahead and finished Maria’s clothing that she’d started.
With the meatballs roasting, I faced my laptop. None of the remaining naked photos had been taken down. I squeezed my eyes shut and swallowed hard.
“Hey—wow, that smells really good,” Maria said from the bathroom doorway. “You know what? I have gouda. Can’t freakin’ wait for these sandwiches. I’ll be out in a minute. Pretty damn cold today.”
“Okay.” I fanned my face, closing my laptop and setting it aside. I stood up and put the bread in the oven.
My phone flashed with a notification—a message from Dominic.
Dominic
Home?
Me
Yes.
Alright?
I don’t know. I’ll write more later. About to have dinner with Maria.
He didn’t respond.
“Wait.” Maria came out of her room in a purple sweat set. “I have an English cucumber in the fridge, too.”
“Great.”
“Oh my God, that bread baking is making me so hungry. How are you? What have you done today?”
I dumped the meatballs into a saucepan with the marinara sauce. “Dominic asked me to go hiking with him. We went to Spirit Falls.”
“No way—how was it? Did you check out his bum?”
I smiled at her. “It’s muscular. Would you like me to slice the cheese?”
“Kelsey.” She handed me the gouda. “Is that all you’re going to say about your first date? Give a girl a few crumbs here.”
I stared down at the cutting board while my ears grew hot. “He’s…” I cleared my throat. “Controlling, I think. I’m not sure now…”
“Controlling? Wait—I have some wine. Hold on, sister.” She crouched and rooted around in her wine cabinet.
“Sorry. I’m pretty shy about this stuff.”
Her hand waved around in the air above her head. “You’re private. I’m the one that should be apologizing. But I love this shit too much to be ashamed. Ha—Merlot. I knew this was still in here.”
“Nice.”
She stood up and gave me the side-eye. “My gut is telling me you need to talk.”
“It’s Gerry. He…” I pressed on my knotted stomach. “Posted naked photos of me on the internet last night.”
“What?” The bottle slipped in her hand, and she lunged to catch it. “Phew. He posted—that fucker!”
“Yep.”
The oven bell dinged. My face was almost as hot as the inside of the oven as I pulled out the golden baguettes.
“Jesus.” Maria yanked out the wine cork. “Can we go slash his tires or something?”
“He crashed his car last week.” I smiled weakly at her. “I’ll be talking to my lawyer tomorrow.” Except she’d probably want some kind of payment, and I had nothing.
“So you found the photos yesterday?”
“Yeah. Stayed up all night trying to have them taken down. When Dominic picked me up, I…cried. We hiked, had our first kiss by the waterfall.”
“Ahh. What happened next?”
“Then, at his car, he tells me he wants an arrangement. What did he say…” I cleared my throat and attempted his baritone. “Sexual partners—no obligations between us.”
Maria cackled. “Holy shit. And then?”
“I said no.”
“You did?” She handed me my wineglass.
I took a big swallow. “He’s tempting. Like…well, never mind. He insisted on going to lunch. Then he asks me to pretend to be his girlfriend. For his great-aunt, who’s very sick and really wants him to settle down.”
Her head jerked forward. “Soap opera level here. Please keep going.”
“I said yes. I’m a total pushover. We get there, and kiss, and he upgrades his offer to dating. I don’t know—it’s nuts.”
Maria crunched on a piece of cucumber. “So…why controlling?”
I cut open the bread and filled it with cheese slices, followed by saucy meatballs. “Um…he likes to dominate. Sexually.”
“Ah.” She grabbed a piece of cheese. “Do you like that?”
I bit my lip, and my face scrunched up. “Yes—but that’s how Gerry was. I want to try something more…vanilla.”
Maria covered her mouth, chortling. “Sorry. I’m just…I don’t know. Sometimes, the quiet ones have the most interesting sex lives.”
I hung my head. “That’s a kind way to put it.”
She elbowed me. “What? It’s true. I’ve never had anything like that. I’m usually the one demanding action. Too many drunks—oh well. Anyway, it’s okay for you to want hot sex. As long as he’s respectful and all that—which, when Gerry wasn’t, you left him.”
I shook my head. “It took me too long.”
She put an arm around my shoulders. “The townhouse made it complicated.”
“I don’t trust myself anymore.”
She jiggled me a little. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Seriously. Repeat after me. I am enough.”
I stared at my reflection in the microwave. “I am enough.”
“I attract happiness into my life.”
“I attract happiness into my life.”
She leaned her head against mine. “That’s our assignment—we both need positive affirmations. Everyday.”
I took a deep breath. “Yeah. Maybe so.”
We broke apart, and I cut the sandwich in half. “I don’t ask you enough. How are you?”
She flashed a smile at me. “You do. And you’re the best listener.” Her face fell. “I’m…embarrassed about last night—that I blacked out. Thank you for helping me. Really, thank you so much.”
“Of course.” I wished I knew what to say to her. She was so self-aware and yet seemed unable to control her drinking.
“I’m telling myself I’ll start exercising. Even though I know it’s not true. I opened a dating app on my phone today—but couldn’t bring myself to register. It’s…like taking on a yucky job. Too many icks. Then I’m trying too hard and can’t stand myself.” She shook her head. “Come on, let’s eat.”
“Raven and Dominic met on the apps.”
“Seriously?” She raised her eyebrows.
“Yeah. She went on a date with him a few weeks ago.”
Her plate clicked down on the counter in front of a barstool. “Okay…maybe I’ll try the apps.”
I smiled and ate my dinner. Talking to Maria had popped open a vent hole in the pressure chamber inside me. My shoulders dropped further as I drank wine and watched trashy reality dating shows. I texted with Tilly, and she seemed to be well—still had her job anyway.
“KELSEY!”
I jerked up on the couch, gaping at Maria. Her eyes were open very wide. Gerry was shouting at me from the driveway.
“Kelsey, fucking get out here. NOW.”
A pillow tumbled off my lap and fell to the floor as I lurched to my feet. “How did he find me? Oh no—your parents. Oh my God.”
“Call the police,” Maria said. “You’ll want a record of this. Don’t go out there.”
I nodded and grabbed my phone.
“Kelsey Owen. I know you’re in there—you selfish bitch. Look at this fucking place.”
Maria’s phone rang, and she answered right away. “Yeah, it’s him… She’s calling the police. No—tell Daddy to wait. Pippa. Gerry’s drunk…”
I peered out the window with a view of the driveway. Gerry staggered on the road in front of the house. A red Honda CR-V was stopped in the street behind him. Lori’s car?
More lights flicked on in the circular drive in front of the house and garage. Gerry put a hand up in front of his face.
Mr. Adamos stepped out of the front door and shut it behind him. “You need to leave. Now.”
“Who the hell are you?” Gerry shouted, slurring.
I covered my mouth. How could he do this?
“I’m a doctor. This is my private property, and it’s after dark. Go home. Take a hard look at yourself. It can get much worse.”
The high beams flashed on Lori’s car. Gerry scanned the windows. I dropped the curtain and jerked away, pressing my back against the wall. An engine revved. When I peeked through a crack, Gerry was gone.