Chapter 16Annie
Chapter 16
Annie
OCTOBER | Balance: $50,262
It was Saturday afternoon after my first full week of work in Los Angeles. Kitty, Jessie, and I were doing a girl errand day, actively on a thrifting run. Jessie was a talented thrifter thanks to her occupation as a costume designer. She promised me we could find good stuff and she could tailor anything that was a little off. I needed some work clothes more appropriate for California than Tennessee.
“Ooh, let’s stop in here for coffee. I can’t go anymore without,” Jessie said.
“You already drank that whole big thing on the way here!” Kitty objected.
“Mikey made an addict out of me. He just kept feeding me coffee and now I’m dependent.”
We walked into the hippie coffee shop. “You go first, Annie. My treat,” Kitty said. Kitty had been treating me a lot. We never talked about my money issues, but since I was “the poor one” in our group of friends growing up, she’d always spotted me since we were first spending from our own wallets. Poor was a relative term when you went to a Catholic high school. My parents had good jobs, but they weren’t lawyers or doctors or engineers. I had a scholarship, and my dad went to church to get the parishioner discount. Unfortunately, going to Catholic church weekly had its own side effects: guilt, shame, and a constant nagging feeling of not being good enough.
I leaned over the counter, looking for a drink cooler. “Do y’all have Diet Coke?”
There may as well have been a record scratch. The barista’s eyes widened, a sneer curling her upper lip. “We don’t sell artificial beverages here.”
“Okay, fine. Coke heavy? Mexican Coke?”
She shook her head. “We have a local craft kombucha.”
“Small iced coffee, please,” I said, through with having my habits scrutinized. I’d slip into a gas station later for my DC fix. Or just wait till we got home. Kitty’d stocked her fridge with all my favorites.
The other girls ordered, and we waited at the end of the bar for our drinks.
“So, how are your new roommates?” Jessie asked with a laugh.
“Super annoying,” I said, giving Kitty a goofy look. “They’re newlyweds and they’re super in love and all over each other.”
“I try to behave!” Kitty said. “Guy’s still not adjusted to living under the same roof even though it’s almost been a year. Has to have his paws on me at all times.”
I pointed to her. “She’s not wrong,” I said to Jessie. “But really, I’ll start looking for my own place. Y’all deserve your private space.”
Kitty slung her arm around my shoulder. “I want you to stay as long as humanly possible. It’s our childhood dreams come true. Living in a little commune.”
Yeah, except in our childhood dreams, her husband wasn’t there. Don’t get me wrong, I love Guy. He’s the best possible partner for Kitty, and they’ve been disgusting together since the day she claimed dibs.
“It’s a long commute, though. L.A. traffic is no joke.”
“Yeah, I made that commute backwards for a long time. I’m familiar,” Jessie said. “How was the first week?”
“Pretty good!” I said. “The partners seem nice, only a few people who feel ego-driven.”
Jessie curled her lip. “Ugh. Who’s a problem?”
“Well, not a problem. One of them is mad that I got Obi as a client. I had to give up Guy since he was Marcie’s client, and we’d have a conflict of interest.”
Kitty snorted. “And Obi’s not a conflict of interest? You rode his face!”
“Kitty!” the barista called out, timed perfectly to chastise her for her vulgarity. We stifled our laughter.
“Y’all got any cream?” I asked.
“This location is dairy-free. I can offer you some cashew cream.”
My horror must have been written all over my face. “I’m allergic to cashews.”
“Annie, let’s go,” Kitty said, pulling me away from the counter. Outside the coffee shop, we all let out our laughter.
“I didn’t know I was a country bumpkin until I moved to L.A.,” I wheezed. “I’ve lived in Nashville, for fuck’s sake!”
“They didn’t know what to do with you, you filthy Diet Coke drinker,” Jessie cackled, wiping a tear.
“Really can’t take you anywhere, Kitty Cat,” I said. “Can’t believe you talked about face sitting out loud in that place.”
“Well, but it is, isn’t it? A conflict of interest? Most clients don’t know what your puss tastes like.”
I widened my eyes. “Yeah, they’re not going to know about that. I’ve mixed business and pleasure too much in the past.”
I said it, then realized what an admission that was. I walked a little slower and Kitty kept pace with me.
“And what do you mean by that, Annie Markham?”
“Uh, well? I may not have been entirely honest about how things went with Roger.”
Jessie grimaced. “Should I not be here?”
“No. You can hear this. It’s my own damn fault. Don’t judge me. Or do. It doesn’t look great.”
“Annabelle Jane Markham.” Kitty was full-naming me.
“Alright, so we actually met at work. He was one of the partners. It all started after hours one day. We were working on separate things, both working late. He stopped by my office to chat, and one thing led to another. I said I don’t do stuff with married men, and he said he was divorced.”
“Oh, no. He wasn’t, was he?” Jessie winced.
I shook my head. “Nope. But I didn’t find out until we were pretty involved.” I heaved a sigh. “He said he was getting a divorce. Then he was getting a divorce soon. Then he was leaving her for me. Then he was coming with me to the wedding, our first time away together. Then he wasn’t coming to the wedding because she found out.”
Jessie rubbed a hand down my arm as we approached the door of the thrift store. “Sorry.”
“No, I am. Makes me the least girls’ girl ever. I should have stopped long before I did. I was just so convinced he was really going to choose—” I broke off.
Kitty pulled me to the side of the door and hugged me. “You’re still a girls’ girl. You’re in recovery. Men are stupid. It’s hard to see what you’re doing when you’re in love.”
“I never thought this would be who I am,” I said, regaining my composure.
“It’s not who you are. You were human, Annie,” Kitty said, a hand on my shoulder. “You’ve done every single thing right in your life. Doing one thing wrong doesn’t make you a bad person.”
“That’s right,” Jessie said. “Go easy on yourself. I don’t blame the girl who Cole lied to and cheated on me with. He lied. She fell for it. There’s nothing wrong with falling for it. Men are good at lying. And then you’re invested. I can see where it’d be hard to turn back.”
I nodded. “Thanks, y’all.” I patted under my eyes and sniffed, eager to get back to more pleasant topics. “Okay, let’s find me some work clothes.”
Jessie grinned. “That, I can do.”
* * *
Bags loaded down with clothes, some of which Jessie’d already marked for alterations, we headed back for our houses. She’d have me looking like vintage working Barbie in no time. Jessie and Kitty lived in the same neighborhood, so we rode together. We were headed to the Princes’ home opener after we showered, and I had hot plans to shotgun a Diet Coke while I was in the shower. Shower beers are no match for a crispy cold shower DC.
Right before we pulled into the neighborhood, my phone chimed.
Nick Oberbeck
Come to my game tonight. I need to talk to you after
My breath caught. What was this?
Is it about work?
No. But it’s important. I left you two tickets at will call.
I’m already going with Jessie and Kitty
Good. We’ll have to go somewhere private after. I can give you a ride home.
Who the hell ended texts with periods? Why was he so serious? What were we going to do, mafia business?
What could Nick Oberbeck need me for that didn’t have to do with work?