Chapter 19 – Mindy
CHAPTER NINETEEN
New beginnings
Mindy
“Aunt Lorraine!” I call, walking through her front door and kicking off my heels.
She comes in from the kitchen, eyes bright with excitement as she wipes her hands on a magenta dish towel. “How did your interview go, sweetie?”
For the first time in a long while, I feel like I have sunshine and rainbows shooting from my ass, and I do a wiggly little dance on the spot.
“It was amazing. Mr. Hale is so nice.” My aunt beams, and I jog over to squish her into a big hug. “Thank you so much for letting me know about this job opening so I could apply.”
She returns my embrace, and oh god, it’s so much like my mother’s, so I hold onto her for another beat. Aunt Lorraine leans back and holds me by the shoulders, her face bright and proud.
“Well, you look stunning, baby girl, and you have such a lovely personality. Mr. Hale would have to be stupid not to hire you.” She releases me and pats my cheek. “So you think it went well, huh?”
“Definitely. He asked me to call him Haywood, and that’s a good sign, I think.
Our interview was during lunch, so we met at a restaurant.
His current executive assistant went with us, and I noticed them casting glances and nodding at each other from time to time when I would answer a question.
” I inhale a breath and let it out on a nervous shudder.
“I think I have a good chance of getting the job.”
“Of course you do,” Aunt Lorraine scoffs. “When will you find out?”
“Today was the last day of interviews, so they said I should hear something by Monday. Then I can get out of your hair and get my own place.”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. I enjoy having you.” Her nose wrinkles in disgust. “I can’t believe that asshole husband of yours got you fired and then changed all the locks on your house.”
“Soon-to-be-ex-husband,” I correct as we take a seat on her comfy tan couch. I worry my bottom lip with my teeth. “Aunt Lorraine, do you think I gave up on my marriage too soon?”
She rolls her eyes. “Not at all. You gave him the chance to work things out in marriage counseling, and he only went to… how many appointments?”
“Two,” I answer.
“Right. He went to two appointments before calling it quits. He didn’t even try, and a marriage takes two people putting in the work. One person can’t carry the entire load.”
I let out an unladylike snorting noise. “Too bad he’s already married to his mommy. There was no room for me. And you’re right. He didn’t even try. All he did was pick fights with the therapist when Dr. Wallace would ask him things like ‘How do you think that makes your wife feel?’”
“Man-baby,” Aunt Lorraine mutters. “He’s such an immature little… well, I’m not sure I can even voice what I want to call him.”
“Caroline and Aubrey call him Twatface,” I supply, and my aunt lets out a bellow of a laugh.
“I do love those two.” She pushes her ash-blonde hair over one ear and regards me. “And I meant what I said. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you want.”
I reach across and give her another hug. “Thank you, but I really want to get my own place and start living my life as a free woman.”
She strokes my hair, which I have pulled back into a loose chignon at the nape of my neck. “I understand, honey, but if you need money or anything, I’m here for you.”
“I have money, Aunt Lorraine. I’ve been saving for years, plus there’s still a bit left in my account from my inheritance.”
Her blonde eyebrows inch together. “That’s supposed to be for your bakery. I don’t want you to have to dip into your savings.”
“I’ll try not to,” I assure her. “There’s money in my joint account with Roger as well. Half of that is mine, so I wrote a retainer check to the divorce lawyer from that account. But the savings is there if I need it. Plus, I have some other news. Drumroll, please.”
Aunt Lorraine dutifully drums her hands on her khaki-covered thighs, and I swirl my hands with a flourish. “I got a second job too. At a bakery. I’ll be making their cookies-of-the-day every morning before I’ll hopefully be going to work at Hale Cosmetics.”
Her face is a mixture of pride and worry. “I’m happy for you, Mindy. I know baking is your one true love, but I don’t want you to overwork yourself.”
“Pssh, it’s fine. I’m barely thirty, and to be honest, I feel better than I have in years. It’s like I’m lighter or something.”
“Well, you recently lost a hundred and seventy pounds… and his name is Roger. That’s enough to make anyone feel lighter,” she says with a laugh, and I join in. I truly adore this woman with all my heart.
I’m literally trembling with excitement after hanging up the phone. Managing to control my fingers enough to dial my aunt, I wait for her to answer.
“Mindy, is everything okay?”
“I got the job,” I gush out. “I got the job at Hale Cosmetics. You are now speaking to the executive assistant to the CEO.”
“Ooooh, I’m so happy for you sweetheart. Hold on a second.” She pulls the phone from her mouth, but I can still hear her. “Reece Annette Hale, do not put that cat on the table.” She returns to me. “Sorry about that, Mindy.”
“No, I’m sorry. I know you’re at work, but I wanted you to be the first person I told.”
“I’m glad you did. I’ll make us a special celebration dinner tonight. How about my chicken cacciatore?”
“Sounds great. And good luck with Reece and the cat,” I say, a tease in my voice.
My aunt’s laugh trills across the line. “She’s a good girl, but she definitely keeps me on my toes.”
Aunt Lorraine is the nanny for Phoenix Hale, so she’s in charge of his six-year-old daughter during the day.
Phoenix also happens to be the son of my new boss, Haywood Hale, the CEO of Hale Cosmetics.
Phoenix works there too, but I’m not sure what his title is.
I’ve never met any of the Hales other than Haywood.
When my aunt gets home from work that night, I frost the cake I made earlier while she cooks the chicken dish.
“Am I silly for making myself a cake?” I ask, piping a few yellow roses around the base.
Aunt Lorraine frowns at me. “Of course not, Mindy. Executive assistant to the CEO? Do you have any idea what a huge deal that is? You deserve to celebrate.”
Using a damp cloth, I clean up smudges of frosting from the clear crystal platter. “I’d love to work at a bakery full time, but this position pays more than I can turn down. It will help me to save up and reach my goal more quickly.”
“How much more do you need?”
“To buy all my equipment, lease a storefront, get supplies, and the million other things I have to do to open a business, I was hoping to have around $200,000 in my savings. Right now I have $150,000.” I wipe my hands on a dish towel.
“Dad left us a pretty good chunk, but Mama used a lot of it to pay off their house and some debts.”
Aunt Lorraine lifts an eyebrow. “Let me guess. Gambling debts?”
“You got it. After he retired, it seemed like Dad was in Vegas or Atlantic City every other week.” I sigh and lean back, both hands on the countertop as she smears garlic butter on thick slices of bread.
“The rest of it came from what I’ve been able to save and the sale of my car and Mama’s house.
Minus her medications and hospice bills, of course.
We traveled pretty frugally, though I did splurge for first-class plane tickets on our last trip so Mama would be more comfortable.
She started to decline pretty rapidly toward the end. ”
My aunt’s lips roll inward, and she blinks rapidly, obviously attempting to control her emotions. “I wish I could have talked to her one more time.”
I place an arm around her shoulders, and she turns, allowing herself the comfort of my embrace.
“I’m so sorry. She asked me not to call you, and…” My voice cracks. “I was trying to respect her wishes.”
Aunt Lorraine rubs a palm up and down my back.
“I know, sweet girl. I don’t blame you at all.
I blame my dang mule-headed sister.” That makes us both laugh through our grief, and she steps back, swiping away a rogue tear from my cheek with her thumb.
“Enough of that. Tonight is about celebrating your new job.”
Once dinner is ready, we sit at her small table and eat. “When do you start working?” my aunt asks.
“I start at the bakery tomorrow, but I don’t start at Hale until September first. That gives me a few weeks to find an apartment closer to work.
” I dip my bread into the savory sauce and take a bite.
“Also, I’m headed down to Galveston tomorrow at five because I need to get the rest of my stuff from Roger’s house.
Well, what’s left since he pitched a little hissy fit and burned most of my clothes. ”
Aunt Lorraine shakes her head. “I still cannot believe he did that.”
“At least I got there in time to save two of my suits and a few other things. What really pissed me off was the Louis Vuitton purse he bought me for Christmas. My hand sanitizer leaked inside, so I had just cleaned it and was temporarily using my old purse while it dried. Otherwise I would have had the Louis with me.”
She stabs her chicken with more force than necessary. “I’ve never heard of such childish behavior in my life,” she snaps. “And I’m a nanny, for Pete’s sake. I’m glad you’re rid of that ass.”
I cover my smile with my napkin because Aunt Lorraine only curses when she’s extremely mad.
“I picked up a few casual clothes at Target, and I’ll buy some new work clothes after I get my first paycheck.
I had my lawyer send Twatface the bill for all that as well as a letter that he’s going to have to pay for anything he destroys, so I’m sure that will deter him from starting any more bonfires with my things.
” I swirl the red wine in my glass and take a long drink.
“I’m really anxious to get my salt and pepper shaker collection. I miss looking at them.”
“Oh, that reminds me,” Aunt Lorraine says, standing and setting her napkin beside her plate. “I got you a little congratulatory gift.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” I admonish as she returns a moment later with a leopard print gift bag. I remove the hot-pink tissue paper to find two rectangular boxes. As soon as I pull them out, I burst into laughter. “Oh my god, I love these!”
Each box holds a set of salt and pepper shakers, one with Dorothy and Sophia and the other with Rose and Blanche.
“You remember we used to watch The Golden Girls when you would have sleepovers at my house?” she asks.
I nod, my hand covering my mouth as I stare at my new treasures. “I remember. Thank you so much, Aunt Lorraine. These are going front and center once I get my collection set up at my new place.”
“Where are they now? I didn’t see them that time I visited your house in Galveston. I would have expected them to be in that pretty curio cabinet you had in your living room.”
“That’s where they used to be. Then I came home one day about a year ago, and they had all been moved into the spare room closet.
Apparently, Rose thought they looked cluttered.
” I massage my temple with two fingertips.
“Roger acted like he’d done me some big favor by building some shelves in the closet, but I can see now that it was just one more example of disrespect toward me. ”
My aunt smiles and pats my hand. “Pretty soon you’ll have your very own place and you can do whatever the hell you want.”
My brain goes to a dreamy place. I’m imagining a small one-bedroom apartment with hardwood floors and a beautiful kitchen. Maybe even a clawfoot tub I can soak in after work. And it will be mine. All mine.
I can’t wait.