16. Liannas News
16
LIANNA'S NEWS
Mara
As I walked upstairs to my apartment that evening, I was still in a state of stunned euphoria. I had a real date with Ford. My anticipation shoved the sale of Stel-Wood from the forefront of my mind.
Stel-Wood was my past. I needed to focus on the here and now.
This was my life, and it was a good one. I had a great store, my family lived nearby, I had an amazing group of friends, and I’d just agreed to a first date with an amazing man. Life was good. All I had to do was keep reminding myself of that fact instead of dwelling on the past, and I’d be fine.
My book club would be here shortly. As I lit the candles on my dining table, my first guest knocked.
Zephyr let out a yip of delight.
“Zephyr, sit.” I shoved the lighter into a drawer, glancing over my shoulder at him.
He ignored me and scampered ahead of me as I crossed the hardwood floor. He danced with excitement as he stared up at the doorknob, overjoyed at the prospect of having a visitor.
“Zephyr, sit,” I repeated more forcefully.
He continued to ignore me, wriggling with anticipation.
I sighed and scooped up the fur ball. I tucked him under one arm like a warm, furry, football. He gave my cheek a lick before turning his attention back to the door. The dog literally vibrated with excitement.
I opened my door to Courtney, still in her black business dress. She must have come straight from work.
“Hi, sweetie.” I gave her a one-armed hug as Zephyr tried to sneak in a quick lick to Courtney’s ear.
“Thanks for leaving the downstairs entrance unlocked.” Courtney set her purse on the hall table.
“No problem. It saves me from buzzing each person in.” I closed the door and set Zephyr down. He immediately sat—finally—and squirmed as he stared up at Courtney. “I think he wants you to pet him.”
“He’s so sweet.” Courtney crouched down and scratched the little beggar behind one of his enormous ears. His eyes closed in bliss.
“Only when he gets his way. The bossy little monster likes to be in charge.”
At another knock, Zephyr immediately looked up at me with those bright black eyes, gave a short bark that I interpreted as “answer that!”
“See what I mean?” I pulled the door open.
Scarlet strolled in wearing white capris and a red summer top with spaghetti straps.
My timer went off and I headed toward the kitchen. “I just need to pull the appetizers out of the oven.”
Scarlet followed me. “Smells good. What is it?”
“Mini-quiches from Costco. I knew I’d be short on time, so I picked some up yesterday while I was stocking up on supplies for the store.”
Courtney walked in with Zephyr in her arms, grinning as he licked her ear. “He’s quite the lover, today.”
“That dog has a freaky ear fetish.” I gave him a stern look that he completely ignored as he continued to give Courtney’s ear a tongue-bath. Gross.
“Can I help?” Scarlet offered.
“Sure. You can put these on that serving plate.” I indicated the multicolored glass plate next to me.
“This is gorgeous,” she commented, turning it over and letting the light dance across the green, orange, and red surface.
“Thanks. I picked it up at an art show in Boston when I lived there. Back when I had money to spend on things like that.”
“You work so hard,” Scarlet said. “Your store is bound to start turning a profit soon.”
A pang of longing mixed with regret pierced me. I’d worked just as hard at my other job—the one that would have made me a millionaire if I’d stuck with it. I shoved that thought aside as I opened a package of frozen spanakopita appetizers while Scarlet wrapped one of my aprons around her waist. “Not hard enough, apparently. I hope you’re right about the store though.” It had to, or I was in big trouble.
I glanced over my shoulder and found Courtney still loving on Zephyr. “Why are you so dressed up today?” I asked her.
“I had to present our findings to our board of directors,” Courtney said. “I’m not sure which is more important to them—content or style. Whenever we meet, I need to make sure I wow them.”
Scarlet clipped a sprig of basil from the plant over my sink and added it to the plate of appetizers. Nice touch.
“Lianna texted me she’s on the fence about coming tonight,” Courtney said.
“I bet she didn’t finish reading the book again and doesn’t want to face me,” Scarlet said. “I told her I’d give her a hard time if she couldn’t. It isn’t even all that long.”
“I hope that’s not it,” I said. “I even picked Watchmen so she could watch the movie in a pinch.”
Courtney’s face tightened. “That isn’t the problem. She’s going through a rough time.”
Both Scarlet and I stopped what we were doing and swiveled to face Courtney. “What’s wrong?” Scarlet asked. “Did something happen?”
Courtney gave an angry huff. “Yep.”
Another knock sounded on the front door, and I called out, “Come on in,” without taking my eyes off Courtney, but she didn’t say anything else.
“We’re here,” Rose called out.
A moment later, she and Gertrude stood in the doorway of my small kitchen, but I kept my attention focused on Courtney. “Spill. What happened?”
“She might still come.” Courtney crouched down to give Zephyr another scratch behind his ear as she avoided meeting my eyes. “I think she wants to tell everyone herself.”
At Rose’s confused expression, I murmured, “Lianna.”
“What’s going on with Lianna?” Rose asked.
The room fell silent as we all exchanged worried glances.
Courtney poured herself some water. “So, Mara… has Doug bothered you again?”
My chest tightened, and I scowled at her, annoyed to be used as a distraction. “I haven’t seen him since the night he showed up at my shop.” Between Destiny announcing the sale of Stel-Wood and my upcoming date with Ford, I’d completely forgotten about Doug.
“Smart of him to stay away.” Scarlet set the plate of mini-quiches on my round copper-topped table in the adjoining dining room. “The police are keeping an eye out for him. If he comes into town, they’ll arrest him on that bench warrant.”
My tension eased a bit. “That’s on him since he should have paid his tickets. I’m not sure how I feel about the situation being used as some sort of punishment to keep him away from me though. It isn’t as if he’s ever actually done anything to hurt me. He’s just a jerk.”
Scarlet’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “It really worries me that he showed up at your store at closing time.”
“Doug isn’t dangerous. Just obnoxious.” I grabbed the wine bottles and headed for the dining room.
Scarlet sidled to one side to let me squeeze by and ended up colliding with Courtney. “Sorry,” she said. “You’re probably right, but I’m not taking any chances. Unless he pays off those unpaid tickets, he’ll be arrested the next time he sets foot in my town.”
After I pulled the corks from a bottle of red and a bottle of white, I turned to reenter the kitchen only to find my path blocked once again. “It’s getting crowded in here,” I said as I squeezed past Rose. “Why don’t you all pour yourselves some wine and head to the living room?”
At a sharp knock on the front door, I hurried to open it and came face-to-face with Lianna.
Even if I hadn’t already known there was a problem, Lianna’s drawn expression and wrinkled clothes would have told me something was seriously wrong. I’d never once seen her wear an oversized t-shirt and leggings to one of our book club meetings. The woman was always completely put together.
Not today.
I immediately swept her into a hug.
At first, Lianna kept her back ramrod straight, but a moment later, she melted in my arms. “You heard?” Her chest caved against me as she spoke.
“Not any details, but I know you’re having trouble.”
Lianna let out a bitter snort. “Trouble? That’s putting it lightly.”
I pulled back and locked gazes with her. “What happened?”
“It’s Paul.” Lianna’s chin quivered. When she turned toward the living room and found everyone watching her, she gathered herself and lifted her chin.
“I came home early the other night to make that sushi dinner for him. It was supposed to be a surprise.” Lianna let out a harsh bark of laughter. “It turns out I’m the one who was surprised. He’d taken an earlier flight home and was in bed. With a woman.”
We gaped at her.
“That rat fink son of a runt.” Gertrude’s words cracked through the silent room like a whip snap. “Where does he get off treating you that way?”
Lianna’s face crumpled, and her chin began to tremble.
Scarlet pulled her into the living room where she pointed to a chair. “Sit. I’ll get you some wine.”
Lianna collapsed onto the comfy red wingback. That chair had seen me through more than one rough night. It enveloped whoever sat in it, like a hug.
“You caught him in the act?” Rose’s voice trembled, along with her wine glass. “Did he see you too?” She took a deep gulp of wine.
Lianna let out a sharp bark of laughter that sounded too much like a sob. “Oh, yeah, he saw me. He moved off her so fast the woman he was on top of squealed in shock even before she saw me standing in the doorway.” Lianna shook her head in disgust. “When she finally spotted me, she said, ‘What’s she doing here? You said you were getting a divorce!’”
Scarlet’s mouth dropped open before snapping closed with a click. “Oh. My. God. Paul is a complete lowlife.”
Rose’s nostrils flared. “What are you going to do? What can we do to help?”
Lianna bit at the corner of one of her nails. “I don’t know yet. I’m still in shock. He screwed another woman in our bed! I can’t stop wondering how many times he’s done it before. I haven’t spoken to him since—I can’t. I’m too angry. How long has this been going on? How can I ever trust anything he says? How could he betray me on such a fundamental level?”
Gertrude looked defiant. “Kick the jerk to the curb. You’re young. There’s no reason to stick with someone who lies. Especially since he’s never around.”
Rose frowned. “He’s a jerk, yes, but you two seemed perfect together. Does it make sense to throw it all away and uproot your life?”
Courtney scowled. “She isn’t the one throwing anything away. That was all him.”
Rose held up her hands. “I agree entirely. I’m just trying to make sense of the fact that the idiot didn’t appreciate how great he had it. Seriously, Lianna... You’re amazing. Kind. Gorgeous. Successful. What’s wrong with him?”
Lianna held up her hands to quiet us. “There’s nothing he can say that can explain this away. I guess we’ll have to talk at some point, but I’m too pissed right now. If he were to walk in that door right now, I’d lose it.”
“I’d want to even the score,” Rose said.
Lianna shook her head. “How, though? Sleep with someone? That isn’t my style. Besides, Paul would probably roll with it and say we were even. I don’t want to live that way. Tit for tat. I can’t.” Her lower lip trembled. “I want to be with someone I can trust, not someone I need to keep score with.”
Love. Sex. Relationships. Marriage. That part of life was full of risk. Scary stuff. Was the good part worth it? This was exactly the sort of thing I could be letting myself in for if I started dating again—but with the right person, it was worth it.
Wasn’t it?
Lianna tipped back her head and drained her wine glass. “I really want to take my mind off this. It’s been consuming me.”
Scarlet plucked Lianna’s empty glass from her hand. “One break, coming up.” She poured more wine and handed it back, then turned to face everyone else. “Why don’t we all talk about the book? Did everyone finish reading Watchmen ?”
Lianna let out a snort. “Not me. Like that’s news to anyone.”
“This time you have an excellent reason.” Scarlet sounded like a mother soothing an overwrought child.
“It’s still sitting on the nightstand next to my bed.” Lianna’s face darkened. “I completely forgot I’d left it there until an hour ago.”
“Whether you leave him or stay, you’ll need to burn that mattress,” Courtney muttered.
“I’ll host a bonfire,” Lianna said, her tone flat. “Roast marshmallows. Make it a party.”
My mouth twitched at the dark humor, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to laugh or cry.
Scarlet set the wine bottle on the end table next to Lianna and then claimed a spot on the sofa. “What did everyone think of it?”
Lianna cleared her throat. “I liked what I read of it,” she said, her voice stronger now. “The story was more complex and darker than I’d expected. It wasn’t for kids, that’s for sure.”
“No happy ending,” I said. “No heroic characters. They were all deeply flawed, but they kept trying.”
Scarlet’s eyebrows drew together. “All the characters seemed frenetic. As if they were trying too hard—especially considering how everything ended.”
Lianna let out a groan of irritation and glanced up at the ceiling. “I really want to finish this one. Maybe I should plug my ears while you talk about it.”
“You aren’t living at your house!” Gertrude interjected in a startled tone, as if suddenly coming to this realization. “Where on Earth are you staying?”
I froze. Why hadn’t the rest of us asked that question?
“I’m at a hotel on Neville Island. I left with nothing but the clothes on my back and the gym bag in my car. Thank God I had a toothbrush and deodorant in there. I had to go Target the next morning before I could go to work. The last thing I wanted was to show up in the same outfit two days in a row and have someone ask about it.”
“I’ll stop by your place tomorrow and pack a bag for you,” Rose offered.
“Thanks, Rose,” Lianna said. “That would really help.”
“I’m sorry if I sounded like I was defending Paul earlier.” Rose winced. “That isn’t where I was coming from. You know I was in the foster system. I have an almost pathological resistance to moving or changing homes. The idea that your entire life imploded when you walked into your bedroom freaked me out. All I could think about was how you could hold onto what you had.”
“I get it,” Lianna said gently. “Don’t worry. I didn’t feel like you were defending him.”
“You’re going to move into my carriage house,” Gertrude announced, her tone as crisp and authoritative as a drill sergeant. “It’s furnished and set up as an apartment. I just renovated it a year ago. You can stay as long as you like.”
Lianna’s mouth fell open before snapping shut. “That’s so generous,” she said. “Are you sure? I don’t want to impose.”
Gertrude waved her hand dismissively. “It’s no imposition. Someone might as well use it.”
“You have to let me pay you something. I insist.”
“You can cook, right?” Gertrude said. “If you insist on some sort of payment, then invite me over for a home-cooked meal once a week. We’ll call it even.”
Lianna’s eyes welled with tears. “It’s a deal,” she managed to croak out.
“Perfect. It’s settled,” Gertrude said, folding her arms. She turned her gaze on me. “Did you prepare questions for us?”
My hands a little shaky, I picked up my list of Watchmen questions. We all needed to process this news. It was hard to come up with the enthusiasm I’d had when I’d written them down, but I knew, deep in my gut, that this was the sort of break we all needed.
I forced a cheerful tone as I said, “Get comfortable, everyone. This should be fun.” At least, I hoped it would. I glanced down the list. “Let’s start with this one. What did you think of the social dynamics and the abuses of power in the book? Did the characters behave in heroic ways, or were they antiheroes?”
“Ooh. Excellent question.” Rose gave a little bounce of excitement. “I loved how real and complex the characters were. Rorschach was a real mess, wasn’t he? He was such a rigid thinker. He tried to protect things that were good and pure, but he went about it in despicable ways by killing the bad guys without feeling a shred of sympathy for them.”
“That Doctor Manhattan character was utterly lacking in compassion,” Lianna said. “He had real superpowers, but he was completely inhuman compared to the others. I think he scared me the most, but honestly, I wouldn’t want to meet any of them in real life. They were all pretty messed up.”
Over the next hour, we finished off all the wine and most of the food I’d set out. Since this was the first time I’d ever hosted, I was surprised by the amount of alcohol we’d consumed.
Mental note for next time I host—buy more wine.
“You know, that was one of the most stimulating conversations we’ve had about a book in a while.” Scarlet sounded genuinely surprised.
“I thoroughly enjoyed it,” Gertrude said. “It’s exciting to discover an entirely new form of entertainment at my age. Last month I rediscovered romance novels, and this month it’s graphic novels. I’m loving this book club. Do you have any other graphic novels you can recommend?”
A sense of validation settled over me, a reminder that my choices—despite everything—had meaning. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear you say that. I’m surprised, though. I didn’t think you’d embrace them so readily.”
“Don’t underestimate me.” The delight in Gertrude’s eyes softened the sharpness of her tone. “Now, tell me which ones to read next. Maybe something a bit more female-focused? I’m feeling empowered.”
Growing satisfaction filled me. This was exactly what I’d needed to hear right now. I’d poured my heart into Ghost of a Chance, and knowing its existence had influenced Gertrude and the others was its own vindication. “Try the Alias Investigation series. It’s about a woman named Jessica Jones. Based on how much you liked Watchmen and its themes, I think you’ll enjoy it. You also might like Faith.” That was the second time I’d recommended that graphic novel in the past few days.
Gertrude squeezed my forearm. “I’ll stop by and pick them up tomorrow. You’re a real peach, Mara. I hope you know that. Your parents must be so proud of you.”
My chest tightened as my dad's words echoed back, sharp as ever. “ If they had an Olympic event in screwing up, you’d take the gold .”
I lifted my chin, forcing his words away. He was wrong. My choices were mine to make, and they were right—even if he'd never understand."