Chapter Six #2
Shaking her head in amusement, Rachel watched Lisa top off her glass. Her stress level was still pretty high, but somehow she felt lighter. Sipping her drink, she eyed Lottie. “I’m not entirely sure ‘kneecapping’ Cal at Alex’s wedding would have improved the situation I find myself in.”
“It would make me feel better at least,” Lottie answered.
“I must say,” Lisa mused. “He may have the personality of a wet rag, but damn, does he look good in a suit.”
Lottie sat up straighter. “Really?”
Lisa quickly nodded her head. “Really.”
Lottie whipped around to stare at Rachel. “Are you holding out on me?”
“No,” Rachel replied. “I mean… No. Not really.”
“Oh, now you’re in it,” Lisa said.
“Fine,” she replied. “I may have noticed he’s an attractive man. Wavy brown hair, cut a little shorter on the sides. Emerald-green eyes with the longest lashes. Athletic build, probably a swimmer, if I had a guess. Square jaw and a face set in a permanent scowl.”
She didn’t miss the look Lisa and Lottie shared. It may have been true that she not only noticed but memorized some of Cal’s finer physical attributes. She felt her face redden. She shouldn’t be reacting like that to a guy who was that annoying.
“Listen,” Rachel said. “I know from experience. Attractive, cocky men with their condescending attitudes are trouble. Best to just cut to the chase and avoid interacting with them at all. They aren’t worth the time.”
Lisa’s forehead furrowed. She was about to respond, but Lottie jumped in.
“What did you say his last name was again?” Lottie said, a curious tilt to her head.
“Fitzgerald. Why?”
“Cal Fitzgerald,” Lottie murmured. “I think I might know him.”
“What?” Rachel pressed.
“Well, not really, but it’s possible I may have gone to the same high school. I just remember a guy there who was on the swim team. That’s what made me think of him. I could swear his name was Cal Fitzgerald. He was a few years ahead of me.”
“What are the odds?” Lisa asked.
“Yeah, it’s probably not him,” Lottie said. “Although he was a splendid swimmer, if I recall. Intense and focused. He wasn’t friendly, nor was he mean. Just serious. He always had a scowl on his face. He never looked happy. But you’re right. Probably not the same guy.”
Lisa and Rachel made eye contact before saying together, “Yeah. Same guy.”
Lottie laughed, “Well, if it is, you really have an uphill battle. Girls were always trying to get his attention. They made him his favorite snacks on game days and all that. Nothing they tried seemed to work.”
“So, you’re saying she shouldn’t make him cookies,” Lisa asked with a smirk.
“Hey, she can try it. It’s not unheard of using food as flirtation. Riiight?” Lottie drawled.
Lisa rolled her eyes and stood up. “I’m going to get the burgers so I can get them on the grill.”
As Lisa left, Rachel raised her eyebrows. Lottie smiled and explained, “Jake at The Blueberry Muffin has been raising the stakes.”
“Oh? Really? Do tell.”
“He’s now expanded his signature coffee drinks menu and, wouldn’t you know it, they’re all Lisa’s favorites.”
“Oh my goodness.” Rachel melted, her hand dropping over her heart. “That is the cutest, most romantic thing ever.”
“I know, right?” Lottie squealed. “But don’t let Lisa hear you say that.”
For the past year, Jake, the chef at their local café, had been waging a food flirtation with Lisa, much to the entertainment of Lisa’s friends.
It had started with the odd breakfast special or two, then with new menu additions as Jake found out Lisa’s favorite foods.
The two often got in arguments over recipes and cooking best practices.
As a passionate home cook, Lisa enjoyed challenging him on ingredients and techniques.
Rachel knew Lottie was right. It was food flirtation of the highest order.
The friends knew Lisa was secretly attracted to the talented and genuinely nice guy, but she refused to acknowledge it, mostly. Rachel hoped Jake had abundant patience. Winning Lisa’s heart would be a marathon, not a sprint.
The woman in question came back out with the burgers, so Lottie and Rachel dropped the subject. Neither wanted to chance ticking off Lisa and risk the opportunity to have some of her great cooking.
“So what’s your plan for dealing with Cal… or is it Alaric?” Lottie asked. “What are we calling this guy?”
“Cal,” Rachel responded. “Not that I intend to kowtow to him, but he seems to have a clear preference for Cal over Alaric. As for what my plan is, I don’t know. Given all the red flags his behavior sets off, I’m not sure what my best course of action is right now.”
“I don’t understand,” Lottie said. “What kind of red flags are you seeing? You don’t think you’d be in physical danger from him, do you?” she asked hesitantly.
Rachel exhaled loudly. “No. I don’t think so…” Lisa was at the grill, but Rachel was aware her friend heard every word. Looking over at Rachel, Lisa raised a brow.
“I know,” Rachel said, causing Lottie to look back and forth between them. “I’m equating his behavior to Chris’ and that’s not fair.”
Seeing Lottie’s confusion, she blew out another breath. “My sister Jess was involved with a guy who became abusive.”
“Oh Rachel.” Lottie reached over and covered her hand with her own. “I’m so sorry. Is she away from him?”
“Yes. Yes, she is. She’s safe now. Thankfully.” Rachel’s gut churned once again, thinking of all her sister had suffered and how oblivious Rachel had been about the whole situation.
“You needn’t tell me, Rachel,” Lottie whispered.
“No. I feel like I should talk about it because this whole thing is bringing up all sorts of emotions, and I have no idea how to sort it all out. And,” she caught Lisa’s eye. “I think it’s time I told the complete story.”
“Whatever you need,” Lottie replied. “We’re here for you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that,” Rachel replied, sipping her drink.
It was time to rip off the band-aid and let all the ugliness be seen.
“When Jess started dating Chris, I was finishing up high school and then off to college.
I spent little time around him, but he seemed like a great guy.
Sure, a little egoistical but nothing terrible.
I was happy for her. She looked like she truly cared for him.
“I was in sophomore year in college when I realized things weren’t as nice as they seemed.
Jess and Chris had been dating for several years, and I was so wrapped up in my life and college and everything, I didn’t think about her that much.
” The guilt over how self-absorbed she’d been settled deep in her chest like a hundred-pound weight.
“I’d come home for the weekend and wanted to borrow something from Jess—a sweater for a party or something—so I drove over to her apartment. I knocked, and I remember thinking that it was taking her forever to answer.
When she cracked the door open, her face was pale and sweaty. Her eyes were all puffy and swollen, and her lip was cut. The dried blood in the corner of her mouth seemed so bright against her skin.
“I didn’t understand what I was seeing. I thought maybe she’d had a car accident. She said she was too sick to see me, but I pushed open the door, anyway. And my vibrant, funny, and amazing older sister moved like an old woman. Hunched over, she shuffled to the kitchen table and sat down.”
Rachel blinked back the tears threatening to swamp her.
If she started crying now, she knew she wouldn’t stop.
“The moment I saw the bruises on her wrist and arms, I knew. You could see where he’d held her so hard that he left finger-shaped bruises.
I can only guess at the other bruises on her body.
“I told her she had to leave him. Move back in with Mom and Dad so she’d be safe. I wanted her to leave. Right then. Right that moment. I was halfway down the hall, intent on throwing her clothes in a suitcase and driving her home with me, when she told me to stop.
“She said she wasn’t leaving him. It was an accident, and he didn’t mean it.” Rachel squeezed her eyes closed, wishing for all she was worth, that she’d done so many things differently that afternoon.
“We argued. Pretty furiously actually. I couldn’t fathom why she was defending him. I handled things badly. Almost accusing her of being an idiot to stay there and take that sort of treatment.”
Opening her eyes, she sighed. “Jess threw me out. Screamed at me that she never wanted to see me again. We said… we said horrible things to each other.” A tear escaped and rolled down her face. Wiping it away, she cleared her throat.
“After that, things got worse. I thought once we’d both cooled down, we would make up, and I could get her to leave him.
But Chris used what happened to isolate her more.
Not long after, they moved out of Connecticut.
She never even told us. She and I didn’t talk, and she had sporadic communication with our parents. ”
By now, Lisa had taken the burgers off the grill, covering them in tinfoil before resuming her seat at the table. “I didn’t know it had gotten that bad,” Lisa said. “You said she’d been in an abusive relationship, but I didn’t realize.”
“I rarely get into it with people,” Rachel explained.
“It’s just that my sister’s ex, Chris… He was full of himself and condescending, but he was so charming and seemed so nice.
When they started dating, I told my sister she was lucky to have him in her life,” she laughed bitterly.
“Some luck. He methodically dismantled my sister and tore my family apart.”
“But you said she’s safe now. He’s out of her life, right?” Lottie asked quietly.
“Right,” Rachel replied. “The car accident that killed our parents changed things, and Jess started to distance herself from him. He’s in jail now, so she has some space to breathe.”