“Cool it both of you or I am getting the hose,” Helen said. “Talk to Dad about it and don’t come to the house until you can be civil.” Then she guided Suzie up to the cabin.
They sat on the deck and Helen brought Suzie a hot drink (spiked with rum) and sat down beside her. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No,” Suzie said. “You’ll think I am horrible.”
“Not likely. In fact it has happened before,” Helen said, her voice calm and steady.
“What?”
“Yep, the oldest boys had a very similar fight over Melissa.” Helen said with a laugh. “Boys will be boys.”
“Jason’s wife?” Suzie asked.
“Yes, she dated Jeremy first.” Helen told Suzie who asked how that worked out. Helen spoke of soul mates and said that she knew all her boys would find who they were meant to be with. She then explained that she had guessed the truth from Jeff’s behavior and painting and had already discussed it with him. “It will all work out dear.”
Suzie was uncertain but was relieved she did not have to lie anymore. Helen encouraged her to be honest about her feelings but Suzie did not know if she could. She knew how to be with Jared and it matched her job and life, it fit. But Jeff, he made her feel things she thought were fiction. She desired him and felt breathless thinking about not being with him. There were no easy answers.
After what seemed like forever Jared walked up the yard toward her. He sat down across from her and did not look at her or touch her. “I should have seen it. But I was too busy trying to make you who I wanted you to be. I see now you and I will not work out. We want different things. So let’s try to be friends okay?”
“You’re breaking up with me?” Suzie asked, tears in her eyes.
“Yes. I cannot pretend you are something you are not,” he said sadly and then walked away.
Suzie sat on the deck swing and rocked, feeling more alone than ever. Helen had come to check on her and informed Suzie that Jared had left and they would make sure she had a ride back home. A long time passed and the place was silent. Jeff joined her on the deck when the cabin went dark.
“I thought you would come to me,” he spoke quietly, putting his hand on her shoulder.
“I didn’t know what you wanted,” Suzie replied.
“I want to paint you,” Jeff said and he scooped her up and brought her to the studio. “Now be with me.”
Billionaire Brother’s
NATASHA
The nameplate on her desk read Delores Morris. I wondered what kind of parents would name their kid Delores Morris. It sounded like a character from a children’s book that was a bull frog or maybe a mule. Or maybe it was more like a brand of cookies from the Depression Era. Delores Morris Ginger Snaps.
Either way, Miss Delores Morris had called me to come to the Human Resource office over fifteen minutes ago and I was still sitting here waiting. I knew what was coming. You didn’t get called to the Human Resource office just before noon on a Friday to be told you’re getting a promotion.
Looking around the office, I decided that Delores Morris was making me wait on purpose. I looked at my watch and saw the little hand was on the twelve and the big hand was on the one. It was officially after noon. I had been sitting here in the morning until it turned afternoon.
Eyeballing the candy dish full of Tootsie-Rolls on Delores Morris’s desk I shifted in my seat and looked behind me out of the office door. Holding my breath, I didn’t hear anything. So, I reached up and grabbed a handful, shoving the little morsels in my blazer pocket along with my house keys and a pen. Figuring I might walk lopsided if I didn’t even things out, I grabbed another handful and stuffed my other pocket. There were now only four lonely little Tootsie-Rolls in the bowl.
Anyone with such a name as Delores Morris had to have another bag of candy around in her desk. Probably more.
What would she do if she saw me sitting here with the bag in my lap, unwrapping one after the other while she delivered the news.
“Are those mine, Miss Morgan?” she’d ask.
“What, these? No. I had them in my pocket. They’re mine.” She’d see her almost empty candy dish, yank open the drawer only to find it bare of more Tootsie-Rolls.
“Yup. Picked them up this morning.” I’d say as I ate another one, really smacking away as I chewed. I smiled to myself. That would be funny. If only I were brave enough to actually do it.
“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting, Natasha.” Said a hurried Delores without shutting the door behind her. She was a full-figured woman who wore her hair shaved close to the head in a style very few women could get away with. But she had a perfectly round head so it did look good on her. Her nails were squared and acrylic and made a pleasant clacking noise as she shuffled some papers on her desk and made room for herself.
“Natasha, we’ve had to make a difficult decision…”
Natasha? I had never met this woman and yet she was calling me by my first name. Perhaps she wouldn’t mind if I called her Dory.