Chapter 37


    VIOLA


    Lara is away from work for a long time. I run the business and keep her informed about the most


    important aspects only. I don’t trouble her with the day to day running of the business. She doesn’t


    need to know about it. James isn’t improving at all. He’s been moved home and Lara has had changes


    made to their room to amodate the care that he needs. It’s just too expensive to keep him at the


    hospital even though her business is doing well.


    Lara tells me multiple times that I’m a blessing for her and that she doesn’t know what she’d do without


    me. I tell her not to worry. I’m only too d to be able to help her.


    Rick and Imunicate via text message and phone calls mostly. It seems we’ve both agreed it’s best


    to stay away from each other. When we speak it’s purely business. There’s no small talk at all. Neither


    of us will open the door to any more opportunities for weakness. As the wedding nears though, there is


    onest meeting that I have to have with Rick. It can’t be avoided.


    I’ve started working from Lara’s office since I think it’s more practical. I canmunicate faster with her


    team and her secretary.


    Rick can only make it at seven in the evening. We nned to meet earlier but he has ast minute


    meeting with a client that dys him.


    I order pizza delivery because I’m hungry. I don’t know if he’s eaten but I order extra for him just in case


    he’s hungry. The wedding is just over a week away and this is the final meeting to confirm everything.


    I finish my pizza and go through my notes again. I want to keep the meeting as short as possible. I pour


    us each a cup of coffee. As I do so I don’t hear Rick enter the office. He approaches me from behind


    and speaks when he’s right behind me. I shriek in surprise and turn spilling the coffee all over his shirt


    and suit.


    It takes me a moment to recover and then Iy my hands on his shirt. I can feel his strong chest under


    it. The shirt is hot and I realize the coffee must have been scolding.


    “Oh God. I’m so sorry!” I exim. Lara’s office has a mini kitchen and I grab a cloth, wet it under the tap


    and then quickly start to wipe furiously at Rick’s shirt making it even more wet. The coffee stain lightens


    in color but the wet spot spreads as his shirt absorbs the water.


    “I’m so sorry,” I exim again. By now his shirt is mostly soaked through and I can see the dark


    patches of his nipples. That and his muscles outlined against his soaked shirt are making me weak.


    “It’s okay,” he says softly atst and covers my hand with his. It strikes me how small my hand is


    compared to his. I raise my eyes and meet his gaze. I’ve been avoiding it until now. And now it’s too


    late.


    My eyes search his. I don’t remember much except that I’m on my toes then kissing him. He doesn’t


    respond for a moment but then he reacts, and it’s not what I expected. He pushes me away. As he


    does so I hear a woman’s voice.


    “You fucking skank!”


    I look from Rick to the voice and I feel the blood drain from my face. It’s her. My worst enemy. Lara’s


    best friend. Christine. What is she doing here? The weddings supposed to be secret? My inner voice


    answers sarcastically, so you think because the weddings supposed to be secret you can kiss another


    woman’s man? You’ve really put your foot in it now.


    I think I must look like a ghost. That or I’m about to burst into me with shame.


    Christine approaches rapidly and ps me. Not once but twice, thrice…


    I bring my hands up to protect my face.


    “Who the hell do you think you are?” Christine shouts. “I always knew you were from the wrong side of


    the tracks. When I’m finished with you, you’ll be back there and you’ll never make it back to this side.


    Even if you do, I’ll see to it that you don’t drag your trash along with you. Now get out!”


    I drop my hands and look at her and then at Rick whose face is red.


    “Get out!” Christine shouts.


    I run and grab my bag and leave Lara’s office as fast as I can. It’s only when I’m in the elevator that I


    cry. I cringe and castigate myself. What the hell did you think you were doing? Fear rises in me and I


    feel sick. I know I’m done for. My career is finished. I have betrayed Lara’s trust and if she has to


    choose there’s no question about the choice she’s going to make. I want to vomit right there in the


    elevator. I wish I could back and fix what I did, take the moment back. I pull out my phone and unlock it.


    I think it’s better if I tell Lara myself. She doesn’t need to hear this, not with her problems. She trusted


    me and I betrayed it.


    I leave the building and call a cab. I get in the back seat and look up Lara’s number. I dial her number


    and wait anxiously for her to answer. She doesn’t answer.


    I start typing a message and then decide a voice message will be better.


    I record my message, Hi, Lara. I’m calling to tell you that I can’t work for you anymore. I’m sorry, I really


    just wanted to help you from the bottom of my heart and I’ve done my best but I have failed you and I’m


    sorry. When you find out from Christine, you’ll fire me anyway. I’m sorry. Truly, truly sorry. I’ll pack my


    things and leave your apartment. I’m sure I can leave the phone andptop in the apartment for your


    man to collect. I can drop the apartment keys back at the office tomorrow.


    I finish the message and send it. As I do a message pops up on my phone. It’s from Lara. I retrieve the


    voice message.


    Vi, I’ve just had a very disturbing phone call from Christine. I’m disappointed to say the least. I have


    no choice but to terminate your employment. Please return yourputer and phone to the office and


    leave the apartment. You can leave the keys to the apartment at the office as well.


    I send a message back to Lara. Okay. I’m sorry.


    That’s it. There’s nothing more to say or exin. I couldn’t expect any more or less. I look out the cab’s


    window and watch the city passing by. I feel as if I’m watching my dream dissolve and blow away on


    the wind. I had it all this time and I truly threw it away. I begin to cry silent tears. The cab ride seems to


    take forever.


    I think of all the times that the universe kept pushing me back into the path of Rick, as if we were meant


    to be together.


    Maybe I was wrong. Maybe it wasn’t that we were meant to be together. Maybe it’s because this


    industry isn’t for me. Maybe I don’t belong here and maybe it’s used Rick to throw me out again. I don’t


    know what I’ll do now. I can’t leave Los Angeles again. There is opportunity here. I’ll just have to find it.


    But that’s the least of my worries right now.


    I don’t receive any messages from Rick. Why would I? I guess he’s getting his ass chewed out by the


    bitch right now. She’s probably pissed that I was handling the wedding arrangements. She might even


    cancel the wedding altogether just because I was involved although I did nothing really. It was all done


    before I got involved. Well there’s nothing I can do about it if she wants to be a bitch.


    I arrive at Lara’s office the next morning. Sabrina, her secretary greets me.


    “She’s expecting you,” Sabrina says.


    I’m surprised. “She’s in?”


    Sabrina nods. I’m immediately filled with trepidation. I knock on Lara’s door and enter when she calls,


    “Come in.”


    She looks up when I enter and she stands and circles her desk. I stop and unshoulder the backpack


    with theputer. I open it and remove theputer. I ce it and the cellphone on the coffee table


    along with her apartment keys.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    “I’m sorry.” It’s all I can say. There’s no excuses and Lara’s got enough on her te without still having


    to listen to my schoolgirl exnations.


    She nods. “Thanks,” she says. “You did a great job. I’m sorry to see you go but I can’t condone what


    you did.”


    I nod and look down at my feet. “I understand. Thanks for everything you did for me. I wish you all the


    best and I’ll pray for James.”


    “Thanks,” Lara whispers. I know she’s about to cry and I don’t want to see it. I turn and walk back to the


    office door. “Vi,” she calls when I reach the door.


    I turn and face her.


    “Good luck,” she smiles.


    “Thanks,” I reply and then I leave her office. I say a quick goodbye to Sabrina and then I’m gone. I deal


    with my tears on the way down in the elevator.


    I called Amber the night before and gave her the news. I asked if I can crash at their ce again until I


    get on my feet. Amber and Dane are only too happy to be able to help. I’ll go there although I have no


    idea where to next.