Authors: Kitty Margo
Midsummer's Eve (19 page)
Finally at 9:00, I soaked in a steaming tub
of water
and then rubbed Japanese Cherry Blossom Body Lotion from Bath and Body Works over every inch of skin. I placed candles throu
ghout the bedroom, popped Adele
into the CD player and slipped into the new teddy I had bought for my Valentine. Everything was perfect. Now came the interminable waiting.
Finally, at long last, I would be allowed to open the jewelry box and see which setting
he had chosen for my brilliant
diamond. I did so hope he had asked for
a few
suggestions from the sales lady.
T
he phone rang and I knew
the girls had
finally found time in their busy schedules to talk to me.
Mallory
and
Tammy
were positive that it was an engagement ring and were
already discussing color schemes
for their bridesmaid dresses
. Teri insisted that if it were
indeed a ring, it would be a toe ring.
In my heart I was convinced it was an engagement ring, and after tonight I would be
Adam
’
s betrothed
. I practiced the word several
times and just hearing
fiancé roll off my tongue sent a th
rill racing through me. I would
without
doubt
tie up Ma Bell for days as I called family and friends to inform them of our engagement.
Who knew, we might even set the wedding date tonight and then I could spend every waking minute planning for the big event. I would suggest June. I love June weddings. First I would need to call m
y son so he could request
time
off
to walk me down the aisle. Oh! So much to do!
I pulled my old robe over the teddy, anxious to see
Adam
’
s surprise when I let it drop during the little strip tease I had
rehearsed after
watching
Striptease
three tim
es
. I could hardly wait! This was going to be a night that neither of us would ever forget, and the night that relocated the illustrious Chia to the back of his mind forever.
I was sitting on the couch, watching the clock and tapping my hig
h heels impatiently on my
polished wood floor when the phone rang at 10:58. It was Justin who unexpectedly
burst forth with, “
Chia got a dozen red roses deliv
ered to her at the plant today.
”
“Who were they from?”
I asked, elated that she had received flowers and was hopefully moving on with her life. “Eric?” Maybe she and Eric we
re fast becoming an item. “
I imagine she was quite giddy.”
“She was giddy all right
, Eve
.”
Nine
I
’ll just bet she was.
“Was she rambling on and on about Eric’s finer attributes?” I giggled.
“The roses weren’
t from Eric
.”
“Well, since the girl seems to have
any number of admirers,” I mumbled
around
the
rising hysteria
that was suddenly choking the life from me, “
I rea
lly couldn’
t begin to guess who they were from.”
“
Eve
, you know exactly who they were from!” he insisted harshly, seemingly unwilling to g
o along with my
what y
ou don’t know can keep you sane
philosophy.
No, I
most certainly did not know whom
the flower
s were from! Although
I did know
they weren’
t from
Adam
, as Justin seemed to be so callously insinuating.
I should just hang up
on him
. The nerve!
Adam
wouldn’
t send Chia roses!
He couldn’
t have!
Not when he was about to propose to me.
“
What makes you think they we
re from
Adam
?”
I strangled
on the words, furi
ous with him for even alluding to
such an insane notion
. He was way off base on this one! The roses were probably from Eric. After all, a 15 should be deserving of a dozen roses at the very least. But then again, who knew how many other men Chia was currently carrying on illicit affairs with? The floral arrangement could be from any number of devoted admirers.
“
They were from
Adam
.
”
The way he said this
left no doubt. “Chia told my girlfriend Alicia.”
I crumbled where I sat as Justin continued with his torturous tale of treason.
“
Alicia said Chia had ended it with
Adam
and had been seeing this other guy for awhile. Some young stud she was absolutely crazy about.”
Eric.
“Then
yesterday at lunch this guy just up and dumps her
. She told Alicia that she wasn’t about to spend Valentine’
s Day alone, so she called
Adam
. Can you believe she told him she loved him just so he wou
ld get her a gift for Valentine’
s
Day? Is he really that gullible
?”
“Yes,”
I whispered around rising panic.
“
She was also bragging to Alicia about how she had him wrapped around her little finger. And ge
t this! During break he took Chia
out to his car and showed her a package from a jewelry store. Alicia said she was jumping up and down hugging and kissing him and trying to persuade him to let her see what was inside. He told her she could open the package tonight. W
hen they went
back to her place.”
When they went
back to her place?
He wasn’
t going to her place!
He was coming here.
This couldn’
t be happening!
Again!
O
n Valentine's Day!
Something from a jewelry store?
For Chia?
“Thanks for calling, Justin,”
I mumbled, suppressing
the overwhelming urge to slit my wrist in an effort to avoid the head on collision with hell that I knew was fast approaching.
“
No problem.
I just thought you should know.”
I would wait to see what
Adam
had to say when he arrived at
my house after work,
before I jumped to
irrational conclusions. Thi
s could all be
nothing more than a huge misunderstand
ing. He had already promised
that he was coming over tonight and that I would be allowed to open the little box that was safely tucked away in the tru
nk of his car. It was Valentine’
s Day
for crying out loud
.
Adam
wouldn’
t lie to me about something so important, on this of all days. No, Justin was wrong. Alicia was wrong. Chia was lying.
Adam
loved me and would be here shortly to ask me to be his wife and slip a sparkling token of his undying love on my finger.
Striv
ing to make since
of Justin’
s sickening lies and
utter nonsense, I called Eric. “
W
hat happened with you and Chia?”
“
I couldn’
t take it anymore,
Eve
.” He sounded as if he had decided to wash his hands of the entire situation. “That girl is crazy! All she wan
ted was sex.”
“And that was a problem?”
I attempted
to laugh while swiping at a torrent of scalding tears.
“
That
and the fact that she called
every five minutes to tell me how much she loved me and wanted to spend the rest of her life with me. And did
you know she has six kids?”
“
Yes, I thought I told you that.” I was becoming quite adept at fabrications myself. I should have heeded the Bible, especially the part where God says, “Vengeance is mine!”
“
No, you left that part out. Get this! She wanted me to take
her and her six kids to
Carowinds
this weekend. Aside from the fact that I have no desire to develop a relationship with her
children, there’
s no way I could afford
tickets for six kids and two adults!
Is she nuts?”
“Evidently.”
“
Then she came to my job yesterday and brought me a plate of rice and some kind of meat.”
“
When e
xactly did you end it with her, Eric?”
I whispered as my body began to shake
with uncontrollable spasms
.
“
Yesterday, when she brought me the plate of food. I lied and told her I
had met someone else and wouldn’
t be seeing her anymore. She started shouting
and spluttering words I couldn’
t begin to understand, so I walked back into the plant
before she could cause a scene.”
“
Okay,
Eric.
I’ll see you tomorrow.” I felt dazed and dizzy as my world once again began the oft-repeated process of collapsing around me.
“
Are you okay,
Eve
?”
“
Yeah, I’
m just tired.”
Of life!
Alicia had told Justin that Chia had been dumped yesterday at lunchti
me. Eric had verified
that. I could confirm
that
there was a package from a jewelry store in the trunk of his car. My package. Yesterday when I had called
Adam
for hours
,
he hadn’
t answered. Today, he had taken a beep and told me it was his moth
er. Lies
!
“
Bye,
Eve
.”
Feeling like I might be experiencing one of Sylvia
Browne’s out of body episodes,
I removed the high heels, went to the liquor cabinet and made a Bloody Mary minus the tomato juice.
Teri was spending Valentine
’
s Day with her husband.
Tammy
and
Mallory
were happily spending alone time with their current boyfriends. I cou
ld only wonder how my Valentine’
s Day would turn out. At 11:36 I received the much anticipated and dreaded answer, when
Adam
called from work.
“
Hey,
Eve
.”
I downed the glass of vodka and gasp
ed as my throat caught fire. “
Why are you still at work,
Adam
?”
“
I have to work over
tonight.
” He was talking fast, as if he only had a few minutes to waste with talking to me. “I rea
lly hate to, but we
are short
handed tonight.”
“
On Vale
ntine’
s Day,
Adam
!”
I shrieked as I felt a tightening in my chest and the threatening approach of a f
ull-blown panic attack. He wasn’
t working over tonight, anymore than he had all those nights he had lied about in the past.
H
ow could I have been so blind!
He was going to propose to Chia
!
T
onight!
And place my ring on her finger!
“
You aren’
t ev
en goin
g to see me?
O
n Valentine’
s Day,
Adam
?"
“I can’
t,
Eve
!
Didn’
t I just tell you I have to work over
tonight
? Besides,
it’
s just another day!
”
