The Jewel Box (29 page)

“What’s wrong, Beau?”

“I’m not going to bend your ear with my problems.”

“Then I’ll never yap about mine to you. Talk to me, please.”

Silence filled the airwaves and when he finally spoke, his voice was shaky. “My marriage is falling apart and this time I can’t seem to pull any tricks from my sleeve to make Lola happy.”

“I’m so sorry. You know I’d be there in a New York minute for you if I could. But Lola wouldn’t appreciate my presence, so here comes a giant phone hug.”

“Thanks, baby. I needed that.” He sounded a little more upbeat before ending the call, but still couldn’t hide his pain.

Mixed emotions swirled in my head, dulling the thrill of my win. I felt bad Gloria was miserable, but it saddened my heart to know Beau was dealing with the excruciating misery inflicted by lost love.

19

“Gloria never dreamed you’d outsell her,” Gabriel said when I got home. “Otherwise, she’d have baked something other than laxative brownies during the contest. She wanted all competitors busy on the throne instead of the phone. Luckily you only eat sugar-free crap.”

“She did not do that,” I chastised.

“Tip of the iceberg, Blondie. She even buys laxative gum.”

I’d seen Gloria passing out gum, and Daryl missed a couple of days due to stomach problems. Surely Gabriel was joking.

“Gloria’s a sore loser. Don’t take any food or drinks she offers the next few months.”

“Stop it,” I responded reprovingly.

Gabriel couldn’t hide his excitement about our seven day trip to France, while Nikki’s excitement sprang from her and Mistletoe spending time with eighteen-year-old Cousin Jim, home for college break. My decision to visit Paris two weeks before Christmas was such short notice, finding a hotel became a head banger until Eduardo offered a marvelous bed and breakfast on the Right Bank in the Marais district. It’s great to be connected.

The quaint B&B was cozy yet romantic, and Paris was all I dreamed it would be. On our first day: Eiffel Tower for photo ops. Our first evening: dining at La Closerie des Lilas where I closed my eyes and visualized Hemingway (the young, handsome, square-jawed, rosy cheek version)
sitting nearby, writing diligently. Okay. I’d consumed lots of French wine. Gabriel indulged all my adventures from walking along the river Seine in an area where Ana s Nin reportedly lived on a houseboat, and even strolling Pére Lachaise Cemetery, burial site of famous folks like Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, Frédéric Chopin, Marcel Proust, Gertrude Stein, and its number one attraction, Jim Morrison. No objections to visiting Parisian cabaret, Le Crazy Horse Saloon for an hour of tasteful burlesque, or taking cooking classes, traveling the cobblestone streets of Rue Cler, viewing Monet paintings at the Musée Marmottan, or shopping at all the quirky, funky shops near our B&B. We returned each evening to share a gourmet French meal with other guests, before flying up to our room to drink wine and engage in multi-orgasmic sex, complete with giggles. As a courtesy to other guests, Gabriel’s loud screams got ramped down to quivering moans of “Oooh... baby, baby.”

Vive la France!

We returned to Houston exhausted, but ready for a nice family Christmas. Little did we know what had happened while we were enjoying France. Gloria believed the contest was a conspiracy between Eduardo and me, and confronted him. In an apparent flash of rage, Gloria called Eduardo a tamale eating faggot. He fired her on the spot. A week before Christmas.

Eduardo and I shared a great business relationship, and my return to work meant me offering a huge apology for Gloria’s inappropriate remarks. He politely refused my request for forgiveness. “Absolutely unnecessary, Cherie. Those words didn’t spring from your mouth, and it’s always been clear that you’re nothing like your future mother-in-law. I rarely say anything negative about others, but believe Gloria ranks up there with Cruella de Vil. Watch your back. I suspect Gloria’s bigotry is only one of her malicious traits.”

I understood Eduardo being pissed, but those were mighty strong words. Still, my first day back at work ran smoothly and by Friday it was obvious Eduardo held no ill feelings toward me. Other employees treated me with respect instead of jealousy over my win. I left work feeling all was right in my world.

Gabriel and I were snuggling in bed when the phone rang. He answered, and then held the phone away from his ear to avoid hearing loss. Hope was shouting at him, but her hostility was aimed directly at yours truly. Eventually Gabriel managed to interrupt her rant. “Goddammit Hope. Gloria lost and Cherie won, fair and square. No cheating involved.”

I leaned against my pillow offering explanations about Beau’s generosity, and Gabriel acted as moderator for a few minutes, before handing me the phone. Hope was yelling that she didn’t want to speak to me when I put the receiver to my ear.

“I’m on the line, Hope. Let’s settle this.”

“You caused my mother to lose the best job she’s ever had,” she said in menacing voice. “You’re a brown-nosing sneak and should be ashamed, Cherie.”

All I could do was gulp. Hope’s words stung.

“My mother is too old to be looking for another job. If she gets sick over this, I’ll never forgive you,” she screamed. “You’ll pay for this mess you got my mother into.”

“So I’m to blame for Gloria’s racist outburst?” I asked, infuriated by her remarks. “How did I become the villain?”

Apparently Hope didn’t hear my question. “Remember, Cherie, blood is thicker than water. Gabe may be defending you now, but he’ll side with family before this is over.” She took a short breath, and I almost got a word in. “I’ve never hated anyone like I hate you, and I don’t blame Gabe’s girls for wanting to avoid you.” Slam.

I couldn’t believe she hung up on me. I couldn’t believe my once dear friend hated me. I couldn’t believe my stomach felt like it might come up through my nose. Hope’s words about Gabriel’s daughters avoiding me were swimming in my head, doing side strokes with Gabriel’s comment about Gloria being a sore loser.

Gloria didn’t seem one bit resentful, and invited us to her annual Christmas Eve family gathering as though nothing had happened. We arrived early and got busy drinking Gloria’s special eggnog. She was quiet. “Where’s Hope and Troy?” Conn kept asking.

“They’re running late due to commitments with Troy’s family.”

Lame excuse. In my years of knowing them, this was the only Christmas Eve that Hope hadn’t been the first one through Gloria’s door. “I feel like the Grinch who sprayed graffiti on the family’s Rockwell print,” I whispered to Gabriel while watching the hands on Gloria’s grandfather clock make more rounds.

At ten o’clock, our family left for Pearland to get Luke and Nikki asleep before old St. Nick fell down our chimney. Hope and Troy pulled up the minute we drove away.

Gabriel reassured his brothers Eduardo’s competition was not rigged while Hope tried to convince them I’d double-crossed Gloria. Kim and Mei called in support of me, saying Hope had gotten spoiled to their summer vacations in Tahiti. I was miserable. Gloria was depressed. Gabriel was stuck in the middle. Although he had initially shrugged it off, each day he seemed to be withdrawing, and I began feeling guilty-as-charged by Hope.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, Nikki was in a snit about school. She informed me Lee High was only thirty miles from Pearland, while I rejected her pleas citing the drive as reason enough. She was persistent. I caved. How could I blame her for not wanting to attend Hooterville High? I’d done the same thing decades earlier.

I never found the nerve to tell Gabriel about Nikki’s school change. “It’ll be our ugly little secret,” I told Nikki. Lying through the teeth seemed better than wounding his Pearland pride.

“I’m sorry for causing such a mess, Mom.” Nikki hugged me.

“Well, I don’t want you unhappy in school and I certainly don’t want more problems for Gabriel.”

Along with my partner in crime, we made the round trip from Pearland to Houston daily praying he would never find out. My first dishonesty with Gabriel brought overwhelming guilt, but I couldn’t fess up. Things were bad enough with Hope and Gloria angry at me and unhappy with Gabriel for defending me.

“Baby, I don’t know much about your life, but worry about the controlling nature of Gabe’s mother.” Beau said during a brief chat.

“Life is good. I just want to resolve this family issue.”

“I know
you
do, but be careful about what you sacrifice. Take care of number one.”

“I am. So much so I’ve actually been dishonest with Gabe.”

“That’s not good, baby. Were you dishonest to protect him or to protect yourself?”

“Me, I’m sorry to admit. Nikki didn’t like her school, so instead of hurting his pride and giving him more to worry about other than his upset family, I failed to tell him.”

“Then tell him first chance you get. Lies, no matter how small, can wreck havoc on trust factors.”

“I’ll try. Just gotta find the right time.”

“I can tell you from experience, the longer you put it off, the more damaging the aftermath.” Beau sighed deeply. I’ve got to run now, baby. I’m wrestling my own issues over here.”

I didn’t prod. Beau was ringing in the New Year with divorce and asset settlement.

Gloria soon landed a new job, but unfortunately it paid much less than her annual forty thousand plus bonus earnings from Eduardo. Still, she made efforts to mend things between us. Hope remained distant. Restaurant gathering were noticeably void of her and Troy, with Gloria offering excuses. I missed Hope and couldn’t understand her animosity. One Sunday morning as Gabriel and I sat in the kitchen, I whined about Hope’s coldness toward me. He acted like it was no big deal.

“She’ll come around, just give her time.” He sipped his coffee. “Remember we have the same blood running through our veins and you know how stubborn I can be. All my siblings can put up a wall and shut out the world if necessary. Christ, our childhood dictated it.”

“Don’t remind me how well you can put up a wall.”

“Well, Hope can do the same thing.”

“Heaven help me.” I shivered.

“Just relax and smell the roses, Blondie. She’ll come around. Hey, wouldn’t a rose bush be nice in the garden outside this window? We could look at it while we drink coffee and talk.”

He was getting better at segueing than me. But I couldn’t be upset with him for pretending the family problem was no big deal—after all, I was pretending Nikki was attending Pearland High.

Soon the split between Gloria and Hope was overshadowed by a bigger problem. Nikki’s sudden goofy behavior suggested the leaf drawings on her notebooks were something other than a personal tribute to Canada. The only thing worse than discovering your child is on drugs, is losing them. I was petrified with fear. My MO was running from problems, so I went into an irrational head spin, not knowing how to handle, but determined not to lose. Every day turned into a three-act drama. I screamed at Nikki, Gabriel calmed her. I threatened, he compromised. I pleaded, he set rules. She and I cried, he comforted. After weeks of bizarre behavior and countless talks with Cousin Jim, Nikki finally fessed up. We assured her we would do whatever necessary to help, but if Gabriel hadn’t been the most patient man on earth, she might have ended up on the streets. It took months for the weight to lift from my chest and allow me to breathe easier. My mothering skills ranged somewhere between June Cleaver and Joan Crawford.

Beau hadn’t called for months and dialing his number got me an annoying “no longer in service” message. I wanted his advice, but had too many issues going on to hunt him down.

“Mommy, please come get me.” Nikki called from school, sounding like my sweet little girl for a change. “I can’t go to the water fountain without being offered drugs.”

Nearing hysterics, I rushed to Lee, withdrew Nikki, and drove around Pearland wondering what to do about another fine mess I’d gotten myself into. Gabriel despised lies. The following day I embarrassingly regurgitated the ugly truth.

“Cherie, there are two things I detest. One is conniving and the other is lying. I understand why you felt you had to lie, but it doesn’t alter the fact that you lied to
me
.”