*
“Whether you want to admit it or not, the poor putz is going to fall for you, and then he is going to be crushed when he learns that you tricked him.”
“You make it sound so…”
“Cruel?” Marlo chuckled before taking a sip of red wine.
December howled.
“Marlo.”
After work, the trio found themselves camped out around the bar at Rudy’s Pub. Marlo was enjoying her second glass of red wine as Mia babysat her glass of Riesling. December was in the middle of munching on an order of Cajun rub wings.
“What?” Marlo shrugged. “All I am saying is let’s face the facts. There is a strong possibility this guy is going to get his feelings hurt.”
“I am just trying to do my job.”
“I understand that, and I am so excited that you are accomplishing your goals.” Marlo turned to December, “What do you think about all this?”
“Well, like I told Mia earlier I believe she is better than this whole undercover thing. Then, there’s the fact that I don’t trust anything about Tinley.”
“Please say that again.” Marlo raised her glass. It was no secret that the moment she first met Tinley she could not stand her. “She is sneaky and is all about herself.”
“I know exactly who I am dealing with,” Mia explained. “All I am saying is that this is my time to go after what I want.”
“And with that being said, I am behind you every step of the way.” December winked at her girl. “You know this.”
“What about you?” Mia glanced at her sister.
“I’m always in your corner. I just hate to see people getting hurt in the name of love.”
“Speaking of love,” December quickly switched gears because she knew once her best friend had her mind made up about something there was nothing anyone could do to change it. “How are things going with you and Steve?”
Marlo rolled her eyes. “Girl listen,” she took a long sip. “I do not know what it is about this man that drives me crazy. He’s sexy, good-looking, and seems very interested in what I have to say.”
“What’s the deal then?”
“The deal is I can never get him alone long enough to see if there is something more to our flirting.”
“Why don’t you invite him out to dinner?”
“Well, kind of because I was waiting for him to ask me out.”
“Is he married?”
“He never has a ring on. My guess is no.”
“I say pull him aside and ask him out; it can’t hurt anything.”
“I don’t know, our mom always said do not chase after any man.”
“Oh I am sorry; I didn’t know asking a man if he wanted to grab a bite with you classifies as you chasing him.” December wiped her mouth too tickled. “All you’re trying to do is get better acquainted with him.”
Marlo shrugged. “I just thought if a man is interested in you, then he would be willing to do whatever he needed to, to get you.”
“But you said you two hardly talk other than a quick flirtatious exchange. Obviously the man is interested if he has been coming to get coffee from you everyday for the last six months.”
“I guess you are right. Maybe I will ask him out tomorrow.”
“Do that and let us know what happens.” Mia said.
“I sure will.”
December turned to Mia. “Hey you never told me why you were late to the meeting. I know you stopped and got coffee but you seemed a bit more preoccupied.”
Marlo’s ears perked up a bit. “Ooh spill it.”
Mia shivered. Instantly an image of Casanova in his suit, strong shoulders squared, popped into Mia’s mind. A squadron of butterflies tickled her stomach. She rubbed her belly in hopes of quelling her nervous stomach. Mia then recanted her early morning flirtatious encounter from the moment Casanova opened his mouth to the moment she left him speechless in the lobby.
“Sounds like you two had some serious chemistry going on.”
“I don’t know what it was, but I have never felt anything before like it in my life.”
“Hard to believe you felt a stronger connection to Casanova than you ever did with Brian.”
“Marlo!” December’s eyes stretched to the size of silver dollars.
Mia sucked in a breath as if she had been gut punched. “Why would you even go there?”
“Because I have been thinking. Mia it’s way past time you talk about it…about him…about the baby.”
Mia’s chest tightened at the mention of her unborn child. “I cannot do this with you right now.” Swallowing tears and the lump in her throat, Mia pulled a fistful of dollars from her purse and handed them to December. “This should cover my bill.”
“Mia.” Marlo whined. “Now you know I didn’t mean anything by it.”
But it was too late, Mia was on her way out the door. She could not believe her sister mentioned that jackass. Mia cringed at the thought of him. Brian Russell was her very own toxic, lying, cheating bachelor. She thought she had put his name to bed, however, hearing it caused uneasiness to shoot through her body. Blinking back hot tears, Mia reached inside her Coach purse in search of her keys. Embarrassment, hurt, and anger embraced her like a long lost friend as she treaded towards her car. She could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks with each step to her door. Brian Russell. Chocolate complexion. Hard body. Killer smile.
Two years. Brian Russell was all she wanted to eat, drink, and sleep for two whole years. Mia met Brian at a writer’s conference that Tinley made her attend in Manhattan. The moment Mia laid eyes on him, she wanted him. Following a crazy room mishap where the front desk had overbooked the rooms, she was left alone to fend for herself while the frazzled desk manager straightened out the situation. As she munched on appetizers at the hotel restaurant’s bar, the handsome chocolate brother with smoldering bedroom eyes, and a sinful athletic body posted up beside her.
Mia and Brian spent the next few hours getting better acquainted. Conversation and wine flowed smoothly and the pair ended up shutting down the restaurant with tales of their childhood, and their families. Approaching the front desk to find out the situation was nowhere near being solved, Brian invited Mia up to his room for a nightcap. Before she could decline his invitation he was already rolling her leather luggage towards the elevators. Small talk between the nervous pair ensued and things quickly heated up the moment they locked lips. The kiss was so perfect they finished the ride up to Brian’s suite where they practically ripped each other’s clothes off and spent the weekend entangled in his sheets forgetting all about the writer’s conference.
The only time they came up for air was to shower, eat, or watch a bit of television. The pair discovered they shared a mad love of writing, and were both English/Journalism majors in undergrad. Brian shared his background about how he grew up in Howard County Maryland, had gone to prep school and how disappointed his family was that he did not follow in the finance business although he double majored. Mia relinquished small truths about her life, but never delved too deep into her past. Some things she wanted to keep to herself.
The new couple parted ways, having said, “I love you” and booking flights to visit each other once a month, a promise they kept for a year and a half. The second year of their relationship, Mia learned she was pregnant. Overjoyed about sharing the baby news, she waited anxiously for Brian’s flight to arrive at Hopkins, but he never showed up and every time she called his cell, she was greeted by his voicemail. When Mia decided to take a chance and dial his home number, she was welcomed by a woman’s voice. She was not at all surprised because Brian told her that his sister and her two children lived with him after her divorce.
What shocked her was the woman’s accusatory tone when she asked to speak with Brian. Pissed, the woman demanded to know who she was and, as Mia began to explain, the woman introduced herself as Alicia Russell, Brian’s wife of six years. Heartbroken, Mia disconnected the call, her eyes filling wi
th tears. A month later, she awakened to severe stomach cramps and when she pulled back her sheets there was blood between her legs. Mia called Marlo and December and the trio raced to the emergency room.
An hour later, Mia learned that she had miscarried. Devastated, she threw herself into her work, and had buried her hurt through keeping busy at the magazine and working out. A couple of weeks later, Brian showed up at her door holding a bouquet of roses where he uttered a weak apology, and a tired excuse about him being separated from his wife, although they still lived together for their children. Mia thankfully wasn’t the only one at the door when Brian showed up. He had interrupted a SN (Sister’s Night she December, and Marlo held once a month where they spent the weekend grazing, sipping wine, doing facials and mani pedis). Making sure not to hover, Marlo and December allowed Mia to have her privacy where she read him the riot act and sent him on his way. Mia held in all of her tears until she watched him round the hall. That had been three years ago, and Mia had not heard from him since. Sure she had gone on dates here and there, but the moment any of her “friends” got too serious for her, she flaked out.
“Mia!” She heard her sister and December yell her name in unison.
Mia turned her head.
“Wait.” Marlo sprinted over to her sister. “I’m sorry. I should have never mentioned him, but it’s been too long. You need to talk about this mess and get it off your chest.”
“Not talking about it is how I get things off my chest. Marlo, everyone can’t be as vocal about things like you. That’s why I write. Did you ever think that maybe I just write things down in my journal and get over them that way? I don’t always need to talk about what’s going on.”
“Look.” December stepped in between the feuding sisters so she could get a good look at them. “Mia, one thing is for sure, your sister loves you very much and just wants you to be over this whole Brian thing.”
“Who says I am not over it?”
“Well, the fact that you flew out of Rudy’s proves you still have some issues with the situation.”
“The only issue I have is hearing his name. I’m over it. I don’t want to talk about this anymore or the baby.”
“But-”
“No.” Mia raised a hand. “I am handling this the way I want to handle it. Please, all I am asking is that you just drop it and respect my wishes, okay?”
“Fine,” Marlo said giving up. “I’m going to take your word for it, just promise me one thing?”
“What’s that?”
“The moment you do feel like getting it off your chest for real, you’ll call us?”
Mia looked at each of her best friends. She knew that December and Marlo had her best interest at heart and only wanted what was best for her, but one thing they should already know was that if she didn’t want to discuss an issue there was no point in making her. She would not do it until she was ready and, at this point, the situation involving her ex and miscarriage was a dead topic to her. She had dealt with it the best way she knew how, by journaling her thoughts and feelings and that was the end of it. “Of course I will.”
They all shared a big group hug and Marlo wiped away her sister’s tears.
“Okay. Enough with the crying, and apologizing.” Marlo glanced at her watch. “The night is still young. Can we please finish enjoying happy hour?”
“Yes.” December smiled.
“Why not?” Mia put on a smile and followed her sister and best friend back inside knowing that she was going to gulp the glass of wine she was babysitting and quickly ask for a refill.