Carpe Bead'em (26 page)

Chapter
Forty-Eight

Bo once told me how much he likes my
hair down. I look in the mirror and make sure that every last hair is in place.
I go over the plan with Wilson so he knows it, in and out. He assures me he
does.

I dress in an extremely short, tight
short-sleeved dress with high heels that accentuate my legs. My underarms are
sweating so much I pull the old model trick of putting a mini pad in my armpit.
If my plan works, I won’t be in this dress for long.

After I hear a car door shut, I look out
and Bo is walking up to the front porch with an armload of daisies. Orange ones
that happen to be my favorite. He thinks he’s going to work me. Well, I’ve got
news for him.

Wilson opens the door as I’m walking
down the stairs.

“This is where Hallie lives, right?” Bo
is unsure he’s at the right house. He sticks his head back out the door and
looks up at the numbers on the overhang.

“Hi, Bo.” I walk up, letting Wilson put
his arms around me and lightly kiss me on the lips. “This is Wilson.”

Wilson sticks his hand out to shake
Bo’s. But Bo’s cold demeanor doesn’t allow him to shake back.

“Hallie, can I see you outside?” His
hand with the bouquet of daisies falls towards the ground.

“Sure.” I agree, knowing I just hit him
below the belt with my actions. “I’ll be right back, babe.” I look up at Wilson
with an evil grin signaling his efforts have paid off, and give him a peck on
the cheek.

Bo watches, and takes a step back out on
the front porch, leaving little room between me and the door. His tender eyes
turn into a raging bull, his eyebrows bent into a V leaving making him look
like he smells something really foul. He does, another lie from me.

“Ready for dinner?” I question him while
pulling down the hem of my dress.

“Is he why you have been distant the
past couple week?” Bo drops his head, “Were you seeing him this whole time?”

If I didn’t know better, I think there
is a tear in his eye.

“Now, Bo,” I say, and play the coy card
on him. “No commitment, remember? Ready for dinner?”

“Are you serious?” Bo’s disgust shows
all over his face. He drops the daisies. “Maybe you aren’t the girl that has
been running with me for the past couple years. Maybe you aren’t the girl who
I’m really proud of. I know you’re not the girl I’ve been falling in love with.”

He walks to the car, and doesn’t looks
back.

I watch with a bitter look and taste in
my mouth.

“Did it work?” Wilson opens the door
behind me after Bo drives off. “Hallie? Did the plan work?”

“Yes,” I say in a soft voice and let the
tears flow down my face.

I pick up the flowers and take them
upstairs. Smelling them, I lay them next to my bed. I put on his Sunday shirt
and run my fingers along his note.

“Goodbye, Bo.” I put my head down on the
pillow. I’ve hurt him just like he hurt me. The only difference is I spare him.
I didn’t tell him I know about him and Piper. Piper transfers

me to get me out of the way. He uses me
when he is in town. He deserves to be hurt. Or is he relieved he doesn’t have
to pretend that we never slept together when I come home? Really, I save us
both the trouble.

Week Ten

Sit down, shut
up and bead.

Found on the
wall in a bead store.

Chapter
Forty-Nine

Not hearing from Saks, Nordstrom’s or O
magazine, combine with Bo, puts me in a really bad mood that even Beatrice
can’t get me out of. I should be happy with the hospital deal. And the four
boutiques love their shipment and have sold more than anticipated.

Natalie’s parents agree to let her work
the Cincinnati market, and I offer her a good wage.

“I’ve missed you,” Addy says as she
cleans after dinner/dessert crowd, and makes a fresh pot of coffee. “You
haven’t been running?”

“I’ve been busy with the beads.” The
exhaustion of working two jobs—three, really—is beginning to take its toll on
me. The past few mornings I’ve had to drag myself out of bed to get ready.
“Plus, I’ve been training a girl from work because I’m moving back home next
weekend.”

I can’t believe I only have one more
week left. It’s gone by so fast. Sadness blankets my heart to think I’m going
to have to leave Addy, Dee, Wilson, Beatrice and Hyde Park Square.

“We sure are going to miss you around
here.” Addy throws Henry a treat.

“I’m sure someone new will come along
shortly after to keep you company.” I laugh, sipping my java and trying to sort
my feelings out in my head.

“You’re going to be famous and I can say
I poured her coffee,” Addy says.

“I’ll send you an autograph.” I laugh,
secretly wishing her words will come true.

Henry and I walk out Café Beginnings. I
smile up at the green house that’s embraced me over the past three months.

“Wilson?” I yell down the stairs after
Henry goes traipsing to find him. “Coming down.”

“Hey.” He is putting some clothes in a
duffle bag. Henry’s nose is dug all the way down in it.

“Whatcha doing?” I ask in my best little
kid voice.

“I haven’t taken a vacation in over five
years.” He’s shoving all kinds of things in. Just like a man, taking perfectly
clean clothes and throwing them in without folding them.

“I’m going to take the next two weeks
and visit Prudence. We are going to go sightseeing and hang around the city.”
He zips the bag and slings it over his shoulder.

“That’s great. I’m surprised Prudence is
going to take off work.”  I’ve never known her to take more than a couple of
days off. “She better take you to eat at Superdawg.” My mouth begins to water
and I can almost taste the awesome hot dog, a Chicago staple.

“Will do.” He walks up the stairs with me
and Henry on his heels. “Bye, buddy. See in you Chicago.”

He gives Henry a few pats on the head
and me a quick hug. He’s gone--just like that.

The house is too quiet. Everyone
important to me seems to be going in a different direction and my stomach is
turning. Is this what it feels like to grow up?

With a little background music and Henry
by my side, I bead all the mommy bracelets orders from the hospital, plus a few
extra. With nothing but time on my hands, I need to keep my mind busy.

It doesn’t take long to make all the
orders, since the design is pretty easy. I call Eloise to see if I can drop
them off tonight.

Eloise is pleased with the brochures for
the labor and delivery bags. The space she’s cleared on the counter is prime
real estate for Beadnicks. I use the acrylic bracelet stands Dee gave me to
hang some of the mommy bracelets on. In a clear bowl filled with white rice, I
lay a few Swarovski birthstone crystal bracelets. The white background enhances
their sparkle.

Knowing I made these with my own hands
makes my entire body smile. I can’t recall a time I’ve been this happy. Maybe
when my parents were alive, but over the past few months I’ve learned not to
dwell on the past. In fact, I’ve learned that the past can cripple our future.

Even though my friends aren’t here and
they are going in different directions, I know in my heart we will always be
together and they are truly happy for me. I look at each one of these bracelets
and feel so much gratitude.

Just think if I hadn’t taken the chance
I did, I wouldn’t be here now. Embrace life, my dad would say. I’m beginning to
understand.

“Thank you.” A faint whisper crosses my
lips as my chest lifts in a light breath. I can feel it. I know my parents can
hear me.

“Excuse me?” Eloise leans closer. “Did
you say something, dear?”

My one-sided conversation with my
parents was obviously louder than a whisper.

“Oh, I was just sending up a little
gratitude.” I smile, looking up, imagining my parents smiling down on me.

“You know, young people don’t do that
enough nowadays.” She peers over her glasses and touches a few of my bracelets.
“You must’ve had a good upbringing.”

“My parents died when I was young.” I
tell her.

An image of Aunt Grace pops into my head
on the day she picked me up from school in a full-length mink coat. Half the
fur was gone and it was ninety degrees and humid. I became the butt of all the
jokes.  After that, I was so embarrassed that I never ever had a friend over,
and I was only in eighth grade.

If Eloise had only known I grew up in
the seediest part of the city with cockroaches sharing my bed, that I wore
secondhand clothes and that I never knew where my next meal was coming from.

“I didn’t say parents.” Eloise takes my
hand in her hands, “You had a good upbringing. You just don’t know it yet.”

Slipping my hand out of hers, a little
anger boils in my soul. My Beadnicks contract doesn’t involve therapy.

“Not to be disrespectful,” I tell her, “but
my crazy aunt and uncle raised me.”

Eloise howls, and I look around to find
some of the patrons staring.

“Honey, don’t you know the old saying?
‘Families are like fudge, mostly sweet, with a few nuts.’ That’s what makes the
world go round.”

I nod at Eloise’s comment. She looks
like she’s never had a problematic day in her life. Sure, her wrinkles and gray
hair make her look like she has wisdom, but she doesn’t know my life. She
doesn’t know the years of studying I did by a naked light just so I could get a
state college scholarship in order to get the heck out of Cincinnati. With my
good study habits and grades, I landed myself a full ride and far enough away
from home where no one knows me.

“Well, Eloise, I’m heading back to
Chicago in a couple weeks. I don’t anticipate you’ll need anything by then.” I
scribble Natalie’s number on the back of a business card. “Natalie will be in
every couple weeks to restock sold merchandise. Or, you can call her before, if
you need to. Call me if you have any business questions like the invoices.”

Eloise shakes my hand. “I believe your
bracelets are going to be a big seller here. I’m looking forward to doing
business with you, Hallie.”

Chapter Fifty

The house is silent, at least until
Henry breaks the stillness with his yipping.

I check the window and spot the mailman
walking away. Eager to see what’s in store— maybe an offer from Saks or O
magazine—I rush to see what he left behind.

The mailbox hanging on the front porch
holds a piece of paper I have been fearing for thirty days. The Chase credit
card return label speaks volumes without opening it.

“Oh, Henry.” I hold the bill in a vise
grip.

I promised myself I wouldn’t let this
bead thing get me in debt. The few bracelets sold here and there through Dee
and a prime real estate on the counter in a local hospital gift shop isn’t near
enough to pay the three-thousand-dollar Chase bill.

I remember my dad preaching to my mom,
“If we can’t afford to pay cash, we can’t afford it.” That’s exactly what
happened to Aunt Grace. She put everything on credit cards and, with no money
to back her up, she lost it all.

All the gurus always say, “You can break
the cycle, starting with you.” I’m going to break the debt cycle and make
something of myself. Right now, I promise myself. I knew the day I signed the
Chase agreement that I shouldn’t have. Even if the zero percent did catch my
attention, I knew it then and I know it now.

Even Henry’s kisses don’t make me feel
any better. I have three weeks until my minimum payment is due. Sure I can pay
the low minimum payment of twenty dollars, but it will take years for me to pay
it off. 

Off for the weekend and with all my
beading caught up, I might as well put the bill aside and start packing. At
least that’s something to look forward to.

I pull the boxes out of the hall closet
I had stuffed in there ten weeks ago—and there it stares at me. Each perfect
piece begging me to pick it up and smash it up against the fireplace. Aunt
Grace’s china.

I sit on the floor, cross-legged, facing
the stacked china, running my fingers along the rim of the petite coffee cup.
It’s tempting. I read about a place where angry people can go in a padded room
and throw china at the walls to vent their anger.

Why not?
I tell myself.
It might feel good.

I pick up the cup thinking about all the
anger that lies deep within my bones: my parent’s death, living with Aunt
Grace, not having friends in high school, studying my youth away in order to
make a future for me.

Of course I can’t smash it. I picture
Bo’s face and pick it up again. I remember the cockroaches, pink Henry, bricks,
gambling money, that flag pole with the bald eagle on top, sawed-off doors,
Saks, O Magazine, Chase!