Private Emotions – Invitations (The Private Emotions Trilogy) (5 page)

BOOK: Private Emotions – Invitations (The Private Emotions Trilogy)
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“Yes. The lady would like ten of our best dresses. Here are her details to complete the paperwork for her.” Michelle’s jaw dropped open as I said the word ten. Oouu, the look on her face was priceless.

“Hmmm, that must have been one amazing sales pitch, Emily.”

“You could say that, Michelle. It was well worth it, don’t you think?” I stood there with a smile on my face knowing that there was nothing she could do but be impressed.

“Fuck, yes. Ten of our high-end dresses! That’s us sorted for the next six months!”

“I am always glad to be of service.”

“I think that you deserve the rest of the afternoon off for a feat like this. Go on, get out of here and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Michelle, I really appreciate it and yes, I will be in bright and early tomorrow.” In a flash I packed my things, cleared my work station and left the shop. I hopped into my car and drove away before Michelle had time to change her mind.

I had the entire afternoon to myself and I knew exactly where I would spend it but first I had to get something to take with me. Strawberry ice-cream.

A sadness instantly came over me as I entered the cancer ward to visit Kelly. I had no idea what condition Kelly would be in, all I knew was that she was deteriorating fast. The cancer had spread furiously and did its damage as it traveled through her little body. As I was signing the visitor’s book, the nurse told me that I would not be allowed to take the ice-cream in with me. I handed it over to her and continued my walk to Kelly’s room.

My heart dropped from my chest and sank into the ground when I saw Kelly. She now had tubes connected to her for her food supply and she barely had the strength to talk but she did manage to give me a little smile the moment her eyes met mine.

I spent the rest of the afternoon with Kelly, reading her stories from her favorite book and telling her about the adventures that she and Zoey would have together. Most importantly, I told her that I would always be friends with Julia and Scott. I knew that Kelly’s main worry was the impact her illness was having on her parents, so promising her that I would keep in contact was my way of assuring her that all would be well.

I realized that she was starting to get tired and as she drifted to sleep I held her hand and told her how wonderful and brave she was. I walked away from the hospital with tear-filled eyes and a hole in my heart. I felt so hopeless and although we had a lovely evening together, I could not help but feel angry at how cruel fate could be. There were so many bad people in this world that walked around living healthy lives while the innocence of a seven year old was rapidly being erased. My anger soon turned into feelings of frustration. I got into the car, put my key into the ignition and burst into tears. It was the only thing I could do to release the volcano of mixed emotions that I was feeling. It was not fair. I was not expecting Kelly to be hooked up to tubes, not yet, not this soon.

Chapter Three
Three is Not a Crowd

Sophie’s big day was something that I was looking forward to and dreading at the same time. I was happy for her success, as a promotion to be a partner in her company’s law firm could not have been an easy thing to accomplish. I would miss the carefree attitude she had towards life and love.

I was standing at the door to Sophie’s announcement party and was seriously thinking of turning around but didn’t. She was my friend and it was a momentous occasion for her, so I bit the bullet and walked in.

I saw Ethan almost right away and being the consummate people-person, he was already talking the talk and walking the walk. Schmoozing with people was second nature to him and he did have a way of making someone feel comfortable around him. He had certainly shown me a thing or two already and in the bigger picture we really had only just met each other.

“So, are you friends with Sophie or a just an onlooker like the rest of us?” A middle-aged man was trying to engage me in conversation and I turned to him and said the first thing that came to mind.

“Oh, I’m one of the onlookers. She is amazing, isn’t she?”

“Yes, but maybe she shouldn’t be so eager to accept the post. There are some in the firm who believe that she got fast-tracked because of her, shall we say, more formidable assets.” I couldn’t believe he was being so crude about Sophie to someone that he didn’t know.

“I doubt that is the case considering she’s been working very hard to get where she’s at and if some people think otherwise, that’s because they are jealous.” He then tried to change the topic when he saw that his inappropriate remark had upset me.

“So, do you plan to stay here with these stiff suits the whole night or are you interested in something more relaxed?” This man was starting to get on my nerves. “I think that you are very attractive and I would love to show you how I feel about that.”

“Thanks for the offer but I prefer to take my time in getting to know someone first”.

“And then what? Only to discover that you have wasted your time getting to know someone that is not a good fit? You don’t just go into a store and buy a pair of shoes do you? You try them on first before you buy.”

“Yes, but after many have tried them on then they will be considered used. No quality man will want to buy used shoes. I find this conversation very insulting and I suggest that you look elsewhere for another pair of shoes to try on because this one is not for sale.” He tipped his glass of champagne to me and then scampered off like I had bruised his delicate ego. I hoped that was exactly what I did.

The party was very tame considering how out of control some work functions could get. It was all shop talk, conversations about the law and other mundane topics that were a little too high brow for me.

It wasn’t until the booze started to flow that these yuppie types started to relax. The president of the law firm made his declarations and Sophie took her accolades in a somber and quiet manner. It was her way of playing the reticent power tycoon that everyone had been accustomed to.

She raised her glass to the slightly inebriated crowd and said, “I believe the only thing left to say is something that Marie Antoinette said and that is...let them eat cake.” A roar erupted from the crowd and then they laughed and cheered. We all joined in the merriment even though there wasn’t any cake at this little gathering which may have been her point.

Ethan was now standing beside me and he said, “They have no idea what kind of shit storm that they are taking on. Listen, I have a very early meeting in the morning so I think I’m going to call it a night.” He kissed me ferociously, driving his tongue in and out of my mouth as his hands pushed on my back. I didn’t even see it coming and when he left I stumbled on my feet in order to keep my balance.

If it was not for Sophie I would have left at the same time as Ethan. This crowd was just not my style and after my conversation with that rude man I didn’t feel like being here.

At the end of the night, I went to find Sophie to personally congratulate her. She was happy to see me and thanked me for attending the party.

“Thanks for coming, Em. I know that this crowd is not exactly a party bunch but I hope that you still managed to have a good time.” I could not lie to Sophie and even if I did, she would know that I wasn’t telling the truth.

“I am here only because of you Sophie, no other reason.” I hugged her and told her that I would see her tomorrow. As I got into the taxi my phone beeped. It was a text message from Ethan.

‘I know that we didn’t spend much time together tonight but I promise to make up for it at dinner. I can’t wait to see you again. Ethan.’

I smiled to myself at his little message because I felt the same. I was looking forward to spending some quality time with him and it would be even better that Sophie would be joining us for dinner.

The next couple of days went by so quickly that I was soon at Ethan’s place helping him cook. He would take every opportunity to brush past me, trying to entice me to do a quickie before our guest arrived. I slapped his hands away from me at first then he waited until my hands were full of dishes for the table before gliding his right hand under my dress.

“Aww come on, let’s play a little game to see if you can keep the dishes in your hands without breaking them.” It was a naughty game and just another one of his lessons that he was trying to impart on me.

“She’ll be here anytime now. Stop it, Ethan.”

“So what? It’s not like we aren’t all friends. Trust me, Emily, I doubt that anything she sees will shock her.” His argument was starting to make sense especially since his fingers were already touching my lips. He looked into my eyes for the green light to tell him to go ahead. I bit my lip and he took it as my way of saying that it was okay with me. He started to wiggle his middle finger into my tight interior. That one finger was making the dishes shake in my grasp. The sound of them clattering together made me try to concentrate on keeping them from falling. The idea of Sophie walking in on us in this compromising position was an erotic thought.

Ethan had the first knuckle in me and then he jammed the whole finger into the hilt. Using a come hither motion, he stroked across the surface of my g-spot. It was sheer ecstasy and it made me cry out, “Ahhhh, you better stop, or...”

“Don’t stop on my account, I’m enjoying the show.” Sophie had entered the apartment like a stealth cat and was now grinning at the performance. The dishes didn’t get broken but that was only because Sophie had snatched them away before my hand let go. “There, now we can enjoy a fine meal and a nice bottle of wine without having to clean up broken dishes.” Thank goodness she walked in when she did otherwise there would have definitely been a mess to clean up.

“I’ve been saving this bottle for a very special occasion and I think that tonight is the right night to break the seal.” He excused himself to go to the pantry where the bottles of wine were stored while I was left alone with Sophie.

“The show was worth the price of admission alone but I think we can do better, don’t you?” It was the inflection of her speech that had me contemplating just what was going on in that evil little brain of hers. Ethan returned with a bottle of wine in his hands. Sophie directed her attention to Ethan, “Perhaps the show isn’t finished and it’s just intermission until dinner is over? Or are you no longer willing to share, Ethan?” He gave her a cold look as if she had just revealed a secret but Sophie being Sophie paid no attention to him.

“I don’t know, I thought this was a going away dinner and not anything else.”

“Oh, you know what they say, anything can happen, and usually does with me.” Ethan opened the wine while Sophie made a point of cutting the fresh veggies as I stood there watching them exchange furtive glances.

“You can get the chicken out of the fridge and I’ll cook it while you two finish up in the kitchen.” He went through the kitchen and threw open the patio doors to reveal a huge BBQ pit out back. He lit the pit and tossed the seasoned meat on the grill. It made a sizzling sound that took me back to the days when my father made steaks that melted in your mouth. It was one of the greatest memories of my childhood and it made me smile just thinking about it. I remembered how my favorite cousin, Matt, would be the first in line to get his share. Matt loved his meat, especially the barbequed kind.

The bathroom was down the hall and I went there to freshen up to make sure everything was in place. It felt great being here with Ethan and Sophie. They were two people who had a way of making me feel relaxed, well, most of the time anyway. I returned to the kitchen and saw the two of them huddled in the corner but they separated when I came in. Was it my imagination or were these two ‘friends’ of mine talking behind my back?

The barbeque chicken was sumptuous and the wine was flowing freely as was the conversation. It was when Ethan stretched out his hand to Sophie that I got an inkling that they knew each other on a more intimate level than just friends.

“Emily, those dresses you made were a work of art and should be hung in every boutique in the city. You really should consider opening your own place.”

“You don’t have to say that and you certainly didn’t have to buy ten dresses. Thank you though, it was a lovely gesture. I mean, I know I’m good but I am definitely not in the same league as some of the greats.”

“I disagree and if you knew me at all you would know that I don’t just throw my money around for anyone. Those designs would give some of the greats, as you put it, a run for their money. They may have talent little lady but you have both talent and a gift of knowing what works. Many would kill to have that and don’t you ever forget it.”

“Sophie, you can’t expect her to know how great she really is considering most artists don’t see their true greatness until someone points it out to them. I’ve seen the dresses you bought and they are better than some on the catwalk during fashion week.”

“I know. It’s just too bad that she won’t be a part of that scene but maybe in time. I could imagine myself sitting at the office doing an all-nighter and turning on the television only to see her dresses on the catwalk. It would make me so proud to see your art immortalized, Emily.” She lifted my hands, kissed my palms and went back to sipping her wine. It was odd hearing someone else talk up my talents and I could tell that they believed what they were saying. I could usually tell when people were just giving me lip service.

“Okay, okay, you better stop or I’m going to get a swollen head, besides this night isn’t about me. It’s about a wonderful woman and her send-off that she absolutely deserves.” I felt a little tear coming about but I sucked it back and raised my glass. “Tell us, has the news really set in yet or is it all just a blur?”

She peered at me over the edge of her wine glass, sighed and said, “I know it’s happening and I really am looking forward to the challenge but it’s kind of bitter sweet. It will be a new state, a new office, hell, a new everything. I won’t know anybody and will be literally starting over.”

“Sophie, you’ve done this before so stop making it sound like you’re going to war or something. I’ll be visiting often and I’m sure that Emily will join me and besides, you’ll be coming back on occasion. We’ll be seeing so much of each other that you’ll be getting sick of seeing us.”

“Perish the thought.”

“Have you sorted out a place yet?”

“Now that you mention it, I just closed the deal on a top floor condo. It’s overlooking the city but I haven’t actually physically seen it. The pictures of the balcony that overlooks the city was the biggest selling point for me.”

BOOK: Private Emotions – Invitations (The Private Emotions Trilogy)
4.25Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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