"This one's on me," she said. "You just make sure to give me a call next time you need a ride, okay?”
"Yes. Of course. Thank you," I replied.
I stepped out of the car and into my own. I waved to Sandy, who returned the gesture before she drove away. In a sense, she was like my fairy godmother. Always there when I needed her most. I chuckled to myself. If only life were as simple and magical as in fairytales. Instead, it was much more gruesome.
"What are you doing soaking wet?" my mom asked, bemused.
"I got caught in the storm," I said, which wasn't a lie. Except I didn't reveal that it was by choice.
"Well, why don't you take a hot shower and clean yourself up? I wanted to go out to dinner tonight, just the two of us."
"Where's Jack?" I asked.
"Oh, he's out with a few buddies. He won't be back home until later. I was thinking Greek?"
I smiled. "Sounds perfect.”
My mom drove us to Basil's, just outside of Keygate. We chitchatted about this and that, but nothing of significance, for which I was grateful. The disappointment from earlier in the day still sat at the forefront of my mind.
We walked inside Basil's and were greeted by the heavenly scent of garlic, fresh-baked bread, and the familiar cedar smell. My mom took me to Basil's regularly as a kid and then as a teenager. It was more or less our celebration spot. If I'd done well on a test or won a game at school, she brought me here to partake in dinner and their celebrated dessert: peanut butter pie.
Almost every table was filled despite it being a weekday. The young waiters and waitresses bustled about with trays of drinks and heavenly entrees. The hostess greeted us and seated us at a booth on the other side of the restaurant. We obediently followed her, my mouth watering along the way.
"Can I get you something to drink to start?”
"Just water," my mother said before I got the chance to order an alcoholic drink.
Disappointment seeped into my mood. I needed a drink, and I needed one now.
The waitress promptly brought us water and a basket of bread, still warm from the oven.
"To a wonderful mother-daughter meal," my mom said.
We clinked glasses, and my hand shook as I brought the water to my lips. I closed my eyes and wished there was vodka in the glass.
"So, I have to admit I wanted to have dinner together so we could talk.”
I buttered my roll and frowned. “What about?”
My mother sighed, and it was plain to see the sadness in her eyes. “Sweetie, what’s going on with you?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, eyes narrowed.
“I’ve noticed you’ve been drinking since you’ve been home. And there’s lots of alcohol missing from our cabinet. Are you okay? You can talk to me.”
“Nothing is wrong, Mom. I’m just having a hard time.” I couldn’t meet her gaze. This was ridiculous. I did not have a drinking problem!
“You know how addictive drinking can be. I know you know that. You don’t look like the same person anymore. And, Elle, I can smell the alcohol on your breath.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I hissed.
She nodded and massaged her temples. “I’m here for you. I just want you to be happy and healthy. That’s all.”
“I’m fine, Mom. I promise.”
How dare she accuse me of having a drinking problem! I’m trying to cope with losing the love of my life. I can stop any time I want to.
However, deep down, I wasn’t so sure that was true.
Out of the corner of my eye, a familiar face came into view. My pulse quickened as I froze, watching the woman stride through the dining room with several other women. I turned away quickly, not wanting to make eye contact. My mother followed my gaze until she saw the woman too.
"Isn't that Noah Joseph's wife?”
The group of women were conveniently seated at the table directly behind us. Angela sat at my back, close enough for me to smell the lavender shampoo in her hair.
After I hooked up with Noah upon my return to Keygate and found out he was married, it only took a simple Facebook search to confirm the truth.
I nodded. "It sure is."
Thirty-Six
Our dinners arrived: my open chicken Souvlaki salad and my mom's tender beef Gyro. I half-listened to my mom talk about her and Jack's upcoming Alaskan cruise, but mostly I strived to eavesdrop on Angela's conversation with her friends. I knew it was rude, but guilt shook me to my core, and I couldn't help it. The poor woman, about nine months pregnant, carried the child of an adulterer. I couldn't fault her. Noah was my first love. I knew how easy it was to fall into his trap. If it weren't my desire to leave Keygate and Noah's cheating, I'd most likely still be with him, trapped in Keygate.
I asked my mom about the types of excursions they booked for the cruise, but I tuned out as soon as I heard Angela whisper to her friends in a hushed tone.
"Why do you think that?" one woman asked.
"He's gone a lot. He comes home late at night, says he was working, but jumps into the shower right away before even saying hello," Angela said.
"Maybe he really is just working hard?”
"I'm scared, y'all. What if he really is cheating? What would I do when the baby comes? Little Maddy is young enough, she doesn't know what's going on yet. I’d kill someone if he ever cheated on me.”
My heart leaped out of my chest. I panted as I cracked each and every one of my knuckles. Angela suspected Noah of cheating. Did she know it was with me? I gulped to reassure myself my throat hadn't closed. My stomach erupted into a fit of somersaults, while I was sure my chicken souvlaki wouldn't stay down for long.
"Everything okay?" my mom asked.
I nodded but excused myself to go to the restroom. I feared I may be sick, but at the very least I needed to splash my face with cool water.
I stood over the sink with the faucet running. Ice cold water poured out of the tap and onto my wrists. I needed to reset my body's homeostasis, but it wasn't working. I may have done some bad things in the past, but I wasn't a bad person. But at this moment I felt like the Devil himself.
This woman unknowingly shared her husband with another woman. The worst part of it all? I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt how she felt. Noah cheated on me too when we dated in high school. Somehow, most of Keygate knew before I did—or I did know but didn't want to see it. There was nothing like finding out your first love betrayed you. It was a guttural pain, one that cannot be fathomed or put into words. That was how Angela would feel when she found out for sure that Noah had slept with another woman. And this time, I'd be the other woman.
"Elle Dahlia?" a voice called.
I turned to see Angela standing there, rubbing her protruding belly.
"Hi, Angela," I said, my voice quivering. Sweat pooled at the nape of my neck and threatened to drip down my back.
"I thought that was you," Angela said with a faint smile.
We'd never officially met, but we knew of each other, just as everyone does in Keygate. From the little I knew about her, she was four or five years younger than me, so we didn't go to school together. But her parents owned a pharmacy in town, so it wasn't a rare occasion that I'd see her in the shop after school if my mom took me in to refill her scripts.