Page 42

Kind of D itched Her

“I wouldn’t bother with that. It’s not going to make a difference to the damage done,” Cindy said while she moved through her apartment, walking clothes over to her suitcases sitting on the couch. Helena laid out the last of Cindy’s towels to try to create a dry-ish path. Her bedroom had been completely flooded, and there was better light in the li ving room.

“Yes, I understand. Whatever adjustments you need to make to the arrangements is fine, as long as they fit the color scheme we dictated,” Helena said into her phone, which she had pressed to her ear with her shoulder.

Cindy noted her on the call and mouthed, “Sorry.”

Helena rolled her eyes, indicating her opinion of the caller. “What do you mean? Why would that change the price?” She listened for a moment. “That’s outside of the agreed o n budget.”

She could hear the woman on the other end wheedling.

“Alright, if we approve that, we will have to take more money out of what is being raised at the Winter Rose Ball, and what is being raised right now is money for the children’s hospital’s new emergency room. Do you think a headline about how we couldn’t purchase one more breathing machine because the flowers cost too much would be of benefit to your shop?” The florist sputtered a moment, but Helena didn’t wait for her shtick to take too much of an effect. “I’m not supposed to tell you this, but I think I need to inform you that a feature is going out in a week about all of the different businesses contributing to this event…” She paused for a moment to let the woman have her reaction to that bit of news. “Well, yes. We thought it was the least we could do to all of those going above and beyond for this event. Unfortunately, we have no control over what the journalist writes, and we want to give them the best headline we can…” She listened a little longer. “Thank you. I appreciate it.” At last she coul d hang up.

“Sorry, Cindy,” she tried to say, but her friend wave d it away.

“I’m sorry to be pulling you away from your job l ike this.”

“Oh trust me,” Helena said as she pressed a foot into the towels to make sure they soaked up the damp. “As soon as your dad gets here, I am abandoning you,” she quipped, then sighed. “I’m loving my job, but it’s also a lot of stress a nd work.”

Then she glanced at h er friend.

“Not that it compares,” she added, only for her phone to ping again, forcing her to flip back and send off another quick message confirming that she was still coming to the afternoon meeting. Cindy stood in front of her suitcases ignoring it all, folding and distributing the remaining clothes from her dresser while she stared off into the dark abyss of her thoughts.

“I can’t believe they are kicking you out because of what happened. This is not your fault,” Helena said, then chided herself internally for not picking a cheerier topic to t alk about.

“It’s fine. I wanted out of the lease anyway. I hate this building,” Cindy said, dealing out the last stack of clothes among the suitcases like they were large playing cards. “Are you sure you shouldn’t be at work?”

Yes. No, Helena thought, but instead she pulled out her phone to check the time. “Should I order sh awarmas?”

“Oooh, yes please,” Cindy said as she went back for the clothes in her closet. “Oh hell, I should just throw all of this away and start over, you know.”

“Giving away all your possessions is one of t he signs—”

“I know, I know. I retract the statement,” Cindy said. “Some doctor I turned o ut to be.”

“Some friend I turned out to be,” Helena countered, kicking herself. She just didn’t seem to be able to say the right thing even though her friend neede d her to.

“Hey,” Cindy said, turning around to come back. She extended her arms and her tall friend wrapped them around Helena’s head for a hug. “Thank you so much for coming and finding me. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”

Helena rocked with her sister-friend, so relieved that she could do so. But while she did, her phone binged three times in quick succession. She ignored it but couldn’t not feel the urgency with e ach ping.

“I didn’t want this to happen, I swear,” Ci ndy said.

“I know, I know,” Helena assured, even as she snuck a peek at her phone. It was Yosef. Call. Emerg ency. Now.

They pulled apart, both wiping their noses, then laughing. “And thank God for your boyfriend. A damn angel,” Cin dy added.

“You have no idea,” Helena said, truthfully, then texted to Yosef, Two minutes.

“Yeah, but you know what this means? I owe Charlie $20,” Cindy said as she turned to get back to packing.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Helena said, flipping to Cindy’s dad’s text messages to find the link for his GPS location. He had sent it to her so she could estimate where he was. To her relief, he was fifteen minutes away. “Your dad’s almost here,” she announced.

“It’ll all be worth it if you tell me the sex was good,” C indy said.

“With your dad?” Helena asked before catching on that Cindy hadn’t pivoted the conversation with her.

“What? No, with your sexy chef.” Cindy peeked out, cocking a teasing eyebrow. “Do you have fantasies abou t my dad?”

“Ha, ha, ha.” Helena blushed, realizing there was no covering or being cool with that as her reaction.

Cindy stuck out her tongue, then turned back to her closet. “See, I told you it would work out with this guy if you just gave it a chance.”

“Well, nothing has really changed,” Helena admitted. “His circumstances are such that we can only be together sporadically before he has to go again.”

Cindy threw her a confused look over her shoulder. “Why is that?”

“He has … obligations e lsewhere.”

“Okay, that sounds mysterious,” Cindy said as she pulled clothing off of her closet hangers. “Does he cook for the president or the pope or s omething?”

“At the risk of adding to the mystery, I really can’t talk about it.” Helena held her arms out for Cindy to lay hung clot hes over.

“That’s alright. I understand. So it’s jus t casual?”

Helena pursed her lips, and Cindy’s eyes went w ide. “Oh.”

“No, I don’t know. He cares about me, that much I know is true, but with his life being wh at it is…”

“Have you told him you love him?”

Helena turned sharply to carry her burdens to the living room. “Y es, okay.”

“Wait, has he said it back to you?” Cindy called, grabbing up her own armfuls t o follow.

“What do you think?” Helena shot back, knowing she shouldn’t be getting defensive but unable to help it.

“Oh God, did he say something cliche like ‘ I know’?”

“I doubt he’s ever seen a movie, let alone th at movie.”

“Wow, he’s really that hardcore?”

“About cooking, absolutely.” Helena shed the clothes on the only spare space on t he couch.

“Okay, then when do you get to see hi m again?”

“I don’t know. Probably be a while, but you know what? That’s okay. I’ve got the Winter Rose Ball literally in two weeks, and I need to focus on that, not get distracted.” Helena shook out a garbage bag and drew it down one of the bundles of hanging clothes. “I’ve picked a caterer and made all the other big arrangements, but there are a hundred and one little details that have to be worked out. I wouldn’t be able to nurture a beginning relationship properl y anyway.”

“I’m sorry I’m not going with you,” Cindy said, helping by grabbing up the bottom of the bag to pull the strings and tie it. Helena laid the packaged clothing on her dining room table while Cindy went for the next bundle. “I know I was supposed to be your plus one.”

“It’ll be fine. Chris and Charlie will be there,” Helena tried to assure, but hearing the statement out loud, clarified to her why that was not as reassuring as it would have been a couple mo nths ago.

“You still haven’t told Charlie yet about Chris?” Cin dy asked.

“Actually, I have, but I didn’t say anything because we didn’t want to burden you,” Helena admitted.

Cindy froze at that declaration. “Oh. Well. How did he take it?”

Before she could answer Helena’s phone rang out. This time it was Scarlet.

“I’m so sorry. It’s my boss,” Helena said, answering it before Cindy could even nod. “I’m so sorry, Scarlet. I’ll be th ere soon—”

“My dear,” Scarlet’s voice said, cutting off any and all other conversation with a tone that commanded kings to bow. Helena’s eyes went wide. “If you are not in my office within the hour, do not bother coming back at all. Do you under stand me?”

“Y-yes, ma’am,” Helena said, her feet already spurring her toward Cindy’s door. The phone hung up before she even got there. “I have to go. I am so sorry. Your dad is almost here, but I got…” But she couldn’t finish that sentence as she jetted down the hall. Luckily, the elevator binged open at just that moment, and Helena jumped on it, throwing a last glance at Cindy watching her leave from her door.

Helena tried to wave, but her friend didn’t r eturn it.