Facing Redemption (24 page)

Chapter 33

Chastity sat and fidgeted with her ring.  The excitement she felt was bubbling over but she knew her Anne was in a low place after being cheated on. 
It’s going to look like I’m gloating. 
And that was the last thing she wanted for her friend.  So after careful consideration, she kept her hand below the table out of sight while waiting on Anne to get back from the ladies room. 

The Edison, in downtown Los Angeles, was by far one of her and Anne’s favorite places to socialize.  If she closed her eyes, she could picture the two of them in their 20’s flapper dresses with cropped hair and bold make up.  The entire place screamed speakeasy, and every time she entered she could almost hear Duke Ellington and his orchestra swinging up on the stage to her left.

Within minutes she saw Anne weaving through the crowd to join her back at the bar.  Chastity grinned at the sight of her.  Anne smiled in return, but Chastity could tell she wasn’t her usual self.

“You crack me up silly girl. Get over here already.”   Chastity said as Anne slid down next to her on her chair.

“Well at least someone’s laughing.”  She grimaced in return. 

Chastity sighed.  It wasn’t so long ago that the two of them were out in efforts to cheer Chastity up after her mom had passed.  She too had sworn off all men.  That was the night Anne had met Brent.  Absentmindedly, Chastity sighed and signaled the bartender … with her left hand.

“What is that?”  Anne quickly tuned in on her ring.  “Let me see!”  Anne reached for her best friend’s hand as Chastity snapped it back down into her lap. 

“It’s just a ring.”  Chastity said nonchalantly.

“Oh, now I know you’re lying. Even if it were
just
a ring, it’s gorgeous!  And anyone in their right mind would want to show it off.”

Chastity felt like kicking herself.  She should have left it at home tonight.  This wasn’t about announcing her engagement.  This night was supposed to be all about Anne!

“I’m kind of engaged?”  Chastity grimaced, and waited for Anne’s response.  She didn’t wait long.  Everyone in the bar heard her screech with joy.

“I’m so happy for you!  Come here! Ahhhh!”  Anne stood up to hug Chastity as they tottered back and forth embraced.  “When?  How?  And let me see that!”  She grabbed her hand and lifted it up.  “How can you hold that thing up?  What kind of dime did he drop on that?”

“It was his grandmother’s.”  Chastity pulled back to gauge her friend’s eyes.  Anne’s eyes twinkled but not full steam.  “Are you okay?”
             
“Okay?  What kind of friend do you think I am?  Of course I’m okay!!! My best friend is getting married to the last good guy on the planet!  Of course I’m okay!”  Anne smiled warmly and then waved the bartender over.  He couldn’t help but notice them this time.  “We need a glass of champagne to celebrate – on me.”

Chastity smiled and nodded.  “You know who I want as my maid of honor?”  Her eyes twinkled.

Anne rolled her eyes.  “Always a bridesmaid …”

“Hey if it can happen to me ...” Chastity started.  She’d always thought of herself as the last girl on the face of the planet to ever find love.

“Yeah, yeah.  At this point I wouldn’t welcome it Chaz.  I’m done with men.

             
“Oooooo,” Chastity murmured.  “You know you just sealed your fate.  When you don’t want it or aren’t looking for it – it will knock you upside the head or heart.”

             
Anne chuckled. “I could make a joke there but I won’t.”  Chastity laughed.

             
Chastity felt relieved.  Anne was happy for her.  However, Chastity couldn’t help notice how quickly she knocked back her glass of champagne before ordering another.  She knew at that point it was not the time to discuss her moving to Oklahoma.  She would save for a later date.

Chastity knew Anne’s limit and after an hour and a bottle of champagne, of which Chastity only had one glass, it was past time to go home.  The cab pulled up to Chastity’s address first, which was on the way to Anne’s.  Chastity debated on whether she should accompany her friend home.

“You sure I can’t take you home?  Or you could stay over?”  Chastity asked before getting out.

“I’m sure.  I’m fine.”  Anne said slowly, trying her best to sound as sober as she could.

“Okay.” Chastity agreed, against her better judgment.  “Go home and get some rest.  Call me in the morning, will you?”  Chastity blew Anne a kiss before handing some extra cash to the cab driver. “Make sure you see her walk into her house?”

“Yes ma’am.”  He agreed.   

After the cab dropped Chastity off, Anne asked her agreeable cabbie to drive around for a while.  A soft pelting of rain hit the windshield, and as blurry as her vision was from her one drink too many, the street and headlights were hazy and comforting as they shone through the wet windows of the car. 

She knew she should just go home, as the meter would continue to run, but on nights like these she’d miss having Brent’s arms wrapped around her and she just couldn’t stand to think about being alone. 

After 30 minutes of circling around different neighborhoods, the cab driver looked into his review mirror with questioning eyes.

             
“You sure you got enough fare to cover this miss?” he anxiously asked.  His accent sounded funny to Anne.  She started to giggle but then stopped to ponder his question.

             
“I’ve got enough to ask you to drive to the bay area,” she sadly laughed.  “And I’d trade it for anything if I had just one person to love, who I knew would faithfully love and stick around for me.”

             
“You okay lady?” 

             
“No, but it’s okay to take me home now.”

After giving him her address, she leaned her head back and rested.  The routine sounds of the tires hitting bumps on the road were the only thing keeping her up.  She knew now that being alone tonight would be okay because she was tired and drunk enough to sleep.

             
“One eighteen Briar Street.  This you lady?” 

             
“Thanks for taking a little extra time for me tonight.”

             
“Hey
,
it’s your dime.  I drive as long as you can pay.”  His melodic accent appealed to her again.

             
Anne handed him double the fare, and said her goodbyes.  She heard him yell to her back as she walked up her sidewalk.  “Hey thanks lady!”

She raised her arm in the air to carelessly wave back in response, with her back still to the cab.  Her focus was now to carefully place one foot in front of the other to make it to her door.  The rain was softly gliding over hair and down her face, replacing where her tears had been.  It was cleansing and at that moment she knew she would not cry over a man again.  No man was worth that kind of pain.

As she reached her porch she realized the potted plant looked a lot larger than normal.  It was too fuzzy to make out but she could have sworn that her plant was reaching for her.

             
Brent saw her stumbling up the walkway in the rain and his heart was breaking for her.
  She got drunk because I hurt her.

             
He wanted to walk to meet her half way but wasn’t sure what to say.  He didn’t have much time to ponder as he saw her squinting in his direction and starting to fall.  He reached out to grab her, right as she passed out in his arms.

             
Brent dug for her keys in her purse, opened her door, and carried Anne in from the rain.  He placed her on the couch, found some blankets, and wrapped her up.  It was only midnight but she was out cold.  The only thing he could do was let her sleep it off and wait till morning.

  
             
Light streaming through the curtains was the first thing Anne was aware of.  The second was the fact that her head was pounding and her mouth felt like it was full of cotton.

Her painful groans were enough to cause Brent to sit up straight.  He wanted to be awake when she saw him.  Anne grabbed her head and wanted to kill the person that invented large windows that let in so much light.

The sun shone so brightly that at first she wasn’t able to see Brent.  He was sitting up straight but was so backlit by the streaming rays coming in the window; it over-compensated his figure and swallowed him whole. 

Anne had the sense that something wasn’t quite right.  She reached up to shade her eyes and tried her best to sit up without pain.  She couldn’t quite look up yet with the light blinding her, so she kept her eyes cast downward.  Her eyes acclimated enough to see Brent’s feet directly across from hers.

“Wha…how?”  Anne leaned back into the shadows, so that she could see could
see who was in front of
her.  
             
“How did you get in here?  Are you resulting to stalking me now?” 

“No.”  Brent sighed. “No, well sort of.  I was on your porch last night because I couldn’t get you to talk to me.  I came to your work and have called you with no response so I showed up last night.  When you weren’t here I just thought I’d wait.  I was about to go home when I saw the cab pull up and you stumble up the walkway.”

“I did not stumble.”  Anne straightened her back.

“You surely did and if it weren’t for me – you’d be passed out flat on your face on cement.”

“So you were the potted plant?”

“What?”  Brent asked, confused.  “Are you still drunk?”

Anne gave him a look and shook her head.  “Never mind”

“So how do you feel?”  He moved closer to the edge of his chair in efforts to reach her.

“How does it look? I’m hung-over and not in the mood for a conversation so you’re going to have to leave right now.”

“I’m not leaving until we talk.”

“Seriously? You’re going to do this right now?”

“Yes!”  He looked pained.

“What are you thinking?” She yelled and then put her head in her hands.  “Ow!”  She exclaimed.  “If you insist on sitting there without my consent, could you at least be useful and close the shades and bring me an aspirin?”

Brent quickly jumped up to close the blinds and turned back with a questioning look.  Anne with her head still down lifted her arm toward the bathroom and pointed. 

“In the medicine cabinet and the glasses are in the kitchen cabinet by the fridge.”  She mumbled in pain.

Within minutes, Brent returned with a Tylenol and some water and slowly sat down next to Anne.

“Uh-huh,” Anne shook her head.  “Hand me the stuff and get your butt over in your own chair.”

“Are you afraid to sit next me Anne?”  He smirked in hopes she may have feelings left for him.

Not willing to admit anything, Anne did her best to shoot her most evil look.  And with her painful headache overriding her heart at the moment it wasn’t hard.  “No, I can’t stand to be near you but not for the reason you think.”

“Look Anne, I’m…” He started before she cut him off.
             

“I don’t want to hear it.  I got an earful when your pet project was getting her some … extra credit?  Come on – that was pretty lame even for you.”

Brent looked wounded.  “I’m a professor and have students in and out of my office a lot.  It’s not what you think.”

Anne stared at him with a look that easily translated to ‘how dumb do you think I look?’

“OK, maybe it’s what you thought, but it was nothing.  She’s a flirt and it honestly only happened one time.”

“I am not going to even argue the point on whether it only happened once or if you’re a repeater cheater.  I don’t care because all it takes is one time and that’s enough for me to say we’re finished.”

“Come on Anne. I miss you.  We’re good together.” Brent cooed and tried moving back to the couch.  After another evil eye sent his way, he thought twice and stayed put.

“Yeah, I thought so too.  That’s why this is so sad – because you had a good thing going with me and now you’re the one who’s going to regret it.  Now get out of my house - and out of my life for good!”  She was too weak to walk him out, so she sat with her head in one hand, and her other pointing toward the door.

“I’ll let myself out.”  Brent quietly said.

“Yeah, you do that.”  She said softly before lying back down.

“Call me if you change your mind Anne.  I’d like to work it out.”

“Don’t hold your breath.”

Brent slowly lifted himself out of the chair and resigned to walking out the door and out of her life.  The door shut firmly but softly in place.  Anne was silently grateful he was kind enough to at least be thoughtful of her headache.

The tears came soon after and she cried until she could no more.  There in her quiet dark room, she lay in silence wondering what next…