Society Wives (29 page)

The series of non-stop ringing and barrage of knocks slamming into the door got her attention. It sounded like the police were pounding their way through with a battle ram. Nadalia stood and took cautious steps through the dark toward the banging. Peering out the window, she saw Pearson.

“Open the door, sister. I know you're in there. I see your car in the driveway.”

Nadalia closed her eyes for just a moment and then walked to the door and peeled it open slowly. She put her hands on her hips. “How did you know I was here?”

“Your lovely husband. Well, from the looks of things, your stupid husband told me.” Pearson welcomed herself inside, pushing passed Nadalia laughing. “They are stupid when they make you mad.”

“What!” Nadalia tensed, wondering how much Pearson knew. “What did he tell you?”

“What's with the darkness? Mama didn't pay the light bill?”

Nadalia walked into the nearest sitting room and flicked on a lamp, casting a low light around the room.

Pearson followed her. “Aww, that's better.” She looked around before sitting on an antique Queen Anne chair. “This is fabulous.”

“Thanks,” Nadalia said watching Pearson scan the European decor with admiration.

“Is that your mom?” Pearson asked, getting up and walking over to a huge portrait of Mina wearing a Victorian-styled gown.

“Yes. My mom always liked those old world paintings so she had one done of herself. Now. Why are you here?” Nadalia asked, snapping at Pearson.

“After I called a hundred times and didn't get an answer, I decided to stop by your house. I was trying to see if you guys were going to make your usual donation to the auction at the benefit. Sage told me that you weren't there and that he couldn't tell me when you'd be coming back. He looked like a lost puppy, so I knew he'd done something to piss you off. I just went ahead and asked the dummy what he did and of course he wouldn't tell me.”

Nadalia released the breath she'd been holding.

“Men never fully admit anything but anyway, he said he messed up bad. He assumed you were here and asked if I would just check up on you.”

“Oh. Well, I'm fine and I will be donating a coat from the new season for the benefit as well as making our usual donation. So if that's all...” Nadalia got up to let Pearson out.

“Whoa!” Pearson put her hands up. “Look, Nadalia. I'm not trying to get in your business, but it's obvious that there's something very wrong. You're sitting in this big scary ass Victorian, looking like a haunted house from lifestyles of the dead and famous—in the dark, mind you—with eyes redder than Ruby Woo. The bags under your eyes are big enough to fit a few pairs of Jimmy Choos. You don't have to tell me exactly what's wrong. Truthfully, I don't even want to go down that path, because I have more issues than you can imagine and it would take the next five years for us to swap problems. But, I'm not about to just leave you here. You need some...support.” Pearson ended with a gentleness that Nadalia wouldn't have expected. “You don't have to talk. I'll just sit here so you know you've got somebody.”

Nadalia burst into tears. Pearson got up and wrapped her arms around her. “I know, honey. I know.”

Nadalia pulled her head back, wiped her tears and chuckled. “Goodness. I know you didn't see that coming.”

Both ladies laughed.

“We all have issues, honey.” Pearson led Nadalia to the floral love seat, sat and cupped Nadalia's hands between hers.

“Some of ours are bigger than others,” Nadalia said.

“Girl, please! Why do you think I drink so much?”

Nadalia twisted her lips and looked at Pearson sideways.

“Yeah! I know I drink way too much.” Pearson snorted. “But it helps me,” she said in a near whisper. “Sometimes things hurt so much that I just want to stop myself from feeling.” Pearson looked away. “I'm trying to control it now, but it taunts me sometimes, promising that it will make me feel better. There are times when I feel like it's more of a friend to me than my real friends are. It never judges me.” A lone tear fell down Pearson's cheek.

Nadalia remained quiet, but squeezed her hand.

Pearson swatted the tear. “Hey. The girls said you kissed me the night we went out. Of course I don't remember anything.”

“Yeah!”

“There's a heart in there after all.”

“You're talking?”

They shared several moments of easy laughter.

Pearson rubbed the back of Nadalia's hand and smiled. “This life! I tell ya.”

“I know!”

They welcomed the next few moments of silence. Nadalia was actually glad Pearson was there. She gave her the first genuine laugh, and a flicker of hope that she might be able to come out of the dark well that she had crawled into.

“I never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually glad you are here,” Nadalia said and shoved her playfully.

Pearson smiled and stared off in the distance. After a few beats she opened up again. “I never made friends well. I never really trusted people. Somehow you women have snaked your way into my gate and I like having you there. Even you…and Ryan.” Nadalia gasped and swatted at her again. Pearson dodged the hit. “I'm being honest.”

Nadalia shook her head and laughed.

“Hey!” Pearson said, snatching Nadalia's attention. “Since you don't want to talk about your problems, I'll tell you about some of mine. Then you'll probably feel like your life isn't so bad. I'm tired of keeping all this stuff to myself. It gets heavy and frankly, I no longer give a shit what people think because we all got issues. Ha!”

Nadalia flinched. Pearson's outburst startled her and for a moment, Nadalia couldn't stop herself from laughing.

“Woo. Okay! You ready?” Pearson straightened her back.

Nadalia stretched her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Niles is at the end of his rope with my drinking. I've promised him I'd stop numerous times. I lied then, but now I've tried and don't even know if I'm capable of stopping. It lures me with the promise of making life lighter for me, like a mischievous friend.” Pearson put her head down for a moment. “I don't want to lose my husband.” She paused long enough to fill the space between them with awkward discomfort. “He's my safe haven, my best friend and he's about to be all I've got since my mother's dying.”

Nadalia's hang flew to her mouth, covering her gasp.” Oh my goodness, Pearson. I'm so sorry.”

Pearson looked at her with glistening eyes and pursed her lips. “I've never had a great relationship with my mom. Always wanted to.” Her bottom lip quivered. “In fact for years I thought she just didn't like me. Recently she tried to reconcile with me...even apologized for being a bad mom, but I rejected her and then she passed out. I thought I was going to lose her then.” Pearson hunched her shoulders, donned a sheepish grin, and choked on her emotion when she tried to speak again. “She'll…she'll be gone soon.” She paused, pressing her lips into a tight line. Wiping the tears from her chin, Pearson cleared her throat and continued. “I think it's so unfair. I almost don't want to get close because I know it's going to hurt so much more when she goes.” Nadalia squeezed her hand tighter. “And how have I been dealing with all of this...drinking.” Pearson held her hands up and let them fall into her lap hard. “It's driven a wedge between my husband and me. He was so upset with me last weekend that when I woke up Sunday morning, every bottle in the house had been smashed…and then he left me.”

Nadalia sucked in a heap of air and blinked at Pearson.

“Pearson,” she called her name gently.

“He came back when my mom got sick. I'm trying to do everything right to make sure he stays. See, Nadalia. You're not alone.” Pearson sniffled. “We've all got issues and some of ours can really trump others.” Pearson laughed a little. “I bet if the other women were here, they could tell of so much more. Ryan with that controlling, womanizing Anderson. Vonnie and Mike with...” Pearson thought for a minute. “I swear Vonnie and Mike seem like they have never had any problems.” Both women laughed.

Nadalia put her head down. She really felt for Pearson, but still wasn't ready to reveal her own truth. She couldn't imagine telling her that facing life without Sage seemed impossible, but he had left her with no choice. She could never admit that she felt like less of a woman because Sage cheated on her with a man. If she could help it, no one would ever hear any of this from her lips.

Chapter 45

Vonnie

Mike and Vonnie sifted through scores of envelopes, dividing the house bills from his company's bills and then organizing them by due date. The pile of those that were past due towered high over bills that were current. Mike rested his head in his hands and let out a frustrated breath.

“What do we have in savings again?”

Vonnie got up from the table, yawned and stretched her back. They had been maneuvering funds from their savings and investments trying to work out strategies to fix their financial problems for hours.

“From my savings, I can bring the car notes, utilities and some of the credit cards up to date. We'll have to cash in some investments to get Noelle's tuition back on track. We can loan the business a little money to pay one of the bank loans, but the bottom line is we are going to have to pull Noelle out of that school. We just can't afford forty-five thousand a year for tuition anymore, especially if we plan on sending her to college someday.” Vonnie sat back. “It would be great to have her back home. She can go to the public school right here in this district.”

Mike shook his head. “Where do we stand with the business accounts?”

“It doesn't look good. Based on what's going out on a monthly basis to cover rent, the bank loans, and your regular creditors, you may be just making payroll.”

Mike dropped his head back. “I may have to let a few more people go. This new project will get things moving again.”

“But Mike, without the money you need to invest in developing the software, there's nothing we can do. You're maxed out with the creditors and the banks are refusing to loan you any more money. And you better not even think of going to Andrew.” Vonnie let him know just how serious she was with her tight expression and pointed finger.

This time Mike stood and started pacing. “Think!” he chanted to himself. “How many people would I have to cut to maintain again?”

“At least six.”

“I'm just going to have to do it.” He shook his head.

“You may not want to hear this, but the reality is we just can't afford this house anymore. We have three options; we can take some money and pay a few months of the mortgage to buy us some time. That way we can put the house on the market and hope it sells before the bank takes it. We could do a short sale, or we just let it go and let the bank foreclose on it. If we can sell it, we may be able to walk away with a few dollars to put on a more affordable home. If the bank does a short sell, we walk away clean, but we won't have any money for a down payment on the new house and all of our accounts are cleaned out, lastly if we let the bank foreclose on us, we lose it all.”

Vonnie read the frustration in the lines of Mike's stressed eyes. She didn't mention the fee his lawyer was charging to represent him in the case for the gun charge, which could wipe them out if it went to trial.

Vonnie sat back in her seat and sighed. Mike was still pacing, his bloodshot eyes narrowed in deep thought. His cell phone rang, pulling him from inside of his mind.

“What's up, my man?” Mike said cheerfully, masking his irritation from the person on the other end of the phone. Vonnie looked up at him, and shook her head at the fake smile in his voice. “Yeah that sounds cool...when...I know this weather has been crazy, but I hear the weekend is supposed to be nice...Yeah... you think the course will be clean enough? Cool...sure...count me in. Look man, I gotta run and handle some business. I'll call you back.”

Mike ended the call and tossed his phone onto the teak wood table a little too hard. “Dammit.” The smile had left his voice. Mike leaned against the counter and folded his arms. His eyes narrowed and his mouth twisted as he gnawed on the inside of his bottom lip. A gesture that gave Vonnie a clear indication that his anger was getting the best of him. Mike wasn't much of a liar and Vonnie knew that the little game he just played on the phone would affect him. The man in him wouldn't allow others to see him sweat.

Vonnie wanted to mention that they couldn't afford for him to go golfing right now until she remembered that one of the only bills he did pay was his country club membership. The little reminder made her scream on the inside, yet she understood. The Beck was their haven. Had he not paid his dues, the others would have known right away that they were having financial problems. Mike was too proud to expose himself like that.

But, how long would it take for them to realize that they had been ejected from their economic status? Would they remain friends with Mike?

“Dammit!” he yelled again, startling Vonnie.

“Mike! Relax. We will get through this.”

“I messed up. I messed up bad,” he repeated with his teeth clenched tight. “I fu–”

“Mike!” Vonnie yelled again before he released the expletive on the tip of his tongue.

“I did this to us. I ruined us.” Mike's hands flopped against his thighs.

“Everyone has ups and downs.”

“This wasn't supposed to happen to us!” With a single swipe Mike sent the invoices, cups and calculators that were scattered across the table crashing to the floor.

Vonnie grabbed the laptop and jumped out of her chair. “Mike!” she yelled, but he wasn't listening.

With a growl, Mike swung his arm again and sent the rest of the paperwork fluttering to the floor, then lifted the table. Vonnie screamed his name one more time before he turned it completely over. She placed the laptop on the granite counter and pulled on his arms until he let the table go. She called him repeatedly, trying to bring him from the dark rage that had come over him. She hadn't seen him that mad in years.