Read Online Come Back To Me by Melissa Foster - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Melissa Foster
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seconds, following Tess into the ladies’ room. Tess locked herself in a stall and sobbed.
Alice pressed her hand against the stall door. “Tess?” she said softly.
Tess sniffled, blew her nose.
“Do you want to talk?” Alice asked.
Tess steeled herself for what she knew would come next. She’d tell Alice that Beau was still alive, and Alice would tell her that she needed to deal with the reality that Beau was dead. She’d heard it so many times already from Alice, from Carol, from Kevin. If she heard it one more time she thought she might throw up. She knew what she believed, but she also knew that no one else held that same belief. No, she decided. She would not go through that again. If Carol and Robert needed a damned memorial, then so be it. She didn’t need to be part of it. She’d be damned if she was going to have that useless discussion with anyone else—ever again. She lowered her hand to her abdomen and thought, I can do this. For you. For us.
She wiped her eyes, held her head high, and pulled her shoulders back before exiting the stall. Alice. Alice knew how to push her, make her do things that she didn’t want to do. Alice’s full lips turned down at the ends, her eyebrows drew together and lifted ever so slightly. The emotion Alice gave her was real, and Tess couldn’t, no matter how much she steeled herself, turn her back on that. Against her will, tears tumbled down her cheeks and she fell, sobbing, into Alice’s open arms.
Back at her apartment, Alice set her purse on the impeccably-clean black countertop and settled into the white Scandinavian recliner. She still got a rush of excitement from the crispness of the black and white furniture, highlighted by smooth wooden braces that arched and essed. Scandinavian designs made her feel successful and comfortable. In her condo, she was in control, and she liked it that way. Everything had its place, and it was rarely set awry. A few male visitors had left their shoes in all the wrong places, carelessly tossed their shirts onto the floor—something she despised—and had, in general, made her wish they would leave shortly after they had arrived. Alice felt complete just the way she was. She didn’t understand the gushing need that so many women had for men in their lives. Even Tess’s preoccupation with Beau had been almost too much for Alice to endure.
She enjoyed the amenities she owned, which did not come cheap. She’d been knee deep in debt when she’d taken the job with Tess, and it hadn’t taken long for her to understand the earning ability that Tess possessed.
Alice quickly discovered which tasks she could take over, enabling Tess to build the business, and rendering the need to hire two more recruiters. Alice’s salary had soared, as did Tess’s, and Tess was generous with the profits, a little too generous, if you asked Alice. She tossed an extra thousand dollars to the recruiters whenever they had produced more than ten thousand dollars of income during any one-month period. Alice never complained, though. Tess had always been fair with Alice, allowing her to naturally increase her responsibility without question, and with the added responsibility, she increased Alice’s salary exponentially, while still providing lofty bonuses. Alice had quickly climbed out of debt and into a place of comfort, maybe even a little elitist. She reached for her black, designer telephone.
“Hey, Alice, what’s up?” Kevin was in good spirits.
“A lot, let me tell you,” Alice sighed. “Can you meet me somewhere?”
The last time Alice had asked Kevin to meet her was when Alice wanted to complain about Beau sweeping Tess away on an unplanned vacation in the middle of their busiest season. She’d wanted Kevin to step in and talk sense into Beau, delay their trip.
He hesitated, then agreed. “When?”
“Tonight.” It wasn’t a question.
Alice assumed Kevin didn’t have plans. Her assumption was correct, of course, and she
Alice pressed her hand against the stall door. “Tess?” she said softly.
Tess sniffled, blew her nose.
“Do you want to talk?” Alice asked.
Tess steeled herself for what she knew would come next. She’d tell Alice that Beau was still alive, and Alice would tell her that she needed to deal with the reality that Beau was dead. She’d heard it so many times already from Alice, from Carol, from Kevin. If she heard it one more time she thought she might throw up. She knew what she believed, but she also knew that no one else held that same belief. No, she decided. She would not go through that again. If Carol and Robert needed a damned memorial, then so be it. She didn’t need to be part of it. She’d be damned if she was going to have that useless discussion with anyone else—ever again. She lowered her hand to her abdomen and thought, I can do this. For you. For us.
She wiped her eyes, held her head high, and pulled her shoulders back before exiting the stall. Alice. Alice knew how to push her, make her do things that she didn’t want to do. Alice’s full lips turned down at the ends, her eyebrows drew together and lifted ever so slightly. The emotion Alice gave her was real, and Tess couldn’t, no matter how much she steeled herself, turn her back on that. Against her will, tears tumbled down her cheeks and she fell, sobbing, into Alice’s open arms.
Back at her apartment, Alice set her purse on the impeccably-clean black countertop and settled into the white Scandinavian recliner. She still got a rush of excitement from the crispness of the black and white furniture, highlighted by smooth wooden braces that arched and essed. Scandinavian designs made her feel successful and comfortable. In her condo, she was in control, and she liked it that way. Everything had its place, and it was rarely set awry. A few male visitors had left their shoes in all the wrong places, carelessly tossed their shirts onto the floor—something she despised—and had, in general, made her wish they would leave shortly after they had arrived. Alice felt complete just the way she was. She didn’t understand the gushing need that so many women had for men in their lives. Even Tess’s preoccupation with Beau had been almost too much for Alice to endure.
She enjoyed the amenities she owned, which did not come cheap. She’d been knee deep in debt when she’d taken the job with Tess, and it hadn’t taken long for her to understand the earning ability that Tess possessed.
Alice quickly discovered which tasks she could take over, enabling Tess to build the business, and rendering the need to hire two more recruiters. Alice’s salary had soared, as did Tess’s, and Tess was generous with the profits, a little too generous, if you asked Alice. She tossed an extra thousand dollars to the recruiters whenever they had produced more than ten thousand dollars of income during any one-month period. Alice never complained, though. Tess had always been fair with Alice, allowing her to naturally increase her responsibility without question, and with the added responsibility, she increased Alice’s salary exponentially, while still providing lofty bonuses. Alice had quickly climbed out of debt and into a place of comfort, maybe even a little elitist. She reached for her black, designer telephone.
“Hey, Alice, what’s up?” Kevin was in good spirits.
“A lot, let me tell you,” Alice sighed. “Can you meet me somewhere?”
The last time Alice had asked Kevin to meet her was when Alice wanted to complain about Beau sweeping Tess away on an unplanned vacation in the middle of their busiest season. She’d wanted Kevin to step in and talk sense into Beau, delay their trip.
He hesitated, then agreed. “When?”
“Tonight.” It wasn’t a question.
Alice assumed Kevin didn’t have plans. Her assumption was correct, of course, and she
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