a white cotton dress with a matching white headband. She looked like she was a mannequin in a department store showing off the best of the new summer line of clothes. Her long black hair twisted down over her left shoulder and she looked beautiful.
Once again, Cindy wondered why Maria wasn’t married or even in a serious relationship, but she knew that just wasn’t her style. She liked her freedom, and that thought pulled a sad veil down Cindy’s face. Freedom.
“What is it?”
Cindy shook her head and sipped her wine. She pointed at the waiter and then at Maria. He came over and took Maria’s order.
Neither said anything for a couple of minutes. Cindy realized her friend was waiting for her to spill the beans.
“Okay, so I don’t know where Tony is tonight, and to be honest, I don’t care. I just took the chance to come see you. I’ve been—I don’t know—checking something out. Investigating. Researching. I don’t even know what to call it.”
The waiter brought Maria a glass of wine and a bottle that he set on the table between them.
“We didn’t order that,” said Maria.
“On the house.” He smiled at Cindy. “After all these visits from you ladies, somebody finally recognized that we have a celebrity here.”
“Oh shit,” whispered Cindy. “Please don’t tell anybody.”
“Of course not. We’re just glad to have you join us.” He nodded and left.
“We have to find a new place to meet,” said Cindy.
“Don’t worry about that. What were you talking about?”
Cindy wanted to tell her but she didn’t know how to start. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Maybe it’d be easier if she didn’t look at Maria directly.
“You know things haven’t been good for a long time with us.”
“Yes. I know you haven’t been happy for years.”
“Not ever.”
“Ever?”
“Not since we got married. He—”
Her voice cracked and she fought back tears. She blinked her eyes; tears leaked out. She was shaking and just wanted to leave, but she couldn’t.
“It’s okay. It’s just me. You can tell me anything.”
“He—he hits me.”
“Oh, God, Cindy . . . Really?”
Cindy glanced at her friend but then couldn’t stand to look at her and she lowered her head. She felt so ashamed and knew she was turning red. She just wanted to slink to the floor and hide under the table.
“I didn’t know what to do. I still don’t.”
Maria walked around the table and turned Cindy to face her, so that she could give her a hug.
“You know you haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Not according to him.”
“I know you, babe. You could never do anything. Even if you did, there’s never any excuse for that.”
Maria pulled Cindy to her and held her. Cindy was crying in silence, and they stayed that way for a moment. Cindy hated showing how weak she felt, but she couldn’t do anything else. She felt relief at finally telling somebody but also felt helpless at the same time.
She finally took a gulp of air and broke from her friend.
“I’m okay,” she whispered. She used her napkin to wipe the tears from her eyes.
Maria rubbed Cindy’s arm and then moved back to her own seat.
“You can’t stay with him,” she said.
“It’s not that easy.”
“Sure it is. Just leave.”
Cindy looked around to be sure nobody was watching or listening to them. Nobody was.
“He said he’d kill us.” She looked straight ahead, lost in thought. “I believe him.”
Maria just stared at her, as if Cindy had been speaking in Swahili. Cindy understood the confusion, because Maria saw Tony the same way everybody else did. He was the smiling, happy-go-lucky guy who was the life of the party. Everybody loved Tony and knew he wouldn’t hurt a fly. Certainly not his little daughter.
Cindy continued, “I know it sounds impossible, but believe me, I’m telling you the truth.”
She told Maria about all the times Tony had beaten her, how he made sure to never leave marks, and how
Once again, Cindy wondered why Maria wasn’t married or even in a serious relationship, but she knew that just wasn’t her style. She liked her freedom, and that thought pulled a sad veil down Cindy’s face. Freedom.
“What is it?”
Cindy shook her head and sipped her wine. She pointed at the waiter and then at Maria. He came over and took Maria’s order.
Neither said anything for a couple of minutes. Cindy realized her friend was waiting for her to spill the beans.
“Okay, so I don’t know where Tony is tonight, and to be honest, I don’t care. I just took the chance to come see you. I’ve been—I don’t know—checking something out. Investigating. Researching. I don’t even know what to call it.”
The waiter brought Maria a glass of wine and a bottle that he set on the table between them.
“We didn’t order that,” said Maria.
“On the house.” He smiled at Cindy. “After all these visits from you ladies, somebody finally recognized that we have a celebrity here.”
“Oh shit,” whispered Cindy. “Please don’t tell anybody.”
“Of course not. We’re just glad to have you join us.” He nodded and left.
“We have to find a new place to meet,” said Cindy.
“Don’t worry about that. What were you talking about?”
Cindy wanted to tell her but she didn’t know how to start. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Maybe it’d be easier if she didn’t look at Maria directly.
“You know things haven’t been good for a long time with us.”
“Yes. I know you haven’t been happy for years.”
“Not ever.”
“Ever?”
“Not since we got married. He—”
Her voice cracked and she fought back tears. She blinked her eyes; tears leaked out. She was shaking and just wanted to leave, but she couldn’t.
“It’s okay. It’s just me. You can tell me anything.”
“He—he hits me.”
“Oh, God, Cindy . . . Really?”
Cindy glanced at her friend but then couldn’t stand to look at her and she lowered her head. She felt so ashamed and knew she was turning red. She just wanted to slink to the floor and hide under the table.
“I didn’t know what to do. I still don’t.”
Maria walked around the table and turned Cindy to face her, so that she could give her a hug.
“You know you haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Not according to him.”
“I know you, babe. You could never do anything. Even if you did, there’s never any excuse for that.”
Maria pulled Cindy to her and held her. Cindy was crying in silence, and they stayed that way for a moment. Cindy hated showing how weak she felt, but she couldn’t do anything else. She felt relief at finally telling somebody but also felt helpless at the same time.
She finally took a gulp of air and broke from her friend.
“I’m okay,” she whispered. She used her napkin to wipe the tears from her eyes.
Maria rubbed Cindy’s arm and then moved back to her own seat.
“You can’t stay with him,” she said.
“It’s not that easy.”
“Sure it is. Just leave.”
Cindy looked around to be sure nobody was watching or listening to them. Nobody was.
“He said he’d kill us.” She looked straight ahead, lost in thought. “I believe him.”
Maria just stared at her, as if Cindy had been speaking in Swahili. Cindy understood the confusion, because Maria saw Tony the same way everybody else did. He was the smiling, happy-go-lucky guy who was the life of the party. Everybody loved Tony and knew he wouldn’t hurt a fly. Certainly not his little daughter.
Cindy continued, “I know it sounds impossible, but believe me, I’m telling you the truth.”
She told Maria about all the times Tony had beaten her, how he made sure to never leave marks, and how
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