faster.
Charlie’s cell phone rang and as he took the call he walked away, not even bothering to offer his arm while she stepped from the cab onto the icy pavement in four-inch heels. Charlie had already unlocked the front door and had closed it by the time she arrived at their apartment. Heather opened the door, peeled off her shoes, and walked toward the bedroom.
Before she reached the room, Charlie grabbed her around the waist. “Where are you going, my hot little columnist? Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”
“I think you might have forgotten to mention it. You were a little too busy flirting with the women at the bar,” she said.
“Just working the room for business,” he said, unzipping her dress.
“Stop!” She moved his arms away and pulled the zipper back up. “How could you think that I want to sleep with you right now?”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” The muscle in his cheek twitched and his brow furrowed, as he stared her down. “Whatever issues you’re having these days, I need you to get over them and fast. We’ve lost another syndicate this week and I’m trying to save your career. I have twenty other clients I need to keep happy.” He picked up his cell phone and began to make a call as he walked away.
She grabbed the phone. “Will you just listen for a minute?”
“Maybe I’m tired of listening.” He grabbed the phone from her hand.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She folded her arms across her chest.
“I can’t make you happy. I work my ass off to give you everything and all I hear about is what I haven’t done.”
“Well, maybe I feel invisible.” Her voice came out louder than she intended.
“Invisible? You’re kidding.” He forcefully threw his hands in the air as he continued to yell. “Everything I do is about you and your career. I’m trying to build a life for us, yet you don’t seem to care. Do you want to end up a waitress again, barely able to make ends meet?”
Heather looked at the floor and bit her lip until it swelled. In the fairy tale, “The End” never mentioned that the prince spentthe rest of his life reminding Cinderella that she’d once scrubbed floors in rags. Anger fumed and she lifted her chin and looked him in the eye. “Oh, and I have nothing to do with that success? Who’s done the traveling, Charlie? Who’s lived out of a suitcase for the last six years? Not you. And then when I come home there isn’t even room for me in this apartment. It’s like I’m a guest here.”
“You’ve gone off the deep end. I’m sick of this.” He turned his back to her. “You want more room, then find your own place, because obviously what I’ve given you isn’t enough.”
Her voice became softer as she delivered the words that needed to be said. “That’s my plan. I was serious when I said we needed a break. I think we should take some time apart.”
The artery in his throat bulged as he turned, his face red. He came within a foot of her and loomed over with his large frame. “You leave for Europe in ten days. Make sure you have a place to live when you return, because I want you out.”
She reached to touch his arm, hoping to salvage some tenderness. “Charlie, let’s talk about this. We need to be able to work together. I don’t want animosity between us. I just need . . .”
“I don’t care what you need anymore.” He pulled away and walked out of the room. She heard the front door slam.
There should’ve been tears, a tsunami of emotions. Instead, she felt numb and couldn’t stop shaking. She grabbed her cell phone from her purse and called her friend Gina, but it went straight to voice mail. Her fingernails tapped against the metal of the phone.
She needed to talk to someone, and before she could change her mind, she dialed the number she knew better than to call. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, Heather, are you back from your trip?” Heather heard her mother take a deep drag from her cigarette.
Charlie’s cell phone rang and as he took the call he walked away, not even bothering to offer his arm while she stepped from the cab onto the icy pavement in four-inch heels. Charlie had already unlocked the front door and had closed it by the time she arrived at their apartment. Heather opened the door, peeled off her shoes, and walked toward the bedroom.
Before she reached the room, Charlie grabbed her around the waist. “Where are you going, my hot little columnist? Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”
“I think you might have forgotten to mention it. You were a little too busy flirting with the women at the bar,” she said.
“Just working the room for business,” he said, unzipping her dress.
“Stop!” She moved his arms away and pulled the zipper back up. “How could you think that I want to sleep with you right now?”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” The muscle in his cheek twitched and his brow furrowed, as he stared her down. “Whatever issues you’re having these days, I need you to get over them and fast. We’ve lost another syndicate this week and I’m trying to save your career. I have twenty other clients I need to keep happy.” He picked up his cell phone and began to make a call as he walked away.
She grabbed the phone. “Will you just listen for a minute?”
“Maybe I’m tired of listening.” He grabbed the phone from her hand.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She folded her arms across her chest.
“I can’t make you happy. I work my ass off to give you everything and all I hear about is what I haven’t done.”
“Well, maybe I feel invisible.” Her voice came out louder than she intended.
“Invisible? You’re kidding.” He forcefully threw his hands in the air as he continued to yell. “Everything I do is about you and your career. I’m trying to build a life for us, yet you don’t seem to care. Do you want to end up a waitress again, barely able to make ends meet?”
Heather looked at the floor and bit her lip until it swelled. In the fairy tale, “The End” never mentioned that the prince spentthe rest of his life reminding Cinderella that she’d once scrubbed floors in rags. Anger fumed and she lifted her chin and looked him in the eye. “Oh, and I have nothing to do with that success? Who’s done the traveling, Charlie? Who’s lived out of a suitcase for the last six years? Not you. And then when I come home there isn’t even room for me in this apartment. It’s like I’m a guest here.”
“You’ve gone off the deep end. I’m sick of this.” He turned his back to her. “You want more room, then find your own place, because obviously what I’ve given you isn’t enough.”
Her voice became softer as she delivered the words that needed to be said. “That’s my plan. I was serious when I said we needed a break. I think we should take some time apart.”
The artery in his throat bulged as he turned, his face red. He came within a foot of her and loomed over with his large frame. “You leave for Europe in ten days. Make sure you have a place to live when you return, because I want you out.”
She reached to touch his arm, hoping to salvage some tenderness. “Charlie, let’s talk about this. We need to be able to work together. I don’t want animosity between us. I just need . . .”
“I don’t care what you need anymore.” He pulled away and walked out of the room. She heard the front door slam.
There should’ve been tears, a tsunami of emotions. Instead, she felt numb and couldn’t stop shaking. She grabbed her cell phone from her purse and called her friend Gina, but it went straight to voice mail. Her fingernails tapped against the metal of the phone.
She needed to talk to someone, and before she could change her mind, she dialed the number she knew better than to call. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, Heather, are you back from your trip?” Heather heard her mother take a deep drag from her cigarette.
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