Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

MOLLY

When I got back to my room, I checked my phone and found out that I had four messages from Ellen. My sister seriously needs another hobby. Instead of calling her back right away, I take a bubble bath that's so relaxing I nearly fall asleep.

When I finally get out, I wrap myself in the plush bathrobe furnished by the lodge. Then I rub a towel through my hair to soak up the excess moisture, before picking up my phone and climbing onto the bed.

I press the button with my sister's face on it and barely have to wait a second before she excitedly answers. "How was tonight?" She sounds like she knew I was doing something other than eating dinner in my room, which is standard for me when I'm on a job.

"What do you mean, how was tonight?"

She clears her throat and pauses briefly before saying, "Did you go down to the dining room again for supper? Did you get the Beef Wellington?"

"What Beef Wellington? "

"Didn't I tell you about that? It was my favorite meal while I was there."

I have no memory of that but of course, I don't always listen to every word Ellen says. "I thought your favorite meal was the almond-crusted trout."

"That was my second favorite," she says. "So, what did you do tonight and why did it take you so long to call me back?"

It suddenly feels like too much effort to concoct a full-blown lie, so I tell her, "The lodge hosted a cocktail party in the great room for the guests. I went for a bit, hoping to get an idea of the kinds of things they'd like to see in the gift shop."

"All work, huh?" She sounds disappointed.

"That's why I'm here," I remind her.

"You can't blame me for hoping you might meet that lumberjack."

"No lumberjacks, but I did run into somebody we both know and don't love."

"Allison Finch?" she asks.

"Why would Mom and Dad's neighbor be in Elk Lake this time of year?" Before she can answer, I say, "She'd miss out on criticizing everyone's holiday decorations."

"That woman is truly awful," Ellen agrees. "Do you know she told Mom her inflatable snowman looks like a cheater?"

I snort. "Who's he cheating on, the blow-up Santa Claus?"

"Who knows. I swear though, that woman needs to get a life."

"Speaking of cheating and getting a life…" I start to say.

"Yes?"

"The person I ran into was Kyle."

"Your former Kyle? The scum of the Earth Kyle? Kyle, the man I want to run through with a nail file, Kyle?"

Ellen could go on for hours like this, so I tell her, "Yes. That Kyle."

"What in the world is he doing up there?"

If I say he's here for a singles' event, my sister will insist that I throw myself into the mix, so I don't go there. "I didn't bother to ask."

"Was he there with Amelia?"

"I didn't stick around long enough to find out."

"Oh, Molly," Ellen says with such sympathy I feel my eyes start to fill with tears. "What awful, horrible, rotten luck. Do you want me to come up there? I would happily beat him up for you."

The fact that I almost want her to come says a lot about the current condition of my mental state. I forcibly remind myself that it would be a nightmare if Ellen was here. I remind myself that Kyle doesn't mean anything to me and therefore isn't worth thenightmare of Ellen coming head-to-head with him. "Don't come. You need to spend time with Henry and his family."

" You're my family," she says, "and if you need me, then you're my priority."

"Henry might be your family soon, too," I tell her.

She grunts. "Maybe, but he's not yet, so just say the word and I'll be on my way."

Ellen may drive me totally insane ninety percent of the time, but the truth is I really do love her and I'm lucky to have her. "I love you, Ellen."

She seems surprised by the declaration. "Seeing that loser really bothered you, didn't it?"

Sliding under the covers, I lean against the pile of pillows behind me. "Yes and no. Part of me is surprised I haven't run into him before now, so I guess it's a relief to have it over with."

"I used to dream about seeing him in a crosswalk and mowing him down."

That sounds like a fantasy I used to have.

She continues, "But then I started watching Orange is the New Black and I realized I wouldn't do well in prison."

A burst of laughter erupts out of me. "I don't know, Ellen. I think you'd be running Cell Block C within a week."

"For sure," she says. "But the lack of sunshine would make me depressed and that would cause me to eat twice as much as I already do and before you know it, I'd be too fat to get out of bed."

"That's your worry about going to jail? Getting fat?"

Ellen sighs. "That's my worry about getting up every morning."

I hate that we live in a world where women spend so much time being anxious about their weight. We carry the cross of our appearance like the whole planet would fall out of orbit if we suddenly decided to accept ourselves. "You aren't fat, Ellen."

"Not in the sense that I can't fit through a doorway, but let's face it, I'm no string bean."

"And why would you want to be?" I ask. "Women who starve themselves to be thin have to be totally miserable."

"There are some who are naturally skinny, you know."

"And as much as it pains me to ask this, why aren't we happy for them? Shouldn't we have each other's backs?"

"Molly, is this you? Have you been alien abducted and replaced by a cyborg?"

She's right. I've been known to be critical about some things and one of those has been women who can eat anything they want and not gain weight. But after tonight, I'm feeling a little kinder toward humanity. After all, a lot of the women at the mixer were very thin, and they were at a singles' mixer. "Life is hard for everyone, and I don't want to be a part of tearing people down anymore."

"That's very mature of you," my sister says. "But I'm still disappointed. I've always been able to count on you as my partner to grouse with."

Changing the subject, I ask, "What did you get Mom and Dad for Christmas?"

"Tickets to Bermuda," she says. "Mom claims she doesn't like to travel much anymore but I know she'd do practically anything to get away from a Chicago winter for a couple of weeks. What did you get them? "

"Matching snowsuits so they can get the mail together." Then a thought hits me. "I have a vacation voucher for a resort I worked at in Bermuda. Text me the dates of their airline tickets and I'll see if I can't get their hotel comped."

"Nice! Maybe you and I should plan a sisters' getaway this winter if we can find a time that works for both of us," she suggests.

I wouldn't hate that. Ellen can be intense, but we do share the same family. It's nice to have somebody who knows how you got to be the person you currently are. "Let's sit down with our calendars soon," I tell her.

I hear someone in the hallway and immediately wonder if it's Blake. I don't know why I should care, given his blatant disregard of me, but even so, I get out of bed and hurry to the door. Cracking it open slightly, I peek out and find him standing in front of his door. He turns and says, "Hey."

"Hey."

"Who are you talking to?" Ellen wants to know.

"The maid," I tell her before offering Blake a small wave. Then I close my door again.

"Did she bring by more towels or something?" Ellen asks.

"Who?"

"The maid."

"Oh yeah," I say before adding, "I need to get to bed. I have an early appointment in the morning."

"Okay, Molls, thanks for calling. And I love you, too."

After plugging my phone into the charger, I crawl back into bed. Then I nestle under the covers and wonder what Blake is doing next door. He's probably itemizing a list of women he met that he wants to get to know better. Starting with that kindergarten teacher. Grrr.

So much for my telling Ellen that women should have each other's backs. I currently want nothing to do with the one who's caught Blake's eye. I know I sound petty, but why can't he be interested in me ?

But, no. I'm the one he wants to talk about other women to. If that's not bad enough, my ex is here looking for love, too. If this were a movie, it would be a spectacular failure. Just like my social life.