INSTALLMENT 29
Outside of Foxy’s Diner (picking up where last installment ended)
“Henry, what are you doing? We shouldn’t be doing this especially in plain
view.” Nina pushes Henry away when she realizes what she
is doing. “What were you thinking kissing me like that?”
“I was thinking about how lucky I am to be staring into the face of the hottest
girl in town. I don’t know what you were thinking about but I was definitely going
to take the opportunity to kiss you.” Henry replies with a giant smirk
on his face.
“Do you realize that someone could have seen us kissing and be on their way
to tell your girlfriend and my best friend! Were you even thinking about that
when you kissed me?” Nina asks.
“I ask the same question back because you certainly didn’t stop what
was going on.” Henry replies. “This is the difference between you and me.
I express how I feel and I don't care what others think.”
“Good theory except for instances where you hurt other people by
expressing how you feel. Don’t you have somewhere you need to be?
Just looking at you right now is making me angry!” Nina shouts. She is
unaware that her sister Gillian is watching from the distance.
“Yeah, I do have somewhere to be right now. Talk to me when
you aren’t in denial over what you feel.” Henry states and walks away.
Nina stands in total shock over the kiss she shared with Henry. A part
of her is angry she enjoyed the kiss but the other part of her is on cloud nine
over what just happened. Just as she starts to gather her thoughts and walk back
into Foxy’s, she hears someone walking up behind her. Turning around, she sees
that it’s her sister Gillian and wonders if she saw anything.
“Gil, what are you doing here this time of day? Don’t tell me that
your new boss is giving you extra perks already?” Nina nervously asks.
Gillian just smiles and stares at her.
“I never thought I’d see the day that I would have to have this talk with
my little sister. Nina, please follow me inside. Before you ask, I saw
everything and we need to discuss it.” Gillian motions for her sister to
follow her into Foxy’s.
Oleary’s
Laughter fills the establishment but Thomas Norris is unaware of the noise
around him. He's listening to a joke Jonathan is telling him. In the few
months he has been living in Hope Falls, he hasn’t met anyone as
interesting and funny as Jonathan. Staring into Jonathan’s hypnotic blue
eyes, he is finding himself feeling more and more comfortable with his
surroundings.
“Earth to Thomas, anyone in there?” Jonathan waves his hand in front
of Thomas’s face which pulls him out of his daydream.
“Sorry about that man. I guess I was in another world and didn’t realize
you were done with your joke.” Thomas feels embarrassed when he's
caught daydreaming.
“No sweat, it wasn’t even a good joke. I was trying to break the ice and
judging by your icy stare, I failed miserably.”
“Not at all, I am glad to be hanging out with you today. I’m a little
surprised because I thought you had a new art exhibit down at the gallery.”
“Yeah, but I have a new assistant who is doing all the dirty work. If I had
decided to relocate my gallery, I wouldn’t have been able to afford an
assistant. Thank God for small favors!” Jonathan takes a drink of his
coke while staring at Thomas. “So what is new with you? I feel I haven’t
seen you much lately.”
“Oh, remember I was telling you about what happened to me in
California?” Thomas asks while Jonathan nods. “The past certainly
has a way of not staying buried. Apparently, Luis’s sister Alicia has made
herself at home in Hope Falls.”
“You are kidding me! What are the odds that she would decide to
relocate to the same place where you are?”
“She visited me not too long ago and assured me that she has
moved on. She plans on watching to make sure I don’t cause anyone else any
pain. She has a valid point because her brother did blame me when he killed
himself.”
“We went over this already; it isn’t your fault that this guy decided to kill
himself. The fact that his sister is telling you it’s your fault makes me think
she needs more help then you do.” Jonathan states.
“I know you are right, but I still feel a lot of guilt over what happened.
Do you mind if we change the subject?” Jonathan laughs at that question
and nods. “Great, I just hate thinking about this all the time. I moved here
to have a fresh start and I can’t seem to shake the past.”
“Well, when you cause someone to die, perhaps you don’t deserve to
move on.” Alica Salgado comments from behind Thomas. “Glad to see that
I’ve gotten your attention. I happened to look over here and saw my old friend and
decided to say hello. I think I’ll join you guys.” She takes a chair from another
table and sits down in front of them.
Outside of Hope Falls Country Club:
“Did you hear me Lillian? I asked you what has taken us so long to run
into one another.”
Lillian continues to stare at George while she tries to come up with an
answer to his question. She realizes it has been over twenty six years
since the two had last seen one another. Staring at her first love makes it seem
as if time has stood still. Quickly, she snaps herself out of her thoughts
to focus on the issue at hand.
“I’m not going to answer that question because you know the answer.
Now answer my question, what are you doing here?”
“Let me think about that for a moment.” He pauses for a quick second.
“I am a member of this country club and my wife happens to be here
having lunch. Tell me has it really been over twenty six years?”
“Yes, it has, I was going to talk to my daughter but I’ll ask you this
question since you’re here. Is it true that my daughter is working for your
company?”
“Oh, yes she is. I think she is going to be a wonderful asset. I have to
thank your husband for the wonderful suggestion to hire her. You ended up
marrying a really nice guy who doesn’t overlook what he has.” George replies.
Lillian looks at him and knows exactly what he is talking about. Her expression softens.
She realizes how abrasive she is coming across and remembers how her old friend
Lenore brings that out in her.
“Listen, I’m sorry that I sounded like a bitch, but your wife has a
tendency to do that to me. I shouldn’t be taking out my frustrations on
you when I’m angry with her. Let’s start over, shall we?”
“After hearing that you spoke with my wife, I’ll forgive you.” Lillian and
George both share a laugh. “Would you like to walk around the grounds
with me and catch up on the last twenty six years?” George
offers. Lillian nods her approval.
George and Lillian start to walk around the country club. Both are unaware that Lenore is
watching from the window filled with jealousy.
Foxy’s Diner:
Gillian and Nina quickly sit down in one of the booths and Nina braces
herself for a lecture from her older sister. Never in a million years would she
imagine herself receiving a lecture from Gillian of all people.
“Ok, before you start, can I explain that he has been pursuing me for
weeks and just kissed me out of the blue.” Nina quickly offers.
“Listen, it isn’t the fact that you were kissing that guy in public that has
me wanting to talk to you. I just didn’t expect to see my logical sister
kissing her best friend’s boyfriend. This screams something that I would
be caught doing, not you.”
“Gil, I don’t know what came over me, I’m feeling so horrible right now.
This isn’t like me, I’m the person who organizes and plans everything.”
Nina replies. “I am not the one who is impulsive. Normally, I react when
you and Katie do this type of thing.”
“Nina, you are only human. Everyone does impulsive things that they
regret. Take how I handled things with Dale for example.”
“I can’t use that as an example, you’ve never talked about that.” Nina
replies.
“Oh, I’ll tell you about that another time. Right now, we are focusing
on you.”
“Gil, I know you are going to continue explaining how everyone makes
mistakes and we learn from them. I know that in my mind but guilt has a
funny way of overturning what you know is correct.”
“Actually, I was going to ask you just one simple question. Do you have
feelings for him?” Gillian waits for Nina to answer then realizes Nina has
a blank expression on her face. “Yes or no, do you have feelings for
him? You have to be honest with yourself if not anyone else.”
“Honestly, I think I do but since he is dating my best friend, I can’t think
about him in that way. I tried to think away these feelings by coming up
with logical approaches but -“
“I am going to stop you right there sis and tell you that you do have
feelings for him. You tried to think your way out of your feelings
and you ended up making out with him. You have to face your feelings or
else you will never be free of them.”
“When did you become so logical?”
“You forget that I’m an emotional person and that after twenty three
years, you become acustom to those feelings and how to live with them.
You, on the other hand, have always based your life on books and logic.
That works in most situations but not here.”
“Gosh, I have entered the Twilight Zone! I am getting logical advice from
my sister. Anyway, I have to go but I’ll be thinking about what you told me.
See you later Gil.”
Nina quickly exits the diner while Gillian sits with a smile on her
face. She's happy to have helped her sister.
Oleary’s
“So what were you guys talking about before I came over to join you? I
certainly hope it was more interesting then my late brother.” Alicia asks.
“Oh, we were just catching up since we’ve both been very busy with
work and haven’t had a chance to hang out lately.” Jonathan replies.
“I’m not interrupting a date am I?” Both Thomas and Jonathan turn
bright red at the question. “Oh, I’ve embarrassed you guys. Forgive me,
but I couldn’t help noticing that you two were awfully chummy with one
another. It sort of reminds me of how you used to be around my brother,
remember Thomas?”
“Yes, Alicia I remember very well how I was with him. I also remember
how incredibly mean you were to him for even dating me. Do you
remember that?” Thomas asks with a hint of bitterness in his voice.
“Touche, I guess your guilt is getting the best of you when it comes to
mentioning my brother. By the way, we haven’t officially met. I’m
Alicia Salgado.” Alicia extends her hand for Jonathan to shake.
“Nice to meet you Alicia.” Jonathan shakes her hand. “I’m Jonathan
Falmont and it certainly is interesting meeting you. What brings
you to lovely Hope Falls?”
“Glad you asked. Thomas would have you believe I’m here to torture
him. That is so far from the truth. I wanted to move to an area that my
late brother loved. Of course, I didn’t have any idea that his ex would be
here but what can you do.”
“Look at the time, I have to go visit an old friend from college. He is
trying to get me to feature one of his sub-par paintings in my gallery. I
have to figure out a way to break it to him. Are you coming Thomas?”
Jonathan gets up from the table and Thomas slowly gets up with him.
“Yes, I have to get back to the office myself. Jonathan, we should go
see a movie this weekend. How about seeing the new Indiana Jones movie?”
“That's a plan! Alicia, it was a pleasure meeting you and we have to do
this again sometime.” Jonathan shakes Alicia’s hand and walks out with
Thomas.
Alicia stares after them. Her anger is simmering just below the surface. She
realizes that Thomas needs to be stopped before he causes pain to anyone else.
Notes and phone calls are not doing the trick and she will have to move on to
another plan of attack.
