Two years later, everything in my life
had improved…
After moving in with Eva, I spent the
first few months
looking for a job.
After I had no luck…business began to pick up
at Linda’s salon and she decided to hire me as a receptionist.
I was in charge of answering phones and
booking appointments, which kept me busy and kept my mind off of my past.
Prior to that… Linda, Greg and Crisann
practically moved in with Eva and I.
They were around all of the time…for
breakfast and dinner. The house never
felt empty.
We became like a little family. They were a part of me now and I felt at
home.
Within months of living with Eva…Nick
located me and eventually I was served with divorce papers.
I didn’t contest the divorce. I knew that as long as his mind was being
poisoned by Carmina, we couldn’t be together…so I signed the papers and
promptly returned them.
It still hurt…it hurt a lot and I never
could find it in me to stop wearing my wedding band.
I did begin to meet people though. The ladies at the salon and I hung out a lot
when we weren’t at the salon.
We genuinely enjoyed each other’s company
and it was nice finally having peers to hang out with.
I also drew the attention of men from
time to time; especially now that I finally looked my age and had begun to gain
my weight back.
It was still hard for me to consider
myself single again. Nick had divorced
me, but I was finding it nearly impossible to separate him from my heart.
“So, can I take you out sometime?” One
particular guy , named Maxwell, asked me one day after Linda and my new friends
from the salon, Latika and Gina, and I were leaving the
movies one evening.
“I’m
sorry…I’m not quite ready for dating…I’m recently divorced,” I answered…even
though I found him to be very attractive.
“Yeah, but even divorced women have to
eat, right? Why not go and eat with
me?” Maxwell
was very persistent and after some coaxing from my friends, I eventually agreed
to go out with him.
Everything was pretty good at the
salon. I enjoyed my job…
…and I really liked the ladies that
frequented it. There was never a boring
day there.
Crisann was
four and was like the daughter that I wish I had…just as sweet and kind as she
could be. Linda and I often took her to
the salon with us on the weekend…she loved the atmosphere as much as I did.
Linda and I were good friends. She kept my spirits up and made sure that I
didn’t go back to wearing my “granny fashions,” as she called it.
My life was much more predictable and I
didn’t have to spend time dreading every turn.
I was content.
It was after lunch time and one of those
rare days when Linda wasn’t totally booked with clients.
“Do you want to go out for lunch
today?” Linda asked while I was sitting
at the front desk.
Usually I wouldn’t turn down a lunch date
with Linda and Crisann, but
I was running behind on my calls and emails to clients to confirm appointments
and wanted to make sure I completed that before the day’s end.
“No, I’ll stay in today and grab
something quick to eat. I have some work
to catch up on.”
“Okay…suit yourself. I’ll take Crisann
to the diner. Be back soon!” Linda
answered.
Linda and Crisann
hurried out the door before any walk-ins came in and ruined their chance to get
away for a while.
I confirmed a few appointments before my
empty stomach got the best of me and made it hard to concentrate on what I was
doing.
I was leaving my desk, just about to grab
some of Eva’s left-overs out of the refrigerator in the back room, when the
phone on my desk rang.
I couldn’t bring myself to just ignore
it…I took my job very seriously, so I answered it, “Hello, Beauty’s Skin Deep
Salon, how may I help you?”
“Hello momma!” Came the voice on the other end. I was horrified; recognizing Carmina’s
voice immediately.
The
shock rendered me speechless. When I finally found my voice, I squeaked out a
response, “Oh my god…how’d you find out where I work?”
“I have my ways…you didn’t think you’d
ever be rid of me did you?” Came Carmina’s
response…bringing back all of the terror and horror I felt while living with
her.
I
hung up the phone, but it was too late.
Carmina accomplished exactly what she hoped…disrupting my new life;
leaving me trembling in fear.
I felt dizzy as my heart responded
to
my panic by
pumping blood
through my veins much too quickly.
My vision was blurry, my legs were rubbery and all of the noise of the
salon seemed far away as I began to black out…aware of nothing else, but the
feel of my body falling toward the floor.
“Oh my God!” Latika
called out as she, Gina and their clients all rushed over.
“Someone call 911,” Latika
said as she stood over me as I lay motionless.
Labels: I Stole Evil
