“You’re welcome and I’ll grab dinner and meet you at your place.”
“Okay…baby, I know you want to be here, and I love that you want to be here, but…”
“I understand.”
“Thank you. Bye.” She pressed the button ending the call and looked at her reflection in the mirror. “Thank you God, for bringing Sean into my life.” She let out a deep, cleansing breath and looked in the mirror again. For the first time since she got there, she felt strong.
She reached into her bag for her lipstick, and the small brown box with a grey ribbon caught her attention.
The intercom rang and startled her. “Hello…send them up…Thank you.” She looked in the mirror. “Okay God, let’s do this.” She took another deep breath and waited for the door bell to ring.
A few minutes later, ding-dong, ding-dong. She waited for it to ring again before answering. Ding-dong. She looked out the peephole and saw DeeDee and another woman. She put on her practiced smile and opened the door.
“Hi,” Kyla said as she ushered them inside.
DeeDee walked in and hugged her and whispered, “Are you okay?” Kyla nodded and closed the door. “Kyla James, this is my friend Olivia King.”
Olivia looked just as Kyla remembered. Average height, thin, shoulder length, brown hair wearing a camel Michael Kors sheath and matching boots.
Kyla extended her hand to shake Olivia’s. “Nice to meet you.”
“I am a huge fan. I love your work. If I’d known all I…”
Kyla interrupted her, “Let’s sit down.” She ushered them into the living room. DeeDee and Olivia sat on the sofa and Kyla took the chair across from them.
“Your apartment is beautiful. Is this your home?” Olivia asked.
“Not exactly.” Kyla looked at DeeDee.
“Olivia,” DeeDee started to speak.
“What am I thinking, you wouldn’t have booked a meeting at your home. This is probably a lab or studio.” She stood up and started walking around, looking and touching everything. She stopped at the credenza by the door. “Huh, that looks like Eric.” DeeDee looked at Kyla. “So does that and that,” she looked at Kyla and then back at the picture. “Is that…how do you…what’s going on? DeeDee?” She turned to face DeeDee.
“Olivia, come sit down,” DeeDee said calmly.
“No. Answer me.” DeeDee stood up and walked over and helped Olivia back to the sofa. “What’s going on?”
“Olivia, I want you to listen very carefully to what Kyla has to say.” She looked at Kyla. “Go ahead.”
“Yes, I know your husband.”
“Did you used to date?” Olivia asked.
“Yes.”
“And you still want him. Is that why you agreed to this meeting?”
“No. Your husband and I had been seeing each other for almost six years,” Kyla blurted out.
“What?” Olivia asked.
“A few months ago…Eric and I had an understanding and I wanted him to break it so we could play, but he wouldn’t because it was his day with you.”
“What?”
“Eric and I met almost six years ago, and this is where we met four times a week.”
“I don’t believe you,” Olivia retorted.