A Debt Paid (11 page)

Calix woke up Wednesday morning
feeling like shit. He’d only gotten a couple
of hours of sleep, same as last night. Calix
didn’t want to get out of bed, but he needed
to get started on Senator Richards. Before
he put the plan in motion, he needed to let
Carol know a little of what he was going to
do, so that she wouldn’t get in the way. He
didn’t want to talk to her, and she’d
probably hang up on him when she heard
his voice. No, he would e-mail her that
would be the safest way to tell her.

Reluctantly, Calix got up and out of
bed. First thing to do was to call his office
and let them know he would not be in and
to reschedule any appointments he had for
the day. He then walked out of his bedroom
and headed to his home office. Stopping
dead in his tracts as he came to the living
room of the penthouse. All the flowers he
had gotten for Anya were still there. He
thought he’d keep them, incase Anya came
back. But, now, after having talked with
Carol, he knew Anya wasn’t going to return.
In anger and frustration, he started kicking
over vases that were on the ground. When
that wasn’t enough, he picked up vases
from the various surfaces and threw them
against the wall, shattering the vases. His
breathing had deepened during in his
explosion of anger. When he calmed and
looked around the room, glass shards and
crumpled flowers littered the floor. He
didn’t care; he simply turned and walked to
his office.

As he sat down in his chair and
turned his computer on, he picked up his
phone and called his cleaning service.

“Sparkle Cleaning.”

“Yes, this is Calix Anastas. I need a
cleaning crew sent to my penthouse. We
had a small accident.”

“Yes, sir, we’ll send one out within
the hour.”

Hanging up with the cleaners, he
then opened his email program to begin his
email to Carol, but what should he say. He
just started typing and let his mind and
thoughts flow.

To: Carol Richards

Cc/Bcc:
From:
CalixAnastasCEO@AnastasInvestme
ntCorp.com

Subject: My Apologies

Carol, I know you do not want to
hear from me or see me again. But, I need
to tell the whole story from the beginning.
Please, do not delete this e-mail without
reading it. I know what I did was
inexcusable. I know it may not seem like it
to you, and I have not said it in so many
words to Anya, but I love her.

I first met Anya at a function that
your family attended. I even remember
what she was wearing. Her dress is what
first caught my attention and then her eyes.
For someone who was so young, her eyes
held an old soul. When I discovered she
was barely eighteen, I was shocked and left
her alone. It is common for men of my age
to date younger woman, but a teenager is a
teenager legal or not. I never forgot about
her. Over the next few years, I guess you
could say I became obsessed with her. Each
time I saw her at a function, I had to keep
telling myself that she was too young for
me. But, each time I noticed something new
about her, I would want her more.

Once she turned twenty, I just didn’t
care about the age difference, so at the last
function we attended, I reintroduced
myself and asked her out. She adamantly
refused me and blew me off more than
once.

I was desperate to have her and did
what I thought was the only way to get her.
I know now that I have loved her since she
was eighteen years old. I never meant to
hurt her in any way, and after that episode
that morning, I hated myself. I made a
promise to Anya, a wedding gift I was going
to give her, and, wedding or no wedding, I
will give it to her. She wants you to be free
of your husband. We both know he won’t
let you leave willingly. So, we are planning
to persuade him, I guess you could say. I
have contacted your attorney. You should
have received his papers. Sign them as
soon as possible. We need to get you
separated from him in every way. This will
happen with or without you helping. I
promised Anya, and I will not let her down
this time.

My apology might not be enough for
you or Anya, but I am truly sorry.

Calix Anastas
Finished with the e-mail, he started
to call all his contacts and witnesses that he
needed. He had to get all the pictures he
could, along with all the notarized and
signed confessions and statements.

***

Considering she went to bed after
two am, Carol woke up early, and she felt
refreshed. She dressed and left her room in
search of the kitchen. Walking down the
halls, taking more notice of the decorations
she saw all the beautiful details she had
missed last night. She finally heard the
clink of dishes and followed the sound.

“Good morning.” Carol smiled.
“Buongiorno, Carol. How did you
sleep?”
“Surprisingly well, considering.”
“Yes, considering. Let’s eat, then we
will talk, yes?”
“Yes,” Carol agreed.

“Come, sit. Sophia made an Italian
breakfast, but you’ll probably like some
eggs or something.”
“No, no, this is fine.”

Carol sat down at the small table in
the kitchen. Next to the table was a
beautiful terrace right through gorgeously
big windows. But when she looked closer
she saw that they were actual some sort of
glass doors or something They looked as
though they might push open but there
were no hinges. The table was set with a
tray full of different kinds of biscotti, sweet
rolls, and a cup off mocha latte.

“This is a beautiful house, Maria.”
“Yes, I love it. I don’t feel stressed
here. Did you talk to Anya yet?”
“No.” Carol looked down into her
coffee as she answered.
“Good, I wanted to talk to you before
you did.”
“What about?” Carol knew she just
had to ask to make sure.

Maria started to fidget and twirl and
turn her coffee cup, circling it in her hands.
And then she started her story.

“When I was young, I met a very
handsome man a few years older than me.
We bumped into each other now and then
at different places. We smiled and flirted a
bit. Just after I turned eighteen, a group of
my friends took me to a disco, club,
whatever you want to call it. And, he was
there. I’d had a few drinks, so he offered to
take me home, and I accepted. When we got
to the back alley of the club where he was
parked, we were completely alone. He
mumbled something in Italian; I don’t
remember the exact words, but it was
something like, ‘I can’t stand it anymore.’”

Maria took a deep breath and a sip
of her latte before she continued. “He
pulled me close, kissed me, and then
backed me up against the wall. He lifted my
skirt, pushed my underwear aside, and
took me right there. I was a virgin. It hurt,
but then it felt good. He called me his angel,
his angel of light, and kissed me over and
over again. He never asked, and I didn’t say
yes. He just took, but I didn’t say no either.
When we were finished he apologized, told
me I drove him mad with passion and he
had to have me just once. I liked him. I had
been interested in dating him had he asked
me, so I asked why just once. I wanted
more of him, but he said with his position
and lifestyle, I would be a weakness and a
target, and he’d die if anything happened to
me.”

Maria looked up at Carol to gage her
reaction to all this. “Over the next couple of
days, I kept going back to the same places
we used to bump into each other, hoping to
see him, but I never did. I did, however,
meet my husband at one of those places. It
was a whirlwind romance. He reminded me
so much of my lover, and he was so sweet. I
fell instantly in love. We met and eloped all
within five weeks.”

Maria looked Carol straight in the
eye. “This next part that I’m about to tell
you no one knows, so I’m trusting you to
keep it that way. If you don’t think you can
keep my confidences, then tell me now.”

Carol reached over the table and
gave a gentle squeeze to Maria’s hand. “Of
course, you can trust me, just as I trust you.
I know we haven’t known each other long,
but I feel as though we have a strong
friendship. You’re the only one I’ve ever felt
comfortable with to talk about my married
life, and I mean honest talking, not what
I’m supposed to say.”

“I feel the same, Carol. So, when we
got back from eloping, he took me to meet
his family. We were sitting at the table
eating dinner; his family had accepted me
with open arms, and then in walks my
lover. He walked over to Marco’s mother
and kissed her, apologizing for being late
because of business. Then he turned and
saw me. Before he could say a word, Marco
stands up and, once again, announces our
news. ‘Vito,’” Maria heard Carol’s gasp, but
continued, “Marco called out, ‘I eloped. This
is my wife Maria.’ Something went dead in
Vito’s eyes as he looked at me and heard
Marco’s announcement. He acted as though
we had never met and reached out to shake
my hand and welcome me into the family.
We never spoke of that night again, even
after Marco had died. Calix was born eight
months later.”

“Oh, Maria.” Carol was speechless.
She didn’t know what to say, and then
something clicked. “Wait, eight months
…does that mean you were pregnant before
you got married?” Carol stopped as she saw
the tears fall down Maria’s face. “Did you
know? Does Vito know?”

Maria shook her head. “No, I didn’t,
and no he doesn’t, not positively. I know he
suspects, but we never spoke of the night
again. I never cheated on my husband.
Though I loved Vito, I was completely
faithful, but when he died, I almost felt
happy, because now I would be free to be
with Vito. I knew he still loved me. He had
lovers come and go, which I understood. He
couldn’t live like a monk. But none lasted
more than a few weeks, and he never
brought them home to meet the family. I
know Vito felt the same about Marco’s
death, which, no doubt, made him feel just
as guilty as I felt. Marco was a good man, a
good husband, and I did love him, just not
the way I loved Vito.”

Maria sniffled and wiped some tears
away. “So, you can see now why I believe
what Vito tells me, and why I said that I
should never have doubted him, and how I
know a man, who has been denied the
object of his affection for so long, can act
out and momentarily snap and do things
out of their nature. A man in love and
crushed by that love can turn into a love
crazed beast. Calix loves Anya, of that I’m
sure, and so is Vito, and I’ll tell you why we
know…”

Maria went on to tell Carol
everything she and Vito had talked about
the previous night on the ride home from
the airport. Not just the story of Calix and
Anya but also the few bits of information
he had told her of what Vito and Calix had
planned for Carol’s husband.

“Mmmmm, Calix.”
“Yes, love.”
“That feels so good.”
“You know what’s even better?”
“Hmmm?”
“My son growing inside you.”
He kissed her stomach and then
lower and lower…

Anya woke with a start and sat
straight up. She put a hand on her belly.
It
was just a dream, only a dream,
she
thought. With a small groan, she moved her
hand from her belly to her head. Her head
pounded with a throbbing headache. She
wasn’t really a drinker. She’s under age, so
she had a glass or two at parties and such.
But, last night, she and Nicole finished off
the entire bottle, and it wasn’t just a
normal five-glass bottle of wine. No, Nicole
knew what she was doing; she got a big
bottle, like a jug, actually. Anya just sat
there for a minute. She was shaken by her
dream and a bit dazed from her headache.

“Well, good morning.” A perky and
chipper Nicole came out of her room,
heading for her kitchen. She was already
showered and dressed.

Anya wiped the sleep from her eyes
and glowered at Nicole, causing Nicole to
chuckle as she passed Anya.

“How are you so bright and
sunshiny? I have a bad headache and had a
dream that shocked me awake.”

“Oh really?” Nicole asked with an
arched eyebrow. She stopped walking to
the kitchen and turned to walk over to
Anya.

Anya moved over and sat up Indian
style. Then she cleared her throat. “Yeah, I
was with Calix, and Calix was, well you
know, anyway, I said that it felt good, and
he asked if I knew what was better. Then
he answered me and said his son growing
in my belly. Then I bolted awake with this
pounding in my head.”

Nicole covered her mouth with her
hands in an
Oh My God!
kind of way.

“You know what my mother always
said, if you dream of babies or pregnancy,
then either you or someone close to you is
pregnant. You’re not pregnant, are you?”

Anya shook her head. “No, I took a
test the night I left.”
“How late were you when you took
the test?”
“A day.”
“A day?”
“Yes.”
“Anya, did you take it first thing in
the morning?”
“No, I took it when I came home
from work.”

Nicole palmed her forehead in
irritation. “Anya those tests are ninetyseven percent accurate, but only when
taken correctly.”

Anya was a little affronted. “I’m not
dumb. I read the directions and followed
them to the T.”

“No, Anya, you’re supposed to take
the test in the morning when your urine is
the strongest, and, if you take it too soon,
you can get a false negative. Most OB’s
suggest taking a test fourteen days after
conception. So, if you got pregnant two
days before your period or something like
than most likely you’ll get a false negative.”

“Are you serious?” Anya’s eyes
bulged.

“Anya, I’m a nurse, why would I lie
to you? Do you know when you might have
conceived?”

“No, we were intimate every night,
sometimes two or three times, and we
never used protection.”

“Two or three times!” Nicole
shouted. “Girl, you held out on me last
night; how could you?”

“Nicole, focus, do I have to wait two
weeks from my missed period to get an
accurate result?”

“How late are you?”
“Well, my period was due Sunday,
so four days.”

“Well, if you want to take another
home test you’ll most likely get an accurate
result if it’s not too soon. To know one
hundred percent without a doubt you need
to get a blood test. They’ll have the results
within less than a day. It’s better than
waiting two weeks.”

“Okay, let’s do that then.”

“Well, you’ll need to see a doctor
here, and they’ll have to order the test for
you. They usually like you to take home
tests first, but I’m sure we can get around
that, then you’ll need to go to the hospital
outpatient lab, and they’ll draw your
blood.”

“But, I don’t have a doctor here.”
“I’m a nurse, Anya, I know doctors.
I’ll get you an appointment.”

“Okay, I’m gonna shower and take
some Tylenol for my headache, and then I’ll
call my mom.”

“Okay, I’ll make breakfast. Want
pancakes or omelets?”
“Ugh I’m not really hungry, maybe
just some oatmeal if you have some.”
“Yeah, instant okay?”
“Yeah.”

Anya got up, put her blankets and
pillows away, and put the futon up. Then
she went to take a shower. Warm showers
always make everything better.

She walked out of the bathroom
calm and refreshed. She took some Tylenol
before jumping in, so her headache had
dulled. Nicole was sitting at the table
reading something off her tablet and eating
some stuffed pancakes. Anya always
thought the way Nicole ate pancakes was
weird; she’d make them thin instead of
fluffy then she’d smear plain cream cheese
on them and roll them up.

“Mm oat mee is in mmcro,” Nicole
said with her mouth so full Anya could
barely understand her.

Anya just laughed to herself and
made her way to the kitchen to retrieve the
bowl. “Thanks.” She walked back over to
the table and sat across from Nicole.

“It’s, what, a little past nine am now,
so I’m gonna call my mom. She should be
up by now.”

Anya grabbed her cell and called her
mom while taking small bites from her
bowl of oatmeal.

“Hello.”
“Hello, Mom.”
“Anya, honey.”

“Mom, I called all day and texted
yesterday. Why didn’t you pick up or text
back?” Anya all but yelled at her mother.

“Honey, I’m sorry, after you left,
Maria and I decided to leave for Italy early.
We left the morning after you left. Calix
came over looking for you, we talked in
private, and I told him I knew everything
and warned him off. When he left, Maria
knew something was seriously wrong, and
I had to tell her.”

“What!” This time Anya did scream.
So much so that Nicole stopped eating and
looked at her with concern and confusion.

“Honey, I couldn’t not tell her, she
knew I was holding something back.”

“Oh God, Mom.”
“Anya, calm down, there’s so much I
need to tell you, but I can only tell you if
you’re calm. Okay, deep breaths, calm
down.”

Anya immediately started to cry.
Her mind kept thinking one thought,
Maria
knows, Maria knows.
Anya could handle her
mother knowing, but Maria knowing was a
whole other thing. Calix was an only child;
he was Maria’s life. To hear what
happened, she probably died inside. Anya
was wiping tears away, but she couldn’t
wipe fast enough, because tears just kept
coming. Anya waved her hand in front of
her face, trying to slow the tears and calm
herself.

“So, you’re in Italy?”

“Yes, and, Anya, I have to tell you a
lot. So, calm down, so we can talk. Are you
calm now?”

“Yes.” Anya sniffled.
“Okay, so Maria talked to Vito…”