Gazelle (11 page)

“
Yeah, okay, no, that makes sense.  Bu
t…
if it did
n’
t work, for whatever reason, I would make sure you were set up somewhere else
.
”
“
Yeah, you say that now but you do
n’
t know me all that well
.
”
              He chews thoughtfully.
 “
I feel like I know you pretty well after today
.
”
              She laughs, her sharp, seal laugh, catching him off guard.
 “
No, you do
n’
t.  And I have
n’
t seen hardly any bit of the real you yet
.
”
“
What do you mean
?
”
“
You barely just took off that stupid hat!  I have no idea who you are
!
”
“
Yeah, you do, come on
.
”
“
N
o…
what if yo
u’
re a total jerk
?
”
“I’
m not
!
” he laughs.

“
What if, okay, what if, say, you worked out for like, ten hours, and you come in exhausted and starving and all stinkpot, and
I’
m sitting in front of your giant TV, watching reality cook off shows and eating a gigantic, monster plate of waffles, covered in syrup
?
”
“I’
d probably go ballistic, pin you down and suffocate you with my stink and steal your waffles
.
”

“
See, there, tha
t’
s what
I’
m talking about!  Tha
t’
s exactly the crisis situation
I’
m afraid of!  I know, for a fact, that fit fanatics are insane!! I deal with them on a daily basis.  All that wheatgrass and spirulinamakes you bat shit neurotic
!
”

              He chews his sandwich, grinning at her and she at him.

“
How can anyone resist?  I guess i
t’
s a risk
I’
ll just have to take
.
”

3.

“
Green Super Fit
?
” Trina calls, completely exasperated from her smoothie duty.
 “
Green Super Fit?  Did anyone order a Green Super Fit
?
”
“
Me!  Trina, i
t’
s mine
!
”
              Trin
a’
s miserable scowl softens and becomes a radiant smile under her baseball cap as Alice races up to the counter, pushing through a sea of yoga pants and muscle shirts. 

“
Alice!  They did
n’
t tell me it was for you!  I would
n’
t have spit in it
!
” she smiles.

“
Aw, and risk missing a daily dose of vitamin T?  No way
!
” Alice beams, hugging her friend over the counter.
 “
Wha
t’
s up, lady?  How you livi
n’?
”
“
Living the dream
,
” she sighs, ignoring the looks of reproach from the neglected customers.
 “
Ever since you left, i
t’
s been a total cluster fuck here.  They still have
n’
t replaced you
.
”

“
And they never will.
I’
m irreplaceable.  Nobody juices wheatgrass like me, girl, I thought you knew
!
” Alice laughs.

“
Oh, I know.  Speaking of which, do
n’
t you usually make your ma
n’
s shakes?  Why you here
?
”
“I’
m running late.  I was up all night working on that painting for Anthon
y’
s sister.  Her bab
y’
s birthday is Saturday
.
”
“
Oh yeah!  So yo
u’
re going
?
”
“
Yeah, you
?
”
“
Anthon
y’
s family?  Oh, hell yes!  His cousins are two of the sexiest motherfuckers
I’
ve ever seen in my life
!
”

“
Which one
?
”
“
Both of them
!
”
“
…
You mean the twins
?
”

“
Fuck yeah, the twins
.
”
“
Wait, which one are you into
?
”
“
BOTH OF THEM
!
”
“
Both of them.  Really?  Like, yo
u’
d do both of them.  Same time
?
”
“
Hells yeah, tha
t’
s what
I’
ve been saying, girl!  Double trouble!  Immaget me some nasty carne on both ends of the taco, you hear me
?
”
“
I
t’
s a ki
d’
s party
!
”
“
And
?
”
“
Ther
e’
s gonnabe a jumpy gym and a clown
!
”
“
…
And
?  Tha
t’
s how I
roll
, girl, shoot, I thought you knew
!
”
 
She does a quick booty shake and laughs. 

“
Can we order a drink
?
” a customer asks Trina.

“
Sure!  Someone will be with you in a moment
,
” Trina smiles in a completely sweet, condescending voice before turning back to her friend and ignoring the exasperated customer.
 “
Hey, since yo
u’
re here, you wannago to movie night at Wil
l’
s?  W
e’
re watchin
g‘
Jackie Brown
.
’”
“
Oh, shit, hell ya!  I love that movie!  When, tonight
?
”
“
Naw, Thursday.  W
e’
re all closing, so, around 9?  We never see you anymore.  You should come.  Beer and pizza, i
t’
ll be fun
!
”
“
Shi
t…
Julian gets back Thursday.  I might have to pick him up.  But
I’
ll go. 
I’
ll just leave early if I have to
.
”
“
Good!  We fucki
n
’ miss your arse, bitch.  All famous
n
’ shi
t…
Jesus, have I told you how lucky you are?  Like, seriously, the luckiest human being alive
?
”
              Alice laughs and shakes her head.
 “
I
t’
s not all that glamorous
.
”
“
Do
n’
t even try it,I know yo
u’
re full of shit, Alice.  Anthony told us you had a new car.  And he helped you move that fucking flat screen into your place
.
”
“
Wh
y’
s he putting my shit on blast
?
”
“
Someone has to.  You disappeared.  Hollywoo
d’
s changed you
.
”
“
Shut your mouth
.
”
“
It has, it really has.  I do
n’
t even recognize you anymore.  Next, yo
u’
ll be calling m
e‘
bab
e
’ and trying to get me to do some blow off your tits in the break room
.
”
“
Yo
u’
re so dumb.  Whe
n’
d you talk to Anthony
?
”
“
Dan and me hung out with him at the pool hall the other night.  Hey, he might be coming, too, is that cool
?
”
“
Where, movie night
?
”
“
Trina
!
” a stalky woman in a smock calls from the rattling juicer.

              Trina shoots her a deathly stare and turns back to Alice.
 “
Yea
h…
but go, okay?  Do
n’
t be like that, seriously.  I gottaget back.  Call me later
.
”

              Alice slams on her breaks and puts the car in park in front of the Loz FelizMediterranean mansion, her mind turning with the conversation.  In truth, the past few months flooded over her like a tsunami.  Most of her work and free time revolved around learning Julia
n’
s habits and routines.  She was learning to move in and out of his circumference, meeting his needs as an employee and as a friend.  But it meant her ownsocial life was sorely neglected.  Until Anthony asked her to make a painting for him to give to his sister, she had
n’
t actually worked on anything since starting her new job.  And besides the day Anthony spent with her, picking out a new couch and TV, and a matinee they saw in a completely platonic way, she had
n’
t hung out with anyone else other than Julian.  When Julian was
n’
t working with Nathan and Mike, he was moving through his own social waters with her diligently at his side, watching him weave in and out of swank parties and clubs with his friends and dates.  She was not a social person when it came to such settings.  Alice was much more comfortable in a party of family and friends, where there was no dress code or guest list to be on.  But he begged her to come and, though she inevitably ended up tucked away in a corner, sipping her drink and playing with her phone, she went in the hopes that she would learn to move as easily and confidently as he seemed to in that circle.  But it was a different kind of people, colder and much more intimidating in their beauty and wealth than she could ever have anticipated.  Even Julian had a certainhardness to him then, in his bored, expectant expression as women and men draped themselves over him.  Anthony asked her what they were like.  Th
e‘
other sid
e’
, he called it.  She did
n’
t know how to answer him.  Julian was one of the most brutally honest, intense people she had ever known.  When he was
n’
t working, they spent hours debating, watching movies sh
e’
d never heard of, discussing articles and books, quizzing one another.  But the world he socialized in was a rapidly moving, monster machine that drew people in with its charm and beauty, vacant of any true relation that she found in his company otherwise.  It was hard to reconcile the two in her reality.  And it terrified her.

              The car in front of her is a black Mercedes S class.  She groans inwardly at the idea of Mike.  She quickly checks her make-up, sweeps her hair into a tight knot and buttons her long sleeve, black dress shirt over her tank top.  She brushes the dog hair from her pin stripped mini skirt before gathering the groceries, the copy of GQ, and the thick, green smoothie from the health store.  Her phone vibrates again, for the fifth time, and she shoves it in her bra, racing towards the arched doorway.

“
Fuck,
I’
m so fucked
,
” she moans, wrestling with her keys while trying to balance her bags and the drink.

              The white walled hall opens to a rustic, wooden staircase.  To the left, down a series of tiled steps is a great, empty living room.   There is no furniture or decor of any type, only the pristine hardwood floor and light, tan molding that runs throughout the home.  She rushes through to her right, to the kitchen that stretches in a tall, beamed ceiling, ending in a row of skylights, sunlight flooding the maroon walls and opal floors and gleaming against the shining stainless steel appliances.  Her hands fly as she tosses the groceries on the counters, along with her attac
h
é and keys.  The drink topples, slightly spilling over the magazine despite her swift catch. 

“
Fuck m
e
…” she moans, opening and closing drawers in search of a towel.

“
Yo
u’
re late again
,
” CeCe sighs, coming up behind her with a paper towel.

              She says nothing, taking the towel and running it over the cover and Julia
n’
s serious scowl.

“
Oh good. You bought a copy."

"Yeah, I just thought it'd be cool if I showed up with one."

"They sent him a stack last week but I'm sure he'll appreciate the thought.  H
e’
s almost finished in there
.
”

“
Mike in there, too
?
”
              CeCenods.
 “
Yep.  He left you some Valium to give to Julian later
.
”
“
Why?  He does
n’
t do that shi
t…
does he
?
” Alice frowns.

“
No, not normally.  But h
e’
s got that flight tonight, remember?  He hates flying.  Yo
u’
re taking him, right?  Make sure he gets them
.
” 

“
Righ
t
…
”
she says, not realizing he had anxiety about flying.
 “
I forgot he was leaving tonight.  Did he eat yet
?
”

“
N
o…
yo
u’
re late
.
”

“
Yeah, I know.  I got stuck in traffic
.
”
“
Everybody gets stuck in traffic.  Tha
t’
s not an excuse
.
”
              Alice raises her penciled brow at CeCe who meets the challenge with folded arms.  Her suit is teal and brown,hanging on her perfect, thin body like a second skin.  Her hair, unlike Alic
e’
s mass of mess, is cropped perfectly in a bob that curves around her Versace frames set on her critical eyes, her sharp nose and jaw, and that thin, tight-lipped, perpetual smile she wears.  Alice drops her gaze to her shoes and sighs, feeling suddenly very ridiculous in her outfit.