Missy stuffed another cookie in her mouth and stared grimly at the screen. The research for the article was going well, she needed to contact her source and arrange for an interview with some of the soldiers. She peeked out the glass windows in front of her office and hurriedly stuffed the last four cookies in her mouth.
“Missy?”
The woman quickly swallowed and stood up before her boss. “Yes?”
“Do you have a minute?”
“Of course.” She said, trying to brush the crumbs off her sweater.
“You know that’s your fifth bag of cookies in the last hour.”
Missy shamefully bit her lip, then anger swelled. “What are you doing monitoring my diet?”
“I’m not monitoring your diet, but when you sneak food and binge out on snacks, then that’s my clue that something is wrong. You’re exhibiting the classic signs of a binge eater, I should know, I was one.”
“Really?”
Laleh nodded. “For three years. Finally I found help with a counselor and learned some other outlets for my emotions besides chewing.”
“Did it help?”
“You want the truth?”
“Yes.”
“No, it didn’t. What finally clicked was that this is the body God gave me, I would never ever be a size 2, no matter what I did. Instead I started eating as healthy as possible, exercising and building confidence in the figure I was blessed with.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it. To be honest, it provided a great excuse to go shopping for new figure flattering clothing.”
“Well, thanks for the advice. You should consider having your own talk show or something-that was a very uplifting speech.”
Laleh laughed. “Well, I didn’t mean to preach. Honestly, I know what you’re going through, I’ve been there. If you want to stop, I’m here to help.”
“Thanks.”
****
Roxy tossed her purse on her drafting table and angrily picked up her pencils. She watched as her bodyguard took a seat in the lobby. He had been to the office before and knew that there were only two exits, both of them within his eyesight.
“What’s your problem?” Erika asked coming over.
Roxy nodded towards Richard sitting patiently, pretending to read a magazine.
“I’m tired of being followed everywhere.” She whispered. “It’s getting on my nerves.”
“It’s for your safety, right?” Erika whispered back.
“Yes, but…ugh, I want some freedom. I would love to go to one class without Rambo here over my shoulder.”
“You could ditch him, you know.”
“How?”
“On the way to class, you could easily lose him in the crowd of students.”
“That’s too easy, he would still find me. He memorizes everything about me, from the hairstyle to the details in my jacket, everything.”
“Then you need a double,” Erika whispered. “You could go to the restroom and switch clothes and hairstyles with your double. Then have them run out the bathroom. He would give chase, leaving you enough time to dash to class.”
Roxy smiled. “I like it.”
****
Erika watched as Roxy left the office. She still had a few changes to make on one of her designs, so tonight would be a late night…but not too late, she had Meka waiting with a promised bubble bath.
“Erika?!”
She lifted her head to see her mother come into the office. “Hello, mom, how are you?”
“I’m doing great! Marriage is a wonderful thing, you should try it.”
“I did and the results were not that great.”
“Ah, speaking of, I saw Alan today.”
Erika’s ears perked up at the news. Why would Alan be near her mother.
“He said that you two are getting back together.”
“We’re not getting back together, we’re-”
“I think it’s wonderful! I knew that you still loved him. Chasing after all those men when your heart really belonged to Alan.”
“Mom, we’re not getting back together.”
“Oh, but he said-”
“It doesn’t matter what he said. We’re just dating.”
“You’re dating…but you’re not getting back together with him? Hmm…sounds like you’re getting back together, why would you date otherwise?”
Erika sighed. Her mother wouldn’t understand her need to have various men at her beck and call. One man couldn’t satisfy her, besides look what happened when she tried that whole traditional love voodoo. She lost Alan and she lost Kevin…though technically, Alan was back in her life.
“There are lots of reasons to date, you don’t have to marry every guy you date.”
“But you should look at marrying again, if not Alan, what about that nice young man, Meka. He’s a sweetie.”
“Mom,” Erika sighed and grabbed her mother’s hands. “I have work to do, can we discuss this later?”
“Fine, your father said hello, we’re going to the mainland this weekend. I’m so excited!”
“That’s great, but I need to finish this.”
“Alright, dear. Don’t work too hard.”
“I won’t.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
****
Emily plucked a few keys from the piano, allowing her mind to float away. Thoughts of research, difficult cases and aching feet left her mind as the melody filled it. She tried not to think about the credit card bill laying on the table, the one with the strange transactions. The transactions for the hotel she didn’t stay at, the dinner at Miko’s that she didn’t have and the jewelry from Goldstin’s that she never received.
The ringing phone broke into her thoughts. “Hello?”
“Emily, love.”
“Keith, where are you?”
“I’m at work, love. Edison and I have to finish this report. I don’t know what time I’ll be home. I hope to be home, but thankfully the office has plenty of recliners and I have a change of clothes.”
“I want you home.”
“I know, love. Why don’t you have a cuppa or maybe a toddy. You’ll feel better.”
Emily sighed. “Don’t work too hard.”
“I’ll try not to, love.”
“Goodbye.”
“Good night.”
Emily angrily took out her diary and started jotting her thoughts, but abruptly stopped. She picked up the cellphone and dialed her good friend and work associate.
“Hi…I need a favor…well, I can pay you…no, it’s not for a client. It’s for me…I need you to follow Keith, I think he’s cheating.”
****
Roxy smiled as she arrived to the empty classroom. Thanks to Erika’s idea, she had successfully lost him. Her smile quickly faded when she felt the cold metal on her back.
“Turn around and put your hands on your head.” The cold voice said.
She slowly turned around, fear gripping her heart and placed her hands on her head.
“We’re going for a nice ride.” The voice commanded.
She thought of her friend, who barely made it out alive of a kidnapping attempt. She knew that she couldn’t go with the masked man. The statistics of being alive when, if they found her were null to none. Before she could do much more thinking she heard his voice.
“Roxy, drop!”
Roxy dived to the floor. She heard the gun hit the wall and a grunt. She looked up to see Richard delivering a swift kick to the man’s groin and then a few more punches to his face. It was over as quickly as it started. Richard was on top of the man, tying his hands behind his back and speaking urgently into his earpiece.
Roxy sat trembling in the corner, watching as a team of men in black suits came and not so gently escorted the masked man away.
Once the room was clear, Richard held his arms open and Roxy flew into them. Once she was surrounded by his protective embrace did Roxy allow the frightened tears to fall.
“Missy?”
The woman quickly swallowed and stood up before her boss. “Yes?”
“Do you have a minute?”
“Of course.” She said, trying to brush the crumbs off her sweater.
“You know that’s your fifth bag of cookies in the last hour.”
Missy shamefully bit her lip, then anger swelled. “What are you doing monitoring my diet?”
“I’m not monitoring your diet, but when you sneak food and binge out on snacks, then that’s my clue that something is wrong. You’re exhibiting the classic signs of a binge eater, I should know, I was one.”
“Really?”
Laleh nodded. “For three years. Finally I found help with a counselor and learned some other outlets for my emotions besides chewing.”
“Did it help?”
“You want the truth?”
“Yes.”
“No, it didn’t. What finally clicked was that this is the body God gave me, I would never ever be a size 2, no matter what I did. Instead I started eating as healthy as possible, exercising and building confidence in the figure I was blessed with.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it. To be honest, it provided a great excuse to go shopping for new figure flattering clothing.”
“Well, thanks for the advice. You should consider having your own talk show or something-that was a very uplifting speech.”
Laleh laughed. “Well, I didn’t mean to preach. Honestly, I know what you’re going through, I’ve been there. If you want to stop, I’m here to help.”
“Thanks.”
****
Roxy tossed her purse on her drafting table and angrily picked up her pencils. She watched as her bodyguard took a seat in the lobby. He had been to the office before and knew that there were only two exits, both of them within his eyesight.
“What’s your problem?” Erika asked coming over.
Roxy nodded towards Richard sitting patiently, pretending to read a magazine.
“I’m tired of being followed everywhere.” She whispered. “It’s getting on my nerves.”
“It’s for your safety, right?” Erika whispered back.
“Yes, but…ugh, I want some freedom. I would love to go to one class without Rambo here over my shoulder.”
“You could ditch him, you know.”
“How?”
“On the way to class, you could easily lose him in the crowd of students.”
“That’s too easy, he would still find me. He memorizes everything about me, from the hairstyle to the details in my jacket, everything.”
“Then you need a double,” Erika whispered. “You could go to the restroom and switch clothes and hairstyles with your double. Then have them run out the bathroom. He would give chase, leaving you enough time to dash to class.”
Roxy smiled. “I like it.”
****
Erika watched as Roxy left the office. She still had a few changes to make on one of her designs, so tonight would be a late night…but not too late, she had Meka waiting with a promised bubble bath.
“Erika?!”
She lifted her head to see her mother come into the office. “Hello, mom, how are you?”
“I’m doing great! Marriage is a wonderful thing, you should try it.”
“I did and the results were not that great.”
“Ah, speaking of, I saw Alan today.”
Erika’s ears perked up at the news. Why would Alan be near her mother.
“He said that you two are getting back together.”
“We’re not getting back together, we’re-”
“I think it’s wonderful! I knew that you still loved him. Chasing after all those men when your heart really belonged to Alan.”
“Mom, we’re not getting back together.”
“Oh, but he said-”
“It doesn’t matter what he said. We’re just dating.”
“You’re dating…but you’re not getting back together with him? Hmm…sounds like you’re getting back together, why would you date otherwise?”
Erika sighed. Her mother wouldn’t understand her need to have various men at her beck and call. One man couldn’t satisfy her, besides look what happened when she tried that whole traditional love voodoo. She lost Alan and she lost Kevin…though technically, Alan was back in her life.
“There are lots of reasons to date, you don’t have to marry every guy you date.”
“But you should look at marrying again, if not Alan, what about that nice young man, Meka. He’s a sweetie.”
“Mom,” Erika sighed and grabbed her mother’s hands. “I have work to do, can we discuss this later?”
“Fine, your father said hello, we’re going to the mainland this weekend. I’m so excited!”
“That’s great, but I need to finish this.”
“Alright, dear. Don’t work too hard.”
“I won’t.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
****
Emily plucked a few keys from the piano, allowing her mind to float away. Thoughts of research, difficult cases and aching feet left her mind as the melody filled it. She tried not to think about the credit card bill laying on the table, the one with the strange transactions. The transactions for the hotel she didn’t stay at, the dinner at Miko’s that she didn’t have and the jewelry from Goldstin’s that she never received.
The ringing phone broke into her thoughts. “Hello?”
“Emily, love.”
“Keith, where are you?”
“I’m at work, love. Edison and I have to finish this report. I don’t know what time I’ll be home. I hope to be home, but thankfully the office has plenty of recliners and I have a change of clothes.”
“I want you home.”
“I know, love. Why don’t you have a cuppa or maybe a toddy. You’ll feel better.”
Emily sighed. “Don’t work too hard.”
“I’ll try not to, love.”
“Goodbye.”
“Good night.”
Emily angrily took out her diary and started jotting her thoughts, but abruptly stopped. She picked up the cellphone and dialed her good friend and work associate.
“Hi…I need a favor…well, I can pay you…no, it’s not for a client. It’s for me…I need you to follow Keith, I think he’s cheating.”
****
Roxy smiled as she arrived to the empty classroom. Thanks to Erika’s idea, she had successfully lost him. Her smile quickly faded when she felt the cold metal on her back.
“Turn around and put your hands on your head.” The cold voice said.
She slowly turned around, fear gripping her heart and placed her hands on her head.
“We’re going for a nice ride.” The voice commanded.
She thought of her friend, who barely made it out alive of a kidnapping attempt. She knew that she couldn’t go with the masked man. The statistics of being alive when, if they found her were null to none. Before she could do much more thinking she heard his voice.
“Roxy, drop!”
Roxy dived to the floor. She heard the gun hit the wall and a grunt. She looked up to see Richard delivering a swift kick to the man’s groin and then a few more punches to his face. It was over as quickly as it started. Richard was on top of the man, tying his hands behind his back and speaking urgently into his earpiece.
Roxy sat trembling in the corner, watching as a team of men in black suits came and not so gently escorted the masked man away.
Once the room was clear, Richard held his arms open and Roxy flew into them. Once she was surrounded by his protective embrace did Roxy allow the frightened tears to fall.
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