Episode 36
Sierra sat down in the class and looked around.
Many of the same participants were there, but the facilitator was missing. She sighed and restlessly gnawed her fingernails. She didn’t want to be here, but she didn’t want to be expelled either and the way things were looking, the board wouldn’t be very lenient about keeping her in the program.
Finally the door opened and Sierra watched in awe as Donna walked in the room.
What is she doing now? Spying on me?
“Hello, my name is Donna. I’m filling in for your facilitator.”
“Hello, Donna.” The room echoed.
“I am an addict, pain pills are my drug of choice. It’s been 2,435 days since my last relapse and it’s still a day by day process.”
Sierra could barely keep her mouth closed, Donna…an addict?
“Would the circle like to share?” Donna continued, leading the recovery group in their routine.
Erika walked into the modern condo and bit her lip to keep from gasping. Willis’s beach house was amazing, the views of the surrounding ocean, the endless wood floors, expensive art work and even a staff to call its own.
“Wow, this is really nice.” Erika said as Willis lead her to the kitchen.
“I’m glad you like it, would you like a drink, some dessert?” Willis asked seating her in a comfortable stool in the kitchen.
Erika smiled as a young man placed a plate of chocolate goodies in front of her. “You even have a cook?”
Willis’ face wrinkled in confusion, “A cook? O, no… this is Leon
She looked between both men as the writing on the wall became clearer.
“You’re- ”
“Yes, and we would like you to marry me.”
“What?!?”
“It’s well known that I’m worth a small fortune, what’s not known is that I don’t have access to over half of that fortune until I marry. I need a discreet wife, one who will keep my secret.”
“That doesn’t sound too fair for the wife, especially in the uh… bedroom.”
Willis laughed. “That’s what I like about you, to the point. My wife would be free to entertain her lovers, however they too must be discreet and she must present the front of a devoted wife to the public, meaning her lover, like mine, must be hidden away. In return, she has access to my fortune, my property and of course will be maintained even after my death.”
“Wow.”
“So…will you marry us?”
“Uh… I …”
“Take your time, think about it.” Willis assured, “for now, how about that drink?”
Donna sat down and tried her best to formulate the words to be as tactful as possible.
After a few moments in silence, Nailah spoke up. “It’s a losing battle, isn’t it?”
Donna nodded and Nailah started to weep. “I’m sorry, Justice isn’t getting better and now the machines are doing 90% of the work for her.”
Nailah nodded. “Now what?”
Donna took a deep breath. “Have you considered organ donation?”
Nailah shrugged, “Not really.”
Donna pushed some brochures towards the young woman. “Read these, they tell you a little bit about it.”
“When do you need a decision?”
“Soon,” Donna spoke. “We have to… obtain the organs very shortly after… after…”
Nailah gulped, “and that’s soon right?”
Donna nodded, not willing to tell her that it was sooner than she thought since the machines were basically living for her little girl.
“I’ll let you know tomorrow.”
Opal fumbled with the lock of the locker, trying to calm herself down.
It was a few hours before the meet and she needed to focus since Central Isle wasn’t going to lose again so easily after being beat the first time. She reached for her towel and noticed a folded paper drop to the floor.
“What’s this? Another coupon for pizza?”
Opal opened the note:
I kno what u did 2 d babiy. Loz the meat or elsey
Opal gulped and crumbled the paper. This can’t be happening, not now.
Opal struggled to keep back tears, she was up and either she did her best or…
She shook her head and scanned the audience, she couldn’t take any chances, the blackmailer could be in the audience right now, but who? Who would know and who would want her to lose?
She didn’t have much time to think before the start whistle blew, forcing her to act.
Opal rubbed her face in despair and walked into the silent locker room. The team had left already, many of them avoiding her and she would have done the same if one of them had failed so miserably. What started off as her best year ever was looking suspiciously like it would be the worst year of her life… no, the second worst year of her life.
Erika smiled as she entered the diner. She waved to Lani as the woman greeted other customers and joined Kevin at the small table.
“How was your trip?” he asked.
Erika blushed, “it was ok.”
“How did he take the news?”
“Uh…”
“Don’t answer that, it doesn’t matter. It’s in the past and this,” Kevin continued pushing a small box towards her, “is our future.”
Erika gulped, this could not be happening…again. She flipped the box opened and confirmed her suspicions with one glance at the small ring.
“Will you marry me?”
“O, Kevin…” Erika sighed.
“Well?”
“I… I …” Erika smiled, realizing that this was indeed very perfect. “Do you know that Willis proposed to me?”
Kevin gulped, “what did you say?”
Erika gave him a brief synopsis of the weekend. “This is great! You could move into the condo and we could call you my assistant and you could go everywhere with me. We would have access to everything, houses, cars, money, everything we would ever want.”
Kevin frowned, “Let me make sure I understand. You will enter a marriage of convenience and I would join you and your pseudo husband and his lover in some sort of arrangement of deception. I can not be seen romantically with you in public and you could never acknowledge us. Correct?”
“Egh… it’s not quite like that.”
“Sounds like it to me.” Kevin said standing up. “Listen, I want you and all of you. I don’t want to pretend to be or not be something. So if you change your mind about this whole marriage of convenience thing, call me.”
With that, he stalked out the diner.
“O, great.” Erika sighed.
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