Eileen Slovak

Chapter Fifty-four: Single Solo Decadence

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and locales are products of the author’s imagination. They are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is coincidental. Copyright © 2024 by Eileen Slovak.

Scarlet

Friday, the schools and government offices in the state are closed along with several area businesses. Catherine calls in the morning to see if I’d like to join them for sledding in the park. Unfortunately, one of the few businesses open is Lucky Chance.

Frank calls me very early from Florida to say he isn’t able to get back due to the storm. He adds that he really needs me there to oversee things. Employees have the option to take the day off if they chose to use one of their vacation days. This is oddly ungenerous of him. From my phone, I send out an all-employee email. I can almost hear the collective groan. I call Emilie at home to tell her the unhappy news about Frank’s wishes. I recommend she stays home. In her condition, she doesn’t need to risk getting stranded. I wonder what has come over Frank lately. I have some new concerns about the company’s finances. Worrying about work is at least keeping my mind too busy to obsess about Scott’s absence.

      On Saturday morning, I’m looking forward to a long, relaxing run, having missed a few days. It’s clear, not as cold as yesterday. Snowdrifts piled high are starting to shrink; the roads are free of ice. Starting out slow, I let my mind unravel as I hammer out the miles. Feeling strong and refreshed, I sprint the last half mile. Then, I start my cool down, walking at the end to release some of the lactic acid from my muscles. The hair on the back of my neck tingles. I have the weird sensation of being watched. Picking up my walking pace, looking around, I don’t see anyone. Dismissing my feelings as paranoia, I jog the rest of the way home, just in case.

      Lingering in the shower under the hot water, I’m thinking about Scott. If he was back from Boston, he would have called by now. I dress, eat, then settle at my computer doing work research. Switching my phone to vibrate, I try to focus, but my mind continues to drift. I miss him. I’m resisting the temptation to call him while he’s out of town, hating not knowing when he plans to return. Trying to work in my current state of mind is pointless, so I shut down the computer.

      Due at the car repair shop at 11 a.m., I make plans with Maggie to bring me to the rental car agency. The paint specialist said he could paint just the damaged panel. There’s a good possibility it won’t match exactly with the rest of the car. Existing paint fades over time due to sun and weather. Even if he matches the shade perfectly, there will be subtle differences in color. Short of painting the entire vehicle, there’s no guarantee it will ever be the same again. The cost difference is staggering. I tell him to do his best to make the panel match, leaving him with the car.

      “Did he say how much?” Maggie asks.

      “He did, but I can’t repeat it without hyperventilating.”

      “Your boss should be paying for this.”

      “I know, right?”

      “What about insurance?”

      “With my deductible, it would barely be worth it. Plus my rates will spike.”

      “Let’s get some lunch, then do some shopping before getting your rental. That ought to cheer you up.”

      “Did Corky make it to Maine?”

      “Oh, yeah, guess who she went with?”

      “Jake?”

      Maggie nods.

      “I’m happy for them.”

      “Do you know this is the first time all three of us have been simultaneously happily involved?”

      “I think you’re right.”

      “Are things still red hot with Scott?”

      “Steaming. But I haven’t heard from him in a few days. He’s traveling for his case.”

      “He’ll call. No one can resist the great Scarlet O’Brien.”

      “Ha-ha!”

      It’s a fun afternoon wandering through stores, a good distraction. Maggie and Joe have plans for the evening, so we shop for something new for Maggie to wear. I secretly hope Scott will be back before tonight. It’s strange to think about what my life was like before him, a few weeks ago. Chinese food with movies at home suddenly sounds like a lonely proposition. Even Dad has informed me that he already has plans, when I call offering to make him dinner. With whom? Not at Catherine’s, they’ve been out of sorts since last night with the stomach bug. I offer to bring them supplies, but am relieved when Catherine says they have it covered.

      Maggie drops me at the car rental office. Driving the loaner SUV home, for the first time in a long time, I’m not sure what to do with my evening. The temperature has shifted back to frigid, with the intermittent flurries of the day starting to stick. It doesn’t feel cold enough for the snow to amount to much. Still it makes me weary. Once inside my apartment, I wrap myself up in a quilt. The cold has cut right through me. My bed is looking all too inviting. In truth, I feel worn thin. Still no word from Scott. Maybe he’s avoiding me because he’s leaving. There’s no reason for him to stay now if he’s finished his case. I feel a stabbing pain in my chest. Climbing under the covers, I snuggle down for a nap. This is the most decadent thing I’ve done in months.

      At four o’clock I wake to the sound of someone’s car alarm. Outside at dusk, it looks like a live Christmas card. Everything is freshly coated sparkling alabaster. I have a quick snack, dress, then drive to Saint Anthony’s church. It’s two blocks away from my apartment for the five o’clock Mass. The fact that it’s not my regular parish, St. Joseph’s, suits my mood. I can be anonymous to sit in quite reflection. It’s warm inside. The group in attendance is small, mostly elderly couples and singles like me. The priest, Father Placido, personally welcomes each parishioner entering the church. I like him. For once, don’t feel the least bit anxious. He gives an interesting homily, about God having a plan for all of his people. Some, he says, God calls home early, some have to stay longer to find their path. If we’re listening, we can hear God’s directions, loud and clear. Afterward, I leave filled with a sense of peace I haven’t known in months.

      Having given up on Scott, I stop to pick up some takeout at a local Indian restaurant. Checking my cell phone, I think it’s odd, not one ring all afternoon. Then I realize, I had forgotten to switch the phone off vibrate this morning. I missed a series of texts and calls, mostly from Scott.