On the one day when she would have welcomed a busy day the front desk was practically dead. While there were numerous deliveries from local restaurants and grocery stores, since the deliveries were heavy and large, it was security escorting the delivery person up. Security was adamant Linda and she were not to be bothered so she retreated to the office to do some paperwork. Hours later, Linda asked to be relieved for a quick lunch and Carrie shooed her on, apologizing for forgetting. Bringing up the close out report she was almost done with, her time passed without interruption. Linda came back and ate in the office.
There was no warning, she didn’t even hear the door. One moment she was running through numbers and the next she was enveloped in the scent of Chanel and Rafael’s mother was waiting with a smile.
“Carrie Whitney, you are looking beautiful again. I have
come in person to invite you to my home tomorrow for an afternoon Thanksgiving get together. Bring your brothers, I’m excited to meet them.” She extended a heavy vellum envelope, it felt expensive.
“Actually, the twins will be in Austin tomorrow.” Carrie had no idea how to turn the woman down.
“How disappointing, but you won’t so you’ll come. I do so hate the idea of you being alone on a day when family is so important. My brother and his wife along with three nephews will be there. I’ve invited a few friends who are at loose ends as well. Come dear, I promise a good time and I won’t even mention you and Rafael.”
“I just don’t know if it’s a good idea.”
“If you don’t come on your own, I’ll be forced to come and get you. Say, yes, be a good girl.” The woman was firm, Carrie saw Rafael’s tenacity in the woman’s eyes.
“Ok, fine. I mean, thank you.”
“Good, it’s settled. Casual dear, jeans are fine.” With a fluttering wave of fingers the woman was gone.
Shit, she called Javier. As he picked up, Linda came out of her office. “One sec.” She said to Javier as she let Linda know she was going to have lunch in her apartment.
“Javier, your mom just invited me to Thanksgiving lunch. I said yes, but only because she scares me a little. What do I do? Rafael is going to be pissed, I know it.”
Javier laughed and Carrie wanted to hit him. “No choice, hermana, when mother wants something, she’s worse than Rafael. I had a feeling this was going to happen. She assumed you’d be coming with us to Houston and when she found out you weren’t coming but still seeing Rafael her response was not a good one.”
“So there’s no getting out of it?”
“On a scale of one to ten, you are at a negative ten. Go, have fun. Her brother is an ass but his wife isn’t so bad. From what I remember two out of three boys aren’t assholes just slightly annoying.”
“But won’t Rafael lose it when he finds out?”
“Well, I doubt he’ll find out. He’ll make a morning call to mother and that will be the extent of it. Mother won’t tell and neither will I, promise.”
“Wait, is that why he never blew up about me meeting your mom. He didn’t know?”
“Carrie, come on, he would have already been molten because we were having lunch but then to know you met mother. Hell no, we didn’t tell him. Mother was shocked you had lasted longer than three months. She was afraid if she tried pushing you together he would get bullish on you.”
Feeling let down Carrie understood their reasoning, she had just hoped he had known and it not been a big deal. Now that she realized he never knew she was starting to have more doubts. “Okay, thanks.”
Without another word, she disconnected the call. Her stomach was twisting, tears pricked her eyes and she practically collapsed at the dining table. What was Rafael doing with her, what was she doing with Rafael? Whatever it was she didn’t think she could do it for much longer.
Her cell phone rang, it was security announcing Bethany. Shit, she had completely forgotten. Giving the okay, she splashed water on her face and was wiping it off as she opened the door.
“Hug! Oh, fuck what the hell is the matter now, Carrie? Damn it, I knew I should have brought my gun.”
“Bethany, I love you but please stop talking about your gun.”
“I will if you spill it. Talk to me, what has you looking like you’re about to fall apart on me?”
Carrie shook her head, not wanting to give Bethany the whole story but when she opened her mouth it all came tumbling out. Bethany was patient but had to have her repeat herself when her voice got high-pitched and she started crying again. When Carrie had finally run out of words she waited, hoping Bethany could tell her what to do.
“Well hell, it looks like I gave you bad advice. This man sounds about as immovable as a mountain. You sure know how to pick them, Carrie. Some kind of paragon of mannish virtue combined with the stubbornness of a jackass. Fuck, I’m racking my brain and I wish I could tell you a way out of it but the only thing I can think of, I have a feeling you’ve already been thinking the same or you wouldn’t be in tears right now.”
“I have to let go.” Just saying the words hurt and caused fresh tears.
“Yep, sorry honey. You could wait until the stupid date he gave to break it off but you doing it first, it will keep him on his toes. It will push him to know if he wants more from you and it really does sound like he does. From the sound of him, he’s gotten used to having things on his own terms for too long. You need to shake up his world a bit. Also, if you break it off then when he realizes how much he loves you it will hurt much more to make sure he never fucks up again.”
Carrie couldn’t stop thinking about Bethany’s words long after the twins were gone and she knew Rafael was too.