“Yeah, thanks for sending me the text. I appreciate the heads up.”
For a moment, I thought of telling Cindy my suspicions about Nicole. About her maybe having something to do with getting me fired. But I didn't want to spoil the mood or cause any drama. Besides, things always turn out the way they are supposed to.
“So when do you leave?”
“He wants me to move in as soon as possible. And I need to find a job, so I'll be packing my belongings and leaving this week.”
“Who would've thought my little Val would be scooped up from the trenches of the Vegas strip.”
“Yeah, well, if it doesn't work out, I don't know what I'll do. I guess I could always come back here… although it’s not my ideal preference.”
“I know, but Nicole and I will be here slinging drinks as usual. And we’ll always have room for you.”
“Thanks, Cindy, I really appreciate it. It means a lot to me.”
She reached out and gave me a hug.
Lugging my suitcase down the hall, I quickly unpacked and did a couple loads of laundry. I began cleaning out my closet, packing most of my things into my luggage. I just needed to pick up a few more boxes to pack the rest of my belongings. I didn't have much since I had downsized upon moving to Vegas. At that point, my entire life fit into ten boxes.
Cindy came waltzing into my room, a bottle of Prosecco in one hand, and two wine glasses in the other. Setting them down on the dresser, she poured us a drink.
“A toast to you and your new man,” she said, handing me a glass. “I wish you all the best, my friend.”
“Thanks.” I smiled, raising my glass to her while sitting on the floor in the middle of the room.
"You are going to keep in touch, right?”
“Of course, I am. I don't know anyone in California except David.”
“I’m sure you’ll make some new friends there.”
“Maybe so, but it might take me a while. Between David and finding a new job, I’ll probably be pretty busy.”
Cindy sat down next to me and started helping me pack. “Maybe I can come out and visit you? It’s been years since I was in LA. I have a few vacation days I need to use before I lose them.”
“That would be great. I'm sure David wouldn't mind, and he has a spare room, plus he's an easy-going guy.”
“Yeah, if his personality matches his fine looks, I'd say you did good girl.” Leaning into me, she elbowed my side.
“I just hope I'm doing the right thing. Everything has happened so quickly.”
“I’ll have to say it's definitely out of your character. It’s not something someone like you would do.”
“What's that supposed to mean?” I took another sip of wine.
“I don't know. I guess it’s something I figured Nicole would do, but not you.”
There was her name again, Nicole. I suppose I’d better get used to it since she’d be moving in and basically taking my place. She was a nice enough person, but sometimes hard to read.
“So when is Nicole moving in?”
“Next week. Maybe we should have a little party and give you a send-off.”
“That sounds good.”
Cindy stood up and reached for the bottle, refilling her glass and then turning to me.
“No thanks,” I placed my hand over the top of the glass. “I need to stop at one. I drank way too much alcohol over the past few weeks.”
“Okay, that just means more vino for me.” Flipping her hair, she turned and strutted out of the room.
I picked up my laptop and sat on my bed. I hadn't done much research on David aside from checking out his website and photos. For the next two hours, I googled his name, seeing if I could dig up any dirt on him, making sure he was the man he said he was and to give me some peace of mind.
I didn't find much information other than a few old addresses and a couple of defunct websites. But my main concern was finding his ex-wives. Who says ‘I do’ twice to two different women? I would think after the first time it loses its effect. It ruins the whole meaning of ‘to have and to hold—till death do us part.’
Unless. No. Wait a minute. He didn’t say he was divorced. Could he be widowed? I couldn’t believe I had never thought of it until that moment. What if one of his wives or both of them were dead?
Goosebumps dimpled my arms and my stomach twisted and turned. I quickly began searching the addresses, hoping to connect him to the names of his ex-wives. They had to share an address, right? I had to find out if they were still alive.
I first came across a woman named Susan who was linked to him via one of those background information sites. As I clicked on her photo to enlarge it, my computer froze and then crashed, flashing me the blue screen of death.
14
David
Val is due to arrive at any moment. I gaze out the window, glance down the street, and watch for her silver Jeep. I'm not sure if I should break the news to her right away or wait a day or two. I didn't expect my plans to change so quickly. I thought we would have more time here in California. But it looks as if things are progressing more rapidly and I'm going to have to make the move sooner than I had anticipated.
Perhaps we’ll order a take-out meal tonight. We’ll share a bottle of wine, cuddle on the couch, and watch a romantic movie together, a chick flick. I’m not a fan of them, but I can suck it up for a night—anything for my Val. That will put her in the mood and relax her a bit. Maybe
