I started at Vogue two days ago. I wouldn't be surprised if they fired me, with the way I was performing, just going through the motions. No matter where or when I looked, Stacy wasn't at her usual hang outs. I don't know when she moved, but the super said her apartment was empty now. Finally, for the first time since she left that bar, I knew where she was going to be. Don Cattaneo's wake was today. She was probably there already.
"What? Just say it and get it over with, Ken. It's bad enough that one of my best friends won't even answer a text, much less see me. Don't give me the silent treatment too, for the love of God," I begged as Kenny walked into the kitchen that morning, still looking at me like I killed his dog.
I probably looked like shit. I couldn't eat or sleep. Between getting up to shower and going to work every day, I didn't even have the energy to shave.
"Okay, fine. What the fuck was that with Jenny the other night? How could you do that in front of Stacy? What the fuck is wrong with you?" Kenny said, not mincing words. "For the umpteenth time you jackass, Stacy's into you."
"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused. "What did I do?"
"The flirting and drink spilling and, I don't know. It just looked wrong," said Kenny, his voice climbing with every word. "You should have seen her face. She looked devastated and also really pissed. Like super pissed. If you ever do see her again, I'd wear a helmet or something."
"You're an idiot and so is Stacy if she thinks there's anyone on my mind other than her," I said, my chest constricting at the admission. "I don't trust Jenny, okay? Her sudden presence in Stacy's life just didn't sit right with me. That's why I was hanging out with her at the bar. I just wanted to know what her deal was. I don't want Stacy to get hurt."
"And at no point did it occur to you that Jenny's deal was wanting to see you guys fight?" Kenny asked, pointing out what had now become the obvious. "Alright, if you're that stupid, I guess you get some sympathy."
"Fuck this. I'm not sitting here, waiting for the next phase of Luca's scheme. I'm going over there," I said, grabbing my keys, phone and wallet.
"You can't have a sick day. You just started two days ago. Also, it's a mafia wake. You can't just show up," Kenny called after me, but I didn't care.
Getting onto the Cattaneo property took some doing, but the house was open to the public because of the wake, so I did eventually make it in.
"Here's hoping I'm not about to get killed," I said to no one in particular.
But just before I could go through the front door, I spotted Stacy out in the yard with Jenny and another, older woman. Stacy happened to look my way and our eyes met. My joy and relief at seeing her was dampened by the tears in her eyes.
I made my way to her, wanting to set her straight about whatever was going on in her head. It would have to wait though, because she was already on the verge of tears. When I was within earshot, I started picking up on their conversation.
"I'm sorry Jenny showed up at your place. It won't happen again," said the older woman, cradling Jenny in her arms.
"No, mom, it's fine. I'd love to see you again. Both of you," Stacy said in a voice so small it broke my heart hearing it. "I left home. I left dad. It's safe."
Stacy's mom reached out to touch her cheek.
"Foolish child," she said, her voice breaking. "You still very much belong to Don Angelo. I don't want that happening to Jenny too."
These words produced the first tear on Stacy's cheek. Then another fell on the opposite cheek. Without saying anything, I took her hand in mine and interlocked our fingers. She didn't turn to me. Her eyes were fixed on her mother, still cradling Jenny. But she squeezed my hand so hard I thought she'd break it.
"He's my father too. It's my life. I'll see him if I want to," Jenny insisted, frantically thrashing in her mother's arms.
"I'm sorry," said their mother, dragging Jenny away screaming. "We can never see each other again. That's the deal you made. The very first one."
There was no malice behind her words. It was just a fact to her. If anything, the only things I saw on Stacy's mother's face were grief and fear. Still I hated her for saying them. Stacy had worked hard to get away from Don Angelo and here was her mother, saying this to her.
I stood next to Stacy until her mother and Jenny got into a car and drove off, all the while just holding her hand. Only when the car was out of sight did she turn, throw herself into my arms and start ugly crying.
"We should go," I said softly, rubbing her back. "I'm not sure this place is safe."
I put her into the passenger seat of my car, and buckled her seat belt for her.
"Thanks," she said, looking up at me through teary eyes.
"Always," I said, wanting her to know that I'd be her constant no matter what.
We spent the next hour driving around and getting something to eat.
"Can I take you somewhere? Or do you just want to go straight back to wherever you're crashing?" I asked, having kept questions to a minimum while she sorted through her thoughts for the past hour.
She looked like she wasn't altogether there. I'd been monologuing about Vogue for ages, but now I needed an answer. We couldn't do this all day.
"Take me somewhere safe," she said, still staring out the window.
I knew hiking wasn't what she had in mind, but I couldn't think of anywhere else I wanted to take her. If she didn't want to do this, she certainly wasn't saying so.
"This mountain has been my mistress and my archnemesis for months," I said, making small talk. "One of these days I'm going to—"
"Take the perfect picture. I know," she said, surprising me.
"What do you mean you know?" I asked.
"I've been here before, a few times. I've watched you try and take the perfect photo. You want to capture the sunrise, but you've hated every picture you've taken up until now," she said, matter of factly.
"Far be it for me to think you are so presumptuous, but did you follow me up here?" I asked, surprised once again.
When she nodded, my mind was blown. Stacy Kendrick following me anywhere sounded crazy to me.
"Why didn't you ever come out and say hi? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want to seem like a stalker who is obsessed with you," she said, her voice lighter. "Don't get the wrong idea. I admire your work ethic. You never quit. I like that."
There would be no perfect photo today, but when we reached the top, I sat next to her, my dream girl an
d we just existed together. This mountain had never given me such peace before.