A Debt Paid (9 page)

Calix drove away from his mother’s
house unbelievably upset and depressed.
Anya had told her mother everything. He’d
felt bad and guilty about how he handled
things that first day, but he had done
everything he could to make up for it. He
thought they had worked passed it. She
seemed happy with him. They enjoyed each
other’s company even without sex. He went
over and over what had happened to them
today; unable to understand what had set
her off. He knew he had screwed up; he’d
really, really fucked up. God, he didn’t
know what he was going to do, these last
couple of weeks changed him. He’d seen
what he’d been missing all these years. He
was in love with her, and he had no idea
how he was going to live without her.

He felt a tear run down his face
before wiping it away with his fingertips
then looked down at the moisture on them.
Calix couldn’t believe it; he hadn’t cried or
shed a tear since his father passed away.
He had no one to go to. He couldn’t go to
his mother, and he didn’t have any truly
close friends, merely business associates
and the like. That only left his uncle; he
didn’t want to go to him just yet. Despite
Carol’s threat, he had to try and find Anya.
He had to; he couldn’t live without her.

***

Carol was able to book Anya a red
eye to the coast, but, because of the timing,
she had to catch a few connections. When
Anya finally arrived, she was dead on her
feet. As she walked down from the
escalator away from the gates, she saw
Nicole waiting for her. The sight of Nicole’s
bright smile perked Anya up. They
practically ran to each other.

“Oh my God, Anya! I can’t believe
you’re here.”

Anya broke into tears when Nicole
swept her into a tight hug. “No, no, honey,
don’t cry, don’t cry. I know the
circumstances are crappy, but I’m so glad
you’ve came. It’s been over eighteen
months since our last visit.”

Anya sniffled and tried to wipe her
tears without letting go of Nicole.

“Now, let’s get you back to my place.
You’ll take a hot shower then a nap. You
look exhausted. When you wake up, we’ll
veg with every sugary, fattening, and tooth
rotting, sweet comfort food we can get our
hands on. I traded shifts and have the next
couple of days off.”

“Oh, you didn’t need to do that. I
don’t want to mess with your work.”

Nicole started to walk them toward
the baggage claim. Trying to keep her voice
upbeat, she said, “Oh no, honey, I needed
these days off. A couple of our RNs were
sick, and I’ve worked more doubles than I
would have liked. So, no worries, okay?
Now which suitcase is yours?”

Anya stood there and shook her
head. “I don’t have any.”

Nicole turned to face Anya. One of
her eyebrows was raised up. Her voice was
a bit skeptical. “What do you mean you
don’t have any?"

Anya stuttered a bit, “I–I– I didn’t
have time. I just ran out, and I wasn’t going
to go back for clothes. Mom set me up with
money. I’m just going to buy clothes,” She
finished with a sheepish shrug, trying to
downplay what had happened.

Nicole just reached out and hugged
her again. “Okay, I’ve got something you
can sleep in. I’m a couple inches taller, so
my stuff won’t really fit. We’ll wash your
clothes and then,” her voice started to
sound sing songish, “we’re gonna go
shopppiiinngg.”

In spite of the situation, Anya
chuckled and agreed. They walked out of
the airport with arms wrapped each other’s
waist and made their way to the short term
parking area. Nicole started to chatter
about her recent life events, men, work,
and her family. She talked all the way from
the airport to her apartment. Anya was
sure Nicole was trying to distract her from
her thoughts. She was a good friend. In high
school, Nicole always knew how to cheer
her up. Nicole was one of a handful of
people who really knew her and her family
and what a bastard her father was. Anya
had cried on her shoulder plenty of times.
Anya had been there for Nicole, as well.
They were kinda in the same boat. Her
father was a big corporate CFO and a closet
nasty drunk. Her whole family played
‘happy family’ just like Anya’s did.

It was just past noon when they
finally arrived at Nicole's apartment.

“The mall doesn’t close till nine
o’clock, so we have enough time to shower,
nap, and head out with plenty of time to
shop and not be rushed. We can even have
dinner at the mall.”

Anya was so tired. She really hadn’t
gotten to sleep on the plane. She couldn’t
relax enough, and then when she finally
started to, it was time to switch planes
again.

“I think I’ll nap then shower. I’m so
beat.”

“Whichever way you want is fine.
Now, sleeping arrangements; I only have
the one bedroom. But my sofa is actually a
futon, so you can have it, or you can share
my queen.”

“Why do you only have one
bedroom? Is housing here that expensive?”

“No, but it helps to keep family visits
short, and if it’s an overnight visit, they’re
usually staying at a hotel.” Nicole laughed
at her own cleverness, and Anya joined her
in her laughter.

“Smart, very smart.” Anya smiled.
***

Calix’s cell was ringing, and he was
tempted not to get up and get it, but the
thought that maybe it was Anya forced him
up. He looked at the caller ID. No, not Anya,
but it was his uncle, so he couldn’t ignore it.
“Hello.”

“Calix, why aren’t you in the office? I
called, and your assistant said you’d be out
for the next few days. What the fuck is
going on?”

Calix was not ready to have this
conversation with his uncle. With his free
hand, he slowly started to try and rub some
of the tension out of his temple.

“It’s a long story, one I don’t feel up
to talking about, Zio (Uncle).”
“Don’t give me that crap. What have
you done to your mother?”

Calix sat up straighter. Was there
something wrong with his mother? He had
just seen her last night, and she’d been fine.

“What’s wrong with my mom? Is she
sick?”

“No, she’s pissed. I called her to ask
if there was anything she needed before
her trip or anything she needed done at her
house while she was gone, so I could plan
for it. She told me she couldn’t handle
talking to me yet and to not call her till she
was. Maria has never spoken to me in such
a way.”

“I saw her last night when I told her
the wedding was cancelled. Maybe that’s
why she’s mad. I’ll call her and talk to her.”

“You can’t.”
“Why not?”
“She left for Italy this morning.”
“What? She isn’t scheduled to leave
for two more weeks,” Calix screeched.

“Watch your tone. You cancelling
your wedding would have made her mad at
you, not me, and why is your wedding
cancelled?”

Fuck!
Calix thought
.
What if Carol
caved and told his mother everything? His
mother knew something serious was going
on, and, when she wanted to know
something, she was like a dog with a bone.
She wouldn’t drop it till she was satisfied.

“Zio Vito. God. It’s possible Mom
knows about the deal I made with Anya
and her father.”

“How would she? You better tell me
what the fuck is going on, and if you keep
something from me, I’ll beat the shit out of
you myself.”

“Okay, but, please, Zio, just hear me
out. Anya and her father came in Monday
two weeks ago to discuss my proposition.
Like I said, he either needed to pay you
your money, or I’d pay it if Anya married
me.”

Vito cut in, “I know this; she agreed,
you paid, so why is it cancelled?”
“You didn’t let me finish, Zio.”

Though it was very shameful and
uncomfortable admitting everything that
had happened that morning and everything
else up to last night, Calix knew better than
to try and hide details from his uncle, so he
confessed everything.

“And she just ran out. I was naked,
so I couldn’t go after her right away. I
tracked Carol to Mom’s house, so I drove
there to talk to her. We spoke in private.
Mom had left the room. Carol told me
everything that Anya had told her, and she
threatened to tell Mom if I didn’t leave
Anya alone.”

His uncle was silent. That was not a
good sign. You would think if he was
yelling or cursing that would mean he was
mad. With his uncle, he was at his most
serious and deadliest when he was calm
and quiet.

“Zio?”

“Let me get this straight. She came
Monday morning to agree to marry you,
because you not only threatened harm on
her father but also her mother. You got
angry with her because of her less than
thrilled response, and you forced yourself
on her, knowing she was a virgin. What the
fuck is wrong with you? Sdraiato bastardo!
(Lying bastard!) You know very well we
have never harmed a woman who was not
in a blood debt by her own doing. Suino
vergognoso ti vergogna mi e la nostra
famiglia! (Disgraceful pig you shame our
family and me!) I only agreed to that
arrangement because you said you needed
her. I thought that meant you loved her but
were too proud to say it because she did
not feel the same way. I thought you would
marry her then you would woo her and
show her love. Instead you forced yourself
on her, a virgin!”

“Zio, please, I snapped and was
blind in my rage. She brings out strong, raw
emotions in me that I’ve never had. I do
love her and need her. I saw that she feels
nothing for her father. She would never
have agreed if it weren’t her mother at risk.
I’ve waited years for her. I did everything I
could to try to erase that moment for us. I
showed her affection, pleasure, and
companionship. I thought we were fine,
and that we had worked passed it. She was
happy with me, Zio, I swear she was. I
never did anything she didn’t want after
that morning, and she enjoyed everything
we did together. She was even
disappointed when the pregnancy test was
negative. I don’t understand what caused
her to run.”

“Calix, I did not help your mother to
raise you this way. What you did to Anya is
something that, to me, is unforgivable. How
she managed to stay with you after that
and not report you I do not know. Your
mother is a smart woman. No doubt she
was able to get everything out of Carol. So,
she now must think that I have approved of
your behavior. No wonder she left and
wants nothing from me.”

Calix was choking on his own words
now. Vito could hear the roughness in his
voice; the emotion Calix was trying to keep
caged. He had always told Calix to show no
emotion, that it was a weakness. Now, Calix
had found a woman that lit a fire in him,
and he didn’t know how to handle it.

Calix was pleading with his uncle;
something he had never done before. “Zio,
please, I need help I have to find her.” Calix
took a moment to clear his throat. “Zio, I
couldn’t even sleep last night without her.”

“I’m sorry, Calix, but I will not help
you find her. Nipote (Nephew), you did this
to yourself. If she wants you in any way,
she will come back. If not, then you need to
find a way to move on. I know that it might
not be possible for you, and, if it isn’t, you
need to lock up your heart enough to
where you can move forward.”

Calix’s guilt and hopelessness was
turning into anger. For the first time in his
life, he raised his voice to his uncle. “How
would you know? You’ve never married.
You have never felt a soul shattering love.”

“Careful, Calix, I will not tell you
again. Yes, I did love someone, and I still
love her. But, I knew she could be put in
harm’s way because of me and my
business. I wasn’t willing to risk that. I have
one sweet memory of our time together.
She married someone else shortly after
that. I know she was loved and safe, and I
survived on that.”

“Zio?”
“Don’t ask because I won’t tell. Now,
I need to know something; the
arrangements we were making for her
father, are we still going forward with
them?”

A very disheartened Calix answered,
“Yes, it was my wedding gift to her, and
even though the wedding is off, it’s the
least I can do.”

“Now that Maria and Carol have left
early we can move up the time line.”

“Yes, let’s get it done with. The
sooner this is all over the sooner I can lock
this away.”

“If you are in need of company,
Calix, I can send Natalia.”
“No, thank you, Zio, I just want left
alone.”
As usual Calix hung up with no
goodbye.

When Anya woke from her nap, it
was a little after 4:30 pm. She remembered
putting her clothes in the washer but didn’t
remember putting them in the dryer. She
got up and went to check, since she
wouldn’t be able to shower until her
clothes were dry.

Nicole saw Anya rushing towards
the washer. “Don’t worry, I put them in the
dryer while you were asleep.” Nicole was
sitting at the dining room table, reading
and drinking coffee.

“I thought you were going to nap,
too,” Anya said while walking toward the
table then pulled out a chair to sit down
next to Nicole.

“I tried, really I did. But my body is
just so mixed up from long hours, night
shifts, and working doubles; it doesn’t
know what to do.”

Anya chuckled. “Okay, well, I’m
gonna take a shower then, unless you need
in first?”

Nicole shook her head. “Nope, I took
one an hour ago. Extra towels are in the
hallway closet. I have body wash, and there
is a new puff under the sink. We’ll leave for
the mall as soon as you’re ready.”

***

Maria and Carol had taken off early
in the morning. Carol guessed that they
were half-way there, since they had been
flying for just over six hours. Maria had
gotten a call from Vito before they left.
She’d been rather short with him. It was to
be expected. After all, he was a part of the
whole blackmailing fiasco.

They were flying in first class, which
was absolutely indulgent. Their plane had
Wi-Fi, each seat had its own T.V screen, and
up to two hundred and fifty movies to
choose from. They even had a walk-up
refreshment bar and fully reclining seats
that were cocooned for privacy. Each seat
also had a vanity cupboard with a mirror,
and the upgraded bathrooms featured
maple details and Dermalogica products
for passengers to use, so they arrived fresh
and feeling like a star. The plane even had
mood lighting; Carol wasn’t too sure about
it, but they said the different lights helped.
The stages on the flight turned the cabin
pink on embarkation, blue to ease
passengers into sleep, and yellow to
energize on arrival at the destination.

The only thing that bothered Carol,
although she loved the privacy of the
cocoon, was it made it hard to talk to each
other. She didn’t want to raise her voice
and be heard by everyone surrounding
them, so she decided, since she couldn’t
nap like a lot of the other passengers, she
would go over her emails and check the
account to make sure Anya didn’t have any
problems getting money.

Opening her email, she saw that she
already had an email from her attorney.
She hadn’t even told him she was leaving
early. Calling him would be a priority when
they landed. She started to read through
the email.

To: Mrs. C. Richards
Cc/Bcc:
From:
[email protected]
Dear Mrs. Richards,

Per your request, I have filed your
divorce papers. They were sent next day
express mail and should arrive via courier.
Please sign and mail them back as soon as
possible. Senator Richards will be served as
soon as we have your signature on the
papers. I have already started the
paperwork to remove your name from any
accounts you have joint with your husband.
If you have any further needs or questions,
please feel free to contact me at any time.

J. King

That was odd; she hadn’t asked him
to file yet or to remove her name from their
joint accounts. She would definitely have to
call him as soon as possible. She needed to
find out who contacted him to start
everything without saying anything to her.

***

Anya and Nicole left Radio Shack
after purchasing Anya’s new pay as you go
phone. She was so glad you could get an
iPhone without a contract, because she did
everything on her phone. She only used her
computer for work. Work—she wondered
if her mom had been able to get a hold of
her boss. No doubt he would be mad. But
she’d worked for him for years. He knew
her well, so he had to know that she wasn’t
just flaking out on him, and that there was
a serious reason for her hasty departure.
She had tried calling her mother to let her
know that she had arrived safe and sound
and to ask about what her boss had said,
but her mom’s phone kept going straight to
her voice mail, which meant it was turned
off. Her mother’s phone was never off, so it
made Anya a little nervous about what was
going on back home. She didn’t want to call
her parents’ house and risk her father
answering the phone. So, she would just
have to try again later.

“Still having trouble getting a hold of
your mom, huh?” Nicole asked as they
walked toward Cherry Couture, which was
where Nicole liked to shop. They had the
cutest clothes and were decently price.

Walking while programming her
information into the phone, Anya
distractedly answered Nicole, “Yeah, I think
I’m gonna try texting and maybe sending
an e-mail. I don’t want to call the house; my
father might answer, and I don’t know if he
knows what’s going on yet.”

Nicole reached out and pulled Anya
to the side as she almost walked into a
display. “Anya, pay attention, mess with
your phone when we get back home. It’s
time to shop!” Nicole excitedly cried out.

“Okay, okay.” Anya relented. She
shoved the phone in her purse and started
to look at the different racks. “Wow, look at
these tops.”

“I know, right. I love this store. I
come to this mall all the time. I go and look
at all the stores but always come back
here.”

Anya was looking through each top
on the rack, pulling out different tops and
holding them up in front of her. “I can see
why. These are so cute. What do you think
of these?”

Nicole oohed and awed. “That color
is great on you. It makes your eyes pop. A
little advice, though, buy clothes in layers.
The weather changes all the time, if you
buy layers, you can add and subtract
depending on the weather.”

The girls shopped for over two
hours. Anya tried on outfit after outfit. She
ended up buying a little bit of everything.
Nicole couldn’t help herself and bought
some cute tops and a skirt that were on
sale.

“I worked up an appetite. What
about you, Anya, you hungry?”
“Yeah, I could eat.”

They walked to the second floor,
where the food court was located. Nicole
was babbling on about what they should do
next and later tonight. Anya wasn’t really
paying attention, she was thinking of Calix.
Then she was lost in thought about why
she was thinking of Calix. She had freaked
last night when she left. She was so lost and
confused. Maybe she should talk it out with
Nicole. Nicole was always good at sorting
out feelings as long as they weren’t her
own.

“Anya, are you listening to me?”
“Hmm, oh sorry, Nicole, I’m just
trying to work through all my thoughts.”

Nicole stopped walking, and her
hand reached out to hold Anya’s hand. She
tilted her head to the side, and that
sympathy look that everyone gives crossed
her face.

“Honey, would you rather go back to
the apartment, order in, and talk?”

“Sorry, Nicole, I’m just so mixed up. I
told my mom the bare bones of what
happened, but I haven’t had anyone I could
really to talk to about my feelings I don’t
understand what I’m feeling, and I feel like
what I’m feeling is wrong. Oh God, do you
see what I mean?”

Anya was trying not to cry, but
Nicole could see the shimmering of tears in
her eyes.

“It’s okay, I was just talking, trying
to take your mind off things.”
“I know, thank you.”

“Let’s just make a quick stop at
Bargain Basket, and we’ll get you one of
those plastic dressers, because I got
nowhere for you to put your clothes away,”
Nicole finished with a light laugh.

Nicole linked her arm with Anya’s,
and they left.