Diary of a Mistress (2 page)

It had grown dark by the time Monica and Carlos went to pick up their boys from Monica’s mother. As Monica turned the key in her mother’s door, a sense of excitement came over both her and Carlos. This was the first time they had spent the day without their children in a long time.

“Daddy’s here,” Carlos sang immediately after entering his mother-in-law’s house.

“Dad-dy!” his sons squealed as they paused the video game they had been playing and ran into their father’s arms. Monica stood to the side smiling as she watched her husband hug the boys.

After soaking in all the love from his sons, Carlos stepped back and looked them over. “Let me look at you two. Which one of you grew taller since yesterday?” he asked.

“I did! I did!” they both shouted, each one trying to be louder than the other.

Carlos laughed and rubbed both their heads. “Go give your mother a hug and a kiss,” he said.

He then walked over to Monica’s mother, who had been sitting on the sofa observing her daughter’s family with delight.

“And for the second most beautiful woman in the world,” Carlos said as he kissed his mother-in-law on her cheek.

Carlos was an excellent husband and father. He was charming, respectful, committed, and good-looking. Monica took a minute to count her blessings.

The big round clock that hung in Angela’s living room right above her fireplace said two o’clock. Angela was on her couch wrapped in a chenille throw, still wearing the clothes from the previous morning. An infomercial was playing on the TV. She picked up the cordless phone from the floor and checked the caller ID. Nothing. Carlos hadn’t even bothered to call her. She had expected a call early in the afternoon. Now here it was two o’clock in the morning. She had taken off work for him, she thought. She was furious. She dialed the number for his home office.

“Hello,” Carlos whispered, noticing Angela’s name in his caller ID box. “I thought I told you not to call me past a certain time.” Carlos sounded frustrated.

Angela’s stomach tied up in knots. She couldn’t believe Carlos’s tone. “Carlos, we had a deal!”

“I know, I know, but my wife surprised me with a day off together,” Carlos explained.

“But you promised! For years, you’ve been promising!” Angela whined.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Angela,” Carlos said helplessly.

Tears began to well up in Angela’s eyes.

“I’m talking about
us
. You and me, Carlos. What’s going to happen to us? That’s what we were supposed to discuss today, remember?”

“Listen, I have to go, and there is no us. I’m sorry,” Carlos said, right before he hung up on her.

“CARLOS! CARLOS!” Angela screamed into the phone.

When she realized he had hung up, she threw her phone across the room. She began to experience a piercing pain in her stomach. She paced her apartment until she got tired. Then she balled up in a corner and wrapped her arms tightly around her knees. Her head was burning with a migraine. She was having flashbacks of all the good times she had with Carlos, the many days Carlos was the only person who kept her sane. Then, fragments of scenes from her past relationships passed through her mind: the affair her husband had, the child outside their marriage, the divorce, her pregnancy. She felt her migraine growing stronger. She needed Carlos more now than ever before. He had been the only person who could make all the pain of her past disappear. He had been her backbone, her single reason for living. And here he was telling her it was over. Just like that. No forewarning, no remorse, nothing. Everything she’d been through with him, everything he’d done for her were just distant memories. And now he would go on to be happy with his wife and children and leave Angela out on her own with nobody. She couldn’t handle it. She was devastated. Walking into her bathroom, she opened the medicine cabinet and retrieved a bottle of Vicodin painkillers. She was going to put a stop to this headache. She was going to put a stop to everything.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Thump! Thump! Thump!

“Angela! Angela! Open the door!” Angela’s younger sister Ashley called out.

A week had gone by, and no one had heard from or seen her sister. First, Angela’s housekeeper called Ashley earlier in the week asking about Angela, wanting to know how to collect her pay. Then Angela’s boss called Ashley to find out why her sister hadn’t been to work. Angela and Ashley were close, but they lived totally different lives so their paths didn’t cross much. But anytime Ashley received phone calls about her sister’s whereabouts, she immediately knew what was wrong.

“This is 911, what’s your emergency?”

“I’m at my sister’s apartment and she’s inside but she’s not answering the door. I’m afraid she might be hurt or unconscious or something,” Ashley said in a panic.

“What’s the location?”

“Bensalem Manor, apartment 3B,” Ashley reported.

“We’re sending an officer out, but in the meantime, try contacting the apartment’s manager or maintenance and have them unlock the door. They should have a master key, and if you’re listed as an emergency contact person for your sister, they’ll let you in,” the 911 operator instructed.

Ashley followed the operator’s advice. She backed away from her sister’s door and ran down the two flights of stairs. She rushed into the parking lot, jumped into her car, and drove to the office. After quickly reviewing Angela’s file, the manager and Ashley went back to Angela’s second-floor unit and let themselves in. The apartment was stuffy, and a horrible smell clogged the air. Ashley called her sister’s name repeatedly, going from room to room, until she found her sister lying on the floor in her own vomit. Angela was barely conscious, murmuring, “Get me to the airport.” She was too weak to move. Beside her was a half-empty bottle of Vicodin and an empty bottle of Merlot.

The ambulance arrived shortly thereafter. After gathering brief information about Angela from Ashley and the apartment’s manager, the EMT workers put Angela on a stretcher. Ashley walked behind, watching her sister closely, as the EMTs carried Angela out of the building. The sight of her sister’s unstable mental state saddened Ashley. She got in her car and followed the emergency response unit to Frankford Hospital.

As is typical for late August, the air was humid. The sun burst through the early noon clouds with power. The Philadelphia International Airport was the last place Monica thought she would end up, but when her husband pleaded with her to leave all the household chores alone and meet him there for lunch, she couldn’t resist.

“Now, park the car and meet me at Terminal D. Follow the signs to Delta Airlines,” Carlos instructed his wife over his cell phone.

“Okay,” Monica said. “This better be a good lunch. Do you know what all I could have gotten done at the house on my day off?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just park the car and meet me over here. I never heard a woman complain so much about getting a break,” Carlos teased.

“I’m parking now. I’ll see you in a sec.”

“Hurry up,” Carlos said, then ended the call.

He was standing on the pavement near curbside check-in when his wife crept up beside him.

“You’re right on time,” Carlos said as he greeted Monica with a kiss on the lips.

Suspiciously, she shied away from the kiss, unsure just what her husband was up to. Monica noticed he couldn’t stop smiling. He was even glowing. But before she could say a word, he led her into the airport. People were everywhere, mostly returning home from their summer vacations.

“This way,” Carlos said as he led his wife through the crowds of passengers. Monica held on to Carlos’s hand as he briskly weaved through the swarms of people.

“Why are you walking so fast? Are we late for a reservation? And what restaurant in the airport requires reservations anyway? Where are you taking me? Carlos, where are we going? We’re not boarding any flights, are we?” she rambled on as she noticed they were heading toward the gates.

“Woman, please, shut your mouth. Just follow me. You’ll see where we’re going when we get there,” Carlos said as he pulled two boarding passes from his denim shorts pocket and handed them to the airline employee at the gate.

The tall slender woman glanced at the boarding passes and then at the two passports that were with them. She looked up at Carlos and Monica, then gave them their passports and their portions of their boarding passes. Smiling, she said, “Enjoy your flight,” and extended her arm in the direction of the aircraft.

Carlos and Monica walked down the hall to board their flight. Monica was still confused, expecting that at any minute Carlos would say, “Sike,” and turn back around. But he never did. Instead, they took their seats on the plane. And not just any seats either; they were in first class.

“Oh my God, Carlos! You’re lying! This is a setup! What about my clothes? What about the kids? Who’s going to pick them up from camp? What about the house? How long are we going to be gone for?” Monica’s excitement turned into panic as she questioned Carlos’s head off.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry,” Carlos said. “I took care of everything. Your mom has the boys. They didn’t go to camp today. And your clothes are in your luggage under the plane. And Mrs. Janice agreed to keep an eye on the house. She’s going to get the mail and everything,” Carlos said nonchalantly.

“You’re crazy,” Monica said joyously as she playfully hit her husband on the arm. “I don’t believe you. You planned all this by yourself? Um, um, um, I knew you had something up your sleeve, but I did not think it was anything like this. Oh my God. You got me good. I was wondering why you wanted to eat all the way at the airport, and I kept asking myself what decent restaurants were at the airport.” Monica babbled on and on, excited and surprised at the same time. She continued, “Wait until I tell Rita. If she knew about this and didn’t tell me, I am going to kick her behind! She’s supposed to be my best friend. She can’t keep something this big from me! I hope she helped you pack my clothes. Matter of fact, what clothes did you pack? I hope you didn’t pack just anything. Please tell me you got Rita’s approval first,” Monica rambled, unable to control herself.

Carlos just kissed his wife on the lips and told her to relax. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, pleased with how he’d managed to pull the whole thing off.

Ashley was in the waiting room for close to an hour before a doctor came out to talk to her about Angela.

“Williams?” The short Asian man approached Ashley. “I’m Dr. Wayne.”

“Well, how is she?” Ashley asked.

“She’s coming along. Let me ask you something, Ms. Williams, has your sister been depressed lately?” the doctor questioned.

“I’m really not sure, Doctor,” Ashley said.

“Well, we’ve determined that Angela tried to commit suicide,” the doctor explained.

Ashley shook her head, and said, “Well, I haven’t been in touch with my sister for a while, but this used to happen often, like every six months after her divorce. I thought maybe she was over it since she hasn’t had an episode in about three years.”

“Well, I’m sorry to say it has happened again,” the doctor said.

“So, I guess you’ll be admitting her to Taylor’s?” Ashley asked, already sure the answer was yes.

The doctor nodded, and replied, “Yes, she’s being 302’d. I’m assuming you know the procedure?”

“Yeah, I’ll sign the papers,” Ashley said, and followed the doctor to an information desk down the hall from the waiting room.

“Good afternoon, passengers. We were due to arrive at Miami International Airport at approximately two forty-five this afternoon. But with great weather and light air traffic, it looks like we’ll be landing ahead of schedule. The temperature in Miami is ninety-four degrees. I hope you have enjoyed your flight with us, and thank you for choosing Delta.”

Monica opened her eyes from her catnap and looked out the window. The layers of clouds thinned out, and she was beginning to see land. She was growing more excited by the minute. Carlos was sound asleep beside her. She couldn’t help but stare at him, silently appreciating him. Throughout their entire marriage, this was the best thing he had ever done for her. This topped everything, and she didn’t know how to thank him for it.

“Carlos, Carlos,” Monica whispered in her husband’s ear. “Put your seat up; we’re getting ready to land.”

Carlos sat up and looked around. When he noticed people were putting their tray tables back in their upright positions, he quickly did the same. Monica was like a little kid going to Disney World. Carlos basked in her excitement.

“I still don’t believe this,” Monica said, giddily holding on to Carlos’s arm as they exited the plane.

Carlos just smiled and said, “This is just the beginning.”

He dug through his shorts pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He handed it to Monica.

“Call your mom and tell her we arrived safely,” Carlos instructed his wife.

Monica dialed the numbers, still amused. Meanwhile, Carlos led them to baggage claim.

“Mom!” Monica shouted through the phone.

“Yes,” Monica’s mother sang.

“We’re here. We’re in Miami,” Monica said.

“Oh, okay—”

“And I don’t believe you! You knew about this and didn’t tell me,” Monica said excitedly.

“It was a surprise, and Carlos worked so hard to pull it off. I wasn’t going to mess it up for him,” Monica’s mother explained. “You just go ahead and have fun. This is a much-needed vacation for you two.”

“I know. Let me just yell at the boys for a second and then you won’t be hearing another word from me,” Monica said.

“Hold on.”

“Mom-my,” Christopher screeched.

“Hey, Mom!” Carlos Jr. spoke.

“Hi, boys, Mommy misses you two already,” Monica sighed.

“We miss you too,” her sons said in unison.

“Well, you two be good for Grandma, okay? And Mommy and Daddy will see you when we get back. Don’t eat too many sweets, and make sure you go to bed on time, you hear me?” Monica told her sons, assuming they would try to take advantage of her mother.

“Okay, Mommy,” the boys agreed.

“All right, that’s enough.” Monica’s mother had taken back the phone. “Go enjoy your trip. I have everything under control here.”

“All right, Mom. Thank you. I love you, and tell Chris and C.J. I love them too.” Monica clicked off the phone.

“You ready?” Carlos asked Monica.

“Yes, I am, big daddy,” Monica teased, still wearing her timeless smile.

Monica followed Carlos as he pushed a cart with their luggage toward the exit doors.

“Honey, look!” Monica said, pointing to a man dressed in a suit holding a sign that read:
CARLOS AND MONICA VASQUEZ
. Carlos approached the man unenthused. Monica, on the other hand, seemed like she had gotten a second wind, and her excitement started all over again.

“Oh my God,” Monica said, holding her hand over her mouth. “No, you didn’t!” She stared at the black stretch Porsche that the driver led them to.

“Madam,” the driver said, as he opened the door and helped Monica inside. Carlos gave the driver a folded fifty-dollar bill as he slid in next to his wife. The driver put their luggage in the trunk and proceeded to whisk them away from the busy Miami airport.

“This is too much,” Monica said, rubbing the leather seats.

“You like it?” Carlos asked. He appeared a bit amazed himself. This was the first time he had sat in something so classy. He and Monica were touching everything.

“Look, champagne!” Monica said.

“I know and look up at the ceiling, it’s mirrored,” Carlos pointed out.

“Um, look at this floor. It’s so soft and cozy,” Monica said.

The two of them went back and forth pointing out things in the Porsche. They turned knobs, pushed buttons, and eventually helped themselves to two glasses of champagne. The ride was longer than Monica expected, having assumed they would be staying in a hotel in Miami. It wasn’t long before she was fast asleep.

“Sir, madam, we have arrived,” the driver said as he brought the vehicle to a halt.

“Sweetheart,” Carlos whispered. “We’re here.”

Monica sat up and peered out the small windows.

“What? Where are we?” she asked, astonished.

“Welcome to Marco Island, madam,” the driver said as he escorted Monica out of the car.

Monica was at a lost for words. She looked around and could not believe her eyes. A line of beautiful big homes stretched down the beach. It looked like something from a Hollywood film.

“This isn’t Miami!” Monica squealed.

“Far from it, baby. Happy tenth anniversary,” Carlos said with a grin.

Monica hopped into Carlos’s arms and squeezed him tight. Tears came to her eyes. She was overjoyed. They hugged for a while outside their villa, soaking in the beauty of it all. Monica fell in love with her husband all over again. It was magical.

“I’ll bring your luggage inside, sir. You and your lovely wife enjoy the island,” the driver said as he gave Carlos the key to the villa.