Chapter 16: Chapter Fifteen

Friday, there was a knock at the door a little after eight in the morning. Maya heard no one stir, and Bobby continued to snore beside her. With a yawn, she rolled out of bed, fumbled on a robe, and padded on bare feet to the living room. Carly was curled in a ball on the foldout leather sofa, with a thin line of drool running down her cheek.

Maya bit back a grin and peeked through the peephole. An impatient looking UPS man stood on the other side. She removed the security lock and eased open the door. “Hi.”

“Good morning.” He glanced down at his board. “I have a delivery for Maya Lang, uh, less?”

She winced at the mispronunciation. “I’m Maya Langelles.”

“Sign here.”

Maya took the board from him and signed her name in the electronic box. After she returned his reader, he lifted a large box from the hallway.

“Who’s it from?” Maya tried to get a glimpse of the corner, but he held it too high for her to see.

“I don’t know. Do you want me to set it down for you?”

She smiled. “Please.” Once she had stepped aside, Maya led him to the kitchen table where he put it down. After he left the apartment, she took the shears from the wooden block and set to work on the box.

Her sister came into the kitchen, still in her pajamas. “Whacha doing?” Carly’s yawn caused the words to be a bit garbled. She dropped into a chair. “Who’s that from?”

Maya shrugged. “I don’t know. There’s no return address.”

“Hmm.” Carly lifted a corner of the tape with her acrylic nail and pulled it off the box in one smooth motion.

Between them, they had the large box opened in a few seconds. Maya frowned when she saw another, smaller box. She lifted it out and grunted at the unexpected weight.

“Pretty.” Carly caressed the light pink and cream marbled box. “There’s a card.” She lifted the envelope from the box and slipped a nail inside to open it.

Maya snatched it from her sister’s lean fingers. “Do you mind? It is for me.”

Carly shrugged. “Fine.” She turned her attention to untying the ribbon on the pastel swirled box.

The glue on the pink envelope resisted Maya, so she ripped the side. A thick cream card fell onto the table, and she lifted it.

Pamper yourself.

-R.

“What does it say?” Carly abandoned the ribbon to snatch the card from Maya’s fingers. “Oooh. I wonder what he sent you?”

Maya’s hands shook with excitement as she snipped the ribbon Carly hadn’t gotten to, and then lifted off the top of the box. “Wow.”

Carly peered into the box. “What is all that?”

Her movements were careful when she lifted out a wire basket filled with glass jars of varying sizes. “It’s bath oil, shampoo, and lotion.” Maya unscrewed the bath oil to sniff it and instantly recognized the scent. “He has this specially made.”

“What else is in the box?”

Maya laid the basket aside and lifted out a portable spa unit. “Oh, my God. I’ve been dying for one of these.”

“I have to try that before we leave tomorrow.” Carly reached for the box to take it from her.

Maya slapped at her hand lightly. “Wait your turn.”

“There’s more.”

“Yeah.” Next in the box was a satin black robe with midnight blue piping. The matching slippers invited her feet inside, and Maya slid them on. “Oh, these are amazing.”

“Is that everything?”

“Yes… No.” Maya pulled out a smaller box. “You want to open this?”

Carly nodded and reached for it eagerly.

Maya delved into the box once more and found only a card inside. When she held it up to the light, she saw it was actually a day-pass for Rendezvous Spa. The subtitle said ‘Where Lovers Come Together’.

The pass was valid for Tuesday only, and she could arrive any time after ten. “Look at this.”

“Look at this,” Carly said at the same time.

They both giggled as they looked up. Maya handed her the card after she took the hairbrush from her sister. The white bristles were softer than any she had ever touched, and Maya didn’t doubt the back and handle of the brush were real silver. Abstract swirls were etched into the brush, and her initials were engraved on the handle. Maya ran a finger across the M.I.L. “How did he know the initial for Isabelle?”

Carly giggled. “I have no idea.”

Something in her tone caused Maya to raise her head. “Did you…?”

“I might have answered a few questions for him when he called here Wednesday night.”

Maya shook her head. “He just happened to get through to you?”

“No. Roarke said he had to hang up three times before because Mom answered.”

“Oh.” She and Dad had gone to pick up dinner on Wednesday night. They had left Mom and Carly—who claimed to be too tired from shopping to move—at the apartment. Bobby, as usual, had worked late. What would Roarke have done if she had answered the phone? Or if Bobby had?

“So, it looks like you’ve got a date with him for Tuesday.” Carly tapped a peach nail against the thick spa pass.

Maya sank into a chair and wriggled her toes in the satin slippers. She felt decadent. “I’m not sure I can go through with what we talked about.”

“Sure you can.”

She bit her lip. “I can’t get past what I’ll be doing to Bobby.”

Carly sighed. “He’ll never know the details. It’s not like you’re going to tell him if you enjoy fucking Roarke.”

“But I’ll know. How can I pretend like I don’t or ignore what I’ve done?”

Carly’s eyes wrinkled, and she fidgeted. “You know I don’t like Bobby, right?”

Maya’s eyebrow raised by itself. “Well, duh. None of you have ever bothered to keep the animosity under wraps.”

“But you don’t know why I hate him.”

“Hate?”

Shrugging, Carly began putting the items back in the box. “When I was a freshman, a lot of people were mean to me since I was so fat.”

“You weren’t fat. You just hadn’t outgrown it all yet.”

With a snort, Carly said, “I was fat, but that’s not important to the story.”

“Okay.”

“Some of the boys used to tease me by asking me out. I was no fool. I knew it was a big joke, so I ignored them.” Carly’s eyes dropped to the table. “A few took their games a step farther. They would touch me.”

Maya frowned. “Touch you?”

“My boobs, mostly. They were a lot bigger then.”

“I’m so sorry, Carly. Why didn’t you say something?”

“It was your senior year. You were busy with your own stuff.”

“I would have done something.”

Carly’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “What could you do?” She swallowed. “Besides, it was the impetus I needed to make changes.”

“What does this have to do with Bobby?” Maya’s stomach clenched with dread.

“He was one of those guys.”

“Bobby used to touch your breasts?”

Carly looked ill. “That wasn’t enough for him. When I stopped crying and trying to get them to leave me alone, most of the guys lost interest in their cruelty. Not Bobby.” Her mouth twisted. “One night at a football game…” She blinked. “I even remember which one. The Serpents were beating the Eagles fourteen to two. You were cheering and everyone loved you.”

Maya shifted in her seat. “That’s not true.”

Her sister nodded. “It is. People were always drawn to you. I used to hate you for that.”

Maya’s head dropped forward. “Oh.” She looked up when Carly touched her hand. “I never meant to hurt you.”

“I know. It wasn’t your fault I wanted to be like you. I outgrew all that petty crap a long time ago.” Carly heaved a sigh. “Anyway, that isn’t part of what I’m trying to tell you.”

“What happened?”

“He and two of his buddies—Ryan Peters and Chris Cahill—cornered me by the bleachers. He kissed me.”

Maya felt a wash of relief that it wasn’t anything worse, but Carly continued before she could say anything. “He pushed up my shirt, and one of the guys put their hand down my pants…” Carly wiped at a tear on her cheek. “They didn’t rape me or anything, but the three of them left some bruises on my breasts. I was sore for a while and had an aversion to boys touching me at all for months.”

Maya shook her head unconsciously. She wanted to deny what her sister had said. “Why would he do that?”

Carly shrugged. “He’s an asshole?”

“That was years ago…”

Her mouth twisted. “Yeah. I’m sure he’s outgrown it.” Her tone held an edge. “Anyway, shortly after that, you two got serious and I started working out. He never bothered me again.”

Maya’s mouth dropped open. “We were dating at the time?”

Carly nodded. “So, it’s not like he’s innocent, Maya. Enjoy your fling with Roarke. Then, if you must, marry Bobby.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

Carly shrugged. “It was years ago, and I’m over it now. I just thought it was time to tell you.”

“So I can do an eye for an eye?”

“No. So you can realize that Bobby isn’t as great as you think, and that you owe it to yourself to explore other options before settling down with him. You’ve never had anyone else, Maya.” Carly’s eyes shone with unshed tears. “I don’t want you to make a mistake.”

Angry words rose to her tongue, but she swallowed them. It pained her, but she no longer felt the urge to defend Bobby as she had in the past. Her sister’s revelation was just one more incident in a pattern that had started to emerge. Her eyes dropped to the ring on her finger, and she was briefly tempted to pull it off.

That thought scared her and Maya tore her eyes from the small diamond. Things hadn’t been great lately, but she still wanted to marry Bobby. Didn’t she?

Her eyes drifted to the day-pass for the spa, and her heart rate increased with anticipation. Carly was right. She deserved to get something out of the mess her life had become. Bobby had even encouraged her to participate in Roarke’s game.

The thought of another lover caused Maya’s stomach to clench with excitement and nervousness. What if she liked it so much that she didn’t want Bobby anymore? But if she didn’t do it, she would never know. That could be worse than anything else that might happen. How would things be with her and Bobby if she always looked back with regret and wondered what-if?

Carly cleared her throat. “Can I try out your spa?”

Maya pulled the box closer. “Not until I do.”

“Hurry up, sis. I’m leaving tomorrow.”

With a laugh, she rose from the table and carried the box with her down the hall. Once more Carly had persuaded her to see both sides. Maya only hoped her confidence wouldn’t fade with her sister’s departure.