by your house on my way home.”
“Don’t bother. I’ll pick the wallet up tomorrow on my way to work.”
“It’ll be here waiting for you.” And Justin wouldn’t be. “I’m going to the lake tomorrow for a catering event. I, uh, could pick up your overnight bag there if you want.”
“Oh.” It was obvious she hadn’t even thought about that. And that she wanted to say no, but wasn’t going to. “Thank you. I would very much appreciate it.”
He smiled at her stiff tone. Likely she was torn between gratitude and a desire to keep him out of her life. “You know me, Layla—always there to lend a hand.”
There was a slight choking sound and then the phone went dead.
SAM, WHO©COULDN’T©MAKE©IT up to the lake in her little car to rescue Layla, did make it across town just fine to see her sister on her way to the small shop she ran a few blocks from Layla’s house. But in Sam’s defense, the snow that had pelted the mountains was a slushy sleet in Reno.
“Oh. My.” Sam stopped dead in the doorway and stared at her sister for a long moment, oblivious to the wet snow blowing into the house. Layla grabbed her by the sleeve and tugged her inside.
“I haven’t had time to shower.”
“Well, at least wipe the mascara from under your eyes.”
Layla nodded. But she didn’t move.
Sam’s eyes grew wide. “This is bad, isn’t it?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a worse day than yesterday.”
“Considering some of the stuff the twins did to you, that’s saying a lot.”
Layla nodded again, then sat on the upholstered window seat. She hadn’t changed out of her dress, hadn’t managed to do much of anything except to lie quivering on her bed, fighting the mother of all hangovers. She did feel slightly better now that the Pepto Bismol and aspirin had taken effect. Physically, anyway.
“Tell me about it,” Sam said, sitting beside her.
Layla turned to her sister, who was so very different from her, and took in the short red hair, the fuchsia lipstick painted into an exaggerated Cupid’s bow, the clothes that appeared more costumelike than conventional. Yes, they were from different planets, but if anyone was going to understand… She took a deep breath and the story poured out. One solid hit to her ego and self-dignity after another.
“I knew something was…off,” Layla said, talking to her clasped hands. “For weeks.
“He took you to the lake to tell you he was sleeping with someone else.”
Layla looked up at her sister. “No. I asked him why we hadn’t—” she gestured “—you know…slept together much lately. And then I jokingly asked if he was wearing himself out with someone else.” She bit her lip as she recalled the way the color had drained from his face. “He was. Is.” She shook her hair back. “Melinda. From school.”
“Melinda!”
“They met at the school faculty Christmas party.”
“That bitch!”
“I introduced them.” She’d rather smugly wanted Melinda, who was always jockeying for top position at the school, to see what kind of a great guy she, Layla, had landed. Joke was on her.
“That has to sting.” Sam put an arm around her shoulders and Layla gave up the fight, slumping against her. She didn’t let herself depend on people often. She’d been disappointed so many times in the past by her well-meaning but easily distracted family. But right now, for this moment, she was going to lean on her sister. Literally and figuratively.
The closeness lasted almost two seconds before Sam said, “I have to get down to the store and unpack a shipment. Want to come?”
“Is it regular gifts or…?”
“It’s or,” Sam said with a half smile. “Some funky new stuff. And lingerie. It’ll take your mind off…” Her voice trailed away as she apparently realized sexy lingerie was not going to take Layla’s mind off Robert sleeping with someone else. “Or not,” she added weakly.
Layla smiled. Kind of. “Any other time, yes, but right now I just want to wallow in misery for a while. Nurse my head.”
“I understand. Do you want me to make you some tea and Pop-Tarts before I go? I have strawberry in my bag.” Sam lifted her giant tote, which probably had a couple boxes of toaster pastries in it. Her sister lived on them.
Layla’s stomach flip-flopped. “No, thanks. I’m still feeling a bit queasy.”
“I wish I’d been able to get you last night, but there was no way the Escort could have made it up the pass.”
“I know.”
“And Justin was there.”
“Oh, that he was.” And he was here in the morning, too. “It all worked out as well as it could have.” Except maybe for Justin, who had a black eye. Normally she might have enjoyed that, but not under these circumstances. Besides, she was too old to get delight out of Justin being on the receiving end of some well-deserved retribution.
Well, almost too old.
“Next shipment, I promise I’ll help.” It was usually entertaining to unpack the stuff her sister sold. If nothing else, Layla got a good laugh.
Sam stood up and wrapped her mile of hand-knit scarf around her neck. Somehow she managed to pull off funky without looking like a cartoon. If Layla had tried to wear a lace smock over a striped T-shirt with skinny jeans and over-the-knee boots, she would have resembled a wannabe pirate. Sam looked comfortable and stylish.
“Want me to stop by on my way home?”
“No need. But thanks for propping me up.”
“First time.”
It quite possibly was. Layla felt as if she were living in Bizarro World all of a sudden.
THE©NEXT©MORNING Layla woke up feeling almost human—physically, anyway. Mentally, she wasn’t doing so hot.
In less than an hour, she had to go to school, face Melinda. March through her day as if nothing was wrong, and wonder how many people knew about Robert and Melinda’s extracurricular activities. Was this a classic case of the girlfriend being the last to know? She hoped not.
No doubt Robert had warned Melinda that the gig was up—after all, he had to explain his sore nose somehow. As she did her makeup, Layla wondered how perfect Melinda would react.
Hopefully she’d do the sane thing and avoid Layla—for the next several years, if possible. Except they worked in the same building—the same hall—and sooner or later had to interact, which made Layla believe that the one blessing of this situation, other than finally discovering that Robert was a rat, was the timing. There would be no student witnesses
