Page 36 of The Player's Obsession

When I was in college, there were chippy girls who would roll their eyes and text each other right in front of me. That’s just rude. I can’t be sure, but I bet they were making fun of me.

I still have work to do for the day, so I make some calls and work on my laptop. I request time off work to cover shopping tomorrow, and I’ll also need Friday off. At noon, I take a break to practice yoga. I unroll my mat and work on poses for twenty minutes before throwing a few Pilates moves into my routine. I’m warm and slightly sweaty by the time I finish. I make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch and realize it might be my last one now that I’m rich. Lol!

By the time five o’clock rolls around, I’m yawning. The weather outside is dreary. I can understand how depression hits people in winter. It feels like an eternity since I felt the warm sun on my face. I should have picked a job farther south. Why do I bother staying close to my family? I doubt they care where I live. Mom would be negative at first. I can hear her now saying, “You’re going to move away from me?” but her concerns will be short-lived. At the end of the day, she has Dad, and that’s all she needs to be happy. She likes routines and rarely leaves home.

Thanks to Oliver's generous financial assistance, my rent worries have evaporated, leaving me in a much lighter mood. After indulging in a binge-watching spree of the latest TV series, I decide to call it a night before midnight. It's part of my plan to rise early, affording myself ample time to shower and style my hair without haste. I anticipate the need to look presentable for the upscale stores we’ll visit. It's a peculiar kind of stress, the thought of spending lavishly on clothes that would normally be beyond my financial reach. Who would have thought that shopping with someone else's money could be so nerve-wracking?

I fall into bed with the grace of a three-legged elephant. I dive under the covers only to find the sheets are ice cold. My teeth chatter while I scissor my legs back and forth to increase the blood flow and warm the bed before I freeze to death. Within five minutes, I’m warm enough to relax.

I remember my grandmother would use an electric blanket to warm the bedsheets when I visited her in upstate New York for Christmas. It was so thoughtful. I can’t think of her without feeling bad about my brother stealing the jewelry she gave me. Now, I won’t be able to sleep as I’m worked up over Carlo stealing them. Ugh! I pound my pillow as if it’s Carlo’s chest.

I force myself to think of something positive, and Oliver comes to mind. I like the way he smiles when he’s looking at me. It’s similar to the smile I see on lotto winners.

He went out of his way to see me today and drop off the jersey. That’s a first. No man has ever given me a shirt to wear, not even a T-shirt. This jersey even has his name on the back. I wish those catty bitches from college could see me at the game.

I smile and drift into a peaceful sleep.

CHAPTER17

Penelope

True to her word, Lucinda rolls up in front of my apartment at ten. I jump in the passenger seat, and she hugs me. I cling to her like she jumped out of a helicopter to save me from drowning. She really is my rescue diver, and I have no idea how I’d get by without her.

“I’m so sorry you’ve had a rough year, but it’s going to end on a good note,” she says, putting the car in gear.

“You mean with a closet full of designer clothes that I’ll never wear again–unless I find a man who can afford that lifestyle. All I know about their world is the wives wear diamonds large enough to be seen from Mars.”

“Is he giving you a ring, too?” Her voice raises an octave, and she looks at me.

“I have no idea. How committed is he to the lie? It’s like the movieFocus. Once you commit to the lie, you die with the lie. You can never show your hand.”

Lucinda chuckles. “You and your movie quotes.”

“I know. I just want my life to be like one of those romcoms we watch with a happy ending.”

“Don’t we all?"

“Yes. Where are we going?”

“To that street with all the upscale shops. Trust me, I didn’t get dressed up for nothing.”

She is dressed in a smart gray suit, and I see her Birkin in the back seat.

I snicker.

“What?”

“Well, when in Rome,” I tease her, nodding to her purse.

“Where I am taking you, we do not belong, but that bag does. Think of it as the key to the door.”

I smile. “I have to admit this is exciting. I’ve heard about these stores, but I’ve never even driven past them, let alone gone inside.”

“This is good for you. It’s time you got out. I’m happy you met Oliver. Without him, you’d still be hiding in your apartment.”

“He makes me nervous and excited at the same time.”

“That’s what it’s like to have chemistry with someone.” She gives me a toothy grin before she slaps my shoulder. It’s her way of communicating, “Duh, and way to go, girl.”

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