Page 7 of Hers to Love
She squeezed the button on the side of the phone, the screen illuminating and displaying the time. Sabrina would probably be at lunch by now. She phoned, and Sabrina picked up on the first ring.
“Whoa! I can’t believe I’m hearing from you two days in a row. When was the last time that happened?”
Kori laughed. “Shut up. It’s been a while. Feels good, though.”
“Sure does. How’s Italy? Are you loving the hotel? It’s amazing, isn’t it? Have you been down to the hot tub yet? You just got there, so I suggest you grab your swimsuit and just relax in the hot tub. Those jets areamazing. My dad sure knows how to pick a hotel. I could go on all day. Did he tell you which week he’ll be free this summer? He said I could come back and I haven’t heard—”
“Rina, I’m quitting.”
“What? How? Why?Kornelia!I can’t believe you!”
“Your father…” Kori squirmed. It was still a bit weird that Sabrina’s stepfather wasn’t much older than her. Kori shoved the thought aside and said, “He’s not well.”
Sabrina’s voice lowered. “What do you mean, not well? You think he’s sick? Is that really a reason to quit on him?”
“I mean, I think he’s…he’s on his way to being an alcoholic if he’s not one already.”
Sabrina made a dismissive snort over the phone. “That’s nothing. It’s Europe. They’re always drinking. Especially in Italy. You’re almost expected to drink at every meal. It’s poshdah-ling.”
“Um, I could smell alcohol on his breath when I met him at the airport. Then he proceeded to havefourglasses of wine at lunch.Lunch, Sabrina! I was shocked he could still walk straight.”
The line went silent. Kori proceeded to drag one of her suitcases over to the bed. She plopped it on top and unzipped the bag. She rummaged around for her toiletry bag, but tried to keep everything in its place. Packing it the first time required her having to sit on the top to zip it up. “Sabrina?”
“Yeah…still here.”
“Nothing to say?”
“Just processing.”
Sabrina was rarely silent. For as long as Kori had known her, she loved to talk about anything and everything. She majored in communications, which was absolutely the perfect choice for her being a life coach. Kori wondered why Marshall hadn’t hired his own daughter. He clearly had issues in his personal life he had to deal with.
“Well, as you process that, he spent the majority of lunch talking about his one-year anniversary.”
“Ah. The divorce. Now it all makes sense. My mom did a number on him, so it’s not his fault he’s drinking. Although, I figured he would’ve drank more during the marriage than out.”
“Are you being serious right now.”
“Like a hangover.”
“He tried warning me off marriage. I think he’s upset his didn’t work out.”
“Maybe. But he’s better off, believe me.”
“Ouch.”
“You’ve met my mother,” Sabrina said dryly. “She didn’t deserve him, and I can say that without feeling disloyalat all. He treated her like a queen. Loved her, the way he communicated with her, supported her. She took him for granted. I always told her that she was messing up a good thing and that she would lose a good man, but she didn’t want to hear it. You know how women often sabotage the best relationship they’ll probably ever have? Why would you want to trade a top-shelf item for something from the bargain bin? I don’t understand it, and I think I never will. I mean—”
“Wait, Rina. Are you saying that…your mother cheated on him?”
“Remember, I told you this! He found them inbedtogether. In bed! She brought that nasty guy over—the one who drinks and looks like he’s doped up half the time—to their house! Marshall was devastated. He was planning this amazing trip to the Maldives for them, and I was supposed to keep it a secret. He had everything set up and was going to surprise her that evening. The plane was fueled and ready to goon the tarmac.”
“I remember now.” Kori’s thumb found its way to her lips, and she forced her hand down. She blamed her father for the nasty habit. Anxiety came at a price.
But she did vaguely recall her conversation with Sabrina about a year ago. Kori had been somewhere overseas, and Sabrina had called, extremely upset. Their conversation was cut short due to poor cell reception.
“Yeah. You were supposed to meet me there, and your bad boss wouldn’t let you come.”
“He was a jerk.”
