Page 35 of Am I the Only One

“Right.”

“And the money?” I ask because I’m not doing this for her; I’m doing it for me, and it’s imperative that I get the money sooner rather than later.

“Oh, right,” she mumbles as she starts digging in her oversized purse. She then pulls out an envelope and discretely slides it across the table. “It’s all there. Ten thousand. After the two of you ... well, you know ... I’ll pay you the rest.” She reads my hesitation, and assures, “You have my word.”

Pulling the envelope down to my lap, I take a peek inside to see a stack of hundreds bundled together. “And the dress?”

“What about it?”

“I’ll need money to buy one,” I say as if I don’t already have a perfectly appropriate dress hanging in my closet. I might as well get what I can out of her.

“Oh.” She seems caught off guard with my request, but if she wants me to play the part, she’s going to have to foot the entire bill. Fumbling around in her purse again, she takes out her wallet and pulls out a few bills. “Here. I think two hundred should cover a dress. Make it appropriate. Nothing too skimpy or flashy. Keep it simple.”

I take the money and shove it and the envelope into my purse.

“And your hair ... wear it down.”

I take note of her instructions and then ask, “What happens after?”

“After you make contact with him, call me and I’ll come meet you. I want to know everything that happens. Every detail.”

She turns nervous again.

“Are you okay?”

“You’re, um ...” She clears her throat lightly, and a flush stains her cheeks. “You’re clean, right?”

Her insinuation that I’m anything but irks me, but I don’t let my irritation show and tell myself that it’s a reasonable question nowadays. “Yes, of course I am.”

With her eyes downcast, she tosses a few bucks onto the table, slips on her coat, and grabs her purse. Before she stands, she adds, “I’ll book you a room under your name for tomorrow.” And with that, she turns her back to me and rushes out of the diner, leaving me to myself.

I peer out the foggy window while she gets into her car, clearly unstable as tears slip down her cheeks. The moment she drives away is the moment I empty my lungs with the heaviest sigh of my life.

Hanging my head, I tell myself over and over again that I can do this. That Ihaveto do this—for me and for my brother. When I look down and see the manila envelope in my purse, a feeling I haven’t felt in a very long time washes over me and my lips lift.

Relief.

My smile grows, and when I gather my things and walk out to my car, I swear a giggle slips out. Heading straight back to DC, my first stop is the bank to deposit the money. After calling my brother’s residential facility and paying the bill, I decide to go shopping for a new dress. But shit if I don’t feel like treating myself to something special after all the stress I’ve been under.

Not wanting to fight traffic, I leave my car at the bank and take the Metro, which drops me off near a local boutique I love. I haven’t actually been able to shop here, but that has never stopped me from coming in from time to time to browse the latest designers and trends.

Everything costs more than two hundred dollars, but when the sales clerk tells me about the clearance rack in the back of the store, I’m able to find a few dresses to try on. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt the air of levity. I’m so lost in the reprieve as I’m trying on these dresses that I’m not even thinking about the possibility of Carly’s husband taking it off me.

No.

I simply enjoy this moment, because who knows when the other shoe is going to drop?

When I think I’ve found the one, I step out of the fitting room to look at myself in the trifold mirror and smooth my hands along the lush navy fabric. The front of the dress is modest and shows just the right amount of cleavage to still be considered tasteful, but the back boasts a deep plunge. It’s a striking dress, tailored to the knees but elegant and proper.

“Wow. Stunning.”

In the reflection of the mirror, I spot Olivia from over my shoulder, and I turn and give her a warm smile. “What are you doing here?”

She lifts the necktie she has in her hand. “Tripp spilled coffee on his tie this morning, and he has an important meeting tonight, so here I am.”

A part of me wants to pick her brain about everything Tripp, but I refrain and give her a quick and discreet once over. She is the woman he’s cheating on Carly with, so I want to make sure I bear resemblance to her.

“What’s the occasion?”

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