“You look beat. You really should wear more rouge.” She’s thumbing through New York Magazine again. It’s been circulating my house all week, yet I’ve neglected to pick up the damn thing and read it.
“Thank you for the words of encouragement, but I had a very trying day at work.” My body falls to the couch in defeat.
“I’ll tell you what I’d like to try… This boss of yours. Did you know he’s been linked with two Hollywood actresses and three socialites in the past year alone?” Her eyes widen as she scans the photos.
“Yes, he is quite the playboy, mother. I’ll put in a good word for you if you’d like a piece.” I cover my face with my arm. I wish I could just block out everything Asher, and Asher-Marks Communications, for a few moments.
“Did you know he is the sole heir of the Asher fortune? When his grandfather dies, he’ll be left with everything. Just imagine how much money that man will have!”
“Yes, Mother. I am aware.” My voice is muffled under my arm, but I’m sure she can hear the annoyance in my voice.
“And this sad, sad story about his mother. She died in a tragic car accident with him in the car.”
My head peaks to attention. “What else does it say?”
“How his heroic grandfather took him in. The man is a saint. He is the only living family the boy had. I don’t know how you are able to look at that man without your heart breaking every day.”
I sit up and reach over toward my mother. “Can I see that article?”
Gwen hands over the magazine, and I read it through. In there, it talks of the empire. Wow. The Asher family does control as much as Gabriel said they did. I can see why gluttony and greed are synonymous with the Asher name.
My eyes glide through the article, trying to find the part about the mother, when the garage door opening disrupts me. Gabriel is home. I have to talk to him.
His dark, wavy hair has fallen haphazardly on his face. He must have been running his hands through it a lot today. He looks more beaten and battered than I do.
“Hi, baby. How was your day?” I stand to join him by the table. I gently put my hands on his shoulders, but he brushes them away.
He catches my stunned expression.
“I’m sorry. It’s just been a long day. I want to go upstairs.”
Gabriel kisses me on the forehead and makes his way up to the bedroom. I stand here listening as his footsteps climb the staircase and the door to the bedroom closes behind him.
This isn’t the way tonight was supposed to go. My heart actually aches inside my chest. I grab Gabriel’s car keys off the kitchen counter and head to the garage.
“I’m going out,” I shout over my shoulder to Gwen, who watches me, stunned.
Crack!
I love the sound of a metal bat as it hits a ball. I especially love it on days like these.
Crack!
This one is for Gabriel and his bipolar moods!
Crack!
This one is for Becca, with her perky boobs and platinum-blonde hair!
Crack!
This one is for Erik and his goddamn deadlines!
Crack!
This one is for Heather and her bitch attitude!
Crack!
This one is for Malory and her perfect body and evil words!
Crack!
This one is for me being such a chicken shit all the time!
Crack!
“I thought I’d find you here”
I should have known she’d follow me.
Crack!
This one is for nosey mothers who can’t stop meddling!
“You always did run to the batting cage whenever you got angry.” Gwen is standing behind the fence as I take my next hit.
Crack!
“Leave it alone, Mom. I just need some time to think.”
Crack!
“I remember the day of your father’s funeral. You didn’t think we knew where you were, but I followed you to the cages. You hit balls for hours. I was afraid you’d sprain your wrist.”
Crack!
I step back from the batter’s box.
“I didn’t know you followed me.” I remember that day. After the burial, everyone went to a local restaurant to toast my father’s demise. At least that’s the way I saw it. I couldn’t bear to hear happy stories of my dad’s life. I was too sad. I wanted to go somewhere I could connect with him. Where I could connect a bat to a ball. It’s how Gabriel feels about sailing; it connects him to his home.
This must be how Asher feels about music. Why he pours himself into it. It connects him to his mother.
“You are your father’s daughter, Kathryn.” Gwen steps around the side of the fence. “But you’ll always be your mother’s daughter. And that means you want it all.”
I look away from her.
“That’s not what this is about, Mom. You don’t understand…”
“A husband’s neglect. Oh, honey, if you don’t think a woman who was married to a man who was always on the road doesn’t understand neglect, then you know nothing about me.”
“At least Dad had an excuse.” She has no idea what I’m going through. Keeping my eyes forward, I take swing after swing. She’s still standing there, watching.
“Are you going home tonight?” My words come off snarkier than I intended. I hear her shuffle her feet from side to side, deciding what to do.
“Yes, Kathryn,” she says with a pause. “I was just stopping by to let you know I’m heading back tonight.”
I take a few more swings and wait for the sound of her car driving out of the parking lot. I know she means well, in her own way, but I just can’t deal with her tonight.
“A week!”
I’m pacing the hallway outside our bedroom. Is he kidding me? Chicago? Now? We were supposed to talk.
“I have no choice, Kat. I told you. If I’m going to get this guy a good deal, it will take a lot of work.” Gabriel pulls his suitcase from under the bed and starts to pack.
“I don’t give a shit about your work. What about my work? The concert and gala are in three weeks!” I throw my arms up in a dramatic gesture.
“Really, you think your job is more important than mine? Last I checked, I was the one paying the bills around here.” Gabriel knows I despise when he throws it in my face that he makes more money than me.
“You’re an asshole, Gabriel Monroe.”
“And you’re being unreasonable,” Gabriel says, placing his dress shoes in the bag. “I have no choice. My client is taking off for a few days so I can get into his office and go through every piece of paper he hasn’t shredded yet. This case goes to trial in four weeks.”
I storm around the bedroom, looking for something to throw. “How can you think it’s acceptable to tell me at ten o’clock at night that you’re hopping on a plane at six in the morning to head to Chicago? Do you comprehend how wrong this is? You have a wife and a baby. You can’t just take off on a whim!” I stop to catch my breath. I didn’t realize I was screaming.
“Kat, please, you know I don’t want to do this, but there really is no option.” Gabriel places two suits in a garment bag. “Besides, you have Carmen.”
He just doesn’t get it. I have to work late this week. I can’t leave Jackson with Carmen all day and all night. It’s not right.
The phone rings and I fall onto the bed. I can’t deal with whoever is on the line. I motion for Gabriel to answer it. I immediately know it’s bad news.
“Fuck!” Gabriel slams the phone down.
I shoot up from the bed. “What is it?”
“That was Carmen.” Gabriel runs his hands across his forehead. “Her mother is sick so she’s taking the train to Philly to tend to her. She said she’ll be in Philadelphia through next week.” Gabriel is now equally as pissed as I am.