“I’m so happy to hear that. There’s something—” Oscar stopped. When they raced in the house for the shower, they neglected to close the front door. He could see directly down the driveway and the visitors walking their way.
“Shit. Bill and Dina are coming over.”
Liz jumped up. “Hmm, wonder what they want?” She cupped her chest. “I need a bra. Let them in,” she said and disappeared into her bedroom.
Chapter Thirty Eight
Swinging the door wide open, Oscar greeted the unsolicited guests, “Well, hello.”
“Are we interrupting?” Dina asked with a smirk and toss of her fingers through Oscar’s wet hair.
“Of course we’re not.” Bill marched in to the kitchen. “Liz where’s that fancy beer of yours?” he yelled.
“Fancy beer?” Oscar repeated Bill’s request to Liz who’d emerged from the bedroom.
“He’s talking about the Guinness. I swiped it and all of Chris’s favorite liquor when I left.” She rolled her eyes and called out to Bill. “Bottom shelf in the door.”
“That’s my girl.” Oscar swatted her on the ass. “No panties.” He winked and nuzzled into her neck.
“Dressed in a hurry.”
Bill returned with two bottles of Guinness. Dina followed with two bottles of Harp. “This is the last of it. You sure we can drink it? Can’t pay you back. Never seen it on sale at the Quickie Mart.”
“I’ll open this light one. Dark beer’s not my favorite,” Dina said.
“These are meant to be drunk together.” Oscar took the four bottles and placed them on the coffee table. “Go get four pint glasses and a spoon.”
“You need a spoon to drink beer?” Dina asked.
“It’s called a Black and Tan and it’s worth the spoon.” Oscar took the glasses that Liz had retrieved from the kitchen and arranged them on the table.
“Divide the Harp among the four glasses,” Liz said to Bill and handed the bottle of Guinness to Oscar. He held the spoon over the half full glass of beer at an angle and poured the Guinness over the bowl and down the side. It oozed pass the white foam head and created a dark layer of beer above the light beer on the bottom of the glass.
“I’m impressed,” Oscar said to Liz. “You know how to make them.”
“It was Chris’s favorite. Never thought I’d drink another one.”
“You don’t have to.” Bill took a swig. “Decent. I’ll drink Liz’s.”
“Can you make these at the Buckeye?” Dina asked, guzzling a drink.
“Not tonight. I’m off.”
“Really, oh let’s all go to dinner,” Dina said. “The four of us.”
“Sounds fun,” Liz agreed.
“Give us girls a few minutes to spruce up. Liz has got to change,” Dina insisted, taking Liz by the hand and leading her into the bedroom. “Hmmm, what do we have to work with?” Dina flung clothes from the closet while still holding onto her beer. “Let’s show off your cute little body. Do you have any halter tops?”
“It’s November.”
“Right. Do you have any crop top sweaters?”
“I have a few. I’m fine in this dress.” Liz took the opportunity while Dina was squealing over her clothes to step into a pair of panties from her dresser. “Really Dina?”
“Can I borrow this?” Dina held up a mini dress. She quickly stripped off her blouse and wriggled into her new found love from Liz’s closet. “Too tight. Damn!”
“I don’t think anything in there will fit you.”
“Eh, just as well. You don’t have enough sparkle in your wardrobe.” Dina moved her attention to Liz’s standing jewelry case. She picked up the longest chain and draped it around her neck. “These will perk up your outfit. Add a few more and you might look good enough for the opening in Vegas,” she rambled on, stringing chain after to chain over her head. “Too bad it’s not ready yet. Oscar could call his jet and fly us out for dinner.”
“What opening in Vegas? What jet?”
“Wha?” Dina gasped. “I mean Vegas is a place. And we could all fly—”
Dina didn’t get a chance to finish explaining. Liz was out the door and in Oscar’s face. “What the hell is she talking about? A jet? Vegas? What do I not know?”
“I didn’t tell her you were a billionaire.” Dina tripped over herself stumbling out into the living room.
“You’re a what?!”
“Thanks Dina. Liz I can explain.” He took her by the hands, but she shoved him off. “I’ve been trying to tell you.”
“Oh hell no! You tell me you own a few restaurants and that’s opening up about your day job. You’re a freaking billionaire!”
“Please let me explain,” he begged.
“Dude she’s not listening,” Bill said, downing the rest of his drink. “I’m going to assume you’re not drinking yours.”
“Out! All of you!”
“Liz. Don’t push me away.” Oscar tried his best to keep eye contact with her, but she kept averting her gaze away from him. “I didn’t keep this away from you to hurt you. I only wanted what was best for us.”
She covered her face and held back tears. “Please leave now.”
Bill held the door open for Oscar, who only left after he was sure Liz wouldn’t listen to another word.
She slammed the door and sunk down to the floor, curling up and melting in heap. Her world had bubbled up with love and Oscar’s truth was the pin that popped it. She let the tears pour out, releasing all the hurt from his secret.
Nothing felt normal. Her fingertips were on fire, her eyes swelled, her ears closed to noise, and her mouth dried up. She crawled to the one black and tan left on the table and sucked it down. Drinking the alcohol did nothing to cure the pain, so she refilled her glass. She’d drank every ounce of liquor in the house, which wasn’t that much, so she turned to crying herself to sleep.
Chapter Thirty Nine
In the morning the blinding sun woke Liz before eight. Just a day before Oscar had awoken to the same sun and he was perfect. This sunrise mocked her. Laughed a the very thought of their love.
Why? From the very first moment. I fantasized about who he was. His life. How he kissed, The secrets he had. But a billionaire? This stranger in his truck. This zombie bartender. He possessed me and I let my desire for perfection manipulate what I saw in him. Why didn’t you keep your eyes open? Why didn’t you see the signs?
“Yes, there were signs.” Liz sat up, finished arguing with herself. She pulled her laptop up and onto her knees. “How is he not on the internet?” She googled him again. This time adding in details she knew to be true about Oscar.
First she typed in Oscar Wallace and now the first entry on social media, made sense. “The Westwall logo. That’s his corporation. Restaurant, investments, billionaire. He just hid his photo. What else have you done?”
She typed in “Charity Baseball Auction” in the search bar on the screen. “Ugh,” she sighed. “There he is.” The headline, “Billionaire Helps Children in Need and Superfan!” “Best buds, Oscar and Andy. I saw him that night. Sloppy. What else?” She checked every restaurant he’d mentioned, Simon’s ice cream, The Collector’s Diner, Gerald’s Steakhouse, even Berto’s Mexican Shack. They all had the Westwall Corporate logo on their sites. On each one, blog posts mentioned in round about ways how Oscar had helped them. She found; “Investor provides Simon with resources for famous unusual flavors,” “Collector upgrades security thanks to wealthy interested partner,” and “The best steaks, good enough for local billionaires, good enough for you.”
“He’s all over the internet.” Another search pulled up an article from the local paper of Oscar’s home town. “
Westin’s Wealthiest Senior to Turn Ninety Two.”
“Aww, is that his Nana? She’s adorable and feisty. Is that a black belt?” She closed her laptop. “I want to go to that party. If he’s going to prove billions don’t change a man. Then he can do it there. But it’s not until Friday.” She crossed her arms. “I’ll have to be strong and avoid him. I don’t want him buying my love with flowers or gifts or a trip to Vegas for dinner. Would I really turn that down? Argh!”
She threw a tantrum, burying her face in her hands and stomping her feet on the mattress.
You love Oscar. What’s changed? I don’t know. I don’t know.
She shook her head trying to piece together her feelings.
He lied. He has money. But is he the same? Does his billions turn him into Chris? No. Can I be for sure? No. Who do I talk to?
Her morning was going bad, and it was just getting worse. The phone rang and the last person’s face she wanted to see was on the screen.
Chris?
“What do you want?” she answered in a defeated tone.
“I called you yesterday. Why didn’t you pick up?”
“I was busy and—that’s all I’m saying.”
“Right. We’re not married,” Chris said. “But I should tell you I’m thinking of suing your friend for accosting me.”
“What the hell?”
This is not happening. How can he even think about doing this? Doesn’t he know Oscar can bury him with lawyers? Oh my gosh. Chris doesn’t know who he is? What if he finds out? What if he tries to capitalize on Oscar’s money?
Liz was spinning herself into a frenzy with “what if” questions. She would’ve continued if Chris’s loud voice in the phone hadn’t pulled her out of it.
“Liz? Can you hear me? Liz?” Chris was yelling.
“Sorry. You’re an asshole!”
“Me? Your thug friend accosted me. I demand an apology.”
“You shouldn’t have been at the Buckeye in the first place.”
“Why were
you
at a place like that? You don’t have to answer. I just need the name of the guy who hit me.”
“You want me to help you do this? Drop it. We’re done. Don’t call me again.”
Furious, Liz tossed her phone across the room. It landed on the hard wood floor with a crash. “Probably shouldn’t have done that. Damn, but Chris infuriates me! Now I have to go get a new phone and then
I can block his number.” Liz dressed, but instead of driving to the phone store, she took sudden turn and found her car parked in the Buckeye front lot.
Why am I even here?
The bar looked dark and bare even in the light of day. The salon next door was the opposite, bright and cheery with customers smiling just inside the windows. “This is all so different.” She drove around to the back, choosing to drive straight down the alley to the one gate in the chain fence.
This is ridiculous. I don’t even know if he’ll be home or awake at this hour.
She crept to the end of the block, making a mental not of how many house were between Mitch’s gate and the corner. Turning the corner, she worried,
Will he even tell me the truth this time?
Gathering up her nerves, she took a chance and rang the doorbell. Waiting on the well-worn welcome mat she was relieved to hear his jovial greeting.
“Well hells bells it’s the lovely Liz at my door. Come in. Come in.” He stretched the screen door open wide standing in the doorway. Liz squeezed past his beer belly into the compact living area. “As I live and breath. You caught me practically in my undies,” he said, teetering about in his sweatsuit. “What can I do you for?”
Now that she was face to face with him, she didn’t know how to accuse him of lying to her. She couldn’t just start in on him and read him the riot act for his deception. Her accusation came out softer than she’d practiced in her head. “Mitch, I know. How could you not tell me about the billion dollar secret in Oscar’s closet?”
“Oh, judging by your face, he wasn’t the one that told you.” He turned his head around to the kitchen and back. “We can sit out here.”
Mitch was acting nervous, so Liz asked, “Is your wife at home?”
“Nah, the viper’s at work.” He cleared a space on the vintage damask sofa and offered her a seat. “Tell me all about it. Who told you?”
“Dina casually mentioned flying off to the opening of his new restaurant in Vegas.” She inhaled deeply and exhaled her worries away. It felt right talking to Mitch. “When she said it, a light bulb went off in my head. Of course he’s successful. I’m drawn to rich assholes.”
“Hey, hey. You don’t believe that.” Mitch joined her on the sofa.
“No. I don’t. But how else does it explain why I fell in love with a billionaire. Of all the bartenders in the city. I find the only one moonlighting from his day job of making billions. How is this possible? I don’t—want—another Chris,” she choked out.
“What has he ever done that reminded you of your ex-husband?”
She regretted insinuating that Oscar was anything like her ex. She didn’t know what she was saying. Nothing Oscar had ever done had made her feel the way Chris did. He really was the perfect man.
“Do you love him?” Mitch asked. She nodded. “I can’t hear you,” he urged.
“Yes. I love Oscar. I can’t live without him. He’s everything I’ve ever dreamed love could be. It’s like the past melts away when I’m in his arms and all I can see is the future.”
“That’s what I thought, my little bumblebee.” A timer buzzed in his kitchen, drawing his focus to the doorway. “That has to be my lunch.” He pulled Liz to her feet and walked her to the door. “I think you know what you have to do. Forgive him. Love him. Call him.”
“My phone.” She pulled the broken device out of her purse. “I got a little mad.”
“Hmm, well if I see Oscar I’ll let him know why you haven’t called.”
“Yeah, I think I’m still gonna need a few days.”
“Take your time. You got love on your side.”
Chapter Forty
“Is she gone?” Oscar stepped out into the front room of Mitch’s house. “Thanks for not telling her I was here.”
“You have to admit it’s a little odd, you both came here.” He picked up a pad of paper and a pen, leaned on the counter, and started scribbling on the page.
“Are you taking notes?”
“I’m a writer. You know this is making it in a book. And having a drunk friend spill the beans on your secret is golden.”
He gave him a fed up look. “What am I going to do with you?”
Really? With all I’m going through and all he wants to do is capitalize off me.
He waited for Mitch to stop writing.
“Are you set now.”
“I’ll stop.” He wrote a few more words then looked up. “You heard her though. She loves you. It’s not over.”