I nodded my head and waited. Something was up. I hoped he wasn’t quitting. I was getting used to having a male around the house. Coming home to a clean house, stocked fridge, and an awesome meal waiting for me almost every night. No strings attached. Maybe he wanted a raise. He was worth it. I mentally calculated how much I could offer.
“My partner and I broke up. I wasn’t going to mention it. I try not to let my personal life affect my work. I’m sorry.” His shoulders slumped.
“I didn’t know you were in a relationship.”
“Three years. His name is Collin.”
Ohhhh. Frederick was gay? I had no idea. How did I not know that?
“I’m so sorry. Do you want to talk about it?”
He shook his head no. Then he said, “The bastard cheated on me. He said he was going to visit his parents, and then he went out of town with his lover. I found the hotel receipt in his luggage.”
So much for not wanting to talk about it. I motioned for Frederick to sit down while I fixed us breakfast and coffee. He gave me the whole story about how his boyfriend denied it and then finally admitted to seeing a married man.
“When we decided to live together, I moved into his condo. When we broke up, he asked me to move out, and now I have no place to live.”
“Where have you been staying?”
He looked at me sheepishly.
“Not in your car?”
“Only one night. I’ve been at a hotel all week, but that’s too expensive. I need to find an apartment.”
“What about friends or family?” I realized that I knew nothing of his life.
“My family is back in Texas. I’ve always lived with the families I’ve worked for. All my friends are his friends. Don’t worry about me, Ms. Hope. I’ll figure something out.”
“Look, I have plenty of room. Why don’t you stay here until you get back on your feet?”
“Thank you, but I couldn’t do that.”
“Why not, Frederick? You said you lived with other families you worked for.”
“Yes, but not with a single woman.”
“Ahh...well, that’s okay. I’m hardly ever here. You know that. And I really don’t mind. In fact, I’d love the company. Give it a couple of months for you to get on your feet. Then we can look for an apartment for you.”
Frederick
hesitated for a second. I thought he was going to turn me down but instead surprised me by accepting my offer.
“Thank you, Ms. Hope. But only until I find something else.” Frederick and I sat eating our bagels and cream cheese and drinking coffee. After a few minutes of silence I reached over and rubbed his back. “It’ll be okay.”
The weeks leading up to the Heart Ball just flew by. I immersed myself in work and didn’t give Brad or Olivia a second thought. After spending all day at the hair salon, I was finally ready for the big night.
“You look stunning,” Frederick said to me as I walked into the living room. “It’s a shame that you have no date. A gorgeous man should be on your arm.”
I turned around in my custom made Santino Rice dress. He’d done an amazing job. The floor-length, cherry red satin gown had a deep v-neckline cut that showed just enough cleavage. It was tightly fitted with a nice slit up the left leg. My makeup was perfectly done and the stylist had put a few extra caramel highlights in my hair. I wore it long and curly in the back secured with a vintage rhinestone barrette.
“Thanks, Frederick. Venus is my date, so that way I don’t have to worry about a good-night kiss later.”
“That’s the best part of the date.” Frederick put a hand on his hip and made a tsking noise. “It’s too bad.”
“In any case, don’t wait up. I’ll be home late.”
Frederick
was still looking for a new apartment, but secretly I hoped he’d stay with me for a while longer. I was enjoying his company. I’d thought I liked living alone and having peace and quiet, but Frederick was a real treat to be around.
The doorbell rang and Frederick went to answer. I picked up a glass of chardonnay and swallowed it in one long gulp. For some reason I was nervous about seeing Brad and Olivia together. I just wanted to get through the evening.
“Your carriage awaits, my love.” Frederick walked back into the room. He handed the red beaded clutch purse to me and planted a kiss on my cheek. “Have a good time.”
Venus was waiting in a black stretch limo. She had transformed herself and no longer looked depressed. The dark circles that had shadowed her eyes after she broke off her marriage with Mr. V had magically disappeared. She appeared well rested. Her makeup artist had done wonders for her. I gave her a kiss on the cheek as I slid into the limo next to her.
“You look beautiful. How are you doing?” I asked her.
“Just fine, darling. You look amazing as well.” Venus handed me a glass of chilled, bubbly champagne.
“Thanks for being my date tonight.”
Venus gave me a smirk. “Yeah, well you aren’t getting lucky, love. I have a two-date minimum before I give up the goodies.”
I laughed, happy to see that Venus had her usual sense of humor back. We clinked glasses as she said, “Here’s to having a fabulous night.”
We arrived at the Hotel Bel Air, which had hosted the Heart Ball for the past few years. The red carpet walkway was lined with photographers, and we stopped and posed for pictures before heading into the ballroom.
The Heart Ball was one of the biggest fundraisers in LA, and all of Hollywood’s elite – and most of my clientele – were in attendance tonight. It was still cocktail hour, and guests were mingling before dinner. After dinner, there would be an auction and then the dance floor would open. I told myself I would stay for the auction and then Venus and I could go somewhere else and have a drink. As we walked into the bar area, I immediately saw Hilary Jackson. Even though she had just started her chemo treatments, she looked beautiful.
I walked up and gave her a gentle hug. “How are you doing?”
“Just great. I feel fine.”
That was Hilary for you. Always upbeat, never let anything get her down. She treated cancer like it was a just a small nuisance in her life. After her diagnosis of stage two breast cancer, she decided to get a full mastectomy and go through twelve rounds of chemo followed by six weeks of radiation. I had no doubt that she would pull through this with flying colors.
“You look great. And the place looks amazing.” Hilary always did an outstanding job as director of the Heart Ball. This was her baby, and she worked countless hours making sure it was a tremendous success every year.
I talked to Hilary and her husband for a couple more minutes before moving on. As I made my way around the room, I spotted Brad talking to Tara Cranston. I’d heard that she had done a thirty-day cleanse after having her baby and had lost all her baby weight within that one month. She definitely looked like she had her old figure back. I started to walk over and speak to them when Olivia popped up next to Brad and put her arm around him. He looked up and saw me just as I turned around to find Venus.
“We’re sitting for dinner. Are you ready?” Venus asked as I walked up.
“Yes, I’m starving. I haven’t had anything to eat since a smoothie for breakfast.”
“I’m on the liquid diet myself,” Venus said, holding up her champagne flute.
I was getting worried about the amount of alcohol Venus was consuming lately. Every time I was around her, she had a glass of wine or champagne in her hand. I decided to wait until after the fundraiser to have a heart-to-heart talk with her about the divorce. She was taking this harder than I originally thought.
The tables were beautiful. Fresh, red rose centerpieces decorated all the table tops, and white votives flickered with candlelight. We were seated at a table with Jerry Markowitz, a cardiologist at the hospital where I worked, and his wife, Gail. Gail was a forty-four-year-old Barbie doll with so much Botox injected into her face that she didn’t blink all night. As the waiters brought the first course to us, I glanced at the table across from ours. Brad was holding out a chair for Olivia. She was wearing a floor-length gold gown and sparkled from head to toe. I watched as Olivia leaned over and whispered something in his ear before she sat down. He laughed and pushed her chair in. Suddenly I had no appetite.
“What’s wrong?” Venus asked, sensing my displeasure.
She looked at where I had focused my eyes. “Oh, that. Just ignore them,” she said to me quietly. “She’s got nothing on you.”
I poked at my salad and noticed that Gail the Barbie doll was doing the same. She was just pushing the bits of lettuce around her plate like she was eating. What was I doing? I didn’t care if Brad and Olivia were an item again. Whatever feelings I had for him I needed to let go. We were business partners. That was all.. That kiss meant nothing.
I defiantly took a large bite of salad, chewing and smiling at Gail the whole time. This night was going to be fun. I would not let Brad and Olivia ruin it for me.
After a dinner of salmon en croute, buttered asparagus, and strawberry white chocolate cheesecake and coffee for dessert, the auction started. I scanned the bid list to see if I wanted to bid on anything. Grabbing a pen out of my purse, I circled two things on the list – both luxurious trips.
A week-long stay at Canyon Ranch in Arizona for two people. I could take Venus and we would have a great time. The other prize was a trip to Maui including flight, hotel, and loads of activities like whale watching, golfing, and a shopping spree. If I won this, I’d send my parents.
I looked at Venus’s list. She had circled a shopping spree in Paris. Perfect for her.
I put Brad and Olivia out of my mind as we laughed, took out our paddles, and started the bidding war.
I won both the trip to Hawaii and to Canyon Ranch.
Brad won a piece of jewelry – a beautiful, heart-shaped diamond necklace – that I’m sure he got for Olivia, because when the auctioneer said “Sold to Number 15” and pointed to Brad’s paddle number, she smiled.
“That bitch,” I muttered under my breath, but Venus with her sharp ears heard me.
“Now, that’s not nice. She saved your dad’s life.” Leave it to Venus to bring things back into perspective.
“She did her duty as a physician, but that doesn’t mean I have to like her as a person. She’s trying to rub her attachment to Brad in my face, and I don’t like it at all.”
“How does she know that you like Brad?”
“Women can tell that kind of thing. It’s like a shark sniffing blood in the water.” I paused and took a sip of my wine. “That woman just rubs me the wrong way.”
“Let it go for now. Enjoy the evening.”
The band started playing and I excused myself from the table to go to the restroom. The ladies room was vacant as I headed for the last stall. A few seconds later I heard the door open and the click-clack of high heels entering. Then voices.
“…definitely has the hottest date tonight. What’s his name again?”
“Brad Whitford. He’s an OB/GYN, of all things.”
My ears perked up as I sat perfectly still in my stall.
“Oh, yeah. He works with Hope Love. What’s he doing with Olivia Campanelli?”
“From what I heard, they used to be hot and heavy in med school. I guess since he moved out here, they’ve rekindled the flame.”
The stall next to me open. I stayed glued to my seat.
“If that flame goes out, I’d be happy to fill her shoes.”