Chapter 45: No One But Me

Laura was getting stronger than ever emotionally and her therapy was practicing music. Her jobs benefitted from her turning to her cello in this time of transition and loneliness. The string quartet was getting ready to record an album for an international audience and her extra practice time made a huge difference. When they came together to rehearse, her discipline paid off. But there was something more that they heard from her cello: depth.

She had always been good, technically, and that’s what an orchestra member and music instructor needed to succeed. But now, because of everything she had been through personally, the extra practice time also greatly benefitted her professionally. The other string quartet members referred to her new sound as “soulful cello”.

Having three equally demanding jobs made for exhaustingly long days. She was glad to be busy since it kept her from feeling lonely. One evening she was so tired from her triple work commitments that when she got home that she just wanted to collapse on her bed. Fate interrupted her plans.

“Laura.” She heard her name and recognized the gravelly, almost hoarse voice calling to her as she opened the door to her loft. It was Luke!

“Luke? What the h*ll are you doing here?”

“Your best friend, Caitlin, let me in as a favor to romance. I had to see you again. I’m a changed man. I’m not drinking. I’m not womanizing. And, tomorrow I have an interview for a pharmaceutical sales position that pays very well. I’ll be able to take care of you like I should. We could be more than partners this time. You could be my wife.”

“Get out!” Laura screamed. She wasn’t sure if she should be furious with Caitlin for once again overstepping her boundaries, Luke for showing up, or for both of them for plotting together to create this scenario.

“I did this all for you...so I could be the man of your dreams. I want us to be together again, but better than ever before. Please don’t turn me away. Please. I’ve worked too hard to get this far and to get off the streets. I’m so sorry. Please. I need you Laura. I know you more than any short-term suitor could”

“Get the h*ll out before I call the cops.”

Luke looked disappointed. Laura looked livid.

“Let me be clear. I don’t want you again, ever. Tomorrow I’m changing the locks, something I should have done long ago, and I will be the only one with the updated key. Not you, not Caitlin, not anyone. I never want to talk with you again.”

Laura stood her ground and waited for him to leave before she put the dead bolts on the door to lock and secure it from intruders and trespassers like Luke and Caitlin.

Still tired from a long day, she felt like she needed to call Caitlin and set her straight. No matter how much she felt like passing out and going to sleep this was a high priority so that she could get restful sleep and give it her all again tomorrow. She wanted to mend the brokenness in their relationship, but not if Caitlin was going to take advantage of her vulnerability or use her closeness with Laura to get what she wanted: billionaires.

“D*mn. I’m too tired and too old for this,” she said grabbing for her phone. She wondered if she should call a 24 hour locksmith to change the locks or text Caitlin to change her mind about remaining friends? The locksmith. She could text Caitlin while she waited for him to arrive.

“Caitlin, respond to the text, b*tch.”

A sound seemed to be pinging each time she texted and it was coming from nearby. Laura followed its sound and discovered Caitlin on the sectional sofa, playing dead and lying low under the throw blanket trying to shut off the volume of her phone.

“Get up NOW.”

Caitlin had nowhere to turn. She would have to face the music. She couldn’t find a suitable lie that did not make her seem to be an even more horrible person, so she went with the truth.

“I let him in, okay? I let him in. I told him to take a shower and put on some of his clean, old clothes, then he could try to win you back before it’s too late.”

“No. Absolutely not. It is NOT okay. You crossed the line. You made a judgement that only I can make. Have you not been around these past several years of our “love” story? Have you not noticed how he’s treated me: womanizing, getting drunk, not working? Why would you do something like this?”

“You wrote in the letter that you appreciated my honesty so...”

“So, what? Tonight’s episode was not about me; it was about you. I don’t want Luke, ok? Why Caitlin? Have you forgotten how bad he was for me? Yet you let him into my home with the key I trusted you with?”

“I thought you’d get back with Luke and I could get access to the three billionaires,” she said so quickly and in an almost silent whisper that the shock value of her plan was almost missed.

“What? You get out, too. I’ve had enough of both of you. And to think you were my best friend. You don’t care about me, you jealous b*tch; you just want a billionaire to call your own. Sloppy seconds aren’t your style Caitlin. Go. Leave. You heard me. And don’t contact me, show up, or ask me any questions about the billionaires, cause they’re out of the picture too. And from here on out, I think you should be out of the picture too.”

Just as Caitlin was about to open the door to leave the locksmith arrived, buzzing to be let in. And, as far as Laura was concerned, he was just in the nick of time.