"I have a some news to tell you. You should probably sit down."
I frowned and took a seat in one of the chairs reserved for clients. "Well, if it's about those magazines, they have their information wrong."
"Do they? Or is he giving you the wrong information?"
"Vanessa..."
"Look at all of these pictures of them together. This all can't be just business." Her voice was full of concern, and it yanked at my common sense strings. But I wasn't ready to believe her yet.
"They are just pictures. I'm with this man almost every night."
"But not every single night. Just look at this."
She handed me a magazine that had a page folded back. There were pictures of him and the Blonde Beauty at the beach. I read the date and remembered it was one of the days where he couldn't see me all day because of his meetings. Then, in another magazine, it was another picture of them walking around together, laughing. I tried to look at his eyes. I wanted to see what shade of green they were. I looked at the magazine closely and carefully but I couldn't see it. The photographer must have been out of range. In the other magazine, there was a picture of her kissing him on the cheek. I flung the magazine across the room.
"Fucking bullshit!" I cursed. "Why?" I questioned out loud, but I knew that neither Vanessa nor I could ever answer that question. Only one person could.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered.
"Last night..."
"What about last night?"
"I think last night he was going to tell me, but it was so romantic and beautiful. Fuck!" I stood up. "How could I be so stupid?"
"Nope!" She shook her hands. "Mierda!" she yelled. Once I heard her curse in Spanish, I knew all hell was about to break loose. "I refuse to let you blame yourself."
"But I should have--"
"Bullshit! That pendejo should have told you the truth. You always asked for honesty. This is not on you, Christina."
I shook my head and did something that I haven't done since I was a kid: I started to bite my nails.
"What's going through your head?"
"I honestly don't know what to do." I sighed. I don't know what to believe.
"I do." Her voice was firm and determined. "You and I are going to pop up at his place and surprise him. We're going to nip this thing in the bud for once and for all."
"Now?"
"Yes. Right now." She grabbed her purse and keys. "Let's go."
***
Vanessa and I were sitting in her car parked across the street from his building. She was bold and had her head sticking out the window while I slumped in the front seat.
"What are you doing? Sit up!" She tried to pull me up but I refused to budge.
"I don't want him to be able to recognize me," I muttered, wanting to bury myself in my blazer.
"After all the bold moves he made out in public, you have the nerve to be private?" She gave me a look. When she's right, she's right. I sat up.
An hour passed by and it looked like this stakeout was a bust, when suddenly, I recognized his car. It pulled in and the driver went to open a door. The blonde hair blowing in the wind was a bit much. What did she think this was? A music video shoot? I could try to hide my feelings, but I couldn't lie to myself: she's gorgeous. And like Vanessa said, she wasn't built for business.
"Pinche puta." My friend cursed next to me in Spanish.
"English, please."
"Who does this mother--"
"Calm down," I said and I saw Blake finally get out of the car. "If I didn't really know about her, there's a chance that she doesn't even know anything about me at all."
"I'm going to say something." She reached for the door but I stopped her. "What?"
"I appreciate it, but I got this." I felt my anger roar in me out of nowhere.
I got out of the car. With each step, every memory I had of every time I was with him replayed in my head. Every single lie he ever told me was on a constant loop in my head. All of his touches, licks, whatever, were now driving me crazy because even that was a part of his lie. I was in the lobby when one of the workers stopped me.
"Miss, you can't--" The female worker stood in front of me, blocking my way to the elevator.
"I've been here before."
"I'm aware of that. It's just that..." She didn't continue but the sad look in her face told me everything.
"How long?"
"A few weeks but they have suddenly gotten serious," she whispered with shifty eyes like it was the running gossip around the staff that she just let me in on. "Just please. Can you leave?"
I was about to but then I heard the elevator door ding its arrival. Out stepped Blonde Vixen. Blake was nowhere in sight. She had a runway model look all over her. She was about to walk past us but then looked at us. I guess I stuck out.
"Is there a problem, Melinda?" she asked the worker.
"No, Ms--"
"It's my fault, really. You know you take a wrong turn in New York City and you can get lost," I lied, my face burning with a mixture of embarrassment, anger, and jealousy.
"Oh, don't I know it." She let out a girly laugh. I just had to know.