19 (19) My Gift to You
John rubbed his tired eyes as he stared at Erin across the desk. The story she’d just told him caused everything inside him to cringe.
“Why would she tell you this?”
“Because.Because she knew I wanted you.”
“As I said I love my wife.”
“I know but she told me you wanted me too. I thought you wanted it.” Erin’s eyes filled with tears and she looked down unable to meet his eyes.
“Erin listen I’m not sure what she was thinking but the only person I’m interested in is my wife. Gather your things and move down to floor two.”
Erin scuttled out of the office closing the door behind her and john cupped his head in his hands. He did not know why Isabel would have done something like that, but he had to figure it out fast because she was more dangerous than he’d ever thought possible. He grabbed his keys and headed out needing to get home quickly.
***
“Oh, My God!” Melissa exclaimed as she pulled the intricate Saint Laurent bag from its tissue paper cushion. The nude purse was small but the detail was exquisite and the nude color would suit much of Melissa’s neutral-toned wardrobe. It was far superior in quality and more useful than the red one Isabel had presented to her.
Melissa looked concerned as she realized she was going to have to thank Anna. In fact, she looked positively sick.
Melissa sat the bag down before she looked at Anna with a forced smile on her lips. “What an imaginative gift Anna, thank you.”
Anna could almost heart Melissa gritting her teeth across the room. She almost felt pleased until Melissa turned to Isabel and picked up the red purse.
“Thank you so much for getting me such an amazing gift Isabel. It’s like you read my mind. So many people buy smaller purses but don’t realize how inconvenient they are to carry things in.”
“Oh I know, Small purses are so useless,” Isabel said with a snide glance down at the one Anna had bought her. “And don’t get me started on nude shades, how boring!”
“I simply love red!” Melissa said as she ran her hands over the bag’s material. “It will go with so many things that I have.”
“Your clothes are mostly neutral tones, how is red going to go with those?” Anna asked wanting to punch them all.
“I know you don’t understand fashion but red goes with everything,” May said with a smile. She nudged the purse from Anna off the coffee table and didn’t bother to pick it up.
“May, so help me god.” Anna gritted out as she glared at the beautiful purse on the carpet. She reached for the purse but May snatched it up and held it by its strap.
“Oh, I’m so sorry did I drop the little purse you gave mother?” “Well let me put it back where it belongs.” She said as she dropped it back in the open box with the other trash and shoved it under the coffee table.
“You know I would have been glad to come with you to shop for a present if you’d just asked me,” Isabel said with a smile as she cut a look Anna’s way.
Anna sucked in her breath hating them all. The three women in the room with her were testing her temper. Anna closed her eyes and prayed or strength.
“Isabel, “May said grabbing her attention “ where did you ever find that purse at, the owner of the boutique downtown told me that it was sold out when I checked on buying it.”
Isabel preened and tucked a strand of blonde hair back behind her ear and smiled completely missing the jab Anna had just made.
“It’s simply amazing that you got one,” Melissa said patting her hand.
“Well I do have connections,” Isabel said with a smile “It was almost like it appeared out of thin air.”
“Oh Isabel, I have to say that you are the most thoughtful girl I’ve ever met.” “Whoever gets you as a daughter in law will be so lucky.”
“Really?” Isabel asked with false modesty as she grasped Melissa’s hand. “That is so kind of you to say, I’ve tried very hard to make something of myself.”
“Well dear you know they say that good blood wins in the end.”
“Isabel is my cousin,” Anna said in disbelief.
Melissa sniffed and ignored her as if she weren’t in the room. She patted Isabel’s hand and smiled. She leaned close and in a whisper said “don’t worry dear we all have those little twisted branches in our tree.”
“I am right here!” Anna said angrily as she looked at Melissa, May, and Isabel.
“Was it not clear what my mother meant?” May asked viciously. “She was talking about you, you are the twist in the tree.”
“I got it. “ I just can’t believe that you would dare say that to me, I’m John’s wife, and didn’t we just finish having a conversation about you changing how you speak to people?”
Melissa and May paled visibly and Isabel looked concerned between the three of them. “Did I interrupt something when I came in?”
“No of course not!” Melissa said with a false laugh that none of them believed, “just discussing some things to do with the household.”
Isabel looked between them with calculation in her eyes. This was the perfect opportunity to drive a deeper wedge between Melissa, May, and Anna.
“Well, I know you have to compromise and give when it comes to relationships,” Isabel said grabbing May’s hand too. “Especially when people are as wonderful as you both are.”
“I’ve had enough,” Anna said and stood brushing off her pants. She had sat here long enough and wasn’t in the mood anymore.
“Melissa, May, and Isabel looked at her with curious looks and Anna had to applaud them for their acting abilities. If she didn’t know better the three of them really had no idea why she was upset. “Why Anna I thought we were going to finish our talk,” Melissa said with a hand pressed to her chest.
“I have nothing more to say to you, I’ve made myself clear.”
“But I have so much more to say. “
“I really don’t care,” Anna said as she made her way to the door to the hallway. She opened it with a slam and stormed out into the hallway “I have more important things to do.”
