Waiting For The Other Shoe to Drop: Part 32

But I didn’t run. I thought Michelle had been the one with the problem. A sane woman wouldn’t simply show up at a man’s house unannounced. Then again, I’d learn that the man who says “I don’t lie,” turns out to be the biggest liar of all.

Not only was I experiencing a change in my personal life, but work turned into a war zone. Sonia and the city manager fought about every damned thing: from the amount of money spent on staples and pencils, to the audit that she refused to do. He’d ordered her to shed one third of the department’s budget.

“And just how in the blue hell am I supposed to do this while keeping the quality of what we do up?” Sonia asked as I stopped in her officer after work. I was a little surprised to see that she had a small bottle of Jack Daniels on her desk.

“What are you going to do?”

“Retire. Go work in Gastonia, tell that prick to stick my foot so far up his ass that he can shit out my Dr. Shoals insoles.”

“Whoa. How much of that stuff have you had?”

Sonia glanced down at her coffee mug then poured herself another drink. “Not enough.”

“What is it about you two that’s . . .”

“That man and the new mayor have an agenda. I’m not a political person and I can feel the push toward the door.”

“I hope you’re wrong.”

“I hope you’ve started your job search.”

“I have,” I lied. My mind was preoccupied with trying to figure out how to search David’s phone. Yes. I. Was. Falling. Back. Into. Bullshit.

“All right, Mimi, don’t be a casualty of my war.”

I chewed my bottom lip and dropped my head. I wanted to open up with her about the David issue but that topic was off limits. He was her family, her blood. I was just the girl he was fucking – and fucking over. Shit.

I thought this time was different. Thought I’d made enough changes and concessions to be happy in a relationship. But NO! Once again, here was a man who wanted so share his dick with the world like it was a bottle of Coke.

“What’s wrong, Mimi? I’ve noticed that you’ve been really quiet lately.”

I shrugged and tried to smile, but I couldn’t. “It’s nothing.”

“Nothing named David?”

“Ah, kind of.”

Sonia took a big gulp of her spiked coffee. “Trust your gut, Mimi.”

“What do you mean?”

“Life is too short to be unhappy or deal with a man who you can’t totally trust. I love my cousin,  but – wait, let me stop letting Jack control my tongue.”

“Do you need a ride home?” Thinking about how much she had to drink, I was sure the last thing Sonia needed was a DUI.

“That’s nice of you. But I’m not that twisted. Still, knowing how shady gov-co is, I’d better call a cab.”

Sonia and I headed out of the office and when I arrived at my car, I noticed a pink envelope underneath my windshield wiper. Strange ticket, I thought as I plucked it from my car. Before opening it, I checked to make sure I’d followed the parking deck rules and my car was in between the white lines.

I tore it open and discovered a handwritten note.

Just so you know, I’m the reason he came back to Charlotte and I can have him anytime I want.

                        M.

What in the blue fuck?!