There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments until Lauren ventured, “Well, have a great time.”
There was an avaricious gleam in Elle’s dark eyes as she replied, “Oh, I definitely will. Especially since I expect we’ll have good news to share when we return.”
Lauren’s heart sunk about ten feet at the smug tone of Elle’s voice. “Really? Like what?”
Elle gave her a very deliberate smile. “Well, let’s just say that Karl and Tamsyn might not be the only ones who tie the knot in the not so distant future.”
Lauren suddenly felt a cold chill run through her, down into her very bones, and the sweat that had dried on her skin throughout the day now felt clammy. Somehow she managed to maintain some semblance of dignity as she told Elle with exquisite politeness, “Well, I wish you all the best then, if that proves to be the case. Have a lovely trip.”
She forced herself to walk out of the building with her usual swagger, never betraying for even a second how deeply Elle’s announcement had shattered her. As she walked the long blocks towards Maddy’s apartment, she wondered wildly if what Elle had told her was really true, or if it was all a pack of lies intended to fuck with her head. Ben had never once dropped a hint that he and Elle were that serious, that he was actually thinking of proposing. But then, Ben spoke to her as seldom as possible these days, and never about anything personal.
It made sense, she told herself as she continued on her way. Horrible, awful sense. Ben and Elle had been together for about two years now, lived together for God’s sake. Lauren knew he’d been to England several times with Elle to visit her family and spend holidays. Now they were vacationing with her parents.
Yes, it all added up, and pointed to the next logical step in their relationship. Elle would likely come back from Spain sporting an engagement ring, her parents would throw her and Ben some hoity toity party to announce the good news, and in a year’s time they would be married in a big, lavish ceremony.
And in the meanwhile, the few pieces of Lauren’s heart that still remained intact would be crushed into tiny bits, until there was nothing of it left. How in the world would she be able to bear it – to watch the man she still loved, the only man she’d ever loved – marry someone else?
With that thought, Lauren made a decision – one that had been weighing heavily on her for some time now. Elle’s joyful little announcement a short time ago had been just the catalyst she needed to finally follow that decision through.
***
Madelyn Benoit wasn’t a woman who was easily shocked or caught off guard. In the very powerful and influential position she held, she had learned to be prepared for just about anything, to keep her wits about her, and always remain calm. But she was completely flabbergasted when she walked inside her penthouse apartment after work to find her beloved niece curled up on the sofa in the fetal position, sobbing her heart out. A shot glass and half empty bottle of tequila rested on the coffee table within arm’s reach, and Maddy guessed that Lauren had had more than her normal share, given the state she was in.
Lauren was wearing a pair of olive green cargo pants and a black tank top that were so wrinkled they looked as though she had slept in them. Her hair was sticking out wildly in all directions, her braid all but destroyed.
Maddy realized she hadn’t seen her niece cry since Lauren had been a very small girl, and she wasn’t at all sure how to react at this moment. Fortunately, instinct took over and she merely sank down next to Lauren on the plush sofa and pulled her close. The fact that Lauren didn’t even try to resist, or disguise the fact that she’d been crying her eyes out, only made it more obvious how upset she really was.
“Shh, darling. It’s all going to be okay,” soothed Maddy. She stroked her niece’s tangled curls as Lauren continued to weep against her shoulder. “Whatever’s got you this upset, it will all be okay.”
Lauren lifted her head, her green eyes drowning with tears, her face flushed. “No,” she whispered sorrowfully. “Nothing will ever be okay again, Aunt Maddy. He’s broken my heart for good this time.”
Maddy was startled at this tearful confession. “Who, darling? Who broke your heart? I didn’t even know you were seeing someone.”
Lauren shook her head. “I’m not,” she sniffed. “Not really. It was a long time ago. Only now he’s back and it’s worse than ever, and I can’t go on this way anymore, Aunt Maddy. I have to leave.”
“Leave?” Maddy couldn’t disguise the alarm in her voice. “Leave where? What are you talking about?”
Tears tracked down Lauren’s cheeks. “Leave New York,” she croaked. “Leave the magazine. Leave – him.”
“Lauren.” Maddy used her thumb to wipe away her niece’s tears, only to watch as new ones appeared. “Good Lord, are these the clothes you wore on the plane? Look, darling, why don’t you go and have a shower, put on your comfiest PJ’s, and then we’ll have a little talk. I’ll order dinner in the meanwhile, get us something cold to drink – not more alcohol. Get along with you now, hmm?”
Lauren gave a rather loud snuffle but nodded obediently and trudged back towards her room. Maddy sprung into action, grimacing as she put away the tequila and the shot glass, and set the messenger bag and flip flops that Lauren had dumped in the middle of the living room onto a chair. She made a quick call to one of her favorite restaurants, and ordered a rather upscale version of comfort food – lobster mac and cheese, portobello mushroom flatbread pizza, a pear and gorgonzola salad, and an assortment of desserts – all dishes that she knew Lauren loved. Assured that the order would arrive within half an hour, Maddy went to her own room to shower and change.
When she walked back into the living room a few minutes later, she smiled to note that Lauren had taken her earlier advice to heart. Her niece was curled up on the sofa, busily channel surfing through several dozen cable stations that Maddy didn’t even know she had. Lauren’s freshly washed hair hung in long, damp strands halfway down her back, and she was wearing what must indeed be her comfiest pajamas – little sleep shorts printed with a trio of cartoon characters, and a pale blue ribbed camisole top that had seen better days. Her long, tanned legs and small feet were bare. Lauren looked far younger this way, more like a teenager than a woman in her mid-twenties, and the vulnerability Maddy glimpsed on her face was not something she could ever recall seeing there before.
“Feeling better?” asked Maddy as she poured them each a tall glass of iced tea. During the steamy, hot summer months she always kept a pitcher of sweet tea in the fridge, a habit she had picked up decades ago from her old college friend Gerard Landreaux, who had grown up in New Orleans.
Lauren shrugged as she took a drink of her tea. “A little. Not as grubby and sweaty, that’s for sure. And I’m sorry I was such a head case when you walked in earlier. It’s just been a challenging day.”
“You can tell me all about it after we’ve had dinner. Which should be here in less than ten minutes.”
Lauren shook her head mutinously, just as Maddy had expected she would. “Forget it, Aunt Maddy. I think I’m just hormonal or something. Must be my period coming on.”
Maddy chuckled. “Oh, nooo, my girl. You’re not getting away with this that easily. The things you said when I walked in – they deserve a very detailed explanation. I’ve known something’s been bothering you for months now, and I think you’ve finally reached the breaking point. So, deny it all you like, darling, but one way or another you’re going to fess everything up to Auntie before this evening is over.”
Lauren scowled darkly. “We’ll see about that.”
Maddy squeezed her niece’s hand. “It’s time, darling. Time for you to let it all out and talk to someone. For almost your entire life, since you were a tiny little girl with more guts than a full grown man, you’ve had this protective shell erected around you. For some reason you got it into your pretty little head that you always had to be tough, could never let anyone see you cry, or think that you were weak. But now it’s time for you to come out from under that shell and let yourself feel. You’re like my own daughter, Lauren, and I’d like to think after all the time we’ve spent together over the years that you trust me enough to confide in me.”