How do you feel about the new love interest in Bridget's life? How is his relationship to Bridget affecting her relationship to Andrew and Juliet? This chapter is going to be Bridget-tastic!
You don't fool me!
Andrew
"Bridget" Juliet squeaked behind me. Bridget looked up, staring into my eyes. My heart stopped. She didn't say anything. Neither did I. We just stood there looking at each other, not uttering a single word.
I had no idea what to say. She looked so fragile standing there. The Bridget I told to leave had been a strong woman, a healthy looking woman, a gorgeous woman. The Bridget in front of me was a pale resemblance to that woman. She was thinner and the skin around her eyes was dark, as if she didn't get enough sleep. "So did you like the movie" Juliet blabbered behind me, as if to break the rather uncomfortable silence. Bridget's eyes flickered from mine, to Juliet's and then back to mine. "I…" she started. "Hey Bridg', hon', what's keeping you?" a man walking towards us said. "Oh, sorry I didn't know you ran into someone" he said looking at me, "hi I'm Samuel". He held out his hand to shake mine. "Andrew Martin" I introduced myself, shaking his hand. My eyes flickered to Bridget. She was even paler now than she had been before "Samuel" walked in. "Oh Andrew… Bridget told me about you" Samuel said, "how was it you two knew each other" he asked, turning towards Bridget. "Oh… It's a long story" she said, her voice barely hearable. "Okay" Samuel looked at me, narrowing his eyes, "come on sweety, we have to hurry, I already hailed a cap. Nice to meet you" he said taking Bridget's hand, turning around to leave the cinema. "Likewise" I said as they left. Bridget walked a bit behind Samuel, and as they walked out the door, she turned her head. Tears were glistening in her eyes.
"Oh dad" Juliet said, showing her arm under mine. "Is that what you wanted to tell me the night I got back home?" I asked her. She looked at the floor. "Yes… I just didn't know how" she said. I turned around to look at my daughter. "You told me she gave you her telephone number. Are you going to go see her?" I asked. "Yes, tomorrow afternoon". "Fine. I will go instead of you" I told her. "But dad… "Juliet started protesting. "Juliet, this is not a discussion!" .I had to know about this Samuel. If it had all been really been a lie. I just had to know.
Samuel
I threw my jacket over a chair. "So… How do you know that Andrew guy?" I looked at Bridget how froze, standing by the couch. "I told you already… It's a long story. I'm really tired, I don't feel like telling it right now" she said with that tiny voice. I smiled at her. There was something she wasn't telling. "Come on, we have all night" I said walking over to her, putting my hands on her shoulder. She was so lovely. Tiny, fragile. Like a porcelain doll. It could be so easy to break her. I looked her in the eyes, she looked away. "He was a friend of my sister's" she told me. Oh yeah her sister. "Really, of Siobhans? Hmm" I pulled her into my arms. "Hmm the way you looked at him, he more looked like an old friend of yours" I said into her hair, kissing her head. "Yeah, the way you looked at him, I might just get jealous, you know" I told her, hugging her tighter. She gave a nervous laugh. I pulled her away from me, so I could look her in the eyes. "Let's go to bed… I'll massage your feet" I said. Bridget gave me a shy smile and agreed.
A friend of her sister's, my ass. That British bastard meant something to Bridget. I could feel it. I hated that she didn't tell me the truth. And somehow I would find out. She couldn't keep it at secret forever. I had to know. Or else I might just get jealous. And I really hated getting jealous. I looked at the back of Bridget's head as we walked to the bed. Oh sweet Bridget. You don't fool me.
Bridget
4.55 pm. I was getting anxious. I wondered if Juliet was going to show up after last night. I sat down at the bench, took a sip of my coffee, decaf, I didn't need anything else keeping me up at night. I looked at my watch. She had to be here soon.
"Hello Bridget". The sound of his smooth British voice made my heart skip a beat and my tummy turn over. I turned around as Andrew sat down beside me on the bench. "Hi" I said, trying to smile at him, but failing miserably. "So" he said "you look lovely". A lie. I knew I looked like something the cat dragged in. It was a long hard fall from the wardrobe of Siobhan Martin, Millionaire, to the wardrobe of Bridget Kelly, ex addict. "Thank you" I murmured staring at my hands. There was still a pale band round the finger of the wedding ring. A constant reminder of the time I spent with Andrew. I glanced over at his left hand. No ring. Just the same pale band.
Why had he come? I'd made a date with Juliet, and here he sat. It felt like a cruel joke. Did he come just to haunt me? To rub some more salt in the wound? The meeting yesterday had been more than enough. I hadn't slept all night, tossing and turning, staring at the ceiling. Samuel had been so suspicious, but I had no idea how to explain how I knew Andrew. I had no wish to explain. Telling would hurt too much.
"When did you meet Samuel" Andrew turned to look at me. I had to look at him to. I turned to answer him. Oh those eyes. It felt like they looked right into my soul. When I was with him they looked sparkling, shining and full of love and admiration. The eyes I was staring at now looked hurt, tired and bitter. Did mine look the same? "We met a few weeks ago. He is a customer at the bakery" I told him, figuring Juliet told him about my new job. Andrew nodded. "Do you love him?" he asked. "I like him. He's nice". He is kinda smothering, to tell the truth. And intense. And he doesn't make me think of a future with a house with the white picket fence and kinds running round the yard. He is nice, sure… but he's not you, I thought. Andrew nodded again. And then suddenly he got up and started to leave. I got on my feet. "Andrew, I…." I started. I didn't want him to leave. Not yet. Not now.
He turned around, eyes blazing. "Was it all just a big game to you? A lie you laughed about behind my back. Maybe you laughed about me with this Samuel?" he shouted at me, almost running towards me. He was terrifying like this. My thoughts flashed back to the last night in the apartment. I took a few steps back. I didn't mean to be afraid of him, but when he was like this, I could help to remember that once he threatened to kill Siobhan. "I…." I had no idea what to say. It had only been a lie at first. Back when I didn't know him. Andrew stared at me. "Oh to hell with it" he panted through his lips while he grabbed my arm, pulling me towards him. Before I knew it those panting lips were pressing against mine. My heart pounded harder than ever before, and my legs felt like jelly. Before I really knew what had happened, Andrew had let me go, and was again walking away.
I stood, frozen to the ground. Had my life been a movie, the rain would start to fall from the sky and I would fall to my knees, bawling my eyes out. Instead I just stood there. I felt like I couldn't breathe. I wanted to call out his name. Get him to come back, to kiss me again. But I couldn't. The pain in my chest, that had been a constant reminder of what I lost, was gone. A person could only take so much heartache. Instead there was hollowness. I didn't feel anything. I only knew one way of taking care of this hollowness. I pulled my NA chip out of my pocket. I turned it a couple of times, turned around and started to leave. As I went by a trashcan, I threw the chip in.
Machado
I stared out over the New York skyline. I felt great. For the first time in forever I felt free again. The Macawi case was long over and the tip in the Malcolm case had turned out to be a dead end. But I had used the opportunity to turn in my wish for a transfer from the Wyoming department, to the New York department. I once again looked at the letter in my hands. I smiled. My wish had been granted.
It felt like a fresh start. A fresh start I so badly needed.
There was a knock at my door. Julianne, my new coworker came in. She handed me a file, I asked for. I took a quick look at the file. Great, I thought, I could really use a good cup of coffee.
Samuel
As I turned the corner I saw her. Her and him. He was pressing his disgusting British lips at her beautiful smooth lips. Son of a Bitch. Those lips belonged to me.
Oh Bridget, I thought watching him leave her. Why do you do these things to me? I felt the jealousy boil in my body. Why do you make me feel this way? I punched the brick wall behind me. I could hear the bones in my hand crack at the impact. Oh, man, I really hated getting jealous, I thought, staring at Bridget leaving the park.