Part 21 (1/2)
Chris felt all of the air leave her lungs. ”What?”
”Well, you know* you two are friends, she paid your tuition* it just kind of looks like*”
Chris cut her friend off in midsentence. ”Looks like what, Debbie?” She felt her voice rising in anger, or was it in embarra.s.sment? ”What? Payment for services?”
Debbie signaled for Chris to lower her voice. ”No* but maybe trying to coax you to* you know, show your grat.i.tude?”
Chris looked at Debbie while she pondered the question herself. Then, folding the letter, she shook her head in disbelief. She quickly turned and jogged back down the hall, and, ignoring Debbie's voice, ran out to the parking lot.
Chris climbed in her car and slammed the door shut. Then she just sat there. The questions entered her mind so quickly that she couldn't even concentrate. Why would Lynn lie to her? Why would she portray herself as she had, a struggling waitress? It was almost as if Lynn had been an actress playing a part. And how did Matt really figure into all of this? She tried to make sense of it all. Then she remembered something Sam said, something that had nagged at the back of her mind, ”seducing women is land of a game for Lynn.” Could it be true? Had this been a game for Lynn? Had it taken too long, leading Lynn to play her last card* money? Chris knew that there was only one person who would tell her the truth. She started her car and headed back down the highway.
Chris drove like a wild woman to Matt's garage. She jogged into the building, where Matt smiled at her from behind the counter as he helped a customer. She tapped her fingers impatiently on the counter. The customer tore out the check in payment for repairs, thanked Matt, and hurried out the door.
”What's wrong with you?” Matt asked.
”This is what's wrong with me,” Chris answered as she slid the letter across the counter for his perusal.
Matt picked up the letter, quickly scanning it, then ran his fingers through his hair and placed the paper back on the counter.
”Well?” Chris remarked.
”She's going to be really angry about this,” Matt replied.
”So, you knew about this? You knew about her?” Chris backed away, running her fingers through her hair this time.
”Look, she doesn't like anyone to know,” Matt said, trying to explain.
”She doesn't like anyone to know what, Matt?” Chris was irritated.
”That she has money and*”
Chris interrupted, ”That she's working in some dive as a waitress?”
Matt smiled. ”Don't let her hear you say that. She owns that dive.”
Chris couldn't believe it. You could have knocked her over with a feather. ”So, everything about her has been a lie?” Chris asked, feeling betrayed.
Matt shook his head. ”Nothing has been a lie. She never said that she wasn't rich. She never said that she didn't own the restaurant, which by the way, her employees don't know. She never told you anything that was untrue.”
”So, why did she do it?” Chris asked. ”Why did she pay for my tuition, Matt?”
Matt shrugged. ”I don't know, just trying to do something nice, I guess.”
”Something nice? Are you sure? Or was she trying to buy me?”
”Buy you? What do you mean?” Matt answered, cleaning the oil off his hands with a towel.
”You know, her little game wasn't working. I wasn't responding to her s.e.xual overtures, so*”
Matt's face turned red with anger. ”Don't even go there! I can't believe that you would even think Lynn would do something like that!”
”How would I know?” Chris said sarcastically. ”I don't even know the real Lynn Gregory!” She picked up the letter, folded it, and left the building.
Matt jogged to catch up with her. ”Chris, this doesn't change anything! She's still the same person,” Matt tried to explain.
Chris opened her car door, not muttering a word.
”You see? This is why she doesn't tell anyone. People treat her differently when they find out who she is.” Matt acted disgusted and turned to walk away.
”I wouldn't have thought any different of her if I had known!” Chris called after him.
Matt turned around. ”Are you sure about that? You saw her as your equal before. Now how do you see her?”
Chris paused. Matt shook his head, flipped the rag in his hand motioning her to leave, turned, and walked away. Chris sped out of the parking lot. Matt watched her drive away and thought, This confusion about her s.e.xuality is going to drive her crazy.
Lynn towel-dried her hair and ran gel through it. Humming to the music that was blaring, she b.u.t.toned her s.h.i.+rt, and tucked it into her favorite jeans. Looking in the mirror, she checked her hair and unb.u.t.toned one b.u.t.ton to reveal just a bit of cleavage. She wanted to look her best, maybe even a little s.e.xy for Chris. Looking at her watch, she felt the excitement growing inside as she hoped Chris would be home soon. She had been disappointed that Chris hadn't been there when she had gotten off of work. Knowing that Chris didn't have cla.s.s on Fridays, Lynn wondered where Chris had gone.
Chris sped down the freeway, thoughts racing in her mind. Why didn't she tell me who she really was? After all the discussions that they had, Chris thought they didn't have any secrets from each other. She was so confused. People don't just give money away. Especially investment a.n.a.lysts, knowing that there was no tax benefit. And if it was supposed to be anonymous, why send it on letterhead? She screeched to a stop in front of the house and stormed to the door.
Chris walked in, confusion and betrayal filling her head.
”Hi there!” Lynn smiled as she turned down the volume of the music.
Chris began pacing back and forth in front of Lynn.
”Hey, calm down, what's wrong?” Lynn said, placing her hand on the woman's shoulder.
Chris pushed Lynn's hand off of her arm and shoved the letter in front of Lynn's face. Lynn took the letter and sat down on the couch. She scanned the piece of paper, placed it on the table, and turned to Chris, who was still pacing.
”I don't know what to say. You weren't ever supposed to see this,” Lynn explained.
”I wasn't supposed to see it? You mean I wasn't ever supposed to know it was you?” Chris said, irritation filling her voice. ”If I wasn't supposed to know, why send the money on a company check, with letterhead?”
”Those weren't my instructions,” Lynn said calmly.
”Are you sure? Are you sure that maybe you didn't do it on purpose, knowing that I would find out?”
”Why would I do that?” Lynn asked, still trying to remain the calmer of the two.
”You know, just part of your little game you play with your women. Maybe you thought a little money would make it easier for me to sleep with you?” Chris shouted.
Lynn felt like a knife had just entered her heart. How could Chris even think such a thing? Standing, Lynn lashed back.
”Look, if this was just a game, I would've taken you already! I could've had you any night this week if I had wanted!”
”Taken me? Did you really use those words, aetaken me'? Why didn't you just use the word aef.u.c.k,' Lynn? You could've f.u.c.ked me already?” Chris was pacing now, words spurting out of her mouth. ”That's all I am to you, isn't it? Just another person to add to your list. I didn't even have a choice in the matter, did I? The mighty Lynn Gregory set her sights on seducing me. And I was falling straight into your litde trap. But I wasn't responding quickly enough, was that what it was? So you threw a little money my way.” Suddenly she stopped. ”G.o.d, I just figured it out. I bet you lied to me about Susan, too! I bet that you're the one that screwed around on her! That's why Susan used that term, isn't it? That's why she asked if you were f.u.c.king me now!”
Chris watched as the tears that had been forming in Lynn's eyes stopped, as if being withdrawn back into their tear ducts. She saw the hurt in Lynn's brown eyes turn into a cold, hard blackness. She felt fear as Lynn breathed out as if to release all of the compa.s.sion inside and breathe back ice to fill her veins. Chris knew she had gone too far. Whatever Lynn did was not deserving of her last statement.
Lynn felt the sting of Chris's words. Anger rose within her, overtaking her entire body. She felt the roller coaster sliding off the tracks and cras.h.i.+ng into darkness. Lynn just stood there, frozen, unable to speak.