Part 10 (2/2)
The handsome man grinned as he took up a position across from Barrett. ”Watch the face.”
She returned his remark with a predatory smile as she a.s.sumed a catlike offensive. Trying to use his greater reach to advantage, he attacked with a series of rabbit-fast punches. Unfortunately for him, by the time they would have landed on their target, she had dropped to the floor and swept his legs out from underneath him. In less than fifteen seconds he was flat on his back, with her fist planted squarely over his Adam's apple. Sifu clapped and Barrett released the actor.
”Next victim,” Sifu chortled, pointing his finger at Carol.
Barrett shook her head no and stepped away from the center of the room.
”Interesting,” Sifu commented, looking first at Barrett and then at the honey-blond restaurant manager, who also seemed reluctant to enter the ring. ”No?” he asked, never having encountered this particular scenario.
The two women glared at each other across the room. ”Oh, why not?” Barrett stepped back into the center. She c.o.c.ked an eyebrow and lifted her hands into a starting pose.
Carol accepted the challenge. The two women bowed stiffly and began to spar. On a good day, Carol was no match for Barrett. But the psychiatrist usually took this into account, having a.s.sumed the roll of Sifu's second in command. But today Barrett was not interested in furthering Carol's development as a martial artist.
As the blond woman attempted to pierce Barrett's guard, Barrett whispered, ”Why?”
”Nothing personal,” Carol replied, trying to twist her hand free from Barrett's imprisoning cross block.
Barrett stepped back and looked at her opponent. She deftly broke through Carol's defense and placed two fingers on either side of her throat.
”Oh,” Sifu Li remarked, clapping his hand, ”she dead.”
”Nothing personal?” Barrett whispered, staring into the woman's eyes.
Carol shook her head nervously, ”It wasn't,” she whispered. ”It just happened. Maybe he had a reason. Men who stray usually do. This morning he was telling me ...”
Barrett dropped her attack and stared. ”This morning?” It was as though Carol had slammed a fist into her gut. ”This morning?”
Carol stepped back, ”I should leave.” She quickly bowed to Sifu, ran to the edge of the room, grabbed her bag, threw on her coat and fled the studio.
Barrett stood motionless, watching Carol's retreat in the mirror. This morning, he'd made love to her and then gone to see Carol. It wasn't a one-time thing. She felt the floor s.h.i.+ft, and her vision cloud. All of his words had been lies.
”Breathe, Barrett.” Sifu's hand on her shoulder. ”Okay,” he said turning to the dozen or so students, ”cla.s.s over.”
___.
Afterward, Justine walked uptown with her.
”What just happened in there?” she asked.
”What?” Barrett replied, trying to keep her rage and sadness to herself.
”With Carol.”
”That's who Ralph ...” She couldn't get the words out.
”You're kidding. I didn't know,” she said, not needing Barrett to finish the thought. ”I'm so sorry ... why would she show up?”
”Yeah, well apparently she doesn't think it's such a big deal.”
”That's cold.”
”I can't think ... It's like up is down and no one bothered to tell me. Maybe it's normal for married men to screw around. It is, isn't it? They say that over 50 percent of marriages involve infidelity.”
”And over 50 percent of marriages end in divorce,” Justine added. ”Think there's a connection?”
”She said it's my fault.”
”That's bull.”
”Said he wasn't getting what he needed at home.”
”What?”
”She's right. No matter how much Ralph says he supports me and my career, he doesn't. I think he thinks he should. But deep down ... no. There are all these little cracks about how much I work, how I'm never around, how there's never any food in the house. And ... I think he's still seeing her.”
”Oh, Barrett.”
”I wanted to believe him. s.h.i.+t, s.h.i.+t, s.h.i.+t. It's over. My marriage is over.”
”Let me stay with you.” Justine offered, as they came to the 23rd Street subway station.
”No,” Barrett said, as Justine hugged her, neither woman caring that they were drenched in sweat.
”Let me stay. We could talk ... or not, watch some TV.”
”I'll be okay,” Barrett stepped back, noticing tears in her sister's eyes.
”I could kill him for doing this to you,” Justine whispered.
”I'll be okay,” she repeated, wanting to be alone. ”Now get out of here, you've got to be at the hospital at the crack of dawn and I don't want you to be anything less than brilliant.”
”I can be brilliant and spend the night at your place.”
Barrett hesitated, hugged Justine again. ”Please, go.”
”You're sure? It's no problem.”
”Go.”
Justine kissed Barrett's cheek, ”I love you, sis ... call me later.”
”Okay,” and Barrett watched as her sister vanished into the rumbling station. Alone on the street, she trudged west. She felt the simple band of gold on her finger, and found its touch repulsive. She twisted it off, sc.r.a.ping the knuckle. She fought back the impulse to hurl it down the street, and instead dropped it into a zipped compartment in her bag. And then there was the issue of money. It seemed unreal. At least she'd still get the money from Jimmy; she'd been wrong about him. The lab had called her a little before six with the news that while his lithium level was low, he was taking it. It had surprised her, and she wondered if maybe she'd scared him into swallowing some pills the minute she'd left; it was possible. And while she was thoroughly creeped out by him, she so needed this money.
She stopped by a well-lit ATM on the corner of 23rd and 6th, and retrieved Jimmy's envelope from the compartment where she'd just tossed her wedding ring. She slit it open. Inside, was a business check signed by Ellen Martin. ”Great,” she muttered, wondering just what they were playing at, because instead of the agreed upon $750, the check was for $3000.
She stared at it, letting her eyes rake over the amount-dismayed that it was wrong, but needing the cash. She stood still, then pulled out her wallet, put her card into the slot, and walked through the security door. She filled out a deposit slip. ”This is not good,” she muttered, as she punched in her pin, pressed the key for deposit and watched the envelope get sucked away.
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