“Thanks. I don’t even know where to begin.” I glance at Manimal to make sure he’s asleep. “Well, for starters, his behavior reminds me of Todd, my fiancé before I got married.”
“You don’t look old enough to have a first husband, never mind a second one. Are you traveling incognito?”
I can’t help but laugh and explain raiding the boxes in Heidi’s basement, where we also came across photos and memorabilia from all thirteen years of being in school together.
“She sounds like a good friend. That Todd, not so much.”
“For the few months we were engaged, it was good. Then I overheard him refer to his ‘Sidepiece.’”
“I take it you’re not talking about a jigsaw puzzle. Do you mean sidepiece like a mistress?”
“You got it. I caught them once. Then the blonde thought it would be fun to crash our wedding. Psychotically, he objected to us separating and not following through with the marriage. Mistake number one was intertwining our finances during the engagement process. Number two was that I put almost everything from invitations to hotel accommodations on my credit card. My dad was going to reimburse me, but we haven’t spoken since the big day that wasn’t. I could go on with mistakes three through three hundred, but we don’t have that much time. Suffice it to say, the only solution was to walk away and let him have everything.”
“Even your clothing?”
“No, I had to sell it to cover living expenses.”
The plane starts to accelerate and Goodie grabs my hand. “Away we go.”
When it lifts into the air, I exhale like I just busted through the ribbon at the finish line. I ran away from Todd and with good reason. Now, I’m flying away from all the doubt, fear, and pain that’s been chasing me for months. I can finally put the past behind me with a fresh start, in a new country, and with a new job.
Once the plane levels out, Goodie releases my hand. “Now, where were we? Oh yes, where does the actual husband come into it? You avoided the fiancé but said that you’re married.”
I shift uncomfortably because I can’t reveal the truth without coming off like Manimal. My husband and I met for all of five minutes before tying the knot. Once I’m a year cancer-free, I’ll divorce the Viking stranger that Heidi hooked me up with. But I don’t tell Goodie about his excellent health insurance. It wasn’t the best choice, but jobless, homeless, and essentially on the run, I had no way to pay for treatment. After many late-night, tear-filled talks, Heidi came up with a solution. Instead, I weave a tale about a rebound.
“He was Heidi’s brother’s best friend’s brother. How is that for convoluted?” I laugh it off like it’s just another nutty nugget from my madcap life. The whole thing is probably illegal, but without a residence, job, or insurance, I was out of choices. After escaping Todd, I was lucky not to be on the street.
I didn’t get my hopes up, not expecting the Viking to go for it, but Heidi said he had a soft spot for helping people—especially if it had anything to do with his brother.
I continue my gently massaged story. “A week later, we met at the courthouse, and by the looks of him—massive frame, muscles the size of watermelons, long blond hair, and a big beard—it appeared as if he’d rowed ashore from Lake Superior to raid and pillage a village.”
Goodie’s complexion turns the faintest rose as if she likes the picture I painted. “I once had a Norseman of my own. Our love story could fill a book.” She sighs.
“I’m all ears,” I say, repeating her comment from earlier.
“I may write it one day, but it’s bound to bring me to tears and I don’t cry in public.”
Can’t say the same for myself. I cry easily, supposedly like my mother did.
“So, where is this Viking now? Does the end of your story have a happily ever after, a happy for now, or a not happy yet?”
Thankfully, she gave me an easy way out because I’m not sure how to answer the question without revealing a major hole in the plot.
I met my husband for all of five minutes before tying the knot. Without a word, we signed the paperwork and I was able to use his insurance. Someday, I’ll figure out a way to repay his generosity, but at the moment, I have to focus on my new job and getting back on my feet.
“That last one. I have this job that I couldn’t pass up. But good friends and great listeners help fill in the gaps.” I give Goodie a warm smile.
“Heidi sounds like a keeper. It’s important to have good friends. especially when you get to be my age and can’t figure out how to turn this dreaded thing on.” Still clutching her cell phone, Goodie angles it at me.
“I can help.” With a click and a swipe, it lights up and jingles.
“You’re an angel.”
I’m definitely not, but I am starting to think Goodie is. For a minute, when Manimal plunked himself between us, I was having my doubts about this flight.
“I was supposed to text my brother-in-law when the plane took off, but I couldn’t manage to operate this thing. Did youmention Blancbourg? He’s the butler there. Arthur Fitzwilliam. My sister is Britta. Do you know them?”
I explain that I haven’t yet been there. “I secured the job at Blancbourg late last summer, but when everything exploded with Todd, I contacted the headmistress and explained that I had to postpone my employment if possible.” My qualifications impressed Cateline, and she was very understanding of the situation.
