Lizzie looked down at herself. Her t-shirt was plastered to her body, brown water dripping onto the pavement. Her shorts clung to her thighs. Her sneakers squelched when she moved. Just like yesterday.
She sneered but knew there was nothing she could do about it now. She walked on toward the hotel. Each step made a wet sound. Water sloshed in her shoes. She must look insane. She felt it.
By the time she reached the Carlson, every part of her hurt. Her feet were itchy from the water. Her head was pounding from crying and the humidity. Her chest felt hollowed out. She tried to slip in through the employee entrance in the back, hoping to at least borrow a pair of dry pants and a shirt before she walked on to Stock Island.
“Lizzie?”
Chrisla stood in the hallway with a coffee cup. Her mouth fell open.
“What happened to you?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Come here. Now.”
Chrisla grabbed her arm and pulled her into the break room, locking the door. She pushed Lizzie into a chair and disappeared. When she came back, she had towels and clothes in hand.
“Here. Get dry. Then you’re telling me everything.”
Lizzie took the towel and pressed it against her face. And then it all came out. Last night with Sarah. How incredible it had been. How Sarah had looked at her like she was the only person in the world. Waking up this morning. The money. The ice that had returned to Sarah’s demeanor.
“She called it a mistake.” Lizzie’s voice broke. “She said it was just sex. A moment of weakness.”
Chrisla reached out to place hand on Lizzie’s but then sat back. “Wait…Sarah Barnes is gay? Our boss?”
“Oh,” Lizzie said, realizing she’d broken her promise. “Yeah. She is. Don’t tell anyone though. It’s a secret and I think I just broke her confidence.”
To her surprise, Chrisla broke into a smile. “I knew it. I always suspected it. It’s the way she sometimes looks at certain women. Come to think of it, women who look like you. I always wondered about that. There were rumors that Billy was gay and she was his bard, but I did think at times maybe it was the other way around.”
“Billy didn’t want to get remarried after his wife died but people kept trying to set him up. Also, I suppose having a pretty young wife on your arm helped him too,” Lizzie said with a shrug. “Anyway, yes, she’s gay. But…” Tears bubbled up again and this time, Chrisla hugged her tight.
“Oh honey. I’m so sorry. I don’t even know what to say about that. I…” she sniffed. “You smell like sewer. Say, how did you get all this gunk on you?”
Lizzie sat up, self-conscious now.
“I was so angry, I couldn’t take anything from her in that moment. I just wanted to clear me head. I thought if I walked, I’d get some of this rage out of my system. But halfway here Cynthia drove by and she saw me and she—” Lizzie gestured at herself. At the filthy water still dripping off her. “She did this on purpose. She aimed for the puddle. She even turned around to make sure she got me.”
Chrisla’s face went hard. “I’m reporting her to Sarah. She’ll get kicked out of the hotel, and her crew with her.”
“Don’t. Please.”
“She can’t just—”
“It’s my word against hers. And her friends were with her. They’re gonna support her version no matter what.” Lizzie wiped her face. Her hands were still shaking. “It doesn’t matter anyway.”
“It does matter.” Chrisla sat down next to her. “And what Sarah did matters too. That was really shitty.”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t know what’s going on with her. But I know she’s got walls up. Really thick ones.”
“Those walls are made of ice.” Lizzie stared at her hands. They were covered in dirt from the puddle water.
Chrisla was quiet for a moment. “Maybe she’s scared.”
“Scared of what?”
“I suppose if people found out now it would be really bad for her court case. Jonathan Barnes is trying to prove that she long conned his father and if it came out she’s gay that would be evidence of that. And Billy isn’t here to tell anyone that he knew the truth.”
