The Breakup Job (Continued)
The Breakup Job (Continued)
10th Chapter of the series: Read the rest by clicking here: Henry Goodman Inc.
A mist of wet heat hissed from rocks that filled the wooden room where Emma sat in a towel with a few Olympic teammates. Sweat trickled out every pore in their bodies as they conversed about the latest developments in their lives.
“How are things going with Charlie?” one of the girls, Raven, asked.
“I have no idea. He’s completely fallen off the face of the earth. I’m thinking about calling the local police department for a wellness call.”
“You should!” Responded another one with grave concern. “Isn’t that how they found the owner of Tesla?”
“Wait, Elon Musk is not dead,” Emma said but almost unsure if she missed something big.
“You mean Nikola Tesla? That was like a hundred years ago, Abby.”
“Oh, right. Sorry.” Abby curled into a ball and twirled her pigtails.
“Maybe it’s for the best. Charlie seems like the kind of guy who can just ghost someone when he’s moved on,” Raven rolled her eyes.
“You’re not wrong. It just sucks not having closure, you know? It makes me feel a little worthless that he can discard me like that.”
“It says more about him than you, honey,” added the only man allowed in the lady’s sauna.
“Thanks, Trey,” Emma smiled. “I’m more worried about my best friend, though. He is really going through a lot, and I’ve been kinda absent. My feelings have just been all over the place and I feel like I sought after Charlie to run away from him a little. Does that make sense or am I just a horrible friend?”
“But, if he is such a good friend, why would you want to run away from him?” Abby asked sheepishly, but the other girls nodded in mutual curiosity.
“Well…it’s complicated,” Emma laughed nervously and adjusted her hair behind the ear. “I’ve never really put it in words before. He’s always been there for me since we were like babies, even when I was really mean to him. Henry always had this way of making me feel better by like giving me a hug, or just listening, or making me laugh. He always seemed to know what I needed right when I needed it.” She tightened her towel around her breast because she moves her hands like a conductor when she talks. “He’s the first person I turned to when my parents separated, my first breakup, and my grandmother dying.”
“So, what’s the problem? This guy sounds perfect.”
“This is going to sound really weird, but I’ve always seen him like my little brother, you know? Sexless.” They all let out a groan of sympathetic disappointment. “But then I saw him with his girlfriend,” and the room perked up again, “which made me feel some type of way that I never felt before.”
“Like what type of way?”
“Like jealous or possessive. I don’t know, but I haven’t been able to shake it when I’m around him; and now they broke up. I feel like it’s my fault.”
“Girl, hold up!” Raven put a hand up. “We got so much to unpack right now.” She poured another scoop of water over the rocks and the room hissed with more steam. “How does ‘Little Brother’ feel about you?”
“Please don’t call him that. He’s not really my brother, but probably the same way I do.”
“WRONG!” Trey sounded like a buzzer. “No straight guy treats a girl like that unless he’s in love with her or trying to get in her pants…or both.”
“Have you two ever kissed?” Abby asked excitedly.
“No! We are completely platonic, just friends! We’ve never done anything like that.”
“Would you though, if he tried?” asked Raven as they all leaned in closer.
Emma looked up at the ceiling, hesitating between the lie in her mind and the truth in her heart. “I…I don’t know.”
“Oh girl, this is serious! You gotta tell him how you feel. He’s probably got his life on pause for you.”
“I can’t do that! His life is complicated enough right now as is and I’m probably making things worse by treating him like a band aid every time I get hurt,” she felt the gravity of this revelation. Emma was using Henry up like a hanky without ever asking for anything in return. “I’ve been incredibly selfish.” Tears welled up in her eyes. All of the girls huddled up around her for a short group hug because they were all stinky and sweaty.
“What are you going to do?” Abby asked.
“Apologize for being such a bad friend,” she blew her nose in her towel. “Ew. Um, after that I don’t really know.”
“How do you think he’s going to feel about you going on tour for a few months?”
“Crap! I haven’t told him about that! Oh my god, he’s going to hate me,” she sobbed into her hands. None of them have seen her this vulnerable before.
“He sounds like a wonderful guy. I’m sure he will understand as long as you tell him, like today,” Abby rubbed her back.
“We’re meeting for coffee tonight,” she sniffled. “I’ll tell him then.”
…
After showering away the tears in the gym locker room, Emma dressed in her street clothes and noticed a missed call from Henry. She tried calling back, but the gym was like a trap for cellular signal, so the call failed. Maya had also called her and left a text message reading:
Maya: My place is always open if you are done living with boys 🤮
The emoji made her laugh. Not sure how to respond, Emma left it there and put her phone away. There were no calls or texts from Charlie, the bastard.
There were a lot of things that needed getting done before their coffee date tonight. The uniform needed to be dropped off at the dry cleaners. Her running shoes were wearing out and in need of replacement. There is always thrifting that can be done for a nice outfit or used book. The cabs took her around the busy town as the voice of Stevie Nicks sang into her earphones. Scanning through the rack of an antique store, the song Gypsy was interrupted by a phone call from Henry’s mom of all people.
“Hey Debbie, we were just talking about you today. How are you?”
“Getting older but staying classy, doll. How’s your mother?”
“Oh, you know her. She’s always up to something,” they weren’t on good terms.
“That’s great, honey. Is Henry with you?”
“No, we’re supposed to meet for coffee tonight though. Is everything okay?”
“He was just here and then took off. He didn’t look well. Check on him for me honey and give me a call when you see him. I’m worried about him. He looks thin and pale.”
Some things never change, Emma chuckled to herself. “I will let you know as soon as I see him.”
“You really shouldn’t drink coffee at night. It’ll give you reflux.”
“Thank you, Debbie. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You’re so sweet Emmy. And make sure he’s not on that orange soda. He drinks it when he’s depressed, you know. You’re an angel. Tell your mother to give me a call to catch up. Muah!”
“I will! Muah!” Emma suddenly became aware of how loud she was talking in the middle of the antique store to match Debbie’s voice. Everyone was looking at her as if she were a transient who wandered in.
Emma: Weird. Your mom just called me! Everything okay?
Henry: …
It looked like he was going to type something and then it went away. She put the phone in her pocket to keep browsing. A minute later a notification pinged on her watch.
Henry: We’ve got a lot to talk about. Can you meet me at Dark Bean in an hour?
Emma: I’ll be there
…
The cab dropped her off in front of Dark Bean a little over ten minutes late, but that was mostly her fault for trying on a few outfits she was unsure about. Emma tried to live off of the philosophy of love it or leave it. That means don’t buy something unless you absolutely love it. She walked away from the antique store with a new dress, pajamas, some cut off shorts, and a few John Grisham novels. They were in her oversized purse hanging on a long strap across her shoulder. Henry was sitting at a table looking down at the table with his hands gripping the sides of his head. He looked distressed.
When Emma walked in, Henry quickly got up and hugged her tightly. He rested his head on her shoulder like a little boy who needed to be held to unburden the weight of the world for a moment. She squeezed him back before sitting down.
“I got you a flat white,” he gestured to the second cup.
“Is it terrible like always?” she asked, raising it to her lips.
“I think they only intentionally ruin my drinks.”
She made a disgusted face after drinking and said, “No, I think they are just awful at making coffee. Why do you always come here?”
“Because at least these people are being real about their anger at the world. You feel it in the way they talk to you and make your beverage. Not like other places with their manufactured smiles and artificially flavored sweeteners.”
“So,” Emma changed the subject. “You saw your mom today?”
Henry took a long drink of his latte and let it all out. He explained everything from Vinny to the phone call about the car and getting pulled over by the feds. Then, his mother showed up at a party revealing a close friendship with Mr. Gilbert. However, he didn’t mention anything about Luisa in the white dress.
“Apparently, he was at my Bar Mitzvah and winked at me when he said he could’ve been my father. MY FATHER! Why would he say that unless he knew something? He introduced me to his lawyer who is now my lawyer. Maybe my family is connected to the mob and I had no idea. They’ve just been lying to me my whole life.”
“Okay, slow down, Splinter.” Emma took him gently by the arms. “Take a few deep breaths and try to relax. I think he is just trying to get in your head.”
“I mean what are the chances that my mom shows up the day you tell me to call her. I think they’ve bugged our apartment. That’s how they know so much.”
“Hey, it’s going to be okay. We are going to figure this out. Let’s talk to Leslie about this and get some advice. He knows our families, we can do some research, and figure this out. Freaking out is not going to help you right now. That’s exactly what he wants.”
“You’re right. Leslie got connections in the Navy and even the Pentagon. I’m sure he can help. I just felt so sure that I was going to break free from his hold and now I feel like his claws are even deeper than I realized. I feel hopeless. He’s got the police, the law, and my mother.”
Emma caresses his arm, thinking this is the worst time to bring up the tour but it can’t wait. The sooner he knows the better. She will try to soften the blow. “Henry, I’m sorry about showing up at your door unannounced and broken. I feel like I’ve only complicated your life since I walked in. I never should’ve asked you to risk yourself to get my stuff from Charlie’s house. If it weren’t for me encouraging you to take on these odd jobs, none of this would be happening.”
“Don’t say that, Emm. My heart nearly leaped out of my chest when I saw you at my door. I was a cynical loser at a miserable job who had just been dumped when you came along. Now I am a business owner making more money than I ever could at that job and I’m standing up to the baddest man in town. I’m just a little overwhelmed by it all, but I couldn’t be happier because we get to do this.”
“What’s this?”
“Just be together, you and me. The thing I look forward to most in my day is hearing about yours. I love that you push me to reach my potential because you’re the only person who sees what I could be, not just the person I am. You talk me off the ledge so we can strategize another way around it rather than avoiding it completely. The happiest times of my life have always been when we are together, childhood, college, and now.”
“Is ‘this’ always going to be enough, though?” she asked, holding back the lump forming in her throat. Emma was touched by his declaration but further confused about her place in it. She realized they were using each other. He was her band aid and she was his ladder, propelling him to higher levels.
“What do you mean?” Henry didn’t understand what she meant.
“Will it ever be more than this? What happens to this when another Kim comes along or Charlie?”
“Charlie!” Dread came over him like a fever. He still hasn’t told her. “Em, I’ve been meaning to tell you about that.”
“What about Charlie?” She sounded irritated.
“I’ve been trying to tell for a few days now, but things kept coming up. I was trying to wait for the right moment. I should’ve told you sooner.”
“Tell me what, Henry!” her eyes were full with hot tears and her teeth were gritted behind her closed lips.
“Charlie asked me to tell you it’s over. He didn’t have the balls to do it himself, so I told him never to bug you again. I’m sorry the guy is an asshole.”
“You’ve known this for how long?”
“Several days back when people were hiring me for the breakup jobs.”
“Wait! He paid you to break up with me, like I’m just one of your silly little jobs?” The rage was building in her like steam in an engine.
“No! I didn’t accept the money. I just wanted him out of your life!”
“Why? so you can have me all to yourself to be your stepping stool? It’s my life, Henry and you had no right to keep this from me for so long!”
“I tried to tell you!” Now Henry stood.
“You tried extracting honey from bees and lord knows how many other dangerous things before you were man enough to try telling me. You wait until now when you’re down in the dumps because you think I’ll feel bad for you! Well now I’m pissed off! How can you just blow me off like a piece of trash?”
“Em, I’m sorry! That’s not what…”
“I’M WORTH MORE THAN THAT HENRY, AND IF YOU CAN’T SEE THAT THEN I’M MOVING OUT!”
“What?” Henry sat down like a wounded puppy.
“I’m moving in with Maya before going on tour with the team across the country.”
“For how long?”
“Months. Maya will come pick up my stuff from the apartment. Goodbye Henry.” Emma threw her bag around her shoulder and stormed out of the Dark Bean followed by a trail of tears. She took the first cab to Maya’s apartment.
Emma: I’m taking you up on the offer. Can I crash at your place tonight?
Maya: Yay! 😀 I’m so excited!
Henry sat there dumbfounded for ten minutes before the barista approached the table and said, “Hey we close in a few minutes. You gotta go.”
