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“Indeed, it is!” I took the bait. “For the true sin is lying, and a wife who’s been lied to is better off alone.”
Mrs. Sherman chuckled.
Karen Sherman, I found out. No joke.
She told me to call her Kay.
It is the next Sunday now. A whole week has passed, but no epiphany for how to save Odai has hit me yet. Every time he is out of my sight, once he’s back again, I have to ask whether he has hurt anyone. He hasn’t—so far.
I’ve been trying to only make small, simple wishes, but Odai warned me that even with that, he’ll eventually become more aggressive. Spending more time with him in the bedroom doesn’t sound so bad at first—and certainly didn’t feel bad all week—but the thought of him getting rougher, demanding, scary… I don’t want to see that.
It’s unfair. It is so unfair because everything else in my life is amazing. The tour is doing so good. Several of the previously closed tunnels are open again, giving us more options and variations for the tours. And thanks to Odai, even the oldest tunnels—like the church’s, since they agreed to open theirs too, if you can believe it—were discovered in remarkably good condition and passed every safety inspection.
Business is booming, and it all feels so easy, things we should have thought of ourselves for marketing and partnerships, but it took the right mind with the right skills—and a little magic—to get us here. To get us to the point that after tonight’s final tour, Mr. Bevilaqua calls me over to the gift shop checkout counter and pulls out that business card from Grounded Development.
“You sure showed me. You and Odai both,” he says, tearing the business card in two.
“You’re not selling?” I practically leap on him to give him a hug.
“Hey now.” Mr. B chuckles and pats my back. “I’m not saying it’ll never happen. This is all still new. But with the way things have been going lately, I sure won’t be selling any time soon. Although…” He pats my back again before pulling away. “It may be getting time for this old man to retire. Which means for this place to keep going like it is, it’s still going to need a new owner, even if it doesn’t become a fast-food chain. Up for discussing that some time, kiddo?”
“Yes!” I don’t even pause to think. It’s what I’ve always wanted, what I’d hoped for since I first found escape in Mattie. “Absolutely yes. We can talk about that whenever you’re ready. Not that I want you retiring too soon!”
“I was hoping to stick around long enough for you to finish those grad school classes,” he chides me. “An MBA in finance would definitely help with running a business. Though you practically run this place already, handling all the books.”
“I promise I will finish my degree.” And use it for what I actually want to do in life. Mom and Dad will understand. I’m going to have a lot to tell them the next time I call, which I’ve been avoiding the past few weeks, because I’d hoped to mention my new boyfriend, but only after I knew for sure if I could keep him.
Keeping Madame Mattie’s, even if not for sure forever, is awesome, but I don’t know if I could stand it if Odai ends up chained beneath my feet again, forever out of reach.
I need to stop thinking about that, but it’s hard when he comes into the gift shop after having seen out the last of the customers and locking up. Before I can go to him, Cas comes in from the other direction, finished with the trash sweep.
“Mr. B finally told you the good news, huh?”
Of course she knew. “I hope it means you’re not going anywhere either yet. Even if moving forward, you know, when it’s the right time, can be a good thing.”
Cas very pointedly rolls her eyes, but then grabs my arm and drags me away from Odai and Mr. B overhearing. “About that. From last week. That.”
I fully understand what she means, because it is exactly what I was implying. Cas didn’t bring it up all week—again—and I didn’t push. I’d hoped she’d been in deep thought about moving things to the next level with SJ and not just ignoring it.
I’m still expecting a headlock and a noogie.
“You… maybe wanna come with me this week sometime to help pick out a ring?”
“Really?” I say loud enough that Cas hushes me.
“Yes, really,” she hisses. “Even though it gives me heart palpitations just thinking about it, I know you’re right. It isn’t only what you said either. It’s also seeing you and Odai together.” Her slight nod toward him makes me look too.
Odai is trying his very best to not look at us while chatting with Mr. B, but I can tell he’s still watching us in his periphery.
“I realized I was being a hypocrite,” Cas continues. “After all, before you met Odai, I was the one telling you to not assume the worst before taking a chance on someone. And I was doing the same thing, not wanting things to move forward in case they ever came to a halt. I guess it's easier being a hypocrite than taking chances for yourself.
“But I’ve made SJ wait long enough. There is no one else I want to come home to. Ever. Might as well make that official, right?”
I hug her, as tight as I can. “Right.”
Cas hugging me back as tight as she can makes me choke and cough a little, but at least when she finishes with a semi-headlock, it doesn’t end with a noogie.
Even if my love life is in turmoil, it feels good to have helped someone else’s.
