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The two shared a mischievous smirk. “We might be old, love, but we aren’t blind.”
Ann hissed as she pricked her finger. She waved her hand back and forth before staring at dollop of blood. Patrice, without a second glance, handed her a tissue as if the two were in unison.
“He’s a fine young man to look at it. It’s a shame how burnt he got from the last one. It’s been what? A decade since her?” Ann asked Patrice.
Patrice sighed. “Maybe even longer. He was a lot younger.”
“Everyone’s younger to us,” Ann squabbled.
“I’m sorry who?” I interrupted, suddenly interested by who this “last one” was.
After placing a plaster on her finger, Ann pushed my back. “Taller dear, don’t slouch.”
I did as I was told.
“It was the talk of the town for years,” Patrice began.
“Damn right it was,” Ann crooned in reply.
“Katia moved into the town and it was probably within six months that the two were living together,” Patrice continued.
“Youngsters falling in love quickly.” Ann sighed.
The two bounced from one another conversationally, retelling the story.
“Two years into their relationship, she took him for everything he was worth. Everything had been signed over into her name including the home and three businesses the family owned including the café.”
My jaw dropped and Ann nodded with eyebrows raised.
“Mmmhmmm.” She clicked her fingers. “Just like that, she vanished and no one heard or saw from her again.”
My heart dropped.
“Took the family another year to buy her out and get everything back. As the oldest they’d given Eric everything. But just as quickly, that one woman was able to deceive and take all of it,” Patrice said glumly shaking her head.
“A con woman,” Ann added as she lowered to her knees, establishing a new length for the dress. “Shook him up real bad. After everything was settled, he fled to Chicago and started his own business.”
“I think he must’ve felt guilty or didn’t want to hinder the family,” Patrice pitied.
“And from what Audrey’s said, he hasn’t brought another woman home since.”
“Maybe he’s gay,” Patrice whispered.
Ann waved her off.
“Umm who’s Audrey?” A twist of emotions bundled in the pit of my stomach. Eric went through all of that? I immediately pitied him. I’d gone through my flings and waves of men who’d only used me for sex—even when they promised sweet words and futures. The ones that hurt me the most were the two who’d never told me about their wives or true intentions. But I’d never been conned out of all my belongings.
“Oh, sorry dear, Audrey is Eric’s mother. Lovely woman, very sad what happened to her in the accident though. Makes it hard for her to leave the house much in this weather.”
My heart dropped again. “The accident?”
Patrice gave Ann an uncertain look. “Perhaps we’ve said too much.”
“We can’t very well stop now,” Ann reprimanded. I looked through the mirror at the rich red reflection of the princess-cut dress.
“She was in a car accident six years ago and has been in a wheelchair ever since.”
My heart physically ached. Had Eric been dealing with this all on his own?
