* * * * * * * * * *
"Aly?"
"Aly, are you listening to me?"
"Aly!"
"What?" Alyson snapped, coming out of her thoughts.
She looks around, remembering that she was at Joseph's commercial shoot. They were shooting the commercial at one of the restaurant locations here in California.
Dressed in his suit, Joseph was currently getting his make-up done while he was going over his lines. He was supposed to be getting advice from Alyson on how to say his lines but she wasn't listening. She was in her thoughts and had been all week.
It wasn't abnormal for her to drift off but it happening more frequently at long periods of time which worried Joseph.
Joseph gives his script to the make-up artist, "give me a minute."
Getting up, he takes Alyson's hand and leads her away, "are you okay?"
"I'm fine, it's nothing," Alyson looked away.
"Hey," Joseph held her arms, "this isn't your business partner talking, this is your, friend. Don't tell me it's not nothing when it's obviously something. I'm worried about you and -"
"I think Evan is cheating on me," Alyson blurted out with tears in her eyes.
She couldn't even try to hold her tears in because they were already spilling down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, feeling all the stares they were getting from those around them.
"It's okay," Joseph rubbed her arms, "it's alright. Just stay here, and give me a minute."
Wiping her cheeks, Alyson nodded quietly. She watched Joseph go over and talk to the director.
She didn't know what they were saying but due to the glances they were giving, she knew it was about her.
After shaking the director's hand, Joseph grabs Alyson's purse and goes back over to her.
"Alright come on," he starts leading her out.
"Wait, but what about the shoot?" she asked him.
"Postponed, for now, don't worry, we'll do it another day."
Alyson couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Did Joseph just postpone a commercial shoot on the spot?
"Wait, no, we don't have to -"
"It's okay, come on," Joseph kept leading her out.
She tried to protest but it was no use.
It wasn't long before Joseph was helping her into the passenger seat of her car. He got in the driver's seat and started it up.
"So, alcohol or ice cream?"
Alyson was so in stunned, all she could do was stare at him in disbelief.
"You're crazy," she told him.
Joseph gives a cheeky smile, shrugging, "I'll take that as a compliment."
Alyson shakes her head, sitting back in her seat, "ice cream."
"Good choice," Joseph puts the car in drive.
* * * * * * * * *
Since it was a beautiful day outside, after getting Alyson her ice cream, they decided to go to a nearby park to walk around and enjoy the sun.
Holding her purse and her heels, Joseph quietly walked beside Alyson as she ate her fudge sundae.
The ice cream on its own lifted her spirits a bit which is one of the reasons he decided not to ask about Evan. He wasn't sure if she actually wanted to talk about it and he didn't want to seem nosey. He canceled the commercial shoot to make her feel better, not be in her business about her marriage.
"You're not going to ask me why I think he's cheating?" Alyson asked him.
Joseph shook his head, "not if you don't want to talk about it, no."
"Well," she sighed, "I don't know who she is, but I know that no one loves work so much, they don't mind coming home to their wife in the middle of the night. I know that he hasn't been complaining about the sex that we don't have and haven't had in pft, I'm so embarrassed I don't even want to say it. And now that I think about it, the only reason he let me work with you, was to probably keep me occupied while he screws whoever she is. And my dumbass fell for it."
She stopped walking and turned to face Joseph with tears streaming down her face, "so, no, I don't know who she is but I know that I'm tired. Tired of trying, tired of being sad, tired of feeling alone. Tired of loathing, going back to that big house that hasn't been a home in a long time."
Alyson shakes her head at herself, "and here I am, talking to you about this because if I got to my sister, I can't bear knowing that in her own way, she's tried to warn me about Evan since the day I met him.
"Hey," Joseph wiped her tears away, "like you said, you don't even know she is, that means you don't have confirmation yet."
"Trust me, Joe, when you know, you know. It's hard to explain but I feel it in my gut. My woman intuition is telling me there is someone else. And it's not like I haven't suspected it before, I just let him make me think I was crazy."
Joseph continued to wipe Alyson's tears. He hated to see her like this. From the first time he met her, he knew that she was a good person. But after spending the last few months with her, he knew she wasn't just a good person, she was someone who deserved the world and more.
Alyson was kind, selfless, respectful, loyal and had a big heart. She didn't deserve to feel this way.
And any good man could see that.
Just as he was about to hug Alyson, her phone rang inside her purse.
"May I?" he asked permission to get it.
"Go ahead," she nodded, wiping her damp cheeks.
Joseph takes out her phone, reading the caller ID, "it's Kelly."
"Oh," she takes the phone away from him. "She's planning Evan's dinner party for me, she probably has a question."
Alyson takes the call, "Hey, Kelly, what's up? Everything going okay?"
"Oh my god, Aly, I messed up," cried a hysterical Kelly. "No ones here!"
"Messed up? Messed up how and what do you mean no one's there?"
"I've been at your for hours and no one has shown up. I put in the dates for next weekend, instead today, so there's no decorations, no catering, no -"
"Oh my god," Alyson sighs.
"I don't know what to do, Aly. I need your help," Kelly begged.
"Alright, just calm down, okay? I'm on my way." Alyson tries to give her ice cream to Joseph so she can put on her shoes but he ends up kneeling down and putting her shoes on for her.
She holds on to his shoulder, "I'm going to call some people I know, so don't worry."
"Okay, see you soon."
"Alright, bye," Alyson hangs up, looking down at Joseph who had just slipped her other heel on. "I'm sorry, I have to go."
"It's okay," he gives her, her purse.
"Wait, but we drove my car."
"It's alright, it's alright, I'll take an Uber."
"You sure?" Alyson hated to leave him.
"Yes, don't worry about me, go help Kelly."
"Okay," she hugged him tightly, "thank you so much."
"No problem," he hugged her back, smiling.
He admired how just a second ago, she was in tears but now that she knew her friend needed help, her cheeks were dry, her heels were on and she was ready to fix the problem.
"Also," Alyson pulled out of the hug, "I won't finish this," she holds out the ice cream.
Chuckling, Joseph takes it, "I'll take care of it."
"Thanks," she hugs him again. "I'll call or text you when I can."
She walks away, already searching through her contacts for her connections.
A grinning Joseph watched her, eating a spoonful of the sundae.
* * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * *
In only a few hours, Alyson was able to pull off a dinner party that no one even guessed was almost canceled. All it took was a few calls from some friends and things were put to action.
"Thank you so much," Kelly hugged Alyson tightly. "I don't even know how you did it, hell, how you do it."
"It's no big deal," Alyson rubbed her back, "I've been doing it for years."
They pull away from each other, giving friendly smiles to a passing guest.
"It is a big deal," Kelly looked around at the other guests who were enjoying themselves. "You shouldn't be so modest. I mean, how could I mess something up as simple as the dates," the blonde shook her head at herself.
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Alyson rubbed her arm, "it could happen to anyone."
A waiter approaches them with a tray of champagne, "thank you," Alyson takes one.
"No thanks," Kelly tells him.
"Well, that's surprising," chuckles Alyson, "you never decline a drink at a party."
"It's been a long day, I'm not in the mood," Kelly crossed her arms over her chest.
"Have things gotten better with you and Rick?"
"Oh, yeah," Kelly nods, "things are cool. He was actually gonna come tonight but there's some perp that he's hoping to catch."
"Oh, well that's good. I'm happy to hear that."
"Yeah," Kelly gave a small smile, "me too."
Hearing clinking, the two look to see Evan tapping his champagne glass with a butter knife on the stairs to get everyone's attention. They go over and join the guests to hear what he has to say.
"As always, I want to thank each and every one of you for coming. This night means nothing without all of you here."
Everyone including the girls, start clapping.
As everyone quiets down, Evan clears his throat.
"I would also like to take this time to thank the person who made this party possible, Kelly Willis."
You would have thought Kelly would be just as surprised as Alyson was. But the moment the attention was on her, she had a huge smile on her face. Kelly walked through the crowd, getting applause and handshakes. She climbed the stairs to stand with Evan who hugged her.
Immediately, everything clicked for Alyson.
She went back to certain moments and the puzzle just started coming together.
From how quick Evan's attitude changed when Rick was saying his speech to Kelly at her birthday party, to how close Kelly and Maggie were, how no matter what, Kelly never had anything bad to say about Evan when Alyson complained about the things going on in their marriage.
It was as clear as day and so many emotions were hitting Alyson at one time.
She was angry, she was heartbroken, confused, and in shock. It all made sense, all the signs pointed right to Kelly.
Suddenly, she felt sick.
Placing her glass of champagne down, Alyson went outside by the pool. She started pacing back and forth, that familiar confliction coming back to her.
Her women intuition said Kelly, but the side of her that didn't want to believe it was calling her crazy. She didn't know what to think or even how to go about this. She was so into her thoughts, she didn't notice how fast she was pacing.
"Aly, hey," Kelly came out of the house, noticing how distraught Alyson looked, "are you okay?"
Alyson stopped pacing and looked at her. She looked at Kelly in a way she never had before.
She walked right up to Kelly, so they were face to face.
"Are you sleeping with Evan?"
Immediately, Kelly took a step back and her eyes widened, "what? Why would you ask me that?"
"It's yes or no question, Kelly," Alyson glared.
"Well the answer is no," Kelly shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest.
Alyson scoffed, turning away. Her women institution was telling her otherwise.
"Aly, what the hell is wrong with you? Why would you think -"
"Don't," Alyson pointed at her, "don't make me out to be crazy, that's exactly what Evan does. I have every reason to believe that you're sleeping with Evan. Starting with the fact my husband just gave you props for something you actually screwed up. I also find it a little weird that Maggie, chose you to do my job. I can only guess, she's probably known for God knows how long."
"Aly -"
"Was it you or her who talked him into letting me work with Joseph? Or did you collude together?"
"These are big assumptions you are making Aly, I'd be careful if I were you."
"Why?' Alyson got in her face, "huh? Why? What's gonna happen, Kelly? Let me guess, Evan leaves me and you get my spot. I mean, let's be honest, Evan is everything you wish Rick would have been."
That one line about Rick pinched a nerve in Kelly.
"You know what?" Kelly scoffed "I don't have to listen to this."
She tries to walk away but Alyson pulls her back, "yeah you do because I don't believe you."
"Fuck you, Alyson!" Kelly pushed her back. "Don't blame me for your shitty ass marriage. You don't get to blame me for your downfalls as a wife."
Without even thinking, Alyson slaps Kelly across the face.
"I'm a lot of things, Kelly but a bad wife isn't one of them."
Before Kelly could even think about retaliating, Evan came outside, grabbing their attention.
"Hey! We need to get to the hospital."
"Why?" Alyson asked as Kelly looked away, holding her stinging cheek.
"It's Rick," Evan gulped, "he's been shot."