"You look like shit."
Vera didn't have to look up to know that it was Romy who had just walked over to her, but she did. She turned her head up, surprised by how bright the sun was shining on such a cold winter morning. She hadn't slept at all, that might account for the headache, and she was absolutely sure that should looked just as bad as she said.
Romy looked perfect, as always, even down to the last strand of hair on her head. Her clothes were impeccable, her make up flawless and now she sat lazily on the chair she habitually occupied while on the terrace. Vera studied her for several seconds, wondering what she was thinking as she stared out onto the snow covered lawn.
"You look perfect." Vera said, wondering how she did it. How did Romy manage to look so undisturbed despite everything that happened?
"You didn't sleep." Romy said, deliberately ignoring the compliment. She usually did, had heard enough compliments her entire life and was never much impressed by them. She didn't know how to accept them very gracefully either, always deflecting or brushing them off. Today was no different, today was just like ever other day to her.
"You did." Vera said, almost accusingly. Romy sighed.
"Of course, I did." Romy said without flinching. "I usually sleep very well."
"Usually..." Vera said with a nod, still staring at Romy in almost disbelief. "But yesterday was anything by usual.
"Certainly true." Romy murmured, seemingly undisturbed.
Vera continued to watch Romy. How could she be so... so... calm?
"It's okay if you're upset, you know." Vera said after a few moments.
"Thank you." Romy replied, still as calm as ever.
Vera stared on in disbelief. She'd spent half the night, pacing back and forth around her room, trying to process everything that happened, trying to understand how things had gotten so upside down. Eventually, she'd found a moment to sob uncontrollably and after about fifteen minutes, she'd washed her face and taken to the task of cleaning her room. She tried to go to sleep a few times, but she couldn't. She tossed and turned and felt sorry for herself. Then, when she was done with that, she'd sat up for hours, picking at her hair and feeling guilty. Guilty because she hadn't thought of Romy even once, guilty because a few doors down her sister was probably replaying the images of a man's death over and over.
Now she sat in front of Romy, who was just as quiet and tranquil as she always was.
"You had a rough day yesterday." Romy said after Vera hadn't spoken for several minutes.
"I did." Vera conceded quietly.
"So what happened?" Romy asked.
"Tom and I broke up." Vera said simply.
"Well..." Romy said, suddenly sitting up. "Wow."
"Wow? You seem surprised." Vera said. Now she looked forward and it was Romy who studied her closely.
"You seemed pretty convinced before. I mean... the both of you seemed smitten at Christmas." Romy muttered, more to herself than to Vera.
"Well, it turns out you were right." Vera said, surprising Romy yet again, this time with the bitterness in her voice. That was certainly new. She couldn't recall ever hearing Vera this way. There was something oddly unsettling about it, the way she sat so stoic, despite the tremor and deep timbre of her words. Vera's voice had always been the bright voice of reason... this was entirely new.
"What did he do?" Romy asked, trying to fathom what he had said.
"Everything you were afraid he would." Vera said. Romy had an unfamiliar urge to reach out and grab Vera but instead she practiced the self control she had long since perfected and nodded.
"Did you give him any money?" Romy asked.
"Nothing I can't afford." Vera said. Romy could kill him. She could, she really could. She was sure she could find someone who could take care of him but instead she tried to reason with herself. That was definitely not a solution. Now she looked at Vera, feeling the sort of pity and pain she rarely ever felt.
"You're better off." Romy said simply, turning away.
Vera looked back at her.
"Was that it?" Vera asked, raising her brow.
"Was that what?" Romy replied.
"That's the best you could do? Those were your words of comfort?" Vera asked. Romy looked at her, noting how she seemed to tremble. She was distressed, it was only natural.
"I know this is tough, dear, but I..." Romy began, trying to put the words together but Vera snapped.
"You told me so?" Vera asked. Romy was quiet. That was the last thing she would have said but she couldn't find the words to put together. "God damn it, Romy. You're a robot. I don't know how you do it. Look at you... LOOK AT YOU. You just watched Paul die yesterday and you look like it was just another fucking day."
Romy stiffened at the mention of Paul's name but her face didn't change. Instead she stood, meeting Vera's gaze for a moment, despite the difference in their height.
"Vera, I know you must be going through a lot right now so I'll let it slip this one time. NEVER mention that man to me again." Romy said, taking a step forward and putting her face very close to Vera's. Her lips were set in a tight line now, almost as if she was struggling to control herself. This was the first time Vera had ever seen her like this. "It's cold. I'm going inside."
Vera watched as Romy turned on her heel and disappeared into the house, looking as cool and calm as ever. Nothing seemed to phase her, not even watching that poor man die. That was one of the things she'd always admired about Romy but now she felt as if only repulsed her. It was a beautiful morning, Vera thought as she looked about. Unfair of the weather not to fit the mood, unfair of the world to keep spinning unchanged. Now what? Just go on like nothing... Vera couldn't do that. She wasn't Romy.
Then she realized just how much she'd lost, and all for what? Some worthless sheets of paper that gave her the LLC for the business that was already in shambles? Her signature as a cosigner on a house that was three steps away from being foreclosed?
No. This wasn't the way this would end. It couldn't. With that thought, Vera moved quickly, calling the one person she knew who could help her begin to set things straight.
---
Tom left.
Just like that.
Edwin had read the text over and over again, not understanding what the words really meant. It was a simple couple of sentences. Three apologies. He was sorry but he had to leave. He was sorry but he would be back. He was sorry because he could not explain. How absurd. Edwin knew he'd been in trouble but they'd fixed it, at least Vera had and Tom had taken off without so much as a goodbye?
"Oh good, you're here." Vera said, noting how Edwin sat on the bottom step of the staircase, phone in hand and eyes glued to his screen. In the days that passed, Vera had worked tirelessly, going through paperwork, calling in favors, doing everything she had to do to make sure things were in order.
"I still think it's too soon. He might be back." Edwin said, standing. His only conversation with Vera had been very unpleasant but after what she'd been through, he couldn't blame her. Could it really be that Tom had fooled them both?
"He's not coming back..." Vera replied, rolling her eyes as if it had been a dumb question. "and even if he was, we don't have time to wait for him. The bank is going to be breathing down our necks if we miss a single payment."
"I've never had a house repossessed before." Edwin said, standing and kicking around a piece of balled up paper. He had also been one of the unfortunate ones to sign... Vera felt quite sorry for him.
"We can take your name off the papers." Vera said, after a few more moments, reaching into a folder she had tucked inside a large bag that hung at her side. "I'll call the bank and take care of it."
"I know your last name carries a lot of power around here, and maybe they'll even give you the credit but there's one problem..." Edwin said, taking his copy of the papers.
"Tom is still on the loan." Vera said with a frown, "and don't count on him to show up and fix this mess."
Edwin watched her carefully. Everything about her had changed, everything. He hadn't met her many times but before he remembered liking her, thought she was sensible and sweet and so incredibly transparent. Today, well today he wasn't sure who she was anymore.
"So we can try fixing it up a bit, renting it out." Edwin said, thinking of the only other possible solution. "Unless you're okay with our credit going to shit."
Vera snorted, twice, as if it was the most ridiculous thing anyone could suggest.
"Neither." She said, walking over to the steps and taking a seat. All the furniture had been removed or sold a couple of weeks before an so they would have to make due on those steps. Lucky for them both, they were ample and built to suit a house this grand.
"Neither?" He asked, crooking a brow.
"We'll renovate... fully." She said with a nod, "But we won't rent out."
"Then what?" He asked, trying to follow her thoughts as she handed him another folder. "You know this thing is worthless?"
It was the business papers, along with the LLC she'd purchased from Tom.
"I know but it won't be when I'm done with it." Vera said, making Edwin frown.
"You're going to keep the business? Why? Do you even know anything about architecture?" He asked, extremely confused.
"Nope, which is why I need your help." She said, "I need you to help me hire a couple of architects... an engineer... a full staff."
He watched her as she went through the papers in front of her and then handed her a bank statement.
"Where did this come from?" He asked, eyes wide.
"This is something I was quoted from the bank... it's what they're willing to loan you and I as business partners." She said. Edwin shook his head.
"You want to invest more money in this mess?" He said and Vera sighed.
"I've already lost three quarters of a million, I'm not planning to lose more. I need you onboard with this, Edwin. I can't do it alone." She said, turning and staring at him directly. "Listen, we are going to pull this business out of the gutter Tom created. It's going to take a long time, maybe a year before we start seeing any return, and I'm not going to lie. This house in itself is going to cost us an arm and a leg to pay off."
Edwin looked around. He knew she was right about that much.
"I'm not the kind to lose." Vera continued, "this business plan is solid but I need someone who understands the rest of it. I need you."
He didn't reply, only continued to stare down at papers in front of him.
"I already checked, the business itself wasn't making any money but save for a few thousand in taxes, it doesn't owe any either. All of the debt is in this house." She said, "and I don't know about you, but I'd rather invest and hope for profit than to continue to throw money into a house that at the end of the day, we can't sell. Even if I wanted to pay off the house, we're stuck with it because it belongs to Tom."
"Vera, this is a huge risk." Edwin said.
"We're going to have to pay for this house either way, we might as well put it to use." She said.
"Okay, but we're not using the same LLC." Edwin replied.
"Okay, fine." Vera said, extending her hand to him. He stared down at it for several moments, cursing Tom for the mess they'd left them in.
"Deal." He replied and Vera sighed. "You know, we could open another business. It doesn't have to be an archictecture firm."
"Yes, it does." Vera said, gritting her teeth. Ah, there it was. This was personal. Well, at least Edwin knew the business well enough and Vera, she was a great lawyer and apparently, a very competent business woman.
"Fine." He said, looking back down at the papers.
"There's one more thing..."
----------------------------------------------
Hi Everyone! So I know that the story has been a little slow up until now and that's because the real action doesn't start until the second part. I really just felt that you needed to see both sides of it. That being said... yes, there is a time leap. It's not that much.
thank you!