Edward was about to proceed to the bags, but his deficiency kept him from standing upright.
Odetta slipped in with a brown paper pouch.
He grimaced.
"What is that?" He asked even if his stomach knotted in hunger.
"Your breakfast, you see there's no glaze or sprinkles," She pointed into the pink box.
He reclined back. "Bagels, you brought me bagels for breakfast,"
She felt a cold sensation on her forehead but stayed firm. "Yes, it's healthy I suppose, for now," She said and watched him scoff.
He cursed under his breath, he had never been one to receive food from strangers but the one thing he hated to do just saved him from starving.
"Do you need your food to be examined?" Odetta dropped her purse and she picked up a bagel neatly and ate it. "This tastes so good...mmm,"
Edward looked more infuriated, he reached out to take the other. She glimmered and he noticed. Blue eyes.
"And Mister Cummings, you should...mmm...consider an overtime,"
He muffled a growl "Get outta my office,"
"Well, my work's cut out for me," She said dismissively.
That was harsh. She thought replacing the box on his desk.
Edward frowned when she left and flipped the dessert he was eating. "Doughnuts," He unwrapped it and bit in deep. "Hmm,"
...
Odetta rubbed her foot gazing at the moon by the window.
"Mooning, again?" Caroline joined her and passed a smoothie.
"Barely," She took it.
"What do you mean?"
"Do you think we're a liability?"
Caroline froze at her question and huffed "Why would you say that?"
"I mean to ourselves?... We're what draws us back from what we want?"
"Yeah,"
Odetta looked glum at her blunt answer.
"But...what do you want?" Her eyes glimmered.
Odetta sat back "I got what I dreamed of, which is not exactly the way I imagined it to be but it's not...finished," She pouted hunching. I miss Edward. She flinched at the thought.
Caroline frowned. "Yes, you're mooning, again. Odie, you've gotta be careful,"
She groaned clamping her foot hard "Ugh, you sound like Jake," She faced the view.
"Jake knows?" Caroline gasped and gripped her arm to get her attention.
Odetta looked confused for a moment "I don't know, does he?"
Caroline's mouth fell open. And she started hyperventilating.
"Carol, please calm down," Odetta looked sincere. "I'll talk to him_"
"No, that'll make things worse, you have to keep it a secret,"
"I'll...do my best," Odetta said and kept from biting her lip.
Jake knew too much about her not to notice, her cheeks bloomed at that.
***
The next day, Brooke was gently folding up her clothes in her baggage. She wouldn't miss her flight to Delhi for anything. She would make her flight to Fiji instead.
Her phone rang on her bed and she saw David Crosby's name across and brushed her hair and eyes then thought twice about why that was important. "David,"
Mei bit her lip stepping back with a pile of her laundry. Oh no.
"Oh, that's good news..."
She sighed.
"...I would love to have dinner with you, guys," She touched her forehead taking off to the vanity room.
Mei inclined to her room to listen and Brooke turned to her with beady eyes. "That would be nice, I'll notify Edward, that's great...I'll be looking forward to it,"
Her hair bounced as she nodded and beamed turning off the phone.
"Madame Brooke, I'm so sorry,"
Brooke looked stunned. "For what? I hope you didn't ruin my fabric, it's really rare in the market,"
Mei chuckled "Um, I thought I did but I checked, it's fine,"
"Splendid as always, Mei, you should take a break. I've worked you too hard,"
She seemed to be in a better mood than the usual, she wondered what Crosby said to her to make her this elevated.
"I'd like to stay," Her eyes narrowed to her usual indifferent look "Really,"
"Oh fiddlesticks, come here,"
Mei stepped back "I'd like to stay professional as usual, I have the tickets you ordered," She announced.
Brooke's eyes glimmered "If you insist, you can help me with the perfect dress. You think he'll like me in black?"
"Oh boy," She drawled.
***
"Feel your body settle like butter on a hot plate and smeared on a piece of bread,"
The chiropractor drawled while Olivia lay on a specialized bed with her back open.
She squirmed "I'm not sure how that helps but I do feel hot," Olivia said.
She said to Danica Charlie who winced and Olivia was starting to get uncomfortable when the chiropractor was taking her time then she felt her foot rise and hardened when she twisted it.
She would scream but she couldn't, the pain was gone as soon as it happened, her hand gripped the cushion and the chiropractor twisted it at another angle and reset her bone.
"Your toes are dislocated, you should stay away from heels,"
"Oh God," She muffled but could move her toes again. There was a slight difference between her deformed toes and her straight ones.
"I thought you gripping your foot was a problem,"
Odetta gripped her shoulder, she was still tender and put on her kimono.
"A trip to the spa would be welcoming,"
"Those eye bags need to go,"
She gripped her skin and groaned. "How can I ever repay you?"
Danica lifted two gold cards "Visa or MasterCard?"
She sighed and shook her head. Then she hopped down and wiggled her toes, her last toe didn't look deformed.
"You have a meeting with Calvin Schmidt on Buzz FM,"
"Great timing,"
***
Brooke wore a short jacket over her satiny dress that fell nicely on her skin and outlined her shape, the skirt reached her knees and there was a slit behind the region of her knees that enabled her to walk smoothly.
"He'll buy it, won't he Mei?"
Mei looked alarmed but compliments were part of her job description. "Yes, he will, but Madame Brooke, I would advise you to take it easy, you've only just broken up,"
"Right!?"
Then again, her English was not that good, "No, what I mean is_"
"Thank you, Mei, you always know the right thing to say," She heaved a sigh and lightened up at the Benz that pulled up at her house.
"Oh, I didn't know he would pick me up instead," She gripped her crocodile skin leather bag. "Wish me luck," She made her way to the front porch with her extensive flower garden and kissed him on the cheek.
He looked smashing in a lavender silk shirt and a flannel pullover and khakis slacks. "Well Brooke, you've managed to pull it off again,"
He raised her hand and quirked an eyebrow at her wedding ring. "Is this some kind of a reunion?"
"What do you think?" Her eyes glimmered.
He thought this was a joke "You mean you didn't hear?"
She fanned herself even though she could feel the breeze. "I've been on a detox, just calls, calls, calls,"
He softened, Brooke was still very vulnerable. "It's still early,"
"Well, we'll make it on time,"
"I'd hate to tell you this," He raked his hair.
"Is there anything dire I need to hear?" She flapped her jacket closer. "Can it wait until later?"
"Later can't wait, let's go inside, we'll have dinner here,"
She glanced at the twilight fog Peugeot that pulled up on her street.
"What is this?"
"Change of plans," He said and she poised for what was coming.
She held her breath at David Cosby coming with Yvonne.
She smiled looking glamorous and towered over David who was wearing an 80's inspired suit with the collars flailed open.
There were shades over his hair and his whole look said "kiss my ring,"
Brooke smiled but Edward saw her hands clench.
"Brooke darling, still keeping your hobbies alive, I see," He grinned hugging her.
Brooke hardened "What is this about a change of plans?"
"Sheesh, it's just a friendly dinner," His eyes tilted with a sad expression. "Anyways, you've always been a dashing hostess," He claimed and kissed her on the cheek.
He stepped back and held Yvonne's waist.
She nodded. "It's always been a pleasure to meet an icon. I'm glad we came here instead," She smiled and David looked stunned and they bickered warranting a grimace from Brooke.
Brooke smiled again. "Shall we?"