Secret Games Read online

  “Well, that doesn’t sound like such a hard job.” Cara looked at me hopefully.

  “I have to report back to her every other day on pieces I recommend. And list all the reasons why I think they will be a good investment. Like how the hell am I supposed to know?”

  “How did you get this job again?”

  “I told her I studied Art History.” I made a guilty face and I could feel my face growing red. “And I mean I did take some history classes and I took that one painting class.”

  “Oh my God, Sadie.” Cara burst out laughing and she just shook her head. “You don’t know the first thing about art.”

  “That’s not true. I know a little bit.” I wrinkled my nose. “And by a little bit, I mean I can identify the Mona Lisa, like ninety-nine percent of the planet.”

  “Oh, Sadie,” Cara spoke to me as if I were one of her sons. Completely exasperated, but with love. “You know lying never gets you anywhere.”

  “Well, I didn’t really lie and it did get me somewhere. It got me this job.” I grabbed the glass and gulped down what seemed like half of the glass of wine. “And that allows me to pay you rent.”

  “Girl, I don’t want you to work a job that you hate just to give me money.” Cara’s face was serious. “Quit and look for something you really want with a nice boss.”

  “Girl, I love you, but you have three sons and Christmas is coming up.” I shook my head. “There’s no way, I’m going to be a deadbeat on you right now.”

  “You’re not a deadbeat.”

  “Shh.” I put my hand up. “We’re not going to have this conversation. I’m still looking for new jobs, but for now, I’ll play the art aficionado.”

  “Oh, Sadie.” Cara put her glass down. “I’m so irresponsible. I should not be drinking right now.”

  “Sweetie, you need the wine to deal with those brats.” I laughed as I looked around the kitchen. It looked a lot messier than normal and as I paid closer attention to Cara, her appearance seemed to be more frazzled. “Hey, is everything okay?”

  “It’s fine.” She nodded and then sighed. “Well kinda. You know I love my job.”

  “I know and heaven knows why.” I made a face. “Accounting was never my thing.”

  “Well, they have me working nights.” She sighed. “We’re auditing a couple of hotels in this chain that is being considered for purchase by some billionaire hotshot and well nights are the only time we can get access to all the files and not be in the way.”

  “That sucks.”

  “Yes, it does.” She rubbed her eyes. “I’m barely keeping up and I just don’t know what to do with the boys.”

  “I’ll babysit anytime, you know that, right?”

  “I know, between you and Dad, I’m so blessed. I just feel bad.” She looked away from me and it looked to me like she was blinking furiously; as if she was about to cry.

  “Something else is going on. Do you want to talk about it?” I asked her as I walked closer to her. “Cara?”

  “I just didn’t think this would be my life.” She gave me a small smile. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my life, but I just didn’t think this was where I would be.”

  “I know, girl.” I nodded my understanding. “I didn’t think this was where I’d be either.”

  “Go on that date with that guy,” she urged me suddenly. “Maybe it will be fun.”

  “Really?” I shook my head. “What is going to be fun about a date with some crusty guy my grandma set me up with?”

  “Maybe you’ll at least end up with an orgasm for your troubles.” Cara winked at me and I groaned.

  “You’re joking, right?” I laughed incredulously. “You think I should have a one-night stand? With a guy I’ve never even seen or met before.”

  “What can it hurt?” She grinned widely. “I mean if he has no teeth or is butt-fuck ugly, then no. However, if you think he’s hot, just go for it.”

  “Won’t that ruin my chances at having a relationship with him?”

  “Do you want a relationship with him?”

  “No,” I said adamantly. “I’m in no place to have any sort of relationship right now. Well, if Mr. Right came along, maybe, but I’m almost sure this guy is not Mr. Right.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “I think Grandma Louise said his name is Dante.”

  “Dante.” Sadie nodded excitedly. “Yes, that’s the perfect name for a hot stallion.”

  “Hot stallion?”

  “Yeah, someone to go wild and crazy with.”

  “What’s wild and crazy, Mom?” Dylan’s voice interrupted our conversation and I could feel my face growing red.

  “Something you should never be,” Cara said smoothly without skipping a beat as she winked at me. “Now go and get your brothers and clean up. Dinner is nearly ready.”

  “Yes, Mom,” Dylan said and went running. “Brandon, Brody, dinner is ready. Mom said to get washed up and come now or no brownies.”

  “Brownies?” I asked Cara with a tilt of my head as she just shook hers.

  “That’s his way of trying to guilt me into making them brownies.” She rolled her eyes. “Not about to happen, buddy.”

  “Oh, ha-ha. Kids.” I giggled.

  “Just wait until you have them.” Cara took a deep breath. “You’ll see, they are a handful.”

  “Trust me, I already know.” I laughed as I grabbed the wine bottle and poured myself another glass. Dylan, Brandon, and Brody may not have been my biological kids, but sometimes they really seemed like they were.

  * * *

  “Sadie, Sadie is that you?” Grandma Louise’s voice was almost shouting into the phone and I frowned as I listened to the loud sounds of pumping music blaring in the background.

  “Yes, Grandma,” I said patiently, knowing she knew exactly who it was. “Where are you?”

  “Is that why you called me, Sadie Johnson? To ask where I am?”

  “No, Grandma.” I rolled my eyes, knowing she was most probably at a casino with some of her friends. “I’m just jealous that you seem to have more of a life than me.” Which was one hundred percent the truth.

  “Well, I am trying to help you get a life,” Grandma Louise said and then she gasped. “Darn it, I needed one more cherry.” Yup, Grandma Louise was playing the slots. Penny slots if I wasn’t mistaken.

  “Well, I’m calling to say that I’ll accept that date with Dante on Saturday night.”

  “I thought you would. He’s a very good-looking young man,” she said approvingly.

  “Well, I’ve never seen him, so hopefully he really is good-looking.”

  “Trust me, Sadie, and if Addie is being honest, then he’s quite well-off as well.”

  “What do you mean if she’s being honest? I thought she was your best friend?”

  “Now, now, Sadie. Don’t start going all Columbo on me.” She paused. “Though that Peter Falk was quite a looker. You’d be so lucky to get a man like him with your attitude. You girls these days . . .”

  “I’m going to go now, Grandma Louise,” I said trying to keep my patience. “Just let me know the plan for Saturday and I’ll be there.” Normally I would have just told her to give him my number so that he and I could set it up, but with all the stress I was feeling related to my lack of funds, sucky new job, and love life, I just didn’t want to deal with it. Let them sort it out and I would show up. Maybe it wouldn’t be absolutely horrible. Just maybe.

  Chapter 2

  “Five pounds, really?” I exclaimed to myself as I got off the scale and tried to erase the flashing numbers from my mind. “How the heck did I gain five pounds in one week?” I looked at my reflection in the mirror to see how evident it was that I was now gaining weight instead of losing it. My 5”8 height made it so that I could carry a few extra pounds without looking like I’d swallowed an elephant, but I could still tell that my stomach and thighs looked a little too juicy for my liking. I stared at my face and ran my hands down my long brown hair and wondered if
I should cut it to a short bob. No, I thought to myself, not with my chubby cheeks. My brown eyes stared back at me, looking slightly tired and I remembered that I had a new cucumber facemark that I was going to try to see if they removed the dark circles. All in all, I didn’t look horrible; in fact, I was quite pretty. I just wasn’t as skinny as I wanted to be. “Ugh, I just can’t believe it.” I said as I got on the scale again to double check the scale had given me the correct weight. “Five more pounds. How? How?” I cried out dramatically, feeling sorry for myself.

  “Cupcakes.” I heard a giggle from outside the bathroom door and I frowned. I quickly walked to the door and flung it open. There sitting outside my bathroom door, playing with a toy truck was Dylan.

  “What are you doing, Dylan?” I frowned as I stared at his chocolate stained face. Though I knew he had a point. I had been eating far too many delicious cupcakes as of late. I put it down to stress; even though I knew stress eating was the worst for my body.

  “Playing.” He held up his small red truck as if to say duh.

  “Why are you playing up here?” I questioned him, not that I really minded. Dylan was like family to me. It was just sometimes I liked my privacy. Especially at times when I was in the bathroom weighing myself.

  “’Cause.” He shrugged his little shoulders and jumped up. “So you got any more cupcakes?”

  “No, I don’t.” I shook my head at him and tried to give him my sternest face. He really was the most incorrigible little boy.

  “’Cause if you give them to me that will help you with the extra pounds.” He grinned at me and I glared at him; even though I knew it was not really the right thing to glare at little boys, but I knew that Cara wouldn’t judge me for it. She glared at him like no one’s business.

  “Dylan, it is very rude to go around talking about a woman’s weight,” I chided him. “This is a lesson you should learn from a young age.” I felt proud of myself for introducing him to a life lesson instead of getting mad at him like I wanted to. “You don’t talk to women about their weight. You don’t ask them how much they weigh or try and guess how much they weigh and you sure don’t tell them why you think they gained weight.” I paused then and considered something. “Unless, of course, you are a personal trainer or a doctor. Then you can because it will be a part of your job,” I concluded, feeling even more proud of myself. Perhaps, I should become a teacher. I seemed to have a knack for talking to kids. Maybe I was the kid whisperer or something?

  “But you asked how you gained five pounds,” he protested and he just looked at me like I was an idiot. Maybe I wasn’t the kid whisperer after all. I stared back and him and he started giggling and I could have sworn that he was staring directly at my stomach. Little bugger.

  “I didn’t ask you.” I made a face. “I was in the bathroom and . . .”

  “I’m thirsty.” He interrupted me. “I want milk.”

  “That’s not how you politely ask for milk.” I shook my head at him. I was going to have to talk to Cara about making sure her kids had manners and respected my privacy. This was getting ridiculous. “Maybe go back downstairs and ask your mom?”

  “Mom sent me up. She asked if you could babysit us tonight because she has to go into work.” He ran his truck across the floor. “Vrooom . . . vroooom.”

  “Tonight?” I groaned. “I can’t tonight. I have a date. She knows that.” I had finally told Grandma Louise that I would meet her best friend’s grandson and now I needed to look after the brats? What was Cara thinking? Had she forgotten?

  “That’s okay,” Dylan said as he held up his truck. “I’ll tell Mom that her boss will have to fire her after all because you can’t take care of us ’cause of your date.”

  “Dylan . . .” I stared at the little boy shrewdly. Was he really trying to pull a guilt trip on me? Was it even possible for someone that young to be so manipulative? He was only six after all. I thought back to an old movie I’d watched on TV called The Good Son and wondered if perhaps, Dylan could be a little psychopath, but then I just shook my head and rolled my eyes. Even I knew I was being overly dramatic at that thought.

  “Yes, Auntie Sadie?” he said in his most innocent voice, his big blue eyes shining at me as if he were a precious angel. I wasn’t deceived though. I’d known Dylan since before he was born and he was no angel. He was no psychopath, but he was no angel either.

  “Nothing.” I shook my head and sighed. “Let’s go downstairs and let me speak to your mom and see what I can do about tonight.”

  “Okay.” He jumped up and grinned. “Can we get pizza, please? Ham, pineapple, mushrooms, pepperoni, and extra cheese.”

  “Pizza?” I looked at his little face and shook my head at him. “There are no words, Dylan, absolutely no words.”

  “No words for what?” he asked innocently and then put his small hand in mine. “Do you know what I love most about you, Auntie . . .”

  “Nope.” I put my hand up. “You’re not going to guilt trip me into getting you pizza.” And then, because I couldn’t help myself, I gave him a quick hug. “You’re going to break a lot of hearts when you’re older, Dylan,” I said with a quick laugh as he grinned at me and then he pulled away from me and went running down the stairs.

  “Mom, Mom, Auntie Sadie said she can look after us and we can get pizza tonight.” He went screaming in excitement and all I could do was roll my eyes as I followed him down to the lower level of the house trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

  * * *

  “Sadie, I know you have your date tonight.” Cara’s face looked despondent as we sat in her living room and chatted. The boys were playing in their bedrooms for once and I watched as she played with her fingers nervously. “And I wouldn’t ask, but Dad is out of town and I can’t find a babysitter that’s available.”

  “I know you didn’t plan this.” I sighed. “I’m just supposed to meet Dante in a couple of hours.” I ran my hands through my long, dark brown hair. “I don’t even have his number to call and cancel on him.” I bit down on my lower lip. “And Grandma Louise would kill me if I stood him up.”

  “You’re meeting him at the coffee shop, right?” Cara asked me thoughtfully.

  “Uh huh.” I nodded. “Grandma Louise wanted us to meet at some steak house, but I told her no way. I’ll meet him for a coffee and if I like him, I’ll casually suggest we can continue on for dinner.” I made a face. “No way, I’m getting stuck on a three-hour dud date with some loser just for a free steak.”

  “You’re going to the Peets? Next to Ice Cone King?” she asked me and I could see something was ticking in her brain.

  “Yeah?” I nodded.

  “So what if . . .” She made a face. “And I know this is not the ideal situation. But what if you took the boys. They could sit in Ice Cone King, they have seats at the front and you could sit outside the Peets. They have those nice Adirondack chairs now.”

  “Oh, they do?” I asked slowly, processing what she had just said. Could I really go on a date with three kids? Granted the kids wouldn’t be on the date with me, but they would be right there watching.

  “I know it wouldn’t be ideal.” Cara bit down on her lower lip and I could tell she looked stressed. “I hate to ask this of you, Sadie, and I wouldn’t go in if I thought I could get away with it.” Her voice sounded upset and I reached out to squeeze her hands.

  “Hey, it’s not a problem.” I gave her a wide smile and pretended that it sounded like a great idea. “It’s only a first date as well, so we won’t even be out long. I’ll be able to keep an eye on them. Don’t worry about it.” I didn’t want her to feel stressed. Cara was an amazingly positive and upbeat person, but I knew that it wasn’t easy being a single mother of three at twenty-eight. And her kid’s dad wasn’t in the picture at all. He was such a deadbeat. It made me mad just to think about how he’d just left and didn’t even see his kids. “It’ll be fine.”

  “Are you sure?” Cara’s face still looked concerned. “I real
ly don’t want to ruin your first date in ages.”

  “It’ll be fine,” I said to her. “Trust me. I’m sure it will be fine.”

  * * *

  “What are you going to do with the drunken sailor? What are you going to do with the drunken sailor? What are you going to do with the drunken sailor? Early in the morning.” Dylan was singing loudly in the backseat, accompanied by Brody and Brandon.

  “Pull down his pants and suffocate the ants now. Pull down his pants and suffocate the ants now. Pull down his pants and suffocate the ants now. Early in the morning.” Brody was really getting into it as he wiggled around in the back seat. I peered in the rearview mirror of the car and sighed to myself. The kids were already super hyped-up and I didn’t think that they needed a sugar rush from the ice cream to come. It was going to be a long night.

  “Come on, Auntie Sadie.” Dylan tapped on my shoulder as he began another round of singing and I couldn’t stop myself from joining them.

  “Pull down his pants and suffocate the ants now, pull down his pants and suffocate the ants now. Pull down his pants and suffocate the ants now early in the morning,” I sang and then stopped as I noticed Dylan pretending to be drinking from a beer bottle and I started to feel guilty. “Hey kids, let’s sing something else. I don’t know if this is an appropriate song for you guys to be singing.”

  “Why not, Auntie Sadie? You’re the one that taught us the song,” Dylan said, ever the voice of reason. I swear he should join the FBI when he’s older with all his questions.

  “Well, I know I taught you the song.” I paused for a few seconds, but I don’t know that it’s appropriate for you guys to be singing it. And pretending to be drinking beer.” I looked at them and then just shook my head. “But I guess your mom already knows that I’ve taught it to you. So it’s fine.” They just grinned at me and I sighed wondering what sort of example I was to them. “Oh, shit,” I said, as I realized that I’d passed my stop on the highway. “Hold on, guys,” I said as I sped up to take the next exit and turn around. “Man. I’m going to be late,” I muttered as I looked at the time on my dashboard. I pulled up to the next exit. And then turned around so that I could pull off at the right exit. I made it to the parking lot within five minutes and breathed a sigh of release as I realized we were still early. I parked and jumped out of the car and then opened the backdoors to let the boys out. As we walked to the ice cream shop, I was happy to see that it was a nice day outside, and even though it was a Saturday evening it wasn’t that busy. If it had been raining or too crowded, it would have been a hot mess.