Girl's Night: Spoon Fed

By Franchot

Melissa has accepted that she has fallen in love with Warren, but she doesn’t trust him, feeling almost certain he has another woman. In a desperate move, she comes close to hiring a private detective, the obscure Mr. Alvin Bailey to help confirm her suspicions, but when the girls get wind of it, they insist on helping her uncover the truth about Warren. At the same time Warren has become unexpectedly ill which causes the girls to suspect something far worse than his fidelity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Franchot
• Release date: Mar 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463124598

Franchot

Storytelling is in my DNA. Having been a closet writer for many years, I favor short fiction and that's primarily what I write. Just published, 'The Lip' and soon to come is, 'Living Right' and my short story series, 'Girl's Night' and 'Romance Imperfect'. I love writing about contemporary life in an urban setting, about things that impact us emotionally whether it be love, family or crime. I was born and raised in Chicago which is where I live now, but have lived in New York City and Boston. Find out more about me and what inspires me to write the stories I write on my blog at: franchotinspired.com.

Book preview

1

I can tell you don’t want to be here, Kelly Anne said. Why did you come?

Rita looked down at the clean blue carpet, and then back up, avoiding the nice young woman’s light brown eyes, and then she looked around the small, but pleasantly decorated office, finally, halfway looking back up at the woman. Kelly Anne smiled.

I suppose I need help, Rita said.

Help with what? Kelly Anne said.

Help with my life.

All of a sudden?

Probably all along, Rita said.

I’d like to get a better grasp at why you came here, Kelly Anne said.

My friends, Rita said.

Specifically?

Lisa and Kevin.

Who are they exactly?

Lisa is a longtime friend, love her. We went to high school together. Kevin is her….her, I’m not really sure what he is. He was her boyfriend before. He’s a cop.

A cop?

Yes.

Must be traumatic, Kelly Anne said.

Rita nodded.

You tell me, Kelly Anne said. Why would a cop suggest you see me?

You don’t know? Rita said.

How would I know? Kelly Anne said. When you made the appointment, you didn’t say why.

Oh, I guess not, Rita said. I must be confused.

Confused about what?

Rita hesitated, sat back a bit more in the ultra plush chair, and then looked at the spotless desk in front of her. Only a computer, phone and a few glossy pamphlets were on it, and Kelly Anne sitting behind it. Kelly Anne was pretty, young for what Rita thought a shrink would be. She had freckles and short, curly brown hair. She was a light-skinned African American woman.

Maybe I should’ve been seeing you…I mean a psychiatrist, Rita said.

I’m a therapist, Kelly Anne said.

Whatever.

Why should you be seeing me?

It’s a very long story, Rita said.

I have time if you do, Kelly Anne said.

I don’t know, Rita said.

You don’t trust me?

Sorry, but I don’t, Rita said.

Is it my name?

What?

Kelly Anne.

Rita delayed, Maybe.

It’s not Conway.

Good point, Rita said.

I get it, Kelly Anne said. By the way it’s Harper.

Harper?

Yes, my last name.

Oh.

We still have an hour, Kelly Anne said. Either you want to talk or you don’t have to stay.

I want to talk, Rita said. I need to talk….,

But?

Rita sighed, This is new to me. I never had anybody to talk to….I don’t know where to start.

Kelly Anne smiled warmly at Rita and it relaxed her a bit more.

You’ve already started, Kelly Anne said.

2

Melissa woke up easily, but she hadn’t slept that well anyway. She heard Warren’s light snoring and thought she heard him mumbling before dawn. She turned her head on the pillow and looked at him. He was lying on his back with his head turned a little away from her. He looked fairly peaceful and started snoring a little louder. Oddly, beads of sweat had formed on his forehead, but it wasn’t warm or humid in Melissa’s bedroom. She also noticed that his body temperature seemed warmer than what she remembered lying next to him. Is he getting sick? She continued to watch him; he had always been handsome to her, but not in the sense of a pretty boy. Warren was a tall, broad man with big shoulders, big hands, long thick legs and large feet. He was in decent shape for 46, worked out when he could, but had a slight protruding stomach due to all the traveling for work and late night eating. He was in pharmaceutical sales.

Melissa liked his new haircut. It was shorter than she’d ever seen on him, cut military style, buzzed on the sides and a bit fuller on top. She smiled watching him, but her smile faded quickly. She still didn’t trust him. She removed the covers from her top half, rising up to see his phone on the nightstand on his side. She saw it there. It looked like it was turned off, but she wasn’t sure. He always made sure his phone was completely turned off which was suspicious enough. She had been trying to catch him, but hadn’t been able to. She was certain he was cheating, seeing another woman, but had no proof. Too many things didn’t add up. Yes, Warren was busy, traveled a lot, had clients all over the country, but Melissa had only been to his West Loop condo twice in the year they had been dating. He said he wasn’t married, when it came up in conversation once and she believed him. Melissa’s mother called him a player, believing because he traveled a lot he had women everywhere. Melissa wasn’t sure what to believe. Her suspicions had intensified lately. He had become more inconsistent, almost unreliable; canceling plans, changing dates and forgetting things that he had just talked about. Or maybe he doesn’t care anymore. But that can’t be true. When Warren looked into her eyes she saw the emotion. She saw that he cared. She was confused. Is there another woman or not? I have to know. I have to find out. Ask him. Will he tell you the truth? No he won’t. I can tell by the way he looks at me, like he’s guilty about something. I love him, but I can’t let him hurt me. I’m going to find out just like I planned to.

She rose up further to sit on the side of the bed. They had both decided to go into their offices late. Melissa worked downtown and was only a few blocks from home. Warren’s office was very close to hers. She stood up, turned around and looked at him. He was unmoved. She looked at her phone on the nightstand, on her side. It was 9:08am. She saw 5 missed calls from Alvin Bailey, the