Just Rosalie

Michelle's Love Life

WHILE EVERYONE WATCHED a movie in the living room, Michelle headed into the kitchen and Rosalie followed her.
"Michelle," she thought of how to broach the topic, knowing that she'd be overstepping, "we should talk."
Michelle poured herself a glass of wine, and offered the bottle to Rosalie. Rosalie poured herself a glass and sighed.
"What about?" Downing half of it, Rosalie wiped her lips with the back of her hand, "if this is about me checking you out once in a while, then you're too full of yourself."
Rosalie furrowed her brows confused, making Michelle realize that it had nothing to do with that.
"Uh, what?"
"Forget I said that. What is it then?"
Rosalie brushed it off as though it was nothing and ran her index finger along the stem of the wine glass.
"I heard that you're seeing a married woman," Michelle's eyes widened. Who the fuck told her that? "Your mum-"
"Has not been minding her own business?"
Michelle snapped, feeling immediately frustrated. She rubbed her temple and sealed her lips around the rim of her glass.
"You could say that," Rosalie sighed. She hated that she'd placed herself in such a position. She should have just told Barbara that she couldn't do it, "she just wants me to give you some advice."
"What? Because you married your ex-fiancèe's wife somehow makes you an expert?" Her ex-wife. Get your facts straight, Michelle.
"Of course not," Rosalie muttered, taking a breath to get her thoughts in order, "I just want you to be careful and not get your heart broken."
"You think I'm in love?"
Rosalie shrugged and looked down at her glass. This is going to be harder than I expected.
"I don't know how intense your feelings are. But I do know that it's a complicated situation to be in."
"I don't need your advice, Rosalie. Yes, I'm having sex with a married woman. No, I'm not in love with her. And how the hell did my mother, of all people, find out?"
Rosalie's eyes widened.
"She said you told her."
Michelle grabbed the wine bottle and filled her glass. Her mother probably overheard her talking to her friend Tinesha about it. That's the only possible way that she could have known.
"As if," Michelle scoffed, "like I'd really tell my mother I'm having sex with a married woman."
Rosalie wasn't sure what else to say. Michelle seemed to have gotten herself into something that she could have easily gotten herself out of, if she wanted to.
"Why are you?"
Rosalie was afraid to ask, but was curious to know why. Why get yourself in between a marriage just for the sake of sex?
"He cheats, she cheats. It's that simple. I've been trying to break it off for months, but she just gets down on her knees and-"
Rosalie didn't want to know what the woman did to keep Michelle from walking away.
"Then break up with her in a public place."
Michelle wished it was that simple.
"She's my boss, Rosalie. I see her every day. I'm not sure what to do."
Michelle felt defeated. She wasn't sure why she'd allowed herself to start something that was impossible to stop.
"Then quit."
Michelle chuckled.
"Yeah, sure. Then I'll be jobless. I've been looking for a new job for months too. No luck."
Rosalie noticed Michelle's frustration. She wanted to do anything possible to help, but what?
"You're an assistant, right?"
"Her assistant, if you want to be exact." Damn, that's complicated.
"I'm firing my art dealer. She's been up my ass for years to be more social to boost my popularity, and honestly, Elizabeth doesn't like her," Michelle wondered what any of that had to do with her. Why was Rosalie telling her? "I still need someone to deal with business that I'm not interested in. It's not being an art dealer, more like an assistant."
Michelle nodded, realizing that Rosalie wanted to hire her.
"So miss richy rich wants to hire me?" Rosalie frowned but nodded. She knew that Michelle could more than handle the job, and the income would be good for her, "what would the job mostly entail?"
"You'll handle purchases and orders. I'm going to set up an office right here in Winter Springs, where all my pieces will be displayed in a gallery. It'll also be your job to handle my website."
"Wait, your website? I don't think I'm capable of-"
"Of course you are. I trust that you can. It's not a difficult task. I've been doing it for years, and you actually went to college, unlike me."
Michelle leaned back and thought about the offer. Should she accept the job? It would get her out of the predicament that she was in.
"And my salary?"
Rosalie placed her empty glass into the sink and smiled.
"How do you feel about one-fifty an hour?"
Michelle's eyes widened. She's so taking the job. Rosalie wiped her hands on her jeans and stretched out her left.
"Two hundred. And you're paying my rent and utilities since I'd have to move here."
"Deal."
Michelle shook Rosalie's hand with a huge smile on her face.