Of Course, It's You

Chapter 30

CARMEN

She couldn't believe it. How stupid could she have been? Of course, this would happen... again. She should have known. There's no reason that Hannah wouldn't go to the gala with him, he had more to offer. And of course, he couldn't allow Carmen to have Hannah to herself. He saw the glances they had shared and saw some weird sense of competition as he always had.

Any fight she had in herself had left. And the more she thought about it, the more she stopped caring. She had only known Hannah for a few weeks, she would be returning to New York in no time, and even her father wouldn't want to stay here. None of this would have worked out in the end anyway, no matter how this all played out.

But there was still an odd sensation in the pit of Carmen's stomach. Because there was a small part of her that had wanted this to work, or she at least had wanted to put more effort into it than she was used to.

All the other women she had dated, it was simple. They mostly wanted to use Carmen's connections and money to get to shows, concerts, and events. They were all more than glad to be arm candy, if it meant they got pampered and met the appropriate celebrities to somehow assist them in their career ventures.

Even though she wasn't sure why this had somehow felt different this time. She reminded herself that she was going home once the air settled in this location, and then she would oversee it from miles away. She rarely would have to return. She wouldn't have to worry about running into Hannah again once she was gone.

She grabbed her things and headed to the elevators. Once inside, she heard someone say, "no, I'm on my way. Thank you for calling. I'll be there in ten minutes." And a hand reached out to stop the door from closing.

When Carmen looked up, she saw Hannah on her cell phone looking frazzled. There was a momentary pause when the realization of who was in the elevator hit Hannah. But someone was talking to her through her phone and pulled her out of her trance.

"Oh, no, don't give her that. They said she wasn't allergic to it, but she tells me that she doesn't like the way she feels after I make her take it. She loves to have a cool cloth either on her forehead or the back of her neck. I shouldn't have brought her in today, I'm so sorry Kathy. I noticed her cheeks were a bit pink last night and she didn't sleep much. She didn't want to be alone so we both were up pretty late."

Carmen's chest tightened. Hannah was truly exhausted, and she had assumed it had been a lie earlier.

"Yes, I'm leaving now so I'll be there shortly. Thanks again for calling me, Kath." Hannah put her phone in her back pocket and resituated the strap of her bag on her shoulder. "Sorry, I didn't know you were in here or I wouldn't have bothered you."

When Carmen didn't say anything right away, Hannah turned to her. Carmen's mouth opened several times, but she didn't know what to say. There were too many things she had wanted to say.

"I'm sorry that you think I'd treat you like that." Hanna said quietly.

"What?" Carmen wasn't prepared for that, and the sincerity behind it.

The door opened and she rushed out.

"I really must get going. Lyv is sick at daycare, so I have to pick her up. I'm still willing to talk and finish my questions, but it's either you walk and talk, or you call me later, because I'm not done with this." She gestured to the space between them.

Carmen looked down at the heels she had chosen to wear that day. She wasn't sure how quickly she'd be able to walk to keep up.

Hannah got the hint and smiled. She reached out and held Carmen's hand with a gentle touch. "Call me this evening, okay? I really want to talk to you. So... don't shut me out, okay?" Hannah looked hurt, and confused, and flustered all at once. It was a lot of emotions shaping the lines of her face.