Breathe (GirlxGirl)

Chapter 10 - Closing Time

Dana stacked the glasses behind the bar, then began to stock the liquor bottles on the shelf making sure the labels faced out. 

"Busy night...I'm glad it's almost over...my feet are killing me." Faith sighed.

Dana turned toward the bar where Faith flopped to rest her feet. She pulled out a folded stack of bills and began to count.

"Busy, yes, but lucrative as well." Dana smiled at Faith.

"I have never seen someone find the positive in things like you do Dana." Faith replied. "And I have not seen anyone earn the tips you do either. You really take good care of the customers and the business here. Hiring you has been one of the best decisions I've made in a while."

Just then, Faith's phone chimed. She tapped open her phone and sighed.

"Speaking of decisions..."
Faith said looking at who was texting her at nearly 2 am.

"You know, a person can correct a bad decision...they don't need to continue to suffer from making a bad one." Dana spoke while watching Faith type out a text.

Faith looked up at Dana and smiled with her piercing blue eyes and said, "Thank you master Yoda."

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do Faith. It's just...I have seen how she treats you." Dana replied.

"Like?" Faith inquired.

"It's not really my place ..."

"Well... I asked... so... now spill."

Dana ran her fingers through her hair, tossed the bar cloth aside and leaned against the bar where Faith was still sitting.

"Michelle is... well... abrasive and rude and ummm ... well ... down right spoiled.  She acts entitled to some things that others would consider a kind gesture or privilege.  She is controlling and possessive and treats you like she owns you rather than appreciate you for who you are and the nice things you do for her." Dana spouted.
Dana paused and looked up at Faith to see her face looking like a deer in headlights, with the exception of her gaping mouth dropped open. She then snapped from her shocked state and let out a small laugh.

"Well, ok then.  I guess I asked for that didn't I?" Faith said as she placed her phone into her pocket. 

"She hasn't always been like this.  You see, Michelle was there for me at a very low place in my life.  Shortly after I opened Cahoots, my mom passed away from fighting breast cancer for nearly four years.  She was my rock.  She gave me the courage to follow my dream of owning a place like this. It was so hard to watch her body succumb to that torture.  If the cancer wasn't bad enough to suffer from, the treatments were almost worse.  They poisoned her in hopes that she would survive and the cancer would die.  Each year, it seemed that she lost a piece of her soul and more of her hope. I felt like she was stolen from me."

Faith took in a deep breath. Grief crept into her heart. Her eyes welled to the edge. A single tear escaped down her cheek.  She swept her hand across her face, sat up and regained composure.

"Needless to say ... I was a wreck.  I had all this..." Faith gestured to the liquor behind the bar "...at my disposal and I used it to numb myself until it began to control me.  Not a day past when I wasn't under the influence.  I was slowly poisoning myself too.  I didn't care enough to stop, nor did I think I could.  I had fallen victim to it's lure. I began losing customers and myself.  I nearly lost everything, including Cahoots."

Dana gently placed her hands on Faith's now trembling hands.  Faith took in a deep breath, regained her focus back to Michelle and continued.

"Michelle was a regular here.  She knew my mom from when she helped me open.  I really thought she was out of my league.  She came from money ... like old money.  Her family helped fund the start of your University.  They had class, pull and power.  Luckily, they were also good people. They used their money to do good.  Still, I came from humble and hard-working and She came from there.  She emanated class and style.  Her smile would capture the most irritated person and turn them on their heels.  She didn't act special, but I knew to not even think of approaching her romantically.  I saw her in here with other women... So, I knew She was gay.  But, like I said, she seemed beyond my reach, ya know?  But, God she took my breath away.  I would watch her from the bar. I didn't think she had even noticed me ... but I guess she did."

Faith took in another deep breath. "Anyway, I guess She saw how I was destroying myself.  One night I was wasted ... so bad that I could barely stand on my own.  She took me to her home and I guess despite my drunken advances, she took care of me.  She held my hair as I knelt on her bathroom floor purging all I had consumed.  She washed my face and gave me a shower.  She put me in clean clothes.  When I began to sober up, she talked to me all night and into the next morning.  She helped me see that I needed to leave a positive legacy in remembrance of my mom and not one that would destroy me or her memory. 

She helped me get into treatment.  At this time, I had lost my insurance and had no money.  I was deep in debt.  So, when I was discharged from treatment nine weeks later a recovering alcoholic, I spoke with their financial people. I wanted to start making payments as I could, right?  It was then I learned that Michelle had already paid for everything ... I mean everything!  She was there for me.  I would have lost the club and maybe even my life.  She saved me and I owe her."

"That doesn't sound like the Michelle I know. What happened?"  Dana inquired.

"Well we ended up dating then became exclusive. We treated each other like precious jewels.  I don't know Dana, I think after I recovered and remained sober ... maybe she thought I seemed to no longer 'need her'.  She began to become jealous.  She became more demanding and less loving and nurturing.  She needed to know where I was and who I was with.  When we argue, she reminds me that she was the one who was there for me.  Now, she seems to be needy and controlling.  What she doesn't realize, is that she is pushing me away.  She is mean and rude to anyone that she thinks is threatening to her and..."

Dana interrupted and said, "Oh ...So... pretty much...everyone!"

Faith took a deep breath and sighed, "Yeah, pretty much everyone I work with, everyone I talk to, everyone I look at longer than 10 seconds."

"Faith, it doesn't seem like a healthy thing.  I mean, she saved you...OK.  But, now it sounds like you need to save yourself from her."  Dana spoke softly.

"I have discussed taking a break and she implied that it would destroy her or that she would... you know... do something to hurt herself.  Dana, I couldn't live with myself if that happened." Faith responded sadly.

Dana put her hand on Faith's shoulder. "Have you thought that maybe she is counting on that?"

"I have ... But, what if she does?  What if she really IS serious?"  Faith spoke in a hopeless tone that exuding worry and sadness.

Dana had never seen this side of Faith before.  At the club she was so confident and sure of herself.  Dana was taken back by the vulnerability Faith had shown.  She wanted to help her.  She wanted to tell her that she deserved better and that maybe Michelle was unstable.  Would Michelle really hurt herself?  If she was willing to do that, would she hurt Faith?  She wasn't sure what to say.  Thank God Faith spoke before the silence became too uncomfortable.

"Dana, I ... ummm ... I haven't talked about this with anyone.  You are the only one who knows.  I'm not really sure why I even told you ... but ... can we ...will you ... I guess I'm asking if you will keep ..."

"Your secret is safe with me boss." Dana reassured Faith.

Faith let out a chuckle, "Boss?  I think we're officially into the friendship zone now Dana.  Call me Faith, OK?"

"OK, Faith." Dana replied and wrapped her in a hug.