Fear Thy Neighbor (45)
“You’re going to call the paper, aren’t you?” Valentina asked.
Ali turned to look at her, accidentally jerking the car onto the shoulder, then veering a hard left to get the Jeep back onto the main road. “How did you know?”
“It’s what any woman would do. You want to make the call, or should I?”
“You . . . no, never mind. I’ll call myself.” Ali trusted Valentina, but still, she needed to hear with her own ears that this guy was who he said he was. “I’ll make the call when I’m not driving.” Still new to cell phones, she wasn’t comfortable driving and using a phone—and besides, she thought there was a law against it.
“Smart move,” Valentina told her. “Lots of accidents around here. Some folks can’t put their phone down when they’re driving. Renée gets her learner’s permit this fall. I dread when she’s able to drive on her own.”
Ali nodded. “Now that would drive me insane. I guess it’s a good thing I don’t have children yet.”
She parked beneath a Florida elm large enough to cover a portion of the Jeep. Any shade one could get in Florida to keep their vehicle from turning into a furnace was a bonus, as there weren’t too many shade trees in this part of town that she’d seen.
“You want me to go inside with you?” Valentina asked before she opened her door.
Ali laughed. “Of course I do. You’ve spent enough time waiting for me today. Besides, it’s way too hot to sit in the car. I won’t be long.”
Once inside the store, Ali selected a cheap lamp and a package of light bulbs, along with three bath towels and washcloths. A bar of soap, and a new yellow toothbrush, just because it matched the cottage. She bought every type of cleaning product she would need, as well as a broom with an attached dustpan and a sponge mop.
“Paper towels?” Valentina said, picking up a large package. “These will go fast.”
“Get two,” Ali said. As crazy as the past few days were, she was truly having a blast buying all this stuff. Even though it was cheap, and she’d have to replace some of it, she couldn’t remember when she’d been this happy. Never in a million years did she think she’d go shopping with a girlfriend for cleaning supplies. Maybe Valentina would go with her when she was ready to furnish the house. It was obvious she had good taste. Her place looked like something out of a magazine.
“Looks like you’ve covered the basics. I’ve got old rags and other cleaning supplies if you need them,” Valentina offered.
“Thanks. This is a good a start.” Expecting to find Tammy, Ali felt slightly let down when she saw another young girl working at the register. After she paid for her items, it took two shopping carts to get everything to the Jeep. Once she’d secured the bags, she and Valentina headed back to the island.
“That was fun. I never had a starter home, nothing I’ve ever truly earned. My mom and dad had so much money, plus life insurance, I feel like I missed this part of becoming an adult,” Valentina said.
Ali chuckled. “This was fun, but it wasn’t easy getting to the point where I could actually purchase a home.” She wanted to tell her more, but it was too soon. When she got to know her better, maybe she would open up a bit, explain just how hard her life had been. It might make Valentina more appreciative of what her parents did for her. It was also sad. Losing a parent at such a young age must’ve been a nightmare. Ali had never experienced parents that actually loved and cared for their child, but she had no regrets. “Maybe you can tell me about them sometime. That is, if you want to.”
“They were awesome parents. I only have good memories of them. They were older when they had me, and of course I was the apple of their eye, the child they’d tried to conceive for close to twenty years. Plus, with this gift of mine, I could do no wrong according to them, and that was pretty accurate. I was a people pleaser. They kept me very sheltered, and we traveled all over the world during the summer months. Dad would stay behind sometimes. His business would get in the way, but Mom and I always managed to have a blast when we were alone. Shopping in Paris, going to all the designer shops. By the time I was twelve, I had a Chanel bag, a Versace dress, and once attended fashion week in New York.” She paused. “This sounds like I was a spoiled little brat, doesn’t it?” She laughed.
“It sounds like a fairy tale to me. Tell me more.”
“Dad was a dentist. He owned a chain of dental clinics—boring, but it was very lucrative for our family. And I’ve never had a cavity.”
Ali looked at her, grinning. “You and Renée have beautiful smiles.”
“Thanks. Being the daughter of a dentist makes one a bit obsessive about caring for your teeth. Silly, huh?”
“No, not at all, it’s an important part of your health. Want to hear something funny?” Ali asked, knowing Valentina would find it hard to believe given her father’s profession. “I’ve never been to a dentist.”
They approached the bridge, which was opening for a large boat, so they had to sit for a few minutes to wait.
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“Nope, I’m serious. Never was a priority growing up in foster care. Lucky for me, I have strong teeth.”
“My father would get a kick out of that. Then he’d send you straight to one of his offices, where you’d get the works. I can set an appointment up for you. I still own all of the clinics.”