nothing,” I interrupt. “I’m fine. I just get anxiety attacks sometimes and I just got too nervous about all this paperwork – and what it all stands for, I guess.” I take a big sip of the water which is nice and cold going down my throat. “I’m fine really, feeling better already.” I can’t quite pull off a smile, but my breathing is steadier.
Sal pulls out a chair, sits down next to me and looks up at Goth Girl. “It’s okay, I got it from here.”
Sal looked me over. “Okay Gracie what happened, I understand anxiety. That shit can be awful. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, honest.” I’m struggling not to let my frustration show. Since the divorce thing started, my self-confidence has decreased as the anxiety increased. “No big deal. I just got overwhelmed.” I wave my hand over the stack of neatly-typed paperwork. “I probably should read all this, but will I understand it all? It just freaked me out. I’ll be fine.”
“Alright,” he says in a husky whisper, “you’ve got a good point. You have a lot to lose if you make a major mistake, but let’s take a look.” He points to the papers.
He pulls them in front of him and reads through the first few pages, then shrugs and looks at me.“ This isn’t really for you to understand,” he says. “In law, they use a hundred pages to say what could be said in one or two. This is a motion to the court that makes your application for divorce all official. Now the lawyers can duke it out. You aren’t signing away any rights or anything.”
I look at him and drink in his smile. His dark brown gaze bores into my soul.
“ Princess,” he whispers, “take a deep breath. It’ll be fine”.
I smile. He’s made me feel better. I give him a chuckle and take a big gulp of the water. He holds the paperwork aside at each tab and I sign away. Each signature is more sure than the one before it. One last deep breath, and I finish the last few pages. I tidy the sheaf of paper and push back my chair.
We leave the conference room and I put the papers on Goth Girl’s desk. She gives me a relieved smile.
“I guess I’ll see you soon,” she says, handing me a folder with my copy of the motion.
Sal comes up behind me and takes the folder, offering me the rest of the spring water. “I’ll trade you –I’ll take the paperwork, you drink more water. You okay to go?”
“Sure,” I say, “I want out of here.”
Outside, a warm salty-aired breeze blows through us. Sal points at the parking lot were he stashed the Viper. We make a beeline for it and jump in. Having no roof has good points when you want to behave like a teenager, I guess .
“Princess you need to go anywhere else? Or do you just want to go home?” he asks with a grin.
“I’m good! I thought you had some stuff to do, too.”
He gives me a closed lip smile and a wink as he starts the car. “Nah, I just wanted to take the beast out. Pop starts it now and again but it needs to be driven. I thought well, two birds one stone have some fun. So you like the car or what?”
“Yeah, it sure is a fun ride, but I couldn’t use this for everyday.”
“Oh, I don’t know, but I got the bike, too. And this, I figured it would be enough to serve my purposes.” He reaches over and tugs on my seat belt to make sure it’s tight.
“I’m used to my Jeep—it’s big and roomy. I can fit stuff like an eighty-five pound German Shepherd in it and it has a roof…” I say with a laugh.
“Hey!” he says with an exaggerated frown. “I have a roof, I just didn’t put it on today.”
We laugh as we drive off. Before we get home Tony calls Sal on his cell with a request for a loaf of Chibatta bread. We hit the little grocery store on the island.
“Maybe some food will make you feel better,” Sal says as we’re getting back into the car, this time using the doors.
“I am hungry, but I’m all right. Thanks, by the way. You helped me out of a major panic attack back