“What do you think we should get first?”
The two women had been walking toward the main street in strained silence up until that point, and Vivian had finally spoken up.
“Food, water and supplies that you would find in a first aid kit would be the first things to get,” Leigh answered.
“Do you really think that bandages are going to help us against bullets?” Viv asked sarcastically.
“I don’t know – were you planning on getting shot?” Leigh countered.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
Leigh stopped and turned to face Vivian. A salty breeze off the water blew through her hair and she tucked a strand of it behind her ear and said coolly, “If I had wanted you dead, I would’ve shot you …” she hesitated for a moment “…a long time ago. I don’t plan on shooting you now - unless you plan on giving me a reason to change my mind?”
Vivian stared back, not cowed by Leigh’s implied threat, but suddenly aware that she didn’t have a weapon on her. She would have to rectify that. And soon. “No,” she answered.
“Then let’s keep moving. We’re on the clock now and Ramos is going to be expecting us.”
They walked again, picking up the pace, passing cute shops that catered to the tourists that invaded this marine hamlet every year, silly knick knacks that no one ever needed, but always felt compelled to buy. One store had clothes and sandals and Leigh stopped in front of one for a moment.
“Now what?” Vivian asked trying unsuccessfully to keep the annoyance out of her voice.
Leigh looked down at her ‘40’s style peep-toe Miu Miu heels with an amused expression. “I need sneakers. I can’t go running around in 3 inch heels and not expect to trip up.”
“You couldn’t think of that before?”
“I’m thinking about it now,” she said as the tinkle of the store bell rang as she pushed open the door. Vivian, irritated, lit her cigarette and waited outside.
A few minutes later Leigh emerged in her new sneaks.
“You’re wearing Vans with your $2,000 suit?” Vivian smirked.
“Comfort over style.”
“They have skulls on them.” Viv noted, a cloud passing over her expression.
“What can I say? Given what we’re about to face I’m in a macabre mood.”
“Seth has a thing about skulls.”
Ok, here it comes - the shit storm is on its way, Leigh thought as she steeled herself for what was next.
“But you knew that, didn’t you? What else did you learn about my husband while you were screwing him?” Vivian asked with heat in her voice.
Leigh raised an eyebrow as she met Vivian’s eyes. “As I recall, he wasn’t your ‘husband’ by the time he found his way into my bed. In fact, you were very much divorced by that time.”
“You shouldn’t have gone near him, Leigh.” Vivian’s anger lit up her eyes.
“Why? Cause we’re such good friends?” she said sarcastically. “It was just one of those things, Vivian,” she said as she sighed. “It wasn’t love, it was … comfort. A fling. We were both rebounding. It started with one night of drinking, me with my whiskey, and Seth watering down the whiskey with that pisswater lite beer that he likes because he can’t handle whiskey on its own.”
“The man never could hold his liquor,” Vivian murmured in agreement.
Leigh continued, “We just talked about the ‘good ole days’ and about you. And about Aaron. Aaron no longer trusted me and had left; and you had gotten greedy and decided to take the money and run – without Seth. And then, on top of that, you were stupid enough to get caught and get your ass sent to prison.”
“I was innocent!” Vivian seethed.
“I know.” Leigh responded quietly.
Vivian paused. This was not the response she was expecting. Anger, taunting, sarcasm? Sure. But an acknowledgement of her innocence? Not from anyone. Especially not from Leigh.
Vivian looked at Leigh with her face turned sideways in skepticism. “What do you mean you ‘know’?” she asked warily.
“I used to work for Ramos. In another life. He knew that you were stealing from him and he ordered a hit on you…”
“Why didn’t you kill me?” Vivian asked abruptly.
Now it was Leigh’s turn to be surprised. “You knew?” she asked, incredulous.
“I always had a feeling, but wasn't totally sure until a few minutes ago when you told me that you could've killed me before. It all makes sense now. We weren’t what you would call ‘friends’ and yet you began teaching me how to shoot…”
“That poor, poor car…” Leigh said ruefully, but she couldn’t help but grin as she said it.
Vivian ignored her dig, “…and you became insistent that I learn how to handle a gun. It was…suspicious. You never said anything to me about Ramos, but I had my suspicions. And now I know.” Leigh nodded, taking in this revelation. “So, why didn’t you do it?” Vivian repeated.
“I thought you were pregnant. Turns out I was wrong. Turns out to be the only time you were probably innocent of anything too. I was wrong and you were innocent. Heh. There’s a first time for everything, I s’pose. After that, I thought that Sam was the one that had planted the drugs on you, but that turned out to be Ramos. Again. Then he set up Aaron….” Leigh stopped as she remembered. “That son of a bitch has ruined so many lives.” Leigh said bitterly.
“Yeah, well, payback is going to be a bitch.” Vivian stated.
“Two actually.”
It was a poor joke, but it was enough. Leigh and Vivian looked at each other and started to laugh – not because it was really funny, but because it was cathartic. The tension of the last 36 hours needed to vent and for a few seconds it did. When they regained their composure, Leigh spoke.
“He still loves you, y’know.”
Vivian said nothing, but bit her bottom lip and looked back towards the boat where the crew waited for them.
“And I love my brother. You and I may not like each other, but that’s irrelevant. This is business. I’d like to make it out not only alive, but with the money and in order to do that, we are going to have to trust each other – at least for the duration of this job.”
“You’re right. Let’s just get through this job as if it were any other. The sooner its over, the better.”
“Sure.”
The two turned and headed to the small grocery store on the next block.
“Oh, and Leigh?”
“Yeah?”
“If you ever so much as kiss Seth again, I’ll kill you.”
Leigh smirked. “No worries,” she said as they entered the store.
