She Wanted It All - Kathryn Casey [128]
This time, Donna called her fictional assassin Sam. “Sam’s going to do it, but we need to get the cash to him,” she said. Celeste pulled $500 out of the ATM. So far she’d paid Donna $5,500, without any results.
Back in Austin, Donna told Celeste she had to meet Sam at the Waterloo Brewery, a restaurant brew house. Once there, the two of them waited for a man who didn’t exist. When Cole showed up, he knew nothing about why they’d come. While Celeste had been watching Donna carefully, he distracted her, kissing her and nuzzling her neck. Donna got up and left for the bathroom.
“Did you see him yet?” she whispered to Donna when she returned.
“Yeah,” she said. “He’s come and gone.”
“Damn, I missed him,” she said.
“You have to be patient. He’s going to Mexico to take care of business. He’ll do it when he gets back.”
Celeste nodded.
Two days later Celeste had a limo take her to Donna’s mother’s house to pick her up for a night of clubbing. That night, they argued. Cole had a friend with him, and Celeste pushed Donna to sleep with him. When Donna threatened to leave, Celeste told her that if she did, she’d report her for driving while intoxicated.
As usual, Donna slept in Kristina’s room alone.
Still angry, early the next morning Donna packed her things. After she threw her bags in the car, she popped her head into the master bedroom. “I’m going now,” she said. “You two need to lock up the house. I’ve got my stuff. I’m not coming back.”
Outside, Donna pulled away in her Buick, and in her rearview mirror saw Celeste in her robe running toward the Cadillac. On the highway, Celeste chased Donna, blowing her horn and pulling in front of her and slamming down the brakes. Donna pulled onto the left shoulder and stopped. She walked back and found Celeste crying in her car.
“Don’t leave,” Celeste said. “Please come back.”
“No, this is over,” Donna said. “I’m leaving.”
With the car keys, Celeste stabbed at her wrist. “I’m going to kill myself if you leave!” she screamed.
“Here,” Donna said, pulling Celeste’s diamond ring off her finger and tossing it at her. “Take this and leave me alone.”
“I don’t care about the ring. I want you to come back,” she said.
Donna got in her Buick and left. Again Celeste followed, pulling beside her and trying to veer her off the road. At the next exit, Donna pulled off the highway and into a Container Store parking lot. A man walked by. “Call the police!” Donna shouted.
By then Celeste had screeched into the lot and pulled up directly behind her, preventing her from leaving. “Please come back to the house. I need you.”
“No, I’m not having anything to do with you,” Donna shouted. “Leave me be.”
They were still arguing when police arrived. One officer pulled Donna off to the side. “I used to work for this woman, and I’m quitting,” she said. “She doesn’t want me to go.”
In the end, the officers ordered Celeste to move her car. Then they called Kristina and asked her to pick up her mother.
“Please come back,” Jennifer told Donna on the phone the next day. “My mom won’t hurt you.”
Later, Donna and Celeste talked. When they hung up, Donna agreed to one more night together, to see if things would be different.
The limo arrived at Donna’s house about seven to drive them to the Dog and Duck, an Austin pub, for St. Patty’s day. Celeste had on a long, shiny green wig, and she’d brought another for Donna.
At the house, before they left, Donna handed Celeste an envelope in front of Cole and her mother, Frances. “That’s the money I owe you, the twenty-five hundred,” she said. “Count it. It’s all there.”
Frowning, Celeste took the envelope and threw it in her purse. Perhaps she decided money alone wouldn’t compensate Donna, that she wanted something else. Later, at the bar, the room swirled and Donna thought people were staring at her. Celeste leaned over and kissed her on the lips; Donna didn’t kiss her back. A short time later, Cole and Celeste left, leaving the limo behind. Donna had the driver take her home, and she woke up the next morning certain Celeste had slipped