Live Lie Love 

           Bong-bong struck the grandfather clock, marking eleven o'clock. The large hickory-wooden door in the living room let out a creeeeeeak as it was opened. The silhouette of a woman appeared through the shadows of the night mixed with the warm Parisian light from the front porch. She entered the room with a massive stack of papers in her left hand and a purse in her right. Almost automatically, she dropped the bag on the coffee table by the couch and kept going forward without tripping or walking on any furniture, subconsciously following a precise path. Halfway through her route towards the stairs, a sweet male voice was heard, "Erin, is that you?". Marvin entered the room and gestured for her to follow him. Still reading, she ignored him and continued to the staircase until she felt a touch on her shoulder guiding her to the kitchen. He stood by the stove and whisked a parmesan and grana padano cheese risotto with white truffles and champignon. "I kept dinner warm for you; I think you're going to love this new recipe!" said Marvin as he approached her with a full spoon. "I already had a steak with a client.", said Erin in a low, tired voice, muffled by the papers in front of her face. Disappointed, he continued the conversation, "Oh! That's alright. I can save it for tomorrow." Staring down, she let out an "Ahem." Without taking her eyes off the pages, she opened the fridge door to grab a bottle of Chateau Margaux,then directed herself towards the cabinets. "By the way, your sister called again today. She told you to call her back ASAP." For the very first time, she lowered the papers and looked straight into his eyes. 

          "Don't even bother answering her calls. She is THE reason why I got the caller ID!"

          "I know you guys don't get along, but she's family. You should call her back and see what's going on. She seemed very stressed over the phone."

          "Don't be so naïve! That bitch only calls when she needs money. What now? 'Uh, sis, I can't pay rent this month 'cause I'm a lazy whore who can't get a job.' Or even better, the classic, 'I don't have time to work 'cause you don't help with our mom, so I have to take care of her all by myself.' Give it a rest!" mocked Erin in an angry tone. She opened the bottle and took a long sip straight from the bottle.

          "I know she has been a little … (dry swallows) selfish in the past", said Marvin, already regretting his last words, "but maybe this time it's different."

          "A LITTLE selfish? Really? There's a reason why she's never stepped foot in this house and never will! (drinks more wine) 'maybe this time it's different,' if you care so much, just goddamn talk to her yourself!" she screamed and stormed off the kitchen before he had a chance to reply. Marvin carefully turned off the stove, grabbed a bag filled with garbage, and left the house. While walking the dark path, he let out a loud yell of anger and kicked the bin with all his rage, leaving his footprint smashed on the bright metallic surface. He stared at the trash that now lay on the city's streets, then brought his attention to the kneaded bin, seeing his reflection in the teared-down area as a tear dropped from his eye. He didn't move; he barely blinked; he just stared as time passed. Suddenly, the loud noise of the clock striking midnight took him out of his zone. He entered the house, which was now dark and walked towards the stairs. He passed the living room couch and saw his pillow lying on top of it.  Sigh! He mumbled in anger as he lay down, trying to free his mind from the recent events and fall asleep.

          A loud buzzing noise awoke Erin at six in the morning. She tapped her phone from the bed repeatedly until she hit the right spot and it stopped. She rose from the empty bed, enjoying the feeling of the white silk slipping off her body. Martin had chosen the sheets, going against her general thought of picking the first one she could find in Pottery Barn. She had given him hell for spending so much of her hard-earned money on artisanal Italian silk sheets, but now she couldn't picture sleeping on anything else. She even had a spear stored in her luggage for the hotel because not even the Four Seasons Embarcadero had sheets compared to these.

She climbed the stairs at five on the dot, stopping by the couch and staring at her husband, soundlessly sleeping. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the previous night's events. Nevertheless, he still had it coming. "He can't make his bed and expect not to lie on it," she thought. That thought wouldn't leave her mind for a long time, following her during her entire flight to San Francisco, her hotel check-in, and the hotel bar, when the first dry vodka martini wiped it out of her mind—followed by another one and one more after that. She turned to the entrance from her chair as high-heel footsteps echoed loudly in the room, slowly revealing the image of a woman by the door. She turned back and stared at the empty drink. 'God, what's in those?' she thought, shaking the glass before her. 'For a second I thought … no, it can't be', she was interrupted by a light touch on her shoulder. 

          "Erin! I thought that was you!" said the mysterious woman with fake excitement.

          "Dear Lord, Rachel. I don't return your calls and you decided to follow me here? Don't tell me that weasel of a husband sold me out."

          "No, honey. I live here now! Just came in for a drink and found my lovely sister sitting half drunk on the stool", said Rachel sarcastically.

          "Please! Who'd live in a hotel? And you, in a Four Seasons?" said Erin shortly before breaking into laughter.

          "I tried calling, but you never picked up your phone!  You see, I got this new job at the War Memorial, and they paid for my stay here. I wanted to celebrate living in the same state as my big sister, but we both know this ship has sailed, right?"

          After a pause, "Who'd you have to blow to get this gig?"

          "Unbelievable! You can't stand to see your baby sister being successful. What? Feel intimidated? And don't you dare call my job a gig! Calling my passion a hobby for my entire life was already an abuse, but this? This is just a bitchy move."

Erin stayed frozen in a surprised expression for what felt like decades. She pulled herself together and mumbled, "I'm sorry. Wow … congratulations?"

          "Yes, finally a normal reaction to when your sister has good news! Well, sort of."

          An agonizing silence grew longer as neither could find the right words to say to each other. The tension increased at every Tick-tock from the clock hung on the wall. It wasn't long until Erin couldn't stand it anymore.

          "So … did mom move here with you, or she's still in Florida?"

          "I had a bet with myself for how long it would take you to mention her. I had a hundred dollars for never, I guess I lost!"

          "What do you mean?"

          "She died, Erin! I called you hundreds of times but don't remember you picking up. I texted you nonstop, but I guess you blocked me."

          "Rachel, I know you want to punish me, but saying that mom died is crossing a line!" cried the woman with despair in her voice.

          "Crossing a line is a leaving your sister alone without a penny in her pocket, mourning the death of the most important person in her life and having to plan a funeral all by herself! … I don't know why I still try to make amends with you; I don't need this anymore. Goodbye, Erin, for good!"

She remained speechless, staring at her sister walking out of the bar. "Hey, you! Another one, and keep them coming!"yelled Erin to the bartender.

          A sunray shined across the room, enlightening the beautiful Victorian-styled salon. The little drops of gold on the wallpaper sparkled like stars over clear skies on a Parisian summer night. A warm, soft breeze filled the room from the opened windows, bringing the fruity scent of roses and tulips from the garden to the inside. A delightful melody flew through the air as canaries sang in perfect pitch, spreading joy throughout the greenish street. His eyes slowly opened, admiring the gorgeous morning ahead of him. "Only knowing she isn't here already makes me feel better," Marvin said while exiting the couch. He stared at the cuckoo clock on the wall, which marked a quarter past eleven, and said, "Buying a couch more comfortable than a bed sure has its perks when one lives with someone like my wife." He laughs while going up the stairs.

          When the clock rang its twelfth chime, Marvin walked out of the front door carrying a red rose from his garden. He entered a white MGB and set off down the hills. He passed by the coast, singing along to "I'm a Believer," which played through the car's speakers. When in Anaheim, he parked across the street from a small, three-floored building with once bright red walls that now appeared faded. He knocked on the door, which was immediately opened by Olivia, a Hispanic girl in her 20s. She jumped in his arms while excitedly saying, "Daddy!". He handed her the flower and said, "A red rose, may its beauty hardly try to compare to yours, my love." She gave him a long, passionate kiss and then was guided to the car's passenger seat.

           “Je ne veux pas prendre l'air

           Non, non, non, non

           Je ne veux pas boire un verre

           Non, non, non, non

           Je ne veux pas l'oublier

           Non, non, non, non

           Je ne veux pas m'en passer”, sang a musician on a live performance in the Compagnon, in Santa Monica. The fresh salty breeze of the ocean blew in the restaurant by the pier, with warm rays of sunlight shining across the couple's faces. They shared un plateau de fromage brie and drank a bottle of Pinot noir d'Alsace, admiring the deep blue water of the Pacific Ocean. The waiter brought a complementary escargot dish and placed it between them. They stared at each other and broke into laughter when one of the snails started to move.

          After a long walk on the beach, Italian gelatos in The Grove, margueritas in La Cha Cha Chá, and a poetry reading in Griffith Park, they drove back to Beverly Hills. It was already dark when they arrived at his house. The warm breeze that never seemed to go away had vanished, leaving them in a surprisingly cold atmosphere. The canaries, who had a nest on his roof, were no longer there. The beautiful Victorian-styled mansion now resembled an abandoned, soviet, hunted house. The structure hadn't changed, but there was something that he couldn't wrap his head around. "Maybe it was the alcohol", he thought. Nevertheless, his passionate night with Olivia was still just beginning. She pulled him closer to her and kissed his neck as he attempted to unlock the door.

          In the middle of furious kisses, the words "What the fuck?!" broke their bodies away from each other. In the background, a drunk-looking Erin stood right in between them with boiling anger in her eyes.

          "Erin … uh … what are you doing here? I thought you'd be in San Francisco all weekend, " Marvin stuttered.

          "You piece of shit!" she yelled while throwing a lamp at him!

          "Ahhh! What the hell! Calm down!"

          "Calm down? Fuck, that's what you do when I'm not around? You disgusting, cheating whore!" cried Erin while throwing every piece of décor she could find, missing her target every time.

          "Jesus, STOP! … Let's calm down and explain the situation rationally!"

          "What is there to explain? My asshole excuse for a husband went for a fuck while I was making the money that he loves to spend!"

          "You goddamn know that you were the one that never let me get a job in the first place! And if you were so busy working, what the hell are you doing here?"

          Olivia moved slowly towards the door to escape the mess she got herself involved in.

          "Don't try to change the subject! And you, bitch, don't you dare leave!" yelled Erin while walking towards her direction.

          With her right hand, she punched Olivia's face with all the rage she had in her.

          "You stay away from my husband!" she roared at the floor, where the girl had fallen with a bloody, broken nose.

          "Oh my God, Erin! Olivia, Jesus, are you okay? Let me take you to the hospital", cried Marvin with desperation.

          "No! No! Leave me alone! I'm out of here!" mumbled Olivia in pain as she dragged herself out of the house.

          "Please, let me help!"

          "Stay away from me!"

          (To Erin) "Are you happy? What the hell is wrong with you?"

          "No, don't even! I'm not the villain here! You're the one who cheated; all this mess is your fault!"

          "Yes, 'cause I am the one who storms off and locks her spouse out of the room after an argument! I am the one who gets home every day after most nightclubs have already closed! I am the one who's never around even when I am around."

          "What, you think this is my fault? You're the lazy bitch that cheated on me!"

          "And you're the one that turned me into a fifty's housewife after our wedding. My life became you, and you treat me as if I meant nothing to you! You've never even introduced me to your friends, your sister, or your mother."

          "Hey! Don't bring my mother into this!"

          "And there we go again! … Can't you see? WE will never be a family until you learn what being a family's actually like." 

          She broke down crying. "She died, Marvin, she died!"

          "And you only found out today? Jesus, Erin, it's been two years!"

          "You knew?"

          "Of course I did! Who do you think answers the phone when your sister calls?"

          "You knew all along, and you didn't tell me!" she spoke, enraged.

          "How can I? Huh? Every time I bring her up, you shut me down! I figured you knew and just didn't care".

          "What kind of person do you think I am to not care about my mother's death?"

          "The kind of person that hasn't mentioned her in five years! … How did you find out anyway? Is that why you're here?"

          "Yes … no … uh, it's complicated."

          "Do tell."

          "Rachel's now living up there, and we stumbled on each other and … uh … we had a fight, and that came out".

          "And why are you here?"

          "I had a few drinks and lost track of time. Then, it was the time for the trial and … and …"

          "And you showed up and got fired."

          "How did you know?"

          "Knowing you, it wasn't such a hard puzzle to crack."

          "What's that supposed to mean? You know damn well that … Oh, no, no! You're not changing the subject! You were the one who cheated in my own house! How long has this affair been going on?"

          "Long enough for me to have met her family and been invited to spend Christmas with them. In a year, I have made more progress with her than five years with you! … You know what, I'm done! I can't do this anymore."

          "You cheat, and you can't do this anymore? I can't do this anymore! You don't get to break up with me; I am the one breaking up with you! Now get the hell out of my house!"

          "Whatever makes you happy, Erin. Goodbye!"