Only Four Desire

Chapter 9

Following Makenna into the kitchen, Roxie took note of the stiffness in her elder sister’s shoulders. One would have thought the woman was walking to the death chamber and not her large, luxurious, modern kitchen that would make any housewife green with envy.

Of course, Makenna all but pretended Roxie wasn’t behind her when they entered the kitchen. Without a word, she proceeded toward the fridge and removed a wrapped bowl of already-chopped mango and fresh eggs. Placing both on the kitchen island, she rushed over to the cabinet for a set of small glass bowls.

Roxie watched. She wouldn’t have admitted it, but she realized she’d never truly paid attention to her sister’s life beyond seeing how perfect it looked. Or rather, how perfect Makenna strived to be.

Even now, Roxie took in the dinner dress and heels her sister wore with her hair done up and her favorite pair of gold earrings adorning her ears. Makenna looked ready for a dinner date with a five-course menu at a five-star restaurant instead of a family meal in her own house.

Now that Roxie thought about it, she realized it was all a mask, and she wondered what her sister’s life was really like. Was Makenna having trouble in her marriage, or was Roxie projecting, not wanting to be the only one who’d been dealt the shitty stick?

There was only one way to find out. “Makenna, what is going on?” Roxie asked in a low voice, even though the dining room was far enough that no one would possibly hear them even if they talked normally.

Makenna stopped cracking the eggs and gave Roxie a confused frown that was as fake as the nails on her fingers. “I’m making dessert. What does it look like is going on?”

Roxie bit the inside of her cheek. Okay. She had no idea how to proceed. They weren’t close and had never been since they were young. With Makenna being the firstborn and Roxie the last, they had almost a six-year age gap that had always acted like the ocean between two continents. Benjamin was the island attached to Roxie, something that had always seemed to bother their elder sister.

“I mean…” Roxie grimaced as the right words escaped her, and the look in Makenna’s eyes warned her to tread carefully. Still, she needed to know. Either out of curiosity or genuine concern, Roxie blurted out, “Is everything alright between you and Terry?”

Oh. s**t. Roxie regretted her words as soon as they were out of her mouth. In a heartbeat, Makenna spun on her heels and pinned Roxie with a glare that would have done a better job of cooking the food than the woman’s stove had done.

“What is this, Roxie?” Makenna gritted out, the knuckles on her right hand going pale from how hard she gripped the whisk. “Just because you ruined your life, you now want to drag me into your club?”

“What?” Roxie took a step back, the venom in her sister’s words hitting her like a slap to the face. “I’m not trying to drag you into anything. I was just concerned.”

Makenna scoffed. “Keep your concern for yourself. I don’t need it. There is nothing wrong with my marriage. I’m not as stupid as you to throw it all away. Tell me, Roxie, what has it gotten you? Huh? You thought you were too good for your marriage, and now you are stuck alone back in our parents’ house. How have you fixed anything?”

For a beat, Roxie’s mouth hung open. She looked at her sister like she was looking at a stranger. Okay, so Roxie hadn’t expected that, although she realized she should have. Makenna was the apple of their mother’s eye and had been molded to fit the woman’s shoes. It shouldn’t have been a surprise that she’d hold the same views as her mentor.

But Roxie had hoped. Especially after hearing Makenna question their mother at the table. She’d hoped that somehow, Makenna held her own views on this. She now realized that she should have known better.

Shaking her head, Roxie took a deep breath and tried to keep her voice even and low, hoping not to attract the attention of their mother. “I didn’t mean to insinuate anything.” She needed to fix this before Makenna reported her back to Margaret. If their mother thought Roxie was trying to destroy her favorite child’s marriage, Roxie would probably never see the light of day again.

“Just stay out of my marriage and focus on your mess of a life,” Makenna clipped.

Jaw tight, Roxie gave a curt nod. Yeah, she could do that. In fact, that was what she should have done from the beginning, instead of thinking there was something going on with her sister, and she might help.

So, without another word, Roxie turned and headed back to the dining room, praying with all her might that the night would just end.

***

“This is what you need,” Zinnia said with a beaming smile as she led Roxie through the archway into the main garden.

Roxie couldn’t help but smile. It was the first genuine smile she’d given anyone in over a week, which probably made sense since the only place she’d been the past seven days, since dinner at Makenna’s house, was home with her parents. Then again, it was hard to be sad when Zinnia was so excited to show her the new place she’d discovered, and as soon as they entered the main area of Smoke and Greens, Roxie understood why the place had appealed to her friend so much.

Backed up to the edge of the city, Smoke and Greens stood out like an oasis in the concrete desert. The entire concept of the restaurant was nature and grilled food with lush greenery interspaced by concrete-built tables under thatched canopies.

The restaurant was self-service with a dozen manned braai stands holding a variety of grilled meats and tables filled with an assortment of side dishes. After paying the entry fee of a hundred and fifty dollars each, patrons were allowed to eat as much as their stomachs could hold.

Roxie hadn’t been too comfortable with Zinnia paying for her, but after seeing the place and inhaling the mouthwatering smells that hang in the air, she was glad she’d caved.

“This place looks amazing,” Roxie told Zinnia as she followed the woman to a vacant table.

Zinnia beamed at Roxie over her shoulder. “I told you that you would like it. Just wait till you taste the food.”

Her stomach chose that very moment to growl, as though the mention of food reminded it that she’d barely been eating for days, which probably wasn’t healthy.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to wait long to get some food into her stomach. Within a minute, they were shown to their table, and the two women wasted no time collecting plates and filling them up with anything and everything that looked delicious.

Once seated back at their table with full plates, Roxie dug in and nearly moaned at how good the food was. Watching her, Zinnia beamed. “Was I right or was I right?”

Roxie chuckled. She licked some sauce out of the corner of her lips and shook her head. “I’m beginning to think you have shares in this place with how much you have praised it.”

“Nah. I organized an event here some months ago for a client. I just knew I’d hit gold when I tasted their food.” Ah, yes. It turned out that Zinnia had opened an event organizing and decoration business in the year Roxie hadn’t been in touch, and that’s where Zinnia planned to hire her.

Roxie had no clue how to organize a kid’s birthday party, let alone a company celebration, but she was willing to learn because this was the best opportunity she had to get back on her feet, and she wasn’t about to waste it.

“Oh, I forgot to mention before. I have another friend joining us. I hope you don’t mind,” Zinnia suddenly announced.

Roxie froze, a chicken wing halfway up to her mouth. Why did that sound so suspicious? She turned to her friend, who looked completely at ease as she plucked an olive off her plate and tossed it into her mouth.

Roxie’s eyes narrowed. Something told her that her friend was up to something, but she couldn’t think of what it could be. However, before she could ask, someone walked over to their table, snapping her attention.

Oh.