The Silver Lining Read Free

put the knife on the counter top and looked down.
    “Please accept my apologies, Mr. King. I had no idea. I feel stupid. I beg you not to tell your mother about the knife. I really, really need to keep this job, please.”
    I examined her face, her eyes, her lips and the curve of her neck. She was young and beautiful. Too beautiful to work here if you ask me. A majority of the house keepers my mother hired were always middle aged, overweight and hardly spoke English. I didn’t mind it though. I loved to hear the Latin language. I still do. I really wished I spoke better Spanish. My Spanish was bad, really bad. My father being Hispanic, tried to teach my brother and me Spanish when we were young, but my mother wouldn’t have it. She didn’t want us to develop accents. She said it would hold us back later when it came to the job market. The funny thing was that even though she was Caucasian, she spoke perfect Spanish, but she refused to use it in public. I called it her staff only language.
    “Don’t worry about it,” I said, as I winked, grabbed an apple off of the counter and walked away.
    I chuckled as I walked to the living room. I couldn’t believe it. I was home for not even an hour and somebody had already tried to kill me. At least she was hot. I grabbed the cordless phone to take up to my old room, that’s where my mother said I could stay once I got out. Upon entering the room, I could see she took the liberty of stocking the closet with new clothes and new shoes. This was more of a benefit to her lifestyle. This was that whole makeover thing I was talking about. She still hadn’t told me where all my old stuff was. I wrinkled my face. The sight of Polo shirts and khakis made me want to pour bleach in my eyes. Country club robot, I refuse. Hell no. I quickly closed the closet doors and looked down at the phone. I’d been dying to make this call to see what was up with Nikki, my girlfriend. I flopped down on the bed and stared at the phone again. My fingers quickly punched in her number and hit the call button, before I had time to hesitate. The line continued to ring, and I was just about to hang up when I heard her sweet voice.
    “Hello,” she said.
    “It’s me.”
    “James, you’re calling me from your mother’s. You’re out already?” She sounded surprised, but not in a good way.
    “I am.”
    “James…” her voice cracked.
    “Where have you been for the last six months?” I cut to the chase.
    “You’ve been away so long. It’s been hard.”
    “What the fuck does that mean? It’s been hard. I just served sixteen months for a crime I wasn’t even aware that I was committing at the time. Now that’s hard. My whole world has been turned upside down and you just disappear. What the hell, Nikki?”
    “I went through some personal issues,” she said, “I’m sorry.”
    I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I could feel heat rising from my neck to my ears.
    “Who is he? Do I know him?” I hoped she would say something to make me believe differently.
    She didn’t respond immediately, and my insides started to ache. That alone confirmed my fear that she had found someone else. I must know this asshole if she can’t even give me a first name.
    “Nikki? Who is he?” I repeated louder.
    “You have to promise not to do anything, James,” she said.
    Is she kidding me? She’s sleeping around with some guy I know, and I’m supposed to keep my cool.
    “Name. Give me his name. You owe me that much.”
    “Zach. It’s Zach,” she cried out.
    I felt sick. My stomach turned over, and my hands started to shake in anger. I gripped the phone tighter.
    “You make me sick. The both of you do. I never want to see your face again.”
    I ended the call quickly, stood up, and walked over to the door slamming it closed. I leaned both of my hands against the back of the door and dropped my head. This man, Zach, who used to be my best friend, was banging Nikki, who used to be my girlfriend. Zach, was