by Ford, Mia
I was cruising along just fine with my music cranked when I saw the flashing lights behind me. My first instinct was to floor it and show these cops what my sports car could really do. But that wouldn’t have worked out well for me. It was most likely that he’d already gotten my license plate before he announced his presence. I would have gotten a lengthy stay in jail. I decided to take my chances.
“What’s the problem officer?” I asked when he approached the vehicle a few moments later.
“License, registration, and proof of insurance.”
The cop was not in a good mood. Fine. I would play along. I procured the proper documentation from my glove compartment and wallet.
“Wait here,” the cop said. He took my information back to his car and most likely did a check on who I was and to make sure I was the owner of the car I was driving. So far business as usual.
When he came back a few minutes later he handed me back my information and stood there looking in the window. He had a small flashlight and he shone it in the backseat and then in my face for a moment.
“Where are you headed?” The officer asked.
“Just home.”
“You been doing some drinking?”
“I had a few, but I didn’t overdo it if that’s what you are asking.”
“Go ahead and step out of the car.”
Shit. I knew what was coming next.
The cop ran me through a field sobriety checklist. He had me walk a straight line, touch my finger to my nose, touch my finger to his finger that he kept moving around, and then he gave me the breathalyzer test. I’d passed the field tests, but the breathalyzer came back over the legal limit.
“Put your hands on the car and spread your legs,” The cop said.
“Officer is that necessary? It’s just a few points over. I live two miles from here. You know who I am right?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”
I sighed and did as I was told. There was no way of getting out of this. I was on the dashboard camera and he’d already called in my information. I was taking a trip downtown.
The cop took me in and booked me at the local jail. I was going to spend the night there until I sobered up and my bond was posted. With my one phone call I phoned Jane and told her what happened. She said it was no problem for her to spend the night with the kids and that she could come and post bail for me in the morning at seven. I gave her my bank info so that she could withdrawal the money from my account. I knew she didn’t have that kind of money on hand.
“So, what will happen now? Are you going to the big house?” She teased.
“No,” I said. “I have the best lawyer money can buy. I’ll be given a warning and they’ll order me to take some classes I won’t attend and that will be the end of it.”
“Oh, you’ve done this before?” Jane mused.
“Yeah, I guess I’m stubborn and I will never learn.”
“That’s a shame,” Jane said.
I thanked her again. I prepared to spend the night in a stupid holding cell with a bunch of other people I didn’t really want to associate with. I wished I’d wise up one day and stop doing stupid things like this. But then again, it did make for an entertaining life.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Leia
After I hung up the phone I went into the kitchen and made myself a bowl of ice cream. Ted bought the best ice cream I’d ever had and I couldn’t get enough of it. I was probably going to gain five pounds working for him, but I was sure Taylor would just love it the same. It was times like these, when Ted did the stupidest things, that I remembered what an amazing man Taylor really was. I doubted he’d ever had a DUI, let alone several of them. When I was married to Ted it seemed like he had one almost once a week for a spell.
The kids were asleep and had been for a few hours. We were alone for the entire night. Of course with Ted going out partying I hadn’t really expected that he would come home that night, or at least not until the wee hours of the morning. And knowing him he wouldn’t have the decency to call and tell his nanny that he was going to be way later than she thought he might be. He never would have dreamt of telling her that a few drinks with friends had turned into a full night excursion that was bordering on becoming a wild rave.
But I knew him too well.
I walked around the house for a while, mostly just exploring things and seeing what was different. I’d done this a little bit during the day, but my day usually began when I picked up the kids from school and I had to be careful that I wasn’t seen snooping around unnecessarily under the watchful eye of the butler and the maid that came in occasionally.
But they were both gone at night. I was alone in the home with only my sleeping kids. I started in Ted’s bedroom. Once there I looked through his closet, his drawers, and his nightstand. I saw a box of condoms (good to know he was keeping it safe) and a few strange sex toys.
After that I visited his master bathroom that was even nicer than the one I’d had before. The shower was bigger, the toilet was higher, and there were two sinks side by side. All of it was a dark, rustic, granite color. Tracing my fingers alongside the wall I could almost feel a sense of history emanating from it.
I wasn’t sure what type of effect the place was supposed to have, but it had a very interesting effect on me. As I stood there in the opulent bathroom I began to feel tingly all over, like I was being given a massage by an imaginary person. I hugged myself and stood there shivering for a moment. I wanted to move, but something held me in place.
Finally, I stepped out of the bathroom and the master bedroom into the hallway where I took several gasping breaths. I made my way down the hallway heading towards the kids’ rooms to check on them again, but suddenly I stopped. I realized that I was standing in front of the place where the nursery had once been. It was a spot that lay somewhere between the boys’ rooms. I guess Ted in his infinite wisdom had decided that it made him look like a grieving widower to not want to rebuild the room where his wife died. That was nice of him to be so thoughtful.
I gritted my teeth and moved on. I peeked quickly into the kids’ rooms. They were both sleeping soundly. They always looked so peaceful and at ease when they were asleep. I just hoped they would grow to love me as their mother again. They cared for me now and probably thought they loved me, but only as their nanny, as their friend. They didn’t yet know me as their mother. I wondered several times a day if it was possible that a part of their mind still remembered me. When I was with them, did it trigger a memory or at least a feeling inside of them? Was that why they’d warmed up to me so quickly? I didn’t know enough about the mind or the memory to say with any degree of certainty, but I did like to think so. It was the most comforting thought I had.
After checking the kids, I went downstairs to the kitchen where I called Taylor and told him what happened.
“Why am I not surprised?” Taylor asked amused.
“I hope he makes some nice, new friends in prison and that they like to snuggle,” I joked.
“He’d have it coming if they did. So, you are staying there all night? I figured that as well. Want me to come over and keep you company?”
“I would love that, but you know we can’t risk it.”
“I know. It was just some wishful thinking.”
“I was thinking about telling the kids.”
There was a silence on the line. I wasn’t sure Taylor agreed with my plan.
“Ok… what are you going to tell them?”
I sighed. “I know they won’t understand if I just explain it to them. But I was just going to tell them that I am their mother and that I’ll be taking them home very soon.”
Tears formed in my eyes. Every time I thought about the time I’d lost with my boys as their mother, my heart just broke into twenty pieces. I felt shattered. Even after everything I’d been through, my life felt like it was just broken beyond repair. I was trying to stay strong and keep it together, but sometimes it was overwhelming. God
, I hated Ted. I was going to make him pay one way or another.
“Right,” Taylor said. “But don’t you think it might be jumping the gun a little bit? What if the kids talk? I still haven’t heard back about the forensics. It might take a while. I think you should wait.”
I valued Taylor’s opinion. He was the smartest man I knew, but this was something I just had to do. It was in my heart.
“I know,” I said.
We chatted a few more minutes. I sat down and read a book until I finally fell asleep.
The next morning, I woke up early. I got the kids up for school and got them dressed and ready to go. It was during breakfast that I decided to tell them.
“Boys,” I said.
I knelt down between them and put a hand on each one of their shoulders. “Listen. I need to tell you something very important. I love you so much. I don’t know how to say this… but you have to believe me when I tell you that I am your momma. I know you don’t remember me and you have no reason to believe me, but it is true.”
I kissed them both on the forehead. The tears were flowing down my face and both boys could tell that something serious was going on.
Nicki tried and failed to say the word “momma”. His brother imitated him. It was the sweetest thing I’d ever heard.
I smiled and kissed them again. “That’s right, boys. It’s momma. And soon, I will take you to your new home where you will be loved and treasured. You won’t ever have to see that mean man ever again. I won’t let him ever hurt you or make you feel like you don’t matter ever again.”
I held them both close to me for several seconds. I thought they understood. It was important that they knew how much I loved them.
After breakfast I took them to school, and then I withdrew the money from Ted’s account for his bail. I then went to the jail and paid it.
“Wow, it feels great to breathe the air of freedom again,” Ted said in his usual jovial voice.
“The kids are at school. I’ll pick them up later,” I said.
“Great. Thanks so much, once again. You are awesome.”
“Thanks,” I said.
I drove home with revenge on my mind. I wanted to strangle the bastard myself. I hated him so much that I was even entertaining thoughts of murdering him and wondering if there was a way for me to get away with it.
The instant the thought hit my mind it terrified me. I wasn’t him. What was I thinking? No. I was no murderer. The revenge that I unleashed on Ted was going to be swift, real, justice. I had no way of proving that Ted had tried to kill me, especially after all these years. I could barely prove that I was Leia Daniels (dental records would be the only way).
No. I just had to bide my time a little while longer. But I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I would be his downfall.
I was going to take him down.
Chapter Thirty
Ted
When I got home I was astounded to see a beautiful breakfast spread prepared for me waiting on the table. There was a stack of pancakes (my favorite) with butter and syrup, and a big bowl of mixed fruit coated with sugar for extra sweetness. Plus, a piping hot pot of strong, black, coffee. Jane knew exactly what I liked. My butler didn’t usually come in until about eleven, so I knew that it was she who had prepared this fabulous feast for me.
When I bit into the pancakes I could hardly breathe for a moment they were so good. It was an almost sexual experience eating those moist, delicious flapjacks coated with fresh, creamy butter, and freshly squeezed (none of that processed store bought junk) maple syrup.
And the coffee was exactly the way I liked it. There was just a hint of cinnamon added to it, but it was very strong. I had never understood why anyone would be happy with weak coffee like they served in restaurants. It was absurd.
I finished breakfast and made a few phone calls about business. It seemed the offers were still rolling in, though they had actually started to slow down a little bit. I was probably going to be forced to make a decision sometime soon about who I wanted to sell to. There were so many things to way out about it…This was turning out to be the hardest decision of my life.
I went down to the gym and hit the weights really hard. My body felt sluggish from all the alcohol the night before but by the end of the workout I was feeling so much better. It cleared my head a bit and by the end I actually started thinking that I might not want to sell at all. Maybe I would miss it. I mean, it was frustrating at times to the point that I just felt I couldn’t stand another moment of it, but then there were times when I was bored and I had work to do that really gave me a sense of purpose for the day. I’d be lost without it. I was thinking that I’d thrown out those offers too hastily.
But then again… maybe my energies would be best focused elsewhere.
I showered up and went to town to take care of a few things with the motorcycle business. It really was a sinking ship that was going down faster than I had expected. It saddened me to no end because I’d wanted to see the business succeed so much. I’d put all that time and effort into it and now it was no good. One could not help but be a bit disheartened by that.
When I got home Jane and the boys were there. When she saw me she smartly guided the boys up to their rooms to play. After a few minutes she came back downstairs. I was sitting on the couch watching some news shows. With the night I had there was not much I really felt like doing at the moment. There was just too much weighing on my mind. I needed a break; I needed a rest, whether I actually wanted to do it or not. I made the decision that I was going to start putting my physical needs first. I was too many things to too many people. That had to stop.
Jane sat down on the smaller couch across from me. Wow, she looked amazing. She was wearing a long, sexy skirt that clung to her form in the most enticing way. For a top, she was wearing a tight blouse that left enough cleavage to stimulate the mind just enough to put me on edge. And her hair was shiny, long, smooth, and straight. It rested gently on her shoulders; I loved it.
Hell, I loved her. I could feel myself starting to really have strong feelings for this woman. I knew it was going to blow up in my face one way or another, but that was a risk I was willing to take. Still, I wanted to proceed cautiously.
“So, how are you today?” Jane asked.
“I’m good,” I replied. “I appreciated that breakfast you made for me. I swear, you spoil me a bit.”
“I aim to please,” Jane said. The way she said it sounded very seductive.
“When was the last time someone took you out for a nice meal?” I asked.
Jane thought a moment. “It’s been a little while, actually.”
“Now that is a shame. What do you say, I take you out tomorrow night and show you how good it feels to be served and waited on?”
“What about the kids?”
“I can have the butler watch them. I’ll pay him extra and have him stay late. It’s fine.”
“I don’t date my employers,” Jane said.
“Who said it was a date? Can’t a friend buy another friend a meal without it becoming a thing?”
“They can of course, but we aren’t friends; you are my boss.”
“Semantics,” I said with a grin. “And I think we are great friends.”
Jane smiled. “It sounds like an interesting idea, but I can’t afford the time off work. I need the money.”
“Oh, that is easy enough. You will be paid as if you stayed right here. Now you are out of excuses.”
“I disagree; one can always find excuses for why one doesn’t want to do something.”
I shot her a questioning glance. “Oh, so now you don’t want to go? Why not?”
“I just would prefer that we don’t mix business with pleasure.”
I leaned back on the couch and laid my arms across the back. My body was as open as could be now. There was nothing for her to feel intimidated by.
“So, what happened?” I asked.
“What?”
“What happened
between you and a former employer that made you so hesitant to even accept a symbol of friendship?”
“How do you know something happened?”
“It’s just a gift I have. I can read people very well. And I see it in you. Somewhere along the line, you had an employer who did you wrong and you made this promise with yourself. I would just love to know what happened.”
“Nothing happened.”
I laughed. “Alright, so you don’t want to tell me. Ok, that is fine.”
“There is nothing to tell,” Jane said.
“Alright. I give up. But you should still go to dinner with me. If there is nothing to tell about your past, then you have no reason not to go. It’s that simple.”
Jane laughed softly. “I’ll think about it, but don’t hold your breath. I don’t think things between us should get complicated.”
“Ok, then. But I’m going to keep trying. I think things between us should become just as complicated as they can be. That makes life way more fun and interesting. You have to take risks in this world, and sometimes those risks are super scary. But you can’t let it deter you; do you think I got this rich by playing it safe?”
“How did you get this rich?”
The question came at me from the back as if I’d been sucker punched in the dark. It was an off the wall question that I almost didn’t have an answer for right away.
“What?”
“How did you get this rich?”
I wasn’t sure if she was joking or just being a smart ass. I leaned forward and looked her dead in the eye.
“I got this rich by doing whatever it took to get where I wanted to get.”
Jane leaned back and smiled. She had ruffled my feathers and it seemed to give her a great amount of satisfaction.
“You know,” Jane said. “When I took this job a lot of people warned me. There are a lot of rumors out there.”
“What kind of rumors?”
Jane shrugged. “You know… rumors.”
“Enlighten me. I don’t read much of the current topics online.”
