by Vicky Jones
With her head bowed as she locked her office door, she turned on her heels, walking straight into the quietly approaching worker who had been tasked to deliver a pile of forms to her. With paper flying everywhere, she bent down instinctively to help the poor worker pick it all up.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry! I–" Chloe began, before raising her head and locking eyes with the worker. A pair of gorgeous blue eyes gazed back at her.
"That's OK. You alright?"
"I'm fine. I'm just leaving for the night. I guess I was in too much of a hurry." Chloe flashed a lopsided grin as she fumbled with the papers.
"No harm done. Mr. Black asked me to give these to you as he was leaving. I just had to wash up, then bring them straight to you. Didn't wan' get no oil or grease on 'em!" She chuckled.
Chloe lowered her eyes to Shona's hands, which she saw were now impeccably scrubbed clean, only a tiny remnant of the day's hard work now visible beneath her nail beds. She felt a strange flutter as her eyes wandered over Shona’s long, perfectly shaped fingers, which she had unwittingly begun brushing against her own in her attempt to help collect the dropped forms. Shona's gentle touch sent shivers up Chloe's spine, her soft skin intriguing her. Her heart thudded in her chest, her eyes searching for some kind of sign that Shona was feeling the electricity between them too.
Clutching the collected papers, they both stood up. Chloe had never felt so scared in all her life but she knew that Shona was the safest person in the world she could be standing with right now. But her eyes were giving nothing away. It was as if they were the loyal gatekeepers to her heart, deciding whether or not to let Chloe past them and access her soul. As long as the moment felt, it was still over far too soon.
"Well, I guess I'd better be gettin' home now. I got loads of stuff to do–" Shona lied.
"OK, well, I'll see you tomorrow then?" Chloe replied, trying to mask her disappointment.
"Bye." Shona lingered for a second, then turned.
"Bye, Shona." Chloe watched as she disappeared down the balcony steps.
"What am I doing?" she whispered to herself. Shona had no special feelings for her. She clearly only saw Chloe as a friend, someone she could talk about in her letters to Dorothy, another female to chat with when the conversations with the men at work became too lurid. Walking over to her car, she wished that Shona could have shown her something tonight, some nugget of feeling.
Little did she know that all her confusion could have been solved by one confession Shona had been too petrified to make. Shona hid behind a bush watching Chloe’s car until it was out of sight. Mercifully, her stomach lurches were absent again, replaced by an unfamiliar fluttering sensation. She felt the moment she'd been waiting for, the moment to tell her how she felt, had completely eluded her. There was something in Chloe's eyes before that had given her a glimmer of hope and with no one else around, it surely would have been safe. But if she'd said those words to her tonight, she couldn't be totally sure they would be reciprocated.
She'd felt safe the last time.
Chapter 66
Everyone was in a jovial mood that Friday evening, apart from Chloe, who sat quietly on the sofa next to Kyle. He popped the champagne cork and cheered as the first flushes of liquid spilled through his fingers and onto the Persian rug. They were celebrating after Jack Edwards had visited the site earlier that week and, after an impressively exuberant performance by Kyle, made good on his promise from the fete to go ahead with his investment in the future of Ellis and Bruce.
"Here's to us all! Edwards loves us! I can smell the money already." He clinked glasses with an equally ebullient Larry Bruce.
"Here you go, darlin', not too much for you though, you know how it goes straight to your head! I don’t want no woman of mine embarrassing me," Kyle said in a low voice, only pouring a token amount of champagne into Chloe's glass. She smiled meekly, gritting her teeth as she suppressed her outrage at his condescension.
"Well done, boys." Eleanor raised her glass. "Oh, I forgot to mention at dinner, I went into town today to get my dress altered for the gala next week and I saw those two filthy, disgusting animals outside Stella's shop again. I think they're Charlie's friends. Eurgh, it makes my skin crawl." She shuddered, clasping her fingertips to her neck.
"Pete and Ronnie? They still in town?" Bruce exclaimed, lowering his champagne flute.
"Walking 'round together without a care in the world. They're giving this town a bad name. We all know they're together, living in sin! No children, no wives! It's the worst kept secret in Daynes!" Eleanor scowled at the thought.
“Do they look happy?" Chloe asked quietly, staring down at her untouched champagne.
The room fell deathly silent.
"Excuse me, dear, I didn't quite catch that?" Eleanor replied coolly.
"Pete and Ronnie…do they look happy together?" Chloe repeated.
Eleanor grunted dismissively as Larry Bruce guffawed at his daughter's simplistic attitude. Kyle drained his champagne flute, his eyes not leaving his insubordinate girlfriend's questioning face.
Chapter 67
"Shona!"
Ron Black walked up behind her quietly. It was a week later, and that Friday morning Shona was hard at it, scrubbing the tool room floor.
"Sir," Shona replied, placing her hand over her heart as she stood up. "You made me jump!"
"I just wan' say well done! Some damn good ideas you had there." He slapped her heartily on the back. She froze in bemusement as he went on his way.
"Did you see that, Elbie?" Shona exclaimed.
"Sure did! What in the hell’s he talkin' bout?"
She shook her head just as the morning break buzzer honked. They smiled, only minutes earlier remarking to each other how hungry they were.
"Our prayers have been answered! Now we can go rejoice in the slop Lou decides he wants to delight us with," Elbie said with a wry smile.
As they walked through the corridors towards the canteen, they were stopped every few feet by back-slaps and looks of admiration towards Shona.
"Has everyone had their head tested?" Elbie screwed his face up, dumbfounded at the positive cheers and handshakes Shona was getting from every man she passed. As they walked into the canteen, one table even clapped in her direction.
"This is freakin’ me out now. What the hell's goin' on?" she asked, bewildered.
"No idea," Elbie replied.
Shona headed over to the serving area but as she looked over the counter and into the kitchen behind, her confusion took on a whole new level. Chef Lou was stirring a pot of delicious-smelling soup with pleasure and singing loudly, his raspy voice squeezing out the lyrics to “Roll Over Beethoven.” His pudgy hand was clenched tightly around the wooden spoon he was intermittently using as a microphone. Opening his eyes, he turned to see Shona standing in front of him blank-faced.
"Shona! Well, bless your heart, I had y'down as nothing but a nigger lovin' lil' tramp. But I see you as so much more now. Hell, anything you want, I'll cook it for you!" He planted both palms face down on the counter, eagerly waiting for her request.
"Can I ask why?"
"Well, darlin', whoever makes it so that I get a pay raise, I get Friday afternoons off to go take my little girl to dancing lessons, I get a better uniform and I get better quality food to cook is more than alright with me!"
Shona was none the wiser. She pointed at the eggs in front of him and put some toast on her tray, then nodded a thank you to Lou, who grinned as she walked back to her table.
"Randy, can I borrow you a second?" She beckoned him over after seeing him wave at her.
"Hey, Shona!" He gave her a side-on hug, his heavy bulk almost squashing her.
"Everyone's being real strange to me today. What's goin' on?"
"You don't know? Oh, of course, you didn't go last night, did you? Well, we had some drinks at the Copperpot, organized by Miss Chloe. Her father and Kyle couldn't make it; I think it was something to do with another meeting they had to attend at
Red’s. But Miss Chloe wanted to show her gratitude to the workers so paid for the free bar out of her own pocket. We'd just got the news about the big new investment from Mr. Edwards, y'see? She got up and did a speech and–" Randy paused.
"And? Come on, Randy," Shona said, impatient for him to get to the point of his meandering story.
"She said there was gon' be some immediate changes ‘round here and they were all your ideas, so we have you to thank for them." Randy beamed at her.
Shona looked over at Elbie, who raised his eyebrows.
"So, what ideas did she mention?" she pressed.
"I can't remember all of 'em, but there were a lot! We're all getting a pay raise with immediate effect and she's ordering better quality overalls. Oh, and we're all gon' finish at 12 o'clock on a Friday, startin' from next week! You really are a miracle, girl! How in the hell d'you pull that off? Don't even think she listens to Mr. Chambers the way she listens to you."
Shona's brain whirred as she sat down at the table with Elbie.
"Quite the hero 'round here, aren't you?"
A dulcet voice purred into Shona's ear as a faint shadow fell across the table in front of her. She spun around, the beautiful face she had completely and utterly fallen for now only inches from her own. Breathing in her intoxicating perfume, Shona couldn't stop herself from smiling when she noticed Chloe’s shiny pebble necklace was once again sitting proudly in its former position. It was clear from the blush pink blouse she was wearing that she’d deliberately picked her outfit that morning to compliment it.
"Yeah, seems like it! All thanks to you, I hear." She beamed as Chloe stood up straight.
"Well, I just listened."
"I appreciate it. So do the guys. But, how did you get it past Kyle and your father?"
"I have my ways." Chloe suddenly looked a little uncomfortable.
"Thank you…for listening." Shona fought to hide the blush that had crept upon her cheeks. "Hey, would you like to go see a movie again tomorrow night?" she said, unsure as to where she'd found the courage to ask.
"Oh, Shona, I'd love to…but I've organized a little fundraiser of my own this Saturday. I found out from Ron, when he was doing the accounts, that some of the people in town didn't seem to receive any share of the money we raised at the fete last month." She paused, noticing that Shona hadn't registered any surprise on her face at this. Thinking for a minute, her eyes glowed. "Hey, why don't you come help me? I can't be everywhere, so I'm gon' need people I can rely on…and trust…to help the evening run smoothly—"
She barely reached the end of her sentence before Shona nodded her answer.
"I'd be honored to help you, ma'am. What would you like me to do?" Shona's hands were shaking so much, she had to hide them under the table.
"Leave it with me," Chloe replied cryptically.
She flashed a smile at both of them before turning to leave. Elbie shook his head affectionately at Shona, who began to cough when she realized she hadn't taken a breath for at least ten seconds, completely entranced by the departing figure of Chloe walking back up the steps to her office. She turned to the old man and punched his shoulder gently, her cheeks burning at being busted by him.
Randy, however, saw everything from his table. Although he was out of earshot of their conversation, he hadn't missed the look on Shona's face as Chloe left her table. Like most of the workers at Ellis and Bruce, Randy was quite a simple being. He didn't look for trouble, but his weakness in wanting to please, to fit in, was his Achilles’ heel.
"Kyle won't be happy with this," he said to himself, secretly ecstatic that he finally had something worthwhile to offer his boss in his weekly update with him after lunch.
"Who the hell does this WHORE think she is, manipulating my girlfriend? I'd never have agreed to the changes if I'd known! Jackson's made a fool outta me! What, she some white Rosa Parks now, messing up the system?"
As expected, Kyle was enraged by Randy's report informing him about the impromptu drinks reception ordered by Chloe and her speech to the workers, while he was at Red's capitalizing on his lucky streak in poker. Larry Bruce had just left for his weekend away at Jack Edwards’ ranch and had told him he was not to be disturbed, no doubt so he could concentrate fully on getting as much money out of him as possible. He'd put Kyle in charge in his absence, and he’d wasted no time in getting comfortable in Bruce's luxurious leather office chair.
But Randy still had the most interesting part of his report left to relay.
"Sir, that's not all. I think Miss Chloe's bein' led astray. You shoulda seen the look Jackson gave her as she walked up the balcony steps. I wouldn't feel comfortable with her looking at my girl like that. I think Jackson's got in her head. Miss Chloe might be in danger!" He twisted his cap over and over in his pudgy, sweating hands as he embellished his tale shamelessly in the hope of impressing his boss and gaining a break temporarily from being the focus of the workforce's highjinks.
Quietly dismissing Randy after telling him he'd done an excellent job and to keep him updated, Kyle softly closed Bruce's office door. Unable to contain his fury a second longer, he pounded the desk so hard that the objects on the highly polished mahogany surface continued to shake for at least five seconds later.
Recovering himself, he began considering his next move.
Chapter 68
The bright pink and blue neon OPEN sign in the window of the most decrepit drinking joint in Louisiana crackled and faded every few seconds, only springing to life when the bartender reached over to give it a whack. He grunted under his breath at the crappiness of his sign, plucking the half-smoked cigarette from his lips.
The drunk in front of him lifted his head groggily, just long enough to order another shot. Seven other empty glasses littered the sticky bar, even though it was only early that Friday afternoon.
"Don't you think you've had enough, Mike?" the bartender asked dryly.
"Listen, I've had enough when I've had enough. My money no good here?" Mike slurred, pointing messily at the bartender, who reluctantly poured him another shot. He swallowed it in one gulp, then reached over to an old beer-soaked newspaper someone had left on the bar, and clumsily pawed at the pages.
"What bullshit they printin'?" he muttered, bringing the newspaper closer to him, hardly able to make out the small print due to his degenerate eyesight. He prodded each article with disgust as he turned the pages. "He's a liar, and he talks shit, she needs a good time…from me, they all need lynchin'." After a dozen or so pages, his eyes landed on a story with a huge picture that took up a quarter of the page. He blinked several times, not quite believing what he was reading.
Daynes Community Fights Back After Storm
But it was the picture that captivated him.
He rubbed his eyes and refocused on the names printed underneath, then cross-referenced each name against the figures from left to right. As he checked the name against the picture of the person on the far end of the line three times, to be sure his eyes weren't deceiving him, his mouth fell wide open.
"Man, that's disgusting," the bartender said, squinting in revulsion as the drunk man dribbled all over the newspaper.
Mike wiped his slobbering mouth with the back of his dirty hand and glared at the bartender.
"Give me a phone…I need the phone, NOW!"
"Sorry to bother you, sir, but there's a man on the line who's insisting on speaking to the man in charge…now! As Mr. Bruce is out of town all weekend, I…No, sir, he didn't give his name—"
Linda held the phone a few inches away from her ear, well used to Kyle's angry tirades when he was disturbed. With begrudged permission, she patched the call through.
"Who the hell is this? You sound drunk," Kyle roared.
"I am drunk, but I ain't blind. I seen the picture of your lil' fete last month in the paper! You really know who y'got employed there?" the man's voice slurred back.
"What you talking about?" He stood up in annoyance at having to go around in cryptic circle
s with this strange caller, still seething from his meeting with Randy an hour earlier.
"The girl in the photo…the one holding the horse."
"What about her?" He slowly sat back down again.
"Well, I don't know what she's been tellin' you, but I guarantee it's all a pack of lies!" the man goaded.
"Spit it out, for fuck's sake."
"Let's put it this way. She's dead if she comes back to Louisiana and once you find out why, you'll understand!"
"Who are you?" asked Kyle.
"The name's Mike. I'm her father. Oh, and another thing…Shona Jackson ain't even her real name!"
Kyle sat back in Bruce's leather chair, not quite believing the strange turn of events of that Friday afternoon. He'd gone from wanting to tear the office apart in his rage, to complete elation in now having the perfect opportunity to rid himself—and Chloe—of Shona Jackson, or whoever the hell this woman really was.
He knew he couldn't ring Bruce so, calmly, he picked up the phone and dialled a different number.
"Kyle. What can I do for you?" Jeffrey Ellis answered the call on the tenth ring.
"Sir, I'm sorry to bother you, I know your wife is sick, but I have some new information about one of our workers and I thought you should be aware. Shona Jackson has been deceiving us all! I've got no choice. I'm gon' have to fire her."
There was a lengthy pause.
"Really? Why?"
"Well, for starters, sir, Shona Jackson isn't actually her real name. She's been lyin' to us all about that!" He spoke with as much indignation as he could muster.
There was another long pause on the line.
"Is that all?" Ellis replied, annoyed he'd been called away from administering his wife's medicine for this.
"Sir?" Kyle recoiled in surprise, confused as to why his bombshell hadn't caused the ripple he was expecting. He heard Ellis take an exasperated breath on the end of the phone.
