Alex: A Chicago Bad Boy Romance

by Peter Presley

  I walk over to the valet area. Juan and Ed are both standing there. I’ve got the camera in a box.

  “Hey, Heather,” says Juan. “What do you have there?”

  “Hi! My ex will be coming by to pick up this box. Do you mind if I leave it here with you guys?”

  “Sure, no problem,” says Ed. He grabs the box out of my hands and gives me that look that says he’d like to get to know me better. The guy has asked me out twice, but I’m just not interested. He’s nice enough, though, and I consider him a friend.

  “Thanks!” I text my ex again, U can pick it up at valet. I left it there.

  I don’t wait for him to text back. I turn off my phone, company rules; then I hurry back to my job at the front desk before my manager rips me a new one.

  As I walk through the garage, the most beautiful blue eyes pass me. It’s you know who! I can’t help but look back at him as I leave. I would be lying to you if I told you I didn’t want to know who this guy is, but I don’t have time for that. Obviously, I’ve gotta go back to work. But I’ll find out who he is on Monday when I have more time to talk to the valets.

  3

  Alex

  I think I may have fucked it up today. Like I told you before, I steal cars for the Kocans. Today, I had my eyes on this tricked out red Lambo. But then, in comes this babe. After a few minutes, with her just standing there, I could tell she was waiting for someone.

  I wore the hotel valet uniform, so I’m sure she figured I was one of them. But, instead of me leaving as soon as I saw her, I didn’t. I was checking her out. She looks like the kind of woman I think about. She looks exactly like the sort of girl I would want if I were ready to settle down. So I kept looking at her.

  Then, to fuck things up even more, she came to me asking me if I’ve seen some guy in the garage. I saw no one in there. It was dead in there, and that’s why I could check out the car.

  Ed, one of the real valets at the hotel, handled the situation exactly the way he was supposed to. We paid him 10 grand to keep it on the down low, to get us intel on the owner, and to keep the other valets clueless. Ed says the guy who owns the Lamborghini is at the hotel for another week. We’ll snake it tonight, but now I hope that chick doesn’t finger me, you know?

  If there’s one thing about beautiful women, they can make you slip.

  4

  Heather

  “Hi, guys!” I say to my roommates Melanie and Amber who are in the living room of our apartment watching TV. Melanie has dyed her hair black. She reminds me of a Gwen Stefani with her fashion sense. Not dirty punk but classy, expensive punk. Amber is beautiful and blonde. However, she works at the library. So anybody who thinks she’s some dumb blonde would be mistaken.

  I love these two, but they’re a lot sloppier than I am. Melanie is stretched out on the couch with fashion magazines surrounding her. She’s a buyer for one of the top department stores, I get that, but all of those magazines will still be sitting there in the morning and guess who will pick them up? If it weren’t for me, this place would look like a train wreck most of the time.

  Amber is no better. In fact, you should see her room. I don’t even go in there unless I have to. But at least she’s in tuned to how neat I am and will at least do the dishes and take out the trash. We keep saying we’re gonna hire a maid so that this isn’t an issue, but we still haven’t got around to that yet.

  Anyway, other than that, these girls are cool. They’re both changed into comfortable clothes and are just relaxing with their cells and stuff. I figure they’ve probably been home for an hour or so. Lately, I’m the one who comes in late. My hours at the hotel have been hell lately, but I’m in a good mood.

  “Hi, yourself,” says Melanie, taking her face out of her magazine to look at me. “Why are you so happy tonight?

  I plop on a chair, still in my coat, but I click off my heels. “Two reasons. One, Doug is out of my life for good . . .”

  “He got his camera?” Amber interrupts.

  “Yeah, but I didn’t get to see him because he picked it up from valet.”

  She pops popcorn into her mouth. “He didn’t come to the front desk?”

  “No, thank God. I wouldn’t have had the time to talk to him if he had done that. With the special the hotel has run, we’ve been nonstop busy. I gave the jerk the chance to talk to me when I waited for his ass in the parking garage for 25 minutes, but he never showed. So screw him. He got his camera, and now he can get the hell out of my life.”

  Amber leans in and puts her chin in her hand. “And what’s the other reason?”

  “Well . . . ,” I take off my coat. “There’s this hot guy working valet. I mean really hot.”

  Melanie throws her magazine over to the side in a dramatic gesture. “Oh God! You dump one guy, and now, before he’s cold, you’re on another one?”

  Amber looks at her and nods her head.

  I smile and shrug. “Guys, I can’t help it. You should have seen this guy. He was so cute.”

  “Right,” says Melanie. “Where have I heard that before?”

  “Well, yeah, but, Doug had tons of money, but he was a total jerk. Maybe this guy wouldn’t be. He’s just some valet. They have no money.”

  “So did you talk to him?” says Amber.

  “Yeah, but just to ask him if he had seen Doug. But the way the guy was looking at me, I could tell he was totally into me.”

  Amber gets up and walks to the kitchen. “Why don’t you slow down and just wait a bit? You rush into relationships way too fast, Heather.”

  “Ah, excuse me.” I stare at Amber as she pulls a can of soda out of the fridge. “I said nothing about a relationship.”

  Amber turns her head at me and gives me a sarcastic look. She knows me, and what she said is correct. I do rush into stuff when it comes to men, just like I did with Doug.

  “I know. You’re right,” I say. “Why am I acting like this? I guess I’m just so fucking stressed at my job.”

  “I hear ya,” Amber says returning to her seat. “My job totally sucks now too, what with the new management and all. Look, we’re gonna watch a movie tonight. Want to join us?”

  “It’s a Friday night,” I say. “You guys aren’t going out?”

  “Nope,” says Melanie. “We’re staying in tonight.”

  “You know,” I say, “that’s a good idea. I need to just chill for once.”

  “Right,” says Amber. “So go change and come relax with us. We’ll pick out a movie when you come back. Let’s order some pizza too.”

  5

  Alex

  “Why didn’t you tell us some bitch saw you?” says Jerzy.

  “You want me to take care of him, boss?” says Teddy.

  Every nerve in my body tightens. I’ve seen what Teddy does when he’s been ordered to “take care” of someone. The last guy couldn’t walk for two weeks.

  “No,” says Jerzy, staring at me in the meanest way possible. “I got this.”

  It’s Sunday, two days after we snaked the Lambo and three other cars. I’m in Jerzy’s living room sitting in a chair. Jerzy is in the room with me as well as one of the other Kocans, Teddy. Teddy, who is not Polish, has spent half of his life in Stateville prison. Jerzy or J, as we call him, is Polish and he’s all up on me, close enough for me not to move, close enough to let me know I’m in trouble right now.

  J is one of the Kocan leaders. He’s a natural blond, but these days he sports a baldhead. There’s nothing innocent about him, not at all. He’s about seven feet of tattoos and muscles. The guy is also a member of a white nationalist group. He’s scary, and not a guy I would have anything to do with if I wasn’t a Kocan. Apparently, Ed, who I told you is a snitch for the Kocans, let J know I may have been spotted. For his honesty, they gave him a bonus on top of what they had already paid him. The guy is probably gonna get fired, once the hotel realizes cars have been stolen. The money will help cover his bills. I wasn’t going to tell J about the girl. I worried about it, but I de
cided it wouldn’t be an issue. But I was wrong, because now the Kocans are pissed at me.

  “It’s not a big deal,” I say. “She doesn’t know who the hell I am.”

  J moves into me even closer. “Did she see your face?”

  “Yeah.”

  The punch I get sends me to my knees on the side of the chair I’ve been sitting in. My teeth are sore, but still intact. I pull myself up and sit back in the chair. I don’t want to look at J, but I know if I don’t look at him, he’ll hit me again. Not looking at a head when you’re being addressed is one of the worst things you can do.

  “Well then it is a big fucking deal, asshole!” J screams.

  “I’m sorry, man.”

  “Don’t you tell me you’re sorry.” J had stepped away, but now he moves into me again. “You go find that bitch and bring her over here. Or you know what will happen, don’t you?”

  I nod my head. “Yeah, I know. I need to find out where she lives.”

  “Yeah, Einstein, that’s exactly what you’ll do.” J raises his voice even more. “ If that bitch fingers us, our cover is blown, and it will be on your hands; you got me?”

  “Yeah, I got it.” My heart is pounding and I feel like puking. I know I have to find the girl, or you’ll find me in a trunk somewhere. Guaranteed. I’ve never fucked up before, until now.

  6

  Heather

  “The suspect or suspects managed to disable the cameras. So, we have no video. We need for you to tell us if you saw anything or anyone,” says one of the cops.

  You won’t believe what happened. On Friday, I had told my manager, in casual conversation, I would be in the parking garage. So she knows I was waiting for my ex to give him the stupid camera. Now it’s Monday, and I’ve been called into the hotel’s central office where the cops are questioning me. My manager is here too.

  It’s like I’m under arrest or something. Apparently, and I still can’t believe this, the Lamborghini I saw on Friday has disappeared from the parking garage, along with some other cars. The only other person I saw in the garage was that hot blond guy, and the way he was leering over that car now leaves no doubt in my mind he must have been up to something. I don’t know who he is, so I’m not about to cover for him. “I did see someone. He was tall and blond. He wore one of the valet uniforms.”

  “Blond?” My manager says, looking at the cops. “We don’t have any blond valets working for us now.”

  “You sure?” says one of the cops.

  My manager flips her dark wavy hair behind her shoulder and crosses her legs. The look she gives the cop is the look she likes to give me from time to time. She hates when she’s asked what she considers to be a stupid question. “Of course, I’m sure,” says my manager. “I know my staff.”

  “Where was he when you saw him?” The cop turns his attention back to me.

  “Actually, he was standing over a red Lamborghini, just looking at it.”

  “If he didn’t work for the hotel, how did he get a uniform?”

  I throw my hands up. “I don’t know!” Now I’m getting super irritated, not only at the questions but also at the fact I can’t believe I was interested in yet another jerk. Who’d have ever thought the guy was a criminal, and look how close I came to wanting to get to know him better. “There’s jackets and pants right there in the valet area. It’s no big trick to steal a uniform. Maybe that’s what he did.”

  “All right Miss Dunn, that will be all for now.” After another 20 minutes of questioning and speculation, they’re done with me. “But we will be calling on you again within the next week.”

  “I’ve told you everything.” I look around at everyone. “I don’t know what else to tell you.”

  “And you’re on leave until we work this thing out,” says my manager.

  “What? Why? I didn’t do anything.”

  “We’ll have you back after a week or later depending on what authorities say.”

  “And what am I supposed to do about money?”

  My manager gives me a sarcastic smile. “You still have a job, don’t you? Be grateful for that.”

  On the train ride home, I can’t help but cry, but I wipe my eyes so people don’t know I’m crying. This is all Doug’s fault. If he had shown up when he was supposed to we could have taken a walk, maybe grabbed a quick coffee, and said our goodbyes. Had he shown up when he was supposed to, I wouldn’t be standing in valet, staring at the blond guy. Now, I’m tangled up in something I had absolutely nothing to do with. This totally sucks!

  I guess I’m not the only one without a job now. Juan and Ed got it worse. I’m on unpaid leave, but they got fired for not noticing someone was working valet that wasn’t one of the crew. In fact, they’re working on discovering if either or both need to get arrested. What a mess. I hope they don’t arrest me. I’m fucking innocent.

  Now I’m crying even more than I did before, but nobody cares or is looking at me much. They’re too busy into themselves. So I stop trying to wipe my tears. I just let them fall.

  I’m in the living room of my apartment. Nobody but me is here, of course. Amber and Melanie are at work, exactly where I should be. But I’m not at work; I’m on leave, and for who knows how long. What am I supposed to do about money? How can I pay my bills? I wish I could tell you I have some money in the bank saved for times like these, but I don’t, just like a lot of other people living paycheck to paycheck.

  It’s the middle of the day, and most people living in my apartment building are at work. I open all the shades of the living room to let in more light and to get a view of the traffic outside. It makes me feel less alone in here.

  This is a sign, that’s what this is. It’s a sign for me to slow down and to stop thinking about men so much. It’s a sign for me to get my shit together and to be a more responsible person - start saving money, slowly move into a relationship with the right guy instead of some asshole, find a job other than working at the front desk of a hotel. I’ve always said I wanted to go back to school. That’s what I need to do. I need to stop talking about it and start doing it. Otherwise, my life will continue to suck.

  I turn on the TV, and what’s on the news but exactly what I’m dealing with now. The news is blaring with a rash of car thefts at not only the hotel where I work but at similar hotels in the area. Good grief. This is a huge mess. What did I walk in on, and what will this mean for me? Now, not only am I terrified of what is happening to me, I’m terrified of what might happen to me. I turn off the TV and just stare into space. Melanie and Amber will be here in a few hours, but I don’t want them to know what took place. I just don’t, so I better get my lie together.

  7

  Alex

  I made it out of the meeting with J and Teddy in one piece, just a bruise on my face, but these guys are serious. It could have gone a lot worse. Now I have one job, and that’s to find the woman I saw in the parking garage.

  I found out Ed did the investigation part for me. He gave the Kocans all the details on the girl, including her address and phone number. I guess he was more than happy to do it. I guess he tried to get with the girl, but she wanted nothing to do with him. Now, he sees this as payback.

  As J made it clear, the Kocans expect me to go and get the girl. They could do it, but putting me in charge of it says they still trust me.

  But, I’ve made a major decision in my life, and if it goes bad it will mean the end for me, and her. I’m not bringing this girl to the Kocans; I’m getting her and me away from them. Now is the time for me to make the break before everything blows up in my face. Remember when I said I might have to leave the country? I’m willing to do it to get away from the gang, but it’s also my responsibility to save the girl. Ed says her name is Heather, and he says they put her on leave. They didn’t fire her, like they did him, but she’s not working at the hotel now. I’ve got to get this Heather.

  8

  Heather

  My stomach doesn’t hurt as much as it did when this first ha
ppened. I’ve settled my nerves, and I’ve decided to tell Melanie and Amber I got off work early. But what I’m going tell them as the days go on, I don’t know yet. I’m taking this one-day-at-a-time. They’ll be home in a couple of hours.

  Now there’s a text on my phone.

  I need to talk to u. I’m the guy in the garage.

  Oh my God! How did he get my number? I’ve gotta call the police. I’ve got to do it now.

  Don’t call the cops. My people are after u, but I’m gonna help u.

  It’s like he’s reading my mind. I just stare at the phone. I can’t even move. What does he mean “my people”? Where is this guy? Is he outside the building, or worse, outside my door?

  I need to talk to u now.

  Oh, my God. What am I going to do? I look at my hand and it’s shaking. But nothing is going to be solved if I don’t take action.

  Ok. I text back.

  Immediately after I let the guy know I’m willing to talk, my cell rings. I answer it. “How did you get my number?” I say. “Who are you?”

  “My name is Alex. We need to talk.”

  “How did you get my number?” I wish I could say this guy sounds scary and mean, but he doesn’t, he just doesn’t.