Just Perfection (The Perfection Series Book 4)

by Heather Guimond

  “You realize this is all your fault, don’t you?”

  I looked at him innocently, batting my eyelashes at him. “What, that you’re going to have to sit there for two or three hours listening to Bryant wax poetic about the new stripper he met?”

  “More like listen to him drone on about what stellar head she gives,” he replied dryly.

  I crinkled my nose. “He really does that?”

  “Oh, yeah. Each girl he meets is always better than the last. He either started out getting the shittiest blowjobs in the world, and they progressively got better as he met more women, or he is the luckiest man ever.”

  I cracked up because we all knew Bryant was anything but lucky when it came to the opposite sex.

  After a quick shower and an even faster kiss on the forehead, Justin was gone. He’d taken his bike, he said because he ‘needed to feel the extra freedom’. I didn’t care one way or another as long as he was out of my hair with his persistent grouchiness.

  After a gourmet lunch of some boxed macaroni and cheese, Sammy brought me his polar bear again. This time, he kept handing it back to me each time I tried to return it to him after my play hugs and kisses. With nothing to do with the afternoon except our usual routine of watching an animated movie on the DVR, I was also feeling restless. I hated to deviate from Sammy’s regular schedule, but I also needed to get out of the house. Trying to think of something that wouldn’t produce a meltdown from him, my eyes fell on the stuffed toy in his hands. What if I took him back to the zoo to see the polar bears? I figured it was worth a shot. If he got unruly, we could make a quick departure. I was still under Justin’s edict not to leave the house by myself, but I figured it would be easier to get him to forgive me than to be granted permission. With that in mind, I had Sammy and myself ready and out the door within half an hour. I decided to cruise over to Justin’s parents’ house to see if Audrey wanted to join us. I was feeling happy and excited about my engagement to Justin and thought it would be nice to have her along to share in my joy and maybe make some preliminary plans, or at the very least, daydream together.

  Our drive started out normally enough. Sammy was quiet in the back seat as he played with his bear. I smiled to myself, thinking he might be excited when he saw them again for real.

  Justin’s parents didn’t live far from our house, most of the drive being on residential streets. Just as I pulled up to the stop sign at the corner of the Sever’s house, I felt a small jolt. Looking into the rearview mirror, my eyes widened in horror as I saw the familiar dark blue pickup truck which had been in front of our house when Justin and I returned from Coronado, with none other than Armando Ortega in the driver’s seat. I immediately punched the gas and shot out into the intersection. We flew down the street, well over the recommended speed limit. I said a silent prayer no children would be out playing or someone out walking their dog or something. Though we were in imminent danger, I was mindful some innocent bystander could be harmed by our reckless driving. I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of going out into the traffic of Los Angeles’ major streets, but I had to get out of the housing area we were in.

  Coming up onto the closest thoroughfare, I made a rolling stop at the traffic signal. I hoped I’d be pulled over for the minor offense, so we’d have some protection against Armando, but no such luck. I rammed the gas pedal and tore down Washington Boulevard like a bat out of hell. Armando remained hot on our tail though. I glanced in the rearview mirror again to check on Sammy, but he seemed blissfully unaware of my distress.

  I weaved in and out of traffic as carefully as I could, but with Armando in such close pursuit, I wasn’t driving in a manner which could be considered safe by any standards. I kept my eyes peeled for any kind of officers. I never spotted anyone, not even parking enforcement, which was typically abundant in Los Angeles. Not that a meter maid could do much to protect us.

  As I was nearing the San Diego Freeway, I got caught at a light behind a Toyota Prius. Armando screeched up behind us and quickly exited his vehicle. He ran to the back door of my Lexus, right outside Sammy’s window. He yanked on the door handle again and again, to no avail. I thanked God for automatic door locks. He began to pound on the window which finally got Sammy’s attention and he began to scream. The terror rose in my throat. While I had been scared before, I was positively petrified, realizing he wasn’t after me, but Sammy. Foolishly, it had never occurred to me to ask Justin what the brothers wanted when they were at the house the week before.

  The light suddenly turned to green, and I laid on the horn to get the car in front of me to move quickly. Fortunately, it wasn’t the typical LA driver who would normally respond with a rude hand gesture. Perhaps he had seen Armando trying feverishly to get into my car because he zipped out and across the intersection as fast as I imagined a Prius could move. Leaving Armando behind to run back to his truck gave me a few precious, extra seconds. I didn’t know where I was going or what to do. My cell phone was tucked into the zipped pocket of my purse, which had fallen to the floorboard during one of my erratic maneuvers. There was no way I could safely reach for it at the speed I was driving, especially in a well-known congested area. The fates had been with me so far and traffic wasn’t that thick for a Saturday afternoon. It could often be as bad as rush-hour on most weekends.

  I was well passed the nearest police station in my haste to get away from Armando by the time I thought of going there. I was about to whip an illegal and very dangerous U-turn to head back toward the freeway when I realized I wasn’t far from Rosie’s Bar where Justin and Bryant were supposed to be. Nearly on auto-pilot, I pointed the car in that direction and drove faster than ever before.

  Sammy continued to howl which only heightened my nervousness. I was bouncing in my seat with exasperation at the cars around me. I kept repeating, “C’mon, c’mon” every time I came up behind a slower moving vehicle, punctuated by a million creative curses.

  Finally, I saw Rosie’s up ahead. My breath came out in a whoosh as I whipped the SUV into the parking lot, wildly and loudly honking my horn. I had no choice but to stop, and I wondered if I had made the right decision when Armando pulled in behind me, blocking any hope I might have at a quick exit if I needed it. He jumped out of his vehicle and rounded toward the bed of the truck. I needlessly checked the locks to reaffirm they remained engaged as inspiration struck. I triggered the car’s alarm as I continued madly beeping the horn, praying the people inside would finally come out to investigate.

  Horrified, I watched in my side view mirror as Armando ran towards us, a tire iron in one hand. Without thinking, I knew what he was about to do and immediately took off my seatbelt. I got my door open as he smashed Sammy’s window, the safety glass shattering into pieces and raining down on my terrified boy. I didn’t have anything but my fists to try to stop Armando, but I didn’t care. I launched myself at him, hammering away at his skull as hard as I could. He merely brushed me off, knocking me to the ground, then reached through the window to try to get Sammy. I scrambled up to get back at him, the siren continuing to blare, as he reached inside once more. Suddenly, he yelled out in pain and snatched his hand back from the window. I jumped on him again. Sammy’s bite to his hand inspired me and I bit down on the back of his neck. He screamed and tried to shake me off, but I was like a Pitbull. I wasn’t letting go without taking a huge chunk of his flesh with me.

  Before I knew it, I was ripped away from Armando’s back. Jumping to my feet again, I was ready to do battle with my new, unknown assailant. My eyes landed on Justin as he clocked the would-be kidnapper with an impressive haymaker to the side of his head. The power behind the blow finally pushed him away from the window of the car where Sammy continued to scream. Before Armando could regain his footing, Justin punched him again. This hit landed directly on his nose, and blood flooded from it almost immediately. Armando briefly brought his hand to his face before Justin hit him again with a right cross. The next thing I knew, Bryant joined in the fray, grabbing Armando
from behind and holding him steady. He shouted something to Justin, who shook his head then gave Armando a final kick, right in his groin. He sagged in Bryant’s grip who then shoved him to the ground. Justin jumped on him, pressing his knee between his shoulder blades, also shouting.

  I had gone deaf and blind to my surroundings during the entire fracas, I was so focused on what was happening. Slowly, my senses came back to me, and I noticed the many patrons who had gathered outside the bar to watch. With Armando effectively subdued, Rosie came rushing to my side. She immediately assured me the police were on their way as she threw her arms around me. The adrenaline continued to pump through my veins, so I wiggled out of her grip quickly. I wanted to go kick Armando myself, but she grabbed me again, holding me back. She must have intuited my intentions because she shook me urgently.

  “You need to go get Sammy and calm him down. He’s scared out of his mind. Go! Go get him.”

  I couldn’t believe my first thought when Justin came to our rescue wasn’t to get Sammy out of the vehicle and rush him to safety. I was so enraged by Armando’s assault, I really had gone dumb to our environment. I rushed over to the car and unbuckled Sammy from his seat as quickly as I could. I went to squeeze him to me in my relief to have him securely in my arms, but his disquiet combined with his usual aversion to being held, he struggled powerfully against me. Not wanting to put him down before the cops arrived, I did my best to shush him. Rosie grabbed me by the upper arm and led me into the now empty bar. She ushered me into the back office and shut the door. Soon after, she returned with Sammy’s polar bear in her hands. I snatched it from her and handed it right over to him. He immediately hugged it to his chest and ran to the corner where he sat clutching it with his back to us. I wanted to check him to make sure he hadn’t been injured by the shattered glass, but I knew handling him further would only upset him more. Finally, I took a seat at the desk and sagged as the pounding of my heart began to slow and my breathing returned to normal. I was still tense and anxious, but my body was winding down quickly. I put my head in my hands as I heard the muffled sound of sirens outside. It seemed someone had shut off my car alarm because that noise finally quieted.

  I wrapped my arms around my mid-section and laid my head on the desk. I did some deep breathing, trying to calm myself. It seemed to take a very long time. I was still in that position when I heard the office door open again. I raised my head to see Justin standing in the doorway. We looked at each other for a beat before I sprang from the chair and he threw himself at me at the same time. We collided with each other, each wrapping our arms around each other tightly. He rained kisses on my face before taking it into both hands and putting a soft kiss on my lips. He released me then and slowly approached Sammy, crouching down gingerly to his level. To both our astonishment, Sammy jumped up and threw his little arms around Justin’s neck. Justin’s eyes closed as he held his son to him, his elation at the unprecedented affection obvious. Tears streamed down my face as I watched them together, Justin slowly rocking him and whispering in his ear.

  All too soon, the moment was interrupted by Rosie returning once again, letting us know the police had Armando cuffed and in the back of their cruiser. They wanted us to go to the police station to give our statements. Justin nodded, and we filed out the door, Sammy still clutching tightly to his father.

  Epilogue

  I stood next to my mom as we looked in the mirror. It struck me how much I had grown to look like her. We had the same hazel eyes and upturned nose. Her mouth was wider and her lips fuller than mine, but I did carry some of my Dad’s features as well. I thought of him fondly though he had passed so many years ago. My memories of him were vague, but they were all warm and happy ones. I wanted to think he’d have been bursting with pride had he been standing here with us. I glanced at my mother’s eyes in the mirror and saw them glisten. She gave me a genuine, but close-lipped smile. It was soft and filled with more love than I’d ever seen on her face before. I smiled back widely, my own eyes beginning to prick with wetness.

  A pop and a cheer behind us, followed by a fizzing and splattering sound, took our attention from the quiet moment we’d been sharing. We turned to see Grace, Jessica, and Liz laughing as the bottle of champagne they’d opened spewed its contents all over the deep burgundy carpet.

  “One of you is going to have to pay for the cleaning in this place if you keep it up,” I said with a pointed look at Grace. She grinned back at me, completely unapologetic.

  “This is a celebration, Mimi! Things are bound to get a little messy with the four of us involved!”

  My mom sat down very primly on the velvet chaise near the window of the small room we occupied. I think she didn’t want to wrinkle the fawn-colored, shantung suit she wore. “Truer words have never been spoken,” she agreed. “I thought I’d never see the day any of you would change your wild and wanton ways.”

  “Hey,” Liz piped up uncharacteristically, “the only wanton here is Grace.”

  “She’s the only one of you who has settled down!” my mom exclaimed, referring to Grace’s recent marriage to Ike.

  “Oh, Mrs. Bishop!” Grace snorted in her usual brash fashion. “I may have gotten married, but nothing about me is settled down.”

  “Don’t get her started, Mom.” I clasped my hands over her ears. “If you do, I’ll have to listen to another play-by-play of their erotic honeymoon in Bali.”

  “Don’t you mean exotic?”

  All four of responded at once with an emphatic, “NO!”

  Grace giggled wildly. “Don’t worry Mrs. Bishop, I’ll find you later and fill you in on all the details. It was magical.”

  I groaned loudly. “Whatever you do, don’t ask to see the photos, Mom.” I’d seen just a couple. A shot of Ike’s bare and dimpled backside was enough to remove any curiosity I might have about the others. Grace winked conspiratorially at my mom, who gulped in response as her hand flitted to the tight French twist in her hair. My poor mother would never be the same once Grace had her pinned in a corner.

  The last year had flown by. Armando was in prison, like his sister. He had pled innocent to attempted battery and kidnapping, but the evidence against him was overwhelming. It didn’t help that he insisted on representing himself. The trial lasted only a day, with the jury returning a guilty verdict the following day.

  Their brothers did short stints in lock-up for their participation in the attack on Justin, but it was barely a few months for each of them. Fortunately, we hadn’t heard a single peep since from anyone with the last name Ortega.

  Sammy had grown dramatically. He had just turned two years old, but was much bigger than other kids his age. He had yet to say his first words, but his doctors told us although there could be a pronounced delay in speech, it didn’t mean he would never speak. His behavior hadn’t changed much over the year, but we were prepared for that. His doctors assured us as he grew, many of his more troublesome issues would begin to wane. Regardless, we’d found our normal, and we were happy with it.

  As everyone else was sipping from half-filled flutes of champagne, a knock at the door sounded, signaling it was time to gather in the vestibule. The girls downed their glasses while my mom took one last dainty sip and set hers on the marble coffee table. The girls looked gorgeous in their soft gold dresses, the color surprisingly flattering to them all. They assembled quietly into a line after grabbing their white and tiger-lily bouquets and filed out the door after Rosemary, our wedding planner. My mom came back over to me to hold my hands in hers.

  “I always knew this day would come even if you didn’t. You know I loved Vance dearly. He was most definitely a prince. But Justin… he’s your knight in shining armor, Mimi. I’m very, very, proud of you, and I know you two will have a long, full life together. I'm so happy. I don’t think I was even this happy on my own wedding day,” she said as she dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief she pulled from her sleeve. “Now go on, go give me a son-in-law again.”

  I was touc
hed by her words about Vance, brief though they were. It was hard to stand there in the long white dress, embellished with tiny beige flowers dotting the lower half of the skirt, and not think of him. I would love him forever. My wedding to him had been vastly different, quick and hurried, quiet and simple, but it had been very right for us. Today was going to be an elaborate event. Outside, one-hundred and fifty people sat waiting to watch Justin and I exchange vows. I knew less than half of them. Justin may have been an only child, but it turned out he had a large extended family. Audrey also had a wide circle of friends, and she invited each and every one of them. It seemed like they had all shown up, too, since the pews in the modest church we’d reserved were jam-packed.

  I smiled at my mom as she handed me my bouquet of sunset-colored roses with eucalyptus leaves. I took it with trembling hands. I’d been remarkably calm the entire day, easily laughing with the girls, sitting patiently for hair and make-up, never once having any wedding-day jitters. Now the big moment had arrived, I was stunned by my nervousness. I wasn’t sure of the cause. I had no qualms about joining my life to Justin’s for eternity. I knew he and Sammy were my home. Rosemary had assured me everything was in place, all our thorough preparations, mostly courtesy of Audrey, had ensured a snag-free ceremony. My dress was beautiful. The flowers, the girls, the church… everything was a sight to behold. Yet, my stomach fluttered with butterflies.

  My mom gave a soft chuckle. “It’s going to be fine, Mimi. It’s just stage-fright,” she said, picking up on my distress in the way only a mother can. “There are a lot of people out there, and you’re not used to being the center of attention. Trust me, there isn’t going to be a dry eye in the house. I think Audrey told everyone your story with Justin. We’re all waiting for the happy ending.”

  I took a deep breath and nodded. My mom knew me well. She gave my free hand one last squeeze before leading me out in to the vestibule.