by Brook Wilder
“I’ve been good,” Junie said, putting on her seatbelt. She pulled out and drove off, Amy’s words ringing in her ears. For a while, the two of them said nothing. She had made it a point to talk to Amy about what happened, to at least try and sort things out between them, but she had ulterior motives. She felt guilty for having those motives, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there, regardless. “So, where would you like to go?”
“You wanted to go to that place downtown… what was its name? Fendi?”
“Yeah, Fendi,” Junie said, squinting at the sun pouring through the windshield. In her peripheral vision she could see Amy nodding, but somehow, Junie knew she wasn’t being genuine. She knew her sister, she knew what she was like. “So, I’ve been wanting to talk to you,” she said after a long pause.
“Save it,” Amy said sharply. “We’ll talk when we get there.”
That is definitely not a good start, Junie thought to herself. Amy looked stoic, almost like a doll; Junie couldn’t handle it. It made no sense to her that she was being this way. But she told herself to stay patient because, if she were to blow up in her sister’s face, there was no telling how she would react. After all, Amy was just about as unpredictable as Junie was. “Alright,” she said coldly. Finally, she pulled over in front of a jazz cafe next to Amy’s favorite burger place, and she wondered why her sister didn’t just bring her there, instead. The two of them walked up a few steps and headed for the only table in sight. The place was as crowded as ever.
“So, why are we really here?” Amy asked, raising an eyebrow at her sister.
“We’re here so I can talk to you,” Junie said, matter of factly.
“But we did talk,” Amy said, her lips barely moving. She crossed one leg over the other, assuming a rather aloof posture, and then she looked away, her eyes fixated on nothing in particular.
“Amy, I don’t think you’re being reasonable,” Junie said, leaning in across the table. “I need you to listen to me.”
“Listen to what?” Amy snapped. She looked around to make sure no one was listening. “You tell me you want to go on some suicide mission, and you expect me to do what? Throw you a going away party?!”
“It’s not a suicide mission,” Junie lied. “It’s not like that.” There was a pause. Junie was looking somewhere over Amy’s shoulder. She turned around, only to find Jon-Boy standing a couple of meters away from their table. “Hey!” Junie said.
“Don’t you dare invite him to come sit over here,” Amy hissed, but it was too late. Jon-Boy was already making a beeline for their table.
“Hello, ladies,” he said, his pearly teeth showing through his smile. His eyes darted from Junie, to Amy, and then to Junie again. He raised an eyebrow at her, and when she motioned for him to come sit down, he pulled a chair and slumped down on it. Amy rolled her eyes. She didn’t even try to be discreet about it, and when Jon-Boy noticed, he shook his head, flashing Amy a coy smile. “Now, that’s one warm welcome,” he said, leaning back in his chair with no intention of getting up.
“No, I’m just not feeling so good,” Amy said, shifting in her seat.
“Hey, wait,” Junie said, her eyes growing wider than a set of plates. ‘Please don’t go.”
Amy took in a breath and let it out through her teeth. Her eyes were darting back and forth frantically, and for a moment she thought she would get up and storm out of the place. Junie was just staring at her, as if trying to anticipate her next move, and when she realized that all eyes were on her, she decided to pipe down. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said after a long pause.
“Would you care for a drink?” Jon-Boy asked, nodding to the waiter. “One glass of bourbon, please,” he said.
“You know my favorite drink,” Amy said, rather to herself. Jon-Boy exchanged glances with Junie before he leaned in close to Amy, but not too close as to make her uncomfortable.
“Oh, that’s a nice coincidence,” Jon-Boy said, raising an eyebrow at her. Amy looked at him and held his gaze; for a second Junie thought they had ignited a spark. “I’m sorry to intrude on you girls like that,” he said again, his lips curving to a smile. Amy noticed how nice his smile was, but she didn’t say anything. She just looked away, locking eyes with Junie, who just flashed her a smirk.
“No, that’s okay,” Junie said, shaking her head. Her eyes darted from Amy, to Jon-Boy, and then to Amy again, but she didn’t look very pleased. Junie wondered if this was all a bad idea. “Amy, do you mind?” she mouthed to her.
Amy shook her head. “No,” she said with her hands clasped in her lap. “I think I’m going to use the bathroom.” She shot up, stepping on what could only be a lemon peel. “Oh, fuck,” she squealed, her feet flying out from under her. She grabbed onto the table edge, but her legs gave out, and she found herself clawing at the hardwood before she finally fell to her knees. Suddenly she felt a pair of arms come around her waist, hauling her up and helping her back onto her stool.
“That was a close one,” Jon-Boy said. Amy looked up and all she saw was his smile, his perfect row of teeth filling her view.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, her cheeks turning a radiant red. “That was embarrassing.”
“Tripping over?” Jon-Boy asked. “Don’t be silly.”
“No, slipping over a slimy lemon peel in the middle of a fancy cafe,” Amy said, flipping her lustrous locks to the side. Jon-Boy just watched her as she parted her hair and started braiding it, a habit she had picked up since she was a little kid. Whenever she got nervous, she would braid her hair.
“Don’t worry about it,” Jon-Boy said, the corners of his lips curving upwards. His smile looked so genuine that even Amy thought he was cute. She eyed him carefully, as if trying to figure out what his intentions were, but he gave her no reason to suspect him, no reason at all. His warm hazel eyes were boring into her, and she could feel herself getting weaker by the second. Who the fuck was this guy and why was he running into them at this time of day? Something was off. “So, Amy, what do you do?” he asked suddenly, changing the subject.
It’s none of your business, she thought to herself. “I’m a first grade teacher,” she said.
“And how do you find working with kids? Is it enjoyable?” he asked, his head cocked to the side. He stared at her with such interest, that it almost felt like he was extracting the information from her. Amy didn’t really want to tell him much about herself at all.
“It’s pretty enjoyable,” she breathed.
“Do you like kids?” Jon-Boy asked, staring at her through heavy-lidded eyes.
“Yeah,” she nodded.
“I love kids, too,” he said, his lips curving to an even wider smile. “I’ve always wanted kids… I just never met the right woman to have them with.”
“Me neither,” Amy said, her eyes dropping to the floor. “It takes a lot to find that person.”
“Yeah, it takes a lot of looking,” he said. There was a pause. “But sometimes you don’t have to look, sometimes you just realize that this person has been sitting straight across from you this entire time.” Amy didn’t say anything. The truth was, she was getting annoyed. “Like Junie over here,” he smirked. Junie chuckled.
Phew, false alarm, Amy thought to herself. She leaned back in her seat, trying not to appear too paranoid. After all, Junie looked pretty relaxed around him--a bit too relaxed--so she figured there was no way Jon-Boy was a creep if she was this kicked-back around him.
“So, is that why you became a teacher, because you love kids?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Amy said. “I want to pass something onto those kids.”
“You’re a very bright person, do you know that?” Jon-Boy asked, turning to her. At that point he was facing her, their knees touching as they spoke.
“Oh please,” Amy said, averting her gaze to the floorboards.
“No, I’m serious,” he said, a serious look on his face. “You come off as pretty ambitious, and I just met you minutes ago.”
Junie wond
ered if she was taking this a bit too far. After all, she didn’t know Jon-Boy, she didn’t know what his intentions were towards her sister. All she knew was that they were using him to distract her sister so she wouldn’t go to the police. Meanwhile, Junie would sneak out and resume her mission with Aiden. Suddenly she felt the walls closing in on her. What was she doing? Her sister was caught up in conversation with a complete stranger, and she was the one who set it all up. She felt horrible.
“I think we should go now,” she said suddenly. Jon-Boy shook his head frantically.
Chapter 11 (cont’d)
“What? But you just got here,” he said, tilting his head sideways. He didn’t really get why Junie was doing what she was doing, but he looked furious. Was she just about to ruin their plans? Her sister was hitting it off with him, but that didn’t mean Junie wanted to leave her there with him for any longer. She thought she should just come to her senses and get her sister out of this situation before it got ugly.
“Yeah, but I’m not feeling well,” she said after a long pause. “Amy, do you mind?”
“No, not at all,” she said, her face drooping to a scowl. She shot Junie a worried glare. Had her sister lost her mind?
“Oh, wait,” Junie jumped, feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket. Aiden’s name was flashing across her screen. Meet me at the Cave, now. Junie clasped her hands in her lap and started to look around her like a maniac. Through the corner of her eye she could see her sister, staring at her like she was a crazy person.
“Junie, what the hell’s going on?” she asked, shaking her head. “You’re acting all weird.”
Junie’s mind was going haywire. She had planned on leaving her sister with Jon-Boy while she and Aiden went on the mission together, but now that she felt like she couldn’t trust the hazel-eyed man with the wide grin and broad shoulders sitting across from her, a part of her felt like she would back out at any second. Jon-Boy was just staring at her, waiting for her to get up and leave. He could see Aiden texting her, but something was keeping her there. He just didn’t know that something was him.
“Nothing, nothing’s going on,” she said. “I just really need to go.” Suddenly Junie hopped off her chair and headed for the exit. There was no turning back now. Something went off in her head, like a switch, and it made her want to go over there, to Aiden. She gave him her word, she knew she couldn’t break that. Otherwise, his life would be at risk. The lives of ten other men would be at risk. She couldn’t compromise that. But what about Amy? Was Jon-Boy that much of a threat? Junie knew nothing about him, and it drove her crazy. She picked her phone up and dialed Aiden’s number. “Hello? Hey,” she whispered.
“Hey,” Aiden said. “Where are you? You’re late.”
“I’m on my way right now,” she said, stomping on the gas pedal. Her car raced down the highway, and before she knew it, she was on the outskirts of town. The landscape shifted from city to forestry; Junie knew she was getting close. “I’m really sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”
“Listen,” Aiden said sharply. “I’m going to need you to focus with me here… now is not the time to panic.”
“I know it’s not!” Junie spat. “I can’t help it, Aiden, I just left Amy over there with Jon-Boy! What if he does something to her?!”
“Something like what?” Aiden hissed, his whispers almost inaudible.
“I don’t know! What if he comes on to her, or harasses her, or molests her?” Junie asked, her voice even more desperate than before. She couldn’t believe what she had just done. She just left her sister with a total stranger. “I’m sorry I’m panicking like this but I just really need you to reassure me right now.”
“Junie,” Aiden said, his voice firm. “I’ve known Jon-Boy for ten years now… he’s harmless. And he’s gay.”
There was silence. “He’s gay?” Junie asked, almost mirroring his tone of voice.
“Yes, he’s gay,” Aiden said again. “All of this, it was an act just to lure your sister in and possibly distract her. She can’t go to the police, Junie, or we’re both screwed.”
“I know, I know,” she said, calmer this time. She floored the gas pedal and moved forward, the open road stretching out indefinitely in front of her. A million thoughts were rushing through her mind at once; thoughts about Amy, thoughts about Aiden, thoughts about Matt. She couldn’t stop thinking about Matt, and what he would possibly do without her. That thought alone motivated her to go on. “Listen, I’m sorry I’m giving you trouble,” she said again. “I’m almost there.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Aiden said, going back to his old empathetic tone. “Do you have your first aid kit on you?” he asked.
“I most certainly do,” Junie said, smiling to herself. But it was a fake smile, the smile you use to tell yourself that everything will be okay. Not so long after, Junie pulled over at the bottom of the hill where the bar is said to be nested. She caught a glimpse of Aiden’s motorcycle parked somewhere along the side of the road, so she parked her car next to it and started up the flowery hill. The sun was setting, and Junie knew she would have trouble reaching the top without a flashlight. But she continued to trek in darkness, thinking that, if anyone were to catch a glimpse of her walking up that hill, she was screwed. In the distance she could see silhouettes lurking in the forest, and she immediately recognized one of them as Aiden. His hand shot up in the air, and she charged towards him, throwing her arms around him desperately and pulling him close.
“We can do this, you can do this,” he spoke into her ear. Junie wrapped his arms around his neck and wouldn’t let go. She couldn’t stop thinking about her sister, and neither could she stop worrying about what would go down in there. “I’m scared for you,” she muttered. “I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“Hey, we came up with a plan and we’re going to execute it,” Aiden said, his eyes locked on hers. “Now, we’re going to wait out here,” he said, pointing to an obscure point in the middle of the creaking trees. “And you’re going to go in there, as we planned… and you’re going to try and lure as many of them out of that bar as you can.”
Junie nodded. She and Aiden had devised a plan for her to distract them. It was an intimidating plan, a role she wasn’t sure she could play. “Alright,” she said, taking in a deep breath and making her way for the entrance. She pushed the door open, the sound of Western music seeping outside for a few moments before it died out again. Aiden led the way into the forest, crouching down behind a bunch of trees. His mates were crouched down next to him; there must’ve been at least five of them, and they watched as Junie disappear behind the door. It was like the place swallowed her, and they couldn’t see her anymore. The first thing she saw when she walked in was an endless sea of faces. She didn’t recognize any of them, but she recognized the logos on their jackets. When she spotted a group of Mercenaries huddled around the bar, she went up to them, a cheeky smile plastered to her face.
“Why, hello there, boys,” she said, climbing onto the bar stool. The four men just stared at her. One of them was looking her up and down, as if trying to jog his memory, but when he decided in and of himself that he didn’t recognize her, he just turned back around. “Are you from around here?”
“Why, yes, we are,” one of them said, raising an eyebrow at Junie. He raised one leg over the bar stool, his big belly protruding in front of him. “What brings you here?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m just looking to… you know, make a living around here,” she said, her lips curving to a smile. Right away, he knew what that meant. The rest of them turned to look at her, and it seemed that, with every interested spectator, Junie got a little bit more flirtatious. “Care to accept my offer?” She cocked her head to the side playfully, her eyes searching his.
“It depends… what do you have to offer?” he asked, shifting in his seat. Junie knew she had gotten to him, somehow.
“Only the best night of your life,” she said, her lips slightly parted. She was gazing int
o the man’s eyes, and suddenly, it seemed to her like he couldn’t resist her. He turned to look at his mates, who all nodded at him in approval. “So, what do you say?” Junie asked again, her pearly teeth showing through her smile.
“I can’t say no to a lady like you,” he said, shrugging. Junie flipped her hair to the side and started tugging at it. She never thought she would do something like this. She thought about her son, how disappointed he would be if he knew, but then she told herself that she was doing it all for him.
“Care to follow me outside?” she asked, reaching her hand out to him. He took her hand and squeezed it, and he stared at her with such lust that a part of her felt like she was going to gag. He bit his bottom lip and nodding towards the door. Junie forced a smile, and then she led the way. “Gentlemen, would you like to join?” she asked, turning to look at the rest of them. They jumped in their seats, glancing at each other hastily before they all got up in unison, following Junie outside. She made a beeline for the door, her eyes focused on her target. She knew Aiden would still be waiting for her outside, waiting to make his big entrance. All four men stepped out into the darkness, following Junie deeper into the woods until they settled at a spot a couple of meters away from the bar. One of them was fumbling with his fly, and Junie wondered if she should be scared for her life. She couldn’t make out their faces, but she could tell they were staring at her like a pack of hungry lions. She looked around, her eyes scanning the place. She had told Aiden she would make herself visible to him so that he knew she was out there, so she reached into her pockets, pulling out her phone and pretending to check the time. “Why, it’s getting pretty late,” she said with a smirk on her face. “We’d better not waste any time.” And that was when she turned on the flashlight. “Woah, woah, I’m sorry,” she said, fumbling with her phone. She waved it in the air a little before she stuffed it back into her pockets.
