Breaking Spades

by W. Ferraro

  You can do this, Gates. She needs you to be on your best behavior. I’m sure there will be a throne in Heaven, or a dunce chair in Hell for you for your actions tonight.

  Slow and steady, he walked her out of the bar and down the porch steps of the Hamden watering hole. With hysterical laughs from her and many near stumbles, he finally got her to her car. He opened the passenger door, and indicated for her to get in, but she had another idea.

  CeCe stood in the open car door with Jarod in front of her, and she touched his chest while the sexiest of smiles crossed her face.

  Yup, definitely the dunce chair in Hell.

  “You know, it’s been a while since we rocked the backseat of a car,” she lifted up on tiptoes and brought her lips to his.

  All eternity in Hell, would it really be that bad?

  “I don’t think your backseat should be rocking anywhere tonight,” he answered moving his head away from those all too tempting lips of hers.

  “Come on, Jarod, don’t you want to relive that moment? We could drive back up to that secluded spot you brought me to all those years ago and fucked the brains out of my virginity.”

  CeCe plastered herself to his front; the low-cut drape of her top exposed her, causing her to giggle and look up at him coyly and say, “See, even my tits think the idea is great. You know your cock wants me.”

  Nuns. MREs. Ms. Taylor’s sixth-grade science class. Colonel, the collie Jarod had when he was six. He flooded his memory of all things that could freeze his impulse to take her up on everything she was offering, damn the consequences.

  With quick hands, he fixed her top so she was safely tucked back in, and lightly held on to her upper arms, pushing her backwards, creating space between their bodies, “You don’t know what you are asking. It’s the booze talking.”

  With a little bit of fight, he was finally able to get her in the passenger seat and closed the door. He slid behind the steering wheel and put its 400hp into gear. When he finally pulled out of the parking lot and was heading in the direction of her apartment, he let out a relieved breath that he was able to refrain from the ultimate temptation.

  As if she read his mind, CeCe removed her seatbelt and shifted her body so she faced him. With a wicked and seductive grin she laid her hand on his lap.

  “Hmmm, something seems to want to come out and play,”

  With more force than he should have handled her, he threw off her hand and righted her in the passenger seat. “Enough, CeCe!”

  With a huff, she suddenly became defensive, “What? Suddenly you don’t want in my pants? Once an asshole, always an asshole!”

  Jarod locked his jaw together; grinding his teeth to what he was sure would be dust. He gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckle force. The fifteen-minute ride seemed like fifteen hours in the silent car. When he pulled into the parking spot at her apartment building, he exited quickly and took a moment in the night air, where her smell didn’t surround him, and his brain wasn’t focusing on what they could be doing in the backseat of this muscle car right now. When he finally thought he had enough control, he walked around the car and opened the passenger door. He offered his hand, but she scoffed at it.

  He got her into the building and up the stairs to her apartment. When they entered, she turned to him, placing a hand on his chest, “I don’t want you here.”

  “Let me just get you into bed and I’ll leave.” He said, as her face began to turn green.

  CeCe pivoted quickly, heading directly to her kitchen sink, knowing she would never make the bathroom. Unfortunately, she didn’t make the sink either. However, Jarod was able to catch her around the waist with one hand, and wrap her hair up in the other before she emptied the contents of her stomach onto the floor and his shoes. She wretched, and wretched. When it finally seemed to stop, saying nothing, he grabbed a towel, poured cold water onto it and washed her face before handing her a glass of water.

  She didn’t argue, or utter a word. Once she drank the water, Jarod guided her down the hall to her bedroom. Faced with the decision to strip her down, or put her to bed in puked splattered clothes, he knew no man had ever been so tempted before. He lifted the top up and over her head before sitting her down on the edge of the bed. She was swaying so badly, she actually collapsed backwards. With surprising quickness, he efficiently removed her heels and pants, leaving her in just her barely-there bra and silk scrap of panties.

  Jarod was rock hard as he looked at her, laid out on the bed in the most delicious of sexual ways, but he held his desire in check as he scooped her up, just high enough to adjust her position, and pulled the covers over her. She was asleep faster before he could click on the bedside lamp.

  He went into the bathroom, looked in her medicine cabinet and found the bottle of aspirin. He returned to her bedroom and left two caplets and a glass of water next to the bed. And the wastebasket, just in case.

  Jarod watched as CeCe slept. What he wouldn’t do for this woman. He leaned down and kissed her forehead with a lingering kiss before righting himself and leaving the room. He cleaned the mess in the kitchen, ensured the apartment was tidy and secure before he let himself out.

  As he walked into the warm summer night, he could honestly say he was proud of himself for not giving in. It would have been amazing instant gratification, but in the bigger picture of getting CeCe in his life permanently, she needed to know, and see, that he could do the right thing. That he would always try to do the right thing, even though it was the furthest thing from what he wanted.

  That dunce chair might just have to wait a little bit longer, after all.

  Jarod was sitting in his truck, reading through some emails from his friends running the prints, when her mustang pulled into the plaza parking lot. Rather than park where he usually did, off in the back corner of the lot, this morning he chose to park in the front row where she parked.

  He noticed her high ponytail and dark sunglasses. Her face didn’t exactly grimace as she got out of the car, but it wasn’t anywhere near a smile, either. She was definitely hurting. His window already down, he poked the bear, saying, louder than he should, “How you feeling there, Rock star?”

  “Like I’ve been hit in the head with a 2x4.” She whispered. She started to walk away, but then stopped and turned back to him, “Thank you for getting me home last night. I hope I wasn’t too much trouble.”

  Jarod looked at her and confirmed she looked completely unsure of her actions the night before. But even in the state of complete hangover remorse, she still looked amazing. Her long hair hung from its clasp in a curtain of silk. The black and white paisley dress she wore clung to her curves beautifully and she still opted for four-inch heels. She was a complete pro, through and through. Should he remind her she threw herself at him, or not? He opted for the route that would get him closer to the seat in Heaven, “No trouble at all. After we hung out at the bar, you fell asleep in the car, and I drove you home. You walked up of your own accord, and I left once I knew you were safely inside.” And if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you.

  “So weird, I don’t remember anything after the second round of drinks. When did I turn into such a lightweight?”

  “It happens, yesterday was a rough day, and you are entitled.” He said hoping this would close the subject.

  She must have sensed his closure, opting for, “Well, thank you again. I better head in.”

  “I’ll be here,” Jarod answered, knowing the words meant so much more than their context.

  CeCe smiled and nodded her head ever so slightly, and walked to her store and let herself in the front.

  Jarod watched as she walked away from him, thinking of how great her ass looked from this particular direction, and how they’d had a good connection just then he hoped she wouldn’t be able to brush off any time soon, or ever.

  To CeCe’s amazement, Kelleigh did come into work, but she remained quite quiet, which was just as well, since Cece wasn’t up for chitchat. They worked alongsid
e each other in peaceful silence. Jarod came in about mid afternoon.

  “Hey. Is everything alright?” CeCe asked, hating the alarm she felt when she saw him enter the store.

  “Yeah, I was wondering, since you don’t seem too busy, if I could get back up to that camera.”

  “Oh, uh yeah, sure.” CeCe said, directing him to the back where the ladder was.

  Suddenly, Kelleigh became jittery, “CeCe, I’m not really feeling too hot again, I’m going to take my break now, if I can.”

  CeCe was annoyed at the sudden request, “Go ahead and take your break, but, Kelleigh, I have to say, if this continues, I’m going to have to let you go.”

  The younger woman said she understood and headed out to her car.

  “Everything alright?” Jarod asked as he carried the ladder out.

  CeCe watched the sexy man carry the heavy ladder with ease across the store and open it. “Yeah, I’m sure it is your fault that I suddenly don’t trust her, but I admit, she has been acting funny.”

  “Just don’t give too much away, or hint that you think she might be connected somehow,” Jarod said before he climbed up and went to work on the camera.

  CeCe busied herself folding product until Jarod stepped down the ladder, camera in hand. She watched him silently head back to the office. She followed right behind him, concerned with the look on his face. He was at the security system checking the wiring.

  “Something wrong?”

  “Yeah, a lot of things.” Jarod said before he let out a scream of frustration. “Fucker!”

  CeCe rushed to his side, “What?”

  “Someone hacked into your security feed.”

  Her eyes went wide at his words. Jarod explained how the box fed the wires to the system and how they ran through the ceiling to where the four cameras were.

  “But you see this blue wire?” he asked as he showed her the camera he held in his hand with two black wires, and a much smaller blue wire, coming out of it. “It doesn’t belong to your security system, but I can’t tell where the feed is going.”

  Suddenly, she felt completely exposed and violated. Someone was watching her, every day, every moment she was here. Suddenly this went beyond the sick prick wanting a date by sending anonymous flowers, this was worse, much worse than anything she thought beforehand.

  She listened as Jarod called Max; her attention returned to his face as he spoke intently into the phone, “No way, this is going to my guy today. Well, I guess you will just have to arrest me, Idarraga.” Jarod disconnected the call and returned the phone to his pocket.

  Just then, Kelleigh came back in, but she avoided eye contact with CeCe and Jarod.

  “Look I need to take this down to my tech guy right now, Max says he has someone en route, but I would rather not wait. Will you be okay?”

  Even though she didn’t feel it, she answered, “I’ll be fine.”

  Jarod looked over CeCe’s head and addressed Kelleigh, “Are you working out the rest of your shift?”

  She responded yes, it was going to have to be good enough. He looked back to CeCe and she held his gaze for a moment before saying, “Go.”

  “I’ll be back in one hour.” And then he was out the door and in his truck.

  The next twenty minutes were tense until CeCe decided she was being ridiculous. The police would be here in a moment, if they weren’t already. She squared her shoulders and went back to work. She looked to Kelleigh, who was holding her stomach and grimacing in pain.

  “Kel? What is going on?”

  “CeCe I just don’t feel well.” Her friend replied, but the way she was holding herself didn’t remind CeCe of a stomachache. But she couldn’t disagree; Kelleigh did not look well.

  CeCe rushed to her friend, applying a hand of comfort to the younger woman’s arm, “Are you okay to drive, or do you want me to call someone?” Being this close to Kelleigh she noticed the heavy makeup on her face. Suddenly, warning bells were going off.

  “Kelleigh, is the reason you’ve been out for days is you needed to let the bruises heal?” CeCe felt like an interloper, but if the roles were reversed she would want someone to care.

  Suddenly Kelleigh began to cry, “Oh Cees, I’ve been so stupid. Talk about textbook case of idiocy and foolishness. I believed him, I believed he cared about me, but the minute I began asking questions he turned on me, so viciously. I was so embarrassed and ashamed. I couldn’t face you, or anybody.”

  CeCe felt horrible, and for second-guessing the sweet girl she knew Kelleigh to be, and allowing doubt to blind her to what she knew; Kelleigh may be a different type of person, but she was still a good person, through and through.

  “Is this stomach pain because of him?”

  Kelleigh couldn’t muster the words, she just nodded her head, and suddenly CeCe wanted to find this poor excuse for a man and give him an introduction to her four-inch heel.

  “Okay, this is what you are going to do, you are going to go home and rest. I really would like you to call the police and report him. I will stand by you with whatever comes of your report. Just know I will not allow you to go through this alone.” CeCe insisted. Flashes of what she went through, the shame she felt, as well as the loneliness of the situation. CeCe was lucky, Dylan rescued her, in many aspects, and if she could return the favor to Kelleigh, she would.

  “But Jarod told me to work out my shift, and I can’t afford to lose this job, CeCe.”

  “Yeah well, Jarod’s name isn’t painted on the front glass either. And your job will be waiting for you when you are well enough.” She gave her friend a kind look.

  Once Kelleigh was in her car, CeCe watched her pull out of the plaza parking lot. She then noticed the parked patrol car facing her store.

  See all’s good, Cees.

  The patrolman, Officer Nichols, entered the store next, asking her if everything was all right, and while she was talking to him, Derrick entered.

  CeCe was thrilled to see him, but at the same time, disappointed he wasn’t Jarod.

  Officer Nichols asked if CeCe knew him, and when she assured him she was perfectly safe with Derrick, he moved to leave.

  She thanked him for coming by. Tipping his hat to her, he left the store and a moment later, the patrol car pulled away from the curb.

  “Did I miss something?” Derrick asked confused at the sight of the police.

  “Unfortunately, yes, but I don’t want to talk about it. I’m so happy you came in,” she answered.

  After another few moments of chitchat, Derrick remembered he had forgotten something in his car for her and said he’d be right back. She started using the carpet sweeper while she waited; she had just finished the area in front of the service desk when Derrick returned carrying something behind his back.

  “I brought you something.” He smiled as he walked towards her.

  “Oh, you didn’t need to do that.” She leaned the carpet sweeper against the counter.

  “I wanted to—no, I mean, I needed to. It’s been too long,” he pulled a floral box from behind his back.

  CeCe smiled, knowing if anyone could erase the memory of bad floral boxes, Derrick could. She opened the long white floral box, and her breath seized and her heart stopped. Amongst the green tissue paper lay twelve long stem white roses. Beautiful, perfectly pristine and exquisite, but to CeCe they were poisonous. She dropped the box and the blooms spilled out. Her hands flew to her mouth, muffling the scream that couldn’t make it past her throat.

  “Cees?” Derrick asked, befuddled.

  “Derrick? It was you?”

  “What?”

  “The roses?” she couldn’t believe the words were passing her lips.

  She watched as his face went from confusion to astonishment, “Oh my God! No! I would never. You have to believe me. This was a mistake, a huge, colossal mistake on my part. CeCe, I’m an idiot. I’ve been so busy I didn’t even think. Please baby, you can’t think I would do such a thing!”

  CeCe stepped backward
s slowly at first then all she could think to do was run. She ran back to her office, grabbed her cell phone and locked herself in the bathroom. Without thought, her fingers moved across the screen until his deep voice answered.

  She screamed, “It’s Derrick! He is the one who has been sending the roses!” Not processing anything else, she withdrew the phone from her ear, but held onto it as if it controlled her gravitational pull to the floor.

  She could hear Derrick pleading his innocence as his fist pounded on the other side of the sturdy door. The handle jiggled over and over again. CeCe slid down the wall until her bottom rested on the floor, still clutching her phone in her hand.

  It seemed like he pounded on the door forever, but finally, all attempts to break down the door stopped and for a moment, there was silence. CeCe was still too scared to move. Then she heard the deep voice coming through the door instead of through her phone. Yelling ensued followed by a thumping sound and then silence. After another few moments, there was a soft knock on the bathroom door.

  “Kitten, it’s okay, you can come out.”

  Cece pulled herself up slowly, and with shaking hands undid the surprisingly sturdy lock. She slowly opened the door and was met by the cool blue eyes she would know anywhere.

  Without thought, she ran into the open embrace that was waiting for her. She was engulfed in warmth and strength, and it felt wonderful. With bravery she did not feel, she moved her head to the left, peaking past Jarod’s strong bicep to where Derrick sat. He was hunched over in one of the extra chairs with his hands behind his back. As if sensing her gaze, Derrick lifted his head and she saw the bruise that began to grow under his right eye, and what looked like a something stuffed in his mouth.

  Their eyes connected and suddenly CeCe felt uneasy. But not from being threatened, rather her conscience was trying to tell her something. She chalked it up to her adrenaline and quickly looked elsewhere.