by Michelle Lee
“Yeah you were so serious then. It didn’t take long for you to lighten up. Then you didn’t take anything serious, except when my mom would chase you with the wooden spoon.”
“I hated that spoon. She used to whack me good with it, too.”
“You deserved it. Don’t play innocent. Sometimes, I miss her so much it hurts.” Brody grabs me and pulls me into a huge hug. He kisses the top of my head. “She would be so proud of the man you turned out to be. Tell me again, what she looked like the morning of her accident.”
Sighing Brody starts to talk, “I brought in her newspaper like I did every morning, and we sat at the kitchen table and drank coffee. She had her dark hair all pinned up pretty on the top of her head with little pieces hanging around her face, like you do sometimes. She had on a long yellow sun dress; that brought out her blue-green eyes, and had a little white short sleeved sweater over it, you remember how she was always cold? She wore a little make up and lip gloss. She looked stunning.” Brody has to stop for a second to swallow; she was a wonderful woman who became a surrogate mom to him. “She really liked the man she was going on the date with. It was their 6 month anniversary.” He laughs lightly before continuing. “She smiled continuously, the entire time I was there for my visit. She wanted me to tell you she misses you every day and loves you so much.”
Charlie still in Brody’s arms, while he retells her mother’s last day on Earth, starts to cry. Not a lot, just silent tears to mourn the mother that meant so much to them both. She didn’t get to see her mom too much after she moved away with Michael. She mourns the life she misses and the man who is holding her. They don’t see each other very much anymore, either. Michael doesn’t like it, and now he has Steph.
Speaking of Steph, she is watching them have their moment with hatred in her eyes. They weren’t speaking very loud so she probably doesn’t even know what they’re talking about. She backs away from Brody and nods her head in Steph’s direction.
Brody walks over to her and rubs up and down her arms. They whisper back and forth. Michael walks over and grabs her arm and pulls her into the shadows. “What was that little display all about?”
“I’m sorry; I just started to miss my mom. Brody was the son she couldn’t have. You know how close they were. I used to tease her and say she liked him more than me.”
“Do not ever let him touch you, ever.” He squeezes my arm, hard. “Do you understand? You are an embarrassment to me. You throw yourself over and over at anyone who will give you attention.”
“I’m sorry.” I will say anything as long as he lets my arm go. If he squeezes any harder I think he’ll break it.
“Hey you guys ready? I think we are going to see Twilight. If you want you can see your movie and we’ll meet up later.” Brody is looking at us weird. He sees Mike’s hand on my arm and his jaw starts to jump. “Everything ok?”
Michael lets go, “Yeah, great. I was just reminding Char, that it’s rude to bring up memories in front of your new girlfriend. We are just meeting her and tonight should be about getting to know her better, not listen to the two of you tell war stories.”
“Sorry, Stephanie, I was being rude and selfish.”
“Thank you. Please call me Steph, I hate Stephanie.”
They were together for one month that night, it would take another 3 ½ years for Steph to move in with Brody, but they would live together for 1 ½ years. It took a long time For Brody to stay with her exclusively. He liked to be with other women. As soon as she moved in, he stopped seeing other women, and it was just her. She was patient enough to wait for him.
They made Steph happy and went to see Twilight. Charlie didn’t hate it but it wasn’t great either. The guys hated it and decided Steph is not allowed to pick movies anymore. Everyone, except Charlie, was having fun. She was pouting. I hate Stephanie, why? She is high maintenance. She is snotty, and can be rude to people that are around her. She does this hair flip thing that is driving me crazy. I want to rip it out.
***********
“Oh, my God, all this time. I never realized it. I have loved him forever.” Charlie is lying in bed. “Well now what?” Charlie hears her phone go off like she has a voicemail. Taking it out of her back pocket, she hits the tape-recorder app and enters her password.
“Hey, it’s me, just letting you know I made it. The plane didn’t crash. Just kidding. I have training this evening from 5-10, so I won’t be able to call until late. I hope you’re ok. Please call me; just leave me a message, so I can hear your voice. I miss you. See you tomorrow, good night, I love you.”
Just hearing his voice is enough to lift her spirits. She forgets being thrown out of her apartment, the picture by the dumpster, and Steph being a bitch. She forgets long enough to call him back and fill her voice with the love she feels for him.
His phone goes straight to voicemail. “Hey, I just got your message. I’m glad you arrived safe and sound. I had an eventful day, which I will fill you in about when you come home. Patrick is a very nice man. Thank you for picking him to be my babysitter. I am sitting in my room, laying on my bed thinking about you. I didn’t know I could miss you so much after, what is it, 10 hours?” Laughing she continues “Maybe it’s just because I know you are not going to be here tonight. Well, I guess I will talk to you later. I don’t care how late it is, please call me. I love you. I can’t stop thinking about your goodbye this morning. Miss you.” She kisses into the phone and hangs up. Feeling a little self conscience she covers her eyes and shakes her head.
CHAPTER 34
Michael finishes another day at his worthless fucking job. He hates that place and the people he works with. They are so stupid. A monkey could be taught their job and they act like it is so hard. Idiots.
He is sitting in his car looking at the pictures from the camera he installed into Charlie’s pc at work. He has live video feed and a tiny camera he can take still shots with; and they both come directly to a laptop he carries with him. He prints out a few pictures. One is of her and a co worker talking, another is her thinking of something that has her a little flushed and she is biting her lip. He imagines it because of something he said to her.
It is time for her to go home, what is taking her so long to leave? Half an hour later she exits the building, goes to her car and drives. He follows, like he does every day, to her old apartment? She isn’t supposed to come here. He waits to see what is going to happen.
Charlie gets out of the car and walks inside. The door closes behind her so he waits some more. He still has his keys so he can get in after she is settled, if he wants to.
A big man goes in the door about five minute after she does. He looks familiar but Michael can’t place his face. An hour goes by finally he can’t take it anymore; he goes into his apartment and watches from across the street.
Charlie and the big guy are packing up boxes and laughing. They look like old friends. “I don’t remember him.” Michael continues to watch and the he gets a permanent marker and writes on the picture of her and her friend from work. He looks to make sure they are still busy and walks outside.
Outside, he crosses the street and puts the picture where she can see it. Charlie is a creature of habit. That is what makes her such an easy target. After 10 years Michael knows her routines like they are his. She will empty out the fridge if she won’t be home for a couple days. Then she will go to the dumpster to throw away the bag. That is when she will see the picture.
He goes back inside to watch from the safety of his home. Sitting down he watches but takes out his phone and dials a stored number. It rings while he waits. A husky female voice answers, “Yes?”
“I am waiting for news from you. Has the target arrived?”
“Yes. Just arrived. I am going to be seeing him in our training session in about an hour.”
“Good. You know what you need to do. Call me as soon as you’re finished.” Then he hangs up. Opening his laptop he books a 2am flight to Chicago. He pays using a fake identity.
He has a couple of identities. Each fake person; has a fake life, with fake debt, and fake job. He has social security cards and birth certificates for each one also. He knows just the right amount of the wrong people. And he can pay, too.
The big guy comes out puts a box in Charlie’s car and heads inside. A little while later he brings out box number two. He and Charlie have a discussion on the street she stomps down the alley he walks slowly giving her some space, and hallelujah, she finds the picture.
Laughing Michael takes his time as he gets into his car and drives to Brody’s neighborhood. He knows she will beat him but that’s ok, he has a lot to get ready for tonight. He leaves his glasses on and his fake paunch, he can’t get sloppy now, it’s so close to being ready. He whistles as he drives. He loves when a plan starts to come together.
CHAPTER 35
Brody is sitting at the hotel bar, after having said good night to Kevin. He is enjoying a whiskey on the rocks. The slow burn of the alcohol running down his throat is soothing. His nerves are shot. He can’t stop thinking about Charlie. He hates that she is alone. He is so lost in his thoughts he doesn’t realize someone is speaking to him.
“Hello, Brody, right? You were in the training session. You look like you could use another one of these.” She slides another drink over to him. Brody looks at the girl. She is a tall, skinny brunette. Her long hair is in a pony tail at the nape of her neck. Sleek and stylish. She is wearing a simple black pants suit with shiny red heels to finish off her business casual look. She has a nice smile.
Brody takes the drink, tips it in her direction, “Thanks, I did need one more.”
“So what has you sitting here looking so down?” She puts her hand on his arm.
“I just miss my girlfriend.”
“I should have known someone as broodingly sexy as you would be taken. Is it happily taken or would you like a distraction?”
“Very, happy. It’s very new.”
“Well, in that case I wish you all the luck in the world and bid you good night.” She clinks her glass with his, takes it like a shot, and walks away.
Brody smiles as she leaves. She was nice. He sits quietly for a bit and finishes his drink. He starts to feel a little tipsy. Form two drinks? Pussy. Laughing, gets off the bar stool and stumbles a little. He puts money on the bar, enough to cover his drink and a tip. He hurries to the elevator. When he reaches the 10th floor he can hardly stand and feels nauseous.
The elevator doors open, he stumbles out to the hall. Holding onto the wall, he reaches his room and can’t find his room key. Crap. He turns and looks to the elevator. Can he make it back down stairs to look around? No, defiantly, not. He turns back to his door and rests his head against it. He hears movement inside, and then the door opens. He falls inside the room and lands on his face.
“Hello, Brody. We meet again.”
He rolls over and is looking at a pair of naked legs. He follows the legs up to a pink frilly negligee; that has just enough fabric to cover the two big overly round breasts of the unknown woman from the bar.
The unknown woman drags him over to the bed. She takes off all his clothes, lays him down, and sets something up in the corner. He can’t move and his head feels heavy. His tongue isn’t working his eyes are barely open. He thinks he keeps passing out for a few seconds at a time.
The woman climbs on top of him. She lowers her top and exposes her herself. She takes his hand and holds it to one of her breasts, making it look like he is fondling her. She starts to ride him even though she still has her panties on and he is nowhere near able to penetrate her. She is making noises and faces and holding his hands so he is touching every part of her. She does this for awhile, and then she stops, gets off of him, moves around the room, gets dressed and leaves without a word.
CHAPTER 36
Patrick arrives at the house two hours after Charlie. He drove through the neighborhood, and circled back to the house. Everything seemed quiet. He gets out of the car and walks up to the door. He knocks and waits for Charlie to answer.
She answers wearing a t-shirt and short cotton shorts, lord have mercy. If I wasn’t older than her I would give Brody a run for his money. Her long wild curls were in a ponytail at the top of her head, but they don’t seem to want to stay there.
“Well, it’s about God damn time you show up. Do you know what I had to do while I waited, no? I’ll tell you, I had to deal with Brody’s ex girlfriend. She is a bitch. She made me so mad I ate a whole pint of Ben and Jerry’s, by myself. Do you know how many calories are in a pint of Ben and Jerry’s? Like 260 per serving. Guess how many serving are in a pint, Pat, there are three and a half.”
“Can I come in now, or are you going to continue my Ben and Jerry’s education?”
“Sorry, come in.” She looks a little embarrassed by her tirade.
When I walked in I stopped abruptly, half of the furniture was missing out of the house. There was a couch, but no tables or chair, the TV was on the floor. The dining room had a table and chairs but the hutch that held the ‘nice plates’ was missing. I could tell because there were plates on the floor. In the kitchen the area that should’ve had a table was bare. You could see the marks on the floor where one used to be.
“Wow, she cleaned him out.”
“Yeah, he’s going to be pissed when he gets home, she even took his bed. Not that he needs it, since he has been in my room.” See looks up, eyes big, she is blushing, “I mean, not that we sleep together, well we did, but just sleep, sleep. Oh, hell, never mind.”
I have to laugh, “Charlie, relax you don’t need to explain anything to me.”
“I just don’t want you to think badly of me.” She looks down and away.
“Hey I already told you I think you are remarkable. I know you have a thing for Brody, and he for you. Hell, anyone with eyes can see you two are crazy about each other. If I was a younger man I give him a run for his money.” I tell her, repeating my earlier dialog with myself, out loud.
She laughs out loud and it is a remarkable sound, she should do it more. “Brody and I are just friends and why are you acting like you’re old, how old are you? Is that rude, I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer.” There she goes blushing again.
“I am 39; I will be 40 in September.”
“That’s not old. That’s 9 years older than Brody and I. Brody’s birthday is July 4th. Mine is August 3rd. I thought you were our age. You must take really good care of yourself.”
“Thank you, I try. I have to stay in shape working patrol.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“Well you seem ok in here. I have to go drive through the hood,” I wink “I will be back but I’m going to stay outside. I want to stay on the move so I don’t draw attention to myself.”
“Ok, I am just going to clean and go to bed anyway. I have a lot of energy to burn off and I don’t want to think about the calories, again.”
He reaches over and kisses her cheek. “Sleep well.” Then he turns and leaves the way he came in.
CHAPTER 37
Michael sits and watches from the alley. He knows now that the big guy is a police officer. He is out of his jurisdiction way out here, so he must be watching over Charlie. Michael, can easily take care of him. He watches while he looks around the house. Apparently, Steph was here earlier and moved out. She took half of every room. Michael had to laugh, he always did like her. She had balls.
While the cop and Charlie talk, Michael goes over his time line. He has a plane to catch at 2am. It takes an hour to get to the airport; he has to give himself enough time to make it through security. It is 8:43, now so that gives him about 3 hours to do what he needs to do.
Mr. hero cop walks out the front door, after he gives Charlie a kiss on the cheek. I wonder if Brody knows she lets him touch her like that. She lets everyone touch her like that, everyone but me. He swallows his anger, not now, he needs to focus.
