by Leen Elle
"S-Sorry…" He said sheepishly. I rolled my eyes.
"So, would you like to make three hundred and fifty dollars?" I asked him.
"Huh?" He blinked stupidly.
"You heard me, I don't like repeating myself. You see, I have this cheating husband, and I want to catch him with all of his bimbos, so I can have a solid win in a divorce he refuses to give. I need you to follow him, and take pictures of him caught in the act. He switches women weekly, daily even. Give a young woman a hand." I added a little sugar in my voice at that last part. The teen blushed furiously, but he seemed hesitant. Obviously he doesn't talk to anyone of the opposite sex.
"Look, I don't even want to know your name, I just want the job done. Here's my number, call me when you have the evidence. I'll be waiting for you, in fact, I'll pay you half in advance." I told him, handing him my number and one hundred and seventy-five dollars.
"The other half is yours if you complete your end of the bargain. So what do you say, kid?" I asked. He stared down at the money in disbelief, he then looked up.
"Yeah, miss, ok." He agreed. I gave him a small smile. I dug into my purse and pulled out a picture of Aaron and an envelope.
"Here, this is him, his name is Aaron Hale. This envelope holds all of his basic information, where he works, his schedule, all that you will need. If you do a splendid job, I might triple what money I gave you." I explained.
"One thousand and fifty dollars?!" He exclaimed.
"That's right, now be a good boy and let me know when you have the photos." I gave him a small wink and walked away from him, the first phase of my plan finally set in motion.
Aaron was going to suffer for every kiss he stole from me.
Chapter 9: Scraps
As Jaime was playing outside with his soccer ball, I took the chance to go clean his room. Not that there was much to clean, Jaime was neat little boy. I picked up some clothes, picked up his Pokemon cards, and vacuumed. I took notice of something missing. I really couldn't put my finger on it, but there was like an empty void in the house. As I guided the vacuumed around his room, I lifted up the bed sheets to get better access underneath his bed. Something caught my eye.
Forgetting momentarily about the strange feeling rolling up my spine, I peered under the bed. Scraps of Magazine cut outs littered all across the carpet underneath his bed. I knelt down and pulled some out. They were pictures of women, women with children of every age and race. They were holding hands, laughing, hugging, playing, and smiling. My stomach gave an ugly lurch.
Mothers.
It was many pictures of mothers, young and old. My heart burst with grief as I realized what Jaime wanted. He longed for a mother to love and care for him. Jennifer never loved him, let alone held him. Poor Jaime; my little Jaime was all alone. I quickly took out my contacts; I made the mistake in crying in them before. I pushed everything back under the bed and went to my room.
Tears were pouring from my eyes as I dug around for my glasses. How could Jennifer do that to her own child? I couldn't believe how much sadness was flowing in that precious little boy. I'm going to love Jaime a hundred times more than any other mother on God's green earth. I found my glasses stashed at the bottom. With shaky hands, I put them on and placed my contacts in some solution.
How can I prove to Jaime that I can be his mother? How can I get him to trust me? I just want to take him and rock him like my baby he is. I want to get rid of all the hurt crushing his little heart. I suddenly heard James enter the room and I turned away quickly, hiding my tears.
"Jennifer, do you know where I might have left my USB drive?" He asked, I could hear him going through drawers.
"Er…I left it in your top right drawer…" I replied rather weakly. He stopped then. I could immediately feel the air shift into that familiar war feeling from that time on the bed a couple of days ago; the day of our first embrace.
"Are you feeling alright? Is something bothering you?" He asked, getting closer to my trembling frame.
"No, I'm fine…" I whispered. His hands found my shoulders and gently turned me around to face him. He took a sharp intake of breath when he saw my tears.
"What happened? What's wrong?" He asked as he brushed my tears away. He seemed worried and I felt bad for being such a burden to him. I pulled away slowly, he, however, didn't let me go.
"It's just that…well; I was in Jaime's room. I was cleaning when I found the magazine clippings…" I choked. James' eyes softened.
"Oh…you found them?" He asked softly.
"You knew?" I couldn't help but accuse him a little, my eyes full of reproach. He quickly took my face in his hands.
"When I found them, Jaime walked in on me and promised me to not breathe a word about it. I thought it was a harmless hobby, but I soon started realizing what it truly meant to him. That's why I've tried telling you several times to pay attention to him but-."
"But I wouldn't listen, I know…" I said bitterly, pulling away from him again. Anger was rising towards my sister with each passing moment. I plopped heavily on the bed, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. A child should never be wretched away from a mother's love, not ever.
"You're doing something about it now, that's what matters." He said, sitting beside me. He reluctantly kept his hands to his sides, and I realized how I came off as; I had been pulling away every time he tried to hold me. I gently leaned on his shoulder.
"I'm trying…" I whispered, closing my eyes. I felt his hand brush my hair. He then trailed his fingers down my arm.
"I know you are, Jaime will come around soon." He tried to reassure me. I knew where this was going to lead to, so I quickly stood up before we both sunk into that sense of security again; I didn't want to hurt him again, as much as it hurt me. I wanted to hold him, too. Maybe one of these days, it'll change for the good. I hope.
"I really hope so, James, I really do…" I said.
* * *
"He's healthy as healthy can be. You're doing a great job of taking care of Pete, Jonathon!" I praised the small boy. The Beagle named Pete wagged his tail and barked in approval.
"He loves Pete to death, you should have seen how much Pete as changed him." His mother boasted happily. I smiled as I watched Jonathon scratch Pete's ear. There was nothing like a love between a child and its dog.
"Yes, he does seem to be glowing, doesn't he? Well, just keep Pete's diet well balanced, give him good exercise and I'll see you next month." I told them.
"Come on, Pete! Race you to the care!" Jonathon cried. They bolted out of the room, Pete's barks echoing in the hallway.
"Great, I'll call you in case of questions then?"
"Of course, Mrs. Evans, or e-mail me, whatever seems best for you." I smiled, shaking her hand.
"Thank you, Doctor Hale." She waved goodbye.
As I was straightening things up, Danielle, a veterinary technician, entered. "Was that Pete? I could recognize that pup's bark anywhere."
I laughed. "Yes, it seems like it was just yesterday that Jonathon and Pete came in here for the first time."
"Time flies. It was just a regular check-up? Jasmine, I could have easily taken care of that." She said, helping me clean up.
"Yes, but I wanted to distract myself from a few things." I told her. Danielle was a good friend I met in vet school, she was easy to talk to.
"Oh, is it marriage trouble?" She asked.
"No, it's kid trouble." I sighed, thinking of Jaime.
"You've always told me Jade was a sweet girl, what happened?" Oops, I forgot that Danielle didn't know about my switch with Jennifer. I had to remember that I'm Jasmine Hale here.
"She's just a little gloomy," I lied. "I can't help but feel that something is missing."
"Of course something is missing. You're missing a four legged, mouth slobbering, tail wagging friend. Seriously, Jasmine, you're a veterinarian with no pets." She said. Of course! That's what I felt was missing!
"That's it! I'll go adopt a pet for him-her!" I quickly corre
cted myself. Before, the only reason why we had no pets was because Aaron was dead set against it. I wasn't with Aaron, though, and I'm sure James wouldn't mind. Thinking about James sent shivers down my back.
"What would you do without me?" She asked, smiling.
"I don't know, I always need someone to lean on."
Later that day, I drove home and found my special guys sitting on the living room couch. Jaime didn't shrink back in fear like the first time I came, but he still seemed weary. James, on the other hand, flashed me a smile that made me blush.
"Good evening, family." I said as I sprinted upstairs. I quickly changed and raced back down. James looked up at me in slight confusion; Jaime stared idly at the game they were playing.
"What's the rush?" He asked.
I clapped my hands together. "Well I was thinking that maybe I could take Jaime out into town today. I want to give him a surprise." I said. I didn't try to hope too much, after all, Jaime could refuse. James raised his eyebrows and looked down at our son.
"How about it, sport? It wouldn't hurt to go." He said. Jaime clutched at James' shirt tightly and looked reluctant to go. I tried hard not to show my disappointment. I knelt down before him.
"Come on, Jaime, I promise you and I will have fun. Trust me, okay sweetheart?" I pleaded. Jaime looked at me with his wary eyes and hesitated. James gave him a slight push and nodded at him with encouragement. I held out my hand.
"Let's go, love." I gently took his hand and he slowly rose from the couch. I led him to the front door and looked back at James to tell him good-bye, but I was stopped short by the look in his eyes. He looked at me with great admiration and affection mixed together as one, that I flushed all over. I quickly shut the front door.
* * *
"Do you like animals, Jamie?" I asked him as I pulled up to an animal shelter. I turned to look at him sitting in the backseat. He was so small for the seat, his feet not even touching the car floor.
"Yes…" He said quietly.
"Do you feel responsible enough to take care of a puppy, Jaime?" I asked him. He stared at me. "Because I was thinking that you were old enough to care for one."
His eyes grew wide. "Really?"
"Really, really." I smiled. A new type of light filled his little eyes, showering them with warmth.
"I always wanted a pet." He breathed with amazement.
"Well, what are we waiting for, let's go." I laughed. Jaime was already at the door, and he was bursting with excitement.
"I wonder what kind of dogs they have." He said as we went inside.
A man named Mr. Hill, who worked at the shelter, was giving us a tour, telling us about the different cats and dogs that were present. Jaime went from cell to cell, petting dogs and cats, I wanted him to take his time and enjoy the animals. Mr. Hill led us to a cage that contained a Rottweiler licking what seemed to be a furry ball toy.
"This is Scraps; we picked him up from an abandoned house about a month ago. It seems that his owners left him there, he nearly died of starvation." Mr. Hill explained.
"How sad, I can't believe people these days." I shook my head. Scraps looked up from his ball and wagged his little tail at Jaime.
"Hi, Scraps." Jaime said. He looked up at us from where he was keeling down. "Aren't they mean dogs?"
"No, that's a common misconception. These dogs are one of the nicest in the world." Mr. Hill said.
"It's true; they are great with kids, and very obedient. Most people believe they are very angry dogs, mostly because of their appearance, but you know what they say about judging a book by its cover. A dog is only mean because its owner is mean." I told him. Jaime nodded with understanding and looked back at Scraps who was still wagging its little tail.
"You seem to know quite a few about dogs." Mr. Hill told me smiling.
I made sure Jaime was out of ear shot. "I'm a veterinarian."
"Excellent! So you know all there is to know about taking care of an animal?" He asked.
"Yes, but I'll leave the breeding and grooming to the professionals." I gave small laugh.
"Can we take him?" Jaime asked.
"You're sure you don't want a puppy instead?" Mr. Hill asked. Jaime shook his head.
"No, because most people adopt puppies because they are cute, they almost never adopt the adult ones. I don't want Scraps to feel left out just because he isn't a puppy anymore." He explained.
"That's great reasoning, Jaime. You're looking at the qualities of the dog, not its appearance." I said, stroking his hair.
"Never judge a book by its cover." He said, looking at me.
"I'm proud of you, love." I whispered, kissing the top of his head.
"There's a slight problem, though, you see what he's licking? That's his best friend." Mr. Hill pointed out. We took a closer look, and the small furry ball shifted. Suddenly a cat raised his head, and stretched, its bright blue eyes finding mine. Scraps continued to lick the cat.
"That's Kingston, he's a Himalayan cat. We took him from a house full of cats, the owner had died recently. Scraps and immediately became friends and we could separate them. Scraps would get all moody, and Kingston would cry. I'm not saying you have to adopt both of them, but, Scraps might not be that much of a pet without his best bud." He explained.
Jaime's shoulders drooped as he understood what that meant. He looked up at me, the light in his eyes gone, they looked pleading. I turned to Mr. Hill. "Well, then Kingston will have to come with us; I've always wanted a cat."
Jaime beamed. "Good! That's amazing! Come on; let's get the paper work done, shall we?" Mr. Hill asked. He led me to his office, leaving Jaime to his new pets.
"He's going to need chew toys, and a bed, and some soap for his baths. Oh, and we could get him a blanket for cold days, and let's not forget the food!" Jaime exclaimed from the back seat. Scraps was licking his hands, wagging his little tail as if telling Jaime all the things Jaime needed to make him happy. We were on our way to the pet store to go buy all the things we needed for the new family members.
"Let's not forget about Kingston, he needs pampering, too." I laughed, scratching Kingston's ears. Kingston gave a mewl of amusement, and went back to purring in the passenger seat.
"Oh yeah, sorry Kingston!" Jaime called. Kingston meowed in response.
* * *
"Dad! Dad! Guess what Mom let me have!" Jaime cried as he burst through the living room. James jumped in surprise as Jaime leaped on him.
"What's that, Jaime?" He asked. I walked in with Kingston in my arms, he was purring contently. He gave me a puzzled look. I gave a giggled and shrugged, I noticed how his eyes glazed over with warmth.
"I hope you don't mind." I told him, breathlessly. Scraps barked as he barged through the living room and bounded towards James.
"Whoa boy!" He cried. Scraps barked happily as he jumped in the air. James held on to Jaime tightly as Scraps knocked them both over. Jaime screamed with laughter as all three of them went down. I put Kingston down, and he gracefully began taking a tour of the house.
"Are you ok?" I asked as I helped Jaime up.
"Yeah. Come on, Scraps! I'm going to show you outside!" Scraps immediately followed him out the back. "Thanks Mom!"
"Sorry, I should have talked to you about it, but Jaime seemed so happy, James. Well, you saw how he was." I said, helping James sit up. He rubbed his head, his glasses were on the floor. I picked them up for him.
"I haven't seen Jaime this happy in a long time." He said. I put on his glasses for him, and he stared at me with his blue eyes.
"I told you I was going to try. Didn't I tell you I was going to? I got him to call me Mom." I smiled somewhat smugly. He called me Mom…
"They why not try for us?" He asked, cupping my face in his hands. I was taken by abrupt surprise. He brought my face toward his and firmly pressed his lips against mine. I could feel the warmth hit my body like a tidal wave.
Oh God!
He was kissing me! And I was kissing him back with a boiling
passion bubbling between us. His kisses were so gently, and his fingers caressed my face and then he gently ran them down my arms. I gripped his shoulders tightly, feeling the muscles of his arms rippling underneath my hands. He kissed my jaw, my neck, and then found his way back up to my lips again. It was an incredible sensation.
We broke apart and he placed his forehead against mine. "Well, definitely count on me in trying." He whispered.
Chapter 10: Kendra
"You're fiery nature really is a turn on."
"Kiss my ass."
"I'd love to."
"Shut up!" I yelled across the room toward Aaron. He was sitting comfortably on one of the leather couches, reading the newspaper, while I was flipping through a magazine. He had that stupid smirk on his face, he was a beacon light, showing off his expertise in charming women. Well, not this kitten, I wasn't going to fall for his one-night-stand acts. He was getting on my last nerves, and I couldn't do anything without him turning it into something sexual.
