Cross Your Heart (An Emerson Novel Book 2)

by K L Finalley

  "That thing's like a NRA ad."

  "Just protection," she said and cranked the Ford Super Duty. Its roar exceeded the Laredo, but she looked over at it tenderly.

  "Need a minute?"

  "Maybe," she replied. They laughed and she inched the eight-cylinder turbo diesel backward. "Is she gonna be okay?"

  "Who? Mallory or that old thing?"

  Teasing him, she asked, "Are you giving me shit already? We're still in town."

  "Sorry. Just fucking with you. She'll be fine. Besides, Alex said they were going dress shopping. Mallory's gonna pick it up tomorrow, right?"

  "That's the plan."

  As he turned towards the door, he said, "It'll be fine sitting in the yard overnight. Will it be fine when your girlfriend comes to get it after she spends the night alone? That's the question."

  She wanted to reach over and punch in his kidney. She did not. She held her hands tight to the wheel and steered the massive truck onto Interstate 275 North. She had driven it on a few other occasions, so it was not completely foreign to her. But, she was well aware that she was not an expert at it. Within a few miles, she found the ease of navigating it. It was heavy and its weight was obvious. It took a good deal of time to get it moving, but once she did it, the engine sputtered and grunted until the turbo engaged. Elet hadn't been asleep. She had seen him stir and turn his head a few times. He was waiting to make certain that she could comfortably drive it. She knew it, but she pretended that he was asleep. Within twenty minutes, she had transitioned to interstate 75 North and was heading out of town. Then, Elet drifted off to sleep and she sat alone with her thoughts. There was no single thought. Her mind was a mess with scattered fibers of related thoughts.

  She shook her head that Clementine was so pompous that she could imagine any good outcome by showing up to the party with Tabs. She didn't know what Alex had said to her on the side of Paige's house, but Clementine and Tabs quickly left after the encounter. She knew Elet knew. She looked over at him. He was asleep in the fetal position. She snickered and thought she would have liked to cover him if they had had a blanket. Then, her mind returned to Clementine. She wondered why she was opposed to her settling down, growing up, growing older. Isn't that all that she had done? Surely, it was time to do that. Jacqueline looked at herself in the mirror. Her big brown eyes stared back at her. They didn't have the answer she was seeking. She had remembered the times she spent before meeting Mallory. They were fun but empty. She had gone where she wanted, when she wanted, as long as she wanted, and spent as much as she wanted. She had not had to experience the kind of gut-wrenching conversations that she had that morning with Mallory. Then, she thought, fuck. She remembered that she was supposed to text her when they got on the road. She decided to voice text.

  Jacqueline:Hi, honey. Just wanted to let you know that we've left. I'm on I-75. Elet's already asleep. Trying to adjust to driving this behemoth. Text more later. I love you.

  Mallory:Okay, baby. Be safe. I love you too.

  Jacqueline was relieved that she had reached out to her, but texting her whereabouts and plans felt foreign to her. She thought back to life before a girlfriend and a child. She had enjoyed not checking in. With no one to remind her of the faculty memory, she had pumped herself up on the merits of the single life. Confident in her driving and alive in the memories of the life she once had, she turned on the radio. Elet's pop music station began to play the newest song on the Top 20. Jacqueline did not know it. She tried hard to enjoy it, but after a few minutes, she turned to another station. It was playing a teen song. She had heard it blaring from Zoe's room when Abbie spent the night. She could hear the two girls singing along. She laughed aloud just remembering it. Then, she changed the channel. It was the classic radio station, the first channel programmed in Mallory's car. She liked the mix so much that she had added it to her station lineup. She left it there. It gave her comfort. It felt like home and that let her settle in for her long, interstate drive.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Driving from west Florida along the interstate to central Florida was only marked by the height of the hills. No matter what the season, the scenery was awash with green. Green grass. Green trees. It was the same. She had been driving for nearly two hours when she exited in Gainesville. She was a Florida girl. She knew ways around the state. As she steered off interstate 75, she entered the flow of traffic through the business and residential area. She cruised past apartments and strip malls. At stop lights, the roads were shared with pedestrians, motorcycles, bicyclists, families, and mopeds. With the air conditioner off, she lowered her window and enjoyed the sunshine. As highways reduced in size to local roads, she felt the presence of college life. To each side was evidence of sororities and fraternities, of parties and libraries, of restaurants and bars. She smiled to herself as scantily clad young girls passed in front of the truck. She waved when they waved and smiled when they didn't. She wished she was in the Laredo. With its top down, it would have better represented who she was. She was smiling slyly when Elet woke up.

  "Uh, why are their girls in short shorts walking on the interstate?"

  "Hey there, sleepyhead. Up from your nippy nap?"

  "Where are we, pedophile?"

  "This is the home for the Florida Gators. Look to your left and you'll see Lake Alice. Up ahead on your side will be the VA hospital."

  "Thanks, tour guide, but I think we need to be getting out of the state, not enjoying memory lane."

  "We're going. It's quicker to cut through Gainesville and hit 301 than to go all the way up 75 to 10 west."

  "What?"

  "Just trust me," she said. They weaved through the city and onto US Highway 301. The highway bisected small towns. In the truck, they passed cow farms, flea markets, barbecue stands, and old churches. They traveled through the byways of towns known as speed traps, small towns unknown by non-Floridians. They drove alongside trains racing parallel to them. They cruised at a comfortable speed on the outskirts of major cities until they reached Interstate 10 West, outside of Jacksonville. Fearing being bogged down in travel through town, Jacqueline steered around the largest city in land area in the continental United States. Using the Interstate 295 North exchange, she looped Jacksonville's core. Rather than sitting for hours in traffic, she connected to Interstate 95 North near the Jacksonville airport and headed out of state. As she approached the state line, she sent a text to Mallory.

  Jacqueline:Out of town. Out of state.

  Mallory:I miss you already.

  Jacqueline:I'll be back before you know it.

  Mallory:Already know it.

  Jacqueline::( I love you.

  Mallory:I love you too.

  Jacqueline:I'll call you when we stop.

  Mallory:k

  ~~~~~~~~

  Jacqueline had been driving for a little more than four hours when she stopped in Brunswick, Georgia. She pulled into a parking space, turned off the truck, and jumped down. As she stretched her back and legs, Elet awoke. "Where are we?"

  "Brunswick."

  "Brunswick?"

  "South Georgia."

  "Ah. What time is it?"

  "Time to eat," she said and walked into tonight's fine dining establishment.

  In a few minutes, the two emerged with two bags of fried items to be consumed on the road. She threw Elet the truck keys and climbed into the passenger's seat.

  With a burger hanging out of his mouth, he cranked the truck, "Lemme show you how this is done."

  She buckled her seatbelt and nibbled on her chicken. "I usually can't sleep in the car, but I think I'm gonna try to catch a little nap."

  "Go, right ahead. We'll be in Myrtle Beach in no time."

  "It's supposed to take another four hours."

  "Says who?" he asked, chomping on fries. She held up her phone. "That's just an estimate. And, you were driving like you were scared of her."

  "Only slightly." She had given up on eating. She rolled her bag closed and placed it on the floor board
. She reclined the seat back and stared at him. "You know, I'm glad we're doing this."

  "You are?"

  "Yeah, aren't you?"

  "I don't know. I could think of some other fun things we could have done instead."

  "Like what?"

  "Cancun? Bahamas? Denver? Fuck it, Brunswick?" They both laughed. Before he arrived at the next exit, she was asleep.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Her quick nap turned into hours. She slept in the passenger's seat like it was her bed. No dreams or thoughts filled her mind. She was at ease riding along in the dark with Elet behind the wheel. It's likely that she would have slept all night. If he had not known that she had made reservations at a hotel in Myrtle Beach, he could have just kept going towards Baltimore and she would have not been the wiser. Instead, she was welcomed back to the world with a slap on her chair and the sound of Elet's victory, "Made it in three hours and fifteen minutes." She stretched but didn't respond. Once on solid ground, she opened the back of the truck and removed their bags. Elet walked around to her side of the truck. Staring up at the hotel, he said, "What have you done?"

  "What?" She was still groggy.

  "We're only staying overnight. You booked us in an oceanfront resort like we're a couple on vacation."

  Closing the doors, she said, "No, I didn't. If I had, it'd be a whole lot better." With bags over their shoulders, they entered the golf and spa resort that she had reserved for the evening. After checking them in and retrieving the keys, they located their elevators and headed up to their rooms. In the elevator, she asked, "Are you turning in?"

  "Probably not. I'm gonna call Alex, but I doubt I'll turn in. It's like eight."

  "Wanna meet back downstairs in the bar in ...like a half hour."

  "Sure. But, don't you need to call Mallory back? She must've text a hundred times while you were sleeping." Jacqueline pulled her phone out of her pocket. She had not checked. Standing next to her, Elet could see the screen. "Holy shit. Is that Mallory?"

  "No! It's not. Eyes forward."

  "Who is that and why is she sending you pictures?"

  "Just some girl from the past."

  "Um. That's fucked up."

  "I don't ask them to do it." She stepped forward as the doors opened to her floor.

  As the doors closed, he said, "You don't tell them to stop."

  ~~~~~~~~

  Jacqueline entered her room and quickly called Mallory. The two spoke for a while, then Jacqueline explained that she was planning to meet Elet for dinner and she would call Mallory afterward. After a quick shower, Jacqueline returned to the downstairs bar. It was adorned with red velvet couches and wicker chairs. The wood paneling floors and low lights cast a warm glow. As she stood in the middle of the room searching for a table befitting two friends, she noticed that one side of the room exited to an oceanfront deck. She stepped to the bar to ask about service. The waitress directed her to take a menu and she would be right out there.

  As she removed two menus from the serving side of the bar, she heard a voice say, "You gonna brave the deck?"

  "Certainly."

  "You aren't worried about it being too cold?"

  "Hasn't anyone ever told you that the night air is good for the blood?" Jacqueline turned her head and stared in the face of her new friend. It was a round, full face on a slender frame. Jacqueline stared at it, not with interest, but with curiosity. She wondered if the new friend had once been overweight and her face was a sign of a recent transformation. As she cocked her head from side to side, she realized that her new friend might be getting the wrong idea. She had lingered too long for an easy extraction.

  Before she could disappear onto the terrace, the new friend said, "I'm Sam. Samantha." Pointing to the stranger sitting next to her who Jacqueline had not noticed, she said, "This is my friend, Megan."

  Leaning back from the bar to get a better view of Megan, Jacqueline was planning to introduce herself when Elet appeared in the bar. From across the room, she pointed to herself and said, "Hi. I'm Jacqueline and this is my friend, Elet." He waved.

  "Elet?"

  "Yup, Elet."

  The curly headed brunette turned and caught a glimpse of the tall, sandy blonde man edging towards her with jeans and a t-shirt on. Then, she chose the line that he had heard a million times, "Elet. That's a great name."

  Responding as he always did, "Thanks, but I can't take any credit. You'd have to talk to my mother about it." Then, he turned to Jacqueline, "Did you get us a table?"

  "I was thinking that we'd sit on the deck. Waitress said she'd come out and take our order. You game?"

  "Sure," he said.

  Turning back towards the women, she said, "It was nice to meet you both. Now, we must brave the high seas." She placed the menus under her arm and pushed the door open that led to the deck. It was awkwardly warm. She was taken aback, but then she noticed the patio heaters. "This is nice," she said.

  Pulling out a chair at a table in the far corner, Elet said, "I'm still not convinced you're not trying to seduce me."

  As they laughed, they heard the familiar voices of strangers, "We decided to brave the winds with you. Is that okay?"

  "Of course," Jacqueline said as she pushed back two chairs. Elet sighed and stood up to help them be seated.

  "Oh, it's not cold at all. Did you know it was going to be warm?" Sam asked.

  "No, I didn't. We were just as surprised as you were." The waitress appeared to get their orders. Jacqueline ordered a few appetizers and a drink. Elet ordered a beer. Then, she asked, "Would either of you like anything?"

  Megan replied, "No, we've eaten."

  "Are you sure? It's our treat." Jacqueline asked. Before she could finish the sentence, the girl ordered another pitcher of Mai Tais and some hot wings for her and her friend. Staring at Elet who had lifted his eyes in disbelief, Jacqueline said to the waitress, "Thanks. That should definitely do it."

  Making conversation, Elet asked, "So, are you two from South Carolina?"

  "No. We're just passing through." Megan responded. "We're personal assistants for two female golfers."

  "Oh, is there a course nearby?"

  They giggled. Sam responded, "You're at one."

  "Shit, you are trying to get in my pants." He teased and hit Jacqueline with the napkin. The girls stared.

  "Don't look at me that way. I'm not trying to get in his pants. He's getting married next month. We're heading to pick up his gift from me. It's in Baltimore. We're just staying the night and we're back on the road in the morning."

  "Congratulations," they said almost in unison. Elet nodded his appreciation. There was silence for a while as they all stared out into the water.

  "Aww, a Christmas wedding," Megan fawned over the idea.

  "No, not that late. We're getting married on December fifth." Then, Jacqueline's phone buzzed. She removed it from her pocket and stared at it. As she began to type, Elet asked, "Mallory?"

  Sighing, she said, "No, Clementine."

  Jumping into the conversation, Sam asked, "So, you have multiple women?"

  Jacqueline did not respond. The drinks and appetizers had come. As she reached to make herself a plate of appetizers, she tried to explain the confusion that was Clementine, "It's not like that. She's that person that you know, but you can't quite figure out. She's definitely not a romantic interest. Not on my part, but I'm not sure what she's after."

  Drinking his beer and eating some of Megan's wings, Elet said, "Don't sound like that. You know what she wants."

  "No, I don't."

  "I think she's just lonely and she's just trying too hard. Remember that cat suit. Leather cat suits say I'm trying too hard." He slurped BBQ sauce from his fingers.

  "Maybe."

  "What'd she say in the text?"

  "She said - how are things where you are. And, she sent a pic."

  "Of herself?" he asked as he chewed.

  "No, it's a pic of some girl."

  "Tabs?"

  "Not t
hat I remember," and she handed him the phone.

  "Oh shit." Elet face turned red and he squealed. "This girl has no sense of decency," but he continued to stare at the picture. He turned the phone around as if to be inspecting the picture from different angles. He held it to his face for so long that Megan was interested. She placed her hand on his arm and leaned into him in order to look.

  She had been quiet for a long while before she said, "Oh my God, is that some girl’s..."

  Jacqueline cut her off, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is."

  Megan said, "Was it forwarded to her or is she there taking that picture right now."

  Sam had become interested, but she didn't walk over to Elet. Instead, she pleaded, "I wanna see."

  "Be my guest," he responded and passed the phone to Megan who passed it to Sam.

  "Humph," she said. "That's nothing." Without pause, Sam pushed back from the table, leaned forward, and through the glass top table, they saw Jacqueline's flash. "That should keep her quiet." Jacqueline and Megan laughed.

  Elet glared. "I think I'm gonna take a walk down the beach to relax. Then, I'm gonna turn in." He stood up and took his beer from the waitress who was bringing another one. "Good night, ladies."

  "Okay. What time do you want to leave in the morning?" Jacqueline asked as he passed by her.

  Over his shoulder, he said, "Check out is at eleven. I'll meet you at the truck at eleven."

  "You don't want to have breakfast?" She knew he was upset. She tried to keep him at the table as long as she could.

  "Nope," was all he said as he headed off in the direction of the ocean.

  Megan sprang up from the table and said, "Can I walk with you?"

  He never turned around. Over his shoulder, he said, "It's a public beach." And, she went after him.

  Alone now, Samantha said, "I'm sorry if I made him mad."