by Storm, Sloan
A sheepish grin spread across her face. She shrugged. “Sorry.”
Realizing I had next to no chance of resisting her incessant questioning, I relented and spent the next few minutes updating her about my drama with the Grid Girls.
“Wow,” Jillian began. “It sounds like those two are really insane.”
I nodded. “If there ever was such a thing as an understatement, that’s it.”
Jillian laughed. In fact, I was just about to tell her what they’d called me in Miami just before I left, but suddenly, my cell phone started to ring. I’d left it on the dining room table during dinner. After exiting the kitchen, I walked towards it and picked it up, flipping it over to see who it was.
The display flashed, ‘Unlisted’ across it.
“Who is it?” Jillian asked, without turning around to face me.
I shrugged. “Don’t know.”
Yet almost as soon as I said that, I remembered I was supposed to receive a call from team management about the schedule in Los Angeles.
“Oh, right. I think it’s about tomorrow. The team,” I said, swiping the phone on and raising it to my ear.
“Hello?”
A strangely familiar male voice replied.
“Well, well.”
A knot formed in my stomach. Silence fell over the line. I tightened my grip on the phone. “Who is this?”
“You know God damn well who this is, Ava.”
I felt my eyes widen in their sockets. Pulling the phone away from my ear, I stared at it in disbelief. Jillian noticed my sudden silence and turned around towards me.
Her forehead creased with wrinkles of concern. “Who is it? Ava, is everything okay?”
“It… It can’t be.”
With my mouth hanging open, I stared at her and slowly returned the phone to the side of my head. “Gene?”
After a ragged exhale, I received the horrible confirmation. “You were expecting someone else?”
AVA
Gene Philo.
Simon’s sperm donor, aka, Deadbeat dad and weasel like none other. I hadn’t heard a peep from him since he found out my sister was pregnant.
And now, all of a sudden, he’s back?
“How did you get my number, Gene?” I asked, biting my lip.
Jillian raised her hands to her mouth before lowering them a fraction. “Gene?” she mouthed. “Are you serious?”
I nodded and just then, he began to speak.
“Shut up, Ava,” he growled. “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t call you so you could ask me a bunch of fucking questions.”
“Fuck you!” I exclaimed, before slapping my hand over my mouth.
Gene’s signature hyena-like laugh echoed in my ear. “I see you haven’t changed one bit, Ava.”
I removed my hand from my lips. “Why are you calling me? What do you want?”
“I already told you to shut up. Just like your sister, you Walters women… You don’t listen to a God damn word.”
Shaking my head, I exited the kitchen as fast as I could, almost jogging as I ran down the hall to my bedroom.
Gene continued to talk.
“You’re looking as pretty as ever, I see.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
He ignored me.
After closing my bedroom door, I sat down on the mattress, hanging my feet over the side. Trembling, I leaned forward and dropped my head into my hand.
“What the hell do you want, Gene?” I hissed.
“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll get to that. But first, how’s my son?”
The fingers on my free hand began to curl into the shape of a fist. “Simon is not your son, you bastard. You lost that privilege a long time ago.”
Gene cackled once more. “Not according to the state. So, Ava, you can sit over there and pretend all you want, but the fact is Simon is my boy.”
I exhaled, barely restraining myself from unleashing a torrent of obscenity at him. “Either tell me what you want, or I’m hanging up on you right now.”
“Oh, sis, it hurts when you talk to me like that,” he began. “Now here I went and gave you a compliment, telling you how pretty you looked, and you didn’t even thank me.”
A long, silent exhale passed between my lips. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh don’t you?” he replied, the sound of his voice taking on an accusatory tone. “Maybe you need a little reminder…”
I sat upright and squeezed the phone tight between my fingers, but before I could reply, he continued.
“The Formula One race, this past weekend in Miami, I saw you there kissing your boyfriend.”
Baffled, I shook my head, trying to understand. “Kissing who? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t give me that, Ava. I saw the winner, Dyson Vix, pull you to his side after the race and kiss you.”
I scoffed. “Gene, you moron, Dyson is not my boyfriend. All I can tell you is that you’re wrong about what you think you saw. There is nothing going on between us. And anyway, even if there was, what the hell business is it of yours?”
Gene sputtered a chuckle. “Oh, it’s my business all right. And if you don’t listen carefully, and do exactly as I say, you can forget about seeing your nephew ever again.”
I bolted into a standing position. “Don’t you threaten me. I have no idea what you’re getting at, but if you think you are taking Simon away from me, think again.”
“Oh, I won’t be the one taking him. The state will do it for me. After all, that’s the law, you know.”
I pinched my lower lip between my teeth. Pacing back and forth across my bedroom, I knew Gene was right. Even after all these years, I still only had temporary custody of Simon. At any point, Gene could come back into the picture and take him from me. There was nothing I could do about it. Still, he’d never shown any desire to do it before, and I couldn’t understand why he would all of a sudden.
“Listen to me, Gene,” I began, clenching my jaw. “I know that you don’t want to have anything to do with Simon. So why don’t you just tell me what the hell you want.”
Gene remained silent for a moment and then, at last, revealed the true reason for his phone call. “Hmm, I’d say about a half a million dollars oughta cover it.”
“A half a million dollars!” I exclaimed. “How in hell am I supposed to get that kind of money? And why would I give to you, anyway?”
“Because if you don’t, Ava, I can promise you that Simon will be out of your life within the month.”
I froze in place, struggling to wrap my mind around what he was saying. “Are you… blackmailing me?”
“Blackmail is such a nasty word, isn’t it? I’d like to think of it more as a friendly sales transaction. You pay me five hundred thousand dollars and you get to keep Simon.”
“I don’t have five hundred thousand dollars, you piece of shit.”
“I know you don’t. But your pretty-boy racing boyfriend sure does.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Gene, I already told you. Dyson Vix is not my boyfriend. Even if he was, I would never ask him to give you a single penny.”
Gene ignored me. “It’s funny, you know. I mean in an ironic way. You going out with a race car driver after what happened to your little sister.”
“You’re an asshole, Gene. Why are you bringing her into this?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Because of how she died?”
My underarms soaked through my shirt. I struggled to understand his nonsensical rambling. “Street racing and Formula One aren’t anything alike. But why would I expect someone as stupid as you to understand that, Gene?”
Gene fell silent. “Here’s how this is gonna go, Ava, so pay attention. You have one month from today to come up with the money. You can expect more calls from me with instructions on exactly where and when…”
I interrupted him. “There isn’t going to be any money, Gene. You’re not listening. I’m not with D
yson. I don’t have that kind of money and…”
Gene screamed at the top of his lungs into the receiver. “And I’m telling you, if you don’t figure something out and do it soon, you will never see Simon again!”
And then, just like that, he hung up on me.
My hand fell away from my ear. I let go of my phone and it bounced once on the carpet before flipping over and coming to a stop. I stood there for a moment, shaking my head.
What was I going to do?
AVA
My mouth went dry. Unable to move, let alone think, I stood in the center of my bedroom just trying to calm down. Just then, there was a soft knock against my bedroom door.
I turned my head towards it.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me,” Jillian whispered. “Can I come in?”
I dropped my head a bit and exhaled, turning in the direction of the door. A few moments later, I wrapped my fingers around the knob and after twisting it, pulled the door in towards me.
Jillian stood there, her face fixed with worry. “What happened?”
Before answering, I looked past her, towards Simon’s room.
“I just checked, he’s sleeping,” Jillian said.
Without speaking, I nodded and stepped aside so she could enter. After she did, I closed the bedroom door behind her and just to be safe, locked it as well.
Afterward, I walked in her direction. Jillian opened her arms, inviting me in for a hug. By now, a feeling of numbness consumed me. I just stood there, looking at her, feeling nothing.
Seeing this, Jillian eventually dropped her arms to her sides. “Do you want to talk about it?”
I looked at her and without thinking, said the first thing that came to mind, “He’s threatening to take Simon away from us.”
“What? How?”
As best I could, I told her the details of our phone conversation, including his attempt at blackmail. When I finished, Jillian shook her head and walked towards my bed where she sat down. She dropped her hands in her lap and looked up at me.
“Do you think… Will he actually do this?”
Jillian and I had been friends since we were teenagers. She knew Gene well. He was probably the worst person either of us had ever known. Even so, something like this, well, it caught us both by surprise.
“I honestly don’t know,” I said, exhaling. A moment later, I sat down next to her on the bed. “I wouldn’t put it past him.”
Jillian glanced at me. “What about Dyson?”
I looked back at her. “What about him?”
“Well, I mean, you are going to tell him about this, aren’t you?”
I frowned at her and shook my head. “No, absolutely not. What makes you think I would?”
Jillian groaned. “I don’t understand why you wouldn’t. He can help you.”
“Jillian, how can Dyson help me? We aren’t together, and this isn’t his problem. I can figure this out and handle Gene on my own.”
Jillian looked away from me and exhaled.
“Look,” I began, reaching toward her and placing my hand on her knee. “I’m almost positive Gene is bluffing just to get the cash.”
She turned her head and looked at me once more. “What if he isn’t? What if he comes here and takes Simon away from us?”
I shook my head with a series of vigorous snaps. “That’s never going to happen. Okay?”
Like she always did when thinking, Jillian raised her hand to her mouth and picked at her lower teeth with her thumb nail.
While she sat there in silence, I continued, “Here’s the thing though—I’ve got to go to Los Angeles for the next race tomorrow. That means I can’t be here if Gene does decide to try something crazy.”
Jillian shook her head and dropped her hand away from her mouth. “I won’t let anything happen. If I have to, I’ll take Simon to stay at Dan’s house. I can promise you I won’t let Gene just come and take Simon away when you’re not here.”
I nodded, swallowing in relief. “Thank you.”
I reached for my best friend and we hugged for several seconds.
“Ava, I don’t understand why you won’t just talk to Dyson about it. He’s a decent guy.”
I stood from the mattress and rested my hands on my lower back, just above my waist. I turned and looked down at her. “I know he is. But, this isn’t his problem.”
“Okay, well, if you don’t tell him, then what are you going to do?”
I shook my head. “At this point, I don’t know. I just need a little time to think.”
Jillian nodded and stood from the bed once again. “I hope you change your mind about Dyson. But like I said, you won’t have to worry about Simon while you’re in Los Angeles. I promise.”
I smiled.
“Do you need anything else?” Jillian asked.
“No,” I replied, shaking my head. “I’m going to say goodnight to Simon. Thank you. Thank you for everything.”
Jillian smiled at me. “Of course. Don’t mention it.”
A few minutes later I cracked open the door to Simon’s bedroom. Streaks of faint light from the living room spread across his face. To my surprise, he was awake. I swallowed, wondering if he’d heard any of my conversation with Gene.
“Hey, sweetie… Whatcha doin’?” I began, walking across his room towards him. “Aunt Jillian told me you were sleeping.”
Simon looked up at me, his brown eyes reflecting an ambient glow. “I woke up.”
I reached down and glided my fingers across the top of his head. “Is everything all right?”
He looked away from me and shrugged.
“Scoot over,” I said.
After he moved to the other side of the bed, I slipped under his sheets with him.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
With my head on the pillow, I rolled it towards him. He was looking straight up, towards the ceiling.
“Simon?”
I noticed a lump pass down his throat.
“Are you upset about something?”
He nodded, but continued to stare at the ceiling. I spent the next minute or so trying to pry the answer out of him. We went through a short checklist of things. I asked him about school, homework and his friends. None of those things were on his mind. A sense of dread came over me. With each shake of his head, I grew more certain he’d heard my conversation.
“Well, you know I’m leaving tomorrow, so if you want to talk about it, you need to do it now.”
He turned and looked at me. I noticed the beginnings of tears in his eyes. And then, it dawned on me.
“Oh, honey… Are you upset because I’m going away again?”
He nodded vigorously. Tears streaked down his small cheeks. I reached for Simon, pulling him close.
“Shhh,” I said, leaning in towards him and kissing the top of his head. “I won’t be gone for long.”
He choked down sobs over the next minute or so. I did my best to try and calm him down.
“Do you want me to stay in here with you tonight?”
He squeezed me and nodded his head.
“Okay, but only if you promise to go to sleep,” I said. “Will you do that for me?”
“Yes,” he muttered.
I leaned over and kissed him on top of the head one more time. Holding him close to me, I continue to stroke his hair. Within five minutes, he’d fallen asleep.
As I lay there, I stared up towards the ceiling. I had no idea what the next few days would bring. But no matter what, I’d never give Simon up, not for anything.
Just then, Jillian tapped lightly against the bedroom door. Rolling my head on the pillow, I glanced up in her direction.
“Should I close this?” she whispered, pointing at the door.
I nodded and seconds later the room went dark.
AVA
I arrived in Los Angeles and joined the team. Maybe it was my preoccupation with Gene, or maybe it was the fact I’d gotten to go home for a while, but for some reason,
things were better. I didn’t have any of the homesick feelings I experienced in Miami.
Small victories.
Still, I couldn’t deny being distracted. Each night, I’d call home, never one hundred percent sure Simon would be there. Jillian told me she’d spoken with Dan, and he’d agreed to help, if needed. I felt a bit guilty about it since I never particularly cared for their relationship. For now though, I had to take help wherever I could find it, so I told her to thank him for me.
As for Gene, he still hadn’t called me since Austin. With each day that passed, I grew more and more anxious.
Dyson was busy testing and getting the car ready for the race. We’d only seen each other a handful of times. Luckily, I’d been able to camouflage my frazzled state of mind enough, he didn’t grow suspicious.
Or at least, I didn’t think he did.
Even so, I knew it was a matter of time before Gene contacted me again. In fact, I’d just left the team trailer when my cell phone began to vibrate in the pocket of my jeans. I swallowed hard, sliding my hand inside and pulling it out. I flipped it over and saw the ‘Unlisted’ flash on the screen.
I closed my eyes and answered.
“Hey there, sis.”
After a slow blink, I exhaled and leaned against a nearby wall. “What do you want?”
“You already know what I want, Ava. The time has come for you to give it to me.”
I reached up and ran my fingers through my hair, shaking my hand free with a vigorous motion. “You told me I had a month, Gene. It’s hardly been a week. There’s no way I can get you the money right now. None.”
Gene scoffed at my protest. “Plans change. Adapt accordingly.”
“Adapt?” I said, snapping my upper body away from the wall. I began to pace back and forth, taking a series of small steps in each direction. “You can’t just change the deal. I don’t have any money to give you.”
“Did you talk to your boyfriend yet?”
I slid my hand around to the back of my neck and squeezed it tight. “I already told you, he’s not my boyfriend. How many more ways do I need to say the same thing to you?”
Gene ignored me. “I’ll give you one more week to get your shit together. If you don’t, I’ll get the state involved and take the kid from you. Understand?”
