by Liza Brown
Elsu’s eyebrows rose on his forehead. “An apology?”
“You insinuated just a short time ago that I am the reason Mae is messed up. That was highly uncalled for and I think I deserve an apology.”
“Oh,” said Elsu as he pulled me closer and I wrapped an arm around him. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll apologize. But I’m not sorry. I do believe you are the root of most of Mae’s problems. In fact I have no doubt.”
“Well!” said my mom as she grabbed onto my brother’s arm. “Can you believe this?” she asked Christopher.
He leaned into my mom and whispered loudly. “I told you mom, he’s just a dumb jock.”
I wanted to defend Elsu but heard my name. “Mae!” I turned to see Reginald and Max approaching us. Apparently Max didn’t take the hint about not being needed.
“What?” I asked.
“We have a problem, please come with me,” said Reginald.
I followed him, leaving Elsu behind with my family. I hoped silently that he would try to defend himself to my mom. Reginald and I walked around the building and stopped just outside the classic garage windows.
“Do you see this?” he asked as he bent down and traced a crack from the foundation that extended to the window which was a good eight feet from the ground.
“I see it,” I said.
“This is bad, Mae.”
“How bad?” I was scared.
“The wall has shifted off the foundation, I honestly don’t know how no one noticed this before.” He motioned for me to follow him and we found another crack a few yards away.
“Ok, let’s shift it back,” I said stupidly.
“That’s not possible, this is structural, Mae.”
“Ok, let’s repair this part of the wall.”
“Mae, this wall is load bearing. You can’t simply repair it. It’s going to need replaced.”
“The whole wall? But that’s huge!” I said.
“No ma’am, not just the wall. The whole building. This isn’t the only place.” We walked further and he showed me several more spots where the wall was cracked and even bowed in places.
“But that’s my whole business, what about the interior walls? Couldn’t we just go back to them?” I asked.
“No, ma’am, those aren’t structural walls. Those are basically just dividers. I’m sorry, but this whole building needs to be condemned and taken down.”
“But what about my inventory? My employees?” I asked.
I walked to the wall and ran a finger along the crack. “Ma’am, I’m honestly surprised this thing didn’t come down too with the force it endured. Your other building, it seems to have survived surprisingly well. It’s got some extra-thick walls that you don’t usually see.” He pointed to my paint garage.
“But Christmas is coming,” I said. “How will they survive?”
“That’s up to you, you can either pay them out of your settlement, or keep the settlement for yourself and they can collect unemployment. It’s a crappy way to end the year but it is what it is.”
I touched the crack again, wishing I could find something that would let me just pull the wall back to where it belonged. “What if I want to rebuild?”
“That’s up to you, ma’am. But judging by what we have here, if you’re correct about this not being an accident, you may have enough to retire on.”
“I don’t want to retire, I’m twenty-five years old! Who retires at twenty-five?” I asked angrily. I touched a loose piece of plaster and I felt the wall itself give under my hands. A rattling came from above and I felt myself being pushed to the cement before a loud bang hit the ground behind me. Elsu was on top of me and I grabbed him to me. I didn’t care that the temperature was in the forties and I was laying on who knew what. I needed him right then and there.
“Here, stand up,” he said as he helped me to my feet. I looked to the ground and saw that the frame of the window he and Steve had attempted to cover had smashed to the ground. How they hadn’t noticed it was loose when they were taping it up is still a mystery to me.
“You saved my life!” I said.
“Nah, just keeping you from another bump to your noggin,” he said as he brushed off my hair and the back of my coat.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Max filled us in. Mae, I am so sorry.”
I wrapped my arms around him and held him tight. His hands rubbed down my back.
I shook my head and looked at some of the mess on the ground from the explosion. One of the pieces caught my eye. “Look,” I said as I picked up a piece of metal.
“It looks like a cat,” said Elsu. “A little Diesel.”
“I guess if only one good thing comes out of my day, I guess a mini Diesel isn’t so bad,” I said as I held the piece up and looked at it from different angles.
Elsu leaned his head to my ear. “Believe me, this is not the best thing that came today.” I blushed immediately and slumped into his chest.
“You’re dirty,” I said as I smiled up at him.
“I’m just telling it like I saw it. Ok, like I felt and heard it. I didn’t see a whole lot. Did you know you have a grip with those thighs like a vice?”
I smacked his abs and stopped to stroke them. “Why are you here?” I asked.
“Because I will always be here for you? What do you mean?”
“I don’t deserve you, Elsu. This is your day off and you’re spending it here in this horrible place.”
“There is nothing horrible about a place when you’re in it.”
“Ma’am, excuse me, how many cars were inside the showroom?” asked Reginald interrupting our conversation.
“At least twenty. The five new ones that were in there, and there were already others in there. I can get you the information on all of them from the office. I’ll need to call the owners of the five team members bought,” I said.
“I’ll do that, don’t worry about them,” said Elsu.
We walked back to where the rest of my staff now stood. Max had informed them that the building was a goner. Bonnie was crying and I could see tears in the eyes of some of the men. “I am so sorry guys! I just don’t know what to say to you! I’ve ruined your lives!” I said.
“Mae!” Said Steve as he stepped forward and guided me to the rest of my employees. “Not one person here is blaming you! We’ll survive. You’ll survive.” He wrapped his arms around me and I rested my head on his shoulder. The arms of the rest of my employees joined him and I could feel the love from all of them. The hug ended just before I started to go into panic mode and I stepped back.
A scuffle at the entrance to the parking lot caught my attention and we turned to see what was going on. Detective Graven and another officer were squeezing between the few cameramen and reporters who remained. “What’s going on?” yelled Max.
“The caller is here,” said Detective Graven. “Don’t anyone move!”
“Who?” I walked toward the crowd, but April and Millard warned me to not get too close.
The other officer held a piece of equipment in his hand and they followed its beeps until they stopped in front of four people. Two were strangers. The other two, Bart and Jeremy. “Call it,” said Detective Graven.
The officer pushed a button and the machine beeped some more. From my angle I couldn’t see what it said, but apparently it pointed to Jeremy. “Young man, empty your pockets.”
“What?” Bart asked as he stepped away from his brother. “What did you do?”
“You need a warrant,” tried Jeremy.
“Here,” said Detective Graven with a piece of paper in his hand. “Already done. You can cooperate and show us your phone, or we can do this the hard way. I have three detectives in those cruisers over there just itching for someone to take down.”
“You son of a bitch!” yelled Bart. “Did you really do this?”
“What do you care? She’s a bitch! She put you away. How are you defending her?”
“Everyone thinks I got out bec
ause of overcrowding. I went to every single counseling session I could while I was in there. I passed because I realized my wrong. They were overcrowded but they wouldn’t have let someone like me out if they thought I was going to do it again. What I did was fucked up, man! I know that!”
“You and me, bro. Remember that? It was going to be you and me forever! Then she figured she could take you away.”
“She had every right to put me away! I was a monster to her! I deserved it! She didn’t deserve this!” He pointed to my shop.
“When? How?” I said as I walked closer to the line.
“You are under arrest,” said Detective Graven. “You don’t need to say anything.”
“No, I’ll tell the bitch everything. I was paid, that’s how.” He opened his backpack and pulled out a wad of cash.
“Someone paid you to torch her shop?” asked one of the reporters who were all getting every second of the confession on tape.
“Yeah they did. You think I’d do that shit for free?”
“Who?”
“I don’t know. Some loser dude.”
“Carl?” I said.
“Who?”
Elsu searched through his phone and brought up Carl’s Facebook page. “Him?”
“No. This guy was younger than that.”
“What was his name?”
“I don’t know. Honest. He’s been doing shit for a while. He needed a hand and offered me some money. He wanted me to get Bart in on it but I knew Bart was too much of a goody two-shoes now to do it.”
“When?”
“Tuesday and Wednesday.”
“Both days?”
“He had me break into your apartment and screw with shit. He said whatever I did on Tuesday didn’t make that big of an impact. So he had me go back and do more shit.”
“What did you do?”
“That dumb-ass pillow and basketball. Snuck in with the crew. Killed that damn plant.”
“You didn’t come in through the fire escape?”
“No. You wait around long enough and someone will let you in the apartment. Just act like you’ve got your hands full with groceries and a friendly neighbor will let you right in.”
“And this place?” I asked.
“Tuesday. I came in with the crew here. With a disguise. You looked right at me the one time. Thought for sure I’d been found out but nope. Just had to find the time to be alone with the cars.”
“What did you use?” asked Detective Graven.
“I stuck a Norwegian in the boiler room. Then after that blew, I set off a pack of thermals I stuck upstairs.”
“Did you seriously just quote Heathers?” yelled Bart.
“Mom’s favorite movie,” laughed Jeremy.
“You are demented!”
“Hey, I don’t know what I used. He gave me the thing and I put it in the building. Geesh.”
“Ok, buddy, let’s go.” Detective Graven quickly handcuffed Jeremy who had begun to laugh hysterically. He was guided away and I stood dumbfounded.
“Mae,” said Bart to me. “I am so sorry! I had no idea!”
“Leave. Now,” growled Elsu. “If you know what’s good for you, you will get out of my sight.”
“What? Why? I didn’t do anything.”
“Bart!” Christopher arrived with an outstretched hand and then hugged Bart.
“I give up!” I yelled and turned to face my shop.
I walked toward the epicenter and just stared at the pile.
Candice walked up to me and gave me a hug. “I’m truly sorry, Mae.”
“Thank you so much, Candice. That really means a lot.”
“Mae, please don’t lump your opinions about me into your opinions about mom. She doesn’t like that I’m working, but I just needed to start getting out into the real world and doing for myself.”
I nodded my head. “Yeah. Now we need to work on Christopher.”
She smiled then looked behind me toward where my brother and Bart were having a grand old time. “Good luck with that.”
Over the next few hours, we stood and talked to a few of the news teams. I had nothing better to do, so we figured it was best to give them facts instead of assumptions based on being ignored.
Detective Graven returned and approached me. “Ma’am. Jeremy has admitted to the damage to your truck, the intrusion on your apartment, and the explosion. The rest he seemed honestly clueless on. He did not set up the cameras. He did not set up the elevator.”
“So his phone calls were the ones that went by eleven?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Then who did the sixty-threes?”
“We’re still unsure. They’re still working on that.”
“Thank you.”
I stood in the cold watching as more police officers sifted through the rubble. I wasn’t sure what they were looking for and I no longer cared.
“Mae!” I turned to see my father and step-mom rushing to me. Dad was crying. There was no hiding it from anyone. “What happened?” He hugged me tight and I could feel him trembling.
“Bart’s brother, Jeremy. He was paid by someone. We’re trying to figure out who.”
“That jackass! But not Bart?”
I shrugged. “I’m just as shocked as you. How did you find out about it? I was going to call you later when everything was settled down.”
“It’s on the news, Mae! National and local news, Mae! Someone called me because they saw you on TV and we rushed up here.”
“Broke every speed limit and driving law on the way. He could have killed us,” whined Margaret.
“I just don’t know why this is considered newsworthy.”
“Really?” asked Margaret. “You really have no idea why?”
“What is wrong with you, Margaret? You’ve been a bitch to me all week!”
“Mae!” yelled my father as he turned quick to stare at me.
I sighed and looked at Elsu. “I think it’s my fault,” he said.
“No, it’s not your fault. You’ve done nothing wrong,” I said as I looked to Margaret.
Margaret stepped closer to me and started to whisper something. I held up my hand to her. “Unless you’re telling me the secret ingredient to something you cook, I don’t want secrets told around Elsu. If you have a problem with him, just say it.”
Margaret took the hint and stepped back.
“Ma’am,” said Elsu as he walked to Margaret. “Please, tell me why you don’t like me. I will do my best to fix it. I don’t want to be the cause of tension between Mae and her family.”
“Well,” said Margaret as she took a step back to take in a better view of Mount Elsu. “I just don’t think it’s appropriate for a woman like Mae to be dating someone like you.”
“Why?” I asked.
“You know damn well why. Bob, I’m going back to the car.” She turned quickly and left us.
“Why, dad?” I asked him.
“Because Mae,” he said as he looked at Elsu. “You’re poor and he’s rich. She’s certain you’re trying to steal his money.”
“What?”
“That’s what she told me.”
“So she’s not racist?” I asked him.
“No! She just doesn’t trust your intentions. Even though I know they’re pure. I’ve told her repeatedly that you’re not that kind of girl, but she won’t listen to me.”
“Mae,” I turned to see my mom and Christopher approaching us.
“Are you still here?” I asked.
“I came to pick up your sister.”
“Gwen.” My dad’s comment was flat.
Mom looked at my dad, her ex-husband. “What are you doing here?”
“Someone blew up my father’s shop! That’s what I’m doing.”
“It’s Mae’s shop, now. Oh wait, it’s been condemned. I guess it’s no one’s shop,” laughed Christopher. “We all knew you’d fuck it up. I don’t think anyone thought it would be with such force.”
“What did you just sa
y?” asked Elsu as he stepped forward and stared my little brother down.
Christopher stared up at Mount Elsu and paled.
“That’s what I thought,” said Elsu when it became obvious Christopher wasn’t going to reply.
“I just wanted to see if you needed anything before we left, sweetheart.”
I looked at my mom suspiciously. Was this a test? What would she say if I really wanted something? Further yet, what would she want in return?
“I need a vacation, mom. Got any of those in your fancy purse?”
“Oh sweetie, I wish I did.” She brushed some hair out of my eye and I looked at her with further suspicion.
“What do you want, mom?” I finally gave up and asked her.
“You’re my daughter, believe it or not, I hate to see you hurting. You really should get out a little more. Find yourself a nice man to show you a good time.”
I’d had it. I grabbed her arms and made her look me in the eyes. “Mom, I am only going to say this one more time. I have a man. He’s not here because he feels bad for me, or because I’m a community service project, or for whatever reason you have in your head. He really likes me. I really like him. You can stop pretending what we have doesn’t exist because it does and there is nothing you can do about it!”
She sighed and I thought I saw a flash of resignation cross her eyes. “But you’re so innocent, Mae. I’m sure you have no idea what to do with a man like him.” Alas, I was wrong.
I furrowed my brows at her, realization settling in. This had nothing to do with me, or Candice for that matter. “Mom, are you mad that I get to be with a man like Elsu and you don’t?” I finally asked.
The length of time it took for her to attempt, and fail, at a reply was all the answer I needed. “Mae, if you have any questions, you can ask me. Do you understand?” she whispered close to my face. “You’re still a virgin, Mae. I thought you were proud of that.” Her whispering skills had not improved, everyone within earshot heard.
“I’m not a virgin, mom. You know that,” I said.
“Mae, Uncle Larry didn’t finish the act. You were still physically a virgin.”
“No mom, you told me he broke my…you-know-what.” I had a hard time discussing certain things with her. An even harder time when Elsu was standing beside me.
