I heard that clicking noise again and turned to look in the direction of the sound. I thought it sounded like it came from the armoire. Higher. Like maybe on top of it.
I started walking over towards it when I heard the door open.
“There you are.” Kevin said.
I spun around quickly, the single rose in my hand. Feeling like I was caught, I felt the flush rise to my face.
“Hi. I, um, must have fallen asleep.”
“I see you got the flower I left you.”
“Yes, um, thank you. It’s really pretty.” I held it to my nose and inhaled again.
“Yeah, you were really tired. I’ve made us some dinner. Come downstairs. You need to eat.”
“I thought I heard a noise over here.” I pointed to the corner.
“Probably the TV on the other side of the wall. That’s our…my room.”
“Didn’t you say you just moved in?” I was uncertain what he’d said myself.
“I did. A few months ago. But it’s the same…it’s the same bed, um, as we…” There was a glint in his eyes and it struck me that it was almost like he was enjoying making me feel uncomfortable and awkward.
I grabbed the sweatshirt closer to my frame.
“Cold?”
“No, I’m fine, just a chill. It’s gone now.” It felt to me like something wasn’t right, but I wasn’t sure.
Attributing my discomfort to my feeling out of place pretty much everywhere I went, I shook it off and smiled. Kevin took a step back and the warmth returned to his eyes.
In any case, I was hungry. “What did you make? It smells delicious.”
“Your fav…”
“If you are going to tell me something is my favorite, I’m going to scream.” I interrupted and said playfully, with a hint of truthfulness.
“Okay. I won’t say it. Let’s just say, it’s one of my favorite meals to make. That’s okay to say, right?” His charm and smile put me at ease again.
“Yes. That’s fine.” I said hesitantly and I stood staring at him like a complete idiot, “Well then, let’s go eat one of your favorite meals to make.”
He laughed and stepped into the hallway waiting for me to exit the room. He followed close behind me as I made my way down the stairs. As I turned and walked towards the kitchen, I noticed the table in the dining room was set beautifully, and there was a large crock in the center flanked by two long tapered candles. The entire house smelled divine. The aromas of butter and garlic, celery, and…something I couldn’t quite make out filled the room and I began to salivate.
“What is your favorite meal to make?”
“Coq Au Vin.” His voice so matter-of-fact, I didn’t even pick up the coincidence right away. This was the meal that Brad told me is my favorite to make.
Coincidence?
I don’t know, but I was starving and it was calling my name.
“Yum!” I said out loud.
After dinner we both cleaned up the kitchen. I rinsed and placed the dishes in the dishwasher, as Kevin cleared the table. I noticed this too looked brand new and never used. Afterwards we walked into the living room, and I stood near the end of the couch not sure where I should sit. Kevin placed a DVD into the player and sat on the couch, leaving a little distance between us. I thought I noticed a somewhat patronizing look on his face, but it was fleeting and I wasn’t sure what I’d seen.
I sat down where I stood and had to admit, I was more than relieved he wasn’t crowding me. Until I felt more confident that this is where I belonged, I was planning on keeping my distance. I sighed and a look of sadness flitted over his features briefly, but then he settled in where he sat and we watched Pretty Woman. I had to admit, I enjoyed the movie immensely. I noted that during several of the scenes, I had a feeling I’d seen it before.
Kevin just stared at me and smiled.
“I didn’t say a word.” He declared.
“Yeah, I know that, but your eyes tell a different story.” I laughed.
“Upstairs with you. We have a busy day tomorrow.”
“We do?” I was shocked.
“Yes, the zoo in Central Park. One of your favorite places.”
“Damn my favorites. What good is having favorites if you can’t remember them?”
“You will. You just need to be patient. Just give it time; you’ve gone through a lot in the past several weeks.”
He walked me up and kissed me on the cheek. “Night sweetheart. See you in the morning.”
“Night and thank you for the wonderful meal, it was delicious. Coq Au Vin, mmm.”
Maybe I was wrong to feel so strange. I mean everything is strange to me at this point, isn’t it.
Kevin, so far, has been the perfect gentleman. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder, but he didn’t push it further, and after a look at what was in that suitcase and the things that I wrote, I was a bit amazed at his control.
As I lay in bed that night, I thought of Brad and how worried he must be. I couldn’t help but feel guilty. I reached into my bag and pulled out my cell phone. I was tempted to turn it on and call just to let him know I was alive, until I remembered his conversation with Terry. I tried hard to replay the conversation in my head, if only just to justify my actions, but all of a sudden I started feeling somewhat woozy, like I was spinning and spinning and before I knew it, it was daylight again and I was woken up by Kevin.
“Sarah, breakfast is getting cold.”
I wanted to roll over, my body felt like it weighted a thousand pounds, but I opened one eye and saw Kevin. He stood about a foot from the bed and called my name again. “Sarah.” At first, I thought I was dreaming.
“It feels like I just fell asleep.” I mumbled, my words a bit jumbled.
“You’ve been sleeping for,” he looked at his watch, “for nine hours.”
“What.” I sat up and immediately smelled waffles in the air.
“Waffles?”
He smiled his rather disarming smile and continued, “and bacon and juice and Earl Grey. He’s getting a little cranky down there so don’t keep him waiting.”
I laughed.
“Okay, inform the Earl that I shall be down posthaste!”
“I will do that.” He backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.
I took a super quick shower and got dressed in a pair of jeans, sandals and a tee shirt.
We both ate a great breakfast, waffles and bacon, and, of course, The Earl. Then we got ready, climbed into his car and made our way into the city, to the zoo. The weather was perfect. We walked around the park and talked, we even got a hot dog with onions from a street vendor. The only thing that topped that was the Yoo-hoo that washed it down. It was apparently another of my favorites.
When we got back to Kevin’s house, I changed into a pair of sweats I’d brought with me, and a clean tee shirt, which I asked Kevin for until I was able to do laundry. For some reason I thought I might actually have clothes here. I shook my head in disbelief.
We both sat on the couch and Kevin handed me a cup of tea and opened himself a beer. Then he popped another movie into the DVD player and we started watching Dog Day Afternoon with Al Pacino, but I fell asleep before the last scene. Kevin must have lifted me in his arms and carried me up the stairs, placing me on the bed, because I didn’t remember walking up myself.
“Night. I had a really fun day.” I managed to say as I yawned.
“Me too, sweetheart. Night.” He turned out the light and walked towards the door then turned to face me, “I need to run a few errands tomorrow, probably be back before you wake up, but in case I’m not, just wanted to give you a heads up.”
“Better be. Breakfast is my favorite meal.” I said, my voice sleepy. It was like I couldn’t get enough sleep. Maybe I was making up for lost time.
I woke up the next morning, and for a minute I didn’t know where I was. I rolled over and looked at the clock on the nightstand. 8:03 am. I heard someone walking through the rooms downstairs. Sitting up, I
rubbed the sleep from my eyes. The front door opened and closed. I heard the key click into place and I knew Kevin had left the house. I had an eerie feeling, somewhat like a lead ball dropping headlong into the pit of my stomach. The finality of the key turning in the lock, the mechanism clicking loudly into place caused me to have a moment of panic.
I was nearly panting, feeling quite light headed. I shuddered as I felt a fine coating of sweat coat my skin all across my body. My hands were shaking and tears sprung to my eyes. For a few brief moments, I felt like I was being kept prisoner without my knowing.
I thought about my mother and Brad and guilt that brought on was debilitating. My mother has been nothing but kind to me and I felt like I was somehow betraying her. I know what Kevin said and I know what I heard, but I think I owed it to them both to hear their side of the story. I’d be sure to have my mother present when I spoke with Brad. Could I have just misunderstood what I’d heard?
I jumped out of bed and went inside the small bathroom in my room, brushed my teeth and washed up. I walked to the locked window and for the first time since I’d gotten here, nearly two days ago, I wondered where ‘here’ was. I absolutely had no idea just looking outside the window. Nothing was familiar and I began to panic again as the feelings of isolation and guilt consumed me.
Looking out the window I noticed the neighbor next door tending to her garden. She had several rose bushes, each one filled with blooming roses. Red roses. Deep red, rich colored plush roses, and I wondered momentarily if that is where Kevin got the rose he’d left on my bed the other night.
I dressed in the jeans I’d worn here and a tee shirt I’d ‘borrowed’ from Kevin again, and walked down the steps and without stopping, I walked over to the front door. I grabbed, twisted and pulled on the doorknob. It was locked as tight as Fort Knox. I scanned the immediate area, looking on every surface nearby—no key. I grabbed it with both hands and pulled with all my strength, which as it turned out, was an exercise in futility. I spun around and quickly walked towards the back door and found it also to be locked. Locked and no key to open it.
Wow, this is a major league fire hazard.
I was angry. I am not an errant child to be locked away inside like I was a criminal, or some damsel in distress to be put into a tower, locked away from the rest of the world.
Part of me understood his thinking, a very small part, and I knew deep down inside that he thought he was trying to protect me from harm, but even I knew this was a bit over the top. I strode angrily into the kitchen and flung open the cupboard, actually several cupboards before I found his teacups. I filled the kettle with water and placed it on the stove over the heat.
Then opened the pantry and searched for the tea bags. Pushing health crackers and cheese snaps out of the way before I found the box I was looking for. After removing a tea bag, I placed the box back on the shelf and spotted a small brown prescription bottle sitting in the back. I picked it up. The prescription, Rohypnol, was prescribed for a Paul Johansen.
I was confused, who was Paul Johansen and why was his prescription here in Kevin’s house? I had no idea what it was used for. Maybe it was left here when Kevin moved in. But somehow that didn’t seem right to me. Kevin was a bit of a clean freak. This kitchen was a testament to that fact.
I had an odd feeling that I had heard of this drug before, but there was no way I could be certain, and I sure as hell didn’t know what it was prescribed for. Blood pressure. High Cholesterol. Stomach ailment. Who the hell knew?
The teapot whistle sounded waking me from my reverie and I removed it from the heat, pouring myself a cup. After adding cream and sugar, I took it upstairs to my room. I felt the need to read more of the diary, and Kevin leaving the house was my opportunity to do just that. I had it hidden in the zipped pouch of my makeup case. It was strange that I needed to read a book, I wrote, in order to get to know who I am.
I took a perfunctory sip and placed the cup on the end table, fluffed all the pillows up stacking them behind me and leaned back opening the now sacred book to the placeholder where I’d last left off.
Dear Diary,
He did it! He finally proposed!
It was so romantic. I’m still glowing. Hell, I’m walking on friggin’ air.
We went out for a wonderful romantic dinner, then for some odd reason he insisted on taking me to Central Park. He bought us both a hot chocolate and we both sipped as we watched the skaters glide across the ice. We giggled when a burly man who was yelling at his son for constantly falling…fell. I was cold, but just seeing the love in his eyes warmed me, not to mention the boiling liquid I was swallowing.
Then we walked over towards the zoo, which of course is my favorite spot in the park. And there, in front of the monkeys, with them as our witness, he got down on one knee and…handed me a bag of nuts and dried fruit.
I nearly swallowed my heart thinking ‘this is it!’.
He told me to feed my friends, and do it fast before we got caught.
I laughed so hard I literally peed my pants.
Ugh!
It was uncomfortable, but when he brought me to the castle and sat me down on the bench for no apparent reason, I was totally confused. He cleared his throat and asked for everyone in the immediate area’s attention, and in a matter of moments, we were surrounded by hoards of people, who just froze in place as he stood up and declared his love for me, nearly shouting. He then took my hand in his and placed a pretty blue box in it from Tiffany’s.
I almost sh…well, let’s not go there.
I opened the box and nearly lost my eyeballs when I saw what sat inside. It was the most beautiful engagement ring I had ever seen.
The crowds of people cheered as the tears ran down my face and as if that weren’t enough, they all broke out in song. My favorite song.
The Way You Look Tonight.
It’s the song I planned on dancing with my father too at our wedding. I bawled like a baby.
They were hired by Brad, some kind of MOB a cappella group.
He laughed as I cried and shouted out over the singers telling me the only place to propose to a princess is at the castle. I almost screamed out with joy and Brad stood in front of me, sticking his chest out like he was proud as a peacock, telling the whole world I was his.
I was.
I love him so much, I can’t wait until we get married and start a family. I hope all our babies look just like him. And now, I’m going to lay here with the light on looking at the incredibly gorgeous sparkler on my finger. Goddamn I’m a lucky girl.
I found myself weeping…uncontrollably. How could someone who loved me that much want to hurt me? There was just no reason or rhyme. I briskly swiped at my tears again and continued reading.
‘I told my mother and of course she cried, but then again, she cried when I lost my first tooth. Seeing the excitement in her eyes made me so happy. Since we lost my dad, we leaned on each other for everything. I thank God for her every day. She is my best friend, my touchstone, and I love her so much. (I wrote that in case you try to read my diary again mother!)
She was sooo happy for us.
Of course it made the papers the very next day. After all, Bradley Hunter couldn’t buy a tie in Manhattan without the press getting hold of it and plastering it all over the Internet.
I giggled, and for the first time since this so called accident, I felt truly happy inside. But as soon as I realized where I was, that euphoric feeling fell by the wayside…forgotten. I needed to read more.
Dear Diary,
Today is a very special day. I am officially starting a new job. Yes. Sarah Williamson, Architect to the stars, is now the official architect to head the latest Hunter Industries project! I’m very excited to be working with Brad. I’m not ecstatic about the location, feeling like I do about Fort Lee, New Jersey in general, but at least we will be spending a lot of time together.
Did I mention I am so damned excited?
It seems I had a rather upbeat perso
nality.
Dear Diary,
Today a man bumped into me on the elevator, which is not typically something I’d bother to notate, nor was it any cause for concern, but we were the only two people on the damned thing. At first I thought he must be drunk, or high or something. I mean, it was rather funny, like he was trying to get a grope in, but I could feel his eyes bore into the back of my head as we rode up in silence. He gave me the creeps.
Needless to say, I was more than relieved when it finally stopped on my floor and I got the hell out of Dodge.
Dear Diary,
Everything in our lives is going so smoothly, the project is on time and on budget, which is both a relief and pat on the back, but the renovations to our house are almost complete. All this going for us, but somehow Brad is not himself.
There were a lot of weird blank spots, like segments were missing from my life as well as my diary. I read the next entry about four times and each time it got more and more confusing, it was like a page missing…
We were both tired and cranky.
After we argued over nothing, we made up, and no, you’re not getting the details. Brad put on my favorite movie, made popcorn and we watched it from beginning to end. I even think Brad liked it too. It’s so cute, now he says ‘As you wish’ whenever I ask him to do something for me.
It seems to have skipped an entry or two here, as well.
Dear Diary,
I have a weird feeling that someone is watching everything I do. Maybe I’m paranoid, but it’s starting to bother me, and I’m feeling rather anxious, but until I know for sure, I’ll keep it between us.
Dear Diary,
Brad was in a very ornery mood today…or was it just me feeling sick and tired? He was acting very aloof towards me, and I witnessed him acting somewhat oppressive towards the staff. I tried to keep a cheerful outlook regardless, but his need to control things is worrying me. I did notice on the calendar that it is coming up on the date of
Ever, Sarah Page 18
