Alien Among Us (TJ Steele Book 1)

by L. Edwin Brown

  I told Sally I would let her know Monday, if I was interested in purchasing the house. She locked up the house and we left. She drove south on Casey Key Road to Albee Road, where she turned left, heading back out to Highway 41.

  We arrived back at Sally’s office at 2:00 PM and I headed up to my condo. After using the bathroom, I sat on the sofa with a beer and thought about the house on the beach.

  Sally called me and asked, if I wanted some leftover turkey and dressing for dinner. I said that sounded great and would meet her, at her house around 6:00.

  We didn’t discuss the beach house, or any other real estate business that evening. I stayed until 9:30, before kissing her goodbye and thanking her for dinner.

  Saturday I drove back to Casey Key. I drove the seven or eight miles, from one end of the key, to the other. There were a lot of houses that looked larger, than the one Sally wanted me to buy, and there were a lot of smaller homes as well. Some had been around a long time and needed updated.

  I called my friend at Florida Coastal Aviation and asked, if I could rent a single engine Piper, for Sunday. He said he had one and I could take it out on Sunday. I spent a quiet evening, in the lounge, at the Ritz Carlton and went to bed early.

  Sunday I was up and headed for the airport. When I got there, they had a Cessna 182T, sitting in front of the open hanger doors. I signed a couple documents and took control of the plane. It was a nice plane, with seating for four.

  I took off and flew at a low altitude up to Anna Maria Key, in the lower Tampa Bay. I flew south along the gulf coast past Long Boat Key, Siesta Key, and Casey Key.

  The islands were all heavily populated. I continued south, past Venice Beach, Manasota Key and down to Boca Grande.

  I increase my altitude and flew all the way down to Marco Island, before turning inland across the Everglades, than north back to the airport.

  You get a different prospective, of the coastline of Florida, from the air. The houses, hotels, and condominiums are jammed together all along the coast. From the air, the space between the beach house, Sally wanted me to buy, and the neighbors, didn’t look so large, but I felt I could live there.

  That evening, I was dressed in my silk pajamas, meditating out on my deck, facing south. The sun had not set and felt warmth on my body. I was sitting on a soft thick cushion, with my legs crossed and eyes closed. It was as if I had fallen into a trance and my mind started to wander. I could see a woman in the distance, but couldn’t make out her face. I felt I knew her, but couldn’t remember her name.

  Help me TJ the woman said. I tried to advance towards her, but my feet wouldn’t move. It was as if I was frozen to the ground. I strained to lift one leg at a time. My feet felt like lead weights were holding them down. The woman’s voice kept saying, help me TJ. A buzzing noise brought me out of my trance. It was my cell phone sitting on the coffee table in the living room. It had stopped vibrating and ringing, while I sat waiting until, I was completely alert.

  The last time this happened to me was when I was in Japan. I was lying on the ground, outside my quarters, in the middle of the night and was visited by an extraterrestrial. My mind was going around in circles. I closed my eyes again and could see the Florida coast, from Tampa to Key West. It was as if I were viewing it from outer space. The beach, house popped into view, then Sally’s face and then Leo Scott face.

  I forced my eyes open and crawled inside the condo. I sat on the sofa for a few minutes, before picking up my cell phone, to see who the last caller was. My phone showed one missed call. When I tried to retrieve the caller’s number, the screen was blank, except for the number six.

  I pressed the redial button on the digital screen and the phone rang. After three rings a voice said, it’s time to move on. It kept repeating the same thing, over and over, until I turned off my phone.

  I woke up in the middle of the night chilled, lying on the sofa, with the door to my deck opened. My cell phone was on the floor and turned off. I picked up my phone, closed the door, and took off for my bedroom. I slipped into bed with my silk pajamas on, and covered up.

  The morning light was coming through the window, when I woke Monday. I slipped out of bed and turned on the furnace, before getting back under the covers. I tried to put together all the strange events from last night. I wasn’t sure what was real and what was a dream.

  When the condo warmed up, I got up and showered. I had a cup of coffee and a two day old bagel. I made my way down to the lobby and over to Sally Jenkin’s office. The receptionist said she hadn’t come in yet. I looked at my watch and saw, it was almost 10:00 AM.

  I asked the receptionist to have Sally call me, when she got in. I then walked out into the garage area and took my Escalade down the road, to a local pancake house, for a late breakfast. I was sitting in a booth, in front of the windows, when Sally called me. She said she had been with her attorney, trying to negotiate with the family of the couple, which had the beach house built.

  I told her to forget the negotiation and tell the family, Scott Construction will return the money their parents gave him. She said it’s not all the simple now. They also want five hundred thousand for the property. Tell Leo’s attorney, to get all the paper work together with the total amount the family wants. Once he has all the releases ready, have him call me and I will make a cash transfers, into Scott Construction’s account.

  It took several days for the lawyers to get their act together, but by the end of the day Wednesday, the terms of a settlement was worked out. I flew Sally, Leo and his attorney to Baltimore Friday, so all the documents could be signed, and the property released.

  When we returned to Sarasota, I transfer another seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars, into Scott Construction’s account, for the final purchase price, on the beach house. I left all the details up to Sally and my Sarasota legal team.

  I now owned two homes, within thirty miles of each other. It would take until the end of January 2009, before the final paperwork on the beach house, would be done. I didn’t let that stop me from making changes to the beach house, to suit me.

  Just before Christmas, I had Scott Construction’s master carpenters, build me a desk, for my study that matched the existing casework. I wanted something comfortable, to use with my computer. I had them build a long, almost oriental looking chest, in front of the triple casement windows. The chest had three thirty six inch long lateral file drawers side by side, with a brown buttoned leather cushion, across the top, for a window seat.

  When one of the carpenter’s saw I was a cigar smoker, he told me about a company in Miami that made cooling and humidity controls, for cabinet size humidors. He sketched a quick drawing of a six foot high three foot wide humidor that he could build and place in the corner of my study. He said, it would need a water source, for the humidifier, and the plumber that did the work on the beach house, could help with that.

  I told the carpenter to go ahead and build the humidor. I gave him money, for the kit, from the Miami company and the wood he would need. He was going to build the humidor after hours, in the carpenter’s shop at Scott Construction. I made sure Leo had no problems with the carpenter, making a little money on the side.

  I spent Christmas with Sally and other employees at the Ritz Carlton, who were alone during the holidays. New Year’s Eve was a lot of fun. The Ritz Carlton had an annual New Year’s party, for all its condominium residents and hotel guest, in the large convention hall. Sally and I drank more then we should have and she ended up spending the night with me.

  New Year’s Day fell on a Thursday and Sally was nursing a hangover, all day. I finally convinced her to have dinner with me. I ran her home, so she could change clothes and then I took her to Marina Jacks, just around the corner, from the Ritz at Sarasota Marina.

  By the time we finished, a wonderful seafood dinner, she was feeling pretty peppy. I told her, a little of the dog that bit her, would do the trick. We moved to the bar and had several more drinks, before going back to my cond
o. We watched a holiday movie on one of the cable channels, before Sally headed home.

  My cleaning service came every Wednesday to clean my condo. I would usually leave and spend the day shopping. It was the third Wednesday in January and I stopped down at Sally’s office, to see if she had time to run out to the beach house. I told her, I could use some help with furniture, for two upstairs bed rooms.

  I’m glad you stopped in she said, as she got up from her desk and closed the door to her office. Have you decided what you want to do with your condominium, she asked?

  I really haven’t given it much thought, I responded. Well I have a couple from Columbus, Ohio coming in today. They are looking for a furnished condo, for a winter vacation home. They are loaded and can afford your penthouse.

  I leaned over in my chair and slipped my hand, into my right pants pocket. I pulled out a key ring and removed one my condo keys and handed it to Sally. The cleaning service is in their now, but should be finished by 2:00.

  That will be great she replied. The Ohio couple will not be here until around 3:30. I stood up and told Sally to call me, when she has finished with her clients.

  I spent the day driving around and looking at furniture, without Sally. I picked up a lot of information from different furniture stores. I thought, if I sold my condo, with the furnishings, I would need to buy all new.

  On my way back up Highway 41, The Tamiami Trail highway, I turned onto Albee Road and drove out to Casey Key. I stopped at the beach house and the plumber was there, working on a water line, from the space under the house to my study, for the new humidor. We talked for a little while and exchange business cards.

  I left the beach house and drove north on Casey Key Road. Just before Blackburn Point Road, I turn quickly into the Kasey Key Fish House restaurant. It was a nice restaurant, with outside seating and a marina, where a person could berth their boat. The restaurant had a square thirty foot sea grass thatched roof tiki bar, in the corner of the parking lot, near the inlet waterway.

  I had dinner in the restaurant, sitting at the bar. I found the food satisfactory and the beer cold. When I left, I stopped in the driveway. I felt something strange. I looked around, making sure no one was following me. I felt as if I should go to the tiki bar, but didn’t understand why.

  I turned towards the quaint little bar and took one step, when my cell phone rang. It was Sally. She told me the Ohio couple really liked my condominium. They would like to make an offer on it, with all the furnishings. She said they were coming back tomorrow. They would like to meet the owner.

  I asked her what she thought about me selling my condo now, with the real estate market low. I also wanted to know, if she felt their offer would be high enough. I wasn’t interested in making money, on the condo, but the furnishings, cost me sixty grand. I’ve only had the condo a few years and knew it hasn’t appreciated that much.

  I tuned back to my SUV and drove off with my mind on the condo sale. Sally was still in her office, when I got back to the Ritz. We talked for a while and she let me know the Ohio couple, would stop by around 11:00 tomorrow morning.

  The next morning, I woke to another sunny day. It was almost noon, when Sally and the couple from Ohio stopped by. I invited them in and we sat in the living room and talked. They asked me why I was selling my condo. I told them, I’ve purchased a home on the beach. They said all the furniture looks new and I told them I didn’t spend a lot of time, in the living room, I was usually sitting at my desk.

  They stayed for about an hour and Sally took the couple down to her office. I got a call from her an hour later and she said, the couple has made a good offer on my condo. I took the elevator down to her office and she showed me their offer. Once the condo sales and Sally makes her commission, I will break even on the condo, but will lose the money I spent on the furnishing.

  I told Sally, I would agree to the sale, if she would help me furnish, the beach house.

  It took until the end of February, to get the beach house ready for me, to move in. The buyer of my condominium took occupancy, the day of closing, March 2, 2009.

  CHAPTER-5 Spring is in the air and I have moved from drone designs, to stealth technology for the military. Things were popping up in my head that no one had ever thought about. I sent the Air Force Logistic Command, at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, drawings and design ideas that would help them improved, on their stealth technology.

  I never asked for or receive any funds for my drawings or designs. I asked that my name be kept confidential. I was happy, just being an ordinary Joe, within my beach community.

  On Saturday August 1st, I celebrated my forty ninth birthday, with sixty six year old Sally Jenkins. She told me she was going to retire, at the end of the year. She said she has worked her entire life and wanted to now, spend time on herself. I told her understood how she felt and that I had made the same decision, at age forty.

  We spent the afternoon together and ate a small, store bought, eight inch chocolate cake. I left her house at 5:00 heading towards home. I turned on Blackburn Point Road going towards Casey Key. As I approached the bridge across the inlet channel, I felt the same urge to stop at the small tiki bar, as I did earlier that year.

  I turned into the gravel and sand parking lot and parked with the front of my SUV facing the road. I sat in my Escalade for a minute or two, before opening the door. Once my feet hit the ground, a strong passionate feeling came over me. I paused and leaned against the back of the SUV. I could see a half dozen men and women sitting around the tiki bar laughing and talking.

  It was one hot ass day and I was very warm standing in the evening sun. I walked over to the tiki bar and took a seat, close to a fan, hanging from the roof supports, with my back against the lagoon.

  The barmaid came over to me and asked what my pleasure was. I told her, a cold Bud Light please, never lifting my head, as I stared at the rustic wooden bar top. She brought me a glass and a bottle of beer and then walked away, to the other side of the tiki bar.

  While I drank the cold beer from the bottle, visions of me and Lorain, playing in my back yard, when we were children, kept popping into my head. I tried to clear my mind, but I couldn’t get the images, of my childhood out of my head. At first I thought, because it was my birthday, images of my childhood, were slipping into my subconscious.

  I had put a twenty dollar bill on the bar, using the empty glass to hold it from blowing away. I couldn’t see the barmaid, because the center of the tiki bar, was stacked full of booze on shelves, blocking my view.

  Finally, she came around to my side of the bar. Another one she said to me, pointing to the empty beer bottle. A flash of light went off in my head. Yes please, I responded. She walked to the other side and opened a cooler and removed another cold Bud Light.

  When she returned to me, she sat the beer down and put her hand on the twenty. I don’t know what got into me, but I placed my hand gently on top of hers. She was surprised and I was staring in her eyes. Lorain, I said. She looked at me confused. I smiled and said, Theodore James.

  TJ, she yelled and reached across the bar and grabbed me around the neck. I held on to her and pulled her over the top of the bar into my lap. Other patrons, who knew her, thought I may be hurting her, and they stood up. A couple guys walked around towards us, but then saw Lorain, kissing me all over my face.

  She was now crying uncontrollably, like the day when she was ten years old and found out, her parents were moving away from Edwards Air Force Base. I held her just like I did back then, only now I could feel her passion. Not any time throughout my life, had I felt, what I was feeling now.

  One of the women sitting at the bar, grabbed a clean bar towel, from a stack and brought it around to Lorain. She was trying to tell the lady who I was, but she was too emotional.

  I’m an old friend, I told the lady and Lorain said no, he’s my best friend. When she settled down, she told me that over the years, she has seen so many things, on the news and in magazines about me.


  When I told her, I was now living out here on Casey Key, she started crying again. I told her I would never leave her again and she kissed me, like I’ve never been kissed before.

  The tiki bar closed at 10:00 and it took Lorain fifteen minutes to secure the coolers and hard liquor. She finished securing the little structure and followed me home. She stayed the night and slept with me, in one of my silk pajama tops. I reminded her of the time, her mom and dad left her with my parents. She and I camped on the floor in our living room.

  She said she had forgotten that, until tonight. She rolled over putting her arm and leg over the top of me. She said she remembered, lying on top of the sleeping bags like this, when we were kids.

  We laid there and reminisced about our childhood. We didn’t make love or even suggested it. I had my very best friend in my arms, once again. As she drifted off to slept, I had a strange feeling, I was brought here to this tiny island key, for more than just this moment, with Lorain.

  The next day Lorain stayed with me as long as she could, before needing to run home, in time to change and go to work at the tiki bar.

  I showed up at the tiki bar at 7:00 that evening and she brought me a beer. She made sure to introduced me to everyone she knew. She dragged her very best friend Kala Kealoha, a Polynesian beauty that handled the cash register and was the hostess at Kasey Key Fish House, out to the tiki bar. She told Kala, I was her very first love.

  I was at the tiki bar every night through August. Some evenings, Lorain would follow me home, and some I would follow her home. She lived in track housing off Highway 41 in North Venice, in an area called Lake Village. Her home was small, but very clean and organized. The neighborhood was very clean and full of retired people from the north.

  On Lorain’s fiftieth birthday, September 9th, I talked her into taking several days off work and I flew her and I, to Key West for a couple days.

  We stayed at the Hyatt Key West Hotel and Spa and walked everywhere. We had lunch and drank at Sloppy Joe’s on Duval Street. We made love for the first time and Lorain asked, what took me so long. I said I was waiting on her to give me the go ahead. She laughed and said I could have had her the first night in August.