The Crime of Protection

by Gloria Martin

  “You were clearly lost with me.” I muttered. “Aren’t you still with Carmen?” I asked.

  “Yea, but she’s not you! I need you! I’m in love with you!” he exclaimed. I rolled my eyes.

  “Well, I’m not in love with you anymore. I’ve moved on. I thought you had too,” I stated bluntly, crossing my arms over my chest. Damian blinked up at me in disbelief.

  “No, no, don’t say that. You don’t just stop loving someone like that. It’s only been a few months,” Damian said, standing up.

  “Long enough for you to be in a whole new relationship. I see that you still have no respect for your relationships,” I said. Damian began looking suspicious and tried to peer into my house, but I blocked the doorway.

  “I was just doing that to get over you,” he said.

  “Then why didn’t you break up with her before coming here?” I asked. I could tell that he wasn’t listening to me, but he was listening. Listening to hear if there was someone else in the house with me. He stared over my shoulder into the house behind me, straining his eyes to see if someone lurked in the shadows. I stiffened up, my heart beat quickening. “You need to leave,” I said. I stared at him. The look on his face was slightly frightening.

  “Are you seeing someone else? Is he here with you right now?” he demanded, looking me up and down, finally taking in my full attire. I tightened my robe around my body.

  “That’s none of your business. You’re drunk and you shouldn’t be here,” I said firmly, but Damian wasn’t listening to me. He ignored me as he pushed past me into the house. “Damian!” I exclaimed in protest, but he was inside standing face-to-face with Hunter.

  “Who the fuck is this?” he demanded. “You fucking a white guy now?!” Hunter stepped up to him, looking calm, but ready for whatever.

  “It’s time for you to leave,” Hunter said calmly.

  “Who the fuck are you?! I’ll leave when I’m good and got damn-” but Damian wasn’t able to finish his sentence, before Hunter punched him in the face. It was clean and fast, directly connecting with Damian’s nose, which immediately began to bleed. I gasped and covered my face, stepping backwards, and away from the two men. Damian’s eyes widened as he clutched his face, where blood was leaking everywhere.

  “You broke my fucking nose!” Damian screamed, as he tried to lunge at Hunter. In one swift motion, Hunter, clipped Damian, grabbed his flailing arms as he fell, and twisted them behind his back. He pinned Damian to the ground.

  “Simone, are you alright?” Cassie called from the hallway. I turned to look at her, standing there in her footie pajamas. She must have been awakened by all of the commotion.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” I assured her.

  “Do you want me to call the police?” Cassie asked me. I shook my head as stress sank into my shoulders. I was tired of dealing with Damian and all of the drama.

  “No, no cops, we’ll just send this drunk fool home in a cab. Cassie, can you please call him an Uber?” I asked her. Cassie frowned.

  “I think that you should call the police… what if he hurts the Uber driver?” Cassie asked. I couldn’t help laughing, even though this was no laughing matter. Cassie did have a point.

  “No need, he’s unconscious. I’ll drive him,” Hunter said. We both looked back at the two men on the floor. Sure enough, Damian was passed out. I don’t know how, or if Hunter had something to do with it, but relief washed over my body.

  “Ok, yea. Thank you Hunter,” I said, clasping my hands together. Hunter nodded and dragged Damian outside. Cassie and I followed him, and watched from my porch, as Hunter put Damian in the backseat of his car and then climbed into the front seat. We stood there watching until he drove off, and then we just looked at each other. The sun was showing signs of its arrival over the horizon.

  “You should get some sleep. You have an interview with Ellen DeGeneres in a few hours. I’ll clean up the blood,” Cassie said. I gently squeezed Cassie’s arm.

  “Thank you Cassie,” I said. She nodded and squeezed my arm back. We headed back into the house. The whole ordeal was draining and I realized that I was exhausted. I went straight into my room and climbed into my soft warm bed, but just lay there, wide awake, tossing and turning. Although my body was tired, my mind was wide awake.

  I lay there replaying the night’s events, over and over again in my head. I soon realized that I was waiting for Hunter to return. My body was on high alert, listening for any sound signaling his arrival. When I heard the front door open, I jumped out of bed and scurried out of my room to meet him at the door. Hunter looked as exhausted as I felt, but he managed a smile anyway. We just stood there, staring at each other for a few moments. I snapped out of it to ask, “So, how did that go… dropping off Damian and whatnot?” Hunter stuck his hands in his pants pockets, my gaze drifted down below his waistline, then snapped back up to see him watching me.

  “I drove him to his house, unlocked the door and carried him in, and left him in his living room, before locking up and catching an Uber back here,” Damian told me nonchalantly.

  “Thank you, and I want to apologize,” I said, taking a step toward him. “I should have never answered the door.” He shook his head and put up his hand to stop me.

  “No need to apologize. I just did what you hired me to do,” he assured me. I nodded. We stood there awkwardly.

  “Well thank you, again,” I repeated. “We should probably get some sleep. We’ve got to be up in a few hours,” I told him, but neither of us made a motion to leave. I felt this strange urge to touch him in some way. I put my hand lightly on his forearm as we stared into each other’s eyes. I felt myself growing warm all over under his gaze. I blushed and removed my hand. “Goodnight,” I told him.

  “Goodnight Simone.”

  We both went our separate ways, to our separate rooms to lay in separate beds, but my mind was on him. I couldn’t sleep and the sun had risen. In a couple hours, I’d have to be up. Soon, Margaret would begin making breakfast. I decided to take a shower and climbed out of bed, heading into my large bathroom. A nice, long, hot shower was just what I needed.

  *****

  Daddy’s Girl

  After my interview with Ellen, I was free for the day and decided to pay my father a visit, alone. No mom, no Cassie, and no Hunter. I drove myself to my father’s house; a white ranch in a rural area that sat on a few acres. I parked in the long gravel driveway and got out of my car, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. It was a beautiful day and in this open area, the sky just seemed to spread out in every direction, unobstructed by buildings or trees. I walked around to the back of the house where, sure enough, my dad was in the garden tending to his vegetables. I smiled at how well I knew my father. My dad, sensing my presence, sat back on his knees and looked up at me, shielding his eyes from the sun with his gloved hands.

  “Is that my Sima, come to visit her old man?” He asked, standing up to embrace me. My dad smelled like the earth. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to store the scent forever in my memories.

  “Hey Daddy.”

  “What brings you all the way out here? Is it my birthday?” He asked jokingly.

  “No Daddy, I just missed you and decided to come visit,” I told him. We began walking. There was a large open field behind my dad’s house. It was just empty and open, and I think that’s what I liked so much about it. We just walked aimlessly.

  “So what’s up with my baby girl? How’s the starlight treating you?” He asked. I chuckled to myself, thinking about all of the highs and lows that I had experienced over the last few months. “You still with that boy? Donald? Darius?” He asked.

  “Damian, and no. We broke up a few months ago,” I informed him.

  “Good riddance,” my dad said, nodding approvingly.

  “Yea well, he showed up at my house drunk last night,” I told him. My dad stopped walking and frowned.

  “Oh?”

  “Yea. He barged in, wanting me to take him back, even thou
gh he’s already in a whole other relationship! My bodyguard was there and Damian caused a scene. Hunter broke his nose, Damian ended up unconscious and Hunter drove him home,” I explained. My dad watched me quietly, listening intently as I told the story.

  “You’re alright though?” He asked, finally.

  “Yea.” I nodded. He nodded too.

  “Well, that’s all that matters to me. That boy Damian is a fool. He has a lot of growing up to do. You’re better off without him,” my dad said. I nodded in agreement. “When did you hire a bodyguard?”

  “A little after Damian and I had broken up, he had showed up at my house, broke some glass and punched a hole in my wall. Mommy suggested that I get a bodyguard and we hired Hunter the next day,” I told him. Again my dad shook his head, searching the clear blue skies for answers, as he stroked his beard.

  “Damian come over again, you call the police. You need to get a restraining order. Let these white men deal with his ass,” my dad said, looking at me. I nodded. Maybe I did need to get a restraining order, but I had Hunter now, I didn’t feel like it was necessary. As if reading my mind, my dad continued, “so, how’s your bodyguard, Hunter, you said his name was?”

  “Yea, Hunter,” I clarified, my face brightening as I thought about him. “He became a bodyguard after serving in the military. He told me that he felt a calling to protect after witnessing his mom get murdered by an ex-boyfriend.” My dad stared at me intently.

  “You like him?” he asked me directly. I tried to keep a straight face, but could feel my cheeks heating up.

  “No,” I lied. My dad raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Maybe, but I don’t want to cross that line. He’s a good guy and good at his job and I don’t want to jeopardize that,” I admitted.

  “I, personally, think that you need to take a break and just focus on yourself and your career for a little while,” my dad said. I nodded in agreement. I thought the same, but I couldn’t help how I felt.

  “I agree, but I can’t change how I feel,” I told him and then blurted out, “Hunter is white.” My dad looked at me and stroked his beard. I tried to read him, but he looked perplexed.

  “You be careful with white men, baby. White people are crazy,” my dad said. I laughed.

  “No crazier than black people,” I said. My dad scoffed as if to say that he begged to differ. My dad shoved his hands into the pockets of his overalls.

  “How’s your mama?” he asked me. My dad asked me every time I saw him. They were still in love with each other, that much was obvious.

  “Why don’t you ask her yourself?” I asked him. My dad shook his head.

  “She still living alone?” he asked.

  “Just as old and lonely as you are daddy,” I teased. He chuckled.

  “Not too old to whoop some young knuckleheads ass,” he told me. We both laughed.

  “No need to go whooping anyone’s ass. That’s what we have Hunter for,” I reminded him.

  “So, why didn’t Hunter come with you?’ he asked me. I shrugged.

  “I wanted to come visit you by myself,” I told him.

  “Well, next time you come visit me, you bring Hunter and your mama. I’d like to meet him and see your mother,” my dad told me. I smiled.

  “How about you come over to my place tonight for dinner?” I suggested excitedly. My dad looked unsure.

  “Oh, alright,” he said, giving in. I clapped my hands together. “But don’t go thinking that this is some kind of double date or something, because it’s not.”

  “Of course not! That would be weird. Besides, Cassie and Margaret will be there,” I assured him. He nodded gruffly.

  “Good, and I want to eat real food. With meat. Not all that diet hamster food bullshit that you guys be eating,” he said. I laughed.

  “Dad, you are demanding! How about we have pizza?” I asked.

  “Pizza sounds good. Can’t go wrong with pizza,” my dad said, with a wink. I threw my arm over my dad’s shoulders.

  “With the works?” I asked. He nodded.

  “With the works,” he said.

  “You and mom always did like pizza with the works,” I noted. My dad merely nodded and walked me to my car. “Well, that settles it. I’ll see you at seven!” I said, kissing my dad on his rough cheeks before getting into my car. I waved goodbye to my dad as I pulled out of his driveway, beeping my horn as I drove off.

  I put on my shades and turned on the radio, letting the top down on my convertible. It was a beautiful day and I was feeling great! I was excited about dinner tonight and nothing could bring me down. As I drove home, a song came to me and I turned down the radio to sing the song that was playing in my head.

  “When things end, say goodbye and be happy that they happened. Save water and do not cry, just keep on laughing,” I sang. I sped home, eager to write it down. I pulled up into my driveway, parked, and hopped out of my car, racing into the house. Cassie and Hunter were sitting in the kitchen when I burst into the house. “Hi!” I exclaimed, but didn’t stop to chat as I made a beeline for Studio 1. I grabbed my notebook and favorite pen and began writing, then went into the booth to start recording immediately. I stayed in the studio for the rest of the day, writing and recording new music. This was my first wave of genuinely happy music since before Damian and I, and it felt good. I was just finishing up when there was a light knock at the door. It was my mom.

  “Hey mom,” I said, as I put my notebook away.

  “Hey baby, what’s this I hear about dinner?” my mom asked, looking at me questioningly. I slapped my forehead. I had completely forgotten all about dinner. Music had completely taken over my mind.

  “Oh my goodness. I completely forgot. Yea, so we’re having dinner tonight with dad,” I told her.

  “I know. Your father called me,” she said, with a smile.

  “What time is it?” I asked, but I didn’t wait for an answer. I pulled out my phone and lit up the screen. It was 6:48 in the evening. “Dad will be here in ten minutes!” I exclaimed, jumping up out of my seat.

  “Your father is already here,” my mom informed me. I gaped at her.

  “I have to order the pizzas!” I told her.

  “Already took care of it. I cooked,” my mom said. Now, I knew something was up.

  “You cooked?” I asked in disbelief. My mom grinned at me.

  “Yes, I did. Steak, with mixed vegetables, and rice,” she told me.

  “Wow! Well, let’s eat!” I exclaimed, as we headed out of the studio. Then a thought suddenly occurred to me, but I would soon get my confirmation as we entered the living room. Sitting on the couch, laughing and joking together was Hunter and my dad with Victoria and Madison on their laps. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. They both looked up as we walked in.

  “Hey baby!” My dad greeted me.

  “Hey daddy.” I sat down beside him and hugged him.

  “Hunter was just sharing some stories from when he served in the military,” my dad informed me.

  “Oh, really?” I asked.

  “Simone has already heard most of them,” Hunter said, looking at me and smiling. The way he stared at me made me blush in front of my father. Luckily, I was saved by my mother.

  “Dinner is served in the dining room,” she called to us. We all got up and made our way into the formal dining room, where the food was already there and waiting. It looked and smelled delicious. I couldn’t even remember the last time that I had had a home-cooked meal. Ok, Margaret had cooked for me just the other night, but I couldn’t remember the last time that my MOM had cooked. This was a special occasion. The table was round so I sat between Hunter and my dad. Hunter sat between myself and my mom and Cassie and Margaret sat between my mom and dad.

  “Let us say grace before we eat,” my mom announced. “Benjamin, will you do the honors of saying grace?”

  “Everyone, take your neighbors hands,” my father commanded. I held Hunter and my dad’s hands. We all bowed our heads and closed our eyes. “Thank yo
u for gathering all of us here together tonight, to partake in this savory meal, prepared by a beautiful woman for our beautiful family. May this food be as blessed as the hands that have prepared it.” I peeked open my eyes and looked at my father, who was trying to butter my mom up and then looked across the table at my mom, who looked pretty pleased with herself. I glanced over at Hunter and as though he felt my stare, he peeked out at me. We shared a knowing smile and then Hunter squeezed my hand gently. I returned the squeeze and then we closed our eyes once more as my dad finished up grace. Everyone lifted their heads and opened their eyes.

  “I hope you guys enjoy this meal that I have prepared in such short notice,” my mom said, looking directly at me. I smirked and looked away. “Well, everybody dig in!” And that’s exactly what we did. Eating and talking and laughing. Good food with good people. I couldn’t ask for a better way to spend my evening or better people to spend it with. My dad and Hunter seemed to really be hitting it off, which pleased me tremendously. I had Cassie bring out a bottle of wine and we all gathered in the kitchen to share a glass. My parents really liked Hunter, but once the wine started circulating through their systems, they turned their attention to each other. I stood between Cassie and Hunter, as we watched my parents.

  “They’re flirting,” I whispered.

  “Your parents obviously still love each other,” Hunter observed.

  “They’re so cute,” Cassie gushed. I smiled as I watched my creators getting along.

  “They are cute,” I agreed. They finally noticed us watching them. My mom giggled and my dad grinned.

  “Well, I think it is time that I go home,” my mom announced.

  “No, no, no Mom, you can’t drive like that. Stay the night,” I suggested.

  “No, I’ll drive her. I only had a few sips. That wine was much too sweet for my taste,” my dad said. My mom clapped her hands together with finality.

  “That settles it! I’ll ride home with your father!” my mom declared. I couldn’t stop smiling as I felt myself return to a little kid again, hoping that my parents got back together. But the adult that I am knew that they were probably just going to have drunk sex. Then I tried to get the disturbing imagery out of my head. My parents said their goodbyes and made their exit.