by K. A. Poe
“I’m sure she will. I’m going to take a shower and then start packing for the trip to China!”
Almost as soon as Desmond left for the restroom, my phone began to ring. The front displayed an unknown number and I hesitated before answering.
“Hello?”
“Alexis?” the voice at the opposite end of the phone shocked me. “This is Cassius Arith, I apologize for the other day. Do you have a moment to talk?”
My heart was racing. “Sure…of course.”
“To begin with—you are far more magnificent than I ever imagined,” he said and I felt my cheeks growing warm. “Your talent is musical brilliance!”
“I-wow…I don’t even know what to say,” I fumbled with my words. “Thank you so much…”
“My only question is, how is it you were never offered an opportunity in music before?”
“I kind of stopped playing, for the most part, after…after something happened when I was young…very few people have heard me play since I was a kid.”
“I consider myself very lucky then, my dear. Please, do me the honor of working for me…I will beg if necessary.” A soft chuckle escaped his lips.
Before answering, I gazed at Salem who, although was frowning, gave me a nod of approval. But who could blame him for being wary? He went through so much trouble getting us the beautiful house in Willowshire, the house of my dreams…but this, too, was my dream. I had given him his dream of mortality, was this his way of paying me back? I grinned broadly and twirled in a circle.
“I can’t believe this!” I shrieked at the top of my lungs. “Me? A musician?”
“You’ve earned it, after all you have been through,” Salem muttered with a frown. I hugged him tightly and let my head linger against his chest for a moment as I listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat. “What was it you said about housing?”
“Straight to it, I see,” the man laughed lightly and requested that we meet him in the morning to discuss things further.
I hung up the phone and looked directly into Salem’s violet-tinted eyes. “Are you disappointed?”
“Of course not,” he replied and shook his head, causing strands of black hair to fall across his face. “I suppose China will have to wait, however.”
“What’s this about China waiting?” Desmond asked as he came out of the bathroom.
“Cassius just called…he wants to offer me a job here,” I could barely conceal my excitement.
“That’s great!” Desmond exclaimed. “Do you want me to stay here for a while? I can put the trip to China off for a while, it’s no problem.”
I considered the idea for a moment—there were so many years I had missed with my foster father that could be made up for now, but it was a little too late. My own selfish needs shouldn’t postpone his dreams.
“Go ahead and go to China, dad…I’m sure Mel has to be getting sick of Romania by now. There is only so much to write about here, right? Just make sure you keep in touch, send me pictures when you can.”
“Are you sure?” he stared at me tenderly, and I knew it was tearing him apart to leave me again.
“I’m sure. It’s not like you can’t come back any time you want to.”
“You’re right…I guess it’s settled then, I’ll cancel your tickets.”
I hugged him tightly and thought back to when I was barely tall enough to reach his waistline—back before he left me seemingly for good. There wasn’t a single part of me that wasn’t happy to have him in my life again.
“Cassius wants us to meet him in the morning to look into housing, and then I guess I’ll find out where I’ll be working…”
“You sound uneasy.”
“I’m anxious! This is a big step.”
“It is, but you can handle it. Salem will be there to help you, y’know.”
“And if by some chance things don’t go quite as planned, we have a home waiting for us in Willowshire,” Salem noted.
“Dad...” it still felt odd referring to him by that again, “I don’t mean to be nosy but…where did you get all your money from?” It was a valid question, despite the bluntness of it. I was certain he had been a high school English teacher, and there was no way that had paid for his adventured.
“Do you remember what I did for a living when you were little?”
“Of course…you taught English, right?”
“Right, but I didn’t only teach English. You know how small Willowshire high school is. I also taught two periods of economics. Anyway, very shortly after your mom and I…separated…my dad passed away. I don’t know if you remember them Alex. Your grandparents had me pretty late in life and were very old when you were a baby. They lived up in Boulder. My dad didn’t do all that well after your grandma died. You were only three then, so I doubt you remember. We even went up there and stayed with him for a little while. Well, I was their only child and they left me a whole lot of money. I am grateful for that but I would still give it all away to have those two back. They would have loved who you have grown into, Alex.”
“They left you enough to live off of and do all this traveling? And to buy us that house? That is crazy!”
“Not exactly. It was a lot of money but not that much. As soon as I got it I took well over half and put what I had been teaching about economics to work. Stocks. I know the market inside and out. It has paid off big time and I am able to easily live off the profits with some to spare.”
“Ah, I see.” It was somewhat confusing. I had never been that incredible of a student and my weakest subjects by far had been math and economics. “Isn’t that kind of dangerous though?”
“It can be, but I don’t put all my eggs in one basket. Besides, Mel is pretty well off on her own…so if everything did fall through we would still be okay.”
Desmond unexpectedly stepped over to me and gave me another tight hug. “We should all get some sleep. We both have big long days tomorrow.”
“Right.”
6. SETTLING IN
Melissa and Desmond prepared for their trip to China before going to bed. I found it nearly impossible to sleep. There were so many questions on my mind. Was this new career opportunity the right decision? If I fully accepted it would I ever return to Colorado? Would I ever see Jason or my home again? There was also the constant fear of Malik. Between the memories my mother had shared and the unsuspected eavesdropping at the castle earlier—I knew he was still in Romania. I kept myself awake contemplating everything as Salem seemed to slumber without a care in the world beside me. I jumped when the hotel room’s phone rang. It was Cassius.
“I am sorry to call so early my dear, but I am most excited. I did not wake you I hope?”
“No, I was up.”
“Ah, good! If it is not too sudden I would like to start off today by meeting at a little antique and tourist shop just across the street from your hotel.”
I walked across the room, the cord to the phone stretching tightly behind me and looked out the window. I had not noticed it before but there it stood—a small old building. I couldn’t tell what the wooden sign said in the dark, but directly below it was a small orange neon sign that said “OPEN”. I looked over at the clock at it was only four-thirty in the morning.
“Ah, I see you have found it.”
I scanned the parking lot looking or his figure standing there but saw no one. Then I realized there was a black limo parked beside the building, nearly masked by a large pine.
“I did.”
“Are you able to meet me here in say…thirty minutes? Don’t worry about breakfast, I will get you something.”
“I’m not so sure I can do that.”
“Why? Please do not say you have changed your mind!” I detected sadness in his voice, but also a slight hint of anger that startled me.
“No…nothing like that. My dad is heading off for a trip to China in like an hour. I wanted to at least see him off.”
“Ah! Well, no problem at all, my dear. See to your father and I will be here waiting whe
n you are able.”
“Thanks. Bye.” I hung up the phone and noticed I had woken the whole room.
“Who was that?” Desmond’s groggy voice floated through the dark room.
“Cassius. He wants me to meet him as soon as I am done seeing you two off.”
It took them well over an hour to finish getting ready to leave—mostly thanks to Melissa needing to look perfect. Despite my dad’s nagging about them being late, and how it was still a long trip to even make it to the airport, she continued to brush out every lock of hair to perfection.
Once she was finally finished, Salem and I walked with them down to the front curb.
“You’ll call me, right?” I asked as I hugged my foster father tightly, holding back the tears.
“You know I will, Alex.”
I smiled and enveloped Mel in a hug, growing used to her presence and becoming more fond of her than I ever thought would have been possible. It was something I would have to do, knowing she would someday be like a mother to me. My eyes betrayed me when the two of them stepped inside a cab and Desmond turned to look back at me one last time before he shut the door.
“It won’t be long before we see them again,” Salem said reassuringly.
“I hope you’re right…I guess we should head over there.” I pointed across the street with my left hand as my right wiped away fresh tears.
The store was small with wide windows that gave you instant access to some of the unique and dingy items kept inside. There were oil lamps, an armoire, paintings, porcelain dolls, and collectible bears sitting closest to the windows--probably with the hopes of pulling interested buyers in. Personally, it all looked dull to me…not to mention creepy, as far as the dolls go. When Salem pulled the door open, a bell rang and announced our arrival.
We stepped around a large jade lion with a price tag of over a thousand dollars and came across a section of fine China that caught my attention. I leaned over to examine a white plate with pale pink roses along the outside, only to be distracted by the sound of footsteps approaching.
“Fancy meeting you here,” I heard Cassius say from behind.
I stood and looked toward him. He was once again clad in the now familiar trench coat which partially concealed a white button-down shirt.
“Hey,” I replied casually. “Come here often?”
Cassius laughed richly. “I thought it might be easier for you to meet me over here than inside the crowded lobby of a hotel.”
“That makes sense. Where do we go from here?”
“You have a couple of options. I can get you a room at my boss’s house, or you can stay in an apartment of your choice.”
“Wait just a minute,” Salem spoke up. “She has not yet accepted your offer. I think talking about housing is a little further down the road.”
“I see. Well, do you plan to stay in the motel until you decide?”
I gave Salem an angry look but he was at least partially right. It was presumptuous for Cassius to assume I would accept his offer no matter what. Then I remembered that it was probably our only option unless I wanted to call Desmond. We had little to no money left. Definitely not enough to stay in the hotel more than a day or two more.
“No,” I said shyly.
“Well then, by all means take advantage of my housing while you decide, I insist upon it.”
I knew this was most likely a salesman type trick. I had seen it in movies. Make your potential customer, or in this case employee, as comfortable and pampered as possible so they would accept whatever you were telling them. What choice did I have, though?
“What if I decide not to take you up on your offer?”
“Well, then I would be most sad, but we both know that will not happen.” He smiled knowingly. “Regardless, you will need to stay somewhere while you decide—be it a week or a year.”
“An apartment is fine,” Salem unexpectedly replied before I could even open my mouth. “We wouldn’t want to impose on your boss.”
“He wouldn’t mind, but again, it is your decision,” he said and looked toward the door as a couple walked through. “Shall we take our leave and find you a new home?”
My stomach lurched when he said ‘new home’. I didn’t want a new home…but somehow I didn’t think this could be a temporary position despite what he said. How could I give up this opportunity and go back to dull, little Willowshire? I let a slow sigh escape through my lips before I played a false smile.
“Let’s do this.”
Victor drove the limousine up to a small two-story apartment complex—with at least twenty apartments altogether. There weren’t any people in the wide, open field of bright green grass. The sidewalks were all clean and clear of residents. It appeared very vacant, but I noticed there were lights illuminating each building.
We all climbed out of the vehicle, aside from Victor, and went to see the apartment Cassius had chosen for us. I didn’t have very high hopes, but considering his form of transportation, maybe he could afford us something more than decent. The vicinity was well-kept after all. Large trees rose all around and neatly trimmed hedges guided our path around the side of one of the buildings. The back was more than a little less tidy. The hedges stopped almost immediately and made way to a large outdoor complex. A huge swimming pool stretched out between a couple of basketball courts and an area for tennis. The patio surrounding the empty pool was surrounded with dead, un-pruned flowers. Even the nets for the tennis courts were drooping and withered.
“You’ll be in apartment fourteen, assuming you approve of my choice,” Cassius said as he led us to the building on the right side—where four apartments were stacked together. I was relieved to find that fourteen was on the bottom floor.
A dark green door lay before us with a copper ‘14’ beside it and a doorbell. I grew increasingly anxious as I stared at the wood blocking me from whatever lay inside. When I pushed open the door I was shocked by what I saw. Despite my expectations of something lavish and luxurious I was met with a very plain, cramped studio apartment which perfectly complimented the dilapidated area outside. Perhaps Cassius wasn’t as wealthy as I imagined, maybe the limo had been just for show. It was nothing compared to my beloved home back in Willowshire, but I had to keep telling myself it wasn’t that bad. It did have a comfortable feel to it, at least. It felt somewhat cozy, despite its condition.
“I know it’s not perfect, but it’s only temporary until there is an opening someplace else.”
Relief washed over me at his words—this wasn’t permanent. Hopefully something nicer awaited us in the future.
“You have cable service, internet, and phone—all paid for by yours truly.”
“And what of electricity, water, sewage…?” Salem asked.
“That’s all taken care of, as well,” he smiled and offered me a simple black box. “These belong to your new car waiting in the parking lot.”
“New car?” I gasped and pried open the box, revealing a set of shiny keys.
“I hope a Sion IQ is okay with you.”
“Okay with me?! I-I’m speechless!”
Ever since I had seen one in the parking lot at Howard’s I wanted one of my own. I had assumed I would never be able to afford one, and now I was getting one absolutely free. It was almost too good to be true.
“Are you serious?!”
“I am always serious.” He smiled.
I missed my PT Cruiser back home, but this car would easily make me forget it. Leaving the two men inside the apartment, I ran out to the parking lot, scanning the vicinity for my precious new car—there it sat, between a busted up Sedan and a motorbike. With its spotless white exterior, I was already in love. I ran my hand against the smooth siding on the door and my heart leapt with joy. Sliding the key into the door, I listened for the indicator that it was unlocked and pulled it open.
For a moment I was in awe. The inside was pristine and perfect. I was almost afraid to get in and dirty any of it but that feeling quickly passed as I hoppe
d in and shut the door.
The seat felt soft and comfortable beneath me. I reclined it backward and relaxed with my arms behind my head. My life was heading in the right direction—I was beginning to live my dreams instead of my nightmares.
With one last look, one last touch of the steering wheel, I rushed back into the hotel room and blushed as the men stared at me awkwardly.
“I’m sorry…I was just so excited.”
“That is completely understandable, we were more amused than anything,” Cassius chuckled. “I am glad that you approve of my choice. Let yourselves become acquainted with your new surroundings and I will call you in the morning with directions to your new place of work.”
“This is all so unbelievable! Thank you so much, Cassius.”
“It is my pleasure, dear Alex,” he said with a smile and gently kissed the back of my hand. “And one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“Be safe.” He winked, turned, and walked off.
Sitting on the beige sofa-fold-out-bed, I relaxed and smiled to myself until I heard Salem sighing in the kitchen. I scrambled to my feet and went to find him.
“What’s wrong?”
“I still don’t trust that man,” he confessed as he stared out the window over the sink, which gave us a view of an old playground.
“I wish I understood why.”
Salem shrugged, watching a toddler boy go down the vivid orange slide. “There is something overly suspicious about all of this. It doesn’t feel right to me, in any way.”
“Maybe you’re just afraid of change.”
“I have experienced plenty of change throughout my life, Alex…it has nothing to do with that. There is something going on, and you for some reason don’t seem to see it!”
“Nothing is going on, Salem! Why can’t you just be proud of me? Can’t we just enjoy the fact that life is finally going our way, instead of us running from one thing or another?”
He stared at me fiercely for a moment before resuming looking out the window. “Forget I said anything. Continue letting things play out as they are, and hope that I am mistaken.”
