Meg's Moment

by Amy Johnson

  Sitting at her computer she buzzed through her column, choosing to tackle the topic of first impressions. She’d judged Jack right from the start and if she hadn’t come to her senses she’d have missed out on last night. And this morning.

  Her phone rang and she picked it up on the third ring. It was her mother.

  “Megan Diane, where in the heck have you been, young lady?” Megan rolled her eyes and considered changing her phone number. “I phoned for hours last night and came by to check on you but you weren’t home. You need to give me my key back for emergencies like this.” Like hell, Megan thought.

  “Mom, it wasn’t an emergency. I’m fine.”

  “And what about your poor grandmother. She was probably worried sick.”

  “I doubt it, Mom. She had a date.”

  Her mother choked. “She had a what?”

  “I’ll let her tell you about it,” Megan said then tried to end the conversation by saying, “She’s at Mickey’s, Mom, why don’t you call her and ask her all about it.”

  Her mother was a determined woman. “So where were you? And why didn’t you call me? You’re father barely slept a wink for worry that you might have been abducted or worse.” Yeah right. Her father could sleep through a drive by shooting. “Stacy and Mickey had no idea where you were, Ali said she wasn’t sure where you were but you were fine and Josie, well Josie said you’d kill her if she told me, but she did say you were right where you wanted to be doing things that needed to be done. What exactly did she mean by that?”

  Megan laughed at Josie’s elusive accuracy. “Did she tell you she was in love?”

  “What?” her mother seemed stumped for a moment but quickly recovered. “Answer my question Megan.”

  Megan felt rebellious. “No,” she said.

  “Did you say no?” Her mother sounded shocked. She was probably contemplating strangling Megan with her rosary beads.

  “Yep, that’s what I said.”

  “OK, I’m on my way over. You will not disrespect me like that over the phone. What happened to the sweet little girl I raised?” Megan growled. Here comes the guilt trip delivered in full catholic fashion. “You know I was in labor for fifteen hours with you and this was before they had all those fancy drugs. And you were a colicky baby Megan; I didn’t sleep for two years…”

  “Maybe you should catch up on that right now, Mom.”

  “...I never missed a dance recital, school play, T-ball game, or anything else that was important to you.” Her voice cracked and Megan winced. “And I’ve spent my entire life giving you everything a mother could and for this you tell me no. No, you can’t answer one simple…”

  “Mom, I was with Jack, OK?”

  The sniffling stopped. Carefully her mother asked, “All night?”

  “Yep.”

  “What were you doing?”

  “Do you really want the details?”

  There was a long silence and Megan figured her mother was preparing a sermon or overdosing on Zoloft. She finally found her voice and said, “No, I suppose I don’t. You’re safe and I guess that’s all that’s important.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  “But what about Ted? He’s not going to like this, Megan. He’s been calling here nonstop trying to convince us to talk some sense in you.”

  “Tell him to eat shit. That’s what Granny tells him.”

  Her mother sucked in air loudly. “I will not tell him that.”

  “Fine, then I will. And what he likes or dislikes is no longer any of my concern. I’ve already filed for divorce. I’m moving on with my life. I think that’s fair since he moved on with his a long time ago.”

  “I suppose you’re right. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

  She did. She was doing Jack. And it was incredible. “I do, Mom, and look I’ve got to go. I have to get my column finished for tomorrow’s deadline. Gotta go. Love you.”

  “If you want to hang up, just say so. Don’t lie to me about that stupid column.”

  Megan crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at the phone. “Sure thing Ma, take care.” Before her mother could protest she clicked off and the phone rang again almost instantly. She debated answering figuring it might be her mother again, but it could be Jack. She already missed him. She answered the phone just in case. This time it was Stacy.

  “We need to talk,” Stacy said almost immediately.

  “About?”

  “You, Jack, Ted, Josie and her Dr. Ross. Lot’s of things really. We just need to catch up,” Stacy said her voice sounding tight.

  “Is everything okay? You sound weird.” Stacy never sounded weird. Usually she just sounded bored.

  “Yeah, you gonna be home? I need to round everyone up.”

  Alarmed, Megan said weakly, “Okay.”

  “I’ll be by in a few.” And without further explanation Stacy clicked off leaving Megan sitting there with her imagination running wild. If it had been anybody else she wouldn’t have been worried. But it was Stacy and even sputtering drunk Stacy was the most sensible person she knew. Something was up. Something big.

  Megan tried to shrug it off and called her grandmother to trade date stories. This time, she’d bet she could one up her granny. Granny probably didn’t get any.

  Granny was just telling her how all the old ladies at the Bingo Hall were ogling at her man when Megan’s call waiting beeped. Putting Granny on hold she answered and was greeted by Jack’s husky baritone on the other end.

  “Are you okay?” he demanded as soon as she said hello.

  OK, this was getting weird. “I’m fine, why wouldn’t I be?”

  “Megan, I want you to get out of the house. Go to Mrs. Everett’s until I get there. I’m on my way.” He sounded stressed, angry… concerned.

  “No, I hate that woman,” More than a little angry herself she asked, “What the hell’s wrong with everyone today anyway. First my mother, and then Stacy, and now you. For God’s sake I’m thirty years old and I am perfectly capable of…”

  “Just get out of the house Megan!” His tone was loud and sharp and Megan flinched at his rudeness.

  “Look Jack, I’ll have you know…” She heard a dial tone before she got finished with her verbal butt chewing. Figuring she’d had enough insanity for the day she went to deal with Spot who might be a pain in the butt, but at least he was consistent about it. He was hiding in his treasure box when she tapped on the tank. He strutted out, stuck his fishy chin in the air and flipped her the fin. Megan blinked. Okay, maybe she was the insane one imagining things because there was no way a fish could… She heard a key in the back door and jumped.

  It was Jack and he looked enraged, worried, and irresistible. In a few quick, deliberate strides he had her in his arms lifting her off her feet. After a brief but nipple hardening kiss, he sat her at the bottom of the stairs and began looking out the window scanning the street and the yard. What the hell?

  As if he’d read her mind he said, “Stacy called me and she said you might be in danger. Apparently she overheard something at a bar.” Megan had never known Stacy to go to a bar. Maybe this tequila thing was getting out of hand. While Megan was pondering this and Jack was searching for the boogie man Stacy barreled in the door with Mickey, Ali and Josie close behind.

  “We dropped Granny off at your Mom’s,” Stacy quickly explained then to Jack she said, “See anything?”

  Jack frowned, “Not yet, but we aren’t taking any chances. She can pack a few things and she’s going home with me.”

  Megan blinked. “Am not!” she protested.

  Mickey, who was strictly Michael today, chimed in, his voice deep and manly, “That’s probably a good idea. I’ll help her pack.”

  “I’ll gather Spot’s things,” Josie added and disappeared into the kitchen.

  Ali was next to speak, always the voice of reason, “But first I think we need to notify the police even if we’re not completely sure of what’s going on.”

  “Good idea,” Sta
cy said.

  “What is going on?” Megan asked and was ignored by everyone.

  “And she probably needs to call her mother so she doesn’t worry,” Mickey said. “We didn’t really give Granny any real explanation as to what was going on.”

  Josie laughed. “That’s just because she would’ve wanted a piece of the action.”

  Megan stood up and addressed the group. “What action?”

  Jack nudged her to go upstairs. “Haven’t you been paying attention sweetheart? Get packing. We need to get of here.”

  “No!” She shouted and everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at her. “I’m not going anywhere or doing anything until I know exactly what the hell is going on.” She plunked down on the couch and crossed her arms over her chest for emphasis. Chin high and eyes narrowed she growled, “Now who wants to tell me?”

  Jack looked at Stacy who was looking at the ceiling. Mickey stood suitcase in hand, eyeing Josie who has stuffing Spot’s fish food in her bra for transport.

  “Well?” Megan prompted and Stacy shifted her weight and frowned.

  Oh hell. This was going to be worse than bad.

  “Okay here goes.” Stacy sat beside Megan on the couch and took her hand. Jack also came to Megan’s side sitting beside her, cuddling her close to him, one strong arm possessively around her shoulder.

  “I was at Dino’s,” Stacy began, “and Ted came in and sat at the bar a couple stools down from me. He looked like hell. I’m pretty sure he hasn’t showered or shaved in at least a week. He’s lost weight too. Anyways, he kept looking around like he was nervous or something when finally, his uh…that girl came in and he joined her at a table.”

  “Tiffany,” Megan supplied flatly and Stacy nodded.

  “So I hear them talking and your name comes up. I was curious and the table behind them was empty and since the bartender was hitting on me constantly I moved to the empty table.”

  “Was the bartender Todd?” Josie asked.

  “I think so why,” Stacy said momentarily distracted.

  “I dated him. He has this weird fetish about…” Stacy raised her hand to stop Josie.

  “Not now Josie,” she said then turned back to Megan. “So I’m eavesdropping and I hear them talking about how Ted needs a lot of money to pay off those drug dealer guys and how Ted has this plan to get the money.

  “It seems Ted knows all about you’re little pool table bar scene with Romeo over there.” She gestured at Jack who smiled. “And from the sounds of it he wasn’t too happy about it.”

  Megan jumped in to protest. “So what! He cheated first. And anyway I’ve already filed for divorce, we’re separated.”

  “I hear you,” Stacy said. “But that’s not the issue.”

  “Then what is the issue?” Megan asked her impatience growing.

  “Well, they were talking and Ted says that everything he owns is already in hock and these Madrino guys are going to kill him if he doesn’t pay up. So he tells the redheaded wench that he has a plan to get the money and have enough for them to get out of the country and get married and all that.”

  “I wish them well. So what’s the plan?” Megan wanted to know. She felt Jack tighten his embrace a little and she leaned into him just to feel his warmth. He felt so solid and strong and protective. She momentarily remembered that solid frame on top of her, inside her, driving her into sweet mindless oblivion…

  Stacy looked around the room nervously and wrung her hands together.

  “Come on Stace, spit it out,” Ali prompted.

  Stacy went pale and licked her lips. “Well, um they said…well they want to…uh their going to…”

  Megan was getting irritated, “What? They want to what? Get married? Start selling Tupperware? Start an escort service? What?”

  Josie got to the point as usual. “They’re going to kill you.”

  Megan’s mouth dropped open and she directed her gaze back to Stacy who was nodding her head with tears streaming down her face. Ali immediately went to her side and offered support.

  “That’s what they said Megan,” Stacy said her voice strained. “Ted said that he’d talked to someone about taking care of you.”

  Megan was flabbergasted. “But what would killing me accomplish?”

  “For the insurance money,” Jack said and she turned to face him.

  Her face was pure confusion and disbelief. “What?” she said in barely more than a whisper.

  Stacy continued, “Meg, he told Tiffany that he had a life insurance policy worth a half a million on you. He said you both took them out years ago.” Megan nodded. They had done that about five years ago. It seemed like the responsible thing to do. Hell it had been her idea. She reached for Jack’s hand and interlaced their fingers. He kissed her temple and brushed a stray hair behind her ear.

  “So they plan to kill me, pay the Madrino’s and then run off together for a happy ever after?”

  “Almost,” Mickey said taking over for Stacy who was crying all over Ali’s fuzzy, purple sweater. Megan thought it was a really cute sweater. When her ex-husband was done making attempts on her life, she’d be sure to compliment Ali on it. “Actually Ted had given the whole thing a little more thought. He was gonna have Billy bump you off for the insurance money. You got that right.” He held up his index finger and smiled. “But he didn’t plan on paying the Madrino’s. This is the genius of it. He knows they’ve threatened you and knowing you, he figured you would have reported it.”

  “Which we did. We wanted to leave a paper trail,” Jack said catching on to Ted’s intentions. He was really going to have to kill Ted he decided.

  “Exactly,” Mickey said, “And since the cops know it, once you were dead he was going to pin it on the Madrino brothers…”

  “And play the grieving widower until the check came in,” Jack finished for him.

  “Right again,” Mickey said.

  “And to make sure that things went as planned, Tiffany was supposed to call the Madrino’s and schedule a meeting to settle Ted’s debt at the same time you were wacked so that they wouldn’t have an alibi.” Stacy said. “She’d swear she was with Ted at the office where he was doing a shoot in front of an entire JV football team as witnesses.”

  “Pretty tidy,” Mickey commented.

  “Not tidy enough,” Jack said.

  “Wait a minute, this is absurd,” Megan said. “Ted wouldn’t kill me.” She took in the faces of everyone in the room. “Would he?”

  “He’s hit rock bottom, Meg,” Ali said. “People do desperate things when they think they’ve run out of options.”

  Megan felt the warm tears trickle down her cheeks. “But he’s not a murderer.”

  Josie snorted. “You didn’t know he was a drunk, a drug dealer, or a cheater either.”

  She had a point.

  Jack wiped away her tears with the side of his hand and his eyes grew intimately soft and protective. “We won’t take any chances honey. Let’s get you packed and out of here.”

  Megan ignored him. Another thought had crossed her mind. “How come he didn’t recognize you? He’s known you since like kindergarten. He would have seen you at the bar.”

  Stacy shrugged. “He was pretty drunk and I was um wearing a disguise.”

  Josie’s brown eyes glittered. “Well my, my, Little Miss Goody Two Shoes out getting some strange?”

  Stacy burned her with an outraged glare. “No! I just don’t want Scott knowing I was at the bar.”

  “Why not?” Mickey asked. “You’re over twenty one, it’s not a crime.”

  “Because, uh…well it’s not important right now.”

  Megan’s suspicions were confirmed. “The hell it isn’t. How often do you go to the bar? And why do you feel the need to hide it?” Stacy leaned back into Ali and began sobbing loudly.

  Jack’s voice was understanding and calm, “Because she’s an alcoholic.” Stacy nodded without removing her head from Ali’s chest. “And she’s ashamed of herself and
worried about what everyone will think about her. She wears the disguise, not only to hide her addiction from everyone else, but also to hide from herself and whatever she’s running from.”

  Megan’s heart ached for her friend. She had no idea what to say so she settled for, “It’s okay, Stace. We’ll get you help and we’ll support you all the way. Right guys?” Everyone nodded, their expressions sincere.

  Megan’s safety was Jack’s first priority. “But first we need to get you out of here,” he told Megan.

  She shook her head and stared at him with stubborn blue eyes. “No, I can’t leave right now. I can’t leave Spot and I have to finish my column and my mom…”

  Jack was the one shaking his head now. “Sweetheart, Spot can go with us, and you can write your column there too. And call your mom.”

  “I’ll talk to Mrs. J,” Josie said. “I’ll let her know what’s going on so you won’t have to listen to her lecture.” Oh boy.

  “And Granny can stay with me till things settle down,” Mickey said, then smiled thoughtfully. “You know, I really like having her around. She’s teaching me how to have cybersex with her online friends.”

  Megan fried him with a stern glare. “Don’t encourage her, Mickey.” Mickey laughed and Jack proceeded to argue with Megan about going home with him while Mickey enlightened Josie on the basics of internet sex and Ali soothed Stacy and offered support with battling her addiction. Megan was pacing in front of the window facing off with Jack and everyone was still bickering ten minutes later when the window—that had just been replaced Monday— suddenly shattered and a flaming bottle with a rag stuffed in it came smashing through, landing on the floor about a foot from the coffee table. A second later the bottle exploded with a deafening boom. For a brief second everyone froze except Jack, who had thrown Megan to the ground then grabbed the couch cushions to try to stomp out the fire that was now spreading from the carpet to the recliner. Mickey quickly joined Jack in an effort to help stop the fire.

  Josie was screaming, Stacy was calling 911, Megan was bleeding on the floor, and Ali had run to the kitchen.