Hope For Garbage

by Tully, Alex

  She obviously didn’t mind, because she leaned into him, and the next thing he felt was her lips on his. Her mouth was so soft and warm… She was kissing him!

  Without thinking, his body seemed to take over. He wrapped his arms around her back and kissed her more deeply. He felt a little dizzy as her body pressed against his.

  He began working his way down her neck, kissing all of the soft skin he could find. It seemed to come naturally now. He found his hands sliding under her sweater and working their way up her back.

  Unfamiliar sensations shot through his body and he could feel his self-control slipping away. He wanted more. He couldn’t help himself.

  Suddenly she pulled away from him. “Trevor, I think maybe we should take it slower, you know.” Her face was flushed and her eyes were on the ground.

  At that moment, a breeze of lake air hit him in the face and he seemed to snap back to reality. Shit. He came on too strong. “I’m sorry.”

  “No, it’s not you. I’m sorry…God this is embarrassing.” She wouldn’t look at his face.

  “No I’m sorry, really.” This was torture. Why couldn’t he be satisfied with just a kiss? He grabbed her hand, “Hey, do you want to watch a movie or something?”

  She looked relieved, “Yeah, okay.”

  He led her back into the house. They got comfortable on the couch and starting flipping through the channels on the big screen. He felt like a jack-ass and just hoped he hadn’t ruined everything.

  “The Avengers” was the movie of choice. Trevor watched the super heroes fly around saving the world, but he wasn’t really interested. Maybe it was the Black Widow in her tight bodysuit, but all he could think about was kissing Bea, and kissing her more...

  She was curled up next to him under a big fluffy blanket. Giant pillows on both sides of the couch seemed to swallow them up. He could just lean over and…Stop it Trevor. He had to get it out of his head.

  She put her head on his shoulder and he suddenly felt exhausted. He would just rest his eyes for a minute. Trevor wasn’t sure when it happened, but they both fell asleep.

  ***

  He had the nightmare again. Trevor was flying, and the man-in-black was chasing him. He was falling fast this time. Suddenly the man grabbed him and started shaking him. He couldn’t get away. “No!” he thrashed out, trying to free himself.

  “Wake up! Trevor wake up!” He was jolted awake to see Bea standing in front of him. “Trevor, you have to get up. My mom’s home.”

  Oh no. He suddenly realized where he was. What time was it? Trevor sat up on the couch adjusting his eyes to the light.

  Standing next to Bea was a woman dressed in white. As she came into focus, he realized she was wearing some kind of lab jacket. The name “Garden of Eve” was embroidered in fancy black letters on her left shoulder. She was tall and thin, maybe even taller than him, and had long, blond hair. She was the woman in the portrait, and she was very attractive.

  “Hi, I’m Evelyn Stewart, Barbara’s mother,” she said in a cool voice. The woman oozed sophistication and confidence. Her eyes seemed to bore into him. He wasn’t quite sure how to read this lady. He instantly felt uncomfortable, and a little intimidated.

  His eyes quickly went to the floor. “Hi, I’m Trevor.”

  “Well Trevor, Barbara tells me you guys had a nice dinner. She said a friend of yours was supposed to pick you up?”

  Mr.Tyminski—where the hell was he? “Yeah, my neighbor. What time is it?”

  “Past midnight.” Bea answered. She was chewing on her nails looking extremely uncomfortable.

  “Well, I’m not sure what happened. My neighbor should’ve been here.” Trevor said. He was a little worried now. There was no way Mr.T would’ve forgotten him.

  Evelyn Stewart picked up her coat and turned to Bea. “All right, I’ll have to take Trevor home then. Barbara, I want you to go straight to bed. You have to be up early tomorrow.”

  Bea walked away quickly and didn’t say a word. At the top of the stairs she gave him a little wave and an apologetic look. Trevor waved back.

  Then he followed Evelyn out the door.

  CHAPTER 13

  “He said he thought it was just heartburn at first. But then it didn’t go away,” Carol was babbling to one of the doctors in the emergency room.

  Tom was laid out on a gurney with all kinds of monitors hooked up to him. He had made quite a first impression on their date tonight—that was for sure. After three bites of his porterhouse steak, he started feeling pain in his chest. He told Carol it was probably just indigestion, but this felt different. He didn’t want to alarm her so he excused himself and went to the men’s room. While splashing cold water on his face, he suddenly felt like he couldn’t catch his breath. He hurried back to the table and told Carol he thought maybe they should go to the hospital, just as a precaution.

  The doctors told him he had a non-segment myocardial infarction, or a mild heart attack. As if there was such a thing. They told him he would be okay; at least no surgery was necessary now. But he was going to have to take more pills and change his diet. They also said a daily walk around the block would be helpful.

  Tom just nodded, but what he was thinking was that it would be a cold day in hell before he started eating healthy and exercising. At this age, what was the point? After the lecture, they told him he would have to stay in the hospital overnight for observation.

  He hated being here. Just the sounds of the monitors and the smells of antiseptic brought back unpleasant memories. He had spent many days next to Maddie’s bedside at this very hospital.

  Carol walked over, “Hey, how you feeling?” There was obvious concern in her eyes and it was strangely comforting. “Can I get you anything?”

  “Oh, I’m fine. They said it wasn’t serious. I should be able to go home tomorrow.” Suddenly he remembered Trevor—Tom was supposed to pick him up at that girl’s house. “Oh shoot! I forgot about the kid! Could you call him and let him know what happened?”

  “Of course. Oh my, he’s probably worried sick by now. I’ll call him right away,” she jotted down the number and wandered off in search of a pay phone. Tom would make sure to let Trevor know he was not the only person on the planet without a cell phone.

  “And make sure you say it wasn’t serious! I don’t want the kid to worry about me!”

  “Sure thing!” Carol shouted back.

  An ER nurse came over to wheel Tom to his room. As he closed his eyes, he thought about the kid. Maybe Trevor was able to get a ride from Lorene. He just hoped the poor kid wasn’t walking home.

  ***

  They drove in silence for the first few minutes. Trevor was busy examining the interior of her Mercedes. It was sweet, definitely top-of-the-line. It had all of the luxuries: heated leather seats, moon roof, navigation system, Bose stereo…all the gadgets.

  And Evelyn Stewart fit right into her surroundings. This lady was high-class all the way. Everything about her was polished. Her blond hair was pulled back tightly from her well made-up face. Her bright red lipstick matched her bright red nails. The rock on her wedding ring was so big, it looked like her boney finger would snap under the weight of it.

  “So how do you like Westwood Trevor?” she asked quietly.

  How did she think he liked Westwood? It was a shithole compared to Harbor Village. “How do I like it? Hmm… I guess it’s okay Mrs. Stewart.”

  She was looking him over. “Please, just call me Evelyn,” she said without a hint of emotion. They drove a few more minutes in silence. He just wished she would put on the radio or something. “Can I ask you something Trevor?”

  He felt a flicker of uneasiness creep up inside of him. “Sure.”

  “Do you think I’m attractive?” Holy shit. His heart started racing. He shifted in his seat turning towards the window. What the hell should he say?

  “Yeah, I think you are attractive Mrs.—I mean Evelyn.” He tried to sound as casual as possible, but he had a feeling he was failing big
-time.

  She spoke in almost a whisper, “You know, I work really hard to look this way. I run on the treadmill every night; I eat like a rabbit.” Her voice was starting to crack. “I get facials and manicures—you name it—I do it. And, I’m a successful business woman for Christ’s sake.”

  What the…? Trevor cautiously glanced over at her. She was about to lose it—he could feel it.

  She took a tissue out of her pocket and wiped her eyes. “I don’t know why I even care if that bastard is having an affair!”

  Now she was swerving a little. Was she drunk? He could see her hands shaking on the steering wheel. Trevor did not like where this was going. She needed to calm down. The last thing he needed was to get in an accident with this head case.

  Suddenly the car swerved sharply toward the median. “Evelyn, maybe we should pull over somewhere, like take a breather?”

  She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Black shit was streaming down her cheeks. “Okay. Yeah, I’m sorry.”

  She pulled into a strip mall and drove around to the back of the buildings. She parked near some trees and shut off the engine. “I am so sorry about that,” she said sighing. “You’ve got to think I’m a complete nut. I just need a minute.”

  A wave of relief washed over Trevor. Maybe she wasn’t a total psycho. He felt a sudden pang of sympathy for her. “No, no…absolutely not. You should be pissed. Your husband is a complete jackass if he’s having an affair. Seriously.”

  She laughed and gave him a look that sent his blood rushing. Even with all the black shit on her face, she was still hot. And she looked so young when she let her guard down. She could pass for Bea’s big sister, instead of her mom.

  As Bea entered his mind, he quickly looked away. “Do you have proof? I mean do you know for sure?”

  Evelyn was searching for something in her purse. “There were little signs at first. Then Lorene found this earring in the house.” She held up a little gold ball. “It isn’t mine or Barbara’s.”

  Again, the mention of Bea made him squirm in his seat, “Maybe it belongs to one of Bea’s friends.”

  Evelyn sighed, “Maybe. But you know what Trevor? A woman just knows. When you’ve been married to someone for twenty years, you know.”

  She leaned over him and reached into the glove compartment. “Excuse me. I think I have some tissues in here.” She was just inches from his face and she smelled so good. His heart started racing. He closed his eyes, as if not looking at her would help anything.

  And then it happened. In a matter of seconds, her lips were on his. Her very experienced mouth took complete control. He sat there motionless, eyes closed, hands at his sides. She held the sides of his face and kissed him more deeply. He didn’t move.

  Then she got on top of him, and her hands started pulling at his shirt. He was so turned on and so scared at the same time. He couldn’t seem to move his body, but his thoughts ran wild. Was this lady mental? What about Bea?

  “Wait…Evelyn…this is crazy…”

  She started kissing his neck, her hands unbuttoning his shirt. She was whispering in his ear, “I just want to feel beautiful…I just want to feel loved and wanted. That’s all I want.”

  The heat was building up inside of him and Trevor thought he might explode. Get a grip!

  She ran her hands over his chest and nibbled on his ear, “Is that too much to ask? You want me, don’t you Trevor?”

  He grabbed Evelyn’s shoulders and pushed her away. “No…this is wrong. This is really wrong.” He wanted to say Bea’s name but he found himself holding back. Just say it Trevor.

  Evelyn looked him in the eyes. As if reading his mind she said softly, “Trevor, listen to me. No one will ever know. Do you hear me? Ever. But you have to decide…”

  They stared at each other for seconds that seemed like minutes. And then she asked, “So Trevor, what do you want to do?”

  CHAPTER 14

  Trevor had tossed and turned most of the night, barely sleeping at all. No need for an alarm; he was awake well before six. The sky outside was just turning from grey to hazy white and he was ready to leave.

  He wanted to get to the hospital first thing in the morning. Carol’s voicemail had said Mr.T was okay, that there was nothing to worry about, but Trevor had to see for himself.

  He pedaled his bike east toward the hospital trying not to think about the night before. The whole thing seemed surreal. Maybe it had all been just a dream. He arrived at the hospital and locked up his bike near the entrance doors.

  At the front desk, he asked for Tom Tyminski’s room and then took the elevator up to the third floor. Trevor did not like hospitals—the smell alone was as bad as Uncle Gary’s laundry. He tried not to breathe through his nose.

  He wandered down the hall, following the signs until he came to room 312. He peeked inside and found Mr.T in bed. Blending right into the white hospital sheet tucked under his arms, the old man looked alarmingly pale and thin. Trevor took a deep breath.

  The TV was playing quietly in the background, but Mr.T appeared to be sleeping. Trevor sat in the chair next to the bed and glanced up to see the Discovery Channel on—something about black holes in the universe.

  “So how was your date last night kid?”

  Trevor jumped half out of his seat. “Jesus, Mr.T! I thought you were sleeping. You scared the crap out of me.”

  Mr.T’s eyes were still closed but there was a smirk on his face. “Sorry I scared you.”

  An overwhelming sense of relief came over Trevor. “Well, I guess I should be asking you how your date went. Obviously not great, since you ended up in the hospital.”

  At this Mr.T opened his eyes and smiled. “Ha Ha. They said it was a minor heart attack. I’m just waiting for the doctor to come and give me the okay to go home.”

  Trevor sat up in his chair. “Heart attack? Carol told me it was an ulcer.”

  “I told her not to worry you kid. I’m fine really. They told me to change my diet, blah, blah.”

  Mr.T proceeded to tell Trevor about the dinner, having the chest pain, and thinking it was indigestion. Trevor felt a knot forming in his stomach. He knew Mr.T was getting up there, but he couldn’t imagine what life would be like without him.

  Mr.T must have sensed his worry, “Really kid, it’s nothing. I want to hear more about your night. Anything good happen?” He lifted his eyebrows up and down.

  Trevor hesitated. He wasn’t sure how to answer this. Up to this point he had been pretty honest with Mr.T. But that was probably because he never asked any tough questions. He always minded his own business and didn’t get too personal.

  Trevor took a deep breath. “I think I need to end things with Bea. I’ve only known her a few days, and things are getting way too complicated, way too fast. I just can’t deal with all the drama anymore.”

  A frown came over Mr.T’s face, “Really? What’s the drama?”

  Trevor closed his eyes and just decided to spill it. He couldn’t keep something this big bottled up inside. “Bea’s mom came onto me last night,” he blurted out.

  He tried to gauge Mr.T’s reaction, but to his surprise, the old man showed no reaction at all. Trevor waited, “Well? Aren’t you going to say something?”

  Mr.T suddenly burst into laughter, “Are you pulling my leg?”

  Trevor sighed, “No, I’m serious. And it’s all your fault.”

  “Oh really! Do tell!” Mr.T’s eyes sparkled. He was loving this.

  “Evelyn had to give me a ride home when you didn’t show.”

  “Ooooh, Evelyn?” Mr.T chuckled. “So I see we’re on a first name basis.”

  Trevor fell back into his chair, “Mr.T this is serious!”

  Mr.T stopped smiling, “Okay kid, no more joking—promise. So, what happened? Did you…you know?”

  “No! She just came on really strong and I told her it was wrong, and she took me home. That’s it.”

  Mr.T looked disappointed, “That’s it?”

  Trevor didn�
�t want to talk about it anymore, “That’s it.”

  CHAPTER 15

  Bea had been crying. Lorene could tell as soon as she came in the door. She had just picked up the dry cleaning and was in a hurry to get dinner started. Bea was lying on the couch, staring out the window. Her eyes were red and puffy and the expression on her face said it all. This couldn’t be good; Bea didn’t cry very often.

  Lorene walked over and sat on the couch next to her, “Bea honey, what’s going on?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” she said quietly.

  Bea didn’t need to say anymore. Lorene knew this had to be about the boy. She handed Bea a box of tissues. “Please talk to me Bea. Is it about Trevor?”

  Bea reached down into her bag that was lying on the floor and pulled out her cell phone. “I got this voicemail from him today.” She pushed the voicemail button and put it on speaker so Lorene could hear. It wasn’t a long message; Trevor simply said he didn’t think it was going to work out between them. It wasn’t anything Bea did; it was all him. He thought it best if they didn’t talk anymore. It was short and to the point.

  Lorene wouldn’t have expected something like this coming from Trevor. Based on meeting him Monday night, she thought he really liked Bea. But she guessed there was a lot about the boy she didn’t know.

  “Can you believe him? He just calls and leaves a voicemail—with no explanation. Can’t even face me.” Bea walked over to the fridge and took out a Diet Coke. “I called him yesterday because I hadn’t heard from him after the dinner. Then I sent him a text just saying I wanted to talk. He didn’t send anything back.”

  She took a sip of her soda, “I just don’t get what I did. We had a good time Monday night. I thought everything was fine. I just wonder if my mom freaked him out.”

  “Your mom?” When did Mrs. Stewart enter the picture? Lorene wondered.

  “Yeah, it was really bad. Trevor’s friend, Mr.Tyminski, never showed. Mom had to drive Trevor home. Talk about embarrassing.”