BOMAW 4-6

by Mercedes Keyes

"Don't worry about it, it's not your concern. I'll be fine, I have friends." She grabbed her bag's pull handle tilting it onto the wheels and turned towards the door, grabbing her laptop case. "Wait... I can't have you leave like this, how about I loan you $50?"

  "Keep it." She put the strap of the laptop bag over her shoulder to open his office door.

  "Here, at least take my card. I don't want you to forget me. I won't forget you. I wish you would give me your number or something, for down the road... just in case Fred doesn't work out."

  "Fred and I will be just fine thank you."

  "Okay... but here, take this... please, my card and this fifty. No loan, just take it. Your performance was worth ten times that amount, but I have to compensate the winner by default... but this is yours, no return of it necessary. Don't leave here making me feel like a schmuck." He pressed the money and his card in her hand.

  Sylvia looked him in the eyes. "Thanks... I won't forget your kindness."

  He couldn't help himself, he reached up and caressed her soft cheek. "Lady... I won't forget you. Call me, if ever you need me, I'll be there... or... I'll be here, that's a promise."

  Sylvia moved back from his hand turning away to exit. She stopped in the hall looking back, smiling she promised, "I'll remember that."

  Chapter 126

  Moments before he opened his eyes, he knew. Knowing had been the reason it took him so long to getting around to doing it...to opening his eyes. Trying to harness his anger, he took several deep breaths and sat up looking around their room, realizing, all that he'd done to ensure that she was forced to remain had failed.

  "God above, with this woman, give me strength. If I don't end up slapping her ass raw, it will be a miracle." He tossed the covers aside and rose from the bed, went straight into the bathroom and over the toilet to empty his bladder. He had slept like a rock. He knew that he would, he'd dozed off for a second holding her and snapped to. Something had shaken him awake and made him get up and hide her clothing, purse, keys and shoes away. If he hadn't been worried about the gown getting damaged, he would have tucked that away out of sight as well, but instead he hung it up thinking there was no way she would leave wearing just that. "HA!" He barked reaching forward and flushing the toilet. He walked to the shower and turned it on.

  "All right dammit! So be it. I should have tied your ass to the fucking bed!" Shawn shook his head, signs of her showering earlier evident by the used towels. He climbed in under the high pressure shower head, soaking himself down from the top of his head. It had been because he had her that he slept so soundly, so peacefully, so undisturbed. As he stood there he couldn't help but wonder if it had all been, just an elusive dream. No... no dream was so real as touching her, staring in her eyes, kissing that mouth and penetrating her sweet body. Shawn scrubbed himself with a pounding heart. He shook his head wondering if he should get it examined. The power of which he loved her was not normal, he was starting to realize that. Yet, he stood at a loss of what to do about it. In fact, knew that he didn't wish to do anything about it, simply put, he was too far gone to fix it. Even now, after having her last night as he did, rough and hard the first time, slow and tender the second, he was semi-erect. Entering her was like falling into a safe haven, home, a place where every fibre of his body could regenerate, every nerve ending felt electrified sending him on an adrenaline rush that was mind blowing. He was addicted to the feeling. Her presence, her essence, her voice, her manner had an instant effect on him, making his pulses come alive, stirring him with desires to embed himself deeply within her, over and over.

  "Godalmighty... make this stop, for even a moment." Shawn called out breathing deep to calm an erection he could do nothing with at the moment. He wasn't exactly horny, but he did have an overwhelming feeling to slowly insert himself into her again and just lay sheathed within her moist warmth. The beating of his heart would not calm in his chest. Turning off the water, he wondered if these were symptoms of obsession?

  Drying himself off, he went to the sink, brushed his teeth and after rinsing his mouth he stopped to stare at himself. Doing so, he tried to figure out what he was doing so wrong, that he couldn't get this one woman, of all others... to love him. Yet, the night before, her writhing, arching body sought him out unrestrained, uninhibited. Replaying in his mind was her words of love and endearment, after her bold plea to take her roughly. She swore to him that she loved him, only him. Their bodies had twisted, turned, gyrated and grinded into one another to a tune old as time. Lust between them, oh yes indeed.

  Shawn knew that he lusted after her constantly and last night, he saw first hand that she lusted after him as well. There was a fire between them that could not be denied. Making it worse, there was that love thing. She loved him, and he - oh yes, his love for her was beyond that, he revered her, perhaps as terrible as it sounded, even worshipped the ground she walked on. That was not a good thing for a man of his making to feel. Shawn finished in the bathroom and went into the room dressing in the fresh clothes that he brought in his bag. Ready to go he lifted the mattress for his wallet and the keys, he looked for his leather and realized that she had it. Obviously taken to cover herself in that gown. His body tensed with anger once again.

  Down at the front desk, he held his key to get into the security box he requested where her things were stashed for safe keeping. After getting them, he paid his bill, noting the additional cost of sneakers on the bill from the gift shop. He couldn't help but laugh at her determined tenaciousness. "Oh my wife, I gotta love this woman." He grinned at himself folding away his receipt and slipping it into his wallet. The woman behind the desk was eyeing him with a smile, eyes twinkling and flirting. He did look good. Wearing a short sleeve black and grey polo shirt that zipped up from mid-chest and black jeans, that fit his butt so sweetly, clinging to a body truly fit, topped by a face mischievous and adorable when relaxed and smiling. Sporting the hair cut and earring and arms with triceps and biceps bunched thick in muscle. A woman would have to be dead or blind not to wish. Shawn reached down and picked up his bag, noticing the receptionist boldly stared on at him dreamy eyed with a smile.

  "Tell me, how does a man like me, get that same look from my wife? Any suggestions?" He flirted and then winked.

  "You could always divorce her and make me your wife... there's an idea." She offered as an alternative, still smiling, with a sigh she watched him walk away chuckling to himself, knowing it was not meant to be. The laundress who had been standing back watching him came forward to stand next to her. "What a shame, the stories always the same, they're either married or gay."

  "Yeah... but still good to look at, yum - such eye candy."

  "Ms Lydia ma'am... its Shawn. Uh..." He stopped to chuckle at himself. "...uh... you haven't heard from my wife this morning have you?"

  Lydia threw her head back and laughed out loud, she laughed for a good minute before she could speak, "Boy... you mean to tell me, you had her, and she gone again?"

  "Yes ma'am... I'm afraid so." Shawn admitted sitting at the light, waiting for it to change as he drove the red mustang.

  "Well she ain't called here. Ain't come by, not yet she ain't. Your brother still here, he sleep over last night cause he was drinking. He in the bathroom, you wanna speak to him?" She asked just as Jake came out. He'd gone out to his truck that morning and now was dressed in his favorite attire, denim.

  "Yes ma'am, if you wouldn't mind?"

  "No problem, here he is." Lydia started laughing again as she passed Jake the phone and told him, "She gone again." Turning away, she shook her head laughing walking into the living room.

  "Shawn?" Jake called his name.

  "Yeah."

  "What is going on? You must be doing something wrong. You mean to tell me, you had her there with you and then let her slip off on you again?"

  "I was sleeping. Man I'dah slept through an earthquake. The little hellion took advantage of that and snuck out sometime this morning. Thing is, she has no car. No money. No clot
hing, that is except for the change that was in my jacket pocket."

  "What do you mean no clothes? No money?"

  "I tried to keep her from running off, didn't work. I should have hidden the gown and my jacket too. She left wearing just that. There must have been maybe $15 dollars and some change in my jacket pocket, that's all she has."

  "So now what?" Jake asked.

  "I'm not going back home without her. This is it, I'm finding her and as soon as I do, bringing her ass home."

  Jake was the next to start laughing. "Ah hell Shawn, tell me... is it all worth it... is it really?"

  "You damn right it is. She's my wife, besides... I have an idea of what's going on."

  "What?"

  "She's after her father."

  "I see... then leave her to it Shawn, come back home-..."

  "No... I'm not leaving my wife here alone running around all over, no money, no car, no way."

  "Well you took her money, her clothes, her car... remember?"

  "Well, I'm not giving it up. Heard from Derrick this morning? I need to speak with Meribel."

  "Not yet I haven't." Jake replied.

  "What you got planned?"

  "Heading back home, I'm keeping the boys for Crystal."

  "WHAT?! YOU?!" Next came Shawn's bark of laughter.

  "What? How hard can it be? They're two little boys. I can handle two little boys for a couple of hours, and it'll be evening, they'll be going to bed not long after I start watching'em." Shawn was still laughing. "I can handle it, I'm not totally inept when it comes to children. I had three boys you know. I got more kids than you!" Jake defended but Shawn was still laughing. "Any - wa-a-ay - I'll be back here tomorrow to help Vivian move out of that place. You think you'll still be here then?"

  "Most likely." Shawn sniffed answering, chuckles left over.

  "If you are, we need any help, can I call on you to be there?"

  "Who all have you to help you?" Shawn asked.

  "My sons... they agreed to come down with me tomorrow, so - I'll have them. May not need any more help, just asking in case it turns out to be more than we bargained for."

  "You know my number... I'll be staying with Lydia anyway until I find Mrs. m.i.a McPherson."

  "Cool, well... I'm gonna get off from here and hit the highway. See you tomorrow."

  "Yep." Shawn clicked off and dialled Meribel's number next. He was on his way to Fitzgerald's. He had a feeling that she might go there and try to claim the prize money now that she was broke. Meribel answered after three rings.

  "Shawn? What's going on?" Her soft Hispanic accent came on as if she knew.

  "My wife ... woke this morning and she was gone again."

  "I kind of figured something like that must have happen papi. She left a message on my phone, we're on our way to pick up my things at the hotel where she was staying. She checked out this morning." She informed him.

  "Dammit, that means she's changed. I have her car and purse - so she has no money."

  "Does she have her cell phone on her?" Meribel asked.

  Shawn sighed. "No... it's in her purse." He admitted.

  "SHAWN! You have her running around with no money?! She got no car?! How did you do that!?" She asked getting upset with him.

  "Look - I did it last night thinking it would keep her from leaving again. While she slept, I hid them where she couldn't get to them."

  "So she got no phone on her to call anybody! You should be ashamed of yourself leaving her like that!" Meribel fussed.

  "She shouldn't have left!"

  "You should have given her more time!"

  "TIME HELL! I want my wife home!"

  Meribel let rip in Spanish, a long complaint about men, their lack of understanding and insight, and their selfish ways. Her husband was sitting next to her in the van as he drove, listening to her spew and curse in a language where he understood plenty of it, provoked by his brother. Derrick sighed. So much for the semi-good mood they were sharing that morning. He had just taken her out to breakfast and now they were going to the hotel to get her things and head back to Wisconsin.

  "Yeah well... to you too!" Shawn mumbled, understanding only a few of the words, "All I wanna know is where she might be. You were with her, what's she planning? What all was on that list of hers, you should know."

  Meribel calmed down and finally said, "Shawn, if you give her some time, she'll be home. The last thing on the list, was her need to find her father. Something in her needs to touch base with him. Leave her to do it, Shawn."

  "Why didn't she just tell me that!? I would have found her father for her. Taken her to him."

  "Shawn... she doesn't know what she's going to face when she finds him. The last thing she wants to do, is show up with her 'white' husband by her side. She is going to be surprise enough for him, she doesn't want anything to put him off of maybe talking to her. You might be a distraction and keep them from talking about what she needs to say and accomplish. Can you not understand that?"

  "You know what... this is what pisses me off! She told you all of this!? Why didn't she tell me that? Why didn't she share that with me? I'm not so thick that I wouldn't have understood! I could have left her there alone with him, just drove a distance and waited for her. The problem obviously is that she doesn't trust me! She doesn't believe in me! I'm her husband dammit! No one should know more about what's going on with her than I do!"

  "Shawn... give her this time."

  "She's running around with no money, and no car! I have to find her now, whether she likes it or not. I'm not having her jumping on and off of buses, trains, whatever. I have to go." He announced in a sour mood once again pulling up across from the club Fitzgerald's, parking in the now empty lot.

  He wasted no time slipping on his shades and getting out, clicking the alarm on, and trotted across the street to the fancy double doors, knocking on them. Wondering if he should head around to the back doors and knock.

  Bruce had just seen Sylvia off not five minutes earlier. He stood a moment trying to decide what to do, seeing her husband there at his doors. With a deep breath he headed back through the dark club and through the lobby, to the door, opening it, to glare at Shawn.

  "She's not here." He said right off the bat.

  Shawn removed his shades, "Has she been here?" He asked straight to the point.

  Bruce smiled, the kind of smile Shawn didn't need to be seeing in the mood he was in.

  "Why you having such a hard time holding on to her? Could this all be a secret message? A hint perhaps? Why are you avoiding the obvious?"

  Shawn was grinding his back teeth trying to keep his head on straight, he crossed his arms over his chest and braced his legs apart staring straight into Bruce's face. He knew this game that Bruce was playing, but he wasn't having it. Whether his words rang with a hint of truth perhaps or not, that Sylvia might be trying to tell him something, that something - was nothing he was willing to hear or believe. He knew that his wife loved him. Yet, his stomach did a tightening up, gripping him with insecurities, because no matter what she said. Married to him or not, pregnant with his child or not; She was gone.

  "How about you just give me a simple answer, then I can get on about my way, wasting no more of your time." Shawn finally stated.

  "You're wasting her man. She belongs on a stage! In a recording studio! A voice like that was made for more than singing lullabies! You heard her last night! How can you ignore that kind of talent!? How can you expect her to spend the rest of her life scrubbing toilets, changing diapers and bringing you a beer!? If she were my woman, she'd be on stage!"

  "Yeah... I can see it now. You'd have her performing in every dive you could book! Back to back concerts! In the recording studio from sun up to sun down, until you've wrung out of her every musical sweet note she could squeeze out until your pockets burst at the seams, making sure your face and name was nailed on everything she turned out! If she were your woman - you'd ply her with drugs to keep her addicted and needing
you, numb and dumb from what's really going on, use her up until nothings left!" Shawn spat the last in disdain. "You don't want her, you want what she could bring you!"

  Bruce gulped at having certain truths tossed into his face. While they may have been touching close to home with him, not all was so. He wasn't as insensitive as this man was trying to make him out to be.

  "She sang her heart out last night - I know that."

  "That's because my wife does nothing half way! Let's get something straight here and now, she's not your woman. As I said, she's my wife. I could give a damn if she could sing a note or not. I loved her long before she opened her mouth and what you heard came out. What Sylvia McPherson wants - I'll see to it that she gets it. You're not the only one with - connections! Now answer my question... was she here?"

  Bruce was tempted to turn, go back into the club and say nothing more. Then thought, what the hell. "She pulled away in a taxi just barely ten minutes ago."

  "Did she come for money?"

  "I couldn't give her the prize money, it came with other obligations attached to it. Obligations she can't fulfil. Being the gentleman that I am, I did give her $50."

  Shawn felt his face burn with anger but kept anything more to say to himself. He uncrossed his arms, gave Bruce a hard glare as he put his shades back on, turned and made his way back across the street, having nothing further to say. Clicking the alarm off, he was back in the mustang again. Opening the window a bit, he grabbed his mobile phone and dialled Paul's number. Unfortunately, it was unavailable at the moment, so he was forced to leave a message. Brief and to the point, "Paul... I really need you to turn up the heat on finding Lucas Henry Martin, I'm talkin' like today. It's really urgent, get back to me as soon as possible."

  Next number, Sheila's.

  As it rang, he started the mustang and pulled out of the lot. On the fourth ring, the phone was answered.

  "Y-ello, Dennis Johnson in the house - what you need?"

  A smile came to Shawn's face as once again he drew a deep breath, answering, "Hi Dennis, this is Shawn - Sylvia's husband?"