2 Maid in the Shade

by Bridget Allison

I gasped. “I’m glad we drove separately.”

  “Why’s that?" He asked, his eyes filled with mischief.

  “Because right now I think I would say just about anything for you, so you-—pal o’ mine are not coming home with me.”

  “Oh, now I most definitely am. I’m still on the clock watching you. I have a reputation to consider.”

  “Yeah, NOW we worry about reputations.”

  “I warned you,” he said, his eyes gleaming as he took a big bite of his biscuit. We finished up quickly. Despite the furtive glances I didn’t take them all personally. I was reasonably sure Jared got them whenever he publicly breakfasted with a woman.

  He followed me home and came inside to check the house. As soon as he was inside he said “My gosh, it is so hot in here, how do you bear it?”

  I looked at him in confusion. “It feels fine to me.”

  “Nope it’s like a jungle in here,” he said firmly, and removed his shirt as I studiously looked away. He stretched up to check the kitchen cabinets and flexed his muscles as I rolled my eyes.

  If you’ll remember, I’m very thorough,” he leered. He bent over to look under the table and wiggled his rear, turning back with his mouth set in a burlesque style “0” then straightened up and put his hands behind his head, making his biceps flex as he innocently asked me if I wanted security lighting.

  I was laughing hard as he said, “now for the upstairs,” and literally swept me off my feet holding me against his bare chest as we started up. He sniffed the air, “what is that manly fragrance? It smells like hard muscles and gleaming sweaty skin...Oh that would be me right?”

  I pressed my face against his neck and inhaled, he smelled so good, I wanted to bite him.

  When we entered my room his grip on me was a little tight. My heart was beating wildly in my chest as we passed through the doorway.

  He set me down. All the ugly memories of the last time I had been in my bedroom had been swept away. There was a huge crystal vase filled with roses and baby’s breath on my dresser. There was handmade pale lavender, green and ivory wedding ring quilt on the bed. “This is really lovely,” I breathed.

  He took me into the bathroom where the claw foot tub had been replaced by a Porcher Draped free-standing tub with a sheepskin rug beneath it. The angle had been changed so that now it was facing the bedroom rather than horizontally. It helped. I wasn’t sure when I would brave a bath again but it helped.

  “Lucy bought the tub?” I asked in wonder.

  He nodded and pointed to the beautiful matching sink. “And the sink of course. The rug is from Jackson and the quilt?” He hesitated. “Do you like the quilt?”

  I nodded; it was the most beautiful quilt I had ever seen. “My mother,” he said. “She made it and she wanted you to have it.” I wiped at my eyes quickly. “I’m guessing the flowers are from you? I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “You’ll get your chance. They didn’t want to overwhelm you the first night so Jackson is spending the night with you tonight, Mona tomorrow, Lucy next, then me. If you can trust yourself,” he smiled, “I go in the rotation. A squad car will patrol the neighborhood. But I have to tell you Harlan and Bud wanted to express their displeasure. Dallas is out of the country hunting?”

  I nodded, “He goes to Argentina this time every year.”

  “Well Harlan wants you to know that when Dallas finds out about you coming home before they catch this guy he is going to tan your hide.”

  “What about my dad?”

  Jared gave me a look laced with disapproval, “We didn’t tell him, you’re grown; you told us not to.”

  “Thank you. Now I’m going to see if I have any jobs to do today.”

  “Are you crazy?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can I at least listen to your messages with you, make sure they’re for real and where you’ll be?”

  I bit my bottom lip, considered it and shrugged, “I think you just want to see if Ben called, but sure, one condition.”

  “What’s that?" He asked warily.

  I laughed, “A kiss.”

  He looked me up and down and shrugged, mockingly. “Sure, why not? But we listen to your machine first, I don’t trust you.”

  “My how the tables turn!” I headed downstairs and set the Iphone down. I had thirty two messages. I set it on speaker as I rolled through the personal ones that didn’t count. Jared, still shirtless, went to the refrigerator and fixed himself a glass of ice water. When he noticed me watching him he dipped his fingers in the water and began to let the droplets run down his chest. I burst into laughter and had to restart the last message.

  It was an order from a tearful mother in Bridle Springs Country Club whose son had done his best to destroy their home in a steroid and alcohol induced rage.

  I called her back to let her know I would be there within a few hours to assess and estimate. “We had to put him in jail” she sobbed. “We’re going to a hotel. Can I just leave a key and a check for you? Call me if it isn’t enough and we’ll send someone over with more.”

  “Ah, that is going to be one hot mess over there,” Jared spoke up. “I heard about that one. They would beat the daylights out of that boy at the jail if they didn’t like the parents so much.”

  I called Jackson and thanked him for the rug and asked if he could get a few guys over to help me clean and repair the house at the country club. He launched into a complaint immediately. I smiled. I appreciated the fact that it may have taken some effort to respond as he normally would.

  “Every time I think I put this hard manual labor behind me you dig up a job and pull me back in.”

  “Well, if your daddy cuts you off maybe it will get you a bus ride to New York. But hey, if you want I can call someone else.”

  “Gimme the address,” he said impatiently. “Do you need a maid too?”

  “Sounds like it.”

  “See you in an hour then.”

  “Okay, I know where I’ll be,” I told Jared, “Give up the goods.”

  I stood up as he walked toward me with a bit of swagger. “Close your eyes,” I whispered and he did.

  I kissed him on the cheek with that great popping sound you give a small child.

  He opened his eyes in astonishment. “That’s it? That’s all you want?”

  “Yep,” I smiled “Thank your mother for me, I’ll write her a note.”

  I handed him his shirt and pushed him out the door. I looked at his confused expression and smiled. “Cocky doesn’t do it for me honey. I hate it when my power paradigm shifts.”

  ***

  When I got to the job address I found the key where it was supposed to be and the check left on the counter seemed ridiculously generous. I was actually making something of a success at this gig. I made my way through the mansion with Jackson. We were stunned by the wreckage. “I think we’ll need a few more people” I said.

  “Or a match and gasoline,” Jackson agreed.

  He got some supplies out of his own car and started one of his guys on dry walling. I went to cash the check so I could be sure to get everyone paid right away. It was one reason I could assemble people so quickly.

  We finished up in the early evening. “So…we have a slumber party I understand.” Jackson said, looking at his watch. “But it doesn’t start now.”

  “Oh come on, why not now?”

  “Promise I’ll be there soon? Okay? I will be there before bedtime.”

  “All right,” I said reluctantly. I loved Jackson’s company and despite my best intentions I knew I would miss Jared tonight. He was great at keeping my mind off of the Ben dilemma, although our tryst had added complications to it.

  I drove to the house and grabbed my bag. When I walked in and called for Mosey, he didn’t seem to be as anxious to rush outside as usual; Lucy must have stopped by to let him out. He finally came back inside having barely earned his treat. I passed through the kitchen to take my shower. As lovely as my new bath was, I wasn’t ready to
go there yet. I fumbled through the extra dresser downstairs for underwear and a robe but the pickings were slim. I had raided it a time too many without replenishing it. I started upstairs and thought I heard water running. I stopped to listen—nothing. I wished Jackson had come straight home with me. My imagination was running wild and I hated myself for my cowardice. After all, I could have stayed with Jared, but I had chosen to come home, to dive back in, to reclaim a small piece of independence.

  I reminded myself there was a patrol car for the neighborhood every night.

  I moved slowly upstairs, convinced I heard a swishing sound, trying to take deep even breaths. As I approached my bedroom I got more nervous. There was definitely someone in there. I turned my phone to silent and pressed 911 hoping they could indeed track someone by the mere act of phoning them.

  You know when you are watching a horror film and you whisper “You idiot! Don’t go in the room!”

  I went in the room.

  Facebook Post: “Fueled by rage I have often attempted the impossible. That rarely ends well.”

  Chapter 23

  The lights were off in the bathroom. I looked at his shadow with his back to me, his head bent down over the bathtub filled with bubbles. The image of the young woman on the news flashed through my mind. “Sick bastard,” I thought to myself, “you think you can take one more woman down?” I was suddenly filled with adrenalin. I considered carefully what Ben had taught me about self-defense some years back.

  I looked at the cruel geometry of the rapist, leaning, waiting to put me in that tub.

  “I am strong” I told myself. “I can do this.” I visualized how it would happen, just as I once visualized myself on the bars so many years ago before a competition.

  I rushed toward the tub, knowing I was committed to this now. I moved low, leading with my left shoulder intending to topple him, and if I could, drown him. By using leverage and taking him by surprise I shoved him into the water. Before I could hesitate I had him by the neck pushing him down past the suds littered with red rose petals which only reinforced my rage.

  Unfortunately I had counted on being stronger or his being more willing to die. And maybe his neck not being so wide. As hard as I pushed he pushed back. His whole upper torso was in, which meant he was able to effectively push up with his hands. His feet scrambled for purchase against the sheepskin rug.

  As he rose up snorting and sputtering I let go and skittered backwards on my rear toward the door then forced myself upright against it. I took a deep breath and turned to flee down the hall.

  “GRETCHEN! What the hell? Why are you trying to kill me?”

  “Jared?”

  I saw him in silhouette move over to the towel rack and begin drying off just as the sound of sirens began in waves shrieking proudly as though they had to let Nebraska know they had an emergency.

  I heard a rap on the door and rushed down to answer it.

  It was Sheriff Hensley flanked by several deputies.

  “We got the call.”

  “Oh,” I said, “Ummm butt dial? Everything is fine.”

  He looked dubious. “Mind if we check the house?”

  Jared appeared behind me breathing hard, “its okay, everything is fine. Gretchen just panicked.”

  “Panicked? PANICKED?” I put my hands on my hips, “Sheriff, when I came home ALONE, I heard the bath water running. I go upstairs and see my bath being drawn and the lights out. A bubble bath, with red rose petals floating on top and a man I couldn’t identify in the dark bent over with his back to me. So I shoved him in the water and,” I grimaced “sort of tried to drown him.”

  I turned my head to look at Jared, “That about cover it?” He nodded.

  “You have bubbles in your hair,” I smirked.

  Sheriff Hensley tried to hold back a laugh and then just gave in, chuckling with both hands on his knees.

  The rest of the deputies followed suit, and for added humiliation, began to snap photos with their phones.

  “Are you telling me that one of my deputies thought it was a good idea to sneak into your bath, in that bathroom where we recently found threatening and grotesque evidence of a homicide and thought it was a romantic idea to surprise you there?”

  He chuckled again and shook his head at Jared. “You have clearly never had to do any work in the romance department or you would know better. Did you ever think that might be frightening? I never thought I’d see the day, but either you have catapulted from my best deputy to the worst, or you are in looove.”

  There was a chorus of laughter.

  “Well glad to see you all responding in a timely manner” Jared grinned. “It was just a comedy of errors. Still trying to win this girl over and y’all can see how effective that’s been. She has a friend coming on over tonight so you can go and I’ll get on out of here in a minute.”

  They all walked to their cars, laughing and shaking their heads as they stole glances at the two of us.

  Jared asked “Will you come upstairs with me? I guess we better clean up after my ill-advised plan.”

  “Do you think you can warm up the water for me? It was a very nice gesture. Maybe it will help.”

  “Come on.” He led me upstairs and added a little more hot as I changed in the other room. I shucked off my clothes quickly and put on a silk robe. Jared was waiting on a wing chair inside.

  “Want some music? It was part of my plan to make your new bath a happy place again.”

  I nodded and he turned on his Iphone.

  I turned my back to him as I let the robe fall to the floor and slipped into the water trusting the bubbles and petals to cover me. I didn’t turn around to gauge his reaction.

  “May I take over?”

  I nodded wearily as he took full advantage of his little surprise and he washed my hair first. I ducked and rinsed, he filled a pitcher he had thoughtfully brought upstairs and poured clean water over me once more to take care of the remaining suds. Then he partially drained the tub and added more warm water and my Gardenia oil. He soaped up every inch of me, wordlessly lingering where he didn’t necessarily need to. My breathing was becoming more uneven and my eyes closed. He must have noticed, but neither of us was willing to break the silence.

  When I stepped out I stood like a child while he took the towel to me. He held out my robe and I slipped into it and he tied the sash. The he picked me up and tucked me into bed.

  “I hate to ask another thing, but could you hand me some panties?”

  I directed him to the top drawer of a nearby dresser and he dug around in them with wonder.

  “I have seen some underwear in my time but this takes the cake,” he said laughing. “You must spend more on underclothes than on the clothes themselves.”

  “You might be right,” I said as I turned and propped up on one elbow. “I’m not the most feminine girl around, but I find the little things help me feel that way. I’m no good with the hair and makeup routine.”

  He tossed me a pair and I shimmied into them under the covers gracelessly.

  “Trust me” he said huskily, “no one has to look twice to tell you’re all female.”

  “You aren’t angry that I tried to kill you?”

  “I’m starting to get used to it. I’m more worried that you thought I was a killer and you tried to attack what you thought was a dangerous man. There’s no shame in running away, Gretchen. Although I will say that was a pretty good move, given the weight difference between us. Where did you learn that?”

  “Ben.”

  “Good Lord, it seems more like he was training you for the CIA than boys at Duke. I’ve seen those boys at Duke, hell I’ve played those boys at Duke. I’m pretty sure my grandmother could take them on a rainy day when her arthritis is acting up.”

  I looked at my hands in apparent embarrassment. “As long as we’re talking about college I have a confession to make. You know that scandal y’all had about the UNC athletes having someone else write their essays for them? I used to do
that as a job to bring up the Tar Heel players’ GPA’s. I got caught.”

  “No one ever wrote my papers for me, but I’m surprised at you Gretchen, and a little disappointed. Were you suspended from Duke?”

  “Well,” I said defensively, “it was a heady experience being looked up to by these tough manly players, being asked so many academic questions. But no, my suspension was no TV for a week; you see I was only nine…”

  Jared laughed and picked up a toss pillow and threw it at me. “I know we have a lot of obstacles to overcome but this Tar Heel versus Blue Devil rivalry may be the biggest one.”

  “All kidding aside, you’re not mad that I humiliated you in front of your boss and co-workers?”

  “Oh that’s going to be the delight of the week. And I’m afraid you’ll be the biggest part of that conversation. “She’s so brave, she must be crazy, but brave, that girl is definitely nuts not to fall for Jared…he is so romantic, if that didn’t do the trick maybe she isn’t into guys…”

  “Ha!” I laughed, “You seem to get off scot-free in all these scenarios.”

  He came over and tucked me in a little tighter, “I’m heading out. I’ll tell Jackson you’re asleep. I told him to come late because I had surprise plans for you.” He grinned and shook his head, “try not to kill him all right?”

  I nodded meekly, as he kissed me on the forehead.

  Facebook Post: Jackson: “Now don’t you girls go running amok in that bar and shame me.”

  Lucy: “Oh we’re going to run amok all right, in fact, I personally am going to run the fuck outa some amok.”

  Chapter 24

  When I woke up, I heard the sounds of pots and pans clattering and a hushed running argument. I trotted lightly down the stairs to find Lucy, Mona and Jackson all cooking up a storm.

  “Thank the Lord,” Jackson said, “I thought you were never going to get up, and I gotta have music when I’m cooking.” He rushed over to set up his Iphone on my speaker dock.

  Pretty soon the kitchen was filled with the sounds of P!NK, Adele, Everlast and an assortment of other artists as the trio danced and bumped their way through the preparation of a feast.