“So what are you taking with you now?”
“Just clothes for about a month or so. I’ll be back here, hopefully to close on this place and if not, at least to move my stuff into my new place out there.”
Melissa looked at me for a second and then asked, “Where are you gonna live until you find a place?”
“I think I’ll stay in a hotel for a few nights and then maybe rent a furnished apartment for a month or so.”
“Why don’t you stay with your brother?”
I kind of wriggled a little when she asked me that question. “Well, I’m not sure he’d really want me to. A night or so maybe but not for a month.”
“Why not? He’s your brother isn’t he?”
“Yeah, but we sort of had some problems in the past.”
“Oh? What kind of problems?”
I groaned really loud. I hated to even think about how awful I had been to him.
“If I tell you, will you promise not to hold it against me?”
She looked at me kind of funny and said, “Well yeah.”
“A few years back, Justin had a lot of women chasing him. I mean, I guess they all thought he was pretty hot or something. He’s my brother so I don’t think of him that way. Anyway, to me it seemed he was breaking hearts everywhere. In reality, the women were chasing him. He’d actually been the gentleman about it and was honest with them and all, but they were so darn relentless. I accused him of being an asshat and all sorts of things. We had words and well, things never were quite the same between us. I apologized and all, but I think I really hurt him. I didn’t stand up for him and he was my brother. I was wrong. So, I really don’t think he’d want me around his new wife and all.”
Melissa was super quiet for a long time. That was unusual because she always had something to say about everything. She finally nodded and said, “I can see why you would say that. But maybe this is your big chance to redeem yourself in his eyes...to show him that you were an idiot, you were wrong and that you love him. Blood is always thicker than water, Ava. I’m bettin’ he’ll be happy to have you close to him.”
I smiled. Maybe she was right. Maybe I could find a friend in his new wife, Caroline, and everything would be perfect between us all.
“I hope so.”
“So, what are you gonna do about a car when you’re out there?”
“I’m just gonna do a month long rental until I come back here and get the rest of my stuff.”
“Damn girl, that’s a lot of dough.”
“I know, right? The company’s paying for it though.”
We headed to my bedroom and started tackling the closets.
********
The following afternoon, Melissa took me to the airport. My dad was on call (he was a physician like the rest of the guys in my family) and my mom had conveniently decided she was too busy. We pulled up in front and Melissa single handedly unloaded the trunk and carried in all my luggage in one trip. I’d never seen anything like it. Then she handed me a wrapped gift.
“Here’s a going away present for you. I thought you could open it on the plane. I think it’ll come in handy, wherever you are.”
“Oh Melissa, you didn’t have to do that!” I threw my arms around her, or tried to anyway. There was a lot of her to get around, so I did the best I could do. “I’m really gonna miss you!”
“Well, make sure you get a two bedroom because I’ve never been to Seattle and I’m coming to visit. Hell, I’ve never been out of South Carolina. We’re gonna have so much fun!”
“You bet! Thanks for everything and I’ll call you.”
She left and I suddenly felt bereft. She had been the best neighbor I could ever have asked for and she’d never asked for anything in return. As soon as I was settled, I would send her a plane ticket to visit me, I decided.
After I checked in and paid that ridiculous fee for my extra baggage, I made my way to the security check point. I’d stuffed Melissa’s gift into my carry on, pulled out my laptop and put it into one of those gray bins. Next I took off my shoes and put them in one and added my purse.
The TSA man motioned me through and I walked into the metal detector X-ray machine thingy and held my arms up over my head like I was doing the Village People YMCA dance. Apparently I wasn’t wearing a bomb or didn’t have an AK-47 hidden in my vagina, because they waved me through.
As I waited for my belongings to be scanned, another TSA worker held up my carry on and hollered out, “Who does this bag belong to?”
I was so proud of that bag. It was white with black and pink polka dots on it and I just loved it.
I hollered back, waving my arm in the air, “It’s mine! Isn’t it cute?”
He didn’t comment except he said, “You need to follow me ma’am.”
I knew how scary these people could be on any given day, so I just smiled and followed him to another table, where we were immediately surrounded by several men. Now I began to get curious.
They started pulling everything out of my bag and dumping it on the table as they muttered among themselves. I silently stood by and watched. One of them got on his radio and called for the Charleston PD and told them to locate an FBI agent. Now I was really getting concerned.
“Excuse me, can you tell me what’s going on?”
No one would answer me. Three police men ran up and shoved me away from the table. They were all staring at the wrapped gift and mumbling about wiring and such.
“Ma’am, can you explain this?” he asked as he held up the wrapped gift.
“The present?”
The one that asked me the question rolled his eyes. Was that a stupid question I’d just asked?
A man in a suit ran up to us then and he pulled out his ID badge, indicating he was an FBI agent. Before I knew what happened, each of my arms had been grabbed and I was being hauled down the concourse toward a section of the airport I had never seen before.
“What in the world is going on?” I asked.
No one would answer. We finally got to a room with a table and six chairs. I was shoved into the room and a female TSA agent came up to me and patted me down. Then she ran one of those funky wands up and down me a couple of times. When she was done, she shoved me into a seat. The FBI guy, a TSA agent and the two police officers sat in the others, all facing me, staring me down.
“How can you explain this?” one asked, as he held up the wrapped box.
“The present from Melissa?”
“Don’t be a smart ass with us Miss. What is your name?”
“Avery Middleton.”
“Miss Middleton. How can you explain this?”
“It’s a gift from Melissa.”
The FBI guy groaned and rubbed his head. The door opened again and another TSA agent came in with one of those big German Shepard guard dogs. The dog came up to me and I reached out my hand to pet it. I thought it was a handsome looking dog and I’d always loved animals.
“Hi there fella,” I said.
The damn thing nearly took my hand off as it growled and snapped at me, while the agent pulled it back by its leash. I screamed at the top of my lungs and everyone jumped to their feet as the room broke out in chaos. I leaped up on the table fearing that beast was going to chow down on me for lunch, as it was now foaming at the mouth while his saliva was gushing out and pooling on the floor.
“Are you all trying to kill me or something?” I hollered.
“That’s a bomb sniffing dog! You’re not supposed to pet the damn thing. It’s trained to attack!”
“Well, it would’ve been nice if y’all had told me! Dern, it nearly ate my arm!”
“It did not!”
“Did too! What kind of place are y’all running here?”
“Miss, you are in serious trouble here. I’d caution you to take care of what you say. Now get down off that table and take a seat,” FBI guy said.
“Not until you get that man eating beast out of here.”
“That beast is here to determi
ne what’s in that box, because you don’t seem competent enough to tell us.”
“Well! Of all things. I can’t tell you what’s in that box because I don’t know. My friend, Melissa, gave it to me as a going away gift and seeing as I haven’t opened it yet, and don’t have X-ray vision, it would be impossible for me to say what’s in the damn box.”
“Miss Middleton, are your friends usually in the habit of giving you bombs for going away gifts?”
“Bombs? What are you talking about?”
“Without opening this package, from what we can tell, this is an electrical device that closely resembles a bomb. Can you tell us why you are carrying a bomb?”
“No! Melissa wouldn’t give me a bomb.”
“How well do you know this Melissa?”
“Look, I know her well enough to say she wouldn’t carry a bomb. Yeah, she’s a sumo wrestler and all, but she’s not a terrorist. Although she did strike terror into the heart of Little Dickie Mike Dixon.”
“Excuse me?”
“Never mind.” I was so nervous I had started rambling now. After what I’d just told them, they really were gonna think Melissa was a terrorist.
“So, who is this Little Dickie Mike Dixon? Is he part of this terrorist cell? Does he have anything to do with this bomb?”
Oh dear God, what in the hell have I gotten myself into?
“No! For the love of God forget about Little Dickie! Look, Melissa is not a terrorist and that is not a bomb. I have to catch a plane so can I go?”
“No, you can’t go. You may be going to jail, or even worse, GTMO.”
“Jail? GTMO? You mean Gitmo, as in Guantanamo Bay? Because of a present? What the hell?”
“Yes, Miss Middleton. You are in serious trouble here. It is a federal offense to carry a bomb on an aircraft.”
“Oh for the love of God, that isn’t a damn bomb. Give me that box!” I yelled. I grabbed the box and ripped it open. And holy Toledo, out popped one of those giant vibrating wands...those kind that plug into the wall and come with all sorts of attachments, kind of like a vacuum cleaner. This thing looked like a hand held immersion blender. It was that huge. What the hell had Melissa been thinking? I could get half of Seattle off with this thing.
I looked up at the room full of people and their eyes looked like they were ready to roll out of their heads. Two of them had even drawn their guns and that damn dog was still growling and snapping.
“I wouldn’t shoot it if I were you. It might be kinda hard to explain that you shot a vibrator thinking it was a bomb. Wouldn’t look too good on your record, if you ask me.”
They all just kept staring at me.
“What? Haven’t any of you ever seen a damn vibrator before?” Honestly, I’d never seen one like this before either, but I wasn’t gonna let them know that. “Stop already with the looks. You guys use your hands, we women like our toys, okay?”
FBI guy finally said, “Er, Miss Middleton, I think you can go now,” as he cleared his throat.
“Thanks. Oh, can I have my box too?” I winked as I grabbed the box. Then I asked, “Would one of you boys mind escorting me back to my belongings? I have no idea where I am.” I smiled ever so sweetly to them. That was one thing I learned from my mom. We Southern women knew how to smile sweetly.
********
Thank God I made my flight. I was connecting in Atlanta and if I had missed it, there was no telling how long I would’ve had to wait for the next one. By the time I got to Seattle, I was exhausted. I don’t know what it is about flying, but it took the steam right out of my engine.
I was to meet my new boss in the morning, so I checked into my hotel, ordered room service and got ready for bed. It didn’t matter that it was only seven in the evening. I was worn out.
I called Melissa and cussed her out. I thought I gave her a heart attack she laughed so hard.
“Don’t worry Ava, I’m gonna be your new best friend once you use that thing.”
“Melissa, that thing scares me to death. I’m afraid of it!”
We chatted a bit more and then I drifted off to sleep.
The alarm shocked me when it went off and I banged my head on the doorway heading into the bathroom. I was disoriented, thinking I was at home. I crashed into the door frame with my forehead and it throbbed for the good part of an hour. I was sure to have a good bruise there before long.
Since I didn’t know what the office dress code would be, I erred on the side of caution and wore a black pant suit. That would help disguise some of my girth as well. I hit the hotel restaurant and ate an omelet with coffee. I would’ve ordered grits, but they weren’t on the menu here. The West coast didn’t believe in grits, I guessed.
The bellman flagged a taxi for me and I was at SoftwarePlus in no time really. I’d chosen the hotel, based on my new boss’ recommendation. It had worked out perfectly.
I gave my name at the desk and they gave me a visitor’s badge and told me where to go. By the time I got there, John Bremen, my boss, was waiting for me.
“Welcome to SoftwarePlus, Avery,” he held out his hand and I shook it.
We did all the usual first day paperwork stuff. Ugh, I hated this stuff. All the HR forms, benefits stuff, 401k and other usual necessities. Then he took me on a tour which took the better part of two hours. This place was amazing. It had everything including a ton of kitchen sinks.
“We’re only really seeing the shell Avery. We don’t have time to see the heart of it all...the R&D, where all the brainiacs come together and make it happen.”
“I love it John.”
“Great. Well, I’m glad to have you on board. I can’t wait for you to meet the rest of my finance team.”
We made our way back to his office for some more first day initiation things. Before I knew it, we were headed to the cafe for lunch.
“Everything is healthy and organic here. It’s all good for you.”
“I guess that means I’m gonna have to give up my barbecue and Krispy Kremes, huh?”
I got a really funny look from him. And then he said, “So Avery, would you like to see the company exercise facility?”
WTF? Was he telling me I was fat because he really didn’t have to bother?
I smiled my sweet Southern charming smile and added some extra sugar to it when I said, “Well sure, John. I would just love that!”
He grinned as big as a man could grin so on our way back from the cafe, he gave me the grand tour of the exercise facility. It was really something, I’ve gotta say. Melissa would’ve loved it.
“Boy oh boy. My best friend would just love this place. She’s a sumo wrestler and she could really do some training here.”
I didn’t think a man’s eyebrows could leap into his hairline, but I was wrong. John’s did. It was a good thing we weren’t eating or he would’ve choked too.
“Sumo wrestler? Your neighbor? A woman?”
“Oh yeah. I did it for a while too. But it’s really hard. You have to spend a ton of time eating Ben and Jerry’s and bacon and fried Snickers Bars and all. And then there are the workouts. I mean it’s like a full time job.”
Poor John. He was really in for it with me.
“By the way, John, did I tell you what happened to me when I went through security in the airport yesterday?” I’m not sure how the man survived the rest of the afternoon. He could, however, find no fault with my work.
Chapter 4
Preston
The last time I’d been in Seattle was before Justin and Caroline had gotten hitched. They were still neighbors, living across the hall from each other in that great apartment building. I’d helped her move in and buy furniture and things. Since then, they’d upgraded. I mean really upgraded. They were living in grand style on the highly coveted West Highland Drive, a terribly exclusive area of Seattle. It was a short commute for Justin to the University of Washington, where he was an attending orthopedic surgeon and an extremely talented one from what I understood. His specialty was reconstruc
ting shattered bones. It was a good thing too, because he and my sister had been in a bad car wreck and her leg had been all but demolished. I’d been told that if it weren’t for Justin, she wouldn’t have that leg today.
Justin had done his residency and fellowship out here and then went back to Charleston to practice medicine, but when Terri had died (or so everyone still thought) in the car bombing, he couldn’t ever fully engage into life again, so he came back here. All the surgeons were ecstatic to have him because they called him, “Miracle hands.” It worked out to be the greatest excuse for the two of them and now here they were, living the dream life.
Caroline gave me the grand tour and giggled the whole time. In her previous life, she had sold real estate with my dad in the family business. I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “So sis, did you always get this giddy with your clients when you showed them a house?”
She just kept on giggling and said, “No way! But I never showed anything like this! Can you believe this place?”
I really couldn’t and told her so. Then I picked her up and swung her around and around. That was exactly how Justin found us when he walked into the kitchen.
“Man, it’s a damn good thing you’re her brother.”
I clapped him on the shoulder. It had taken him some time to forgive me for taking her away from him. Caroline explained that I didn’t have a choice. It was life or death for either of them. I didn’t want their deaths on my hands. I already had my father’s and I knew I wouldn’t have been able to live with another one.
Then we did that awkward man hug thing.
“It’s really great to see you Justin. You make her happy, man. Anything that can put a smile on her face like that makes me happy.” And that was the damn truth. I loved my sister. I had lost her for too long and I wanted her to know how much she meant to me.
“Aw Preston.” She was in my arms hugging me.
Kissing Fire Page 3
