by Jacki Renée
Six o’clock flashes at me when I open my eyes. It’s been a while since I’ve had a sex dream like that.
A room-temperature shower cools me off.
Trevor is whining at the bedroom door when I come out of the closet wearing jeans and one of Bryan’s sweatshirts. I splash a hint of his cologne on me so I can keep him with me all day.
Trevor trots alongside me as I walk down the stairs. We turn toward the kitchen and I stop. What’s that sound?
Trevor’s ear stands up. We listen to the rhythmic tap, tap, tap on the wall. The sound is coming from the hallway near the downstairs guest rooms.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
“Ohh yes. Big B. Just like that.” Nancy’s throaty enthusiasm travels down the hallway.
I cover my ears and run for the kitchen, the dog right behind me.
Throwing open the back door, I step onto the patio. Trevor runs down the steps and to the yard. I fight off the visual image my mind tries to conjure up of Bryan’s parents doing the biggity-bang-bang this early in the morning.
When they come in for breakfast, Bryan senior looks like he hasn’t slept all night. Nancy’s skipping around the kitchen greeting everyone with warm hugs and kisses.
Jessica and I share a knowing smile when Nancy picks up the third book in the series and goes to the sitting room with a cup of coffee in her hand.
Kourtney and Emma beg and plead until Bryan senior gives in and hooks up the brand new gaming system they conveniently forgot to tell me he bought.
The three put in a dancing game.
Jessica leaves the house saying she has errands to run.
I go upstairs to finish patient files and return calls. While reading over the notes for the patients I’m scheduled to see on January 2nd, I realize I’m missing a flash drive. I check my briefcase, my purse—I even check the suitcases. The drive isn’t in here.
The last time I had it, I was saving my notes on it on Christmas Eve.
I bet it’s still sitting on the table in the apartment.
I put on a pair of Uggs and pick up my keys off the nightstand.
On the way to look for Nancy, I stop and get video of Bryan senior dancing with the girls. He’s winning.
Nancy hasn’t moved. I think I created a monster.
“I’m going over to the apartment. I left something I need for work.”
She nods her head, not taking her eyes away from the book. Her fingers twist her hair. She’s biting her lip.
***
With barely any traffic on the road, I make it to my apartment in twenty-three minutes. The flash drive is on the table next to my digital recorder. I place my keys on top of it so I won’t forget them when I leave.
“Might as well pack while I’m here.”
I toss my purse on the table and assemble moving boxes left over from when Bryan helped me clean up after the break-in.
Kourtney’s room is where I start.
I pack her old books and toys, and sort through the clothes in her closet and drawers. The ones she can’t fit anymore are packed in the boxes. I write the name of the shelter on the side.
The time flashes on the clock in her room. I’ve been here for two hours. But I’m in the zone. I go back to the living room, assemble more boxes, and head to my room.
The closet will take me the longest, but that’s where I’ll start. I reach for...
An uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach makes me hesitate opening the door. A cool breeze sweeps across my cheek. I look to the right. The blinds swing. The last time I was here I know I made sure the windows were closed and locked.
The boxes in my hand start to shake.
I take a few steps back from the closet door.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The uneasiness spreads, urging me to get the hell out of here. I drop the boxes, running from the room.
I grab my purse, keys, flash drive, and the digital recorder.
I open the door.
“AAH!”
“Are you okay?” Vin asks, standing in front of me.
“You scared me.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I can ask you the same question.”
“I stopped by the house. Nancy said you were here. I came to see if you needed help.”
“What can you do with one arm?” The base of my skull tingles. I glance over my shoulder.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Dani?”
“Yes. I need to go. I’m sure the girls are hungry.”
“Dr. Hawk was ordering pizza when I left. You and I can go somewhere for lunch.”
I lock the door behind me. “Thanks, Vin. But I can’t today. I have to finish my patient notes. Can we go to lunch another day?”
“Sure. Just let me know when.” He walks me down to my truck and stands at the curb watching me drive off.
Before I turn the corner, I look in the rearview mirror. Vin’s running back toward the apartment building.
I make the block and park on the side street.
I wait.
Someone dressed in black comes running from the stairs. They cut to the side of the building and run away.
A few seconds later, Vin comes running from the stairs. He’s shouting into his cell phone, his sling twisted around his neck, his clothes disheveled.
I check my rearview mirror. The prowler is already halfway down the block.
A black SUV, traveling fast, speeds up the street. I duck down as it zooms past me. My truck rocks in its wake.
I peek over the dash. Vin’s tires kick up smoke as he peels away from the curb, flying up the street.
I put the truck in drive and head in the opposite direction, but still checking the rearview mirror. The prowler and both trucks disappear.
My finger presses the button on the digital recorder. I record my thoughts as I head back to Bryan’s house.
I stop recording when I turn onto his street. Willis is standing in the open garage like he’s waiting for someone. He presses the button to close the garage door after I pull in. Before the door comes all the way down, a black SUV drives past.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
A kiss from soft lips wakes me. My body knows him.
“Hello.” I open one eye.
“Bed got lonely without me?” Bryan asks.
“They were frightened by the storm.”
One girl is wrapped in each arm and Trevor, the oversized scaredy-cat, sleeps at my feet.
“What time is it?” I yawn.
“Four in the morning.” He lifts Kourtney off my arm and walks around to his side.
I gently pull my arm from under Emma and scoot us back to make room. He lays Kourtney next to Emma and climbs in, turning off the lamp.
“How long have you been home?”
“About an hour,” he yawns. “The storm delayed my flight. Hey, the red velvet cake is delicious.”
“Thank you. How was your trip?”
“Good.” He reaches across the girls for my hand.
“Did everything work out?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“I missed you.”
“I missed you more, baby,” he murmurs.
That’s nine, still no Dani or Danielle.
The next time I open my eyes, it’s because there’s a weight on my chest, and doggie breath assaulting my nose.
Trevor’s upper body is draped across me. I turn my head to the clock: six thirty. His previous owners must have woken up early to let him out.
“Should I be jealous?” Bryan chuckles.
“He needs to go out.”
Bryan rolls out of bed. “Come on, boy.”
The dog leaps over the sleeping girls and jumps off the bed. He barks and runs out the door.
I roll over and close my eyes.
As I feel myself drifting off. Buzz... Buzz... Buzz. The sound startles me.
It sounds like it’s inside the wall.
I sit up.
It stops.
I snuggle under the w
arm blankets, and my body relaxes.
Buzz... Buzz... Buzz.
It’s coming from the closet. I get out of bed and open the closet door, trying to pinpoint the whereabouts.
The buzzing stops.
I wait.
Buzz... Buzz... Buzz.
Bryan’s winter coat shakes. The offensive buzz is coming from the inside pocket. I search it until my hand encloses the culprit. A cell phone, but it’s not the one he normally carries. POTUS flashes on the caller ID.
Should I answer?
Trevor’s bark makes the decision for me.
They’re already upstairs.
I put the phone back and get back in bed before Bryan and Trevor come through the door.
Trevor jumps on the bed, circles a few times, then reclaims his spot at my feet.
Bryan walks over to my side of the bed, kneeling. “I was thinking. Let’s start off the New Year right. How about the four of us go pack up the apartment today.”
The buzzing in the walls starts again.
“Go start the shower, baby. I’ll join you in a second,” he says, kissing me until I’m squirming from the heat simmering between my legs. The buzz becomes an annoyance in the background.
Bryan peels the covers back and helps me out of bed. I dash to the bathroom. The buzzing starts again. I press my ear against the door the minute I close it.
“I was away from the phone.” Pause. “Zero three hundred hours.” Long pause. “I left sweepers there to finish up once I got the call.” The sound of his voice comes near the bathroom door.
I run to the toilet pressing the button for it to flush, then going over to the sink. He doesn’t come in. I tiptoe back to the door.
“The report will be in your in-box within the hour. Thank you, sir.”
I hate one-sided conversations.
Before leaving the bathroom, I get the water started in the shower. When I open the door, Bryan’s hands are empty.
“It’s a quarter after seven. We have about fifteen minutes before the girls wake. How about a quickie in the shower?” He pulls me against him, his erection poking me in the stomach.
“Daddy, why do you need a quickie?” sleepy Emma asks.
“Help me out,” he whispers.
I shake my head, trying not to laugh out loud. It’s a good thing his back is to the bed; otherwise he’d have to explain why the front of his pajama pants is poking out.
“I was telling Dani we need to take quick showers, so we can go pack up the apartment.”
“Nice save,” I whisper.
“I’ll have a quickie in the shower too,” she yawns.
I giggle into his chest.
He squeezes my butt.
“Wake up, Kourty. We need a quickie so we can go pack the apartment.”
Unable to hold it any longer, I laugh and step around him to get my cell phone off the nightstand.
I unlock the screen as I walk into the bathroom, closing the door behind me.
Once the search box opens, I type POTUS.
The phone almost slips from my hand. Was Bryan really talking to the President of the United States?
***
We make it to the apartment a little after nine. Anthony and Vin meet us here with moving boxes of various sizes and shapes.
After checking the closet, I let the girls help me pack Kourtney’s room. They play around more than anything.
I go back and forth, carrying boxes to the living room. Bryan and Anthony carry the heavy ones.
Once her room is finished the guys breakdown her bedroom furniture and take it out to the men from the shelters. I don’t know how Bryan convinced the directors to pick up boxes, furniture, and appliances on such short notice.
One-armed Vin and I pack the living room and kitchen while the girls sit in the empty bedroom playing games on their tablets. I question him about how he spent his afternoon yesterday. He’s wearing a turtleneck. Vin says he had a physical therapy appointment and is sore today.
My room is the last to be packed. All my reasons for stalling are no longer valid. Bryan is right outside if anyone is hiding in the closet.
I open the door, peek inside, and begin to sort through my clothes.
By three thirty, the entire apartment is empty. The guys’ trucks are full of boxes and a few pieces of furniture. It’s time to turn in the keys to the manager and get my security deposit back.
Bryan somehow got me out of my one-year lease without paying off the balance. He walks with me to the manger’s apartment.
“I’m all packed.” I hand over the keys. This guy isn’t the one I met when we moved in back in July.
The manager walks away from the door, returning with an envelope. “Sorry to see you leave.” He nods at Bryan.
I snatch the envelope and march away.
“Dani, what’s wrong?” Bryan catches up with me.
“Nothing.”
He spins me around to face him. “What’s. Wrong?”
I sigh. “Something’s going on. I see the looks and nods passing between you and the people around us. Tell me what it is.”
“Nothing’s going on, baby. You’re imagining it.”
“Bryan, stop bull-craping me! Someone was in my apartment yesterday.”
“Baby, I’m telling you, nothing’s going on. I called the owner yesterday to tell him you were moving out and to have your deposit ready. He wanted the manager to check the condition of the carpet and walls before he issued the check. I gave him permission to enter the apartment. But what were you doing here yesterday? I asked you to stick to the house while I was away.”
“I left something here that I needed for work.”
“I thought you were on vacation.”
“We’re calling it working from home.”
Bryan wraps his arm around my shoulder, walking us toward his truck. “Come on, baby, we’re hungry.”
And he’s back to calling me baby.
The ride to the house is quiet. Kourtney and Emma are riding with Vin. I don’t want to start the New Year off fighting with Bryan so I put my suspicions on the backburner for now.
Nancy reluctantly put down the book to help me prepare a late lunch. Bryan senior says he’s been trying for hours to get her off the sofa.
I season ground turkey to put on the indoor grill. I haven’t had a beef burger since I was two months pregnant with Kourtney, but I have a taste for a really good one now. Too bad I didn’t take any out yesterday.
We make man-size burger patties and regular ones.
I put together a veggie platter and a fruit platter, and fill bowls with chips. Bottles of beer sit on ice in a bucket and I make a big pitcher of sour-cherry lemonade.
Nancy and I help the girls make their plates, then stand back. Hungry men raid the kitchen. Instead of sitting at the table, they lean against the counter with their legs crossed at the ankles.
“Emmy, how do you celebrate on New Year’s Eve?” Kourtney asks.
“I’m asleep. What about you?”
“Mom cooks our favorite foods. We sit on the sofa and watch the shiny ball drop in New York.”
“I want to do that. Daddy, can we do that?”
“It’s up to Dani.” He’s piling jalapenos on his second chili cheeseburger.
“I’ll need to make a list of everyone’s favorite food and find a party supply store.”
“I vote for more turkey burgers. You put ‘yo’ foot in these patties.” Anthony takes a big bite of his burger.
Emma stops chewing. “You really put your foot in this?” She looks at me, wide-eyed.
I laugh. “No, sweetie. That’s just an old saying. What Anthony means is the burger tastes really good.”
“Okay. Well, you put ‘yo’ foot in ‘yo’ spaghetti too.” She bites her burger. Ketchup gathers in the corners of her mouth. Her tongue licks away most of it. I wipe away the rest with my napkin.
“Do you want me to make spaghetti for you tonight?” I ask.
She nods.
Jessica walks over to the counter. She’s wearing a skirt and blazer.
Ignacio is right behind her in one of his tailored business suits. “I’ll help you cook,” he says.
“I’ll take the girls to the party supply store for decorations and noisemakers,” Bryan senior offers and Vin says he’ll go with them.
“Okay, so tell me what you want to eat.” I pull out Marie’s shopping list pad trying to write food requests, but everyone is speaking at the same time.
“Wait! One at a time, please.”
One by one, they give me their food requests.
“Bry, you didn’t tell me what you want to eat.” I get up from my seat.
Bryan’s eyelids droop and he bites his bottom lip. Those hazel eyes start at my feet and slowly travel up my body.
In my reality, the earth freezes and it’s just Bryan and I in the kitchen. I feel every layer of clothing melt away under the gaze of his eyes. Somehow I end up in his arms, his lips pressed against mine, our tongues doing a familiar dance.
“I told you two,” Vin says. “People eat in here.”
I come back to the real world when everyone laughs and step out of Bryan’s embrace. Embarrassment heats my cheeks. I go to the walk-in pantry. Making a grocery list doesn’t take long. Marie keeps the house well stocked, but I take a few minutes to think about what just happened. It was like I was in a trance. He didn’t utter a word yet I was pulled to him.
Bryan and Anthony take the list and go to the store.
Nancy and I discuss the book series while we clean the kitchen and start chopping vegetables.
In the evening, I send the girls to their rooms to take a nap so they won’t fall asleep before we ring in the New Year.
It’s been a long day for me too. I go upstairs with intentions of taking a nap, but my mind won’t rest. Bryan is definitely hiding something. I get out my recorder and sit on the couch taking notes as I listen to the account of my life since the appearance of one Bryan Kendall Hawk the fourth.
“What are you listening to?”
I didn’t hear Kourtney come in. I turn off the recorder and look at the clock. Where did the time go?
“I’m listening to some notes.”
She climbs onto my lap.
Kourtney does this when we need to have a heart-to-heart talk.
