Whiskey Tango

by Alison Beamon

  “I have had all of your emails screened.” That was a bit of a relief, at least she would not have to deal with that.

  “Lonna Hughes called this morning, she wants you to design her gala gown.” There was a smile on his face and she smiled back.

  “Thanks, London.” He said before going back in the direction that he had come.

  That day she spent in her office. It was almost time to go home when Casey popped her head in the door.

  “Got a minute?” Her friend asked.

  “Not if you want to talk about nude photos on the internet.” She meant it, she wanted to get on with her life.

  “You got to admit you looked hot.” Casey said and she looked up to meet her friends eyes.

  “Casey.” She tried but the smile on the other girl’s face was not going to be stopped.

  “I mean if you got it flaunt it.” She wanted to throw something at her friend.

  “Are they real?” Casey asked and she did throw a pen at her. Luckily the girl caught it.

  “Why does everyone keep asking that?” London said as she took the pen back from her friend.

  “Because they are perfect.” Trust Casey to make her want to laugh.

  “Can we not talk about my breasts and yes they are real.” That was the third time she had answered the question.

  “I just wanted to see you smile.” Casey said before asking. “You want to go out later?”

  “No.” There was no reason to explain anything to her friend so she didn’t.

  “Ok, let me know if you change your mind.” She watched as her friend left the office.

  She wondered again if everyone in that building had seen her nude photos. Maybe she should turn them into an office calendar. After all the world had seen them and she might could use them to do some good. It was a dumb idea and she shook her head.

  It did not get easier but after the third week she had to admit that it was getting back to normal. The people she worked with were back to their normal selves. For whatever reason Jon had not released any videos and she wondered if he even had any to begin with. That was not something that she was going to ask.

  The design for Lonna Hughes had been approved and she was ready to make it come to life. It felt good getting back into the swing of things. Her father had her old cell phone cleaned out and it was returned to her. She had no idea about the messages or anything that had been erased from it. She was just glad to have her photos back.

  Several times on her way home she had passed by a lake, and she wanted to stop. So today on her way home she did. Walking up to the lake she picked up several stones. She checked them for a flat side and tried to do as he had tried to teach her. The dang things would not skip. They simply plopped into the water. If she did not soon get the hang of it she would be out of rocks.

  “You are not doing it right.” London did not need to turn around to know who that voice belonged to. She felt it all through her body. The heart in her chest stopped and she instantly felt the tears.

  “I have a restraining order on you.” She said not turning from her spot. The stone in her hand was being turned over and over.

  “I know.” That did not seem to matter to him. Who was she kidding, the dang order was nothing but a piece of paper.

  “Are you following me?” The tears were going to fall but as long as she kept her back to him, he would not see them. That rock turned over and over in her hand.

  “No, London, I saw your car.” There was something that would not let her believe that.

  “Just leave me alone.” That was all she wanted. Sure the sex had been great and he had been amazing, but it was all for revenge. That did not help her now. Turning toward him then she did not care if he saw her tears.

  “I know your plan to destroy my father did not work out quite the way you wanted it to, so destroying me will just have to be enough for you.” She meant to walk past him, but stopped just in front of him. Taking his hand she placed the stone in it.

  “I never thought that it would hurt you.” His words were quiet. She still held his hand in hers, the stone now closed in his palm.

  “No I just got crushed in the middle. Stay away from me.” London was proud of herself. She turned and walked away from him then. She held it together until she got to her car. There she lost it. The tears streamed down her face.

  After her tears slowed she started the car and drove away. That meeting gave her the courage that she needed to go back to her house. She did not think that he was going to hurt her, she was not really sure if that had ever been a concern.

  Her father was not happy with her decision, but he said he understood. She did not tell him that the restraining order was useless. Let him keep that thought in his mind if it would help him feel better.

  Seven

  Her house was quiet, but she took comfort in that. The cleaning service that came every two weeks had made her bed. That was okay with her. That was something that she did not want to do. The bottle of whiskey still sat on her nightstand. She wondered what the cleaning service thought. She did not care anymore. Taking the bottle to her front door she sat it just outside. She did not want him in her house anymore.

  Being home made her feel better and she had to admit that after the first little bit, she was able to look around and not see him. That was until she went into the den. Seeing that couch had her spinning around. She would deal with that when she needed to. Right now there was no need.

  The doorbell rang and she made her way through the house. There was a man at her door and she did not recognize him. Opening the door she smiled at him.

  “Hi, I just bought the house across the street.” She looked to the house and saw that the for sale sign was gone.

  “My dog has not taken well to the move. She keeps getting out. I think she is in your backyard. She doesn’t bite.” He said and she smiled at him.

  “You can go get her if you want. I don’t mind.” The man was cute, but she was not interested in any man at that moment.

  “Would you mind if I left her in there while I am having my fence repaired?” London smiled at him.

  “What is her name?” She asked stepping out onto the porch. The sound of a motorcycle caught her attention and she took a step back. There was no way he would go against that restraining order again.

  “Elsa, my daughter was a big fan of that movie.” He said in explanation. So he was married, that made her feel better. London stepped past him then and headed to her backyard. The man was on her heels. The motorcycle sound was getting closer.

  “I am London by the way.” She said when she reached the bottom step. Then she saw Jon on his Harley and he was coming their way.

  “Paul.” He said and ran into her where she had stopped. She could not take her eyes off of Jon.

  “Friend of yours?” He asked she was sure he could feel the tension coming off of her. Jon got off of his motorcycle and removed his helmet. She could not believe him.

  “No.” She answered as Jon made his way up to them.

  “What part of restraining order do you not understand?” She asked when he was ten feet in front of her.

  “You have a restraining order on him?” Paul asked and she simply nodded.

  “Yes she does.” Jon admitted. He was not trying to make a secret of it. Paul’s hand went to the small of her back and she knew Jon had not missed it.

  “Don’t touch her.” Jon said to Paul his voice hard. There was nothing but anger in his eyes.

  “Are you insane? Get off my property, I am calling the police.” She said as she pulled the cell phone from her pocket. Paul did not remove his hand from her and it bothered Jon. She could see his anger going up every time he looked at Paul.

  “My name is London Lane and I have a restraining order on Jon Tango and he is standing three feet in front of me.” Jon took a step toward her. “Make that two feet in front of me.”

  She swallowed as he took one more step. His hand reached out and removed Paul’s hand
from her back.

  “Don’t. touch. her.” He warned, each word was said with emphasis and then he was turning and walking away. She pulled the cell phone away from her ear. She had not called the police. She had not called anybody. She just wanted him to think that she had.

  “Do you want to talk about that?” Paul asked as the motorcycle pulled away.

  “No, let’s check on your dog.” That was what they were going to do when the psycho had popped up. The dog was a golden retriever and she seemed to be very happy in London’s back yard. The gate was open and she closed it behind them. Elsa jumped up and came over to her. The dog ignored Paul all together.

  “Are you sure this is your dog?” London joked as she sat on the steps of her back porch, the dog settled between her knees, it’s head resting on her lap.

  “She belongs to my daughter. My wife and I are separating and she made me take her. I think she misses my daughter.” London looked up to meet Paul’s eyes. Thinking he was married she felt safe with him, now that feeling was starting to fade.

  “She is welcome to hang out here until you get your fence fixed.” London looked at her backyard, there was really nothing there that the dog could hurt.

  “Was he an ex?” Paul asked and she looked at him. In that moment she was not sure what she would consider Jon.

  “I am not really sure at the moment what he was.” One thing was for sure, he did not care about that restraining order.

  “Well I am just across the street if you need me.” That was nice she thought.

  “I will bring her food and water over here. They are supposed to fix the fence tomorrow.” Paul started for the gate. Then stopped and turned back to her.

  “Next time you should really make that call. You are lucky he thought you did.” So Paul had known that she had not called the police. She was still sitting there thinking on that when he returned with the dog’s bowls. Elsa was still sitting with London her head in her lap. He put them on her back porch and she smiled at him.

  “By the way I am a detective.” He held out a business card to her and she took it. Paul Chandler the name on the card read.

  “Call me if she needs anything.” He said and then left the yard. That little card in her hand made her feel so much safer. Not only was there a detective living across the street, he knew that there was a problem and would be able to help her if she needed it.

  That night as she laid in her bed trying to sleep she heard the thunder roll. There was going to be a storm and she hated the thought of Elsa alone in the backyard.

  Making her way down stairs she opened the back door and Elsa came bolting in. The poor girl was shaking.

  Getting the bowls she felt the strength of the wind. The lightening lit up the sky and she hurried back in. Locking the door behind her.

  Elsa was by her side and she did not mind, the dog gave her company and made her feel a little safer. When she was heading back up stairs she saw the silhouette on her front porch. There was a man on her porch and she did not want to deal with that. Elsa seemed to notice the figure too and she moved toward the door barking. London watched in slow motion as the man moved. The door bell rang under his hand. Elsa barked again.

  “Elsa, be quiet.” She heard Paul say through the door. Quickly she moved to the door and opened it.

  “I am sorry, I hope I did not wake you. I saw that there was a storm coming and Elsa hates storms. I was coming to get her.” Elsa sat down next to London.

  “It looks like she would rather stay here.” He said as he ran a hand through his hair. She noticed that he was wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt he had slippers on his feet.

  “She is fine here, I don’t mind. I actually like the company.” London said and meant it. The rain started then, just a light drizzle.

  “You better hurry or you’re going to get soaked.” There was a vehicle coming down the street and she smiled at him. Paul removed his slippers before he ran down her steps and across the street.

  The vehicle turned out to be a truck and she knew whose truck it was. Jon drove by at that moment and she could only imagine what it looked like. She did not care what he thought. Closing the door she made her way upstairs. Her cell phone rang and she hurried to pick it up. She did not want to talk to him but she was sure that he was not going to stop until she did.

  “Hello.” She tried to keep the anger from her tone.

  “Next time I will run over him.”

  “This is stalking, Jon. You can’t call me either.” She wondered if he had been drinking.

  “I want my whiskey.”

  “It is by the front door.” Then she hung up the phone she was not ready to talk to him.

  EIGHT

  When she awoke in the morning Elsa was on the bed with her. She smiled at the dog. When Elsa had to go home, she would see about getting a dog of her own. After she moved the dogs bowls back outside she closed and locked the door. Paul was coming up her front steps and she hurried to open it before he rang the bell.

  “I just put her out back.” London explained as she stepped to the side to let him in.

  “They promised me the fence would be fixed today.” He said and she closed the door. The idea that Jon might drive by was in her mind and she did not want to make him mad again.

  “I don’t mind her, so if it is not she is welcome to stay.” London meant that, the dog had given her so much comfort last night.

  “Thank you.” He said before checking his watch and heading for the door.

  “Paul.” He turned to her and she was not sure if she should tell him or not. “He drove by last night when it was raining and he saw you leaving.”

  “I am not worried about him.” She could believe those words. Paul pulled back the side of his jacket and showed her his gun. She smiled at that.

  “Call me if you need me.” Those words were said as he left her house. That was good she thought as she closed the door. She noticed that the whiskey bottle was gone.

  The fence was repaired but Elsa continued to escape from that yard. London found it funny, that Elsa would come over and lay on her back porch.

  “I don’t know how she does it.” Paul said when he came over to get her back. The whole week the dog had been at London’s when she got home. A young girl that looked to be twelve or thirteen was with him.

  “This is my daughter Shayla.”

  “Hi I am London.” She smiled, it was obvious that the girl was uncomfortable.

  “Like in England?” Shayla asked and London smiled.

  “Yes, I was born in London.” That was a long story and one she did not think the little girl would want to hear.

  “My father designs clothes and my parents were at a showing when I decided to show up.” London did not want to add anymore than that, she was not sure how much the girl would know about child birth.

  “Are you my dad’s girlfriend?” Shayla asked and London wanted to reach out to her.

  “Shayla.” Paul’s tone held a bit of a warning.

  “No, honey, we are only friends. It seems your dog would rather stay with me.” London wondered why Paul and his wife were getting divorced. Then decided that it was none of her business.

  “Are you London Lane?” The girl asked and London did not like the way she said it.

  “I am.”

  “Are all of those nude photos really of you?” Shayla asked, her tone was a bit happier than she thought it should be.

  “Shayla!” Paul exclaimed, but London was done with all of the shame and humiliation. It was time to just own up to it.

  “It’s okay, Paul, yes they are. Someone wanted to hurt me and he did. That was his way of getting revenge.” London sat on the steps then and Shayla came to sit with her. The young girl put her hand over London’s.

  “Is he in jail? My dad puts people in jail.” She said as if that would make it all better.

  “No.”

  “He should be.” Paul said.

  “All the kids at school were talking about y
our pictures.” Shayla said and it made London frown.

  “I thought about making a calendar for all of my dad’s employees, but I didn’t think he would like that.” London admitted, saying the thought out loud made her smile.

  “I can guarantee that I would not like that.” Paul said as he held out his hand to Shayla. She took his hand and stood up beside of him.

  “Did you see the photos, Dad?” Shayla asked and London met his eyes. He looked embarrassed.

  “I saw enough.” Then he looked away.

  “We are going out to eat in a bit, you want to go?” Paul asked.