by Jayton Young
The rest of the morning went as normal except for two instances on the phone that had me worried. Garret and Stefan left for the meeting with Mr. Haynes, the hotel owner, around nine thirty. I did all of my normal duties, and didn’t really register the time passing until Claire came up and took my purse from the bottom drawer of my desk, and started walking off announcing to anyone who would listen that we were headed out to lunch. I sighed and got up to follow.
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“So, how did your date go on Friday?”
Claire had been talking to me in the office last week about the date she was going on with her personal trainer.
“Oh, my God, Di, I was so board. All he did was talk about the gym and if I was keeping with the program he’s set for me. Then he started talking about how many years he’s worked to get like he was.” She huffed out a breath of air. “I tuned him out for the rest of dinner, just inserting a few ‘yeah’s’, and ‘uh-huh’s’, and he thought I was so there. I was glad to go see the movie, but then he took me to some action thing I had no interest in. I can’t even tell you the name of it. I was so glad for the torture to be over. I didn’t even kiss him at the end; I just went into my house with a see you later.”
I was laughing so hard. In the months that I’d known her, she had had some of the worst dates. She really had to start interviewing her dates a bit better. “Hey, I have an idea for you.” I said, hopping in my seat.
“I’m scared to ask.” She dead-panned.
“No, this is good. I was thinking you really need to interview your men before you go with them on dates.”
She just looked at me, I guess thinking I wasn’t finished.
“Don’t you get it? Try speed dating!!”
“What the hell is speed dating?”
I couldn’t believe she’d never heard of it before. I had always thought it was a cool concept. “You go to a place and there’s a bunch of other singles there, and you sit at a table and the guys have three minutes to tell you about themselves, and when the three minutes are up they go to the next table. At the end you decide whose number you want and call them up for a date. It’d be fun.”
“I guess it sounds interesting.” She looked at me and smiled. “I’ll do it if you go with me. You never go anywhere or do anything. Like you said, it’d be fun.”
I slouched back into my seat. Even if I was leaving soon, I wasn’t interested in trying to go out with anyone. My past shows how I have had no luck when it comes to men. I shook my head. “No, it’s no use for me to do something like that.” I said.
“Why ever not?” She asked. Claire was completely perplexed as to why I never did anything or accepted offers to go on dates. She couldn’t stand the fact that I wouldn’t tell her why, but I would not get someone else mixed up in my problems.
“I think it’s getting time for me to move on.” I thought about the phone calls earlier in the office. I would answer, but no one would say anything. I just heard shuffling and breathing on the other end. “As soon as I get things organized, and put my two weeks’ notice in, I’ll be heading out.”
Claire popped up straight in her seat, like she would object, but before she said anything, a voice behind me sent shivers down my spine when he spoke.
Chapter 2
“You’re not going anywhere, Dina.” Garret growled out. “We won’t let you leave; you have created a life here. Why would you do that if you were going to leave out again?”
Garret had obviously been sitting in the booth behind us having lunch, because Stefan was still there with his pasta primavera in front of him. I looked back at Garret and wondered why he was angry. It kind of scared me, but I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. I’d seen him angry before, and he never got violent.
“Mr. Starr, I told you when you hired me that I travel around. I thought you knew I wouldn’t be staying here.” My voice was a little shaky. Though I didn’t think he’d hurt me, it still made me nervous when I made someone angry. “I never stay in one place for too long.”
Garret got up from his seat, sat beside me, and Stefan followed bringing both of their plates. I noticed that Garret had ordered the same as me, the shrimp Alfredo. He looked over to me, seeming to have calmed a little, but he was still visibly upset.
“What about Margie? She has gotten so much healthier since you’ve been staying there. She doesn’t have to stress over things, and she’s not on her feet cleaning all of the time. She needs you.” He said. The anger in his eyes was turning into hurt and disappointment.
“And what about us?” Claire added. “I haven’t spent all this time with my best friend just to have her leave me. Who would I have to roll their eyes at me and complain about all I make them do? You’re the only one who’ll put up with me and put me in my place when needed.”
“That’s nice of you to say, Claire, but I know you have other friends. You don’t have to pity me anymore. I’m no longer a wallflower, so your mission was accomplished, though I will miss you. It’s been so long since I’ve had a friend.” I said sadly. I really would miss everyone here. There had been no shortage of southern hospitality here. You don’t meet any strangers in Savannah. Everyone treats you like a friend from the word hello.
“We’ll talk more after work. I have some things to say to you not meant for other ears.” She eyed the men at the table like she’d like them to leave, but Garret wasn’t paying her any attention, he was still focused on me.
“What has made you want to take off? Has something happened?” He asked, giving me a look I couldn’t decipher.
“No, nothing has happened. I just get itchy staying in one place for too long.”
“Whatever you’re running from, you have to realize that eventually you’ll have nowhere left to go, and then what are you going to do? Who will you turn to?” The way he said it was with such certainty that I wondered how he knew. Who did he know that had been on the run?
My head jerked to him. He couldn’t have figured it out, could he? I thought I had covered my tracks better than that. I started panicking. I had to go.
I got up and got some money out of my purse to pay for my meal and threw it on the table. “I’m taking the rest of the day as a personal day, Mr. Starr. I’ll be back in the office tomorrow.” I said as I walked off. I heard them start to argue at the table as I walked out of the door.
I really needed to leave if people were starting to figure out my history. If someone looked too hard, it would get back to Chuck. I couldn’t let any more innocent people get hurt. I walked briskly down the street, heading home. As I was passing the coffee shop, Mr. Davis stepped out and tried to get me to join him for a break.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Davis, but I really need to get home.”
“Now come on, Di. Don’t make me sit my break alone. Patsy is busy in the back baking a cake for a little boy’s party tonight, and she don’t have time to take a break.”
He really knew how to play the guilt card with me, so I went in with him, and he took me to the back after making me a cup of hot chocolate. He knew I couldn’t stand coffee, which he said was the Yankee in me. I had told him that I was considered just as weird up north.
After we sat down at his break table, he asked me what had me in such a fit state to be walking home in the middle of the day.
“I just needed to go home and make some arrangements. I’ll be leaving soon. My boss overheard me telling Claire and he wasn’t happy. I don’t know whether he’ll accept my two weeks’ notice or not.” I confessed, worried as to whether I’d be able to earn that last little bit of money. I had some saved up, but every little bit would help.
“Just why are you leaving? I thought you were finally settling down in one place.” He asked me, arching one of his bushy gray eyebrows.
“As much as I’d love to, Mr. Davis, that’s just not me.” I told him. “I’ve been traveling for years now. I don’t think I can ever settle down, but if I do, I’ll come b
ack here. Everyone has been so great to me here. I love the southern hospitality. I’ve never known anything like it.” That was the truth. I had been the happier in Savannah than I had been since before my mom died.
“I’d like to think it’s our small town mentality. The natives remember the times before we got so crowded and we’ve tried to teach our principals to our children.”
I thought about it and shook my head. “I don’t think its small town mentality. I’ve tried a couple of small towns, and I was treated as an outsider from the get go. They never tried to make me feel welcome, so I never stayed long. I still think it’s the southern hospitality I’ve always heard about, but I’d have to try a couple places out to test that theory.”
Mr. Davis was quiet for a few minutes after that. He looked at me as he sipped on his decaf coffee. “Can I ask you a personal question? You don’t have to answer if you’re not comfortable to do so.” I just nodded, so he asked the one question I dreaded. “What got you to traveling in the first place? You don’t strike me as the adventurous type.”
I thought about it and decided to tell him a little. “I had to get away from a bad situation.” I drank down the rest of my hot chocolate. I got up and got ready to leave.
“Why do you keep going?”
“Sometimes bad things follow you wherever you go.” I said sadly. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Davis. Take it easy, you still need to get your strength back.”
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As soon as I got home, instead of going to my apartment, I went into Mrs. Chambers’ house. I was going to clean it and prepare dinner like normal, but I first wanted to get on the computer to e-mail Dr. Stevens and check in with him. I had kept in touch with him frequently over the years. He had someone keeping an eye on what Chuck was up to, and kept me informed, but I hadn’t contacted him in two months. I had been so busy with work, helping Mrs. Chambers in her house, and Mrs. Davis clean up and close down her shop in the evening while Mr. Davis was sick.
Mrs. Chambers spent her days with her friends in her Bridge club, so I logged onto my e-mail account on the computer. I had numerous e-mails from the doctor. He said that Chuck had taken extended leave from the force last month. My breath caught at this. Normally when he found out where I was, he would just take a few days off, switching his schedule around with others to give him time to get to wherever I was.
The last e-mail sent yesterday told me to call him anytime of the day and gave me a number to get in touch with him. I deleted all of his e-mails and emptied my trash like he always told me to, went to my purse to get my phone, and dialed the number he gave.
“Thank goodness, Di. I knew you were alright or I would have called your phone which is a no-no with your ex being a cop and being able to pull records.” Dr. Stevens said in a rush.
“What do you mean? Has he found out about you? Is he after you?” I was worried. Doc had done too much for me, and I didn’t want anything to happen to him.
“As far as I know he hasn’t made me yet, but I know how he got your identities. My contact that made the false IDs for you and others was arrested some time ago. When he was, his files and computers were confiscated. Now, he didn’t know who you were, but whoever got those files would only have to run a search on the names; credit cards, bank accounts, drivers’ records, etc.; to be able to locate someone. I believe this is how he found you, because the one thing that would link you to all of those names is your drivers’ license. You don’t ever get credit cards or anything else.”
“I was thinking of packing up anyways, Doc. I’ve been getting itchy here. I’m too exposed, and too many people have latched onto me here. I care about these people, and you know what he’s done to anyone he found associated with me in the past. I told you before that I’m tired of changing, but I can keep moving.” I told him as I headed back to my little apartment. “I’ve saved up and added to what was left of what you’ve given me. Everything I had in the bank has collected interest, so I’m good to go for a while. You know me, though, I’ll work my way across America if I have to. I was even thinking of applying for a passport.”
“He would get wind of it, and I don’t have a way to help you anymore.”
We were both silent for a moment, thinking of what my next move should be. “I’m nervous, not knowing where he is or what he is doing right now.” He said, finally. “I think you should stay put. You work for a security company. I think they could help you if he came at you there.”
“That’s one of the reasons I was going to e-mail you today.” I remembered. “My boss overheard a conversation I was having about putting my notice in to start traveling again, and he said some things that make me think he knows something.”
“Like what?”
“Basically he said that I couldn’t run forever, that I would run out of places to go.” I could still picture the look on his face as he said that. He had been upset and angry, but there was pity there. The pity in his eyes is what made me think he knew more than he let on. I didn’t want or need to be pitied by anyone, either.
“I still think it’s a good idea if you stayed put. With Garret Starr’s background, I think he is safe for you.” Doc said.
“What background?”
“He was a decorated Marine. Both he and his partner were.” He informed me.
“Alright, I’ll stay for a bit.” Then I caught on to what he said. “Wait, how did you know Stefan is his partner?”
I heard him mumble something on his end, but didn’t catch what he said. Then he spoke up, “Do you think I’d leave you in a place where I didn’t know anything about the people around you?” It sounded like he was leaving something unsaid, but I didn’t question him about it. He’d done too much for me for me not to trust him now.
We talked for little while longer with me filling him in on what had been going on with me, which wasn’t much, before he asked a question that had me stunned.
“What would you think of me transferring down to Savannah?” He sounded like he was nervous about what my answer would be.
I would love to have him around again. He’d been a part of my life for eight years, though four of those years had been through emails and phone; I had missed him after I ran. Besides being my doctor and always helping me with my injuries from Chuck, we’d gotten to know each other a lot more and had enjoyed our conversations on the phone. He had been a good friend to me, though he had kept it formal until I ran, then he had finally started calling me by my first name. His name was Dustin, but he had always preferred me calling him Doc, so I did.
“I would love to have you here, Doc. I’ve missed you, but I don’t want anything leading back to you.” I said honestly. “He would hurt you for just being associated with me, but if he learned that you were the one to help me escape, he would kill you.”
“Let me worry about that, Di. There is an opening in the ER there, I’ve already checked, so I should be able to arrange a transfer there within a couple of weeks.”
“You’ve been planning this.” I stated. I couldn’t keep the happiness out of my voice.
He just chuckled and said he would call me from the phone he was using, which was a pre-paid untraceable cell phone, when the arrangements were made and we hung up.
I was bouncing around as I went back to Mrs. Chambers’ house to cook and clean. That was how Mrs. Chambers found me.
“Who is the young man?” She asked.
“What young man?” I was confused and had no idea what she was talking about.
“Only a man puts a girl in the mood you’re in. I’ve never seen you this happy, hun.”
I giggled. I had not giggled since I was in high school, but I did when she said that. “It’s not what you’re thinking, Ma.” She had told me to call her this. She said Mrs. Chambers made her sound too old. “I was planning on traveling again, but I found out my friend is transferring down here to work, so I’m going to stay.”
We celebr
ated at dinner by having ice-cream sundaes, which were no-no’s for both of us. Her for her sugar levels, and me for my figure, but we didn’t care, we just acted like two teenagers that night and had fun watching movies and gossiping while eating junk food. It was the most fun I had had in years.
Chapter 3
I left for work early the following day so I could stop and talk to the Davis’ to reassure Mr. Davis that I’d be sticking around for a while longer.
“Good morning Mrs. Davis.” I said going onto the shop. She actually wasn’t waiting for me outside and it had surprised me. “How are you this morning?”
“Oh, good morning Dina. Thomas is not happy right now, and I can’t say I blame him.” She told me, giving me a look, and making me feel like a five year old being reprimanded. “He told me you were leaving us, dear.”
“Well, that’s why I wanted to stop by this morning.” We sat down at a table with her coffee and the hot chocolate and apple fritter she had for me. “I spoke with a friend, and they decided to move down here for a while, so I’m going to be staying for a while longer.”
“This wouldn’t be a male friend would it?”
I blushed a little at her assumption. “Well, yes he is male, and he is just a friend. He is ten years older than me, Mrs. Davis; I don’t think either of us feels like that about the other.”
“Well, I don’t know about that. You wouldn’t be blushing like that for nothing, and age is nothing. Thomas is twelve years older than me, and we’ve been happily married for thirty-four years. As long as there is love, trust, and communication, any relationship can work.”
“I can see that, but it’s not like that for us.” I explained. “Doc has been there for me, and helped me through some difficult times, but just as a friend. He is the best friend I ever had.”
We talked for another few minutes before I helped her clean the table and got ready to go.
