The Denver Cereal

by Claudia Hall Christian

  “They send me these projections and I look them over. I run the numbers, double-check their work, look at the work schedule, stuff like that. If it seems reasonable, I send the entire thing to my father to see if he wants to do the project. Pretty boring. I get a bunch of these every Monday morning.”

  “Can I see?”

  “If you sit on my lap,” Jacob said.

  Jill plopped down on his lap.

  “Mmm.” His hands stroked her legs.

  “I’m pretty good at budgets and numbers, so this is interesting to me. I never knew how companies did this kind of thing.”

  Jacob kissed the back of her neck while Jill pretended to study the spreadsheet.

  “You have beautiful skin,” he said.

  Jill turned her head to look at him. “Jacob.”

  “Hmm?”

  “You have a busy morning,” she said.

  “Mmmm,” he said.

  She leaned away from him to catch his eyes.

  “Yes, busy morning,” Jacob said.

  Jill stood up from his lap. “I don’t want to get in the way of your . . .”

  Their eyes caught with a jolt.

  Jacob lifted Jill off her feet. Jill wrapped her legs around his hips. Their lips caught and he carried her to bed. There was no hesitation, no sadness this morning. Jill was hot, relaxed, and ready for him. He pulled off her T-shirt and panties at the same time she dragged down his boxer briefs. They joined with fast, rising heat. Jacob kept a slow, easy rhythm, but Jill pulled for him. They rose in fast union. In one blinding flash, Jill stopped moving.

  “Oh,” Jill said.

  Jacob pulled back to see if she was all right. He smiled. She began to release in waves of pleasure. Patient but insistent, he continued the pace until she began to rise again. Caught in her rising heat, he gave in to his passion. Together, they slipped over the cliff. They held each other tight through the rise and fall of blissful sensation.

  “Stay right there.”

  He kissed her lips, her nose, and then rose to attend to the condom. When he returned, she held her arms out to him. He dropped into her arms.

  “How are you?” he said.

  “Really, really good. Thanks. You?”

  “I feel amazing. You don’t feel funny or sad or embarrassed . . .” He stopped talking when Jill laughed.

  “Oddly, no,” she said. “If you do that again, I’m your slave.”

  He laughed. “I hate leaving you, but I need to take Sarah out for a bit before I get ready to go. Would you like to come with us?”

  “I think I’d like some time to myself,” Jill said. “Is that all right?”

  “Of course. I washed your clothes from yesterday but they aren’t quite dry. I have sweats that might fit you.”

  “Sweats are great.”

  Getting up from the bed, he began to dress in running gear. He gave Jill a pair of sweats. She rolled down the top to make them work. In the T-shirt and sweats, she had a charming sexiness that almost dragged them back to bed. She smiled at the look he gave her.

  He scooped her up in a hug. His lips found her mouth. With effort, he broke from the kiss.

  “This is so not how I wanted to do this,” he whispered.

  “Regrets?”

  “Only that I have to keep moving,” he said.

  Jill stepped back from him to help him gain some control. He smiled his thanks.

  “Delphie would love to see you. When you’re ready for company, just open the door to the house. I’ll be back soon.”

  He brushed her lips with his mouth. He picked up Sarah’s leash and Sarah waited at the door to the stairs. Opening the door to the stairs, he turned to look at her one last time.

  “I love you, Jill. I always have.”

  He closed the door before she could respond. Jill went to the windows to watch Jacob and Sarah, but the iron-fenced perimeter of the Castle front yard was surrounded by paparazzi photographers. She saw Jacob whistle for Sarah and then head around the back. Unsure of what to do, and not wanting her picture taken, she plopped down in the sagging armchair.

  Yesterday, her mind was consumed by her Trevor-screwed-up life. Today, she was . . . She smiled. Happy.

  In a burst of emotion, her fear and guilt returned.

  What would Trevor think?

  She heard Trevor’s screaming voice telling her that she was a worthless whore. Jill pressed her hands against her ears. But the voice in her head continued its rampage. She was almost in tears when she heard a knock on the door to the apartment. Without thinking, Jill walked across the apartment to open the door.

  “Don’t let that man steal your happiness, sweetie,” Delphie said.

  Jill dropped into her arms.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The business of life

  “Are we ready?” Jacob asked. “We can get past the paparazzi through the tunnels.”

  Standing by a locked door in the main Castle kitchen, he looked from Valerie to Mike. Even after years of preparation, he had no idea if they could get away from the photographers that stalked his sister. Today would be the first time they tried the tunnels.

  Jill slipped her arm around him. He smiled at her.

  Today was a first for a lot of things.

  “Mike and I have cleaned the tunnels, but they are old coal tunnels. There’s only so much we could do,” Jacob said. He pointed to the long, hooded overcoats that hung on hooks by a locked beadboard door. “As long as Delphie isn’t going out, there’s one for each of us.”

  “I’ll stay here, Jake,” Delphie said. “I don’t like those tunnels. Too many sad spirits down there.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Valerie hugged Delphie. “This is all my fault. If I hadn’t let the driver take me home, the paparazzi would have never found us.”

  “Honey, I’d rather be stuck here because you and Mike are back together than be stuck here because it’s snowing, or the doors won’t open, or Jake blew something up, or I’m sick, or . . .”

  “Thanks,” Valerie said. “I’ve missed you.”

  “We’ve all missed you, Val,” Delphie said. “It’s nice to have you home.”

  “We need to go!”

  Jacob’s impatience and worry echoed through his voice. Delphie made her usual cutesy face at Jake’s frustration.

  “Is he always like this?” Valerie mock-whispered to Delphie.

  “YES. I’M ALWAYS LIKE THIS!” Jacob said in a terse voice.

  Mike looked from Delphie’s smile to Jacob and burst out laughing. Everyone laughed. Even Jacob gave in to a smile. Jacob passed out the overcoats.

  “If Val’s staying, we’ll have to get some more of these coats.”

  “Just one?” Jill asked.

  “Well, Katy too.” Jacob beamed at her.

  “Sheez, now who’s wasting time? Explain the locks,” Mike commanded.

  “There are two locks.” Jacob pointed to a modern deadbolt and a refurbished antique lock. “You can unlock this deadbolt with a key from both sides of the door. This old lock can only be opened from the inside.”

  “Which is why I have to stay,” Delphie said.

  “We usually leave the old lock open when we go out through the tunnels, but with all this attention,” Jacob pointed toward the growing crowd and paparazzi outside the Castle’s metal fence, “I don’t feel comfortable leaving it unlocked. There are two locks at the workshop. Those are regular key bolts. There’s also a security system in the tunnels that’s connected to both doors. You can turn off the system from inside the Castle or inside the workshop. It goes back on when either the door is closed at the other end or after thirty minutes.”

  Jacob opened the door. Pointing to the lockbox, he said, “This box has the key to the deadbolt in it. It will open to each of our birthdays. Our birthdays are the security code as well.”

  “Except mine,” Jill said.

  “Right, but you know Mike’s, right?”

  Jill nodded.

  “We’ll add
yours,” Jacob said. Jill kissed his lips.

  “I thought we were late?” Mike asked.

  “Nervous?” Valerie asked.

  “No, I’m torn between bashing his teeth in and puking.”

  Mike pulled Jacob away from Jill, and Jacob laughed. He flipped a switch, and a dim thread of lights appeared in the darkness.

  “There’s a switch at each end,” Mike said. “There are also flashlights and headlamps if you need them. Just toss them in the baskets at each end. Since we’re so late, we should probably skip the headlamps and hold hands.

  “There’s a series of stairs — eight stairs and three landings — here and twelve stairs on the other end.”

  Jacob pulled an overcoat over his Armani suit and flipped up the hood. He held his hand out for Jill. Hand in hand, they entered the ancient tunnel. Created in the 1800s, the tunnels were used to move heating coal from the train station in throughout Denver.

  “How far is it?” Jill whispered after they had been walking a while.

  “It’s a half mile,” Mike said. “You don’t have to whisper.”

  “I just feel . . . like I should whisper,” Jill said.

  “Me too,” Valerie whispered in response. “Maybe we feel all the sad souls Delphie was talking about.”

  “It’s a dark place,” Jacob said. “We’re almost there. You can see the stairwell up ahead.”

  They climbed the stairwell. Jacob pointed to another lock box with a keypad. He punched in his birth date and opened the box. He used the key to open both locks. Holding the door for Jill, Valerie, and Mike, Jacob set the key back on its hook and reengaged the security system.

  He walked through the door to an open warehouse space. One end of the warehouse was a wood shop. Tidy stacks of wood, windows, woodworking tools, and worktables filled half of the space. Opposite from where they stood, there were four aging cars — a Jeep Wrangler, an old Bronco, a 1960s Mustang and an ancient silver Mercedes — lined up in front of the garage doors. The cars were clean and clearly well maintained. Jacob added his overcoat to the line of hooks near the door.

  “This box has keys to the door as well as keys to the cars. I thought Mike would take his Bronco.” Jacob threw the keys to Mike. “Val? Are you okay with the Jeep?”

  “Why are all of our old cars here?” Valerie asked, noticing the cars for the first time. “That’s Mom’s old Mercedes and that . . .” She pointed to the Mustang. “That’s mine!”

  “I thought no one would expect the famous Valerie Lipson to drive an old clunker. Delphie drives Mom’s Mercedes. I can’t bring myself to . . .”

  “Thanks, Jake.” Val’s eyes brimmed with tears. “You really thought of everything.”

  Jacob smiled. He pressed the garage opener and they peered out at Detroit Street. The residential street was silent. No helicopters. No photographers. Just a few high school kids walking along the back of East High School.

  “Yes!” Mike said. “I knew we could do this!”

  Valerie laughed and pulled him to her. They kissed and whispered back and forth by the Jeep.

  “We’ll catch up with you at the hospital,” Jacob said to Jill. “But don’t wait for us. We’re not exactly sure how long we’ll be. If you can take Katy home, you should do that. I’ll find you when we’re done.”

  Jill hugged Jacob. She whispered in his ear, “Thanks. I . . .”

  “God damn it. Can we go?” Mike asked. He opened the driver’s side of his Bronco.

  Jill blushed and stepped away. Jacob walked her to the passenger side, waited for her to hop in, and then closed car door.

  “I remember this car,” Jill said to Mike.

  Mike laughed and revved the Bronco’s engine.

  “Ready?” Jacob asked Valerie, turning on the Jeep.

  “I feel a little . . . nervous, I guess,” Valerie said.

  “About?” Jacob asked.

  Backing out, he waited until the garage doors closed before pulling out onto Detroit Street. He drove a half block then turned right on Colfax.

  “Just being here, I guess,” Valerie said. “You must think I’m an idiot, but it’s very scary for me to make these changes and take these steps.”

  Stopping at the light, Jacob looked at Valerie.

  “I think you’re very brave.” Jacob smiled. “You’re also not alone, Val. I’m here. Delphie’s a trip but she loves us.”

  “And Dad,” Valerie said. “Will he be there this morning?”

  “Just for a bit,” Jacob said. “Are you ready for . . .?”

  Valerie stared down Race Street when they passed. The paparazzi surrounded the Castle and news helicopters buzzed overhead. The Denver Police contained a growing crowd of fans around their home. Valerie felt like she was watching a feeding frenzy. Everyone wanted a piece of her.

  “Hey,” Jacob said. He touched her thigh to get her attention. “Max is waiting for us in the parking garage at his office. He’ll escort us to his office. Our stepsister and her Trevy-toy are already there working on the prenuptial agreement.”

  Valerie nodded. “I always call her the step-whore.”

  “You do? I thought Mike made that up,” Jacob said.

  “He got that from me,” Valerie said.

  “After the ‘Valerie worked in pornography’ thing?”

  “After she told 5280 you ‘caught AIDS at the bathhouses,’” Valerie said.

  “Ah yes, how could I forget my slutty gay life?”

  “You must tell Jill about being gay, little brother. Not telling her is really cruel.”

  Valerie looked at Jake and they cracked up laughing. They were laughing so hard that Jacob almost missed his turn onto Lincoln Street. Jacob turned into the parking garage and drove deep into the bowels of the Cash Register Building. They were met by their friend and lawyer Max Hargreaves.

  ~~~~~~~~

  “We have to do something before we go to the hospital,” Mike said.

  “Mike, I want to get my baby! I’ve been trying to get to Katy all morning!”

  “Do you want to get to Katy or keep her safe?”

  “What do you mean safe? Katy’s not safe?”

  Stopping at a traffic light at Eighteenth Street, he turned to Jill.

  “Trevor came to the hospital last night.”

  “What? What do you mean?”

  Dread settled over Jill like a bad thunderstorm.

  “He came sometime around midnight. He was there for a while before he found Katy. He told everyone at the hospital he was going to take Katy from her hospital bed. He tried to get the doctor to say this proved you were a bad mother.”

  Jill bit her lip to keep from crying. Mike shook his head at her and continued driving toward downtown Denver.

  “Jill, you cannot possibly believe him.”

  Jill’s eyes filled with tears.

  “I . . . I’m not a very good mother. I try. I really try. I love her so much. But she gets sick or hurt . . . That doctor? Dr. Drayson? He gave me an EpiPen for myself and one for Katy when she gains some weight. I . . . I didn’t even know they existed. And they’re like a hundred dollars . . . a piece! And . . .”

  Mike face flushed.

  “That’s just bullshit, Jill. My God!”

  Mike hit his hand against the steering wheel. Jill began crying into her hands.

  “Ah, Jilly,” Mike said. “I’m sorry.”

  “I can barely afford to feed her . . . Trevor should have full custody. At least he can take care of her . . .”

  “Stop it,” Mike said. “Just stop it. Katy freaked out when Trevor came into her room. They had to sedate her. The hospital social worker called Social Services. They came out to investigate.”

  “They’re going to take her? My Katy? She’s in custody of Social Services?”

  “No. Jill, stop it. You’re freaking out for no reason,” Mike said. “You need to hear what happened. Stop the hysterics and listen.”

  Jill bit her lip and nodded. She to
ok a deep breath to calm her. “Okay. I’m okay. What happened with Social Services?”

  “They filed a report against Trevor. The hospital social worker said she’d never seen a person so angry and out of control around his hospitalized kid. She felt he was an imminent threat to Katy . . . and to you. He said he was going to kill you.”

  Jill nodded.

  “He went to your apartment to find you. I called the cops, and he was cited but let go. Jill.” Mike put his hand on her shoulder. “Look at me.”

  Jill looked up at her brother.

  “I left a message for Diane Radman last night. Remember your lawyer? She’s already been to the hospital. She’s going to meet us at the courthouse. Diane was able to get a couple people to testify this morning. She thinks you’ll finally get that restraining order.”

  “You don’t think it’s better for Katy to be with Trevor? At least he’s rich now.”

  “No.” Mike laughed. “I don’t think that. No one thinks that. Look, Diane’s right there waiting for you. I’ll drop you and park.”

  Mike pulled up to the curb, where a fit woman with curly red hair stood. Wiping her eyes, Jill got out of the Bronco. Diane gave Jill a hug and then began preparing her for court.

  “We have to be in the courtroom with all the documents and witnesses at 7:30 a.m. to get on the 8:00 a.m. docket,” Diane said. “If we miss the 8:00 a.m., we’ll try to get on the 3:00 p.m. docket.”

  Standing in line for security, Jill took a breath to steel herself for another restraining order hearing. Every day — from the moment Trevor asked for a divorce to today — had been like a terrifying roller coaster. She couldn’t remember a more difficult and horrifying seven months.

  And yet . . .

  Remembering this morning’s warm, loving conversation with Delphie, Jill smiled.

  “I think we’ll get it this time,” Diane said. “Just tell the truth about what he’s really like. Enough people have seen him now that he’s going to have a tough time getting out of it.”

  Jill nodded and followed Diane into the courtroom. Sitting in the crowded court, her mind lingered on the “best not to waste time” morning shower with Jacob just a half hour ago. By the time Mike sat next to her, she felt herself again.

  Life was terrifying and getting so much better.

  ~~~~~~~~

  “Dad,” Valerie said in quiet exhalation.

  “Hi, baby,” her father replied.

  They stood in front of each other for the first time in almost ten years. Similar in coloring and feature, their eyes scanned each other’s faces in hesitant longing and mistrust.