All the Wrong Places

by Jerilee Kaye

  She propped up on her elbow. As soon as she moved, she felt Jin’s arms tighten around her and he woke up instantly.

  She blinked back at him.

  “Sorry,” he whispered as he loosened his grip on her. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “Jin, you need to go,” she said. “Soon, the whole household will be up. They can’t see you coming out from my room.”

  He nodded in agreement. “Are you going to be okay?”

  “I will be fine,” she said. “I’m used to this.”

  “Used to what?”

  She raised a brow at him. “You said you weren’t gonna ask questions.”

  He took a deep breath. “Yeah. Right,” he said. “I’ll go. You sure you’re fine now?” he asked, sitting up from the bed and turning the bedside lamp on.

  “That’s another question.”

  He raised a brow at her. She sighed. “Yeah. I’ll be okay.” She paused for a while and then she said, “Listen, Jin, thank you. What you did… I needed that.”

  He reached out to touch her cheek with his fingers gently. “Whatever it is you’re going through, you’ll triumph against it. Everybody around you loves you. That’s all the ammunition you needed.”

  “I know,” she said. “But I’m done getting people into trouble.”

  “You cannot be the judge of that,” he told her. “It’s the other people’s choice when they will stop getting into trouble for you.”

  “No,” she said firmly. “They have done so much for me. Sometimes, I don’t think I deserve their goodness. I’m not worth it.”

  Jin’s face hardened but he didn’t say anything. He stood up from the bed. “Are you sure you’re gonna be okay?”

  She nodded.

  “Okay, I’ll go.” He headed towards the door.

  “By the way, Jin,” she called.

  “Yes?” He turned back to her.

  “Why did Jared say that you slept in his room before?” She raised a brow at him.

  “Oh, that?” He asked, scratching the back of his head. “Well, I stay the night here once in a while. I’m free to use any of the guestrooms.”

  “My son’s room isn’t one of them,” she reminded him.

  “He saw me walking in the corridor once. It was midnight.”

  “Why would he be in the corridor at midnight?”

  Jin shrugged. “He said he wanted milk. I walked with him to the kitchen and we both drank milk. I accompanied him back to his room and tucked him into bed. He asked me to stay until he fell asleep. I guess, I just fell asleep beside him. When I woke up, it was already morning.”

  “He was walking the corridor in the middle of the night?” she asked.

  Jin nodded. “Next time, you should put milk in his room. Just in case. Or doesn’t he have a mini fridge?”

  “He’s six, Jin. Not twenty-six.”

  “Right,” he said. “Well, he shouldn’t be walking the corridors in the middle of the night.”

  “I know. I will make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

  He nodded. “Okay, I’ll go. You go rest some more.”

  Jin opened the door. He did a quick check on the corridors first before he slowly went out and closed the door behind him.

  Julianne fell back into her pillows. Her sheets still smelled faintly of Jin’s aftershave.

  She had to admit, she felt a lot lighter when she cried it out. She’d been bottling it all up for a long time. Acknowledging your weakness didn’t really mean you were weak. It just means you needed a break, a breather. And then you would be ready to fight again.

  Julianne decided to take the day off from work. She spent the whole morning with Jared. He was progressing well with his drawings. She was very proud.

  “Look at this, Mommy,” he said, handing her a drawing of a tree with blue and green background.

  Julianne’s eyes widened. The drawing was very, very good.

  “Did you do this?”

  “Yep. Uncle Jin taught me. He was showing me how to color properly,” Jared said. “He is so good, Mom! I want to be like him someday.”

  Julianne bit her lip. She reached out to ruffle her son’s hair. There would be big changes in his life and she intended to make it as painless as possible for him.

  After lunch, she asked Adrienne if she could borrow her car.

  “Why not ask the driver to drive you wherever?” Adrienne asked.

  “It’s okay. I miss driving,” she said.

  “Okay. Where are you going?”

  “Around the city. Just want to buy some stuff.” She looked away from her cousin-in-law. She didn’t want to lie to her. Adrienne was a very trusting person. She’s one of those pure souls. And Julianne felt guilty about lying to her.

  “Okay,” Adrienne said. She went to the counter and got the key to her Mini Cooper. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

  Julianne nodded.

  Dressed in a pair of black leggings, a white knitted sweater and knee-high boots, she grabbed her coat and drove to the city center. She planned to look for a house that she could rent.

  She had some money saved up. She could afford to rent a two-bedroom house. It had to be close to Jared’s school and only a few minutes’ drive from her work.

  While she was driving around the block, she received a call from River Jefferson.

  “How’s my dearest friend?” he asked.

  “Good. At least for now, there is no need for fabricating false emergencies and customs issues.”

  “That’s very comforting to hear,” he chuckled. “Where are you?”

  “Driving around Hyde Park,”

  “Aren’t you at work?”

  “No, I got stuck in White Rock for two nights. I had to take the day off today,” she replied.

  Memories of what happened between her and Jin at White Rock came rushing in. It took her a moment to realize that River had been talking on the other line and she didn’t even hear what he said.

  “Ian?”

  “Yes. Fine,” she said without thinking.

  “I will pick you and Jared up tomorrow then. I hope he likes to ice skate.”

  “What?” she blinked back.

  “Ian, are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “No, you’re not. I can tell,” he said.

  “How? You can’t even see me.”

  “I’m your best friend, remember? I can totally tell.”

  “No, you can’t.”

  “Tell me all about it tomorrow. Four in the afternoon okay with you? It’s a Saturday. Jared should be okay. Does he have a pair of ice skates?”

  “He does. Jeffrey gave him his old ones when it didn’t fit him anymore.”

  Yes. Jared enjoyed a lot of hand-me-downs from Jeffrey. Adrienne took good care of her son’s clothes, shoes, even toys so Jared could still use them.

  “Perfect!” River said. “I gotta go. See you tomorrow.”

  When she hung up the phone, she took a moment to think.

  Did I just agree to go out with River Jefferson?

  She felt uneasy. What would Jin Starck say about that?

  Well, I’m not his girlfriend. And we agreed that what happened between us will never happen again. He’s soon-to-be engaged to a bitchy heiress to up his game in the hotel business. I’m free to go out with whomever I want. And besides, River is… as he said it… my best friend!

  Julianne found a neighborhood with brownstone style walk-up houses. She stopped by one that has a ‘For Rent’ sign on the front. She called the number on the sign.

  A lady answered.

  “Hi, I’m inquiring about the house you have for rent?”

  “The brownstone at Hyde Park?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Oh, it’s the eighth time I’ve showed it to somebody today. I just know it’s what you’ll inquire about,” the lady said cheerfully. “Are you there?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, wait for me. I’ll be there in five.” The lady hung up, not w
aiting for Julianne to argue.

  Julianne parked the car in front of the ‘For Rent’ sign. She went out of the car and looked around the front of the house. The side of the stairs was adorned with shrubs with red flowers. The front of the house looked like it was properly maintained. The neighborhood seemed peaceful, with some small shops and grocery across the street.

  A red BMW car parked behind her. A redhead wearing a cream faux-fur coat stepped out of it. Julianne assumed it was the broker.

  “Hi,” she smiled at Julianne. “I’m Janis. We talked on the phone.”

  “I’m Ian,” she said, shaking the woman’s hand.

  “This property is hot. Come, I will show you.”

  Janis led Julianne up the steps. Using her key, she opened the front door.

  “This is a two-story apartment. Three bedrooms, three full baths and an extra toilet near the entrance for the guests,” Janis said.

  The house was spacious with beautiful hardwood flooring. It was flooded with plenty of natural light coming from the glass windows. It had an open-style setup with the living room and dining room being separated by a breakfast bar. There was a beautiful marble fireplace. There was one small bedroom on the ground floor.

  Janis opened the door at the back and revealed a private patio. It was secured with a high fence and tall trees from the other side of the fence.

  “See, this patio is empty. Previous tenant didn’t fancy gardens. You can do a lot of gardening here with your husband,” Janis said.

  Julianne didn’t say anything.

  “Sorry, you are married, right?” Janis asked. She sounded reluctant.

  “No,” Julianne replied. Looking around the spacious backyard. “I have a son. And that’s enough.” She smiled at Janis brightly.

  “Oh, sweetie. I’m sorry. I’m tactless sometimes,” she smiled at her apologetically. “Well, you can have a small playground here for your son.”

  “That’s true,” Julianne smiled at her reassuringly.

  “What’s on the other side?”

  “Nothing. Just a private lot. Empty. The owner was trying to sell that piece of lot. But the price was exorbitant, especially since nothing’s on it.”

  Julianne noticed the tall wall on the right side, separating the house from the neighbor’s house.

  “Someone lives there?”

  “Yes. Your landlord. He owns two units. This one and that one. That one’s a corner lot. Three bedrooms plus a servant room. It’s a lot bigger than this. Don’t worry. He’s not nosy. You can do whatever you want in your place as long as you keep it intact and do not damage his property permanently, he’ll be cool,” Janis replied. “Now, let’s go and see the bedrooms.”

  The wooden stairs were colored white. The steps were covered with gray carpet. The walls on the second floor were painted dark beige with white trimmings. The doors and closets were all white.

  The house was already fully furnished. The main bedroom had a California king bed. The two other bedrooms both had queen beds. The kitchen was equipped with a black side by side fridge, an oven, all other appliances. The living room had a white L-shaped sofa with a dark brown coffee table in the center.

  “This house is ready to move in. Water is included in the rent. The neighborhood is convenient and quiet. Plenty of parking space up front, but one is reserved for the tenant,” Janis said. “And like I said, you’re the ninth viewer today. And it only went on the market yesterday.”

  Janis gave her the monthly rent amount. “I know it’s over the average rental on the market for a three bedroom. But sweetheart, this apartment is the sweetest!”

  The amount is still less than twenty percent of what Julianne makes in a month. But she was actually hoping for something cheaper.

  “Plus, if you have a kid, this part of the neighborhood is family friendly. Police station is just a block away. It’s fairly safe this part of town,” Janis said.

  Julianne nodded, looking around the place some more but calculating the figures in her head.

  “Where do you live now?” Janis asked.

  “Lincoln Park,” she replied.

  “Lincoln Park?” Janis echoed. She sounded shocked. “What are you doing looking for a place here?”

  “It’s not my home,” she replied. “I live with my cousins in a huge house. It’s time for me and my kid to be on our own.”

  “Well, in that case, you came to the right place. This neighborhood is good for new beginnings. Not to mention, it’s way more affordable than where you’re coming from.”

  “I know. I want something comfortable but also affordable. Raising a kid on my own is not a joke,” she said. “I gotta start saving for his college too.”

  “I know,” Janis nodded. “I was a single mother once too. I feel you. After my divorce, I needed all the help I could get. Anyway, I can reduce the rent by five percent. But that’s it.”

  “That’s very kind of you,” Julianne smiled at her. “I’ll take it.”

  She knew this would be a huge adjustment for Jared but she believed this was the right thing to do. It was time to be brave. Justin and his family could not be in trouble because of her. She was done having other people solve her problems for her.

  She wrote Janis a check for the deposit and the latter promised to clean up the place and have it ready in a week’s time.

  Julianne thought that she would need a car. Adams Industries had a car plan for its employees. She just never availed of that benefit before because Justin assigned a car and a driver for her. She also grew up being driven around, but everybody has got to admit that she’s no longer a part of that family now. She’s been banished by her father, stripped of her heiress status and all the privileges that came with it.

  Well, I don’t see a problem with that!

  In fact, a part of this adventure excited her. She just hoped Jared would not have a hard time adjusting to this. No more nannies, no pool, no game rooms, no expensive, unnecessary stuff.

  When she got home, she went straight to her son’s bedroom. He was painting using watercolors. He put the brushes down and hugged her excitedly when he saw her.

  “Mommy, look!” he said, pointing at a huge Rubik’s cube sitting beside his bed.

  “What the hell is that?” Julianne asked. She absolutely had no idea what her son was pointing at and how it got there.

  Jared laughed. “It’s a Rubik’s cube, Mom!” He rolled his eyes as if he’s unable to believe that his mother didn’t know what a Rubik’s cube was. He ran to his bed and took a Rubik’s cube, the real one that you play with your hands. “Like this! You play it to make sure you match the colors on all sides.”

  “Okay, this cube, I am aware of,” she said. “But how on Earth are you going to play that big one?”

  Jared laughed again. “It’s not a toy, Mom,” he said. Then he went over to the giant Rubik’s cube. He pulled at one corner and it opened up into a small fridge. “I got my own fridge! Look, it’s full of milk and bottles of water and some juices. Can I offer you a drink, Mom?”

  Holy mother of cow!

  “It’s okay, sweetie,” Julianne forced a smile on her face. “I’m okay. I’m not thirsty at all. But I need to find… Uncle Jin.”

  Jared beamed at the mention of Jin’s name. “He’s at the gazebo with Aunt Adrienne.”

  Julianne leaned forward and kissed her son. “I’ll be right back, sweetheart. And don’t enjoy the Rubik’s cube fridge too much. We may need to return it.”

  “What? Why?” Jared pouted, clearly disappointed.

  “Because normal kids don’t have Rubik’s cube fridges in their rooms, Jared,” she said. “They go to the kitchen when they want to drink something. Like the rest of the people do.”

  “But Uncle Jin said he doesn’t want me going down the kitchen in the middle of the night. It’s not safe.”

  “I know it’s not safe. But why do you need to go down to the kitchen at night? Why can’t you drink your milk before going to bed?”

&
nbsp; “I do,” Jared replied. “But sometimes, I wake up thirsty or hungry. Please, Mommy! I want to keep it! It’s so cool! Jeffrey wants one too! And Uncle Jin promised to buy one for him also.”

  “Jared…” she sighed. “Mommy can’t afford it.”

  “But you didn’t buy it. Uncle Jin gave it to me.”

  “Let me speak to him.”

  Jared nodded, but Julianne could see the tears welling up in his eyes.

  “Sweetheart,” she said. “We cannot keep accepting gifts from people. Especially things that are expensive. Mommy is working hard so you will have what you need. But we need to save up for the more important things in life.”

  “Like?”

  “Like school. And college. And… a new house.”

  “But we already have a house.”

  “This is Uncle Justin’s house,” Julianne said, in a careful voice. “We need to have one on our own. You will love it.”

  “Why can’t we stay here?”

  Julianne took a deep breath. This was getting more and more difficult to explain.

  “Remember, we used to live with Uncle Mason and Aunt Abi?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Then we moved here to live with Uncle Justin,” she said. “We live with your uncles because I didn’t have enough money to get our own house then. I needed to save up first. But we were always meant to get our own.”

  “And now we have enough money?”

  She nodded. “I will let you pick your own bed. It can be as cool as you want.”

  “I want a Rubik’s cube bed! Please Mommy!”

  Julianne sighed. “Okay. I’m sure we can find one.”

  Jared beamed and hugged her. “Now, we can keep the fridge because it will match my bed!”

  Did my kid just outsmart me?

  Holy crap!

  She hugged Jared and kissed his forehead. “Let me speak to Uncle Jin, okay?”

  Julianne stood outside Jared’s bedroom for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. Then she went down to the garden to look for Jin.

  She found him sitting in the gazebo alone. He was reading something on his phone. She stood in front of him, both arms crossed across her chest.

  He looked up and saw the stern expression on her face. He stood up from his seat and held both hands up in the air, as if in surrender.