The Cat's Dowry and Other Short Stories
Page 16
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Four years passed since that day and Brittany kept her word. She believed Jack capable of the threats he made. Brittany prepared for college in another state and Jack prepared for a life of crime. Jack's stint in juvenile detention only heightened his skills as a crook.
Richmond Heights shopping mall didn't compare to the one in the city, but it provided the locals with the opportunity to buy the latest fashions without traveling far. Brittany saw Jack in the mall sometimes when she went on a shopping spree for new clothes. Unless she had to, she avoided him and when he saw her, he would smile and wave. She knew what that meant. He wanted to be sure that she hadn't forgotten. She couldn't hurt him in the eyes of the law. He did a good job of that himself. He didn't want his parents to know the truth. His parents had since divorced, but Aunt Edith bailed Jack out of all the scrapes that he got into. Whenever he asked, she handed money to him, even if she didn't have it. Brittany would have a hard time getting anyone to believe her story, especially with the years that have gone by.
One day, that summer before she left for college, she sat in a cafe in the mall, accompanied by a male friend, Jeff Springer, from school. She and Jeff had been good friends since grade school. They had made a pack in junior high never to keep any secrets from each other.
Her goal to be a geologist and leave Richmond Heights and her crazy family behind kept her on track and away from a real boyfriend
When Jack and his sidekick entered the cafe and spotted her, he jabbed his buddy in the side and pointed in their direction. The two of them walked down the aisle to Brittany's table, stood there until she acknowledged them.
"Hello Jack." Words spoken like icicles hanging from her lips.
"May I sit for a moment?" Jack was being suspiciously congenial.
"I am having a private conversation and don't have much time."
"This won't take long." Jack sat without permission while the other male stood waiting several feet away.
"Okay, but I am on a schedule and need to get going." This wasn't completely true, but she needed to protect herself from what she thought might be coming.
Brittany's friend, Jeff remained silent.
"I hear you are going off to college in the fall." Jack had that insufferable smile on his face.
"That's correct." She kept the conversation to a minimal.
"I wanted to remind you of our agreement. I will be keeping an eye on your sister while you are gone. She and I will be good friends, I'm sure you are aware of that. So kudos to you and your future." He got up and left without acknowledging Brittany's companion.
"Let's leave. I lost my appetite." Brittany motioned to Jeff. They waited to be sure the men were out of sight. Once out of the cafe Jeff turned to Brittany and asked
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"I'm not ready yet. Let's walk." They walked out of the mall and started towards Jeff's car.
"Jeff, I know we promised never to keep anything from each other and I value your friendship more than you know. However, this is something I cannot talk about. Not now and maybe never. It's a family thing and Jack has the upper hand."
"I'm okay with that. We'll forget about it."
If only I could, Brittany thought. Brittany knew that she would never be free from her secret, as long as Jack was around.
About the Author:
Her award-winning photography can be seen on the internet; and through her career as a graphic artist with the Gannett newspaper in Fort Myers has won awards for her innovative ads.
Her inspiration has been decades of change in her life, a result of being raised during post World War II era in rural southern Michigan to a factory-working father and homemaker mother
She loves traveling and pursuing her desired goal as a storyteller. Florida is her home and preferred setting for her tales, but sometimes she reverts to her earlier life in Michigan for a theme.
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