Bent not Broken

by Lisa De Jong

  But Mr. Cooper is still smiling, watching me closely. “Why, Evelyn, I do believe you’re in love.”

  “Oh! No, it hasn’t been long at all. I practically just met him.”

  “Knew the first time I laid eyes on my Mary that she was the one for me. Didn’t doubt it for even one second for the next forty-three years.”

  I look at him sadly. I know that the loss of his late wife is still a tender subject for him, even though it’s been many years since he lost her.

  “Does he know what he has in you, Evelyn?”

  I’m not sure what he means exactly, but I answer, “He seems to really like me, too. He makes me feel… special.” I blush again. It’s kinda weird to talk about my love life with someone whom I consider a grandfather figure.

  “Good. You are special. I knew it the first time I saw you out in that yard, playing so patiently with those two little demons.” He laughs. “Then later, sitting alone on the porch, looking so sad, but always holding your head high. I knew you were hurting, but that you were brave.”

  I look down, remembering those days. “I was never brave, Mr. Cooper. I was scared all the time as a kid, and then as a teenager too.”

  “I know that, Evelyn. But it didn’t keep you from showing kindness to everyone I ever saw you with, including me. It didn’t keep you from sitting with an old man on his porch just to chat for a minute or two because you saw that I could use a smiling face. It didn’t keep you from bringing out a glass of water when you saw me mowing my lawn in the summertime. Even now, you think I don’t know that it’s hard for you to come near that house,” he gestures to my old foster home, “or how long it takes you to bring me a plate of cookies?”

  I look up at him. “I love bringing you cookies, Mr. Cooper. I get to visit with you.”

  “See what I mean?” He smiles.

  I look down again, studying my nails, embarrassed. He continues, “You know why I call you Evelyn, instead of Evie like everyone else does?” he asks.

  I shake my head no. I just thought he liked it because he’s from a more formal generation and liked using my full name, rather than a casual nickname.

  He’s quiet for a second, obviously gathering his thoughts. “I don’t want to bring anything too personal up, Evelyn, because we’ve never talked about the circumstances that brought you to that foster home next door all those years ago. But I know that I can’t say much for your mama, leaving you there, never coming back. I reckon you probably don’t have a lot to say for her either.”

  I remain quiet. He’s right about that.

  “But your mama, she did at least two things right. She gave you life, and she gave you a name fit for a lady. And that, Evelyn, is exactly what you are. You make sure that gentleman friend realizes that.” He smiles then and I blink back tears.

  I tilt my head to the side and say, “Since we’re on the subject of compliments, Mr. Cooper, I have something I’d like to share with you too.” I smile.

  “Okay.” He smiles back.

  I pause for a minute as I grow serious and say, “I never had a whole lot of love in my life. Many times, I had a whole lot of just the opposite. But everywhere I went, I seemed to find at least one person who gave me kindness and made me feel special. When I lived here,” I gesture to the house next door, “that person was you. You gave that to me and you have no idea what it meant. Thank you.”

  Mr. Cooper wipes at a tear in his eye, saying, “Gettin’ soft in my old age, huh?” But he laughs and smiles at me with that same kindness he’s always shown me.

  “So!” he says, obviously changing the subject. “Guess who was running around the yard in her unmentionables a couple days ago after her dog snatched her wig and took off out the door?”

  I almost choke on a bite of cookie as I laugh out, “What?”

  I know exactly who he’s talking about. My ex-foster mother, Carol, always wore a wig and swore no one could tell, even though it always looked like she had a dead beaver on her head and I used to wonder what horror lay beneath if she thought that looked better than what she was hiding.

  Years ago, my ex-foster father had moved out with their boys. Apparently he’d had enough of his bitch of a wife, and I couldn’t say I blamed him. I got the hell out of there the minute I was able to, too. What took him so long, I didn’t know.

  “Yeah, me, the mailman and half the block stood around laughing our butts off, not lifting a finger to help her and not feeling badly about it.” I wasn’t surprised. She’d been nasty to everyone who crossed her path for years.

  “That mangy mutt thought it was a game and just ran faster. Not that it was probably very hard to dodge her. She’s gained about two hundred pounds since you moved out, and she had about that much to lose when you lived here.”

  I can’t help it, I’m laughing so hard I have to clutch my stomach even though I know it’s mean. “What was under there?” I finally ask, eyes wide.

  “Oh, Evie, darlin’, wouldn’t burden you with the description. I’m still rinsing my eyes out with acid nightly to try to burn the image from my retinas.” Now we’re both laughing.

  We visit for a while longer, and when it’s time for me to go, Mr. Cooper takes my hand and kisses it. “Lady Evelyn,” he says, smiling. “Until next time. You be safe.”

  I give him another big hug and walk down his steps, smiling as I walk away.

  ****

  When I get home, I take a shower and change into a pair of polka dot shorts and a white t-shirt with a sparkly owl on it. I brush my teeth, and then I climb into bed, pulling my phone out and dialing Jake’s number. I smile slightly as I anticipate his voice picking up. Instead, I’m surprised when a woman answers his phone, so surprised that I’m silent for a second as she repeats, “Hello?”

  “Um, hi,” I stammer. “Is Jake there?” I furrow my brow, a lump forming in my throat.

  “He’s in the shower,” she clips out, clearly irritated. “Who is this?”

  “Uh, no message. I’ll call him back later.” I hang up quickly.

  What the hell?

  I sink back onto my pillows, a feeling of emptiness washing over me. There’s a woman in his hotel room while he’s showering? I don’t know what to think or what to do. Should I call back in half an hour? Or should I just leave it?

  Finally, I turn off the light and attempt to fall asleep. I toss and turn for hours but Jake never calls.

  ****

  In the morning, the ringing of my cell phone wakes me. I open my eyes slowly, groggy and disoriented. I didn’t fall asleep until well after one o’clock and it’s only six o’clock now.

  “Hello,” I mumble into my phone.

  “Evie.” It’s Jake.

  I pause. “Hey,” I say, coming more awake.

  “Hey, you never called me last night. I would have called you myself but I fell asleep waiting for you. I just woke up. I was worried.”

  “Jake, I did call you. A woman answered your phone. She said you were in the shower.” There is accusation and hurt in my tone.

  There’s silence on the phone and I think I hear him swear, but it sounds as if he’s covered the mouthpiece with his hand. “Christ. Evie. I’m sorry. I had a couple friends from the office back here for after dinner drinks, and I think my co-worker’s wife must have answered my phone. I got in the shower because I had an early meeting this morning and I was trying to give them the hint to leave. Why she would answer my cell, I’m not sure. I’ll talk to her. Are you upset?”

  I’m silent for a second. “If that’s the truth, Jake, then no, I’m not upset. I just don’t see why she would pick up your cell phone and then not leave you the message.”

  “I don’t know either, but they were drinking so that’s my only guess. I’m sorry, baby. You must have been hurt.”

  I don’t answer him for a second but then I say, “I was confused, Jake. It’s okay. If that’s what happened then it’s not your fault.”

  He lets out a shaky breath. “I miss you. I can’t wait t
o see you. Am I still picking you up after work tonight?” He sounds worried.

  “Yes,” I say. “I’ll see you then, okay?”

  “Okay. Evie, I’ve… I’ve really missed you. I know it’s just been a couple days, but I, I’m just really looking forward to seeing you.”

  I melt a little. “Me too, Jake. See you tonight.”

  I hang up and roll over. I’m not sure what to feel. I wish I was more experienced at this. I take a deep breath. I either have to decide to trust him or not. I sit up, swing my legs over the bed and stand up. Might as well start the day. I’m sure as hell not falling back to sleep now.

  ****

  When I walk out of work later that night, Jake is waiting for me, leaning against his car, wearing a dark gray suit and a pair of aviator sunglasses. He grins when he sees me, flashing those perfect, white teeth. Good God he’s sexy.

  “Hi,” I say, smiling as I approach him.

  “Hi,” he says back, still grinning.

  We stand there smiling at each other goofily for a couple seconds and then we both burst out laughing and he swoops me up in his arms saying, “God, I missed you. I missed your smile and,” he sticks his nose in my neck and inhales, “your smell, your body against mine at night.”

  “I missed you too,” I say quietly.

  “You hungry?” he asks.

  “Yeah, starving.”

  “Do you like sushi? There’s this great place a couple blocks from my place.”

  “I do like sushi, but I can’t go out dressed in my uniform.”

  “How about if we pick it up to-go and bring it home?”

  “Sounds great.”

  He lets me into his car and then walks around and slides into the drivers seat. We drive to a little hole-in-the-wall looking restaurant and he pulls up in front. “I know it looks questionable, but it really does have the best sushi in town,” he grins.

  “I trust you,” I say, smiling.

  “What do you like?” he asks.

  “Surprise me. There’s not really anything I won’t eat. I can even do the raw stuff.” I smile.

  “Brave.” He winks. “Okay, I’ll be back in a few.”

  He locks the car behind him and as he walks into the restaurant, I dial Nicole.

  “Evie!” she sings into the phone. God, she should really bottle that cheer of hers.

  “Hey, how’s it going?”

  “Oh good, you know, doing laundry, mopping the floor, the glamorous life I lead is ridiculous. What’s going on with you?”

  I laugh. “Jake just ran in to order take out for dinner. I’m waiting in the car. Listen, I probably don’t have long but I wanted to ask you about something.”

  “Of course. Shoot!”

  “Well, Jake went to San Diego on business Tuesday through Wednesday. We had plans for me to call him Tuesday night and when I did, a woman answered and said he was in the shower.” I hear her draw in a sharp breath.

  “I know, right?” I say. “He called me at six this morning and explained it, but I just, I don’t know, I wanted to run it by you to make sure that I’m not being a fool here.”

  “How’d he explain it?” she asks quietly.

  I tell her what he told me this morning.

  “Hmmm… well, that doesn’t sound far fetched. I guess you just have to ask yourself what your gut feeling is.”

  “My gut feeling is that he’s a really good guy and that he’s really into me and that he really cares about me. I guess I also kind of feel like he was lying about the woman.”

  Nicole’s silent for a minute and then says, “I don’t know if those two things can both be true, Evie.”

  I sigh, “I know. I’m confused. My heart is telling me to trust him but… “

  “I don’t think you can ever go wrong listening to your heart, honey. I always like to think that even if you’re wrong in the end, you’re not wrong in the end. Does that make sense?”

  “Yeah. Wise woman that you are.” I smile.

  “With that being said, I don’t ever want to see you hurt. Go with your gut, but if something happens that you question, take some space to do that. Don’t let him muddle your brain up with his pheromones.”

  I laugh, but then I see Jake coming toward the glass door exiting the restaurant. “Oh, hey, he’s on his way back. Thank you, Nic. I love you!”

  “Love you, Evie!” she whispers back.

  Jake slides into the car, handing a brown paper bag to me that smells delicious, and he pulls onto the road. It only takes five minutes before we’re pulling into his garage.

  We walk up to his condo hand in hand and as we enter, I immediately spot a white MacBook open on his dining table, a red bow on top. I look at him, and he’s smiling an uncertain smile as he looks between the computer and me.

  “Jake, you didn’t – “ I start to say.

  “Evie,” he says, putting his hand up in a ‘keep quiet’ gesture, “don’t say anything until you hear me out. I know your first thought is going to be to say no to accepting this gift but please, just listen.”

  I put my hands on my hips and raise one eyebrow.

  “I want to do this but not because it’s just for you, but because I think you’re amazing and I think that making your dreams come true will spread far and wide and not only affect you, but would affect me, too, and many, many people beyond that. Please let me do this for you, Evie, and all those people out there who will be changed when they read the beautiful words that are in your soul.”

  My eyes tear up and I take a deep shaky breath. “No pressure, right?” I say to Jake, laughing a little though. I walk over to the computer and start examining it, lifting the top, turning it on and watching the screen light up. Then I look at Jake and say, “You make it really, really hard to say no to you, do you know that Jake Madsen?”

  He grins at me and I stare at him for a few seconds before saying simply, “Thank you.”

  ****

  Later, after we’ve eaten and Jake’s made love to me slowly and sweetly in front of the fire in his living room, I get up and turn on my computer to check it out further. I grin over at Jake who has moved to the couch and is watching the news on television. He smiles back and asks, “Checking it out? Ever used a Mac?”

  “No, but I’ve always been pretty good with computers. I’ll probably get the hang of it pretty quickly.”

  I explore it for ten or fifteen minutes as Jake continues to watch the news show that’s on. Eventually, I turn on the internet and go to my email (which I rarely ever check). As expected, there’s nothing there except some spam. I look over at Jake quickly. He’s immersed in the show and so I go to Google and type in his name.

  I note quickly that many of the stories are about Jake taking over his company. I don’t focus on those though, I focus on the story at the top, which is about a dinner benefit that was held in San Diego on Tuesday evening, the night the woman answered his phone. There are pictures of Jake there, talking to several older men, looking casual and gorgeous. I scroll to the last picture in the article and I freeze. It’s Jake and Gwen, looking more beautiful than any couple has the right to, looking like they were made to be together. Gwen is laughing, and Jake is leaned toward her, smiling and obviously saying something funny and intimate.

  I snap my computer closed, and Jake looks over. When he notes the expression on my face, he stands up. “What’s wrong, baby?” he asks.

  I walk over to the door and start pulling my coat on.

  “Evie!” he says, sounding confused and frantic. “What happened? Why are you leaving?”

  “That woman in your hotel room was Gwen, wasn’t it, Jake?”

  “What?” he furrows his brow. “No. Of course it wasn’t. Do you think I would invite Gwen to my hotel room for drinks after the way she treated you?”

  “Well, I wasn’t exactly thinking you brought her to your hotel room for drinks, Jake. All I know is that you sure did look cozy whispering in her ear in the pictures from the benefit you were at Tuesday n
ight.”

  He looks confused for a minute and then he runs his hand through his hair saying, “Evie, that was a company benefit. Gwen was there with her father. She tried to talk to me several times and I wouldn’t have much to do with her. When she cornered me in front of a photographer, I leaned in and told her she was lucky that I wasn’t the type to want to air my dislike for someone on film. She laughed as if I was joking, which I wasn’t. That was that. I didn’t talk to her again all evening.”

  I stare at him, my jacket half on and half off. I take a deep breath. “I want to believe you, Jake, I just… I don’t want to… “

  “Evie, listen, God, if you only knew… “ He trails off, laughing a humorless laugh.

  “If I only knew what?”

  “If you only knew how ridiculous it is for you to think that I would ever betray you, much less with Gwen. Really, if you could get inside my brain, you’d be laughing, too.”

  “Jake – “

  “Please, just trust me, please don’t go.”

  I look at him closely to judge his sincerity and I sense that he’s telling the truth. So I let him lead me away from his foyer area, taking off my coat and throwing it back on the bench near his door, following Jake and following my heart once again. But hoping deep inside, that that doesn’t make me a fool.

  CHAPTER 20

  I work another catering job on Thursday, returning home late. I’m exhausted as I crawl into bed but the money is good, and I appreciate the feeling of safety being ahead financially brings.

  On Friday, Jake asks me to stay with him and when I walk into his condo at seven thirty, having been dropped off by a co-worker since Jake had an errand to run, he scoops me up and kisses me and says, “I’m running a bath for you so you can get a second wind because I’m taking you out dancing tonight.”

  “Dancing?” I sputter. “I don’t know how to dance.”

  “Yes you do. You just don’t know it. Have you ever been to a nightclub?”

  “No, I’ve been to bars, but – “

  “It’s not right that a twenty-two year old girl has never been out dancing. I want to be the first to take you. I want to have as many firsts with you as possible.” He grins at me.