Unwritten

by Lauren Runow

  I shake my head in acknowledgment, still speechless.

  “Ok, well keep us posted. We can’t keep her like this for too long but we would need to get our lawyers involved if we do anything else. Getting a hold of the father would be the easiest way to move forward.”

  He turns to walk out of the room but is stopped by a man walking in. He’s a bigger guy in his late fifties with speckled gray hair. He’s wearing dark Docker pants, a polo shirt with a zip up brown leather jacket over it.

  “Hey, Doc, can you stay a few minutes so we can speak?” the man asks. “I’m detective Samuel O’Brien from the San Rafael PD.” He reaches out to shake the doctor’s hand. “And you are Ms.?”

  My voice cracks as we shake hands, “Diane Hayes.”

  Detective O’Brien tilts his head to the side, squinting his eyes, looking at me, “Diane Hayes…” He opens the notebook he’s carrying looking down at a piece of paper. “Ah, you’re the woman who found her?”

  “Yes, I am. I called the police as well.”

  “Oh, good, you’re next to talk to on my list. I love when I can get two things done at once,” he laughs before getting more serious. “So, Doc, tell me, how is our patient?”

  “Well, I’m sorry to say this but we can’t find any brain activity, we’re keeping her on life support because she’s pregnant, only a few weeks though. We’re waiting to hear from the father on how we should proceed,” the doctor speaks with no emotion.

  God, if he only knew.

  “Pregnant?” he raises his eyebrows in surprise. “So let me get this straight. She’s basically dead. But because she’s pregnant you guys are keeping her alive?”

  “As far as we can tell, that’s correct. We won’t know though until we take her off of life support. She doesn’t have a next of kin so the father of the child will make the final decision to keep the child or terminate the pregnancy.”

  “Ok, so who’s the father?”

  The doctor looks to me as I answer, “I know who it is. He is in Paris and I am having a hard time reaching him.”

  “Ok, Doc, thanks for the update. Keep me posted. When she’s officially dead, this whole case will change to a murder case.” He looks to me but I’m in shock after hearing the word murder. “Do you have a moment for more questions, ma’am?”

  I nod my head yes.

  The detective walks over, pulling up a chair to sit next to me. “So, how do you know Jacquelyn Sanders?”

  I’m terrified and trying very hard to hide the fear rolling through me. “She is a friend of mine. I have only known her for a month or so. We met during a spin class.” It’s a complete lie but something that sounds feasible.

  Detective O’Brien shakes his head as he takes notes, “So, why were you going to her residence the other day?”

  “We were planning on having lunch together. I had never seen her place so she invited me up.”

  “And when you walked in, was there anyone there?”

  “No.”

  “Was the door unlocked? How did you get in?”

  “The door was unlocked. I knocked and when she didn’t answer I tried the door and it opened.”

  He shakes his head writing more notes, “Please explain the scene as you walked in.”

  I take a deep breath in, trying to remember the scene that I set up after Charlie and Allison left. “I opened the door and found her in the foyer, on the floor. At first I could not see any blood, I thought she might have just fallen. It wasn’t until I went to try to move her that I saw the blood.”

  “Did you hear anything? Maybe someone in the house?”

  “No. It was quiet. I called 911 as soon as I found her.”

  “Did you go to any other part of the house, maybe to check to see if anyone else was there?”

  “No, I did not,” I lie.

  Detective O’Brien is quiet for a few moments as he takes more notes. “Do you know if she has any enemies or someone who would want to harm her?”

  “No, as I said, I haven’t known her for very long. I didn’t even know that she recently divorced her husband.”

  He looks up surprised, “She did?”

  Oh hell. No more talking. “Um, yes. I met him here. About a week ago.”

  “Do you know how I can get a hold of him?”

  “No, I am sorry, I do not.”

  “Hmm, ok,” he shakes his head while taking more notes.

  “Ok, Ms. Hayes. That’s all for now. Can I get your contact information in case I have any more questions?”

  I write down all of my information on his notepad then hand it back to him and he hands me his card.

  Before leaving, he stops at the door, “Oh, and I’ll need to talk to the father of the baby, too. When you reach him, can you please have him call me?”

  My heart sinks as I nod my head yes. I really wish I could say no. I was hoping Charlie or Allison would not be involved when it came to anything with the police.

  I’m wearing nothing but my bra and panties as I walk around our room getting ready for the day, listening to my iPod play over the iHome in our room. Sugarland All I Want to Do starts to play and I eye Charlie who’s still lying in bed. Playfully, I start to dance around, singing the lyrics and get up teasingly close to him as I sing the chorus.

  Charlie laughs, grabbing me, pulling me down to the bed.

  I giggle, trying to push him away, “Sorry, baby, I have to get ready for work.”

  Charlie kisses my neck, “Aw really…? You’ve worked right through the weekend. I think you deserve some us time.”

  I can feel his sexy grin against my neck and my body tightens just by the thought. “Us time?” I laugh. “You’re too much. Sorry, baby. Think of me all day. Hmmm. Maybe plan another one of your special evenings.” I raise my eyebrows remembering our recent playtime together with blindfolds, hand ties and a flogger we found at a sex store tucked away in an alley in Paris.

  Charlie laughs out loud, “Oh, you liked that, did you?”

  I just give him a sexy look as I get up to continue getting ready.

  Before I leave I check my email. “Ugh, my mom will not drop it! I have ten emails from her.”

  “Yeah, the front desk said she’s called numerous times.”

  “I don’t care. I don’t want anything to do with her. I’m still sick over…” I pause, remembering how Charlie tried to quit and she wouldn’t let him. “No, no, she’s dead to me.”

  Charlie walks over to me, kneeling down, “Please don’t say that. I hate to be the reason you guys aren’t talking. Especially since…”

  I stop him, “Charlie, this is different than your mom. I know it doesn’t seem like it, and I know you would do anything to have her back, but please, this is different. I don’t want anything to do with her. She cared more about money than me. That’s that. She made up her mind then. Please drop it.” I get up, leaving him still kneeling where I was sitting. “I have to go. Sorry I have been gone so much. I’ll try to see if we need any more male models soon. That was fun,” I raise my eyebrows to him remembering our tryst at the front door.

  “Don’t worry, babe. I keep myself busy. I’ll have something planned for us when you get back,” he says with his sexy grin as he walks to me, playfully kissing my neck.

  “Charlie… Ahhh, you’re making it really hard to leave this morning…” I wrap my arms around him, welcoming his kiss.

  “You. Are. So. Irresistible. I just can’t get enough of you.” He kisses me between each word before biting on my bottom lip.

  I tilt my head back, moaning, “This is torture. I have to go.” I put my hands on his chest and he backs off.

  “Fine.” He lifts my hand to his lips, kissing the back softly, “Till then, my love…”

  “Bye, baby!” I walk out the door, grinning ear to ear.

  Fashion Week is coming up fast and the lobby is full of models all getting ready for the upcoming week. I still don’t know if I’ll be helping with the photos taken during Fashion Week and the su
spense is killing me.

  As we walk out to the location for the day’s photo shoot, Alex grabs my arm, “Hey, Allison, can we have lunch today?”

  I smile sweetly, “Sure, sounds good.”

  “Great.” Then he walks ahead to talk to the First Assistant, John.

  I look to my friend, Mia, “Yay! That sounds good, right?”

  Mia laughs, “Girl, you got this. Don’t even worry about it.”

  My text goes off with a link to a video making me smile. The video plays starting off with a white room as the drums begin. The band appears, playing black and white wedding videos behind them. It’s Big & Rich, Lost in this Moment. My heart flutters as the chorus comes on.

  I watch the video, lost in a moment of love, when another text comes through from Charlie with another link. There is not a video to the song, just a picture of a distorted swan with the words Unwritten Law Swan at the top. The song Love Love Love begins.

  I text back:

  Such a romantic today

  Ok, how about this

  He sends another link that begins showing Rihanna with big red hair flashing on and off then cuts to a scene of her being dragged out of a room and taped up to a wall with black tape and plastic wrap in front of her as a hype dance beat begins her song S&M.

  I spit out my water, laughing and replying with my own video link of Chris Brown, Deuces saying:

  Just change her to him

  Then laugh, texting again soon after:

  Just Kidding. Chains and whips may be fun ;-)

  In a separate text I send:

  So Alex wants to have lunch today, wish me luck!

  Charlie responds with another link. I smile, clicking on it. The video shows a little boy playing soccer with a rap beat beginning. It’s Drake, Started From the Bottom.

  Then he types:

  You got this, baby. Love you

  Lunchtime comes and Alex looks to me asking, “You ready?”

  “Yeah, let me grab my purse.”

  We head out to a little boutique sandwich shop, sitting outside after we grab our food.

  “So, Allison,” Alex starts, “I wanted to sit down with you to go over your work and review your time with us here in Paris.”

  I smile sweetly, “I’ve had such a great time. I can’t thank you enough for giving me this opportunity.”

  “Well, I’ve been very pleased having you as one of my assistants. You have exceeded my expectations, surprising me really, and I mean that in no disrespect.”

  I can’t help but laugh at his comment.

  “Your work, it’s far more superior than any student I’ve ever worked with. You have the eye, the talent and I think you will go very far.”

  My eyes light up listening to my mentor critique my work.

  “So far that I don’t want to be considered the, for lack of a better word, idiot, who let you go. So, that being said, I would not only like to offer you to stay with us for Fashion Week, but I’m giving you your own show. See, there are two shows that we’ve been hired to shoot and they’re running at the same time. I’ll give you your own staff and you will be lead photographer for the entire show.”

  I can feel my smile beaming from ear to ear as I try not to jump up and down in excitement. “Oh my goodness, are you kidding me? Oh, Alex, I can’t thank you enough for the opportunity.” I can’t fight it anymore and I jump up, wrapping my arms around him, hugging him tightly.

  Alex hugs back, tightly. I loosen my grip, noticing he isn’t loosening his. I take a sharp breath in. “Oh, I’m sorry… That was extremely inappropriate of me.”

  He lets go at the word inappropriate. I step back, acting like I didn’t notice the weird moment we just shared. “I’m sorry, I’m just so excited. I can’t thank you enough for this opportunity. I promise I will not let you down.”

  After lunch, I try to call Charlie but he’s not answering his cell phone and I keep getting a busy signal at our hotel room. After trying multiple times, I give up and get back to the photo shoot.

  I spend the morning laying around, relaxing in bed before doing a home WOD called Annie, which consists of 50-40-30-20-10 reps of double unders and sit-ups.

  The phone rings and I answer, “Hello?”

  “Sir, this is the front desk calling. I have a phone call that says it’s urgent from a Diane Hayes.”

  “Tell her we aren’t here.”

  “Uh, ok Sir.”

  I hang up and continue my cool down stretches from the WOD and the phone rings again. “Hello?”

  “Sir, I’m sorry to bother you again but the woman on the phone says she must talk to you, that it is a matter of life and death, Sir.”

  I roll my eyes, “Really…? Fine, put her through.” There’s a pause on the line as we’re connected.

  Diane’s voice cracks, “Hello? Allison?”

  “No, Diane, it’s Charlie. Allison’s at a photo shoot. Why are you calling? I’m sorry, but she really wants nothing to do with you.”

  “Charlie, God, I hate to hear that but that is not why I am calling.”

  “What is it then?”

  “Charlie, it’s you, it’s you I need to talk to.”

  I can hear her voice shaking and it pisses me off. There is no way she’s trying to get me back. The nerve of this woman. “I mean it Diane, I quit. I don’t work for you anymore. I don’t care what you say.”

  “I know, I know Charlie. Believe me, I will not try to change that.”

  “So then what? What do you want from me?”

  “Charlie, it’s Jacquelyn…” she pauses and I’m confused. “Charlie, she’s… she’s…”

  “What Diane?” I yell into the phone.

  “She had a seizure and they can’t find any brain activity.”

  “Well, fuck. Are you kidding me? So what, what does this mean? Are they asking questions? What’s happening?” my head starts to spin.

  “No, she’s not technically dead yet, but she is…” her voice trails off.

  “Diane, you aren’t making any sense. Is she or isn’t she dead?”

  “Oh, Charlie…”

  “What Diane, spit it out.”

  “She’s pregnant, Charlie. I can only assume that it is your child.”

  I drop the phone, shocked at what I just heard.

  I can hear Diane yelling into the phone, “Charlie? Charlie? Where did you go? Hello? Charlie?”

  I slide down to the floor, leaning against the sofa and pick up the phone, not saying anything.

  “Charlie? Charlie, are you there?”

  “Wait, how? How do we know it’s mine? What about her husband?”

  “Well, I met her husband. Man, Charlie, she was serious about you. Turns out they were separated and once she met you, she ordered a quick divorce offering him millions to walk away and sign quickly. He took it. But he also said that he was sterile so that is why they never had kids.”

  “Fuck me! Fuck Diane, what does this mean? Wait, no, I always wore a condom. It can’t be mine…”

  “Well, Charlie, think. Did you wear a condom every time?”

  “Yes, of course I did.”

  “Did you supply the condom and did you flush the condom down the toilet or keep it with you until you left? Every time?” Diane emphasizes on every time.

  “Yes! No, wait. Fuck! That last time.” I pause as anger fills me, “When you made me go.” I clench my jaw, ready to kill something, or someone.

  “Fuck Diane, I was so distort from having to be there that I wasn’t thinking and she climbed on top of me without one. I didn’t realize it until I started to cum. I tried to push her off but she held on tightly and I couldn’t do anything about it.”

  “Oh Charlie, did I not teach you anything? Especially after she proclaimed her love for you? She did this on purpose.”

  “Fuck, Diane! You’re the one who made me go! It was the worst experience of my life. I told you, I love your daughter. Having to be there was torture, I just wanted it over quickly. I’m sorry if my he
ad wasn’t thinking straight but you hear me, this is all your fault!”

  Diane cries into the phone, “Charlie, I’m sorry. I screwed up!”

  “Have you told them my name?”

  “No, I have not but they know I am trying to get a hold of you. So, there is more…”

  “What? What else could there possibly be?”

  “Turns out she has no next of kin so no one to make the final decision to either keep the child by keeping her on life support until the baby is born, or pull the plug and the pregnancy dies with her.”

  “Oh, uh, ok. So what does that mean?”

  “Charlie, as the father of this child…” she pauses as I hear her take a deep breath in. “Charlie, it is up to you. To keep the child or end the pregnancy.”

  I drop my head to my knees as tears swell up in my eyes. “You have got to be fucking kidding me right now?”

  “I am sorry Charlie, but I am not kidding. They need to talk to you. I highly suggest you come back to deal with this. When are you guys scheduled to come home?”

  “I… I…” I can’t even think straight, stuttering, “Allison hasn’t heard yet if she gets to stay for Fashion Week. So I don’t know.”

  “Well, Charlie. The decision is yours. I will leave you guys alone now. Let me give you the number to the hospital. I think you should head back, but of course that is not my decision to make.”

  She gives me the number and info I need and we hang up. I walk to the bed, throwing myself down, scared shitless over what I just heard.

  “Charlie! Where are you? Why can’t I get through on the phone? I’m so excited! Where are you?” Allison yells running into the room.

  I come out from the bedroom, my chest tight and my stomach nauseous. “What is it, baby?”

  “Charlie, you’re never going to believe what happened today!”