by Lee Heaven
“Yes, ma’am,” the young man said.
“Please don’t let me down.” I kiss the man on the cheek and turn to Decker who is standing there wide-eyed. I take his hand, stand on my tip-toes and kiss him. The hounds love that and are going wild with the cameras.
“Are you sure about that move?” he asks.
“More sure then I have been about anything these past two weeks.” I smiled back.
“Ms. Starr, do you have a statement about your kidnapping?” a hound asks.
I turn to face them all. “At this moment I do not have a statement. I am preparing one. An announcement will be made at the time and place where I will give it. Please respect my privacy until then. Thank you.”
I turn and walk away holding Decker’s hand. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that calm before,” he said in bewilderment.
“I have a new outlook. If I’m gonna stay with you. Live my life with you. Love you. I have to take everything this world has and that includes those hounds over there. I can’t guarantee I’ll always be that calm and I’ll never have another breakdown or panic attack, but I can’t hide forever either. I need to face what this city has to give and that includes the bad.”
“You are so strong. Not many people out there would be able to stand up and carry on with their life the way you have. You’ve had so much bad shit dumped in your lap during your life it’s amazing you’re still here.”
Strong? I am nowhere close to being strong.
As we enter the elevator I turn to face him. “I’m not strong. I’ve tried to kill myself before. After Ely past away, I downed a bottle of pills and a fifth of vodka. After Brian’s attack I sliced open a vein when the pills and vodka didn’t work.” I show him the scar on my wrist. “Obviously someone bigger than me has different plans for me. Obviously my place on Earth was meant to continue for some reason and I have to live to find out what that reason is.”
“You ever think those wings on your back is because you actually are an angel and God has a purpose for you to stay here and not for your guardian angel as you choose to believe?”
Me an angel? No way. But I do have a purpose and I think I’m beginning to see that my purpose was standing next to me.
Chapter 13
I finally got Decker to head off to the stadium for some practice. I hate the fact I made him miss so much time during spring training. But I’m glad he’s gone to the stadium to get some practice in. It’s been almost two weeks since he left Florida and came home and opening day is only days away. Plus I have my team coming over to work on the fundraiser and if he’s hovering around me I think I would just have to kick his ass.
“So how far behind are we?” I ask my team as we sit around the dining table.
“Just a few days behind,” Cindy says. “But we can catch up fairly quickly if you approve the invitation design and guest list right now.” She hands me a mock up of the invitation and stack of bond papers about two inches thick of guest names.
The invitation is absolutely beautiful. An off-white paper with a hint of silver flecks to it and the words written in the most stunning color of deep purple.
“We have these made up for guests who have to buy a plate at dinner and for those who are honorary guests correct?” I asked.
“Yes we do,” Cindy relays back as she hands me a second invitation asking guest to come in honor of their work.
“Good. The guest list…let’s see.” I scan the list. “Is there a separate list for the honorary guests? How do we know who gets what invitation?”
“There are two lists there. The seconded packet is for the honorary guests and the rest are for guests who need to buy a plate. You’ll need to go over both lists so when the invitations come back from the printers we can have the envelopes addressed and ready to go,” Dennis added.
I couldn’t imagine how long it took him to put this guest list together there has to be close to five hundred people listed here. Possibly more, who knows there are so many pages.
“How long will the printers take?”
“Once the order is placed we should have the invitations in five to seven days,” Cindy says.
“That’s good. Get the approval over to the printers by five tonight. I’ll have the guest list approved by Monday. Mark, where are you with your end of things?”
Mark hands me a few photos. “I’ve narrowed it down to these four center pieces and decorations. You decide which one you like the best because I’m stuck. The James, Gramercy Park Hotel, The Carlyle, Sofitel, The Waldorf, Waldorf-Astoria, and Trump have all blocked off rooms for us. We are still waiting for a few others to accept or deny us. Guest can also make their own arrangements. We have three transportation companies willing to provide us with cars for a total of about one hundred and fifty cars. Again if guests want they can provide their own. I do have other companies on retainer so I can always make more calls and get more cars if need be.”
“Good. Now everybody eat. Maggie drove all the way to Jersey this morning to get me some sandwiches from Piggy’s Deli, my favorite deli. So eat and when were done we will work some more.”
After lunch we all worked a little more. Making arrangements with different auction houses to provide us with art and making the contracts to send to each of these places. We were changing any details that needed to be worked out as well as looking over the guest lists and adding and removing people when necessary.
Mark and I narrowed the centerpieces down to antique looking candelabras the florist had, with long purple and white candles and purple and white roses overflowing from the center. We also decided on white table clothes and purple napkins. The seats will be covered in a white satin with a purple bow.
I turn to my team, “I want to thank you all for giving me this chance. For sticking by me. For making this event so special. But most of all I want to thank you for keeping my event alive when I was missing. If it hadn’t been for you guys this event would have flopped and all the critics who were mad because I got this job over them would have been satisfied. But you guys proved them wrong and you guys are the best. When this is over you guys will get a well deserved break and reward.”
~~~
After dinner Decker and I sat on the couch. Josie is off with Maggie getting their nails done. I turn and look at Decker. “We need to talk about what happened with Kevin.”
“I didn’t want to push. I knew you would tell me when it’s time,” he said softly as he kissed my temple and wrapped me in his arms.
I told Decker it wasn’t Daniel’s fault. He had left with Maggie to go drop Josie off to her dad’s and how I was still at work. I thought I would be safe. We all thought I would be safe. I told him about how I walked through the parking lot and was about to get in the car when I was grabbed and drugged.
Decker sat there as I explained how I was chained to the wall and couldn’t see out the window till the rain ripped the newspaper away. How it was only then that I could see the stadium from the apartment I was at. How once I knew it was Kevin who had me, he kissed me every day trying to break me. How I knew that if I ever had a chance to get back to him I had to give in and trick Kevin into thinking I still loved him.
I told Decker about how I got Kevin to take the chain off my foot so I could shower. How I took the gun away. And I told him how I had to let Kevin make love to me and how I had two orgasms even though I didn’t want them.
Taking my face in his hands, his strong fingers swipe away my tears and he presses his lips to mine kissing me softly. “Baby, that’s still rape. I know it didn’t mean anything. It’s ok.”
“I was so afraid that you were gonna hate me. That you would think differently of me.”
“I could never do that. None of this was your fault. Nothing you did warranted that to happen to you. You did what you needed to do so you could survive and come back to me.”
“Decker, I never want to leave you.”
“I’ll always be right here, baby. I’ll always be right by your sid
e.” He folds his arms around me and pulls me into his lap. I nuzzle into the crook of his neck and breathe in his scent.
~~~
I sit on the hard cold wooden bench behind a table of suited up lawyers. They keep looking back at me. I can’t tell if it’s pity or something else written across their face. I bite my tongue, but all I really want to do is snap at them and tell them to stop looking at me like that.
There’s a flurry of activity over near a door on the left front of the courtroom. One of the suits turns to me and places his hand on my knee. “He’s coming out now. If you think you can’t handle this you need to leave now.”
“It’s only his bail hearing right?”
“Yes and were certain his bail will either be denied or be set so high that he won’t be able to post.”
Looking over at Decker as he puts his arm around my shoulder and squeezes a little. I shake my head. “No, I need to stay. I need to see this. I need for him to know what he did to me.”
I need him to know he DIDN’T break me!
I heard the door open and the rattle of chains and feet shuffling on the floor. I can feel Decker sit up straighter and tense next to me. I place my palm on his thigh and rub trying to ease him. I haven’t looked over at Kevin yet, but I can feel him staring at me.
I look up at Decker and he’s scowling. “You need to stop. Getting upset is not going to do you good. You’re about to jump out of your chair and that won’t be good for either of us.” I grasp his chin and lower his face to look into his eyes. “Look at my eyes and concentrate on me not him.”
“You have beautiful blue eyes. They remind me of the ocean,” he says as he stares into my eyes and smiles so big I couldn’t help but smile back at him.
“Good, now keep that in your mind. As much as I would love to look into your eyes, I need to face him. I have to look at him.”
Decker kisses me. A kiss that is directed toward Kevin saying, ‘This is my woman. You will not fuck with her again.’ I giggle as he pulls away. I suppress the smile that is still on my face and turn my head toward Kevin.
Starting at his feet I look up. His ankles are shackled together. He’s wearing bright orange pants. They remind me of the orange vest we used to wear when we went hunting. A long chain runs up between his legs wrapping around his waist. His wrist are cuffed together and then shackled to the chain around his waist.
Then I look at his face. He hasn’t shaven in days and as much as I hate to admit it, I hate a beard on him. His lips are pursed and slightly grinning. I look into his eyes. His baby blues sparkle when he realizes I’m finally looking at his face. The look on his face is a mixture of guilt, lust, love, and humility. I don’t see any remorse or shame. He’s smiling now. He mouths ‘I love you.’ I can feel the rage boiling up inside me.
Rubbing at my chest trying to ease the burning feeling I have. The anger and hurt are all too weak of an emotion I feel right now. Turning to one of the suits I tap him on the shoulder. When he turns to me I asked, “How did he get the black eye and what looks like a broken nose?”
The suit started laughing. “That’s actually a funny story. Do you know a Rob Buckner?”
“Yeah, I went to high school with him and then had some college class together. I haven’t seen him in years. Why what’s he got to do with this.”
“Well apparently Mr. Buckner was convicted a few years ago for murder.”
“What! I never heard that. You have to be kidding. Who did he kill? Why?” My hand flies up to cover my mouth in a surprise gasp. Rob was always so nice and sweet. He really was liked by everyone. Star wrestler and track athlete. I couldn’t imagine him committing murder.
“A girlfriend of his apparently, they were hopped up on drugs and he beat her with a pipe.”
“Oh my God that’s horrible.”
“Yeah. Well Mr. Buckner and your boy over there were bunk mates. Guess they were swapping stories about how they knew you and how much they knew you. Your boy there told Mr. Buckner that since he never closed the deal with you he must not have been man enough for you, but he obviously was since not only was he able to steal you away from a millionaire he was able to seal the deal and give you multiple orgasms. Guess Mr. Buckner didn’t like that answer too much and punched him clear between the eyes. A fight ensued and your boy there got it bad.”
“That’s bad. Not really funny.”
The suit started laughing. “No, the funny part comes next. Apparently Mr. Buckner has been on lockdown and hadn’t seen the news of your kidnapping. So during the fight when someone yelled that’s the dude who kidnapped that Yankee’s star girlfriend, Mr. Buckner got even madder now knowing that he meant he actually stole you, instead of you walking away. Well, they somehow shoved his head in between two bars, how I don’t know since they had to saw him out, but while he was there they took a permanent marker and on his ass wrote…well hell just have a look yourself.” He started to laugh again.
Turning to Kevin’s table he motions for the guards to turn him around when they did they lowered his pants and I burst out laughing. There on his ass was written in big black letters, Property of NYY, Decker Jensen and his Angel.
“They can’t seem to get it washed off,” the lawyer continues on.
“Serves him right,” I say laughing.
Kevin was denied bail. He didn’t help himself on the matter by telling the judge he’d do it again in a heartbeat. Part of me is sad that this is what his life has come down to and the other part is relieved that now I won’t have to worry about him every time I leave my door.
The trial is set to start sometime in June. I’ll have to face most of it alone since we’ll be well into the baseball season then and Decker won’t be here the whole time. Although he did promise that the days I need to testify he would be here whether the team was on the road or not and that he would try his best to be there for the verdict.
Chapter 14
“Come on, Decker, hurry up. We’re gonna be late,” I scream down the hallway for the tenth time. I thought it was suppose to be a woman’s fault someone ran late not a man’s. But yet here we are two women waiting on a man.
“Keep your pants on I’m just putting my shoes on,” he yells back.
“Yeah, Decker, hurry up. I wanna see Tobias before the game starts. The guys got in so late last night I didn’t get to see him,” Maggie yelled.
Neither one of them had bothered to ask each other out yet, but they spent most of the time talking and flirting with each other. I almost wondered if it would never happen.
“All right, all right let’s go,” he says with a fake exasperation in his tone.
“Now I’m not gonna have any time to prepare before going into the press conference. Why did you have to schedule it right before the game? Couldn’t we have done it another day?”
“Baby, this is the best time. The reporters are gonna be there anyways. Now you can say your peace and we can move on.”
“I wish I didn’t have to talk about it at all.” I know I’m going to have a panic attack. The hounds are relentless, they never get enough and the bull dogs– reporters — are even worse with their questions.
“I know but they won’t leave you alone until you do.”
“You, and Maggie are gonna be there right.”
“You damn well know it,” Maggie piped up as we climbed into Decker’s SUV.
~~~
“Ladies and gentleman,” Jim Longer bellowed into the podium full of microphones and tape recorders, the crowd of bulldogs and hounds quieted down and gave Jim their attention. “May I introduce Sarah Starr. She will answer your questions one at a time. If at any point I feel your questions are out of line I will pull her out of here and end this.”
I stand up shaking on two very unsteady legs and side-step to the podium. Decker scoots over into the seat I just vacated to be right next to me. Grabbing my hand he gives it a squeeze. The press notice and cameras start clicking. Instinctively my other hand goes up and starts to rub my ne
cklace.
“Breath, baby, you’ll be fine. I’m right here,” Decker whispers.
I point to a young man sitting third row center. He stands up. “Can you explain the nature of your relationship with your kidnapper?”
“I’d actually like it if you wouldn’t call him my kidnapper. I know that’s what he did, but the term just bothers me. Can we address him as Mr. Reed?” Taking a deep breath I continued. “Mr. Reed and I have known each other since we were about fourteen years old. We dated on and off for about two years before we stopped talking for about two years after that. A few months after I graduated high school we started talking again. We were friends for awhile before we started dating again. We only dated a few months before we had a fight and broke up. I hadn’t seen or talked to Mr. Reed in almost fifteen years.”
“Care to elaborate on the fight you had fifteen years ago?” a reporter in the back yelled.
“No, it was a private matter and many years ago.”
Pointing to a lady with red hair who stood on the left side of the room, “Do you feel there is any significance as to why Mr. Reed chose an apartment right up the street from the stadium?”
“I have no idea why he picked there. He did not elaborate nor did I ask.”
“Do you think it has something to do with trying to rub it in Mr. Jensen’s face? Obviously getting a place near his home would be out of the question because of price so why not choose his second home?” the red head countered back at me with a sneer on her face. If I had to guess I think she was sneering at me because I was dating Decker, and like most of the world she probably wished it was her.
She was starting to piss me off. “Again I cannot begin to explain why he picked that place.” I pointed to a bald man in the first row affectively cutting her off.