Haught & Bothered

by Leela Lou Dahlin

  A soft knock on the door made him turn off the running water. “Come on in.”

  The door didn’t open. “I’m leaving.”

  True had gotten into the habit of walking along the shore. She’d usually start alone and he’d catch up. That would be a nice thing to do on their last day. “Alright. I’ll catch up with you.”

  He turned the water back on and hurried to finish. They could have their talk on the beach, maybe one more round of fun before they had to leave the island at ten o’clock that night. Finishing up, he splashed on True’s favorite cologne. It must be her favorite because she bought it for him all the time. Whistling he opened the door and the bright tropical sun lifted his mood, but when he opened the closet he only saw his clothes. He whipped his head to the left and right and noticed everything of True’s was gone.

  “There is no fucking way she left.”

  He refused to run, but he did walk briskly. There is no way the woman who’d brought enough clothing for a month's vacation just up and disappeared. Alec made it to the front desk and the young woman there straightened up. She was afraid and as much as he was trying to hold back his temper he was losing control quickly.

  “Did you see an African American woman come through here recently.”

  The woman flipped through the pages of her book before she offered up a wobbly smile. “You’re in cabin 6. Correct?”

  He nodded because niceties were too much to do right now. In his gut he knew she was gone and he kicked himself. If he could have just gotten himself together quicker this might not be happening. He’d actually been looking forward to flying back home together. She was shaky during take off and landing, but riding in the little plane that brought them here was even more difficult.

  “Yes. The woman who was with you paid for the room. You are free to stay until your ride comes for you around ten.” The fake bright smile on the woman’s face was making him even more angry but it wasn’t her fault. He was the ass.

  “Thank you. I’m guessing there is an earlier flight.”

  “There was but you’d never make it. As it was Ms. Goodman was a tight squeeze for time.”

  He nodded and stood there for what, he wasn’t sure. Alec knew he was making the woman nervous, but he just couldn’t seem to leave.

  The attendant picked up the phone and dialed. Looking everywhere but at him and tapping her pencil on the desk. It was an annoying sound that he wished she would stop, but he feared taking the object from her or placing his hand over hers would make this situation that much worse.

  “Yes. This is Abigail from the Fantasy Resort and I’m calling about one of our guests.” She looked up at him as if she were trying to assess if this call was calming him down or making him more upset. The small wobbly smile and slight nod made him take a breath and attempt to turn down the fierceness that he had to be broadcasting. “True Lee Goodman? Did she make the flight?” More nodding and a more stable smile as she put down the phone.

  “I’m taking that she made it?”

  “Yes, sir. She is safely on the flight and they are preparing for take off.” Abigail’s hand lingered on the handset of the phone and Alec figured he’d better turn and leave before this woman called the local authorities for assistance. He knew what he looked like and he knew people were terrified of him and his disfigured face normally but when he was mad even his brothers gave him a wide berth. Not True though she stood her ground with him for everything and although he probably gave her a harder time than the others she remained unfazed. It was one of the things he adored about her.

  He nodded at the attendant and returned to the cabin. It was bright and filled with sunshine from all the windows and the sun reflecting off the clear water all around it, but the light airy feel of the place was gone. True had taken it with her. Alec sat on the bed and could smell True around him like she was still there, but he stopped himself from picking up a pillow and breathing in her scent. He’d already allowed himself way too much and he’d have to reel himself back in. The friendship he’d had with True had always been the best, but the benefits is what had fucked things up… at least for him. He lay back on the pillow and closed his eyes, breathing deeply wanting the sated and relaxed feeling that seemed to travel with True to come back. He’d fix this and get them back to the way they were seven months ago. Alec was going to ignore the pang in his heart and the one in his pants that didn’t want to go back to how it was before, but there was a reason he kept the personal rules he’d created for himself. It didn’t mean it was going to be easy, but it was going to be done.

  “Thanks for the vacation, True.” There was no one in the room to accept his thank you, but he’d make sure she got the message.

  Chapter 2

  It had taken 9 hours and 25 minutes to get from the fairy tale cabin in Belize to the outskirts of Chicago. When the small plane landed there was no clapping like there had been in Panama because one of her two best friends, Karessa Monroe, the queen of high end plus sized lingerie had rented a ride from a private plane company, Elite Air, and sent it to pick her up. That seemed like it would be heaven because she could break down like she really wanted to but the flight attendant was so attentive to her every need she never knew when the man was going to come back.

  Now, except for the sound of the engine whirling down, there had been no conversation since the flight attendant had given her lunch a few hours ago. There was a full bar and snacks for her to consume if and when she was ready, but she didn’t even feel hungry… a testament that she felt completely unlike herself. It was as if there was a ball of misery inside her but if she didn’t contain it, she would fall apart and the one thing she didn’t do was fall the fuck apart. Taking a calming breath in through her nose and out through her mouth because the thought of breaking down had made her have to hold back a sob. Cut that shit out T.

  “Is everything alright?” The young, polite attendant with his model pretty face and seemingly sincere concern asked.

  “Yes. Thank you for asking and for making the flight so bearable. This is my first time in Chicago so it’s going to be an experience.” Rewarded with a smile, True acknowledged the smallest bit of joy. Making people feel good was what gave her life, be that with her art, her presence or remembering something about the person she was with and showing that person that she’d noticed.

  “I’m glad I could do that for you.” The man had a beautiful smile and the light in his eyes let her know what was next. “I’ll be in Chicago for the next 24 hours or so and it would be my pleasure to show you around.”

  There was a part of her that wanted to do that. Run off and have a limited fling with this man who was the total opposite of Alec. Not because of the model looks, but because the man seemed to want to go out with her… in public. Admit that he thought she was attractive and wanted to spend time with her without having to give qualifiers as to why whatever was happening… was happening.

  “I’m here to see a friend.” True let that linger and knew the man got the impression she was trying to relay. She was in this town to see a man.

  “Oh.” The man went back into business mode and put the plastic smile back in place. “Well, I hope you enjoy your stay and thank you for flying Elite Air.”

  True got up from the comfortable chair and walked down the steep steps to the ground. It was a small airplane station, it didn’t have the juice to be called an airport in her mind. Walking into the small room she noticed a candy and a pop machine, but there were no people. True hadn’t thought there’d be a limo driver waiting for her with True on the sign…well maybe she had. She didn’t know much about where she was going or what she was supposed to do next, but her brain was working on getting through the next minute at the time she made the call that had put all this into action. Walking to the bathroom, she figured she’d let just a little bit of the anguish out before she found a cab and a hotel.

  The bathroom had a sitting room with a couch and bottled water in a glass front refrigerator. True
plopped down on the couch and drew in a deep breath. It was the first she’d taken since she’d actually made the decision to walk away from Alec. That breath expelled in a shaky, wavery pattern as she closed her eyes. The feeling of someone else sitting on the couch startled her. “Karessa?”

  “Hey there True.”

  “Have I totally lost my mind?” True knew her friend had meetings all day. When she’d contacted her as she was driven to the airport, she knew she didn’t let the despair that filled her soul come out in her tone. “I thought you had meetings all day.”

  Karessa frowned. “So you go off on your vacay with Alec and then call me hours before it’s time to leave with a breezy ‘How’s Chicago? I’ve always wanted to see the place. I may just stop over’ and I’m supposed to think everything is okay?”

  True opened her mouth, but no words came out. The emotions building up inside her now had to be because Karessa knew her. Really knew her and that made True incredibly happy.

  “What can I say?” True shrugged and hoped she could get somewhere with a private room so she could cry and then get the tightness out of her chest.

  Karessa moved down the couch so the small distance was miniscule and threw her arms around True giving her the best side hug. “I’m not sure what you could say, but I want to know what made the strongest woman I know run away.”

  True tried to laugh at that, but that ball that had been sitting on her chest broke and so did she. The tears fell down her cheeks without preamble. It was like breathing. They came without asking permission and then they seemed to break the damn of her emotions. The sobs started quietly and moved to the heaving ones that left you unable to speak without sounding like a punished 3 year old.

  Karessa rubbed her shoulders and back as she cried. Somehow that made her cry harder. Not because she was unable to stop the flood of sad that was getting everywhere, but because she appreciated the fact she had a friend that would stop everything to make sure she was okay. She never would have asked Karessa for this, nor would she had been disappointed if it didn’t turn out like this, but it had and True was amazed at how touched she was about it.

  She didn’t know how long they sat there, but when True could finally pull herself together, she noticed the tissues Karessa was holding out to her.

  Karessa let her go and stood up to walk across the room. True didn’t know what the woman was going to say and to be honest, she wished the floor would open up or that she’d be able to rewind time so her friend wouldn’t have to see this.

  “You know this makes me want to kill him.” Karessa had her back to True, but she knew the look on the woman’s face had to be murderous and it made her chuckle. Her friend turned quickly to look at her. “Are you hysterical? Do I need to slap you?” Karessa walked over quickly looking concerned.

  “I’m not hysterical, but listening to you talk about homicide on my behalf just warms my heart. To your other question…don’t even think about it.” True finished wiping her tears from all the places they’d fallen before she got up to look at her reflection in the mirror.

  “It’s good to see you, always but I hate to see you like this. What the fuck did Alec do?” Karessa was standing behind her in the mirror.

  “Who said it was him?” Concentrating on getting the items out of her bag she’d need to fix her make up, gave her some breathing space from Karessa. She didn’t really want to talk about it, but there was no way she was going to get out of saying something.

  “Okay…so…there are a lot of things you tell me and there are a lot of things that I just have to figure out. You loving Alec isn’t something you have to tell anyone. It’s as clear as the morning.” Karessa sat on the counter and stared at True until she got her attention. “I never get to be the strong one with the great advice…let it be my turn.”

  “You are amazing, Karessa, and you are one of the strongest women I know. You left everything you knew including a man you adored to go to France, study under a world class lingerie maker and then started your own high end, plus sized lingerie company. Who the hell does that? My best friend. That’s who.” Everything True said was the facts as she believed them, but she had to chuckle again looking into Karessa’s face. Shock and awe were all over it.

  “Thank you, True. That means so much coming from you. Even though some of the facts are a bit twisted.”

  “Like what.” True listened while she worked on her eyeliner.

  “Like the man I loved so much dumped me before I went to France and I was devastated. I wasn’t strong to leave because I didn’t want to stay knowing I couldn’t have Beau and—Hey! You’re good at distracting me like that, but this is about you Miss Missy.”

  True looked over at Karessa and they smiled at the term True’s foster mother used to call her when she was going to start handing down the punishments or didn’t like the tone of her voice. “Okay, it’s Alec and I’m done.”

  “Done with what?”

  “Done with waiting for him to want to be with me. Well be with me for more than just a few times a week hook up.”

  The gasp that came from Karessa was screen worthy, but True refused to look at her.

  “You’ve been holding out on me?”

  “I’ve been holding out on me too. Booty calls weren’t something I was going to share. It turns out it isn’t fun to have a snack when you are apparently waiting for a 4 course meal. They were fun in the beginning and I thought I was good with it, but something changed and now I’m not.” True looked over at her friend and wanted not to be affected by the sad little, feel bad smile she was being offered.

  Karessa grabbed her hand and True sucked in a breath. She loved the hand hug she was receiving and realized how much she valued the power of touch, although she was sure she didn’t act like it normally.

  “Well, since I’ve come in here to do what I wanted to do, although I wanted to do it without an audience, we should go.” True finished what she was trying to accomplish with her make up, put on a bright smile and turned to Karessa.

  “I love your smile, True, but you don’t have to be on all the time. I can take you if you need boosted. You don’t have to be strong for me. I want you to just be you in whatever form you want to give me. Relax and let yourself heal.” Karessa let go of her hand and walked toward the door.

  “Thank you.” True really meant that. She wasn’t sure she’d ever felt like she didn’t need to put on a happy face even when she’d been at her worst she could find the means to pull on out.

  “We hadn’t talked about what happened to you on your mini vacay, but my phone has been blowing up from all of the Haught Brothers and Gemmi. I’ve not answered them, but I’m not going to be able to hold them off for long. What do you want me to do?”

  True didn’t want to get Karessa involved in anything but she didn’t want to be bothered either. She had to get back to her life in the next 24 hours, but before that she wasn’t going to be bothered by anyone with the last name of Haught…except Gemmi. “Tell them you’ve talked to me and I’m safe, but you don’t know what’s going on. I’ll deal with them tomorrow.”

  “Ha. So now I get to be the one with the insider information.” Karessa’s smile was big and her eyes bright.

  “This makes you happy?”

  “That I’m the one with the info and they aren’t? Damn right.” Karessa hooked her arm in True’s as she walked them out into the lobby. “Now on to get pampered. Manicure, pedicure, massages, facials and booze. As soon as I heard your voice asking me for assistance I ordered up the works at the best place in town.”

  “I thought you were here on business.” True stopped and looked over at her smiling buddy.

  “I am but sometimes emergencies happen and you have to change your plans.”

  “This isn’t an emergency.” True stopped in her tracks and waited for Karessa to acknowledge her. “I’m having a meltdown, but when you have your career on the line you need to get that done first.”

  Karessa drew herself up
in a way she’d only seen when she was about to give Beau the what-for. “True Lee Goodman. Do you know how many times you’ve come to my rescue? Be that with words, ice cream, or nice gestures. You’ve seen me break down…all the way down. Sometimes you’ve helped me up kindly and other times you gave me a swift kick in the pants, but I want you to tell me how many times I’ve been able to do the same thing for you.”

  “I get that I’ve helped you, but—”

  “You don’t get to ‘but’ me. I want an answer.” Karessa released True’s arm so she could face her. The woman had her hands on her hips and looked like she was in take-no-shit mode. That was a mode True knew…hell she’d perfected that mode.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Well, let me tell you.” Karessa waited a few seconds for dramatic effect True guessed. “None!”

  True opened her mouth as she tried to think of a time she’d cried on Karessa’s shoulder, but nothing came to mind. It wasn’t that she was the strongest woman around, but she broke down in private. It had always been that way. She stopped trying to fight. “If it’s not going to hurt your career then feel free to whisk me away and help me feel better.”

  “Having been wounded by a Haught I don’t think I’ll be helping you feel better, but I will be assisting you on having fun now. I’m not sure what happened, although I’m going to love hearing about it, but I know it’s not over.”

  “It is over, because I say it is.” True wanted that to be the facts, but the truth was she didn’t want to go home yet because she needed time to make peace with the decision she’d made about Alec. Just thinking of him laying on the sandy beach with a smile on his face and desire in his eyes made her want to hop on the next plane to find him. She was being ridiculous, and she had 24 hours to forget what her body had been telling her since she hit puberty…Alec Haught was the one for her.

  Karessa laughed a bit when she hooked her arm back into True’s as she led the way out of the airport. She stopped as she got in the chauffeured limo. “You keep telling yourself that, and I’m sure that will make it true.”