by Joyia Marie
You know how they say it take a village to raise a child? Well, it takes that same village or one right next to it to get a book ready for publication.
Harold had gotten his feelings hurt hoping to read a work in process. He thought marriage gave him special dispensation to dig into my laptop and read something I was working on. He got his ears pinned back good and hard when I caught him and read him the riot act. This was back when my writing actually existed for him.
The clock was reading shy of noon, so I stumbled over to the coffee maker to brew another pot. I wasn’t sure what pot this was as I was brewing all night while I searched. My bed was calling my name but even without the coffee, I was too jumpy to sleep.
As they say in Star Wars, I could feel a disturbance in the force. The missing jump drive was ominous in my mind. No matter how I tried to convince myself, I couldn’t see my jump drive in the calloused hand of a construction worker. Something told me this wasn’t going to end well.
My new coffee maker had made the trip from the loft, as the one the motel provided was a skimpy four-cup job. Four cups? That would fill my travel mug, maybe once and then what was I supposed to do?
I had better things to do than make coffee all day. The motel coffee maker also lacked a timer. I unplugged it and set it on top of the refrigerator out of harm’s way. It was such a petite little thing and I didn’t want it to get hurt.
I watched the clock tick as the coffee brewed and I sent up a prayer to whoever might be listening that Aiden had my jump drive. When I got it back in my hands, I was sending it down the motel garbage disposal. I was headed for the clouds. I couldn’t go through this again.
The clock had barely hit noon when my coffee finished. I poured myself another cup, doctored it and went to my desk to sit down. My laptop sat there in all its neglected glory. It was here at this desk where I first noticed the jump drive was gone.
I had sat down to do some edits and when I was finished, I went into my laptop case to get the jump drive to perform a backup. I keep all my jump drives in a padded case. I didn’t label them as I reused them after a project was finished and I moved my work to other storage.
I had jump drives in every color of the rainbow and usually the color would trigger what project was on what drive. My red jump drive was not in its slot. I looked at the empty slot in puzzlement. I was religious about putting them back into this case. They had key chains, but carrying around a jump drive, especially a LV jump drive seemed like asking for trouble.
I then emptied out my laptop case in case it had fallen out but it hadn’t. I used an empty jump drive to back up my work and put it out of my mind. Or tried to put it out of my mind. Even while I was moving and partying and soccer-momming, that jump drive danced in the back of my mind.
Chapter Forty-Three: Helen
By the time I met the Aiden Monday night for dinner I was getting slightly frantic but still under control. It had to be at the loft. That was the last place I could remember seeing it. I couldn’t remember putting it in the case when I packed up my laptop. It must have come loose and fell on the floor.
Therefore, when I was looking around and Aiden told me he found it, I wasn’t surprised but pleased. Oh happy day, the lost have been found and all sinners return to glory. Grandma Gert was a staunch Methodist so I know my biblical references.
Mother tried to interest me in Wicca, but I couldn’t get past the dancing sky-clad under a full moon. Sky-clad means naked to those of you not up on your pagan religions and I’m a bit body shy. I couldn’t see me in a religion that required me to show off my olive skin to all and sundry.
Grandma Gert had a better chance of me becoming a Methodist as Methodists believed in clothes, a lot of clothes, as many clothes as you could jam on the human body, then slap a coat on top of it. I find Christian religions tend to think that way which I find interesting since the lead guy is shown nailed to a cross in nothing but a loin cloth.
The Methodists lost their chance with me when the church that Grandma Gert had belonged to all her life, donated to at the drop of a hat and tithed to with the dedication of a gambler trying to buy their way into heaven failed to stand behind her after the ‘incident’ with Grandpa John.
Not that they were any more welcoming to Grandpa John, another reason I think he pulled up stakes. Methodists are no kinder to adulterers than they are the women who shoot them.
After Grandma Gert was cleared of all charges, they came around and by the time she died, it seemed like all was forgiven. The church turned out in full force for the send off, which made an interesting mix of Christians and heathens. Methodists and artists to you laymen.
I reached out to pick up the phone and snatched it back when it started ringing. I picked it up gingerly hoping it wasn’t Harold again. He had called early this morning and I let it roll to voice mail. I had better things to do than listen to him emote.
The number was the strange one from Saturday night that I understood to be Aiden’s. I sent up another prayer and answered.
“Hello,” I said hopefully. I was pleased to hear from Aiden but I would be more pleased if he told me he had my jump drive sitting on the desk in front of him. I looked around for my keys. If he did, I wanted to be prepared to run right over and pick it up.
“Hello,” Aiden said not as happily and my heart fell. I knew what he was going to say before the next words were out of his mouth. “I asked the crew before I left the loft and none of the guys have it or saw it. Helen, I have to tell you I know these guys and I trust them. I don’t think any of them have it.”
“It’s fine, Aiden, I appreciate you asking around, but like I said it’s just a copy. I have plenty of other jump drives so don’t let it get you down,” I lied with what I thought was charming conviction.
“Helen, I don’t know what’s on that jump drive, but I do know what I saw on your face. You looked like someone had left you in a tub of ice missing a kidney after a night out,” Aiden said.
Nice turn of phrase I thought, I didn’t know anything about his painting, but Aiden might have a future in writing. “ It’s just a little disconcerting having my stuff just floating around out there. Even though it’s just a copy, like I said,” I said firmly.
I didn’t need to feed Aiden’s curiosity if the jump drive did magically appear. I think he’s an honorable man, but he might not know just how serious I am about serving no book before its time.
“Okay,” Aiden said doubtfully. “Sorry I let you down. I should have stuck it in my pocket and made sure you got it, but I didn’t want to have it and not be there if you dropped by the loft looking for it. That’s why I put it in a place you were sure to see it.”
I could see his point. The place he hung, it would be obvious to anyone leaving the loft. The bright red color would be sure to draw your attention. My question was whose attention had it drawn and where the hell was it now?
“Again, don’t sweat it. It’s out of date now anyway. I used another jump drive for my last edits so even if I got it back, I would just format it for something else,” I said as I dreamed of formatting that thing before putting it down the garbage disposal. “ I know you’re at work so I’ll let you go.”
I would love to talk to Aiden but not right then. Since my jump drive had disappeared, hopefully never to be seen again, I wanted to relax. I was out of places to look and according to what Aiden had told me, he was the last person to see that thing alive.
I had plenty to do, like putting my room back together before the maid showed up and immediately called the TV show ‘Hoarders’ for an emergency visit. The mystery of the jump drive would have to wait. I had cleaned up to do and I needed to get some more editing done on my book. I was getting close to being finished and I was eager as this new project was ringing my chimes.
“Wait,” Aiden said, reminding me, he was on the phone.
I sighed, I really needed to get some sleep if I forgot about tall dark and luscious that quickly. I tried to cut myself some
slack, I don’t do all-nighters the way I used to. Especially all-nighters fueled by panic and caffeine.
My mouth tasted like raw asphalt and I smelled like flop sweat, a smell I know from my brief foray into the dramatic arts. After I froze on the stage as if a deer caught in the headlights during a recital when I was ten, my mother had to cross actor off my list of possible careers.
“Helen?” Aiden asked with concern and I realized I hadn’t answered him. I really needed some sleep. My synapses weren’t firing at all, let alone on all cylinders.
“Yeah,” I said tiredly, not really interested, but it seemed like the only way to get off the phone. Aiden was a bit of a chatty Cathy today. Didn’t he realize I was too tired to deal with this?
“I just wanted to tell you about the blond woman you had at your loft. I meant to mention it last night, but…” here Aiden stopped, but I could fill in the blanks.
He and I tend to distract each other. Unrequited passion has that effect on people. I gave a sigh, wishing I could fall asleep and wake up divorced so I could requite some of the passion.
Then what he said sunk in. Blond woman? The only blond woman I could think about was Jillian. She didn’t know where the loft was because if she did then I’m sure she would have bundled up the twins and had them sitting on my doorstep one fine evening.
Tonya told me about the dinner and had me in stitches. Contrary to what Jillian might believe, Tonya didn’t hate her, at least not yet. Tonya hasn’t made a decision and she’s willing to have an open mind, especially since I am encouraging it.
On the off chance, Jillian and Harold did make it down the aisle, the last thing my kids needed was Casa Asshole turning into a war zone. Not that I didn’t think Tonya could handle herself. I just think she shouldn’t have to.
“What blond woman?” I asked with apprehension.
“You know the blond woman at the soccer game,” Aiden said much too perky for someone who just ruined my life.
I bit back a moan as I watched my world go up in flames. Of all people on God’s green earth, why Jillian? She knew I was a writer and she knew who Leslie Vandersmoot was. Everybody did. Leslie was a household name even if her name is spoken in whispers. Even Jillian’s limited intelligence could connect those big black dots. I was so screwed.
As if I was there, I could see Jillian seeing the jump drive and taking it. Not for any real reason, but because she’s a thief and likes to pick up stuff people leave lying around. You know, like husbands and jump drives that are none of her business.
“Is she a friend of yours?” Aiden asked, bringing my attention back to him. Good thing, he did, as this would be the last attention I would have to spare for him for a while. After this conversation, I would be going into DefCon4 and battening down the hatches.
“Not exactly,” I said with a weak chuckle trying to imagine a world where Jillian and I were friends. What color would the sky be on such a world? Probably bubble gum pink to go with Jillian’s Barbie doll appearance. Yeah, a pink sky and unicorns that shot candy out their butts.
“I didn’t let her in,” Aiden hastened to explain. I guess my tone of voice told him we weren’t residents of the lovely world with pink skies and unicorns shitting candy. “I was in working before the game and left the door unlocked. I didn’t think I was a big deal as there was nothing in there worth stealing.”
Ah, from the mouth of babes, I thought. I wondered again how old Aiden was then decided it didn’t matter. I wasn’t looking to marry the man just gain carnal knowledge of his lovely body if I ever had the opportunity to care about such things again. The upcoming media storm made that doubtful.
Between the unveiling of LV, Tonya’s trial for killing whoever messed with her brother, my trial for killing Jillian for not keeping her big mouth shut and then my trial for killing Harold for bringing this witch into our lives, we would keep the citizens of Fort Worth and possibly the world entertained for months.
“If she’s not your friend, who is she?” Aiden asked when I made no remark on his remark about there being nothing worth stealing in my loft. Well, there was one thing and wasn’t I the lucky one that Jillian the human magpie found it. I was so screwed.
Chapter Forty-Four: Helen
“My husband’s mistress or fiancé, depending on who you ask,” I said distractedly.
“His what?” Aiden yelped into the phone. Any more of that naivety and I’d be rolling age back again. Any more rollbacks and he’d be perfect for Tonya.
“So that was your husband, she was with?” he asked tentatively.
I wondered at that. I was so over Jillian as mistress or fiancé of my husband. I was more interested in Jillian as possessor of knowledge she is in no way ready to handle.
“Yep, that was Harold and the two little ones were Tonya and Tony, my twins. They’re twelve,” I said absently. My mind was so not on this conversation, but it did make lovely background noise as I tried to figure this other mess out.
Aiden’s silence pulled me back from my thoughts. I tried to think of what I said that had stunned him into silence and whether or not it would result in a further lowering of his age in my mind when he spoke.
“I didn’t know you had kids,” he said, his tone slightly accusing.
My brows lowered. Why does he make it sound like I was hiding something? What made him think he was important enough for me to hide something from?
So far, he and I had seen each other four times, spoken on the phone three times, if you included this conversation, and shared two kisses. Okay, I can admit they were good kisses, but still, not getting the attitude.
Okay, I will also admit I’m not the typical mom in that I don’t shove my kids into every conversation especially with people who don’t have kids. I remember, vaguely, that trapped feeling when my friends became parents and suddenly every conversation was about what the kids did, said, ate, or got on a report card.
I swore to myself not to be that parent. The two exceptions are Sonya and Raphael. Sonya because she asked. With her, I hit the highlights and the rest of our conversation is about my writing or us. Raphael because regular updates on his ‘niece and nephew’ are mandatory and failing to comply is a good way to wake up to twin-free beds and a hearty fuck you from Raphael.
“Is that a problem?’ I asked slowly, feeling the ground open up under me.
How could I know this man this long and well enough to kiss him without him knowing about my kids? What if he’s like Jillian and he doesn’t ‘do’ kids? Even though I don’t intend to have custody, I do intend to spend a lot of time with my children and the man in my life would need to understand that and in time be part of that.
What the hell does it mean to ‘do’ kids? How selfish would you have to be to make a statement like that to someone who has kids and you claim to love. Not that Aiden had claimed to love me and I’m really happy about that, but if he said something that asinine, I was hanging up the phone and only answering it when my ‘contractor’ called.
“No, no, I love kids,” Aiden said to my relief. Then he ruined it by saying, “it’s just I never saw any sign of them and you didn’t mention them. Are they staying with their dad?”
‘No,’ I wanted to say sarcastically. ‘In between soccer games, I leave them at the church doorstep in a cardboard box.’
Where else would they be staying? It’s either their dad or me. Aiden was losing age faster than I could calculate. Soon, I’d only see his naked ass was if I was changing his diaper.
“Yeah, they’re staying at the house with Harold,” I said not elaborating. I did not have time for this. As Raphael would say, I was burning daylight. “Look, I appreciate you checking about the jump drive and telling me about my visitor, but I need to go.”
“Okay,” he said, sounding unsure. “I’ll keep an eye out and let you know if I find out anything else.”
“Nah, don’t worry about it. You’ve done more than enough,” I told him firmly.
He had, he managed to find
and lose the thing and lose it to the last person on earth I would like to have it. I wanted him to forget about that jump drive because I was afraid of what trick he might pull next. I know I was being unfair, but I can’t help but wish he had just stuck the damn thing in his pocket.
We exchange tense goodbyes and I ended the call. Sorry to say, Aiden was out of my head the second his voice was off my phone. I had bigger fish to fry and no man, no matter how handsome was more important than my kids’ welfare.
I took a sip of coffee, then got up to start straightening up the room. No sense in leaving this mess around. It’s not as if I was going to magically find my property there. All this mess and all the time Jillian had it in her hot little hands.
It didn’t take long to get everything packed back up and I flopped back down the couch. Despite my mind running like a hamster on a wheel, I was no closer to an answer. What was going on?
Jillian had my jump drive since Saturday morning and Harold had spent Saturday and most of Sunday with her so she wouldn’t have had an opportunity to look until Sunday night at the earliest. I don’t know how I knew she wouldn’t look at it Harold around but I did.
She’d have to explain how she got it, then she’d have to explain why she didn’t tell Harold that she had my address. Another question I have about Jillian. I might have to reconsider the dumb blond appellation I had assigned her. Jillian was coming across a lot smarter than I given her credit for being.
Therefore, that takes us to Sunday night, but that left Sunday night and all of Monday and so far no calls. I couldn’t figure out what she was waiting for and lord knew I knew she was coming for me. What she wanted when she got here was anyone’s guess, but she was coming.
Or so I hoped. Maybe she was going for the big score and taking this to the press. I blew it off. That copy she had would barely read as a LV book. As I said, I hadn’t added the chocolate goodness yet.