by Lacey Legend
“I thought it an odd request, but when I found these pictures of the two of you cavorting at the Rett Syndrome Charity Gala, he informed me you stepped in last minute as a date for the evening and he wished to pay you for your time. Apparently you forgot to collect your check the following shift.”
Discreet till the very end, thought Jenna. “I believe I did. It was thoughtful of him to deposit it with you.”
“That particular duty doesn’t really come under your normal routine.”
“It was an emergency. It appeared Mr. Lawson had no one to help out, and as a good client I thought I could assist him, if possible.”
“You do realize what kind of an agency we are don’t you, Ms.. King.”
“Or course,” said Jenna firmly but politely.
“Because we aren’t an undercover escort agency.”
“If you’re implying for one second that I would lower myself-“
“Please keep control, Ms. King. I was implying nothing of the kind. I have always found you to be of high character and good standing, hence your employment at the agency. Surely you understand from my point of view, I couldn’t afford to have the time, money and history I’ve invested in Supreme Cleaning Services become tarnished over a one night fling or a short term affair.”
Jenna was preparing to defend herself when Ms. Princely rotated the newspaper gossip section to her. A photo taken at 2 am showed Spencer and Jenna entering Spencer’s apartment block, a photo taken just after 6 am had a picture of a half-dressed disheveled Jenna leaving the building in her Supreme Cleaning Services Uniform.
“That’s not what it looks like,” she said quietly.
“There may be a perfectly reasonable story behind it and I wouldn’t question your integrity if you confided it to me. The problem is Jenna, that photo is what it looks like.”
“I don’t want our male client base that has the finances and taste to indulge in activities similar to what I’m sure was the perfectly innocent date you embarked on Friday night, believing that may become something we offer permanently, as an additional extra. Our high standards revolve around cleaning services, not the bedroom services our employees may or may not want to supply.”
“Am I out of a job then?”
“No. Not at all.”
Jenna’s chest loosened considerably. She found the imaginary chokehold on her neck disappear.
“He specifically asked for this incident not to go on your records or for you to be disciplined and I’ll respect Mr. Lawson’s wish there. I cannot, however, indulge his whim that you continue working for him. He feels you are the only trustworthy maid in New York, but he’ll soon learn there are others that are as trustworthy as you but a lot less alluring.”
Jenna struggled hard to gulp down a sob. Sounded like Spencer wanted to make up, not break up. Now this was becoming a fairytale and Ms. Princely was the wicked witch.
“Where will I be working then?”
“Here. Once your classes are finished, you’ll clean the offices in the evening Monday to Saturday.”
“Actually. That’s not so good for me. My sister attends night classes and—“
“Your working here won’t stop her education,” said Ms. Princely curtly.
“No, but I need to babysit my niece so my sister’s able to go to school.”
“Don’t look shocked Jenna. We aren’t anti family values here. I understand your predicament. It looks like you’re going to need to use Mr. Lawson’s $1000 bonus to purchase a portacot for you to clean the premises while babysitting.”
Jenna put her head in her hands. There really was no comeback to that.
*
Jenna had no idea why she was shivering when the sun was radiating and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The building in front of her didn’t look particularly foreboding. All things considered, the minimal security prison appeared quite pleasant from the outside.
“It’s going inside that’s the problem.”
Checking the visitor pass still clenched tight in her sweaty fist, she made her way to reception to undergo the formal and unwelcoming process required to visit an inmate.
As they searched her handbag, insisted she fill out reams of paperwork and provide identification, all she could think about was how most people visiting Long Island were rich and visiting the Hamptons - not seeing ex-boyfriends serving time.
Sent forward, on sight of Leon, Jenna thought she might rush up to him and throw her arMs. round his neck. He shook his head, reading her eyes carefully. With two fingers, he tapped the opposite end of the table indicating she should sit.
When he smiled, Jenna’s entire body relaxed. The even white teeth and plump lips stretched over his defined stubbled jaw line. He had a trimmed black moustache and beard and looked impeccable groomed in his drab prison uniform.
“Hey girl, how you doing?” his voice was deeper than she remembered.
Jenna found herself studying Leon quite carefully. He was a monster at six foot five. His chocolate brown skin was flawless. He seemed fit and akin to a brick wall. There wasn’t a scratch on him.
“What are you worrying about, girl? You know I can look after myself. You don’t need to be putting me down first on your list of social work charity cases,” he grinned.
She laughed genuinely. “You look huge.”
“Ain’t nothing to do but work out in the gym when you’re trying to stay on the right path and get out on good behavior.”
“How’s that working out for you?”
“I told you not to mind me,” he chided. “Told you that a while back. Don’t be worrying yourself about how I’m doing.”
“And I’ve respected that. You asked me to visit.”
“Yeah I did. Thought I should put you in the picture. Something odd happened in the last couple of days.”
“Tell me about it,” she said under her breath, thinking of her own sudden change in life. Her frustrated niece being confined to a playpen each evening while Jenna cleaned the Supreme Cleaning Services Offices building as a punishment for breaking the employer – employee code.
“I don’t know how exactly, but somehow I got roped into seeing this weird sounding, pretty boy I’d never even heard of. British, I bet. Don’t know what strings he can pull, but me declining to see him wasn’t an option.”
Jenna’s heart sank.
“What’d he look like?”
“White. Tall. Broad. Slim, but not skinny. Curly hair with dimples. Looked younger than he probably was. Good-looking if you like pale skin and dark features. Bit pretty for my taste – maybe not for yours, Jen.”
They sat silently.
“You know him?” enquired Leon.
“I do. What did he want?”
“He was nosing around. He never said he was a cop, but he acted like a man that expected answers. Are you in trouble, girl?”
Jenna shook her head.
“No.”
“Cause if you are, the past year and a bit of my doing time has been a complete waste of time.”
“I’m not in any trouble. My grades are good. I’m holding down a job. Mum, me, Liana and little Zada are surviving nicely.”
“Your mum still hate my guts?”
Jenna rolled her eyes.
“Nah, that’s a good thing Jen. Keeps you focused on the right path. Means when you graduate you’ll stop people like me falling in with the wrong crowd when they’re too young to know better.”
Jenna’s hand reached over and squeezed his. Their eyes met and in seconds, they exchanged a look of shared youths and growing up. Leon released her hand abruptly.
“He was nosing about your university fees. How they were paid? When were they paid up until? That sort of thing.”
“What’d you say?”
“I went on to say I had no idea because I don’t know you no more, but he’d done his background checks. He knew we had a history, even knew we were neighbors. I told him it wasn’t any of his goddamn business.”
Jenna w
as silent. She knew the essence of Spencer and he was a man who was determined to achieve what he set out to do. He may not have a cure for Rett Syndrome, but it didn’t impinge on his focus or determination. Locating how Jenna’s university fees were paid was small stuff to a man in Spencer's position. He’d have got an answer from Leon. Leon’s brawn was no match for Spencer’s intellect.
“You put me in the yard with this jumped up playboy in his posh suit and I’d wipe the floor with him, but that wasn’t an option. I had a feeling he could be dangerous.”
“He wouldn’t hurt you,” assured Jenna.
“Yeah he would. I think to protect you, he’d hurt anyone,” mused Leon. “I told him the truth. My uncle pays your fees. He runs a legitimate garage. He’s your godfather and he feels obligated to. And that is the truth, Jenna. Any dealings I had with my uncle and the small petty crime I was into was between me and him. It has nothing to do with the motor repair shop.”
“Your uncle does it as a favor to you, though. And to owe you that favor, you must’ve helped him out in ways that weren’t strictly by the book.”
“That ain’t your business, girl. Your business is to study hard, stay afloat and do something with your life. You keep doing that I won’t break my promise to you.”
Jenna felt a tear at the corner of her eye. She missed Leon. She loved him, but she wasn’t in love him. She just loved the way he cared about her. The way he saw the best in her. That he thought she’d have a better chance in life if he was absent from hers forever.
“I’ll keep doing that,” she assured him. “And you’ll keep your promise to me.”
“I will. I’ll be out of here soon enough. Finished up my apprenticeship in here so I can get myself a proper job with a steady wage and work my way up. Keep my head down and my nose clean and you won’t ever find yourself near one of these places again. You won’t have to hear any stories round the neighborhood about me becoming a regular visitor of these kinds of facilities.”
“That sounds fine.”
“You gotta work hard too, Jen. Do your best to stop kids like me picking this route in life. Then everything will have been worth it, right?”
She nodded.
“I told you what I thought you should know about this prissy Brit. You oughta know what game he’s playing at, and those kinds of stunts can only come from a man with a plan. Be aware. Get yourself out of here now. Scoot, girl.”
Before he could stop her, Jenna leaned over and kissed his forehead chastely.
“It wasn’t all bad, was it, Leon?”
“Jenna, when we were little, too young to know how poor we were, too silly to know what we were missing out on, we had the best time ever. Trouble is people like us don’t get to keep their childhoods. Father’s walking out, drink and drug habits rife in the family, scrounging for food and money – you can’t keep your innocence in that environment.
I thought crime was the way out. Seemed joining a gang was a quick fix. Thought it’d get us the best in life. Didn’t get us anywhere. You saved my life though, Jen. I was busy trying to play the big man to look after you and I didn’t realize you were looking after yourself. You had your head buried in a book. I thought you may as well have had your head in the clouds. You picked the hard path, but it’s getting you to a better place and for what it’s worth – you saved my life, Jenna. I can follow your example. Took me longer, but I see yours is the right way, the best way. I’m proud I know you.”
Jenna screwed her eyes tight, knowing it’d stop the waterfall of tears.
“But Jen,” started Leon as she made her way to the exit door.“It definitely wasn’t all bad. When we were little kids, we had the best time ever and growing up with you was a privilege. Took it for granted at the time, but those memories are the best for me. You make better memories now, even if it is with some wealthy white boy.”
Going through the mundane process of pat downs, security checks, retrieving personal goods and signing out, when she finally stepped out into the light Jenna could feel the sun on her skin and see the beautiful brilliant blue of the sky.
She had got out. She’d got out on her own and she was proud of the woman she was.
*
Jenna groaned as she approached the Supreme Cleaning Services building. Her rucksack was weighing her down and Zada was less than impressed being carted round New York in a rickety red pram in the rush hour.
“I’m sorry, baby girl,” she apologized as she used the fob to open the main entrance to the building. Immediately as she was on the premises, the security alarm started. Zada was screaming. Jenna was punching the code into the panel. It mightn’t silence Zada, but at least it did halt the siren. She sat on the stairs, close to Zada’s pram.
“I’m really hoping this won’t be forever, angel,” she cooed. Rocking the pram a bit, Zada’s cries softened to whimpers.
“Shall Aunty Jenna start from the top down or work her way bottom up,” voiced Jenna aloud.
The quiet of the vacant building at night was quite eerie.
“Top down, I think. That’s where I left the cleaning materials last night.”
She pushed the pram to the elevator and waited for the bell to ring to signal its arrival.
Hopping in, it glided quickly to the 26th floor.
“Thank God, Ms. Princely only leases three of these floors or you and I would never make it home. Not that I’m looking forward to the subway journey back.”
Jenna fling off backpack. Yes, the cot was lightweight, portable and compact but it was still cumbersome in the backpack. It sprung to life with little assistance from Jenna.
“In you go,” she said, placing her niece inside.
She took a handful of toys out of her pack and flung them in the cot for Zada to play with. Kissing her niece softly, she inhaled the scent of fresh soap and clean clothes.
The arrangement was hideous for the toddler but she made no complaint. It wasn’t as if she could even wear her headphones while working, lest Zada need her immediate attention.
“Okay, keep busy and Aunty will do her best to get you out of here as quickly as possible.”
It wasn’t a solid promise. Jenna was glad Zada was fully comprehensive of the English language. With prim Ms. Princely as her direct supervisor, Jenna wasn’t in a position where she could cut corners and afford to be careless in her cleaning duties. Ms. Princely had an eye for dust and Jenna suspected she’d be giving her the white glove treatment for her first few days of work.
Having wiped the computer monitors, sanitized the telephones, tidied and polished the desks and emptied the bins, Jenna knew which came next. The sound of the raucous vacuuming would drive Zada mad. She popped some candy in Zada’s mouth knowing her sister and mother would be furious at her for giving the toddler such sugary treats so late at night. Looping the headphones over her neck, she placed the headphones from her iPod into Zada’s ears. Scrolling to Zada’s favorite play list, she double-checked the volume control to ensure no damage could be done to the youth’s sensitive ears. Jenna stood back and watched with genuine joy as Zada clapped her time in rhythm to the music.
“You look like you might want one of those for yourself one day,” drawled a familiar voice in an unfamiliar setting.
Jenna found herself screeching in fright, which in turn had Zada screaming her lungs out. Spencer’s hands flew to his ears to block the noises.
“What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?” he mouthed the question back in mute.
Jenna tore the headphones from Zada’s tiny ears and lifted her to her hip. She jiggled the babe on her hip to calm her and whispered sweet nothings in her ears. It appeared to have very little effect on calming her.
“Why don’t you let me have a turn,” proposed Spencer, hoping his voice was deep enough to undercut Zada’s high pitched squeals.
“What would you know about little girls—“
Jenna stopped herself from finishing the sentence. She wished she
could’ve bitten the tip of her tongue off. Spencer clearly had a lot to do with his niece, if his recent trip abroad had anything to do with it.
She passed Zada to him. Zada’s thick little hands looped around his neck. Spencer’s beautiful long lashes closed as he smothered Zada’s face in kisses pretending to kiss away all her tears. She giggled and looked adoringly at him.
“Sorry I gave you and Aunty a fright, beautiful little girl. It must’ve seemed like the big bad wolf had come creeping up to spy on you when it was just a friend.”
“Friends shouldn’t be sneaky in nature,” said Jenna sharply.
“Tweet, tweet, tweet,” mocked Spencer, “someone’s been singing like a canary.”
“Someone’s been keeping an eye on an old friend to warn her to stay away from a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
Spencer smiled wolfishly and Jenna despised herself for being charmed.
“What are you doing here?” she asked again.
“What are you doing here?”
“Stop answering questions with questions Spencer’s – it’s childish.”
Spencer had given Zada a key ring with a plush brightly colored monster on it that made an array of cute noises when squeezed in an appropriate place. Transfixed, Spencer was able to lower her in the portacot to continue the adult conversation without interruption.
“I came here to find out exactly what you are doing here when I didn’t ask for you to be relocated.”
Jenna looked dumbfounded.
“Close your mouth, you’ll catch flies.”
“I’m here because of some photos that were all across the tabloids from that charity function I attended as your guest.”
“Date,” corrected Spencer.
“Guest,” insisted Jenna. “If you hadn’t insisted I take the check it might’ve been a date, but you were quick to remind me where to find it the following morning, thus making it a job.”
“And you were quick to tear it up in front of my eyes, which in my reckoning means we were on a date.”
“Yes, but then you insisted that you transfer the funds into my personal account thereby putting the final nail in the coffin and confirming it was nothing more than a duty of service.”