by Kylie Parker
“Um…” I don’t know what to say.
She just laughs, “Relax, James. It’s not like you and I are exclusive. I just wanted to know exactly what was going on between you two. So I’m asking.”
I guess I can’t really lie now. “Éclair and I have slept together.” I say, “We’re not dating or in a relationship or anything, but we have had sex… a lot…just to have sex, really.”
“Oh my God, you’re fuck buddies!” she laughs at me, “Okay, okay, I get it. Damn!”
I suddenly find myself smiling. Sylvia is way cooler than I thought. Then I realize she’s just trying to distract me. I smile. “You’re pretty crazy and just awesome, you know that?” I say.
“Look, James, I like –I like you a lot. You just tell me when you’re ready to go from whatever we have now to something more… exclusive. I’m not in a hurry. I like what we have now. I’m not saying I would not want something more; I’m just saying I get it if you’re not ready. I don’t care about the whole Éclair thing.” She says, and I can hardly believe what I am hearing.
“Are you serious?” I ask. I grin, “Well, if that’s the case-”
She puts her fingers to my lips before I can say anything too stupid, “Don’t’ get any ideas. I may be okay with the Éclair thing, but that does not mean I am going to invite her into bed with me, big guy. Do that shit on your own time.” She laughs again. “I will say this, though: I am looking forward to the day you tell me you’re ready for something more.”
I put my food and drink down and just smile. I’m not sure what to say to that. I lean over and give her a kiss on the cheek. If anything, she has definitely provided me with a distraction. And it was a well-needed distraction.
Chapter Thirty-Three
The doctor exits out into the waiting room, and I immediately rise from my seat when he makes eye contact with me from across the way. He approaches me and asks me to step out into the hall and out of the waiting room. I cringe. That’s not good. Everyone else in the waiting room had informed of their loved one’s surgical updates without having to get up and move, so my mind jumps to a thousand different conclusions. Sylvia stands with me, and the doctor leads us both out into the hall.
There are some police out in the hall, so I feel somewhat relieved. My assumption is that they are here to take a statement from me and Sylvia, so I assume that’s why I was asked to leave the waiting room. However, neither of the two officers come near me. They keep their distance, and the doctor begins to talk. His eyes look tired; he has been in surgery with Eddie for hours now, and this is Eddie’s second major surgery since we first arrived. I’m not sure, but I am fairly certain this is the same doctor who performed the first surgery. I’m too distracted and distraught to keep track of who is who, so I’m not really sure.
The doctor does not look pleased to be talking to me. His eyes are heavy, his head lowered, and his hands a bit shaky. “We did everything we could.” He says, “But your brother is currently on life support and is still under. He might wake up, but even if he does, it’s not looking very good for him.”
I feel Sylvia grip my hand. I feel my jaw quiver. “What do you mean?” my voice is shaky. “Are you telling me he’s going to die? Is that what you’re telling me?”
“I’m telling you there is a good chance of him not recovering.” The doctor says, “Right now he is fairly stable, but I honestly do not foresee that happening. I can’t tell you if he is even going to wake up at all, but there is always that chance.”
I wonder how many other people he’s talked to today like this? How many other men have heard this man tell them that their brother is going to die? I can see in the doctor’s eyes that having had done this before does not necessarily make it easier. “I don’t know what to say,” I say after a few minutes of silence.
“Would you like to see him?” the doctor asks. He seems quite eager to get out of my presence. I don’t blame him. I’m seconds from becoming neurotic and falling out on the floor.
“Yes,” I say, still gripping Sylvia’s hand. I think it’s the only thing keeping me upright.
We walk down the hall, and the doctor takes us to a back area. We enter into one of the rooms, and my stomach drops. Eddie looks worse than before. His skin is so pale, and he is hooked up to more machines than I would bother learning to know what they are for. The doctor steps out to give me some time.
I wait until the doctor is gone before I pull up a chair beside Eddie, and I break down. I certainly did not expect to ever show Sylvia this side of me –especially not so early on in our relationship. I also did not expect someone to attack my older brother at our factory. I feel Sylvia put her hand on my shoulder, and she remains standing beside me. I bring my hands together and hold my face, wiping away any evidence of tears as fast as they fall.
Eddie remains perfectly still. He looks like a shadow of his former self. He does not even look real. The pale skin, the machinery surrounding him, and the simple fact that he’s in a room with me and is not yelling at me about something makes me feel uncomfortable. Sylvia keeps touching my shoulder as her own little way of showing me she cares. She does not say anything, and neither do I.
We sit in silence for a considerable amount of time before the two cops who had been staring at me in the hallway entered inside. They have come to get a statement from us both about what had happened. They had been giving us some time with all of the commotion and stress from Eddies’ surgeries. I still don’t feel like talking to them, but it’s not like I have much of a choice at this point. We both tell them everything we know about how we had found Eddie at the factory. They are short and to the point; I guess they can tell I’m pretty distraught. After getting our statements, they each hand us a business card and tell us to call if we think of anything else. I put the card in my back pocket and forget all about it. Honestly, by the time they’re gone, I can only vaguely remember the conversation at all. I can recall that one cop had a big red burly beard, but that’s is about all I can remember.
I sit with Sylvia for several more hours next to Eddie. Visiting hours are long over, but they let me stay anyways. Eventually, the doctor who had performed Eddie’s surgery enters the room with a sympathetic gaze. “Mr. Mont, I would advise that you go home and get some rest. We can call you if anything changes.” He says, but I am very hesitant. I could never forgive if Eddie were to take a turn for the worst while I am gone.
Sylvia looks exhausted, but I can tell she is not going to be leaving my side anytime soon. I sigh. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.” I say. I am doing everything I can to keep from falling asleep. I can hardly remember what my own bed looks like.
We don’t wind up leaving for another hour. I get as much information from the doctor as possible, and I want to hear him reassure me that I will get a phone call several times before I feel even remotely comfortable leaving. Sylvia offers to drive me home, and I willingly accept her offer.
The drive home is completely silent. I’m just glad I did not have to call my personal driver; he would have been awkward and tried to talk to me to make me feel better. He’s an awkward guy. We head up to my penthouse, and I just slump down into my couch.
I realize now that we have not spoken a single word to one another since leaving the hospital. I am not really sure what to say to her. I’m worried. A little scared too.
Sylvia sits down beside me and holds my hand. She does not say anything, but she puts her head on my shoulder. It’s reassuring, but it’s not exactly making everything better. She leans over and gives me a kiss on the cheek, and I turn to look at her. Something about having her here makes me a little better. So many things are running through my mind right now. Will Eddie be okay? Will we find out who did this? Is this related to the poisonings?
The last conversation I had had with Eddie had been harsh. It makes me sick to my stomach knowing that the last thing I said to him was something so cruel; we had gotten into a serious fight in my office. He needs to wake up so I can tell him
I am sorry.
Sylvia kisses my lips and says, “It’s going to be okay, James.”
I’m not so sure.
Chapter Thirty-Four
I was just about to head inside the hospital when I was stopped out front by two uniformed officers. The younger of the two men was obviously a rookie because he seemed nervous in his skin. The older gentlemen had a serious look on his face. “Mr. Mont,” he said in a kind voice to grab my attention, “a word?”
“Can we do this later?” I say and continue my walk towards the building, “I already gave you all my statement. I’m visiting with my brother right now.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but you’re going to have to come with us.” The officer says and suddenly makes a grab at my wrist.
“Excuse me?” I yank my hand back. “You want to tell me what this is all about first?” I could punch this guy in the face.
“Mr. Mont, you need to come with us.” The older guy says.
I snap at the guy, “For what?” I wave a hand at them just to show them that I don’t give a shit what they’re saying to me, “Fuck off. I’m not in the mood for this bullshit. I’m going to visit Eddie.”
“No, you’re not.” The man says and blocks my path, “James Mont; you are suspected of the attempted murder of Eddie Mont.”
“Excuse me?” My eyes widen. I’m confused, hurt, and angry as fuck. I point a finger in the guy’s face, “You fucking idiots think I hurt Eddie?”
“Mr. Mont, please put your hands behind your back and-”
“Fuck you!” I shout at the cop, “You assholes are out of your mind! I swear, if you think for one second-”
The next thing I know I’m getting my face slammed onto the hot hood of a patrol car while the two cops force me into cuffs. The young guy recites my Miranda rights and they both throw me into the back of the cop car. I can’t believe what is happening. My blood is boiling, and I wind up cussing the two guys out the entire ride to the precinct. They ignore me and hold their own conversation the entire way there; they’re talking about some stupid Daddy-daughter dance the older guy is being drug to. Seriously –that’s what they’re talking about while I’m stuck back here losing my damn mind.
Once at the station I get my picture taken and I’m fingerprinted. I’m close to losing my mind at this point, and they place me in a holding cell. Me –in jail! I’m in fucking jail! I wind up walking around in a circle in the cell for several minutes trying to figure out what the hell is happening. What judge put a warrant out for my arrest? What the hell could they possibly have found that would make them think I hurt Eddie?
I take a few calming breaths and then shout towards one of the cops who arrested me. The older guy is near my cell. He looks at me, “Relax,” he says, “you’re only going to be in there for a few more minute. Stops acting like a damn caged tiger. You’re making the crack heads nervous.” He waved a thumb at the cell across the room behind him were some obvious druggies are shaking like crazy.
“What the fuck, man?” I snap at the cop, “This is bullshit, and you know it!”
After a few minutes of the cop ignoring me, two other officers’ show up to take me to an interrogation room. I’m about ready to snap. They have me sit in a chair, and they cuff me to the table and leave. My head is spinning at this point. I kick the chair across from me, and it falls over just as a man in a suit is entering the room. The man frowns, picks up the chair, and then just stares down at me. “Why are you in cuffs?” he asks.
“Hell if I fucking know!” I snap at the guy. “Am I being charged with something? If so, I want to talk to my fucking lawyer, you fucking pig.”
The man rolls his eyes, “Fine. You can stay in cuffs if you’re going to act like that, dumbass.” He sits down across from me and opens up a file. “For the record, could you please state your name?”
I frown and lean back in my seat, “James Mont.” I then sit upright, “Am I being charged for something? If so, I want my fucking lawyer before I say a damn thing to you.”
The man frowns and closes the folder. “That was quick.” He gripes and stands up to leave the room. I can hear him say, “He’s already lawyering up,” just as the door closes.
My heart is pounding. They leave me in the room for another hour before anyone comes inside to clue me in on what is going on. Lillian Lioness, my lawyer, comes walking in wearing that same auburn colored suit of hers and plops down in the seat in front of me. “All right, you can relax,” she says in a reassuring tone. “The cops jumped the gun on this one. I already talked to the judge. He has set bail at $2,500, and I’m guessing a man like you can afford that, right?”
“Damn it, Lillian,” I say, “They think I killed Eddie.”
“And anyone with any sense about them knows that is not true. They don’t have any real evidence. This shit is going to get thrown out quick, trust me.” She chuckles, “Honestly; I think it’s kind of funny.”
“Fuck you, bitch,” I say.
“Hey, easy. Thanks to me, you’re not going to be staying the night in jail.” She says, “And like I said, this is going to wash over quick. You won’t be able to go see Eddie for a few days while I get this straighten out, though.”
I sit upright, “What do you mean?”
“Just a few days.” She says.
“Hell no!” I shout, “You got to fix this now!”
“James, you need to calm down.” She says, “Eddie will be fine. They’re not going to take him off life support without you there. I’m going to get this straightened out quick, I promise. I just need you to trust me. It’s obvious you had nothing to do with this and this is just a couple of homicide cops who aren’t real detectives trying to make a big arrest. This will be over soon.”
“Why do they think it’s me?” I ask.
“There is this ridiculous theory circulating that maybe Eddie had been the one poisoning the supplements and that you caught him. It makes sense in theory, but there’s no evidence to support it.” Lillian says and then awkwardly yet reassuringly pats my hand.
The door opens and a cop comes in and unlocks my cuffs. Lilian looks back at me, “Just pay your bail, and you can go home. I’ll do my best to make sure this goes away quick. I’ll call you first thing in the morning after I have a word with my connections.”
“All right, all right.” I say and follow the cop out to the main entrance of the station to pay my bail. Lillian leaves, promising me an early phone call.
As I am filling out paperwork, the officer behind the desk suddenly lets out a soft snort laughter. “Looks like you’re going to be staying here tonight.” He says.
“Excuse me?” I hiss.
The cop looks at me, “Your assets have been frozen while your company is being investigated for negligence, Mr. Mont. You have no way to pay for bail.”
“You must be joking!” I snap. I had no idea my account had been frozen, and I’m guessing my lawyer didn’t know that either. “Just put it on my credit card then.”
“Yeah, you can’t do that, pretty boy.” He says.
The next thing I know I’m in cuffs again demanding I get my one phone call. I call Sylvia, and that turns out to be a mistake. She had gotten called into work, and she’s in fucking Utah. I try my best to remain calm while I talk to her on the phone. “What do you mean you’re in Utah?” I question.
“My company has me testing out some snow gear!” she sounds horrified, “James, I am so sorry! I don’t know what to do!”
“When are you coming back?” I ask.
“Two days!” she cries into the phone,” Don’t tell me you’re going to be stuck in jail for two days!”
I don’t want her to worry, but unless I can convince these cops to let me have a second phone call, it sure looks that way. After cussing all of them out, I’m pretty sure they’re not going to let me bend the rules. “No, no, don’t you worry,” I lie to Sylvia, “I’m sure I can figure something out.”
This shit escalated quickly.
Chapte
r Thirty-Five
I have been sitting in this stupid jail cell for a total of nine hours when one of the officers suddenly taps on the cell door. “Mont, you made bail,” he says, and I sit up and rub my eyes slightly. I had started to doze off, finally accepting the fact that I would be spending a few nights in jail until I could get a hold of my lawyer to get her to help me unlock my funds.
“I made bail?” I stand, confused, “Who paid my bail?”
Suddenly Éclair is rounding the corner, and I feel a tremendous amount of relief to see a familiar face. She smiles at me, “Well, look at you,” she teases, “A regular old jailbird.”
“Shut the hell up,” I say as the door to my cell is opened.
As it turns out, Éclair had heard about me being arrested. Of course, it had made the news, and I was being branded as a vengeful prick by the media. Éclair, thankfully, had tried calling me. She had contacted Lillian and the two of them had figured out that I was still in the jail. Éclair had set Lillian off to try to get my money, and she had come to my rescue –paying for my bail.
We wind up standing out in front of the police station, and I don’t really know what to say to her exactly. I manage to say thank you, but now I don’t know what to do. “Lillian says they won’t let me in ta the hospital to see Eddie.” I can hear the sadness in my own voice, so I know that Éclair is picking up on it. Little things like that do not go unnoticed by her. “She says she’s working on it, but right now I can’t go see him. What if something happens to him while all this is going on?”
“Lillian will get this worked out quick,” Éclair says reassuringly, “you’ll see. In the meantime, why don’t you come back to my place? I’ll make you some of my special tea, and we can rent a movie or something.”
Rent a movie? I’m not really sure how to respond to that. Éclair is not a rent a movie type. She’s a come over and fuck me type. I go for it anyways, and she has her personal driver take us out to her home in the suburbs. As always, I’m a bit taken back by the pink and silver décor that makes up her home.