Tanked: TANKED

by Cheri Lewis

  “Know what?”

  My heart races, but I’ve been dying to ask, “How’d you know it was him?”

  I watch as he shakes his head. “It was right there in front of my face for hours. I should’ve caught it sooner.”

  “Caught what?” I ask impatient and confused.

  He looks over at me then back to the road. “How’d he know I was at Weasel’s?”

  There’s a long pause. “You’re asking me?”

  “No, I’m telling you how I figured it out. There would be no way to know I was at Weasel’s. I was upset. I knew Alexander could find me and I didn’t want to be found. Had the asshole not drugged me I would’ve remembered that a lot sooner when it came time to go pick up my car.”

  “But he was at your place and he took your blood to have it tested.”

  “Ballsy, I know.”

  I turn back and watch the road. “How’d he drug you without you knowing?”

  “Good ol’ Cootie, the lover of women, had one of his many lady friends slip it in my drink. She said it was supposed to be a joke, from one cop to another.”

  Oh my, “That’s really messed up.”

  “No, what that is, is really fucked up. Of course I’ve heard that Alexander showed up and that didn’t go over too well.”

  “Yeah, he was bleeding when he got back with you.” Tank doesn’t say anything just shakes his head and seems to be deep in thought so I ask, “Do you know why me yet?”

  “No, they’re digging around and it might take a while and honestly we may never know. We know you fit the physical description of the past women he attacked. Blonde and beautiful. But somewhere, sometime you crossed his path and got on his radar.”

  It surprises me when we turn into the parking lot of the Waffle House; the forty-five minute trip only seemed like fifteen. We both climb down out of his SUV. He holds the door open for me then follows me inside. He motions to the back of the restaurant where it’s pretty much empty other than two men who look like truck drivers sitting and enjoying their meal. I briefly smile at both of the men as we pass them but they don’t return my smile. They look me up and down. I instantly regret coming out into public. I reach up and pretend I have an itch that needs to be scratched to help cover up my bruised neck. I slide into the booth and Tank slides into the seat across from me. Before I can voice to Tank how uncomfortable I am our waitress comes up and asks, “Can I get you something to drink?”

  We both say coffee at the same time. The waitress is now staring at me; I look down at my menu reading each item on it waiting for her to leave.

  When she leaves, Tank leans forward and puts his hand on top of my menu. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Quit putting your head down.”

  I look up enough to lock eyes with him and whisper, “I know that, but I feel like I have to explain what happened to me, people are staring at me.”

  “It’s that new sexy haircut of yours,” he says with a half grin.

  “Nice try.” I roll my eyes.

  Our waitress comes back with our coffee and a bowl filled with little buckets of creamer. “Do you know what you want to order? Or do you need a few minutes?”

  We order our food, the waitress leaves and Tank says, “I need to go wash up.”

  Fear of being left alone in the booth settles over me. “I—I need to go too.”

  We walk together to the other side of the restaurant. When I’m finished he isn’t out yet and I don’t want to stand next to the door to the men’s restroom waiting for him. So I walk slowly back to our table and keep my head down. I pass where the men were sitting earlier. An overweight balding man stops me, and he has teeth missing on the right side of his mouth. “Pretty lady, I mean you no harm. If he’s the one beatin’ on you, that ain’t no way to live. You can leave with me and I promise you I’ll take you wherever you need to go or to the police station.”

  I look around and notice it’s just him and me. The other truck driver must’ve left already, I quietly assure him, “He didn’t do this to me. He saved me from the person who did this to me.”

  His kind eyes stare at me a few moments. “If you’re sure you’re alright. You’re much too pretty to be bruised up like that. Whoever he is ain’t worth it.”

  I want more than anything to explain that I’m not living with somebody who abuses me but I can’t find the words to even begin. I reach up and touch the bruises on my neck, nod in agreement and walk away. I slide back in the red booth waiting for Tank. It sure was taking him a long time to wash his hands.

  I add cream and sugar to my coffee, stir it and take several sips before the bathroom door opens. It’s the other truck driver and Tank is right behind him. He has a weird look on his face. He looks amused but pissed off. I furrow my brows and pick my cup up again to take another sip. As I watch him walk toward me I take him in. He really is a good looking man. His jeans hang low and his shirt hangs loose. His arms are long and muscular. I find myself thinking about his half smirk and how sexy it is when he slides in the booth in front of me and I ask, “Are you alright?”

  I can tell he’s trying to find the right words. “You had a couple of men coming to your rescue.” I look over at the two truck drivers now standing at the tall counter paying their bill. The one who spoke to me nods his head and the other keeps looking between Tank and I then looks back at the waitress who is taking his money. “They thought I put the marks on you.”

  “I know. I told the one in the blue shirt you didn’t.”

  “It would’ve been nice if I had been asked before I got shoved into the bathroom stall.” My jaw falls open as he continues, “It took me a second to get the situation under control but we quickly came to an understanding.”

  “He shoved you into the bathroom stall?” I ask in disbelief.

  He nods while taking a drink of his coffee. The waitress arrives with our food and starts setting down different plates of food. My stomach growls. I am starving and can’t wait to taste my waffle. “What’d you do?” I ask as soon as she walks away.

  He picks up his fork and stabs it into his eggs. “Well first I had to escape the stall, and then we had a chat.”

  I stop buttering my waffle and look directly at him. “You jumped over the top of the stall?”

  He sticks the fork in his mouth, raises his eyebrows and then nods. I look back down at my melted butter trying to imagine him climbing over a bathroom stall. “After we move you back home tomorrow, do you want to do something?”

  “Like us together go do something?”

  “Yes.”

  “Like a date?” I instantly regret those words when they fly so easy out of my mouth. He slowly chews the bite he had just taken, and then swallows. He opens his mouth to speak but I get there first “I was just clarifying. I’m not ready to go out into public and I’m not trying to get you to take me out on a date. I just wasn’t sure what you were asking.”

  He isn’t relaxed anymore and his eyes are guarded. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

  I wave my hand and shake my head. “Tank, I don’t want it to get awkward. Let’s just forget I said that please.”

  He sets his fork down and with a sincere look he says, “I’ll explain it one day but not here okay?”

  I nod, “Okay.”

  He tries sounding upbeat but I’m not fooled. “So since you don’t want to go out into public what do you want to do?”

  I eye him and finally take a bite of my waffle covered in syrup. I don’t want to look like a pig and just shove my face down in my plate so I take another bite, then a sip of coffee. “You don’t have to babysit me. I can go to my parents if I get bored or find something to do.”

  “So now you’re blowing me off?” I’m sure it was meant as a joke but it doesn’t come across that way.

  My shoulders drop in defeat. I can’t win with him. I lean forward not to make a scene and try keeping my voice down to not draw any more attention. “Argh, no I’m not. I just don’t want to be a bother. I hav
e taken up the last few weeks of your life and I’m sure you have things you want to do besides look after me.”

  “I can’t really think of anything else I’d rather do.” This time his words are very sincere and I know he means every one of them.

  I drop my fork and it clanks against the plate. “See, that right there. You say these sweet things sending me mixed signals. I don’t understand what exactly we have going on between us.”

  “I just know I like being around you. Being around you makes me feel better. Isn’t that good enough?”

  His face doesn’t give anything away but his words are causing more confusion and I’ve had it. “No, it’s not good enough. That’s another incredibly sweet thing to say. One minute you’re touching me and making me feel like the most important thing in the world and the next you’re shutting me down. What. Do. You. Want. With. Me?”

  “I don’t want anything,” he replies quickly and a little too blunt for my already strained day.

  I close my eyes. I can’t believe I am sitting in a Waffle House at 4 o’clock in the morning after I’ve almost been killed, trying to discuss having a relationship with somebody who clearly doesn’t want one. How stupid am I?

  “Are you finished eating?” he asks curtly.

  I open my eyes and look down at all of our many little plates and we both have a lot of food left but I know one thing for sure I’m not hungry anymore. “I’m done.” I say in aggravation.

  He slides out of the booth and motions for our waitress, and then walks to the check out to meet her. I slide out and leave him in the restaurant. I wait by the SUV for him. The lights flash and I hear the doors unlock so I open the door and climb inside. I wait for him to speak first. He’s obviously upset with me about something and I’m upset with the mixed signals he keeps sending. I’m not stupid. Either he likes me or he doesn’t, and I know he likes me. It isn’t that hard to decide is it?

  We spend the entire ride in silence and every mile we drive the more upset I become. I can’t deal with someone who can’t tell me what he’s thinking. Why, why, why do I finally find someone I’m interested in and he’s got more problems than people on the Jerry Springer Show.

  When he pulls up in front of his building I barely wait for the SUV to come to a complete halt. I sling my belt off and march to the front door. I roll my eyes when I realize I didn’t bring my key and I have to wait on him to unlock the front door. He comes and stands beside me. “Are you going to ignore me the entire rest of the morning?” he asks very stupidly.

  I open my mouth then close it. Ignoring him? I’m not ignoring him! “I’m not ignoring you, you’re ignoring me.” He shakes his head and unlocks the door, I wait for him to enter but he just stands there. “What are you waiting on?” I ask exasperated.

  “I suck at relationships,” he says while looking at the door.

  “Clearly,” I say too sarcastically and instantly feel like a big pile of dog poop when I see his reaction. “Tank, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just one minute I know we have something and the next you’ve got all these reactions all over your face like you just ate something bitter.”

  “What do you want from me?” he asks almost in a whisper.

  I’m not sure he’s really asking me but I answer. “Just admit that you feel it too, that I’m not imagining things.”

  “You’d never have kissed me or touched me if I didn’t feel it too.”

  “Then what’s wrong? Why can’t we just take it one day at a time?”

  “I live, eat, and breathe the job.”

  “Okay…”

  “In the beginning you’ll find it exciting, then when I’ll have to miss dinner you’ll be mad and when I can’t take you to the movies or go on vacation. You’ll start to resent me and the thing I love to do.”

  Once again, I let my mouth fly away with itself, “Is that what your wife did to you? Is that why you two were having trouble? Tank, I’m not her and I’m sorry you lost her the way you did, I really am. But you can’t put me in that same category. You know what I think? I think you’re full of excuses. Don’t worry about it. Clearly I’m not important enough for you to try. I had it all wrong.” I push passed him and suck in a breath and press back the fear as I walk into the place of the attack. I quickly walk through the lobby into the kitchen and down the stairs. I pack all my belongings as fast as I can, I grab Prima and put her in her pet carrier and get out of there. I know he’s watching me. I can feel him. My heart wants him to stop me and to at least try to talk to me but he doesn’t and that really pisses me off. I turn back around to the house, shoot him a bird, climb in my car and drive away.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Moving on with life

  I sit out in front of my house and just stare at it. It feels like I haven’t been home in months instead of a little over a week. Prima is the only thing making noise and it’s loud and annoying, “Yeeoou.”

  I sigh. “Yes, I know we’re still sitting in the car.”

  “Yeeoou.”

  “No, I’m not afraid to go inside.”

  “Yeeoou.”

  “I just don’t know what I’m doing is all.”

  “Yeeoou.”

  “With anything. What was I thinking?”

  “Yeeoou. Yeeoou.”

  “Alright, Alright, maybe I’m a little scared to go inside.”

  “Yeeoou.”

  “Yes, I’m fully aware how stupid I look sitting in a car having a conversation with a cat who I know is not answering me. All you want is out of that stupid box.”

  “Yeeoou.”

  As I roll my eyes and open the door to the car slowly, headlights turning onto my street catch my attention and I’m glad to see blue lights sitting on top of the car when it pulls in behind me in the driveway. The door opens and a figure steps out. I can’t fully see his face but I recognize his voice when he says. “I came by to check on you.” I know it’s Hunter.

  “Did he send you over here?” He’s silent then shrugs his shoulders guiltily which I take as a yes. “What a dumbass.”

  Hunter scratches his forehead. “You guys having a lovers’ spat?”

  I laugh before I realize it. “Nope, nothing like that.”

  He shrugs again. “If you say so. Do you want some help carrying in your bags?”

  “Nah, I’m alright. You go ahead and get back to work.”

  He hits a button on his watch and it lights up neon blue. “I’ve only got about forty-five minutes left on my shift, as long as no major emergencies happen. I’m good.”

  “Won’t you get in trouble?”

  He shakes his head. “The chief wants us to check on you regularly. Peacock is doing pass down. I’m good.”

  Relief engulfs me that I won’t have to be alone. “Actually, then yes I would love some help.”

  We unload my bags and I let Prima out of her carrier. She sniffs around and goes right into the living room and jumps in the old recliner. I think she’s just as happy as I am to be home. Hunter sits on the couch and I go to see what I have left in the refrigerator to drink. I get us both a soda and then move Prima so I can sit in the recliner. She moves over to the couch and lies down with her back to me. I roll my eyes and take a sip of my soda. Dang temperamental cat.

  He pops the top of his soda. “I’m just hanging out, if I’m in the way let me know, I can go if you’re ready to go to bed.”

  “No, you can stay as long as you want. I’ll be up a while. I just feel bad I’m keeping you from your job.”

  “Riding in a patrol car that somebody threw up in earlier or sitting on a very comfortable couch in the peace and quiet. Which would you choose?”

  “Ewww. They puked in your car?”

  “That’s nothing.” He waves his hand.

  I shake my head. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.”

  He smiles then looks down at the soda he has resting on his leg, the room falls deathly silent, I start to ask him if he wants to watch some TV when he says, “You know I r
eally had no idea right?”

  I know immediately what he’s talking about and my heart takes a dip, I don't want to keep thinking about it. “Yeah, I know,” I say quietly.

  “I mean I just left you with him and went on into work. Fed you to him on a platter. I didn’t see Tank’s vehicle but I saw Cootie’s so I thought Tank had sent him even though I knew Tank was supposed to be there to take the next shift. It just didn’t seem out of place. I keep thinking if I had only called Tank.”

  “It’s alright.”

  “No it’s not; it was my… all of our jobs to protect you, including Cootie’s. There was confusion all the way around. Peacock was supposed to have that shift but he had called in sick half way through then I took over…”

  “I’m a bit confused on why or how Cootie had two vehicles there?”

  “Right now it’s just speculation but we think when he took you he was going to claim that he was knocked out and taken as well. But he’d somehow escaped.”

  I shut my eyes at how well he apparently had this planned out and he was going to kill me. I swallow the lump in my throat. “Well, I’m fine. I made it out alive,” I say trying not to sound too upset.

  “Barely.”

  I try to tell him it’s okay, but apparently he needs to get it out since he keeps going and going. I guess he feels like he needs to apologize because he does six more times. I, on the other hand don’t want to talk about it, and I think I’ll be alright if I never talk about it again for the rest of my life. I sit quietly and listen to him talk. Sometimes it’s hard to hear what a good guy everybody thought Cootie was because I know he had me fooled. As a matter of fact, is it really safe for me to be sitting here with him? I mean, I thought I could trust Cootie and I couldn’t. Can I trust Hunter? Stop McKinsey, you can’t think this way.

  He frowns like he heard my thoughts. “I’ll go. I’m sorry to be honest, I guess I just don’t want to be by myself right now and I don’t feel like driving out to Weasel’s.”

  Why would he drive out to Weasel’s at almost 6:30 in the morning? I look over at him and say, “I know exactly how that feels not wanting to be alone. I’m actually really glad you’re here. But, why would you drive out to Weasel's this early in the morning? I thought it was a bar.”