by Ashlee Price
“Come in,” Tanner called out while still moving in and out of her.
Jenna panicked as her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. “No, don’t come in! Are you crazy?!?”
“Stop it, babe, let the world see us,” Tanner said to her. “It’s alright. Join us.”
Jenna scurried under the blankets, away from Tanner’s naked body. He simply waved her off as if she was being silly and opened the door to welcome their unexpected guest. Just like that, her magical moment turned into a nightmare as Brandy stepped into the room.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing here?!? Get out!” Jenna screamed.
“Oh, Tanner, tell your wife to relax.” Brandy smiled, kissing him on the cheek and running her hand down his chest.
“Get your hands off of him,” Jenna yelled, leaping out of bed.
“Now it’s a party!” Tanner exclaimed.
“Don’t worry, Jen Jen,” Brandy giggled, “you can have him. After all, he did belong to you first. Here, take him.”
Jenna watched as a collar and handcuffs attached to a chain appeared around Tanner’s neck and wrists. She kept shaking her head, refusing to participate. She closed her eyes, willing it all to go away, waiting for the madness to stop, waiting for her husband to return to their glorious moment.
When Jenna opened her eyes, she was in her bedroom, at home in Doveport, drenched in sweat. The sun had risen in the sky and the morning found her confused and riled up from her dreams and the night before. It was too much to even think about before a morning cup of coffee.
Pushing herself out of bed, Jenna took all the sheets with her, hating that she had sweated through her pajamas. A quick shower would refresh her. She threw on a T-shirt and a pair of shorts before making her way through the house. Walking past her father’s room was jarring; the bed was made. It was just as immaculate as the desk in the office. She stepped inside the room, inhaling what she wanted to be her mother’s scent. It was only that of the perfume she used to wear, but still, it brought a tear to her eye. Her father refused to let any of it go.
Simply standing in the room used to make her feel better, but now it made Jenna angry. She couldn’t help it. Then something caught her eye. It was like looking in a mirror, but the picture was of her mother. She was standing by herself with a smile as bright as the sun. They had the same eyes, the same color hair, and even the same nose. It made her wonder if the reason she and her father butted heads so much now was because of how much she looked like her mother. The sadness was becoming overwhelming, so she left the room, heading down to the kitchen.
Paul sat at the kitchen table with a smile on his face, but he was surrounded by mail, most of which looked like bills with angry red letters stamped across the pages. Glancing over his shoulder as she went to the counter to pour herself some coffee, she couldn’t help but notice some of the pages had her name on them.
“What’s that you’re reading?” she asked him.
“Good morning,” he responded to her.
Jenna sighed. “Good morning, Daddy. Now, what’s that you’re reading with my name all over it? I never knew you liked to commit felonies. It’s a crime opening up someone else’s mail!”
“Not when it’s coming to my house, and especially not when I’m going to be footing the bill,” he smiled, sliding her the envelopes he’d already read through.
Jenna couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen her father that happy, and as she read through the letters, she realized why.
“I can’t believe I got in,” she laughed. “Even with the semester off and everything? I got in!”
“Look at the others,” he told her excitedly. “NYU, UCLA, Penn State, Temple, University of Miami. I didn’t realize you sent your application in to every school across the eastern seaboard.”
“Remember that grant I was telling you about? It left me with some cash for grad school applications, so I put in as many as I could,” Jenna chuckled. “I had no idea that so many would come back.”
“Well, we’re up to six! I’m so proud of you, Jenna. Your mother would be too.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Jenna smiled.
“So when are you leaving?”
Jenna sipped her coffee. “Leaving?”
“Yeah, to go to grad school. You’re going to grad school!” he stated firmly.
“Dad, relax, I just got home yesterday. I’m not thinking about school just yet. It’s only May. I have until July to make my decision. What’s the rush?”
“The rush is I don’t want you hanging around Doveport all summer. I don’t want you stuck here. You need to leave!”
“Wow, thanks, Dad. Way to make me feel welcome. I feel right at home. I want to relax. I think I’ve earned a few weeks without thinking about school. I don’t want to worry about any of that now. Not to mention the costs.”
“Stop worrying about the money. I’ll take care of it! Has there ever been a time during your educational career that I didn’t pay for something you needed?”
Jenna had to think about it. “I don’t think so.”
“Exactly! Just because you’re old enough to understand that bills need to be paid doesn’t mean you’re old enough to treat me like I’m the child. You don’t have to find excuses, just find the time to pack your stuff up and hit the road. You gotta visit at least three of these schools to make an informed decision. That’s a great road trip. Maybe take Hannah with you and have some fun.”
“I’m having fun right here, Daddy. I don’t know why you’re in such a rush to get me out of Doveport. It’s not like you’re dating anyone and don’t want me to know about it… or are you?”
“Never.” He shook his head furiously.
“Dad, it’s fine, I was just kidding. I’m okay with you dating. It still hurts, but eventually you have to find another—”
“I don’t want to fight with you right now. Especially after we just got this good news. Your mother and I agreed that you would go as far as you possibly could with your schooling. We, especially her, didn’t want you confined to Doveport for the rest of your life.”
“You know what’s wrong with that, Dad?”
“What?”
“I actually like it here. I get your not wanting me to be stuck in a small town. I also understand the importance of continuing and finishing my academic career. But I also believe in coming back home and helping out around here. I’d much rather open up a business here than work for someone else’s dream in a big city somewhere. How about we make a deal?”
“I’m listening,” he sighed.
“I promise that I will go look at these schools, I’ll even pick one to go to, if you let me make some changes around The Wheel. Nothing drastic. I just want to host some events to bring in some extra cash so that I won’t worry about you while I’m away at grad school. If I know you’re bringing in this extra money, I can study in peace,” she explained.
“Okay, but don’t touch the office, and you’re not painting any walls!”
Jenna put her hands up in surrender. “Agreed.”
After finishing up her coffee and hammering out some more details of their agreement, Jenna took off for the day. She wanted to clear her head of both her dreams of Tanner and the thought of grad school. The plan was always for her to go home for the summer, but she’d decided months ago that grad school would be the next step. However, her father’s problems with the bar were making her second guess her decision to leave home again. For one thing, she definitely didn’t want to leave until Hannity was out of the picture.
Jenna walked around different stores wondering when inspiration would find her. Luckily enough, she came across a store with a bright purple awning drawing her eyes up and then into the window display. There was a skeleton dressed like a 1920s flapper. A bean bag chair with an emoji painted onto it sat in the corner. There were balloons and streamers strung up like curtains opening to a stage, but instead a troupe of actors, there was the inside of the store.
A bell chim
ed as Jenna walked in. Her eyes lit up as she spotted huge tiki torches, and that’s when it hit her… A luau party!
“Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Welcome to Llana’s Lucky Leis,” a woman giggled uncontrollably. “I just love saying that. I’m Lucky Llana, and how lucky might you be?”
Jenna chuckled at the odd woman. While she was beautiful in name and face, her hair was all over the place like she’d stuck her finger in an electric socket. She wore thick-rimmed, circular-lensed glasses and bright red lipstick that was smudged on her teeth when she smiled. With a royal blue velvet robe draped down to her feet, she swayed side to side, making sure her skinny hips were pronounced through the robe.
“My goodness, you’re quite the character,” Jenna smiled.
“Character indeed! It runs through my blood. Now who are you and what can I do for you, my dear?”
“I’m Jenna Ferris. My father, Paul, owns The Wheel,” she began.
“Oh, that’s rich,” the woman giggled. “Ferris wheel, how genius!”
“Yes, well, I was trying to think of ideas for how to bring more business in for the summer, and I came in here because it just looked like a fun store to come into, and I think I want to host a luau party. Tiki torches, fruity drinks, grass skirts… the whole thing.”
“Well, why don’t you come and try a few things on? As hostess, you should be in costume as well!” Llana told her, showing her to the back dressing room.
Jenna turned around, sniffing the air, “Is that smoke?”
Llana did the same. “Yeah, I think so… maybe someone’s barbecuing.”
So Jenna disregarded it, following the older woman to the back of the store. They made small talk as Jenna tried on costume after costume. It wasn’t until thick grey smoke began to plume through the space that Jenna’s attention returned to the odor. It wasn’t any barbecue she’d smelled, something was on fire!
“We have to get out of here!” Jenna cried out in a panic. As if agreeing with her, the fire alarm in the store went off just then, but there didn’t seem to be any sprinklers. Leaving the back room, Llana and Jenna halted in their tracks as heat and flames shattered the front window and blocked their way out. Llana grabbed Jenna by the wrist and rushed her back towards the back room, moving as fast as she could.
“Come on, there’s a back door to the alley!”
But the fire was spreading so fast that they saw the ceiling and part of the rear wall collapsing in front of them as they passed the dressing room. Orange and yellow flames danced around the store, igniting everything they touched. They were trapped.
As the flames raged closer, Jenna and Llana took hold of each other, crouching down as far away from the heat as possible. Jenna didn’t want to cry, but fear was taking hold of her. Everything was slipping away. Llana had fainted, and the only thing Jenna wanted to do was collapse beside her.
“Help!” she screamed. “Someone help us! We’re in here!”
She heard the sound of sirens in the distance—but would they get to her in time?
Chapter 6
Jenna tried desperately to wake the store owner up, but she wasn’t moving. In fact, she was barely breathing, and her pulse was faint. Panic had already settled in as the beads of sweat dripped down her temples. It was becoming harder and harder to breathe. The walls around her seemed to swirl with smoke, and her body felt weak. She got as close to the floor as she could, desperately searching for fresher air, but it was of no use. The smoke was filling up the room—and the flames were catching up to her, too. Jenna was certain that she was living out her last few moments.
And then the sizzle and steam of the fire being put out engulfed the entire store. It must have been mere minutes, but it felt like hours as Jenna continued to hover over Llana, waiting for the heat to dissipate. She was scared to move, and scared that something would go wrong at the last minute. It wasn’t until she heard the crash of the wall across from her being smashed open that she was sure they would be saved.
Firefighters in masks, carrying axes, made their way around the space. They were talking to each other, but Jenna could barely make out what they were saying. One came and scooped the eccentric old lady into his arms and carried her out. Jenna was next. A man with very familiar eyes bent down and screamed to her, “Are you okay?”
All Jenna could do was nod as the firefighter helped her to her feet. Scooping her into his arms, the masked savior rushed her out of the rubble.
There was an ambulance alongside two fire engines that were still battling the blaze on the other side of the store. A chaotic crowd of onlookers had gathered on the sidewalk across the street. Jenna was still scared, but she began to calm down a little once she was sitting on a gurney next to the ambulance.
The firefighter who’d put her there finally took his mask off. Tanner’s dark hazel eyes stared at her as he pulled the cloth protector away from his mouth. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I think so, just a little shaken up,” she mumbled.
“Okay, they’ll take you to the hospital to get checked out. I’ll call your dad and let him know what happened.”
“Wait a minute, where are you going?” she asked worriedly.
“There’s still a fire to fight.” He winked at her before gathering his gear and heading back toward the blaze. From what Jenna saw before she was pushed into the back of the ambulance, the amount of destruction was massive. Four stores in total had been affected by the fire.
The minutes ticked by as Jenna lay in the hospital room with an oxygen mask over her face. While she hadn’t felt any pain, when the adrenaline began to die down she became aware of the slow, steady stinging of a burn on her leg. She realized that she was still in costume, and some of the plastic strips from the hula skirt she’d been trying on had left her a searing reminder of what she’d been through.
A doctor and a few nurses came in to check on her. It took them only a few minutes to remove the melted plastic and treat the injury. They had just finished wrapping the wound when Paul arrived. He looked pale and frantic.
“Jeeze, Jenna are you alright?!? What happened?”
“Honestly, Daddy, I don’t know. I was in a shop, just goofing around, when I smelled smoke. I didn’t know there was a fire at first, and I didn’t think a fire could spread that fast. By the time the alarm sounded it was already coming through the walls. Oh, I did have a great idea for The Wheel, though! What do you think about a tiki party? A luau! We could really pack in some of the college kids that are home for summer break. We’d make a killing!”
Paul sighed, plopping down into the chair next to the bed. “Here you are with burns on your leg and you’re still worried about your old man’s bar. I’ll do whatever you want to do at the bar, Jenna.”
“You promise?” She eyed him suspiciously.
“Yeah. So have they told you when you get to leave? I gotta go meet Hannity at the bar in a few. I want to talk with him before we open so we can iron out the details of his new agreement when you go back to school.”
“But, Dad, I—”
He cut her off. “I don’t want to hear a word about it. You’re not working tonight. Go out, have some fun if you’re up to it. Or stay home and watch a movie. Relax! You’ve earned it. I guess I should go grab ya some clothes, huh?”
Jenna stared down at her half-melted hula skirt and coconut bra. Her smile grew into a giggle she simply couldn’t stop. Through her laughter, she nodded, “Yeah, that sounds great, Dad. Thank you.”
“Alright, I’ll be back in a few to take you home. Probably after I see Hannity, okay?”
“That’s fine with me, Dad. Just don’t forget my stuff!”
By the time Jenna was ready to check out of the hospital, her father had returned. She’d never felt happier to go home than she did that evening.
Paul set her up in the living room with her leg propped up on his favorite chair, the TV in her sights, and the remote in her hand. There was plenty of food on the coffee table for her, along with some m
agazines that he’d pulled from her room.
“Oh, Dad! Can you bring me my laptop? I have to let everyone know I’m okay and that my phone is probably scorched by now.”
Paul nodded and did as she asked before heading out for the night. “Um, okay, I think you have everything you need. If you go out or anything, leave me a note, or…”
She interrupted him this time. “Dad, don’t worry about me. Everywhere I go won’t be engulfed in flames. If I go out, I’ll be home by morning.”
He simply kissed her on the forehead and headed out to the bar. She would have loved to go with him, and even better to know what was said in his conversation with Hannity, but with her leg still hurting, she was on the couch for the night. She turned on her laptop, planning to message her friends to ask for some company, but then remembered that there wasn’t any Wi-Fi at home.
Jenna stared at the wire running from the ancient cable modem to her Dad’s dinosaur desktop computer. Even if her laptop was compatible with the modem—which didn’t seem all that likely—she had no idea how to configure it, so she decided to give the desktop a try. Turning the thing on sounded like she was initiating a launch sequence. The noises freaked her out, and she didn’t want to break anything that belonged in a museum, so she held the power button down until the thing shut itself off.
“I guess TV it is for the night,” she said to herself. But just then there was a knock at the door. Thinking it was her Dad, she started talking before it opened. “What is it this time, old man? You forget your keys or something?”
The man who yanked open the door wasn’t Paul but Tanner. Tanner Devlin was standing on her doorstep with jeans and a T-shirt on. He looked and smelled clean, whereas Jenna hadn’t even thought of showering after the day she’d had.
“So are you going to invite the guy who saved your life inside, or do you want me to wait out here?” His sarcasm made her pause.
“Sure,” she said, snapping out of it and beckoning him in. “Come on in.”
He shut the door behind him and looked around the room. “Wow, this place hasn’t changed that much, has it?”