Given New Worlds

by Rachael Sircar

  An unexpectedly warm day off made Abby stir crazy and she decided to go for a jog. Of course, this time she was sure to call it in to security. She waited for the assigned ‘casual runner’ to show up fifteen minutes later at her door and she began a slow jog to ensure that he could keep up with her. He was one of the regulars and went by the name of Jed, even though he looked like more of a Tex.

  She ran the two miles to the library and sat on a bench in the park across the street. Jed was winded, so Abby took her time stretching out her hamstrings and quads.

  The door to the library opened and Abby felt her breathing rate increase. Of course, it was only a group of laughing students that exited, but she couldn’t help but think of Sean. She’d been forcing thoughts of academics into her mind while trying to kick out thoughts of the man with the fabulous arms.

  She wondered about the dream. Sean had said that he’d dreamt about Jamie. She wondered if he still dreamt about her. He probably hated her. Had he been kicked out of the college? That would be something Dad would do. When someone displeased Dad, heads rolled.

  The door opened again, and Abby froze. But it wasn’t Sean.

  She shook her head and turned to Jed, now resting on the bench two down from her. She lifted her hands, palms up, questioning his ability to run. He nodded, and Abby began a comfortable stride. She continued to think about Sean. It was like a band-aid that she couldn’t rip off. She pulled and pulled, but each time it was too painful, so she just let the thoughts sit there. She passed a small campus store a block away from the condo and got an idea. It was another bad decision amongst many. But she couldn’t help herself.

  After turning around and crossing the street, Abby stated loud enough for the Jed to hear. “I need some feminine products. Be right back.”

  It was enough to keep him from entering the building. He was an idiot to believe that she would be buying tampons at an electronics store, but the term ‘feminine products’ was enough to scare any man, so Abby hoped for the best and went straight to the computers. She purchased a simple, cheap machine, crossing her fingers that her parents wouldn’t spend too much time going over the receipts to her credit card. Once purchased, she exited the store and nodded towards Jed. “A few additional things caught my eye,” she explained, pointing to the heavy bag in her hand.

  He rolled his eyes and followed discretely while Abby walked the rest of the way to the condo, probably grateful that she was no longer adding to his already taxed workout.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  THE accounts were simple enough to set up. Abby was sure to pirate the connection through her neighbor’s Wi-Fi instead of using her own, not taking any chances that her Dad had the connection tracked. For all she knew, he had the whole campus on watch, but once in a while you had to take a chance. She laughed at the inanity of it. Abby was far from a person who took a chance.

  She created an email account and then nervously developed a false identity on Facebook.

  Jamie Poser. Age 47. Married with two children. And lots of cats. Favorite book - A Walk to Remember.

  Then she sent the message.

  Slapping the lid to the computer down, Abby felt the sudden need to eat chocolate and watch horror movies. Where was Veena when Abby needed her? She threw a blanket over the new computer and went in search. Fortunately, Veena was already two steps ahead and had container of ice cream in hand as Abby approached the kitchen.

  “Hey girl, we got chocolate?” Abby asked.

  “Chocolate chip cookie dough close enough?” Veena lifted the container out of the freezer and tossed it over.

  They settled themselves on the couch in front of a 1970’s horror flick and talked about the upcoming holidays. Veena’s parents were Hindu, but that didn’t keep them from going full blast with the Christmas celebrations. Abby agreed to at least consider spending Christmas Eve with them. Especially when Veena offered the promise of some of her mother’s delicious cooking.

  Once Abby’s eyes began to close involuntarily, she dragged herself back to the bedroom. Midway through brushing her teeth, she heard a ping on the new computer. Holding the toothbrush in her mouth, she lifted the screen to find out what the sound indicated.

  Notification: Facebook Messenger

  Abby almost dropped the toothbrush to the floor as she frantically opened the account and peered at the words in the little blue box.

  Jamie: Mr. Court. Book club beginning in regard to the Sparks novel. Message back if interested.

  Sean: Heck yeah. You just tell me where and when.

  Abby’s smile returned with a vengeance and she felt that same flutter she’d experienced in the library bathroom when she’d seen Sean’s reply to her note. But where in the world could she meet with him? And why would she take the chance? Abby minimized the program and pulled up a bible site in its place. She searched the word ‘safety’ and read verses both in and out of context.

  Safety was a relative term. It wasn’t something you could conjure on your own; just the opposite. Assuming safety was prideful. There was no way to avoid the inevitable, to avoid God’s plan. Abby wondered if she was using God’s word to rationalize her own thoughts. She continued to pray as she fell asleep, not wishing, not reaching for something she shouldn’t have, only wanting God’s will.

  In the morning, Abby had two cups of coffee and a weird green shake from Veena before opening the computer. Having yet to receive a clear answer, she still didn’t know how she was going to reply. Pulling up the Facebook program, Abby saw that Sean had posted an image on his business page. It was a picture of a candle with the quote ‘Fear not, for I am with you.’ written in scrawled letters underneath.

  Abby hadn’t been able to scroll through the page yesterday, but now that he had ‘friended’ her, she was able to see every item that he’d placed on his site. Each week featured a different bible verse or inspirational quote. The feed showed that he’d attended events for Catholic Charities, Youth Missions, and The Christian Motorcyclists Association. He appeared to be involved in several military organizations as well, with ‘Semper Fi’ and ‘Oorah’ written in some of the replies to his posts.

  The sound of Veena’s footsteps in the hallway caused Abby to throw the blanket over the laptop again. She wasn’t sure why she felt the need to keep Veena from her little secret, but at this point, the fewer people that knew, the better.

  “I’m going to get toilet paper and wrapping paper. You need anything?”

  “I need my car washed.”

  “Fat chance, mine hasn’t been washed in weeks.”

  Abby laughed and noted that a gift certificate to the car wash would be a great Christmas gift for the woman that didn’t want anything.

  “Maybe some chocolate ice cream. Other than that, I’m good.”

  “Broccoli and quinoa. Got it.”

  Abby rolled her eyes and waited for the front door to close before uncovering the computer and tapping into the message box.

  Jamie: 5:00 Dillard’s 2nd floor bathroom.

  She looked at her watch. It was 2:45. Doubtful that he would get the message, she left it up to fate… or God. Hoping for the latter, Jamie dressed in black pants and a white sweater. She added blush, a hint of lipstick, and some mascara so she wouldn’t look washed out. It was, after all, mid-December and her summer tan had gone from tawny to alabaster pale. She knotted her hair into a high bun and placed a white knit cap over it, then slid a large pair of oversized red glasses on the bridge of her nose. It was as close to incognito as she could get, except for the bag of goodies she had tucked under her arm.

  She sent a text to her mom asking what Dad might want for Christmas and received an immediate reply.

  Mom: Don’t worry about it sweetie. Just having you safe and happy is gift enough.

  Safe and happy. That seemed to be the ongoing message lately. She walked to her car holding the phone in her hand, waiting on the next message. It arrived as she was pulling her seatbelt on.

  Mom: Maybe one of
those Alexa machines.

  When she pulled out of the driveway the next message arrived.

  Mom: And I’d love a new pair of earrings to go with that necklace you got me for my birthday.

  Mom was good about cluing Abby in on easy gifts. She smiled in relief. Mom had taken the bait and had likely communicated to Dad that she was going Christmas shopping. The perfect alibi.

  It took fifteen minutes to get to the mall, twenty minutes to find and walk from a decent parking spot, twelve minutes to buy electronics for Dad, and another twenty-one minutes to purchase earrings that matched Mom’s necklace as well as two expensive bottles of men’s cologne and have them wrapped. She’d been able to duck and dive, keeping hidden from public recognition as she refrained from eye contact and kept a low profile. That left thirty-eight minutes to ditch security and wait for Sean. She walked to the cafe court and entered the bathroom hall through the South entrance. After spending several minutes in the ladies’ room, she scanned the hallway for any inconspicuously conspicuous men. Nothing.

  She slid into the Employee’s Only entrance and walked down a long hallway with large trash bins and door after door featuring the names of the fast food restaurants on the other sides. She reached the north end of the hall and walked through the exit, finding herself directly across from Dillard’s. She watched the area for any telltale signs of security and walked quickly across the tiled concourse into the department store, up the escalator, and through the bedding department towards the bathrooms. Her heart almost hurt, it was beating so fast. She felt like she’d run a mile.

  After rounding the corner to the bathrooms, Abby took a cleansing breath and stepped behind the wall for a moment of peace. “Jamie?”

  The familiar voice brought bubbles of excitement to the surface and Abby would have squealed if she were six years younger. “Hi there, stranger.”

  “Didn’t your dad tell you never to talk to strangers?”

  Abby laughed and nodded towards the ladies’ room. “Give me a minute to freshen up. I’ll be right back.”

  “I’ve waited this long,” he said, settling on the bench seat near the water fountain. “Take your time.”

  After changing into jeans and an ugly Christmas sweater, and quick placement of a dark wig, Abby turned to check her look. “Hello Jamie. Welcome to the world.” She shoved the white sweater and cap into her bag and switched out the oversized red glasses for small black John Lennon specs.

  Then, stepping out into the waiting area, she made her way to the water fountain. Feigning a sip, she glanced at Sean out of the corner of her eye. He was tapping his leg nervously and checking his watch. She found it humorous how he kept glancing past her towards the door of the bathroom, looking for Abby.

  Once she could no longer keep her composure, Abby stepped away from the water fountain and faced Sean. “What’s a handsome guy like you doing in a place like this?” she asked, rewarded immediately by a smile and the deep reddening of Sean’s face.

  “Wow. You look so…”

  “Ugly?”

  “I wasn’t going to say it.”

  “It’s the sweater.” Abby twirled and tugged at the bright monstrosity that covered her torso. “It will get us securely into the back of Tastey Coffee, but we won’t be able to go strolling in the mall. My security detail is probably thinking I’ve got a case of wild diarrhea by now. We probably have about a half an hour before they storm the castle.”

  Sean looked disappointed. “Thirty minutes isn’t much.”

  “Enough time to plan our next meeting.” Abby held her hand out and led him behind the stacks of bedding towards another rear hallway. This one led to the east end stores and the coffee shop that Abby and her mom would escape to when they needed to have a few minutes of peace during their mall shopping trips. The booths were private and easy to hide in.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “I can’t believe that you contacted me,” Sean said, his eyes full of daring and delight. Abby could tell that he was feeling the adrenaline rush as much as she was. Pangs of worry coursed along the edges of her bravado, but Abby pushed them away each time she remembered who she was with.

  “Me either.” She glanced at her watch and noted that she had about nineteen minutes left.

  “What made you decide to make contact?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe it’s school. I’m feeling a bit of freedom. And it tastes good.”

  “Freedom.” Sean rolled the word on his lips while taking another drink of tea. “It doesn’t seem like you have much freedom to me.”

  “I have the freedom to go to a good school, to have clothes on my back, and to live a life of comfort. That counts for a lot, Sean.”

  “You probably went to a school that your parents picked out for you. I’m sure you have a stylist that advises you on clothing selection. And your life of comfort seems to be carved in stone. You’re sneaking around the mall wearing an ugly Christmas sweater and a wig as a disguise. That’s not the kind of freedom I fought for.”

  “That you fought for…” Abby whispered quietly. “You were in the Army?”

  “Marines.”

  “How long were you in for?”

  “Seven years. I’m still in reserves. Took a break to get the last two years of med school in.”

  “Wow. Thank you for your service.”

  Sean rolled his eyes.

  “Here’s where you say, ‘You’re welcome’?”

  “‘Thank you for your service’ is an old, dry piece of bread, Jamie. When you start putting something on the bread to make the effort worth it, then I’ll say you’re welcome.”

  “You don’t have to be so boorish. I really am thankful.”

  “Then show me. Make your life worth it.”

  “I’m going to be a doctor. Don’t you think that’s worth something?”

  “I don’t think you’ll make it to a residency program.”

  Abby could feel the bristles poking up along her spine. “I’m doing very well, I’ll have you know.”

  “I’m sure that you’re doing fine, but will your father really let you go beyond the walls of the private hospital that we’re working in? You think he’d be comfortable sending you off to Memorial Hospital where thousands of personnel, patients, and visitors go traipsing through all day? Are they going to have a gaggle of security follow you around as you do your internship?”

  “I’m going to be doing my internship at St. Francis.”

  Sean sipped at his drink and lifted that eyebrow. Abby found it attractive and fascinating, but right now she really wanted to slap it off his face. Sure, St. Francis was a small private hospital in the middle of a high-class community. But it didn’t mean that she couldn’t get the experience she needed to become a doctor. She ripped her eyes away from his accusatory face and stirred her coffee in silence. A part of her knew he was right. When would Dad ever really let her go? She knew that they weren’t planning on letting go at all, only handing her over. And the search for the right man was on, as she sat here with the wrong man.

  “You’re thinking about your life now, aren’t you?”

  Abby nodded, not wanting to answer, not wanting to admit her sense of imprisonment. It was easier if she didn’t think about it. Push away the bad thoughts and concentrate on the good.

  “And what about this?” he said, motioning his hand across the table.

  “Coffee?”

  “No, Jamie. You and me. Sitting here with ten minutes left. Counting down until we sneak together again. That’s not going to work for me. When I commit, I do it for the long term. I’m not looking for some sort of ‘Break out of Jail’ fling.”

  “That’s not what I’m doing at all.”

  Sean took his last sip of tea and pushed the cup to the side. “I’ve seen the pictures, read the articles. I know that you’re a regular woman trying to sew her wild oats. And I also know that I don’t want to be a part of that.”

  “Those are lies, Sean. Don’t ever believe the things you
read online. You should know that.”

  “Did you take your bathing suit off at St. Barts?”

  “No. It was a tan suit and it blended too much with my skin. I’d bought it on a whim. Big mistake.”

  “Did you have sex with Brent Artley in the back of his limo?”

  “Definitely not! I met him one time at a gala. That was just a girl that looked like me. He lied for the publicity.”

  “Did you buy black thong underwear at Lenore’s Boutique in Las Vegas.”

  Abby didn’t answer that one. She did buy the underwear, but she didn’t know that pictures of her purchase would be leaked all over the internet.

  “So, you’re somewhat normal, I guess. The point I’m trying to make is… I like you. I feel attracted to you. But I don’t feel it enough to go behind your parents back and steal away time from your college career. What is your plan for a relationship with me?”

  “I haven’t really worked all that out yet.”

  “I see.”

  “I’m kind of leaving it up to God,” she said, wondering if he’d accept her rationalization.

  Sean laughed and kicked at Abby’s foot under the table. She loved his ability to be playful. It was such a new experience. She wanted to bottle the emotion and take it out like perfume whenever she was feeling down.

  “Did you study for that cardiovascular final?”

  Trying not to wonder how he knew about the test, Abby decided to answer, but with a little grit thrown in, “Well, of course. But… I really don’t want to talk about school right now.”

  “Just hear me out. Let’s say you’re taking a simple multiple-choice test. You read the question, then you consider the answers. You determine how the question relates to the answers. You eliminate the ones that don’t make sense, and you weigh the viability of the ones that do. Then you circle the correct answer.”