by Alexa Davis
Jon cleared his throat and broke into our conversation. “Alright, Mr. Fletcher, let’s cut to the chase. You’re in here for running a criminal organization with the funds received while in public office. We’ve got two conspirators willing to testify to that effect. The last thing you want is for this to go public; it would destroy your image,” he added smugly with a grin.
“Honestly, your best bet is to cooperate,” he continued. “Plead guilty and negotiate minimal jail time; that’s the best that you can hope for. What do you have to say that would be able to help us?”
Brandon shrugged as if it were no big thing for him. He didn’t even seem to acknowledge that he was in any kind of trouble to begin with. “I’m sure you’ve got sway with the district attorney. I think with a little persuasion, you could make this whole thing go away. I’d be willing to compensate you handsomely, of course.”
Hansen smirked, looking up at him over the rim of his coke bottle glasses. “I think you underestimate the seriousness of the charges you are facing. They’re not going to just magically disappear.”
At this point, Brandon turned to me and smiled. “Adam, talk to him for me, will you? After all, we’ve got to look out for each other.”
I chuckled. “Actually, Brandon, I have absolutely no intention of doing that. You got yourself into this mess, and I will deal with it ethically and within the confines of the law. Hansen is doing you a favor by willing to negotiate your jail time, but going to prison is a reality that you need to wrap your head around.”
His eyes narrowed with anger as he looked me over carefully. “Well, so much for our brotherhood,” he spat out angrily. “It’s a shame; we could have gotten along really well.”
I could feel the contempt in his voice once he realized I wouldn’t help him, and started looking at me as his enemy. He truly thought the rules did not apply to him and he could get away with anything as long as he put on the appropriate amount of charm. Brandon felt like he was entitled to better treatment and a slap on the wrist just because I had met him once before and we belonged to the same organization.
Jon Hansen interjected and pressed him once again, not willing to listen to his ranting or be manipulated as one of his pawns. “We need your answer, Mr. Fletcher. Are you going to plead guilty and deal with this quietly, or will we have to go to trial?”
Brandon snickered, sitting back in his seat with a smile. “It’s never going to go to trial. This is just a game for me. I’ll post bail and get out of here by lunchtime. You’ve got nothing on me except the testimony of those two yahoos, and even that can be negotiated. This is just a bump in the road for me, gentlemen. I think you’re the ones who should be worried.”
Is he threatening us? What an unbelievable prick.
Even Jon seemed pissed by Brandon’s infuriating sense of entitlement. His lips pursed angrily into a line and began gathering his things. “Come on, Adam. Let’s get back to work; we’ve got a lot to do.”
I gathered my briefcase and files with a scowl, standing up from the chair. My hands clenched through every act they performed, seething with rage at this arrogant prick. I didn’t even look at him; I was too angry.
When Jon and I finished gathering our things and headed for the door, Brandon called out after me. My hand was already on the latch as we tried to leave. “Oh, I’ll see you tomorrow night for the Men’s Club meeting.”
The tone of his voice held such confidence that it set my teeth on edge. I could almost feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I paused momentarily and felt my heart stop, glancing sideways at Jon. He waved me on, encouraging me to ignore it.
Fuck.
Chapter 28
Vanessa
Friday
As Adam walked out the door to his meeting, my chest started feeling tight. I hated watching him go, and I hated it more when I knew he was anxious. I just wanted him to do well and feel less stressed. I didn’t know anything about his meeting, or what was going on at his work but he seemed more anxious about it than usual. It wasn’t just in the way he talked about it either; I could feel it when he kissed me, the desperate need to release pent-up frustration.
I shook my head and laughed, maybe I was projecting too much. Last night was incredible, and I wanted a weekly repeat. If only there was some way I could make that happen… My heart beat faster thinking about it, and I smiled at the memory.
It was my day off from work, and I planned on spending it with my parents. As soon as I finished eating and washed the dishes from our breakfast, I skipped back to my room and picked out a pair to clothes to get dressed.
With the winter season slowly fading into spring, I thought it was nice to go with warmer colors and sweep away the seasonal blues. A lacy floral skirt that I picked out fanned out around my knees, and a coral sweater to go on top. I left my hair down in gentle waves and hoped the feminine style had a positive impact on my appearance.
Once I’d finished getting ready, I picked my keys up off the desk and grabbed my purse before heading out the door. My trusty car was not the most attractive thing in the world, but it was reliable and got me where I need to go. I locked the door to our apartment behind myself and walked over to climb inside the driver’s seat. As I turned on the ignition, the engine sprang to life, and I backed out of the parking spot.
I hummed along with the radio as my mind wandered about the things going on. Adam and I were living together and having the most incredible time; I was falling in love with him. He seemed to be feeling the same way, too, but we hadn’t talked about it.
I worried that would bring an end to things.
What if I was wrong and Adam just wanted something casual? Meghan’s advice to keep the messy feeling to myself was on a constant loop in my subconscious.
“Just enjoy it while you can.”
I sighed, driving the streets of my parents’ neighborhood. All the Christmas decorations were finally down, and only a small portion of snow remained on the roof and sidewalk. The car angled itself smoothly into the driveway, and I placed the car in park before shutting off the ignition.
My stomach was all butterflies, and I was looking forward to seeing my mom. It hadn’t been the same since I moved out.
I grabbed my purse and stepped out of the car, walking down the sidewalk to the front door. When I knocked, the sound of Maggie barking came echoing loudly in the foyer as she ran up to the door.
“Oh, Maggie, hush,” Mom scolded her from the other side. A moment later, the door unlocked and he opened it for me with a smile. “Vanessa! Good morning, come inside.”
I chuckled, stepping past her through the threshold and knelt down to scratch the white Labrador behind the ear. “Hey there, girl Did you miss me?”
Maggie licked my face and wagged her tail excitedly, and I laughed at her indulgently. Mom sighed, patting her softly on the back and said, “Go on, Maggie. Let Vanessa settle in.”
The dog obediently pranced off toward the living room, and I stood up to greet her properly. “Hi, Mom.”
She hugged me tightly with a smile and said, “Hello, sweetie. I’m glad that you could make it.”
“What did you have planned for us to do today? I’m pretty comfortable with whatever.”
Mom left her arm around my shoulder and walked me over to the kitchen. “Well, I do have to run some errands later on. You’re welcome to come with me if the feeling suits you.” As we stepped into the open floor plan of their kitchen and dining room, she left me briefly and walked over to the cupboard. “I made some lemonade this morning; would you like any?”
“Yes, please,” I agreed immediately while pulling up one of the bar stools and sitting at the counter.
She got down two glasses and poured some for each of us. I took it once she offered and drank the sweet, sour refreshment happily.
Mom watched me carefully and got a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “So, tell me about things with Adam. Are things still going well now that you’re all moved in?”
I snickered,
while setting the glass down on the counter and said, “Yeah, we get along great,” I assured her. “Really great, in fact. I think I might be falling for him.”
She smiled encouragingly and added. “Well he’s a nice boy. We’ve known Adam and his father for a good long time. It makes me happy to see you finally with someone.”
“Really? I thought you wouldn’t approve.”
“Why on earth wouldn’t we? I’m over the moon, to be quite honest. Does he treat you well and make you happy?”
“Very happy,” I agreed.
Mom smiled, reaching over to place her hand on top of mine. “Then that’s all I care about.”
“Wow, thanks, Mom. I’m not sure though. We’re not really official or anything, I just like him.”
“Sometimes men need a swift kick in the rear to make any kind of commitment,” she commented dismally. “He’ll come around in time.”
I laughed at her and sighed, taking another sip of the citrus beverage. “It’s not that. We still need to talk about things.”
“Alright, fair enough. Are you willing to run with me to the grocery store and pick up a few things? Your father asked for rib-eye this evening, and I don’t have any of the sides to go with it.”
“Sure.”
She pulled out a post-it sheet of paper and started making a list as she looked through her pantry carefully, writing down items in tiny delicate handwriting. After she went through everything, I followed her out into the garage and into the passenger seat of the SUV. We talked the whole drive about my relationship with Adam and what I liked about him. She smiled and nodded approvingly, but I noticed the longer I kept talking, the wider her smile became.
We arrived at the grocery store and walked the aisles, collecting things and making plans for meals throughout the week. It was good spending time with her; I had missed the way we used to talk and joke around. I was having so much fun that we lost all track of time and were there much longer than anticipated.
Eventually, we made it to the checkout line and paid for the groceries before heading out to the car. Mom drove us back to the house, looking thoughtful, and thanked me for helping her. We unloaded all the items from the back of her car and carried them inside. When I started putting them away, her expression turned sad as if a thought had suddenly occurred to her.
“I haven’t seen your bother in a couple weeks,” she told me quietly. “I wish he came by more often like you do. We’ve got no idea what’s going on in his personal life, and he’s become really evasive.”
I turned to her surprised and said, “Oh, I was not aware that was happening.”
She nodded, trying to brush it off and smiled at me. “It probably nothing to worry about. You’ll have him call me, though, if you see him, won’t you?”
“Sure.”
“Thank you; I appreciate that. It’s a hard thing being a parent. Your kids grow up and move away, but you never stop loving them, you never stop worrying.”
I hugged her lovingly and said, “I’m never going to stop needing you, either. I love you.”
She patted me on the shoulder, and we went back to unpacking all the things.
By the time we finished, Dad came home. He kissed both of us on the cheek and sat down on one of the chairs. “It looks like you girls have been busy! What did I miss?”
She clicked her tongue at him and scoffed teasingly. “I’m making that rib-eye steak you asked for. If you’re not going to help, peel some potatoes or get out of the kitchen.”
He laughed and said, “Okay, Vanessa and I will be in the living room. I haven’t had the chance to speak with her all day.”
She nodded, shooing us out of the kitchen and then pulling out the bag of potatoes. Dad walked down the hall with me to the living room, and we collapsed on the leather couch. Just then Maggie came walking around the corner and looked up at me with big brown eyes. I patted the couch beside me and encouraged her to join me for some snuggles. Since Adam didn’t have any pets, it was my only opportunity to get my fix of loving that fuzzy face of hers. Every now and then, I missed having that around.
“Did you have a nice day?” Dad asked me pleasantly.
“Yeah, it was good. I ran to the store with Mom, and we got to talk about things, it was nice.”
“Good. How are things at work?” he inquired curiously. “I got your response to the email that I sent.”
“Yes! Thank you so much for doing that, I can’t believe it.”
“You’re very welcome, sweetheart. Are you enjoying things at Frank Howell?”
I nodded, looking down sheepishly at my hands. Maggie put her head down in my lap so I could scratch behind her ears. I smiled at the whimpering sounds she made as I ran my fingers through her thick white fur. “Yeah, it’s nice. I really enjoy the people, and the work is great for my portfolio. ”
“But,” he encouraged with a smile. I loved the way he always knew what I was thinking.
“But, I still think about opening my own company; it’s what I really want to do. Seeing my name on a business card made that feel real again. Sometimes I wonder if I should quit and start working freelance to get a name for myself.”
My father nodded, listening carefully. “You could do that,” he agreed. “I have confidence in you. Ever since you were a little girl, you’ve always had such fire in you. You can accomplish anything you set your mind to as long as you’re willing to work hard and make that happen.”
I looked back at him and smiled, overwhelmed by the love and support my parents had for me. The one thing I was scared about most was letting them down. As I swallowed the lump rising in my throat, I told him, “The business cards were a good place to start. I’ll have to think about it some more before I make a decision. Technically, I live with Adam, and it wouldn’t be fair to quit my job and stop paying my half of the rent. It would be a jerk move after only a couple months of living there.”
As much as I would have loved to drop everything and focus on myself for once, I needed to consider how my actions would affect other people, no matter how well-intentioned or altruistic they may be.
Dad nodded, agreeing with that statement and added, “Well, then maybe you should talk to Adam about it. He was able to support himself living there before on only his income; maybe he’ll support your decision. I don’t know, all I’m saying is that I believe in you and if that’s what you want to do, then you should go for it.”
I moved over to the couch beside him and gave him a giant hug, resting my head against his shoulder. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Anytime.”
Chapter 29
Adam
Saturday
My phone rang cheerily on the kitchen table Saturday morning as I was reading the daily newspaper. It was part of the new routine Vanessa and I had on the weekends: sleeping in and having coffee together in our pajamas—the best part of my whole week as far as I was concerned. I glanced down at the caller ID and saw Max’s name blink across the screen. With a smile, I accepted the call and brought it to my ear. “Hey, Max.”
“Hey, you going to the meeting tonight at Bowling Green?’
My stomach clenched at the mention of our Men’s Club meeting. When Jon and I visited Brandon in jail yesterday, he had commented in a bone-chilling statement that he would be there. It blended my professional world and social network, tainted the group I friends I knew with nasty feelings. I didn’t want criminals infiltrating my life; it was too personal. I needed to keep them separate.
Yet, somehow, it felt like Brandon had taken that away from me, as though I wasn’t safe in their company anymore.
That was exactly the way Brandon wanted me to feel, like he had already won and I should just give up. I knew I had to go, if only for that reason. If I didn’t, then he would take it as a sign of weakness, and I really would have surrendered to him.
“Yeah, I think so,” I told Max carefully. “Did you want to carpool there together?”
Vanessa raised an eyebrow at me from acr
oss the table as she sipped on her morning coffee, but didn’t say anything. Her wavy blonde hair was all a mess, and she had a baggy t-shirt on; it was gorgeously casual. She grinned, looking over at me while I took the call and pulled her legs up onto the chair beneath her.
“Cool, you’re driving, though,” he insisted. “I’ll be at your place in about an hour.”
I snorted dryly and looked across the table at Vanessa smiling. “Alright, see ya then.”
We hung up the phone, and I cleared my throat before explaining, “Max is going to be here soon. We’re headed out to Bowling Green this afternoon.”
“Oh, that sounds fun. Another one of your Men’s Club things?”
I nodded, going back to the paper and folding it neatly on the counter. With a tired sigh, I walked back into the bedroom and changed into some appropriate clothes so that I’d be ready. Then, I bustled around the apartment and finished washing some of the dishes in the sink while trying to keep my hands busy.
Soon, there was a knock on the door and Vanessa went to answer it. “Max!” she cheered excitedly, giving him a welcome hug. He was all smiles and happy to see both of us, so I gathered he must have forgiven me about hooking up with her. Max was a warm and forgiving type to begin with, so I knew he’d come around eventually.
“Here there, sis!”
I came out of the kitchen and smiled at them. “Hey, man. You ready get going?”
“Hell yeah, let’s get out of here.”
Vanessa waved and gave a little smile on our way out the door. We talked on the way out of town, catching up on work and how things were going at the firm. I didn’t tell him about Brandon, though; it didn’t feel right to disclose that information to him yet before the charges had been levied.
Max was in a good mood, bopping his head along with the music in the car and playing the air drums with his fist. It was like we were back in high school: no worries, no responsibilities, just having fun.
When the song ended, he looked out the window along the freeway and sighed. “You know, they’re doing this new thing at my work about a ‘no crime policy’ that I thought you would be interested in hearing about.”