by Amelia Rose
“Is that nice man from the dentist’s office gonna be there, too? I like him. I think he’s perfect for you.”
Now there’s a bright child, Kristi thought. She’d been thinking something similar only a few minutes earlier.
“Yes. Mr. Chandler will be here to pick us up soon. Go wash up before you put on your dress, okay?”
She stepped into her room as Janie came out and skipped down the hall, chanting, “Lasagna! Lasagna! Lasagna!” on her way to the bathroom. She closed her bedroom door, smiling and shaking her head.
* * * * *
Wes was sure he hadn’t stopped smiling since Kristi called, maybe since they’d met, and he didn’t care. He felt as though he were orbiting the world at the highest altitude possible for a hot-air balloon. It was a sensation he wanted to experience until time ceased to exist.
He looked across the table at Kristi as she twirled spaghetti with her fork, carefully lifted it to those perfect lips, and gingerly closed her mouth over it. Watching a woman eat never made him think or feel the way he did with her. It was almost erotic and he knew that if he watched her for much longer, his pants would suddenly become two sizes too small.
Averting his eyes to the children, to avoid an embarrassing situation, Wes noticed that the girl seemed to be entertaining herself. As she ate, a child version of her aunt, she hummed a tune to herself as she imitated one of those bobble-head dolls he’d seen on miscellaneous dashboards of taxi cabs. Even his nephew was doing something similar, and he had to wonder what was going through their young minds.
He chuckled. Kristi appeared to notice where his attention was directed and peered over at her niece, then joined him in the quiet laughter.
“Does she do that often?” He kept his voice low, not wanting to distract Janie from having a good time.
“Only when she’s happy and enjoying herself.” Kristi smiled. The contentment on her face was like a flame melting the cold, hard wax his heart had become since his last girlfriend. He didn’t want to think of that now, though. He only wanted to enjoy the company of this beautiful, striking woman and the pretty little girl sitting next to her.
“So, is she visiting you for the summer?” The look in her eyes dimmed. “I’m sorry. My curiosity sometimes speaks before I can think.”
She smiled for a second. “It’s okay. I don’t mind answering.” She took a quick breath. “My sister and her husband died in a boating accident, and I’m the only living relative. She was placed in my custody.” She glanced at Janie, then back to Wes. “If they’d tried to place her elsewhere, I’d have brought the wrath of Heaven down on their ignorant heads.”
Caution flags suddenly circled in his brain as if kicked up by a tornado. His recent ex was also a strong-willed woman, and he’d had to forcibly extricate himself from her vice-like grasp. But, just because Kristi was determined didn’t mean she was a control freak like Liza had been.
“I’m sorry for your loss.” What else does one say in this kind of situation? “But it seems like you have an excellent reminder of your sister.” He paused. “Does Janie look like her?”
“Yeah. Almost exactly like Laurie.” The tone of her voice became reflective. “She has her daddy’s nose and round face but other than that, she mostly looks like my sister.”
“I’ll bet she acts like her, too.”
Now she chuckled. “Oh, yes, she does. She’s so much like Laurie that sometimes I think I’m raising my sister all over again.”
“You raised Laurie?”
“Mom died from cancer when I was sixteen and she was thirteen. Dad had left us right after Laurie was born, so I did the best I could.” Her eyes began to fill up and the dam threatened to break at any moment. “Now it seems like I get to do it again.”
* * * * *
She saw them sitting there, acting like the perfect little family, and it made her want to vomit. It also made her want to do things she didn’t dare speak of, but would carry out if necessary.
All she wanted was a nice, quiet dinner alone. However, that was shattered when she sat down and saw them. He had his back to her, making it impossible for him to see that she was there, her eyes on not only him but also on that harlot and her little bitch child. She wasn’t sure who the boy was but that didn’t matter. The cow who her man was eating with was her only concern.
She tried to convince herself that she was probably his cousin or something, and was only in town for a few days, but the way he was paying attention to every word she spoke told her this was no relative. This woman was a rival. One to be eliminated at all costs, even if she had to destroy him to get rid of her.
Something in the back of her mind began to form. A plan of some sort, though she couldn’t grab hold of it just yet. She decided to let it work itself out before talking to Andy about it. Once she had a plan, he’d be more than willing to see things her way and they’d work it all out.
Chapter Three
Wes couldn’t believe how well they got along. Kristi seemed like the one he’d been waiting for his entire life. Maybe he was moving a bit too fast, but it felt as though she was the missing piece that made his life complete.
The feeling was almost overpowering and he didn’t want to slow down but he knew if he kept up at this pace, he stood the risk of pushing her away. He didn’t want that to happen, and she hadn’t shown any sign of resistance yet. As soon as he noticed anything like that, he’d back off.
What lacked to surprise him was the fact that Anthony and Janie got along well, too. Kids without siblings usually did. He’d have a chat with his sister about letting the boy come along on future dates, if only to put Kristi better at ease.
Here he was now, standing in the doorway of her home, saying goodnight. Janie had already run inside and Anthony was busy with a handheld video game in the back seat of the car. He bent his head and gently kissed her cheek as she turned to face him.
She looked into his eyes and he felt the flames ignite anew. Without warning, her hand was at the nape of his neck and she’d pulled him into a kiss, her lips lingering on his for only a moment or two before she pulled away.
“Good night, Wes,” she was saying as his senses whirled away, then came rushing back. “I had a wonderful time, and I’m sure Janie did, too.”
“Me, too.” He couldn’t think of anything else to say. Her kiss was still swirling around in his head. “We’ll have to do this again. Soon.”
She smiled. “You have my number now. Call me.” Then she vanished into the house as if she’d turned into vapor.
He returned to his car, unaware of the ground beneath him.
“Is she your new girlfriend, Uncle Wes?”
The words startled him. He’d almost forgotten he hadn’t taken Anthony home yet.
“Well, let’s not go rushing things. It could turn out that way, though.”
“It sure would be nice if she was.”
“Why do you say that?” He glanced in the rearview mirror to see his nephew’s face.
The boy hesitated, shrugging. “Because if she is, I wanna come with you again. I like Janie. She’s okay, for a girl.”
Wes chuckled. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.”
“Maybe Mom will let me come with you next time, too.” Anthony sounded optimistic.
“I hope so, little man,” Wes replied. “I hope so.”
* * * * *
She’d followed them from the restaurant and watched them from a safe distance as she sat in her car. The fury burning inside intensified ten-fold as she watched them acting like teenagers at the door. Something had to be done about this and soon. He couldn’t be allowed to just leave her behind like this and take up with some tramp with a kid.
At least now she knew where her rival lived. Tailing them had saved her the trouble of finding out who the bimbo was, then tracking her down. All she had to do now was figure out how to get her to back off and leave her man alone. An idea would come to her. She just had to give it some time to develop. Like a new phot
ograph.
She waited quietly in her car, watching him finally leave, and contemplated what she should do about this woman. She couldn’t tolerate this behavior from him much longer. Somehow, she had to take the bimbo out of the picture.
It wasn’t in her nature to commit murder, but this was pushing her to the limit of her sanity. If she didn’t act soon to let out some of her frustration, while inciting fear in the bitch, then she might slip over the edge. She’d be likely to do anything and wouldn’t be responsible for her actions, if she even cared by then to be responsible for them.
As she watched his taillights disappear down the street and around the corner, she couldn’t help thinking he was slipping away. That was not an option. She had to make sure to give this harlot a sign that things weren’t going to work out for her.
That’s when the idea struck. Yes, that’s what she needed to do, and she had everything she needed at home. She started her car and drove toward her apartment as fast as she dared. Before long, she’d have her plan in motion and this woman wouldn’t want anything more to do with her man.
* * * * *
“Is Mr. Wes your boyfriend now?”
It was just like Janie, and her mother, to be direct.
“It takes more than one date to call someone your boyfriend.” Kristi didn’t want to give the child the wrong impression about such things.
“I think he’s really nice.” Janie’s smile was like a moonbeam, brightening the room.
“So do I.” She tucked the blankets under the girl’s chin. “But it’s time to go to sleep now, okay?”
Janie nodded enthusiastically and closed her eyes tight.
She could see that raising this child was going to be a challenge, but she was up to it.
As she stood to make her way to her own room, Janie whispered, “I love you, Aunt Kristi.”
“Love you, too, sweetie,” she replied, bending over to kiss her niece on the forehead.
She turned and left the room, closing the door but leaving it slightly ajar. The first night the girl was with her, she’d learned the child didn’t like the door completely closed. Janie almost went into hysterics until Kristi reopened it, leaving a two-inch gap. She wasn’t sure why this was the case but she knew that if she were in Janie’s place, she’d have been a little scared, too.
Entering her room, her thoughts returned to Wes. Maybe Janie was right. He could be the one Kristi had been waiting for. He seemed intent on spending time with her and appeared genuinely interested in her, even going as far as including her niece. Another date or two and she’d know if this was going to be a relationship she’d want to pursue. For now, though, she planned to just see where it was headed and reserve her feelings until she knew what she was getting herself into.
That decision being made, she changed into her favorite pajamas and went to bed. She wasn’t able to keep Wes out of her thoughts, no matter how hard she tried but eventually, she drifted off to sleep. Pleasant dreams of him came to her, and she slept soundly through the night.
Chapter Four
Morning always came swiftly for Kristi but this time, it seemed to come that much sooner. Probably because she wanted to keep dreaming. But that wouldn’t pay the bills, so she reluctantly got up and went about her normal morning routine. An hour and a half after her alarm went off, Kristi opened the front door to bring Janie to the next door neighbor, Ella Thompson, for the day.
Mrs. Thompson was in her early fifties and had been widowed for the last five years. To supplement what little she had to live on, she took in neighborhood children to baby-sit when their parents or guardians went to work.
Janie was in the bathroom as Kristi stepped out onto the porch, and she was immediately glad the child wasn’t on her heels like she normally would be. Planted in the middle of her front lawn was a white poster board sign stapled to a wooden stake. The message was clear, but it wasn’t something a child of Janie’s age should see. It read:
Hands Off, BITCH!
He’s MINE!
Without a moment’s hesitation, she marched onto the lawn and plucked up the sign. She could only hope Mrs. Thompson hadn’t seen it yet, although it was possible she had. Pulling it from the stake and ripping it into several small pieces, she strode to the trash can at the side of the porch and tossed it all in.
She went back to the open front door to call for Janie, but the girl came rushing out before she could do so. Smiling as if nothing was amiss, she locked the door behind her, took her niece’s hand, and walked next door.
Mrs. Thompson came out and greeted them before they reached the top step.
“Lovely morning, isn’t it?” The smile on the older woman’s face looked plastered on.
Kristi attempted a genuine smile of her own as Janie toddled into the house. “Yeah, but when the humidity comes along with the heat later today, it’ll be a scorcher.”
Ella chuckled. “Well, this is Florida, and it is early July, so that’s to be expected, I suppose.”
“I guess you’re right about that.” Kristi hesitated. “I hope you didn’t see what was just in my front yard. But if you did, I promise I’ll find out what it was all about and make sure it doesn‘t happen again.”
“The nerve of some people these days. It should be a crime to put filth like that on someone’s lawn.” The scorn for the perpetrator was evident in her elderly voice.
“I agree. I’m just glad Janie didn’t see it. Not sure I’d wanna try explaining it to her.”
“At least it’s a good thing the child wasn’t exposed to it.” Ella paused. “It does make you wonder about folks these days, doesn’t it?”
Kristi nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, it does.”
“Goodness! You’ll be late for work!” Ella was looking at her watch. “Off with you, now. Go on. Shoo!” An affectionate smile lit her face.
“Bye,” Kristi said, chuckling. “See you this afternoon.”
As she turned to descend the four steps from Mrs. Thompson’s porch, she noticed a silvery grey economy car parked a few houses down on the other side of the street. She didn’t know the people in that house because they’d just moved in a week ago, so maybe it was theirs.
It was odd, though, that when she backed out of her driveway and headed down the street, the grey car seemed to follow her. She didn’t think too much of it because a lot of folks here took the same general route to get to the interstate, then on to wherever they worked.
* * * * *
She’d seen the tramp yank up the sign and tear it to bits. That was one of the reactions she thought the woman would have. But then she acted like nothing had happened as she brought the little bitch to the next door neighbor. What? Didn’t that bother her at least a little bit? It wasn’t the way she would’ve reacted, that’s for sure.
Whatever the case, it was only a matter of minutes and the interfering bimbo left, presumably to go to work. The decision to follow after her was simple. The more she knew about her, the better she’d be able to wage war on the cow. Yes, this was a war, and one she would win.
Fifteen minutes later, she tailed the woman into a hospital parking garage. She passed her as the vixen found a spot, and quickly made her way to the next level where she could turn around and head back out. As she came back down, the woman was walking to the elevators. Perfect. She sped up, trying to hit her, but knew she probably wouldn’t. It didn’t happen. The nimble cow jumped out of the way at the last second, so she stomped the brake, and reached into her purse on the passenger seat next to her.
She rolled down the window and glared at the jezebel, who just stood there like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. She rolled down her window and pulled out a pistol, waving it as she spoke.
“I see you got my message, bitch. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll back off and stop messing with my man.”
She laughed. It sounded strange to her ears, as if a crazed maniac were laughing instead. The thought was comical, making her laugh all the more.
She promptly regained control of herself, turned to face forward again and sped away, placing the gun back in her purse as she left the garage.
The look on the tramp’s face was worth it, though. She smiled. That should be enough to make the stupid cow go away so she could concentrate on getting that man back.
She headed back to her apartment, thinking how good her life would be once it was back on track and things were the way they were supposed to be.
Her smile widened as a feeling of peace descended upon her. Yeah. Everything would be just fine as soon as she got him back. At this time in her life, that was the only thing that mattered to her. When she was through with him … well, that was another thing for another time to contemplate. One problem at a time, she reminded herself. One thing and one step at a time.
* * * * *
Wes had no more than sat down behind his desk at work when he decided to call Kristi. There was something about her that intrigued him, pulling him like a tow truck rescuing a car that had slipped into a ditch. Maybe that’s what this was all about—he was stuck in the mire and she was the only one who knew how to get him out.
With a smile on his face, he grabbed his cell phone and called her. She picked up on the first ring.
“Hello. This is Kristi.”
“Hi there,” he said. “How’s your day so far?” He knew it was a silly question, but he couldn’t help himself. She had a way of making him feel like a teenager again, and he liked that. A lot.
“Wes! Thank God!” She sounded frazzled. “Some crazy woman just tried to run me over.”
Alarm bells sounded in his skull. Without thinking, he got up and headed to the door, ready to come to her aid. He was halfway there when he stopped and just stood still.
“Okay, calm down and tell me what happened.” He tried to keep his tone unruffled, and his advice to her to calm down was just as much for himself as it was for her.