Eyes on the Unseen Prize

by S.J. Thomason

  Chapter 2

  The Love Warriors

  Piper entered the Rowdy Rooster with Nick by her side just after 9 p.m. to look for their friends. She was a little tired after a long day on the slopes, but she figured she had a little more time before turning in. The bar was packed with patrons whose loud voices fought the band’s music for attention. The Love Warriors were playing George Strait’s “A Father’s Love” as Nick and Piper strolled along. Piper hummed along as she strolled hand in hand with Nick.

  Within moments, they found Flypaper and Bob sitting on bar stools next to a bar. Piper could not believe that Bob was still up, given that he had been drinking all day long and hadn’t had any food at lunch. It was like he was waging a war on himself. Why? Hopefully he had eaten something at dinner.

  “We missed you on the slopes Juan,” Nick said.

  “Yeah, but I’ll be out there with you tomorrow. I enjoyed Peyton’s company today,” Flypaper said in his slightly detectable Hispanic accent.

  “Where is she now?” Nick asked.

  “On a plane heading back to Philly. We’ll be in touch. She’s a very classy lady,” Flypaper said with a wink and a grin. “We had a special time together.”

  Very classy one-night stand? Indeed.

  “That’s cool,” Nick said.

  Piper knew why the ladies were so attracted to Flypaper Juan. He was handsome, muscular and macho, with neatly trimmed hair and a perfect posture and stride that exuded confidence. He was always dressed well; never a wrinkle or a stain. Plus he knew all of the right things to say. It was a shame that he was always on the hunt and probably always would be. No one would ever satisfy that man’s needs. When he broke up with the women or stopped calling them, he always told Nick that “something was missing,” never realizing that a woman could never provide that “something.” He was missing God.

  The band was singing the Allman Brothers’ Ramblin’ Man” in the background as Piper and Nick took their seats at the bar next to Juan and Bob. The Rowdy Rooster was a woodsy-looking bar. Old skis, tennis rackets, hockey sticks, and fishing poles covered the walls between at least ten big screen televisions, which were airing several sports games. There were three large circular bars and a good number of thick wooden high top tables and chairs. It was a favorite of the locals due to its drink specials, and a favorite of Piper and her friends due to its proximity to their hotel rooms. The bar was located on the first floor of the Kensington Lodge where they were all staying. At one end of the bar was a fireplace. Wall-sized windows overlooking the mountain were at the other. Piper looked about the crowd, hoping to find one of her girlfriends for some girl talk. Cherie’s long honey-colored hair captured her attention.

  “Nick, I’m going to go talk to Cherie.”

  “Okay.”

  She walked over to Cherie, who was sitting at a table by the fireplace, and pulled up a chair.

  “Hey there. Great band.”

  “Yeah, I love this band.”

  “Where’s Chase?”

  “He should be back soon. I think he went to the bathroom. You look great tonight, Piper. Yellow is a good color for you; nice contrast to your complexion. And I love your bob hairstyle. It’s very flattering. Nick is lucky to be dating you.”

  “Chase is lucky to be marrying you, Cherie.”

  Cherie smiled. “I’m the lucky one. He’s a sweetheart.”

  “Nick’s a sweetheart too. So how did it all begin with you and Chase? What led to your first date?”

  Still smiling, Cherie recounted their story. “It all started in an accounting class. Chase sat next to me one day and we talked about high school and our mutual friends. One thing led to another and over time our conversations became more personal. Then he asked me out. Our first date was incredible, very romantic. He picked me up with a dozen roses in hand and took me to a movie.”

  “Sounds romantic,” Piper said.

  “Yeah,” she said as she shook her head. “It was. Most guys aren’t romantic, but Chase loves the romance. He always brings roses. And he’s just so handsome…”

  “Well, that’s wonderful.”

  Cherie shook her head in confirmation as she held her chin high, seeming proud of her accomplishment. She had succeeded in her goal of being the first of their friends to marry.

  Piper looked away to survey the crowd while taking a gentle sip from her oversized glass of ice water. She could feel her friend’s eyes upon her, waiting for an endorsement of a spectacular romance, but she resisted. Cherie was already on top of the world with everything that she had ever wanted. No need to confirm that.

  A slight twinge of jealousy gnawed at her, which she mitigated by focusing on the first flaw in Chase she had discovered, his atheism. Then she focused on a second flaw, his mean streak. Cherie had indicated that he needed to be nicer. She recalled the way she saw him looking at himself in the mirror and the way he said that Cherie comes with perks.

  So she’s marrying a mean, narcissistic atheist who may be after her for her money.

  “Okay, random question. I know your parents go to church. So why don’t you? If you got Chase into a good church, you would definitely be able to change him into a believer.”

  “I don’t think so. I know that you know we used to go to church when I was little, but I stopped going when my parents became Baptists when I was in college. Baptists seem too evangelical. Other Christian religions aren’t any better for that matter. I read all the time about church leaders of all faiths who take advantage of their parishioners…”

  “Cherie, if you found out there were jellyfish on a sliver of the beach, would you stop going to the beach altogether?”

  “No, of course not,” Cherie said, with a sigh and a slight shrug of her shoulders. “I see what you’re saying, though. Even so, I won’t be going to church. I’m spiritual, not religious. It’s not like I don’t believe in God. It’s just that organized religion bothers me. I’ve been reading a lot of books lately about the Eastern faiths, which seem more enlightened. More advanced. I believe in Karma and reincarnation and a less personal God. The Eastern faiths say that God is part of everything in the universe, part of all nature. And because God is a part of everything in the universe, we shouldn’t attempt to distinguish between what’s good in the universe and what’s evil. It’s all the same. Enlightenment can be reached when you understand that and when you lose yourself and become one with God and the universe.”

  “So, you subscribe to the notion that after you die, you might wake up for no explained reason in the body of a cow?”

  “I don’t know about that.”

  “Well, that’s what the Bhagavad-Gita says. It says when one dies in a mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the animal kingdom.”

  “Hmm. Well, I’m not ignorant, Piper. And that’s a Hindu belief. I’m more of a Buddhist.”

  “Buddhists think the same way. They believe that all life is sacred and that people can be reincarnated into the animal world. That’s why they’re vegetarians. They don’t want to eat Grandma.”

  “Well, I also believe that all life is sacred. And I don’t think we can rule animal reincarnation out. What if you died and found yourself in the body of a cow?” Cherie asked.

  “I’d jump from a bridge.”

  “Oh, that’s nice. Suicidal cow.”

  “I’m not going to have to worry about that Cherie. Another Eastern belief implies that if the universe weren’t present, God wouldn’t be present, because God is the universe, not the creator of the universe. Is that what you believe?”

  Cherie took a deep breath and paused as she sipped water from an oversized glass in front of her through a long straw. “I guess” she answered, while squirming in her seat.

  Piper couldn’t tell whether she was becoming annoyed or whether she wanted to continue the conversation. Or perhaps she wasn’t quite sure of her position on the matter. Maybe she hadn’t devoted much time to this particular study. Many people don’t. She chewed on t
hat thought for a few moments before determining that Cherie might be among a growing group of indifferent, apathetic, and incurious people who were neither passionate about theism or atheism or any of the answers to the big questions of life. She pictured Cherie with other members of this particular group as they attempted to find their way through a sea of darkness by shining flashlights on their feet.

  But Cherie wasn’t an indifferent type. She was caring. Piper recalled her appreciation for her old friend. Once when she had the flu, Cherie stopped by her house with a warm bowl of chicken soup. Another time when she was struggling with her Spanish lesson, Cherie tutored her. She was always doing things like that, always thinking of her friends and going the extra mile. She was a great person who didn’t deserve to be marrying a mean, narcissistic atheist after her money.

  The band played a few of its own songs, which helped to lighten Piper’s somewhat solemn mood. One of the songs made her think that she needed to continue the conversation about God.

  Should I continue that conversation or let it go? That would make things easy. Let it go. Something told her to let the atheism go. There’s always time.

  A few minutes later, the flat screen television to the right of Cherie caught Piper’s attention. A hockey game had been playing, but now a news flash covered the screen. Piper read the following words as they scrolled by, “California avalanche claims the lives of a father and his two sons while skiing.” A photograph of a mother, father, and three young boys was displayed over the words.

  Piper considered the current state of the mother and remaining son. How sad. They probably thought they had plenty of time to do and say the things that they wanted to do and say too.

  “Take a look at the screen, Cherie. Always bad news. Always sad news. Why do we so rarely hear good news? God bless that family.”

  “Gosh, that’s horrible,” Cherie said. “Thank God it was in California and not Colorado. Could have happened to us!”

  Now Piper knew she had to say something, so she wasted no time before adding, “So, how are you going to change Chase’s mind about the whole God thing? It’s not easy to change people’s minds. I’m not sure you’re going into your marriage with goals you can achieve.”

  “Well, to be frank, Piper, it won’t be easy. It will be about as easy as it is for you to get Nick to stop drinking. Remember how you always told me that you would never marry an alcoholic? You didn’t want to marry a man like your uncle Sully. Well, just take a look at Nick up there at the bar with a beer in one hand and a shot in the other. Not exactly shying away from the sauce, is he? And I’ve seen him do that before. Fortunately for me, I don’t worry too much about judging Chase’s religious beliefs. Or whether he drinks too much. I don’t like judging people.”

  “Ouch,” Piper said. She wasn’t sure what else to say, but turned her attention towards Nick to confirm whether what Cherie was saying was true. Old Uncle Sully reappeared in her mind, making her wince.

  Alcoholic. Uncle Sully is definitely an alcoholic, but Nick? Hopefully he won’t have too many. He doesn’t overdo it that often. I’ll bet those drinks in his hands will be his last.

  “I hope I didn’t offend you,” Cherie added. “I didn’t mean to be offensive. It’s just that you’re always judging people’s faults. I figured if you’re going to be focusing on Chase’s atheism that you would also one day be focusing on Nick’s alcoholism. Whether an atheist or an alcoholic, both are good guys. Maybe those are their only faults. No one is perfect. No one.”

  Piper thought of her tendency to judge others. The last thing she wanted to do was to judge others. She knew that judging was wrong.

  Chase walked up and lit up a huge grin. “No one is perfect? No one except, of course, me. Just a picture of perfection.”

  “Yes, you are perfect honey,” Cherie responded. “We were just talking about our romantic first date.”

  “That was a good time, for sure. Piper, in case you haven’t heard, I’m more romantic than any of the Orange Bay High guys.” He winked and added, “And I’m even more romantic than Nick.”

  “You’re too much, Chase,” Piper responded, feeling a little upset that Chase overheard the tail-end of their discussion.

  “Too much? Too much of a lover,” he added as he gave Cherie a generous hug and blurted, “Baby, I love you!”

  “I love you too,” she said, “ya’ big hottie!”

  Ugh. Piper turned away from them and towards the band to listen to Randy Travis’ “Three Wooden Crosses.” After a few refrains, Piper asked them, “What do you think of the band? I just love country music.”

  “Well. I’m not a big fan of redneck music,” Chase answered as he pulled out his mobile phone. “And this song kind of creeps me out. I liked last night’s band a lot better.”

  Piper watched him as he typed something on his phone and disconnected himself from the conversation.

  “Geez, Chase,” Cherie said. “Since when does a Florida native not like country music? I like it and I’m from Minnesota.”

  Chase didn’t respond, as he was too busy texting something.

  “So who are you texting anyway?” Cherie asked.

  A long pause followed.

  “Chase, who are you texting?” Cherie asked again in a louder voice than before.

  “Huh? Oh, I’m just placing a couple of bets with Oren on a playoff game.”

  “Oren? I don’t know Oren,” Piper said. “Is he going to be at the wedding?”

  “Nope. He’s in D.C. lobbying for tobacco and firearms.”

  “Lobbying for tobacco and firearms?”

  “Suffice it to say he’s unconventional,” Chase said. “You need a certain moral flexibility when you hang out with Oren.”

  Piper raised her eyebrows. “Who would want to hang out with someone like that?”

  “I’ve never met him either, Piper,” Cherie added. “But from everything I’ve heard, he’s a real piece of work.”

  “Yeah. That’s fair. But he’s fun. That’s all that matters,” Chase said. He downed the rest of the beer that was sitting in front of him and slammed the empty glass on the table. Then he signaled the server with a wave. “Ready to party! Whew! I guess I like some country. I like party music. Hank Williams Jr. Toby Keith. David Allen Coe. Man, they’re good. But the preachy stuff. I don’t like that stuff at all. And some of the females are way too whiny and complain-y.” He shook his head as he picked up his drink. “Anyone ready?”

  “I’ll just take a soda,” Cherie responded.

  “None for me,” Piper said. “I’m going to head back over to Nick. He’s sitting at the bar with Bob and Flypaper.”

  “Sounds good. We’ll come over and chat with you guys in a little while,” Cherie said.

  Piper returned to her chair next to Nick at the bar and sat down. Bob and Flypaper were on Nick’s other side and the music was holding their attention, so she put her hand around his waist and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

  “Nick,” she whispered, “Do you think that Chase is right for Cherie?”

  “He’s okay. Why? You don’t?”

  “I don’t know. Something about him sort of creeps me out.” Piper looked into Nick’s deep sapphire eyes, waiting for a confirmation of her negative thoughts.

  “The atheism? Obviously his beliefs aren’t the same as ours.”

  “That or something else.”

  Piper scoured the files of her mind to identify recent times either she or Nick had had interactions with Chase. Chase’s bachelor party in Key West came to her mind as more evidence of his potentially smarmy ways. She wondered what happened at his bachelor party and whether things got slimy. She looked over at the table where Cherie and Chase were sitting and wondered why she cared so much about them and their situation anyway. Was it about protecting Cherie, or was it something else? Was she jealous? Or was it the atheism?

  Maybe the dark spirits were bothering her. She could still see them hovering over Chase like
sharks circling around a bleeding body in the ocean, waiting to pounce on their prey. She knew that her friends couldn’t see the demons. That unpleasant little piece of insight was something only she held. She also knew her friends would likely taunt her if she said anything about the demons. No one would believe her. That was the way her family always reacted. So she kept that information private.

  “It’s even more than the atheism,” she said to Nick. “How was Key West? Did Chase hook up with anyone?”

  “No, I don’t think so. He got a little rowdy, but nothing out of the ordinary for a bachelor party.”

  “Hmm. Well that’s good. You know. If nothing happened.” She looked across the bar and noted Chase was leaving the table where he and Cherie were sitting once again.

  Weird. Why can’t he stay put? Who is this Oren character anyway? And how did Chase get caught up with a tobacco and firearm lobbyist? What kind of person lobbies for tobacco and firearms? Is he for real?

  A few minutes later, Bob piped up. “Who wants another Buttery Slide? It’s the smoothest, most delicious caramel-flavored shot you’ll have in Colorado. Piper, I guarantee that if you try one, you’ll like it. You like caramel?”

  “Yeah, but no thanks,” she responded.

  “I’ll take one,” Nick answered, “but I’m buying this time.”

  “Thanks Nick,” Flypaper piped in, “I’m game too.”

  Nick signaled the bartender and ordered three shots when he came over.

  “Nick,” Piper said as she put her hand on his shoulder.

  “Yeah?”

  “I think I’ll head up to the room. I’m feeling a little tired. I could use some good rest before getting back on the slopes tomorrow. My legs are a little sore.”

  “Do you want me to come with you?”

  “You don’t have to. You’re having a good time. I’ll be in the room.”

  Piper secretly wished he would decide to come with her despite her words, but she also wanted him to have a good time. Hopefully Cherie wouldn’t see the additional shot. She didn’t want her friend to have any additional ammunition in her claim that he was an alcoholic.

  “Love you Piper. I won’t be long.”

  “Love you too, Nick.”

  Piper left the group and walked outside of the restaurant entrance to the elevator. When its doors opened, Chase came out.

  “Hey there,” he said. “Heading back to your room?”

  “Yeah. I’m tired. I’ll catch up with you guys in the morning.”

  “Have a good night, sweetie.”

  “Thanks Chase. You too.”

  Piper stepped onto the elevator and sighed. She wanted Nick to have a good time, but she also wanted to have a good time with Nick. He had already spent half of the day with Bob. That was enough. Now Bob was cluttering up his night. Maybe tomorrow would be a better day. Maybe there would be a proposal. Then again, maybe there wouldn’t be. Nick wasn’t the type to steal attention from others during their special moments, and a proposal just before Chase and Cherie’s wedding would do just that.

  What a bummer. She knew they were soulmates from the day they started dating. Why hadn’t he proposed yet? Why the delay?

  “He must not love me as much as I love him,” she whispered.

  Tears filled her eyes as she stepped off of the elevator. Think positive thoughts. The ski runs were exhilarating, though sometimes a little challenging. Nick had so much confidence in her abilities. And he said he loved her. He said he loved her often, so why the wait? Why hadn’t he moved to take the relationship to the next level?

  A short while later, as she laid in the bed struggling to get to sleep, she reflected on her life with Nick. In high school he had pursued her with a passion, yet she had ignored him. Seemed too much of a ladies’ man. Popular. Handsome. Smart. Everyone liked him. He and his best friend Tanner walked on water among many of the girls in the school. But not with Piper. She knew better and could resist him. She knew he was more into the hunt and the game than he was into her.

  A few years later, when she heard his mom was struggling with cancer, she recalled the times when she had seen Nick with his mom. It was obvious that he loved her very much, and it was that love that made her want to call him to offer a few words of encouragement, though she knew cancer often claimed the lives of its victims. It had claimed the life of her mom when she was young, and her mom was a good woman. Cancer claims everyone; it doesn’t discriminate.

  Piper wept and then recalled her own brush with death when she met the man in the sports jacket. The man was sitting in the back of her car waiting for her outside of a popular restaurant. She didn’t see him when she opened the door and sat down in the driver’s seat. He had been waiting for her to get into the car, she surmised, and had hidden himself in the back seat. She still had a foot on the ground outside of the car as something was amiss. Glass was on the floor in front of the passenger seat next to her and she wondered how it had gotten there. She didn’t see the shattered corner window at the time. His hand covered her face and lurched her head against the driver’s seat before she could muster the strength to say something and to try to buy some time.

  “Shut up,” he scolded. “Stay quiet.”

  “What do you want?” Piper begged in an attempt to buy some time.

  “Shut up!”

  Pulling together every bit of strength she had, she freed herself from his grip and fled into the parking lot, screaming for attention. Some men ran over to help her and tried to calm her down as she freaked out in the middle of the parking lot.

  “He’s in my car! It’s over there!”

  She spotted a man walking on the sidewalk in front of the cars parked by hers at the edge of the parking lot. He had a handsome face and a trim body and was wearing a light-colored sports jacket and jeans.

  “Help her,” he called out, in an eerily familiar voice.

  “That’s him!” She screamed as she pointed at the man. “That’s him!”

  The man in the sports jacket ran and one of the men who had come to help Piper chased him. He didn’t catch him though. The man in the sports jacket jumped into a silver Porsche and took off. Piper sketched his face into her mind.

  The following morning she reported the incident to the police, yet nothing happened. No one knew who he was based on her description and she didn’t have enough information to help the cops catch him. The report was filed away, she assumed, never to be consulted.

  A few years later, she recounted the story to one of her girlfriends, who listened intently before announcing that she knew who the man was. The dark-haired man in the sports jacket who owned the silver Porsche was considered the black sheep of his wealthy Orange Bay family. David Miller was his name. Piper looked him up on the internet and found out he was considered a serial killer and that he was in prison for multiple rapes and murders. His mugshot matched her memories of her captor’s face.

  She called the police and reported the story again. After hearing the story recounted, the only question the cop asked was for a description of her height, weight, and appearance at the time of the crime.

  “I’m not doubting your story,” he said, “but you won’t need to come into the station. He’s locked away for life. You don’t need to worry about him trying to come and find you.”

  Apparently, he had a penchant for attractive brunettes and all but one of his victims had a relatively slim, medium-height frame, similar to Piper’s. Piper wished she could have done more to have stopped the crimes that occurred after her own, but took comfort in the fact that she had tried.

  She thanked the force that had helped free her from evil. The fact she was spared from death made her think her life had a distinct purpose. She needed to find her purpose and her calling and live each day by treating people the way she would have treated them if that day were her last.

  Her thoughts returned to Nick and her desire to marry him. She pictured herself standing in her wedding gown in the church next to
Nick, who was in a tuxedo. The pastor was in front of them and they were just about to exchange vows.

  “I do,” she whispered as she closed her eyes.

  When Piper woke up the next morning, Nick wasn’t there. She had looked all about the room before making that dreadful conclusion. Then she sat down on the musty pull-out couch in the room and sighed, feeling a heavy heart and a worried mind.