by Jess Wygle
“Olivia, you’re in love,” Erin gushed quietly.
“No,” I replied, shaking my head, letting the monosyllabic word hang on the air.
Erin’s eyes widened. She smiled, cocking her head to the side as if urging me to think about it for a second; let the idea sink in before I denied the claim any further.
I stared at her for a second, wanting impulsively to deny her claim again, but something stopped me. “Should I be scared?” I asked after a moment’s hesitation.
Erin inhaled deeply. “It’s always scary to give someone your whole heart. Are they going to treat it like the precious thing it is or will they take it for granted? I can’t answer that for you. I just want you to be careful.”
“Why?”
“Something about him,” she mumbled. “I’m not saying I don’t like him, because I do. I like him a lot. He seems to genuinely care for you. It’s the power that scares me. It’s the money that scares me. It’s the possibilities that scare me.”
“What do you mean?”
“You and I both know you’re well off. You can take care of yourself financially and you’re not pursuing Callem because of his money and the security it brings. Imagine that things go well for you two. The next step would be to move in with each other. Let’s face it, you’d move into his house. You might trade in your car for something more the speed of your new lifestyle, which won’t be as modest as it is now. Then you’d get married, maybe even combine finances. Maybe then things turn south, when the romance is over. I’m not saying your relationship is doomed, just imagine the possibility. Now, he has everything and you have nothing. He has the house and the cars and the finances. He has the connections and the power and that, for some reason, really scares me about him.”
I nodded slowly. “I see what you’re saying, but even if something were to happen, I’m still a working woman. Even if I sold my house to go live with him and then we separate, I could still get another one. I’m not completely giving up everything in my life to be with him. I would never do that.”
“I know,” Erin mumbled, nodding. “I know, but it’s still scary. I suppose I’m just being the paranoid mother-hen for you. I’d kill him if he hurt you. I don’t care what kind of Special Forces, ex-army guy he is. I’ve got a car and it’s hard to out run, if you know what I mean.”
I chuckled. “Thanks for loving me so much.”
“Now, speaking of mother-hens, Mom wants you to confirm Christmas with them. She missed you at Thanksgiving and wants to be sure you’re home for the holidays.”
“Yes. I will for sure be there. I’ll have to call her tomorrow,” I said.
“Are you going to invite Callem?”
I sighed. “Do you think I should? I mean, we haven’t made anything official yet, well, he did tell Mr. Drake he was my boyfriend, but he could have just said that to prove a point. And I don’t want to come off as presumptuous. I don’t want him to think I’d assume we’re dating and that it’s the right time in our relationship to meet the family. Guys get freaked out by stuff like that. I don’t want to scare him away.”
Erin was grinning from ear to ear as I rambled. “You’re so cute. He’s not going to take off running just because you invite him to Christmas. Just ask him. Make it sound casual. It’ll be fine. If he’s really into you the way you describe, I’m sure he won’t have any problem accepting your offer.”
My cell rang. I picked it up to look at the screen and found a number I didn’t recognize. “Hello?” I answered, half expecting to hear a recorded message trying to solicit me something.
“Is this Olivia?” a gruff voice said on the other end.
“Yes it is.”
“Olivia, don’t hang up. This is Michael Drake.”
I wanted to throw the phone across the room. “How did you get this number?” I asked as my heart traveled out of my chest and into my throat.
“Listen, I just had to tell you this. I don’t know how well you know that boyfriend of yours, but he came by my hotel and threatened me. He threatened to kill me if I didn’t leave you alone.”
I paused. Callem sought out Mr. Drake? Why hadn’t he told me? Did he really threaten to kill him? That doesn’t sound like Callem. I can’t trust Mr. Drake. He could just be telling me a story. “How did you get this number?” I asked again, this time more sharply.
“He’s dangerous, Olivia. He and his thug tried to intimidate me at about two in the morning; tried to push me around. Do you know what kind of man he is? Look, I may not be a smart guy, but I know a bad guy when I see one. He is very dangerous.”
“You listen to me. I don’t know how you got this number, but you need to lose it. This is my personal, private cell phone. It’s unlisted. You cannot call me. I don’t want to talk to you.”
“I, I, I understand. You’ve made that point very clear. I get that. I just had to call you and tell you about your boyfriend. Did he tell you he came to see me?”
That wasn’t any of his business. I didn’t answer.
“He didn’t tell you because he doesn’t want you to know that side of him. You need to stay away from him more than you need to stay away from me. If I can’t be a part of your life, at least I feel better walking away from you again knowing I warned you. I don’t want anything from you. I don’t want to mess anything up for you. I just wanted to see you and to have you see me. If you ever want to find me again, you know my name. I will leave you now. I will lose this number. I will never reach out to you again, but I just had to warn you. I couldn’t, in good conscious, leave this feeling to myself. Please understand.”
“Goodbye, Mr. Drake,” I mumbled quickly before hanging up the phone.
“That was him?” Erin squealed when I exhaled deeply. “What did he say? Did he tell you how he got your number?”
I shook my head. “No. He said Callem threatened him. He said he was leaving me alone now, but he just had to tell me that he thinks I should keep away from Callem.”
“What? Why would he say that?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. If he’s telling the truth, why didn’t Callem tell me he talked to Mr. Drake? Why would he keep that from me?”
“You can’t believe the antics of a desperate man. He’s probably just trying to make you feel bad for him. He’s obviously a little crazy. Why would Callem threaten him? I can’t see him doing that.”
“Do you think I should ask him about it? Ask Callem?”
Erin’s brows rose. “That’s a slippery slope. On one hand, he could become defensive and get angry that you’d even ask. On the other hand, he could be completely honest and tell you he did the exact crime he’s being accused of. Does it really matter if he did? Let’s just say, theoretically, he did go to this guy’s hotel room, pushed him around, told him to get the hell out of town, Callem would have only done that for you. He would have done it to keep you safe.” Erin paused to sigh. “I don’t know. Maybe you should just leave it at that. Look at it as a sign of chivalry.”
“If that’s the case, then the next question is how serious was he? Would he really kill for me?”
2006 - Callem
My eyes popped open. I wasn’t at my home and the constant crash of the ocean coming to shore didn’t hum in my ears here. It was unsettlingly quiet. I sighed as I consumed the sight of Olivia, peacefully sleeping next to me, undisturbed by my presence.
A fleck of streetlight peered in between the window blinds, casting a faint orange glow onto her exposed skin. So smooth. So silky. So distracting. If she had been awake too, there would have been no stopping me from having her again. I refrained from breaking her restful slumber, though it was awfully tempting.
Instead, I eased out of her bed. I didn’t like being a snob, but I really didn’t sleep well unless I was at my own place. With Olivia’s demanding schedule and the convenience of being at her house, I either had to see her here or not see her at all, and these days, the latter wasn’t an option.
She was like a disease. She infected my mi
nd at all hours of the day. And, unlike the last few women I had casually seen, it wasn’t just about the sex. With Olivia, the sex was a perk. It was a bonus to just being in her company. What she was doing to me was unheard of. It wasn’t anything I was prepared for and was something I was defenseless against, not that I was putting up too much of a fight.
I was nearly dressed when she stirred and sat up in bed, one of her hands stroking the spot where I had just been lying. “What’s wrong?” she whispered sleepily.
“Nothing. Nothing’s wrong.”
“Where are you going?”
I sighed, leaning onto the bed. “I’m a bit of an insomniac. I have trouble sleeping.”
“Really? You didn’t seem to have any trouble sleeping when I was at your place,” she said.
I smiled. “Well, that’s because you wore me out.”
A groggy chuckle filled the room as she fell back onto the pillow. “If that’s the case, let me help you back to sleep.” She grabbed a handful of my shirt, pulling me onto the bed. When I was close enough, she kissed me softly, releasing her hold on my shirt to wrap her arms around my back.
“You need to sleep,” I said when we parted. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“I don’t want you to leave. I hate waking up without you,” she said, pouting slightly.
I sighed heavily. “You’re going to be the end of me,” I mumbled as I started shedding the layers I had just put on. I crawled back in to bed with her. She nuzzled her way into the Olivia-sized nook between my arm and my chest, resting her cheek and her hand on my pecs.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you. Do you have plans for the holidays?” Olivia asked.
I smiled lightly. “You know, I’ve been meaning to ask you the same. I know your office is closed for the week and I was thinking about the two of us getting out of town, having Christmas in New York. Just the two of us, shacked up over Central Park for a few days, maybe long enough to see the ball drop. What do you think?” I knew she hadn’t ever been to NYC and I’d been itching to have her to myself for a couple of days. Between the two of us and our rigorous work schedules, we didn’t get near as much time with each other as I’d like.
“You don’t have to work? Aren’t the holidays busy for you?”
I shrugged. “That’s why I’ve got a fleet of lackeys to do all the work for me. You wouldn’t have to pay for a thing. I’ll fly us out there, I’ll have a car waiting for us, and we’ll stay at the apartment. We can go grocery shopping. We can rent movies. We can just hunker down. Can you imagine? We can just do this,” I said, referring to our current state, squeezing her tightly.
I heard her chuckle. “That does sound so great. You know, I’ve never been on a vacation before.”
“What?”
She shook her head. “No, I’ve always been too busy. You know, schooling. I was in school all summer long. And living with foster families, they all barely had the means to support me, let alone treat me to a trip.”
“What about when you were in college? Surely you went on spring break trips or Christmas vacation, right? I mean, you celebrated graduating with a trip to Cancun or something, right?”
“No. I usually just hung around here for the holidays, with Erin and her folks, if I even had the time off. When you’re an accelerated learner, that’s pretty much all you do; learn. If I wasn’t behind a book, I was working. And after I graduated, I already had a job so there wasn’t any room for me to vacation. I’ve always been on the go.”
“All the more reason to come with me. That trip to Chicago was probably the closest thing you’ve ever had to a vacation, huh?”
“I suppose, but even there I was working. I didn’t have any time to do any vacation type stuff.”
“So are you going to come with me or is your family expecting you?”
She hesitated. “I’m sure they’ll understand.”
I smiled widely. “I can’t wait to have you all to myself. No cell phone, no ducking out for an emergency. Just you and I.”
“There’s one stipulation,” she started. “And I don’t want to seem presumptuous, but if I go on this trip with you, that’s my Christmas present. The trip and the accommodations is all I want. You’re not allowed to turn up Christmas morning with a gift for me, deal?” She pointed her finger at me.
“Deal,” I agreed.
Olivia slumped back into me. I could feel her body relaxing around me. “Can I ask you another question,” she cooed after a few moments of silence.
“Sure,” I said.
“Did you go talk to Michael Drake for me at his hotel?”
My mind raced. How did she find out? Had I said something on the phone? Had she overheard a conversation? Did she hear me leave that night? “Yes. I did.”
“What did you say to him?”
I licked my lips and cleared my throat. “I just told him what he needed to hear. I know you told him you didn’t want anything to do with him and you weren’t interested in letting him into your life. I was just hoping the same thing coming from me would have a bigger affect on him.”
There was a pause. “What did he say?”
“He tried to explain his reasoning for coming to Huntington and approaching you, but I told him it didn’t matter and that he wasn’t welcome. I told him leaving was the best thing for him.”
There was another pause. I could feel her breath on my skin as she exhaled deeply. “Why didn’t you tell me you did that?” she asked carefully.
“I just didn’t want to upset you anymore than you already were. I should have told you. I shouldn’t have stuck my nose where it didn’t belong.”
She wriggled closer to me, tightening her grip on my chest. “It’s alright. I appreciate you looking out for me, but you didn’t have to.”
I rubbed her arm, pushing her shoulder into me so I could kiss her forehead. “Yes, I did. If I had been thinking rationally, I wouldn’t have, or I would have consulted you first. Rational thinking seems to have left the building since I met you. I don’t know what you’ve done to me. You’ve bewitched me body and soul.”
She lifted her head off my chest and looked at me. “Don’t try to use Jane Austen to seduce me.” She smiled slyly. “Not unless you want me to start calling you Mr. Darcy?”
“Not much gets past you, does it?”
Olivia nuzzled back into her comfy nook. “Not usually.”
I wanted to ask her how she found out about my little meeting with Mr. Drake, but I didn’t want to push it. She’d already caught me in a bit of a lie. I should stop while I’m ahead. I racked my brain, trying to imagine how she would have found out, but came up with nothing. I was quick. That was it. There was nothing more to it; nothing for her to stumble across.
Rick had to work overtime to fill my Michael Drake request. This Drake character had a record longer than my forearm. Possession of an unregistered firearm, possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent, fraud, assault, assault with a deadly weapon, theft, petty theft, and some of those charges were on the list more than once in more than four states. That right there was enough for me to pass judgment on the drifter, let alone the fact that he was harassing Olivia.
“He called me, you know,” she mumbled sleepily.
“Who did?”
“Michael Drake.”
“When?”
“Tonight. He called my cell phone. He didn’t tell me how he got the number, but I told him not to call it again. He was the one who told me you’d sought him out. He called to warn me that you were a bad man. He said you threatened him and he didn’t trust you.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Was he still in Huntington?”
“Yeah. He was, but said he was leaving and I wouldn’t hear from him again. He said if I was interested in knowing him later down the line, I could find him. He said he wouldn’t come around anymore and wouldn’t bother me, but he couldn’t, in good conscious, as he said, leave without warning me about you,” she scoffed. “He sounded very d
esperate if you ask me. Throwing one last line out to see if I’d grab the bait.”
“He said I threatened him? Really? I’m glad he’s taking off because he’s crazier than I thought he was.”
“I thought it was pretty farfetched when he told me that.”
I was glad she hadn’t taken him seriously. Truth was I had threatened him. Told him if he didn’t leave, I’d put one between his eyes and toss his body off the pier in high tide so it would never be found. I told him if I saw him near Olivia, heard of him contacting her in anyway, I’d hunt him down and wouldn’t stop until his heart stopped beating. My glock had done most of the threatening as it rested on his perspiring temple while I spoke so eloquently of the many ways I could finish him.
I exhaled deeply as the room grew uncomfortably silent again. Looks like Mr. Drake wanted to call my bluff.
2013 - Callem
It had been three days since I brought her home.
It had been three days since I’d seen her.
She has been in the spare room and hasn’t left. She hasn’t eaten, though I’ve tried coaxing her morning, noon, and night; she has refused each of my offers, not even opening the door to talk to me. Sometimes, she doesn’t even talk to me at all. I’ve been home all three days, hoping she’d emerge so we could talk.
Truth is I didn’t want her to do anything stupid. I didn’t want her to leave again. I didn’t want her to hurt herself either. Did I think Olivia would really hurt herself, no, but I couldn’t take the chance. I don’t know what I would do if…