by Amelia LeFay
“Wes?” The door to the stall opened and Jane stood above me, her phone at her ear. She stared for a long time before coming in and closing the door behind her.
“I don’t deal with death well,” I confessed to her while rubbing the tattoo of my brother. It was burning as if to prove my point.
“Ok,” she whispered, pulling her legs to her chest. “But he isn’t dead. A little banged up here and there, but he isn’t dead. Once we are both beside him talking, he’ll need to stay alive just to get the last word.”
I smirked at that. “You should go be with him.”
“I’m not going without you.”
“Elspeth—”
“I made a deal with them. You can go in.”
“How?”
She shrugged. “Once you’ve dealt with a dozen strippers and gotten beaten up by a drug dealer, negotiating with some rich snobs isn’t anything. Now come on. Max is probably waiting to hear your voice, but first…” She dug into her purse, pulling out the bag they’d given us in first class. “Clean up a little bit. He’s going to wake up and you’re going to be the first person he sees.”
Getting up, she took my hand and took me to the sink. Taking the bag from her, I brushed my teeth. She rested her head on my back.
“He’s going to be okay. He doesn’t have a choice.”
I knew it then. In a world filled with monsters, fakes, and liars, Jane was an angel. Our angel.
Irene had gone with Max’s parents to get something to eat or whatever, and I was grateful for that. This was too private. Sitting beside Max, Wes held his hands, sobbing. He kissed the back of Max’s hand over and over again. Giving them space, I stepped outside, closing the door behind me. Wrapping a scarf around myself, I walked down the hall with no destination in mind. My heart felt so heavy it actually felt like it could sink through my feet and then maybe even through the floor, never stopping until it fell into the center of the earth.
Finally finding a place to sit, I tucked my knees up to my chest, trying to relax.
“We have heard multiple stories on the current status of Maxwell Emerson, headline reporter here at YGM; however, none have been confirmed. We currently know all of Emerson’s family is with him at the moment. Maxwell Emerson celebrating his engagement to long-term girlfriend Jane Chapman just days ago. Our hearts and prayers are with our leader tonight.” A young man spoke on the television not too far from me. On the screen, there was a photo of Max from right when we got off the elevator at his building. He was looking at me and grinning, and, of course, I was making some sort of face.
Reaching up, I tried to wipe my eyes, but the tears just kept coming. The worst thing about me was that when I started to cry, there was no ending it. I’d cry until I couldn’t cry any longer.
I didn’t know how long I stayed like that. It was only when my phone started to ring that I became aware of my surroundings again.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
I knew the number, I just didn’t want to answer. Ignoring the call, I laid back when it started again.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
“Allen. Right now isn’t the—”
“Jane. It’s important. I can come to you.”
“Allen, it’s always important. Right now I can’t deal with—”
“It’s about Maxwell.”
Chapter Twenty-One
I lifted my head from his hand when I heard the door open, but then saw it was Elspeth. She looked to me and then merely walked to the window. I had the feeling she was telling me to leave, but I couldn’t bring myself to do that.
“Thank you,” I said instead, not looking away from Max even though it hurt to see him that way. “Thank you for letting me in.”
“The only reason you are here is because that woman has no sense of decorum or respect. I’ll never be okay with…with you, or this.”
“Why?”
“Why?” she repeated.
Putting his hand to my forehead, I nodded. “Why can’t you be okay with this?”
“Why aren’t people okay with abusing children? Or hunting animals? They just aren’t. I don’t agree with your way of life. It doesn’t make me a bad person. It does not make me the villain.”
“So in other words, you don’t know.” I finally glanced back at her. “You see us, and you’re just disgusted to the point where it doesn’t matter what either of us feels. Your feelings matter more so, therefore, we must live with your disdain.”
“I’m sure you are a good man, but you are not for my son.”
“It’s a good thing it’s your son’s choice, isn’t it?” I reminded her. “Have you ever thought that if he could conform to what you wanted him to be, he would’ve done it already? Has it ever occurred to you how painful it is to break the mold? Not being the child you want him to be? He knows that. There is part of him that wishes he could be. But he just can’t. So he struggles to walk the middle, to be the Maxwell Emerson you all expect him to be and the simple Max he is.”
“Don’t speak for my son.”
“Someone has to!” People like her drove me insane. “He’s been trying to talk to you himself, but you refuse to listen! All of you refuse to listen.”
“Mr. Uhler!” She held her hands as if she were going to choke me. “Let’s just leave this matter, why don’t we? There is only so much a wicked witch can handle in one night.”
We both fell into silence.
He was her son.
He was my love.
We were both hurting, and so silence was really the only choice.
Sitting in the hospital cafeteria with a cup of cold coffee, I waited for Allen to get there. He didn’t say anything more than that it was about Max on the phone. The side of the hospital where Maxwell was recovering was basically under lockdown thanks to Elspeth. I didn’t want to leave either, so the cafeteria was the only option.
“Hey, boss.”
I looked up from my cup to not only see Allen but Lady, Crystal, and Bambi from the strip club. They were all dressed like they had just finished their shift, and the only thing covering them was their coats.
“Guys, what are you doing here?”
One by one they all pulled up a chair. Allen began, “I never got to thank you or say sorry.”
“The money.”
“Yeah, the money.” He looked like he had aged in the time I’d been gone. His face was wrinkled and his shoulders were hunched over, making him look even shorter. “And sorry for not only getting you into this mess but also, there was a moment, a split second when the wire came in and I saw all them zeroes…my heart skipped. I thought about running, just taking off, leaving Boston, the Bunny Rabbit…you…behind.”
“Allen!”
“I didn’t!” He raised his hands up to protect his face, which would have been funny if I hadn’t felt like such shit. “I didn’t run. I didn’t spend a dime. I paid off the debt we owed, and now the Bunny Rabbit is a clean business.”
“That great…” My voice drifted off, still looking at the girls who couldn’t bring themselves to look me in the eyes. “So why are you all here? What does this have to do with Max?”
“That has nothing to do with me, okay? Nothing. I don’t even want to be dragged through this shit. I said sorry and all that, so I’ll leave the ladies to you.” He jumped up and left us all there.
“Pussy.” Bambi’s heart-shaped face bunched as she made a face at him.
“Jane. Mama Jane, you know that’s what the girls really call you.” Crystal smiled as she pinched her own hand. “You always stand up for us. You always have our backs. When you quit, we all really missed you. We kept begging Allen to give you a raise so you’d come back.”
“Hell, we were all even willing to split our earnings with you.” Lady smiled, shaking her head at me. “You should be honored.”
“I am. But guys, I’m still a little confused.”
“Maxwell Emerson has been trying
to get in contact with us,” Crystal spat out. “That’s why we’re here.”
“Why would Max be trying to get in touch with strippers?”
“What do you mean strippers? You think you’re better than us or something now?” Lady snapped, crossing her arms. Bambi shoved her elbow in her side.
“You know the last person who will ever look down on you guys is me. I’m just trying to figure this out.”
“I can’t do this,” Lady muttered. Her eyes had glazed over with tears she wouldn’t let fall. She got up and quickly left.
“You know the story YGM has been trying to do on the governor?” Crystal whispered. “The one about the girls getting pulled off the streets for warnings?”
One by one, the dots started to connect. “You…all of you…you’re…but I thought it was prostitution?”
Crystal dropped her head and so Bambi spoke next. “It was before we started at the Bunny Rabbit. We worked this corner of Fairmount. We got busted by some undercover cops. They took us in, booked us…it all seemed normal, until they promised they wouldn’t charge us. We’d get all this stuff if we did what they asked.”
“I don’t know how many men’s cocks I sucked that night,” Crystal said, rubbing her throat. “At first, I thought it was no big deal. Hell, I was out on parole. I didn’t want to go back, but then it spiraled out of control, and we were stuck in this thing. It was hell and obviously we couldn’t go to cops, you know. We just dealt with it, but one girl tried to talk and it just got worse.”
“Crystal.” I grabbed her hand. “I’m as powerless as you are. I want to hear this story as your friend, but I need you to talk about it with—”
“The news.” Bambi nodded, brushing her short hair behind her ear. “Yeah, that’s why we’re here. We got out, kind of easy when you get pregnant. They don’t want you any more. We got money to keep quiet, and we were going to. Lady was pissed. She tried to contact the news, but I figure she got scared.”
“We saw you on the news, the picture of you and Max, and we wanted to help, and this is the only way we know how.” Crystal shrugged. “We just don’t know where to go next or who will believe us.”
“I do,” I replied, and taking out my phone, I called Irene.
“Jane, did you leave—”
“Irene. I need Scarlet de Burgh’s number.” As she told it to me, I remembered how much this story meant to Max. He’d been so opposed to us leaving that he hadn’t spoken to us for three days. This had made us come home early, which made him rush to get us. It was a circle now coming back around.
“Thank you.” I could feel myself crying again. I had apparently become just a ball of tears.
“What are you doing?” Irene followed Jane as she rushed into the room. Her eyes were bloodshot as she looked around frantically. Elspeth sighed and muttered something to her and Alistair, Maxwell’s father, stepped in but didn’t look at me.
“Where is the fucking remote?” Jane snapped, running her hands through her hair.
“Young lady haven’t you caused enough—”
“I can explain. I just need the remote,” she said back to him.
“Jane,” I called out and handed her the remote from the bedside table.
“Thank you.” She took it and flipped on the television. She searched through the channels before stopping at YGM. A commercial was playing.
“Turn this off.”
“It’s for Max,” she said softly, walking over to the other side of Max’s bed and touching his head. “You got him, everyone will know now. You got him.”
Confused, I leaned forward. “Jane? What are you talking about?”
“This is YGM Breaking News.” We all turned to the television where a black man in a plaid shirt, navy tie, and suit jacket came on screen. “Weeks ago, here on this stage, my boss, Maxwell Emerson, broke the scandalous behavior of Governor MacDowell on the Emerson Report. Everyone was glued to their televisions. How far would this scandal go? What other wrongdoing was left to be exposed? It was an incredible tale, and we did not want to believe our governor was not only a thief and a fraud, but also a sexual predator. As hours became days and days became weeks, we were able to forget Governor MacDowell, lay him in the graveyard along with the other corrupt politicians. After all, there was nothing but speculation of the ‘give warnings’ sexual assaults. Interviews were dropped, sources were gone, and it looked as if this was just another fabricated story. Other stations began to drop the story from their headline news, but even as ratings dipped and our news team was being pressured to move on from this developing story, my boss, Maxwell Emerson, stood firm. He believed that this man, Governor MacDowell, should not just fade into the background but be punished for his actions. Tonight, Maxwell Emerson has proven why he is the man deserving of this chair, your trust, and as he fights for his life in the hospital, your prayers. Not one, but three women have come out this early morning with proof, not only of Governor MacDowell’s involvement, but many others. Thank you, ladies, for speaking out.”
Beside him were seated three women of varying ethnicities. A grin spread across my face as I turned back to Max. “God, how are we going to live with your ego now?”
“I’m going to need to call my lawyer,” Alistair muttered, reaching into his jacket pocket.
And they were disgusted with us?
Chapter Twenty-Two
DAY ONE
“Mwlels…” That was what it sounded like, a muffled voice speaking into my ear, and I tried to move, but my body felt as if it was strapped down. The more I tried to move, the worse it felt.
“Camms…ha…ah…” I couldn’t understand the words, which only made me more frustrated and panicked.
“Maxwell.” Finally, something I could understand. “Maxwell, I’m Doctor Raji.” Who is this? “Can you hear me now?”
I didn’t know what he was doing, but the pressure in my ears decreased. I tried to tell him so, but my throat burned. Fighting it, I spoke with what felt like sandpaper in my throat. “I…w…”
“It’s okay. Take your time.” Opening my eyes, I had to shut them immediately; the lights nearly blinded me.
“Wh…where…?”
“You’re in Boston General Hospital. You were in a car accident five days ago.”
“Car accident?”
Five days?
I tried to think back, but all I saw were the lights…the lights from the van…the van? What?
“Mr. Emerson, can you feel this?”
I wasn’t sure if I was feeling something or not, so I didn’t speak.
“What about here?”
Still nothing, and I knew that wasn’t good.
“Calm down, Mr. Emerson. It’s fine. We still have a long way to go, one step at a time, but you’ve already taken the first step by waking up.”
Five days? He had said five days.
Closing my eyes, I thought back again. I’d…I’d have gone to…Jane and Wes.
“My…family.” I wasn’t sure what else to call them.
“Everyone is here. I’ll bring them in once we are done.”
There was a click and the bed rose slightly, allowing me to sit upright. It wasn’t just Doctor Raji, but a whole team of doctors—I counted six—around my bed, all of them just staring.
“Mr. Emerson, I know it hurts, but try to breathe in for me.” He put his stethoscope to my chest. Breathing again, I focused on my legs. I still had two of them, thankfully, but I barely felt either of them. They were like dead weights.
“I hit someone?” I finally brought myself to ask, the minivan in coming back to mind.
“The police say you sped through a yellow light. Another driver crashed into you. She’s fine and her daughters have been discharged. Your family paid their bills. It was just a bad accident.”
“My family?” I asked again.
“We can stop for now and bring them in, but try to relax,” he told me.
I wanted to ask if anyone could relax in a situation like this, but
all I could do was nod, and even that hurt.
“Maxwell.” The first people who came in weren’t really the first ones I wanted to see, but I was still grateful.
“Mom,” I said as she kissed my cheek, crying.
“I tell you I love you, and you go wrap your car around a lamppost. Such an ass,” Irene said, brushing the tears from her eyes.
“Sorry.” I didn’t have the strength to be witty.
She hugged me before taking a seat beside me.
“Dad?” I looked over to my mom.
She frowned. “He’s…he’s not going be able to come for a while.”
More hookers!
“He’s been indicted. The Emerson family curse strikes again,” Irene muttered bitterly.
“What?”
“Sexual exploitation. He rolled on Governor MacDowell to save himself, which is—”
“Irene, enough.” My mother sneered at her and took my hand. I was far too confused, and the thought of asking questions only gave me a headache. I didn’t care about any of that.
“Jane,” I whispered, looking to my mother. “And Wes,”
She didn’t reply, but she kept holding my hand.
“They’re waiting in the hall. They haven’t stopped waiting for you. They love you a lot,” Irene answered, and part of me was shocked, but a bigger part of me was relieved.
“I…I…I need to see them.”
She walked to the door, and I didn’t have to wait a second before they both came running in. Their clothes were rumpled and their faces were pale.
“You guys look…like…shit,” I gasped out; why it took so much energy to say, I didn’t know. My mom let go. She didn’t say a word, just left with Irene.
“Yeah, well.” Wes sat beside me. He kissed the side of my head, then lips. “My boyfriend nearly gave me a heart attack—twice actually.”