Don't Make Plans

by Ava Armstrong

  Kent’s eyes roamed over the parking lot. There wasn’t a car there that wasn’t less than ten years old, some older. They all had bumper stickers on them touting solidarity with various branches of service. The building was a wooden structure, probably close to a hundred years old. He noticed the old rickety handicapped ramp. Kent suddenly realized he still had his cargo shorts on. Damn, he’d meant to change into long pants. But, if there was any place his prosthetic would be ignored, this was probably it. These buddies of his grandfathers were all World War II, and Korean War veterans, and a good many Vietnam vets, too. They’d been captured, tortured, beaten up, shot, set on fire, thrown out of airplanes, and were still alive to tell about it. Kent tried to stifle a smile as he watched his grandfather stride into the place. The old man turned and winked at Kent.

  “This is where they should film the real show called survivor – these guys are the real deal.”

  CHAPTER 4

  “I didn’t start it, mom!”

  Justin was pleading his case on the walk. Paige listened to her son’s words, but couldn’t get the image of the man she just saw out of her mind. Kent was handsome and sexy in a dangerous sort of way. Oh god, he had the same physical characteristics of Jeremy. She’d thought Jeremy was handsome, too – until she really got to know him. He was big and strong, but a womanizer and an alcoholic with a violent temper. He’d managed to squander every penny of the money they had in a joint savings account. Once the physical violence started, she had to draw the line. Her marriage had been falling apart from day one; she just didn’t want to admit it. She had, at one time, loved him. Why? She didn’t know why. But she stayed as long as she did, with the irrational hope that someday Jeremy would change. Of course, his violent temper dashed any speck of hope she once had into the ground.

  Now she spent an hour a week explaining this to a complete stranger, while paying her a substantial amount of money per hour to listen. The psychologist was pleasant and professional. Doctor Westin came highly recommended and she was good. But, Paige hadn’t made much progress after a year, and this was worrisome.

  “Okay? Mom? Are you listening to me?”

  Justin’s voice brought her back to the moment.

  “Yes, listening.”

  “I won’t do it again. I promise. Hey, mom, can I get out of this daily dungeon and go back with the other kids?”

  “We’ll see. Let’s give it a little time.”

  “It’s been two years! I’m the only kid sitting in a room for two hours a day, alone with a babysitter who doesn’t even talk to me.”

  “She’s not a babysitter. She’s a part-time secretary and part-time Special Ed tech.”

  “Everyone laughs at me, mom.”

  “I know it’s hard right now. We need to work on this together, Justin. You can’t just fly off the handle and shut me out.”

  “I’m sorry, mom. I’ll try to do better.”

  “Gosh, I’ve got to get home and mow that lawn. It’s getting so long the neighbors will complain.” Paige exhaled.

  “McCabe won’t complain.”

  “No, he won’t. He doesn’t complain about anything, it seems.”

  As they walked by McCabe’s house, Paige noticed the Cadillac had left the driveway. Ha! They were at the VFW and she imagined the elder man introducing Kent to his buddies. She was glad he had a visit from his grandson, the war hero, and wondered how long Mister Handsome would stay.

  The sun was setting by the time she’d washed the dishes and started to mow the lawn. Thank goodness there was a headlamp on the old John Deere. As she swept over the half-acre of tall green grass, she noticed her lawnmower sputtered, backfired, then stopped. She’d only mowed half of the lawn. Argh!

  She swore at herself under her breath at the lawnmower. Out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed the Cadillac pulling into the driveway a few houses down. McCabe got out and there was the echo of laughter. Paige opened the hood of the lawnmower and ran into the house to get a flashlight. The first mosquitos of the season were on her as soon as she turned on the beam and leaned over to look at the motor. As if she even knew what she should be looking for – her mechanical skills were lacking.

  The freshly mown grass gave off a heady aroma that smelled like the beginning of Spring – the promise of hope, regrowth, new life. She wanted a new life. She seemed to be stuck with this old life. She kicked the wheel of the lawnmower and uttered a curse word as she stubbed her toe. It was dark and she decided to leave the mower where it sat. She noticed that Kent and his grandfather had gone inside and the lights were on in the kitchen. She thought she saw Kent wave to her while she was bending over the mower. Or, maybe it was her imagination.

  Once inside, she tucked Justin into bed after his shower. Then, she drew a bubble bath for herself. This part of the evening was her favorite. As she brushed her long dark hair, she allowed her mind to wander. She rarely had time to just sit and think. The first item that popped into her head was the upcoming charity auction. She was the chair of the committee and wanted it to be a big success. The money raised would refurbish the VFW for the younger veterans coming home. Just before she got into the tub, her phone vibrated. It was Lisa and Paige knew she had to answer it. Lisa was her coordinator for the event and probably had things lined up.

  “Hey, how’d it all go?” Paige stripped her sweaty clothing off as she held her phone.

  “Great! Music and food have been donated and I’ve got the invitations all ready to be mailed. Now we just need to get the stuff lined up for this spectacular auction.”

  “Okay…do you have any ideas…where we can get some donations?”

  Paige was thinking, talking, and getting into the tub at the same time.

  “There’s a place called Precious Treasures, and they’ve agreed to donate some beautiful pieces of furniture. The owner is a veteran herself.” Lisa sounded excited.

  “Great – what else can we auction off – how about a vacation?”

  “Good idea. I’ll contact Benson’s Travel tomorrow. Hey, I’ve got another idea, might sound a little crazy.” Lisa sounded hesitant.

  “Go ahead, what is it?”

  “How about auctioning off a date with a handsome bachelor?”

  “What?”

  “You know – it’s been done before. This would draw a lot of women to this thing. They’re the ones who spend the money. Men rarely do!”

  “Where the hell would we get eligible bachelors, for Pete’s sake? I can’t imagine…”

  Paige took a deep breath and felt the warm water relaxing her tired muscles.

  Lisa chattered on.

  “I know a couple of guys at the gym, they’re single and cute, too. I have a friend in real estate who works with me – he’s single – a little wild, he rides a Harley. I know they’d do it for us.” Lisa sounded like she had given this some thought.

  While lounging in the hot water and soap suds, Paige imagined what Kent would look like in a dark suit. Handsome. Manly. Sexy.

  “Can you think of anyone, Paige?”

  “Um. Well, I met this dude today…”

  “Who – come on, tell me!”

  “McCabe, it’s his grandson. He’s a veteran, in fact.”

  * * *

  Kent noticed the lawnmower with the headlamp the moment he got out of the Cadillac in the driveway. For some reason, Paige was mowing her lawn after dark. She must have a busy life, working, raising a son, taking care of a big house. He wished he could think of an excuse to talk with her again, but didn’t want to appear to be brazen. Although, he’d chase her through a jungle full of broken glass barefoot. Well, at least his prosthetic wouldn’t bleed. But, he didn’t want her to know just yet how attracted he was to her. He couldn’t think of anything else the moment he laid eyes on her. If she knew, she’d think he was like her ex. That’d be the kiss of death, right there.

  When he saw the mower stop moving, he hesitated. He had an urge to go over there to ask what was wrong, but thought better of
it. He knew very little about Paige. He needed to employ his Scooby-Doo skills with Gramps. He stepped inside letting the screen door slam.

  “So, tell me more about Paige…like where does she work? I need details.”

  Gramps was sitting in front of the TV, getting comfortable.

  “She hates her job. She’s an underwriter at Simpson and Baker, you know that huge insurance company. They employ something like 2,000 down there, I think. She told me she counts the minutes until five o’clock every day. I said that’s a sad thing, Paige.”

  “What does she like doing?”

  “She’s one of those artsy types. She likes decorating. She wanted to start her own salvage company. You know, those folks that come in and take pieces and parts off an old house and reuse them? It’s all the rage with tourists, right now. They love that stuff.”

  “Why doesn’t she do it?”

  “Not sure. I’d say she probably has obligations. Her son has special needs and she pays for that out of pocket, his after school care, too. Her ex-husband doesn’t work, so there’s no child support. She’s got that house, but it’s mortgaged to the hilt, she told me that herself.” Gramps put his feet up. “You’re interested, aren’t you? Yeah, I can tell…”

  “She is beautiful. But, I’d only be her friend. I don’t want to appear to be aggressive, although I’ve already imagined her naked.”

  “You’d have to be six feet under not to at least imagined that.” Gramps chuckled.

  “So, you think she’s sort of pissed off at the world right now because of her ex-husband – that’s it? Do you think she’d like me?”

  “I’m not good at predicting things, squirt. Hell, I thought the USA would win this Iraq war and look what happened. The commander-in-chief is now pulling everyone out – letting terrorists out of Guantanamo Bay. What’s this world coming to, Kent?”

  “I don’t know, Gramps. I really don’t know.” Kent put his hand on his grandfather’s shoulder. “Thanks for tonight, introducing me to the guys. It was fun. I’m hitting the sack.”

  “I won’t be far behind you.”

  Kent walked down the once familiar hallway of the old colonial. As he moved from room to room, he realize the place needed a complete overhaul. He’d love to help his grandfather with the projects, but wondered where he’d get the money. The home was long paid for and his grandfather just had to come up with utilities, taxes, food and medical. Hell, he didn’t even have cable. He also knew Gramps’ pension and social security wasn’t exactly a goldmine. He lived close to the bone and now with the expense of a car gone, he was getting by, but barely.

  While taking a hot shower, Kent imagined sprucing the place up and how much that would mean to Gramps. He’d start tomorrow by mowing the lawn, which was overgrown. He’d look in the barn for the hedge trimmer and a few other items. Whatever Gramps had was probably older but well-cared for.

  As he dried his wet hair with a towel, he moved toward the bedroom window that faced Paige’s yard a couple of houses down. In the moonlight, he saw the silhouette of the John Deere mower, in the same spot where it stopped. Maybe he could check that out tomorrow once Paige was gone for the day.

  As he removed his prosthetic and sank into the old feather mattress he slept on as a child, his thoughts drifted to Paige, in fact, he hadn’t stopped thinking of her since the moment he shook her hand. Maybe there was some way he could make her life more enjoyable. That thought brought a smile to his face. He could think of a million ways to please her – and tried to stop the thoughts entering his mind. It had been a long time since he’d been with a woman – too damned long. It wasn’t so much the release of sexual tension he craved, although that was nice, but he thought about holding her. He imagined she needed it, too. She’d been through her own war, in a sense. He knew he’d have to walk softly with this woman. But, come hell or high water, she was going to be with him someday. A man had to have a goal, something to strive for.

  Just then he heard the phone ring downstairs. It was an old-fashioned one, black metallic, the same one Gramps had since the 1950’s.

  “Hey, Kent…it’s for you.”

  “Coming…”

  He scrambled to slip on his prosthetic and walked downstairs in his boxer shorts. The phone was off the hook lying there waiting for him to pick it up.

  Gramps gestured – then whispered, “It’s her.”

  “Hello?”

  “Hi Kent. I’m your grandfather’s neighbor, Paige. Remember, we met today when I walked by with my son and our dog?”

  “Yes, Paige…” He almost stuttered. He felt giddy, breathless. Why was she calling him? Maybe she was a mind-reader.

  “There’s this charity event -- two weeks from now -- and I need a handsome bachelor…it’s a package deal sort of thing. A night at a beautiful hotel, dinner, adjoining rooms.” she hesitated.

  “Go on…”

  “It’s an auction. We have some other guys willing if you don’t want to do it, so please don’t feel obligated. The money raised will repair the VFW here in town, and…well…women love to bid on a special night out, especially a gourmet dinner with a handsome bachelor. The idea is attracting lots of attention to our auction. What do you say? Are you game?”

  He had never been at a loss for words, but he was at this moment. Him? Handsome? With a prosthetic? Then he spoke, albeit unintelligibly.

  “Sure. You think I’m handsome? Well, I’m a bachelor.”

  “You’ll do nicely. Do you have a suit? If not, I’ll help you find one. You’re probably not too familiar with the town.”

  Kent knew the town well, but decided he’d take the shopping trip invitation to get to know her better.

  “Yes, that would be great. I’m terrible when it comes to choosing clothes.”

  “When’s a good time for you, Kent?”

  He wasn’t doing anything, so he answered with the first words that popped into his head.

  “Anytime – you tell me what’s good for you.”

  “How about Friday? I have a lot of vacation time saved up at work. I can skip out an hour early that day – say, 4:00 PM. I can pick you up.”

  “How about I pick you up – you’re probably tired after a long day of work. We can grab a bite to eat, too. Would that work?”

  There was a short silence on the other end of the phone. Then he heard water splashing. “Paige?”

  “Yes, sorry, I’m just getting out of the tub. I almost dropped the phone. Yes, I’d like that. I’ll see you Friday then. I’ll be home by 4:00 PM. My sister takes Justin overnight on Friday. She works with special needs children.”

  “Okay, then – 4:00 PM Friday.”

  “Oh, and Kent?”

  “Yes…”

  “Thank you.”

  “No problem, ma’am.”

  That was hot. She called him while she was naked in the tub. He wished she’d said that from the beginning. He waited for her to end the call and he hung up the phone. Gramps was standing close behind him.

  “What was that all about?”

  “She called me naked from her bathtub. She wants to auction me off…”

  “What?”

  “Yes, she thinks I’m a handsome bachelor. She’s chairing some sort of charity thing.”

  Gramps started laughing.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “She’s in charge of a big fundraiser for the VFW. She must like you. Paige would never contact a guy and say those things. She is shy and introverted. It took a lot of nerve for her to make that phone call. Yup. She likes you.”

  That night Kent found it hard to fall asleep. The phone call caused him to imagine a hundred different scenes, all of them erotic. What if Paige bid on him and won the date? Ha! That would make his life easy. The thought tantalized him as he drifted off to sleep. Paige and her beautiful thick dark hair. Paige and her lovely long legs splashing in the bathtub.

  CHAPTER 5

  Jeremy Hathaway punched the inmate assaulting him until he was unco
nscious. He didn’t start the fight but he sure as hell was going to finish it. The guard turned away as the scuffle ensued. Good. He was distracted by something else. When his assailant stopped moving, Jeremy examined his bleeding knuckles and called out to the fat guy in uniform.

  “Hey, can I get this cleaned up. I need a bandage.”

  Two guards entered the cell and extracted him. He was used to this routine. Every cellmate he’d had in prison ended up the same way, bloody and unconscious.

  “We need to get you a different roomie, eh?” the heavy-set guard chuckled.

  “Yes. This one likes to fight and he’s got a big mouth. I’m tired of this shit.” Jeremy spit a gob of blood onto the floor.

  “Hey, hey – all right!”

  The guards dodged the blob on the floor. He was hoping they’d slip on it and fall. He’d kick the shit out of them, too, if he had the opportunity. Just like he did the night Paige told him she was leaving. Nobody left Jeremy Hathaway – not until he said they could. Seemed the whole world didn’t understand him. He actions were self-determined. He took orders from no one. And, he’d learned that being unpredictable was a benefit to him in a fight. He could pretend to be all laid back and such, but when it came time to strike, he couldn’t stop himself. It felt good to lay an idiot out who had been getting on his nerves. Served him right.

  It was only a matter of time before he’d be free again – really free – as in walking out of this stinking prison. And, Paige was on his list of people to visit. Even though he had a restraining order, he wasn’t going to let a piece of paper deter him. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to run right over there. He planned to drive by a few times, scope things out.

  Justin was his son, and he had every right to see him. As the male nurse washed his knuckles with disinfectant and applied a bandage, Jeremy glanced at the clock. Almost midnight. She’d be asleep by now. He could no longer call her. The restraining order forbade it, plus she’d changed her phone number. How silly was that? As if she could hide from him. He imagined she had this smug sense of security while he was locked up in here. She had the nerve to divorce him while he was incarcerated. That told him all he needed to know. She was terrified of him.