“What is it? Has something changed between us? I’m crazy about you, babe.”
Kent had to lay his heart on the line. He’d had it broken before, but he knew Paige felt something for him more than friendship.
“Um, nothing’s wrong. I mean – maybe we moved a little too fast. It was my fault. I’ve not been with a guy since…well, you know…Jeremy. I’m the one who kissed you. I shouldn’t have led you on.”
“What? I’m a big boy.”
“You’re seven years younger than me. You’ve never been married.”
“So?”
“You’re handsome, a marine, every girl in town is staring at you. I’m sure Sasha has your number in her phone.”
“So, that’s what this is about? Sasha? Listen, Paige – nothing happened with Sasha. That date was a mistake, a mess, and somewhat embarrassing for me.”
“Why was it embarrassing? She claimed you, just as she does everyone in her life. Sasha collects men.”
“Nothing happened between Sasha and me. The date was a dud.” Kent was shocked she didn’t seem to believe him. But, then, she’d had her heart ripped out by a man she loved. Even more, he was the father of her child. That kind of hurt stayed with a woman. Unfortunately, he could be the recipient of her wrath for Jeremy’s bad behavior.
“Look at me, Paige – I’m not Jeremy. I’m Kent. I would never hurt you. That night with Sasha, all I could think about was you. That’s why the date was so horrible.”
He was nervous as she pulled away slightly and he noticed tears in her eyes.
“I believe you, Kent. Really, I do. I’m sorry. It’s hard for me to just let myself go. Falling in love – it’s a nice phrase – I feel like I’m falling off a cliff with my eyes closed, not knowing what’s going to happen.”
He pulled her back into his embrace.
“I’m far from perfect, Paige, but you’re safe with me. I’m not asking for much. I just want a relationship with you – I can’t stop reliving that night, on that sofa right there – kissing you. Oh god, I don’t want you to think I’m some sort of stalker or anything, but I just can’t ignore the feelings I have for you.”
* * *
Jeremy drove by Paige’s house and could see inside the living room. This time he parked a distance away and watched her with a pair of high-powered binoculars. She was with a guy and he had a little bit of an idea who this dude was. The rental car was in the name of Richard McCabe – some big real estate guy in Newport. He was a lot older than Paige, according to the information he found on the internet. Maybe she was into married men now. The ink was barely dry on her divorce paperwork; she’d wasted no time getting back into the swing. The guy had his arm around Paige. He hoped Justin wasn’t witnessing this.
Another 45 minutes passed before the guy exited and walked a few houses down the street. He was a neighbor! How long had this been going on? He didn’t have any idea. But now he wanted answers. He started up the car and drove without headlights past the residence a few doors down. It was an ancient farmhouse, falling apart. Then he remembered – the old man lived there. He’d lost his wife a while ago and lived like a hermit. Maybe the dude living there was his son or something – whoever he was, Jeremy swore he would find out and make him regret he ever met Paige.
He switched on the headlamps and sped away in the car back to his girlfriend’s apartment. Once inside, he pulled out the laptop and searched for the neighbor’s name. Yes – that was it – McCabe.
“What the hell are you doing?” Alexa came around the corner.
“Nothing.” Jeremy slammed the laptop shut.
“I thought we were going out to dinner.” She whined.
Jeremy couldn’t stand it when her voice got like that – fingers on a chalkboard. Wah wah wah! She stood there with a cigarette dangling in her fingers.
“Wanna drag?”
“No. I need something stronger than that.” He moved to the cabinet in the corner of the room and pulled out a bottle of vodka.
CHAPTER 13
Last night with Kent had been wonderful. Paige was on cloud nine thinking Sasha had been pushed away by this gorgeous man. Ha! She wasn’t used to rejection; Sasha always got what she wanted.
After the meeting at Crystal Cove Grammar School, she drove to work. While in the elevator, her phone vibrated with a text from Lisa. Then another text, and another from two other friends who helped set up the charity event. She rarely had lunch on workdays with girlfriends, but each one of them wanted to meet for lunch. Her reply was, sure – how about the Salad Shop across the street – I only can take 60 minutes. And, that meant no break in the afternoon.
All morning Paige wondered why her girlfriends wanted to meet for lunch. They were so insistent. These things were usually reserved for someone’s birthday, an engagement announcement, or one of them announcing she was pregnant. The morning flew by and it was almost Noon. Paige told her manager she’d be out for lunch until 1:00 PM and Nancy nodded distractedly.
The girls were assembled at the table when Paige walked through the door. Was she being set up for something, maybe a joke?
“Sit. We know you only have an hour.”
Lisa pulled out a chair. Paige’s eyes roamed over Cloe, Natalie, Melanie and Amanda, and she dutifully sat next to Lisa.
“What’s up?” Paige sipped iced water and kept her eyes on the women.
“Well, we just had to meet to talk with you about our date nights! Don’t you want to hear the gory details?” Cloe blurted.
“Yeah, you missed the dinner with Sasha before she left. Wow, she had a great night with her marine!”
“Really?” Paige felt her mouth drop open. Then, regained her composure quickly. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from Sasha. You know how she is.”
“Her date with him was even wilder than my date with Raoul. We’re a couple, by the way.”
Cloe couldn’t seem to resist the announcement. Her hand was in Paige’s face. “It’s a promise ring!”
“Wow, that was fast!” Paige gushed.
“And, I’m dating Mr. Bodybuilder, his name is really Hector.” Natalie added.
“That’s great.” Paige was happy for her, sort of. These relationships seemed to develop quickly, but she didn’t say anything about that.
“So, Paige – you haven’t heard from Sasha?”
Amanda seemed to be testing the waters.
“No. Why?”
Cloe couldn’t seem to help herself. She wanted to talk, so Paige listened intently while eating her salad.
“Sasha, being Sasha, arrived in a limo to pick him up. They kissed in the limo, before the date even started. Sasha said she unzipped his fly and he enjoyed that.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Then, in the restaurant, he fed her caviar and oysters, and she sucked on his finger. Can’t you just see Sasha doing this? I can.”
“What happened then?” Paige had stopped eating. She felt a stomach ache coming on.
“Sasha said they swam nude in the pool and he tried to do her right there – but, Sasha got him up to her suite – and things got really wild.”
“How so?”
“He ripped her swimsuit off and tossed her on the bed; she said he was very strong – he had a lot of muscles and tattoos and Sasha was super turned on. She wanted him. The swimsuit she was wearing was designer, you know her, it probably cost at least $3,000. But, she didn’t care when he ripped it off her body. She said she hasn’t had a guy make love to her like that – well, ever!”
Paige glanced around the table and noticed every woman seemed to be hanging on every word uttered by Cloe. Her rendition of Sasha’s adventure with Kent was uncensored. So much so, everyone stopped eating and just stared at Cloe. Paige’s mind was filled with visions she suddenly found repulsive. Sasha pulling Kent down upon her. Kent kissing Sasha, making wild love to her, grinding into her. She tried to make the images go away, but once they started, it was difficult to ignore them. She knew she had to respond
somehow, but wanted to choose her words carefully.
“That Sasha – she’s something else – isn’t she?”
“Yeah, I’ll say.” Cloe echoed.
“Lucky girl.” Amanda squealed.
“Why is she lucky?” Paige asked, wondering if she should’ve.
“Kent’s calling her, texting her, he’s chasing her like a puppy dog – he’s madly in love with Sasha – what man could ever resist her? That’s why she’s lucky. Sasha is always in the driver’s seat with guys. She’s always got a few in her turnstile – and they service her. Sasha isn’t like us – desperate for a date – thrilled to have a guy kiss her. Sasha is the one who chooses. She’s the dominant one.”
“Oh, yes. You’re right about that.” Paige couldn’t think of anything else to mutter. She felt a headache coming on.
“Hey, did Sasha send you any photos of the date?”
“She put them on her Facebook page – you haven’t seen them yet?” Cloe was breathless.
Lisa had an iPad at the table and tapped it. Sasha’s Facebook page magically appeared and there were pictures of her with Kent. He looked so handsome in the linen suit standing next to Sasha with his arm around her tiny waist. Another set of photos showed her in the pool with him. Paige instantly noticed Sasha didn’t take any photos of Kent from the waist down. She focused on the beautiful musculature of his chest and arms and his perfectly inked tattoos. Oh yes – he was gorgeous in those photos. There was a roughness about him, and those eyes. Paige had to look away. The pain was too intense.
“Hey, those pictures are cool, and I’m glad Sasha has a new man in her iPhone, but I’ve got to get back to work.”
Paige left a twenty on the table and gathered herself.
“See you later – gotta run!”
As soon as she started driving back to her office, she felt tears stinging her eyes. She had escaped just in time. Her afternoon was spent trying to forget the lunch with Cloe and the others. Granted, they had fun with their luxury dates and some were developing into relationships. She couldn’t wrap her head around the thought of Kent lying to her about Sasha. Was he pursuing Sasha? She was a super-model, after all. What red-blooded man could resist her? Not many, Paige knew that for a fact.
After picking up Justin at school, she listened to her son’s happy banter, all the while thinking about Kent with Sasha. It was becoming an obsession with her. She tried to block it, but every few minutes the visions would return. Why would he lie to her? Why would he make her think he liked her when he was really chasing Sasha?
Oh god, that was her life – Sasha always won. Sasha was that girlfriend that seemed to be in every girl’s life – she was a friend until it came to guys. Then she had to have the upper hand, always. This wasn’t the first guy Paige had lost to her; there were plenty in college.
As she drove by McCabe’s place – he was on the porch waving to her. Not just hello, but motioning to her to come toward him. As Paige drove into her driveway, she tossed her leather briefcase onto the porch and looked at Justin’s smiling face as he got out of the car.
“Hey, let’s go talk to Mr. McCabe and let him know how your day at school went. He’d love to hear about that.”
“Sure, mom! Race you there!”
Paige pretended to run as Justin dumped his backpack onto the porch and ran like the wind. She could hear his voice, “I won!”
“How’re you today?” Paige approached McCabe.
“Good. Sit. Put your feet up.”
For a few minutes, Justin talked about his school day and how everything was just perfect. He was happy to be back in the classroom, sat at his favorite lunch table, and enjoyed his time on the playground. After he wound down, Paige tossed him the keys.
“Hey, go get Thor and bring him over here, would you, buddy?”
Paige watched him walk away and turned to McCabe.
“What’s up?”
“I was going to ask you the same.”
“Nothing new with me.”
“There’s about to be.” McCabe could be mysterious sometimes.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Jeremy drove by here – not more than ten minutes before you arrived. I think he’s going to pay you a visit.”
Paige took her feet off the railing and bolted upright.
“Oh god.”
“You still have that order of protection, right?”
“Yes.”
“I just wanted to make sure. I’ve got my gun. If he gives you any trouble… don’t forget that, Paige.”
“No. Don’t get involved, and please don’t use your gun. Jeremy will see to it that you’re the one who goes to jail. He’s not someone you should tangle with. Trust me.”
“How’re you going to protect yourself and your son if he comes back? The police will show up, sure – eventually.”
“I have a few things up my sleeve. Let’s just say, I’ve gone over the scenario in my mind a few times.”
“Okay. I won’t keep you from your walk. But, I just wanted you to know – I saw him. He slowed down, then stopped, right in front of your house. He got out of his car and knocked on the front door. I knew you hadn’t come home yet. Then, he left. I pretended I was sleeping here on the porch. He paid no attention to me.”
“Good, let’s keep it that way. By the way, where’s Kent?”
“He’s down at the VFW. The guys are setting up a crew to do the renovations and he’s right in the middle of it. He’s got skills, you know.”
“Oh, yes, I know.”
“You sweet on Kent?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because, he’s sweet on you. I suppose you know that by now.”
Paige let her eyes linger with his. They were blue, like Kent’s, and filled with honesty.
“Do you really think he’s interested in me?”
“Yes. I don’t think it – I know it. I know Kent better than anyone else does. I nearly raised him. What you see is what you get with him. There are no airs, no pretension.”
“Oh, here comes Justin with Thor.”
Paige slipped her shoes back on. “It will be a short walk tonight.”
“You miss Kent walking with you, don’t you?”
“Yes. I do.” Paige turned back and glanced at the elder man before walking away. McCabe knew she was already infatuated with Kent. It was as if he could see right through to her soul.
* * *
“Don’t tell me I can’t get this prescription filled…” Kent felt his frustration mounting.
“Can’t do it. You need a doctor to approve it. This is a scheduled drug. Sorry, sir.”
The pharmacist turned away as if he didn’t matter. On to the next customer, an elderly woman with a long list of medications. He was on a long wait list to see a VA doctor. Kent stepped outside into the warmth of the day and his phone vibrated. He didn’t even look at it before answering, just pulled it out of his pocket.
“Yes.”
“Kent, is that you?”
Oh great. It was his father. “Yes, dad – what’s up?”
“Well, I’m calling to see what’s going on with your grandfather.”
“Things are good. I’m staying with him, keeping an eye on him. You were right. His house needs work. I’ve been doing a few projects here.”
“The Cadillac – it’s a rental, you know. And, not cheap. I’d appreciate it if you could drop that at the dealer up there in Maine and they’ll send it back here. It wasn’t meant to be a gift with no end.”
“Yeah, I know, dad – thanks for the wheels.”
Kent felt the sweat on his brow trickling down his face. His mind was racing. What would he do for transportation? What would he do without prescription pain killers?
“Have you checked out the veteran’s home I mentioned to you for your grandfather?”
“No, not yet. He’s not all that bad, you know. He goes to the VFW for a lot of his meals and he makes stuff here at the house. His mind is fine.�
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“Well, that’s not the impression I got from some of the real estate brokers in that town. They’ve driven by his place several times. He hasn’t mown his lawn in god knows how long. They texted me a few photos. The place looks like it’s abandoned.”
“Dad, it’s not all that bad. I mowed the lawn and trimmed the overgrown trees. I’m replacing a couple of broken windows and thinking about painting the place. It’ll be a big job…”
“How the hell are you going to do that without a job and money, huh?”
“Oh, I’ll think of something. I have some money for my injury in the line of duty. I didn’t spend any money while I was in the hospital and rehab. Saved as much as I could. It’s a small savings account, not a tremendous amount….”
“Exactly. That’s why you need to get a real job and get your grandfather to move into a place where he will be cared for.”
“I’m caring for him. We eat breakfast every morning together and I drive him to the VFW. Well, I won’t be doing that for a while until I get some wheels.”
“Kent, you need to convince him to move – that’s what I sent you there to do.”
“It’s not that easy, dad. He’s not losing his mind. In fact, he’s as sharp as a tack.”
“Okay, I can see he’s got you bamboozled, too. This is what he’s best at doing – pulling the wool over peoples’ eyes. We can agree to disagree on this. You’re making a big mistake, Kent, trying to take care of an old man with mental issues.”
“No. I’m not making a mistake. And, I’m sorry you feel that way. I’ll drop the Cadillac off in the morning. Talk later….”
Kent hung up the phone. He had to, or he knew it was going to escalate into a big argument. Plus, he felt withdrawal symptoms already hitting him hard…nausea and a headache…like the flu coming on. It had only happened once, while he was in rehab. For some reason, they’d forgotten to give him his daily dose, and he forgot, too. He didn’t think it was a big deal until he lived through the next day without the meds while he waited for them to be refilled. The pain was unrelenting and wasn’t just in one spot; his entire body was wracked with muscle cramps, aches, pain that was non-stop.
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