by Megan Smith
“Thanks.”
While buttoning my shirt I run down the stairs two at a time, grab my keys and wallet off the counter and then I’m out the door in the next second not bothering with packing a lunch or even brushing my teeth. I’ll just have to go out for lunch today.
Pulling up to work, I cut the engine and walk inside. My heart rate has finally returned back to normal after that initial jolt of energy. I doubt I’ll get in any trouble because I’m hardly ever late and I never take off unless I have a good reason too. Plus, Bruce, my boss, is pretty cool but I still hate being late.
My phone beeps in my pocket. I dig it out and see it’s a message from Cooper. I pull the side door to Steve’s open and step inside. I’m busy looking down at my phone when I run into someone. Thinking it’s one of the guys I open my mouth to joke around and tell them to watch where they are going but my words die out. I was not prepared for the girl standing in front of me with her long blonde hair, striking blue eyes, killer smile, and nice tits.
When our eyes meet I feel all the air being sucked out of my lungs. I suddenly feel like one of Sub-Zero’s enemies in Mortal Combat when he rips their head off their shoulders with the spine included. This can’t be happening. I have to be trapped in some kind of nightmare. If not then please just rip my head off. I’d rather die than to actually have this really be happening.
Her eyes, like a deer in the headlights, are pinned on me. The glass that she was holding in her hands slips and crashes against the ground.
Rebecca yells from the front of the office, “Everything okay?”
I clear my throat and yell back, “Yeah.”
My eyes scan the hall; the last conference room door at the end of the hall is opened. I grab hold of Ally’s upper arm and drag her down the hall with me. After shutting the door behind us I lean against it trying to catch my breath. My heart is beating double time, my hands are clammy and I’m shaking.
Ally is standing in the corner of the room with her hands wrapped around herself rocking back and further. Standing up straight I set my shoulders. I want answers and I want them now.
“I—”
“What—”
We both start talking at the same time.
Running my hands through my hair I grip a hold of it welcoming the pain. I need the slight distraction to grasp what the hell is going on here. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Before you say anything else,” Ally squeaks. “I had no idea you worked here.”
I glare at her. “You had no idea? I find that hard to believe.” Her sister’s warning to stay away because she is trouble is ringing like a fucking siren in my ears, warning of impending doom ahead. She has to be lying, has to be.
Ally’s head falls forward. “I can see from the look on your face that you’ve spoken to my sister.”
“Well, yeah,” I huff; at least she has some kind of brains. “How do you think you got your purse back?”
“Oh God,” Ally shakes her head. “Look, I really had no idea you worked here, honestly. I may have some issues but stalking is not one of them I assure you.”
She looks like she’s telling the truth and maybe she is but this is all some kind of cruel joke. What are the chances that she’d get a job here where I work? Slim to fucking none.
“This is bad,” I mutter. If Chloe thought I was lying to her before about Ally’s purse being in my car she’s going to fucking completely lose it now that Ally is working here.
I pull one of the chairs out from around the table and sit down before I fall over. My heart cannot take this much adrenaline pumping through it this morning. My head starts throbbing. I’m so fucked.
Ally sits down across from me looking like a little timid mouse. How can a girl who looks like this cause such a huge problem? How could I have been so stupid to let her? I guess maybe now is the time to figure out the missing pieces about that night at Oceans.
“I need answers.” I rest my elbows on the table with my hands clasped in front of me. “What the fuck happened that night and how did you leave your purse in my truck?”
A knock sounds at the door. “Ally,” Rebecca calls.
Her eyes shoot up to mine wanting to know what she should do.
I nod my head towards the door. “Tell her you’ll be out in a minute.”
She gets up slowly, walks over to the door and does what I told her to do. I can see Rebecca through the little slit in the door and she’s looking at Ally like she’s not sure if she should demand to know what is going on or just walk away.
“I’ll clean up that mess in minute,” Ally tells Rebecca. I forgot she had dropped the glass in the hallway and it shattered.
“Okay, I’ll put out the caution sign for now.”
“Thanks.”
Ally closes the door and takes her seat again. She looks at me nervously. “You saved me,” she says in a hushed voice.
My eyes narrow in on hers. “Saved you?” What the fuck is she talking about?
“You really don’t remember?”
“Pieces,” Nothing about saving her, whatever the hell that means, “Of the beginning of the night, drinking a hell of a lot more than I normally do then shit gets spotty.”
Ally takes a deep breath and fills me in on exactly what happened.
I walked in Friday night after being out job hunting all day. I needed to unwind. My sister and her husband had been riding my ass about getting a job and staying out of trouble. When I walked into Oceans there were only two empty seats, one next to you and one on the other side of the bar. My feet were killing me from wearing heels all day so I took the closest seat which was next to you.
I climbed up on the stool, ordered a shot and a beer. I took the shot and was sipping on my beer minding my own business. The bartender, Manny, I think his name was, and you were talking about baseball. My ears perked up. My ex-boyfriend was a bookie, he focused on all sports but baseball was his thing.
You were telling Manny about your brothers in between him taking care of the other customers. Eventually, I joined in the conversation. Then we just made small talk. I wanted to ask you what was wrong because I felt like something was bothering you but then I thought better of it. I had my own problems to worry about. I didn’t need to be listening to other people’s issues as I had a bag full of my own. More shots were had along with more beers. Then I bet you fifty dollars that I could out drink you. I needed money so it sounded like a good idea. I knew I could win because you had already been drinking and it would be an easy fifty dollars in my pocket. You swore up and down there was no way a “little girl” could out drink you.
Many, many shots later Manny cut us off, then called the bet as me as the winner. We were laughing and having a good time. I hadn’t laughed that much in a long as time. I wasn’t ready to go home and be hounded by my sister and her husband just yet. Since Manny cut you off you were about ready to leave and go home. So, I asked you to dance with me to settle the debt instead of paying me. You agreed. You settled our tabs and then you led me to the dance floor. By the way, thank you for that.
At first you just stood there swaying, you were really drunk. You tried to say something but you were slurring your words and stumbling around like you had two left feet. Finally, you found your bearings. Anyway, I was feeding off your lead or I thought I was. Who really knows because the shots were starting to catch up to me a little by then too. I wasn’t nearly as drunk as you but I was close. You were dancing around like some crazy person but then you stopped. Your face was white as a ghost. I wasn’t sure what was going on and you started to sway so I wrapped my arms around you to keep you up straight. You kept looking at my lips, I thought you were going to kiss me, but you stumbled forward after someone bumped into you. You told me you were tanked which I already knew.
This is where it gets good. Right after that happened I spotted my ex-boyfriend watching me from the other side of the bar. I panicked because I had stolen some money from him right before I broke up with
him. He doesn’t mess around with people who screw with his money. I knew I had to get out of there or, at the very least, hide. I looked around for a side exit, back door, something, but all that was on the side of the dance floor we were on was a hallway. I grabbed your hand and pulled you down the hall with me. I should have just left you on the dance floor but I was scared. There were people lined in the hallway doing God knows what and you were looking at me like you wanted to run.
When I look back on everything now you probably thought I wanted to have sex with you. I probably would have considered it if I wasn’t shitting my pants thinking my ex-boyfriend was going to kill me. Anyway, I found a door at the end of the hall. I turned the doorknob, praying it was unlocked. I told you to come on. You were going to say something but then you just looked around at all the people. I tried asking you what was wrong but you said you didn’t know. Not having any more time to waste I pulled you into what turned out to be a closet, and locked the door behind us.
When I turned around to figure out if there was a window or something I could escape from you were just standing stone still. Again, I tried asking you what was wrong. It took you a few minutes before you finally said you had to go. You turned to leave but I stopped you. I knew I had to tell you what was going on so you would help me. When I was finished filling you in, you helped me find a window I could fit through. I made my escape and started running but my ex had one of his guys waiting for me near the front of the building. I yelled for you not knowing what else to do. Then my ex came around the side of the building and I knew I was fucked, but then you came running over and saved me. I knew my ex wouldn’t hurt me in front of anyone. You told them to get lost and he did but not before promising me he would come back for me.
After he left I broke down crying. I’d never been so scared in my entire life. I called my sister and begged her to come and pick me up. You waited with me, offered for me to have a seat in your truck. I dropped my phone in your truck while I was looking for a text message from my ex and couldn’t find it so I asked to use your phone so I could call mine. A little while later my sister pulled up with her husband. He flung his car door open, pulled you from your truck and pinned you against it. He almost hit you before I started screaming and crying telling him to stop. He let go of you and you slid down to the ground. Keith started yelling wanting to know what happened. I couldn’t tell him. He’d kick me out of his house and it was the only place I had left to stay so I didn’t say anything. Aubrey sat her husband in their car and calmed him down. They called a cab for you. When the cab arrived he helped you in and paid for your fare. When I got out of the truck to stop Keith from hitting you I left my purse behind and didn’t even realize it right away. I had no way of contacting you to ask for it back.
I scrub my face with my hands. “That’s it, all of it?”
“Yes, that’s it, all of it.”
Sitting back in my chair I just stare straight ahead. Why did I have to drink so much that night? If I didn’t and I explained everything that Ally just told me to Chloe none of this would even be an issue right now. Chloe would have understood. Now though, it looks like I was up to no good because Ally forgot her purse in my truck when she was trying to protect me from her brother-in-law.
“This is so fucked up.”
“I’m sorry.”
I glance over at her, the look in her eyes tell me she means it. “She’s never going to believe me,” I mutter. “I wouldn’t believe me.”
“What did you say to her the day you called?”
“I asked for you to see about getting my purse back.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.” Ally clears her throat. “Look, you saved my ass, now it’s my turn to save yours. What can I do?”
I don’t even know what to do myself.
“Do you want me to call her? I can explain everything.”
I huff. “Like I said, she’s never going to believe it.” I push my chair back in and stand up. Chloe would probably kill me if I let Ally explain the story. “I’ve got to figure this out.”
“Jackson, I want to help.”
I think Aubrey might be wrong about her sister. Ally isn’t trouble; I think it just finds her. If she was a bad person would she really be offering to help me by explaining things, by making this right with Chloe? She’d just tell me I was fucked. I actually feel kind of bad for Ally because she seems nice, but I also feel like she could give someone a run for their money.
“I’ll let you know if you can.”
I walk out of the conference room, down the hall and out to the garage to get my day started. My mind is working a mile a minute with how I’m going to tell Chloe about this.
When lunch time rolls around I clock out and take a ride down to the pizza place. On my way I decide to call Chloe and see if she’ll meet up with me tonight to talk. We have to do this. I have to explain and clear everything up.
I want my wife back in my bed where she belongs and I’m not letting anything stop me from making that happen.
After dialing her number I bring the phone up to my ear.
“Hello.”
I miss the sound of her voice. “Chloe…”
“I’m at work in the middle of something. Is there something you need?” She says in a hushed tone.
“We need to talk. It can’t wait anymore. Can you come over tonight?”
She sighs. “I can’t. I’ve got to get Alex dinner, help him with his homework, get him in the shower and then off to bed. It’ll be too tired after that.”
“Saturday then?”
“I guess but I really need to get back to work now.”
“Until Saturday, Chloe, that’s all I’m going to give you or I’m coming after you and forcing you to sit and talk with me.”
“I just told you I would, alright. I have to get back to work.” She says dismissively then hangs up on me without a goodbye.
Now to just figure out how I’m going to explain everything to her now and make her believe me.
When did things get so fucked up between us? It had to be around the time we started, like clockwork, trying to make baby number two. I got so tired of the “on demand” sex that had one goal in mind…make a baby…that lacked all emotion and connection.
It’s true, men want sex all the time, any time of day or night, any where. We can do on demand sex too…as long as the passion is still there. What we’ve had the past few months lacked that entirely. I’m not a robot, I’m a man who wants his wife back. The sex we had on Alex’s first day of kindergarten was how it used to be between us. Mindblowing. And I want that back. I need that back. I need Chloe back and I won’t stop until she’s back in our bed every night blowing my mind with the love I have for her.
I screwed this up but I will fix it, just like my dad told me to do.
Chloe
It’s Halloween today. All the leaves have changed color and are starting to fall. Since it’s rained so much lately the air has a bit of a musky smell to it from the leaves and damp ground but I don’t care. It’s still one of my favorite times of the year. During the day when the sun is shining it’s warm and cozy and then when the sun goes down it turns cool. I love to wrap myself in an oversized hoodie and a nice pair of sweat pants and sit out back with a hot cup of coffee.
Ethan and I went out to lunch today. He was asking what Alex was going to be for Halloween and what we had planned for the day. It’s nice to be able to go out and talk with someone who isn’t in some way family.
On our way back to the office he told me to take the rest of the afternoon off. I told him I couldn’t do that but he insisted. I wasn’t going to argue so I finished up with filing the mail and headed home for the day.
“Mom, can we go now?” Alex whines.
He’s been asking me since the second I picked him up from school.
“Not until you eat your dinner.”
“But everyone is going to take all the candy.”
Sighing, I rest my h
ands on my hips. It’s just going to be one of those days with him. “Well¸ if you hurry up and eat we can get you dressed and out the door a lot quicker.” I turn back to the crockpot and spoon more chicken noodle soup into a bowl for myself. Elle always makes the best chicken noodle soup and she always does it on Halloween too.
“Where’s dad?” Alex asks with a drop of soup running down his chin.
“He’ll be here soon.” I take a seat at the table across from Alex. “If you don’t eat by the time everyone gets here you’re not going out at all.” I point my spoon at him. “Eat.”
Alex huffs but picks up his spoon and starts eating again. My phone beeps with a new text message. Picking it up I slide my finger across the screen.
Jackson 3:37pm: Just finished up at work, be there soon.
I don’t bother to respond back. He’ll be here soon enough anyway. Just as Alex takes the last spoonful of his soup Ryder comes charging into the kitchen calling his name.
He’s all decked out in a Batman costume looking like a little stud. The costume is stuffed in the chest area making it look like he has muscles. It’s so adorable I can’t help but smile. He’s wearing the mask, cape and belt too.
I laugh, “Looking good, Ryder.”
Hunter strides into the kitchen with an itty bitty Catwoman in his arms. He kisses the top of her head then sets her down. Olivia looks sassy in a black cat suit adorned with a shiny belt, leather gloves up to her elbows, little black boots and a headband with cat ears.
She comes toddling over to me and raises her hands. I reach down, pick her and place her in my lap. “Meow.”
She glances up at me and laughs. I do it again and she laughs even harder.
“That’s all she does.” MacKenzie sets a bag down on a nearby chair. “I’ve been trying to get her to meow all day, but all she does is laugh at me.”
“Ryder take it easy, please,” MacKenzie yells. He’s running up and down the hallway while Alex stands back and watches like his cousin has lost his mind.