by Flynn, Mac
I glanced at John and nodded toward the front door. "He's not sore, is he?"
John scoffed. "That man is impervious to insult, but he does take minor offense to not being perfectly obeyed."
"So he's a little miffed?"
"Exactly. He'll be his cold, calculating self in a few short hours."
"He didn't seem so cold and calculating when he was warning us about the magazines," I pointed out.
John sighed and plopped himself down in the chair. "I hate to admit it, but he may be right. The magazines won't let up unless we give them a strange answer."
"That, or it would add fuel to their fire," I argued.
"That is also a possibility, but remaining quiet doesn't seem to be quieting things down." He leaned forward and tapped on the magazines. "These stories won't disappear overnight, particularly if your friend Andy keeps coming up with stories whether you tell him or not."
Now it was my turn to sigh, and I sat down close beside him on the couch. "I know, but why don't we just try the disguise for a while? I'd hate to have all of David's work go to waste."
"All right, we'll try it your way, at least for now."
CHAPTER 8
The next day was the first test run with my disguise. I had to go to class or risk missing all those great naps I usually got while the professors droned on. Once I was safely in the classroom, if I made it that far, my classmates would find out the truth with my disguise during roll call, but that was the least of my worries.
I gave myself an extra two hours in the morning to apply the makeup and wig, and in the end the results were almost as good as David's. Then I drove to school, and soon the geography building loomed up in front of me. Through the doors I could see the familiar group of reporters standing in the lobby waiting for their prey. As the hunted I felt the instinct to run, but I had the advantage of camouflage.
I straightened myself, adjusted my wig, and marched into the lobby. The group looked up from their plotting the demise of my personal integrity, and scrutinized me. I stopped and sheepishly smiled at them. One of them sneered at me, but the others just rolled their eyes and turned away. I was not their target, and thus I was just a boring distraction.
I skipped up the stairs with a smile on my face, and steered my steps to the open door of my classroom. I heard the loud voices of my peers inside the room and absently listened in on their noisy conversation until my name came up in their conversations. "Do you think Trixie would introduce us to him?" I heard one of the girls squealed.
A foot from the door I froze, and the color drained from my face. Another girl giggled at the first one's comment. "Not with you, Amanda. She'd probably be afraid you'd steal him from her." That got a laugh out of more people, and I stepped back away from the classroom. The least of my worries had suddenly become one of my major concerns.
I decided maybe going to class wasn't such a great idea, and sprinted back to my car. Once there I tossed my bag in the back, slid into the driver's seat and threw my arms in the air. "Surely my peers would understand!" I slammed my head on the steering wheel and groaned. "Surely I was being an idiot thinking my peers would understand. What a great start to a day." It got better when my phone rang. I glanced at the name and saw it was my mom. "Hey, mom, I'm kind of-"
"-in trouble?" she guessed.
I slapped my hand against my face and ran it down. "So you've heard?"
"And read," she added in an exasperated voice. "And I've been getting phone calls all morning from reporters about this scandal."
I rolled my eyes. "It's just a big misunderstanding. The car was for me to get to work before my old one decided it didn't want to live anymore."
"Car? What on earth are you talking about?" my mom wondered.
"Um, my car?" I repeated. I had a creeping feeling over me, like an itch that was going to blow up into a rash. "The one John gave to me?"
"I'm not talking about that, that was yesterday's magazine. I'm talking about today's magazine."
My breath caught in my throat. "Wait, what are they saying now?" I asked her.
"They're saying you took the job of the old secretary using your wiles." I couldn't stop the barking laugh from escaping my mouth, but my mom wasn't amused. "This is serious, Trixie. They're accusing you of being a floozy."
I wiped the tears from my eyes. "For once I wish part of it was true. If I had that much wiles I could charm my way out of these reporters. Speaking of them, which reporter is it this time?"
"An Andrew Parks in the Gossip Globe." I rolled my eyes. Of course it would be him.
"Wait a sec. Before we go any farther let me go buy a copy and get a look at it. I'll call you back."
I hung up and drove to the pizza shop where I knew they had a wrack of magazines for their feminine patrons. I bought a copy and glanced over the cover. There was me again, but instead of the smiling face I had a twisted grin and horns. I liked the horns, they were a nice touch. I flipped through to the article and read the details, or what few details there were. Mr. Parks pretty much accused me of sleeping with John to get the job and ousting out my predecessor. The reporter had only unnamed sources to back up his claim, but I happened to glance around at the pizza place and saw a few other people with the magazines. I was glad for my disguise because a few of them had their papers open to my article and they had some ugly looks on their faces. However I fixed it I'd need to do it soon or I'd be stuck with this disguise for the rest of my life.
I shuddered, walked back to my car, dialed my mom's number and she picked up. "You got a chance to read it?" she asked me.
"Yep."
"So could you please tell me what's going on?"
"Mom, this is a bunch of bullshit, and I'm going to fix it. Just give me a couple of days, and don't answer any more calls from strangers, okay?"
"All right, but please behave."
"I will, Mom." Or I'd try. I hung up and sighed. Now all I needed to do was figure out a way to fix it. At times like these there was only one thing to do, and that was to call up my boss and see if he had any idea how to fix it. I dialed his number and halfway through the first ring he'd answered it. "Waiting for me?" I guessed.
"I heard about the new article from Cecil," he explained to me.
I snorted. "Does that guy read anything else nowadays?" I wondered.
"I'm glad he isn't, but he's looking into these unnamed sources as we speak."
"Why? I already know who they are."
"You do?"
"We've already made two people mad who'd know about me replacing your last secretary."
Through the phone I heard the sound of John's teeth grind together. "Monroe."
"And Sievers," I added.
"Four can play at this game."
I expected him to think of something, but this was rather fast. "So you have a plan?" I asked him.
"Yes, but I won't like what has to be done."
I frowned. "Why?" I slowly returned.
"Because it means I have to do something terrible."
I blinked in bewilderment. "Um, I think I might need to be told this plan before I agree to it."
"Come over to the house and I'll tell you."
"Why don't you tell me right now?"
"Because I need your car."
"Um, why?"
"You'll see, but come over as soon as you can." I opened my mouth to object, but he'd hung up. With no other choice I removed the disguise, drove to his house, parked, and stepped inside. Sassy met me at the door and yowled her greeting. "Mind telling me where your man is?" I asked her. She turned tail and trotted down the hall to the study. I followed and found the room darkened and the chair half turned from the doorway. The desk lamp was on, but I could barely make out John's form seated in the chair with his hands clasped together.
I reached for the light switch to my right, but he spoke up. "Don't touch it, and close the door behind you."
I frowned, but my arm dropped to my side, and I hesitantly stepped inside and closed
the door behind myself. "Mind telling me what this is all about?"
He turned to face me and held out his hand across the desk with the palm upward. "Give me your car keys."
I was taken aback by how firm and serious he sounded, and I actually clutched at the keys in my pocket. "Why?"
"Because this is what has to be done for you to return to a normal life, now please give them to me," he insisted.
"What exactly has to happen?" I asked him.
He frowned and leaned back. Sassy jumped on his lap and completed the picture of the cold and diabolical man. "Don't you see? We have to part ways and never see each other again."
My mouth dropped open. I never expected to hear those words from him. "W-what?" I stuttered. Surely I'd heard wrong, or maybe misunderstood.
"Let me put it more bluntly. Our relationship is done. There's no longer anything between us."
I stumbled forward, but caught myself on the desk. He didn't move to catch me. "Y-you're joking, right? You're just practicing for the papers, aren't you?"
His response was to hold out his hand again. "The keys, if you please."
A deep pain stabbed at my heart and I struggled to hold back the tears in my eyes. "John, this isn't funny."
"I'm not trying to be funny," he calmly, coldly replied. "Now the keys, or do I have to call the police?"
"But it's my car!" I protested. I felt like my world was collapsing around me and I tried to hold onto it.
"Not according to the Department of Licensing and the title," he countered. He sighed and stretched his hand out closer to me. "Now if you would please hand me the keys we can get this messy business to an end."
My hands shook as I reached out my arm, but I hesitated over his hand. I just couldn't release the keys, and I looked into his eyes for some hint of mischief. The darkness was too strong to get a good look and his scowl too deep for me to see any hope for this being a joke. I turned my face away and dropped the keys into his hand.
He snapped his arm away and half turned from me. "Your old car is still in the garage. The keys are on the table in the hallway."
I stood before his desk with my hands at my sides balled into tight, quivering fists. My voice held a tremor of anger and pain. "So this is it? This is how we're going to end?" I asked him.
"This is it," he agreed.
"Will you miss me at all, or was I just useful like Sievers?" I accused him.
He scoffed. "You weren't evenly remotely useful like Sievers, and what's there to miss? Your endless chatter and foolish idea to get me out into the world?" he nonchalantly asked me.
My face fell and I bit my lip. I spun on my heels, and rushed out of the study and down the hall to the front door. Blinded by my tears, I stumbled into the entrance table and clutched onto the sides. The drops of betrayal and sadness poured down my face and my entire body trembled. I glanced down between my arms and saw that my old car keys lay where he'd said they were. He'd put them there in a premeditated breakup. I grasped the keys in my hand, and recalled something that I'd forgotten. I whipped my head over my shoulder and glanced down at the open study door. There was on last bit of business with him.
I stomped back down the hall and flung open the door. John had sat facing the door, but at my wild entrance he quickly swiveled away so I confronted the back of the chair. I marched over to his desk and slammed my palms on the top. "Give me back those keys," I demanded.
He half turned to me and from the light in the hall I could barely make out a raised eyebrow. "You want your car back that badly?" he wondered.
I scowled at him. "No, it's got my apartment keys on it."
His eyes widened and I heard a strangled noise come from his throat. He jingled the car keys in his hands and tossed my apartment keys to me. "There, now our business is done."
I clutched onto the keys and my lower lip quivered. "I guess it it." A sob escaped my throbbing throat and I rushed out of there before I made a bigger fool of myself.
CHAPTER 9
The drive home was a blur of tears, sobs and blubbering. My car clunked along and somehow reached my apartment only to die in the garage. The engine made a horrible grinding noise and I knew Old Reliable had made its last trip. "Just my luck," I hoarsely whispered with a wry, sick smile on my face.
I walked up to my apartment, but barely made it to the door when Andy peeked his head out. He grinned at me and stepped out into the hall. "Good morning!" he cheerfully greeted me.
I turned my head away to hide my bleary face. "Hi," I muttered.
Andy frowned and moved to stand beside me. "You feeling okay?" He leaned forward and caught a glimpse of my face. His eyes widened. "You don't look so well. Something happen?"
I opened my mouth to tell him off, but a devil appeared on my shoulder. It had a proposal for me. It said that now was my chance for revenge, to get even for his using me and tossing me aside like an old rag. I could tell the whole world everything that I knew and he'd be out there for the whole world to see.
The devil didn't count on me weariness, and I deflated like a leaky balloon. I shook my head. "I'd rather not talk about it right now." I went inside my apartment, shut the door and leaned my back against the entrance. Another sob escaped my throat, and I slid down the door. By the time I hit the floor I was a mess of tears and choked sobs.
Over the next few days the scene was rinsed and repeated in a depressing consistency. I shut off my phone and forsook classes, family, and friends. The week passed in that blurry existence of heartache, but by Saturday afternoon I had a problem. My food supply was running low and I didn't have a car to drive me to the store. That presented another problem. Though I'd saved up as much as I could from working for Mr. Benson, that didn't change the fact that I was now unemployed. The only option I could think of was to return to the diner and resume my meager existence as a poor college student. Yay.
All these thoughts spun around in my head as I lay face-first on my decrepit couch. The only change in monotony for the last few hours was my hearing Andy's door open and close, and his footsteps retreat down the hall. Must have had someone else's life to ruin. I rolled over and groaned. My stomach was as empty as the cupboards, but I didn't have the energy to go to the nearby gas station or any of the restaurants for food. I barely had energy to lift my head when I heard the knock on the door.
"Who is it?" I mumbled. The reply was another knock. I groaned, got up and walked over to the door. Through the peephole I saw a tall guy in a chauffeur's suit with the hat pulled low over his face. "What do you want?" I asked him.
"I'm here to pick up a Miss Trixie Calhoun," he replied.
I wrinkled my nose. "Pick up? Why? Where are you going?"
"Are you her?" he wondered.
"Yeah, and who are you?"
"I was instructed not to tell you that until you got into the car," he told me.
"Like hell I'm going anywhere unless I know where I'm going," I refused.
The stranger frowned, rummaged through his pants pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. He looked over the contents for a moment and glanced back at the door. "The gentleman who hired me said you'd be difficult, but he told me if I said the world 'uncle' you'd know what I meant."
My face furrowed. "Uncle?" I whispered. "Uncle. . ." My eyes lit up and I snapped my fingers. There was only one uncle I knew of, and that was Cecil. Then I was confused all over again. "What's he want with me?" I asked the guy.
He shrugged. "Don't know, but I'm supposed to drive you somewhere."
"That's a little vague. Can't you give me some more info, or at least your name?" I persisted.
"The name's Ben, but as for the other stuff I'm afraid I can't." He pulled down his wrist and showed a watch over his pale skin. "We're kind of running late already, so if you're not coming with me than I have to leave you."
I was torn between two actions. The first was I could tell him to tell Cecil to shove it along with his stupid nephew, or I could blindly go with this driver and see why Cecil
wanted to see me. I sighed and shrugged. "Why not? Let me get my coat."
I grabbed my jacket and stepped out into the hall. Ben led me down to the street where a stretched limo awaited us. He opened the door and I hesitated to step inside, especially when he roughly grabbed my arm and shoved me inside. Then he hurriedly slammed the door and slid into the front seat. In the darkened space of the backseat I panicked and grabbed for the door handle. It wouldn't budge. He'd locked it on me.
"Hey! Let me out!" I ordered him.
The window between the front compartment and the rear was open, and the driver leaned one arm over the back of his seat so he could look at me. He had a sly grin on his face, one that was very familiar. "Are the two of you comfortable?"
"Two of us?" I worried about my driver's senility and intentions until I noticed a strange ball on the seat across from me. I leaned forward and stared at the lump. A head arose from the mass of fur and eyes sleepily blinked at me. It meowed, sat up and jumped into my lap to knead at my clothes. I recognized those sharp claws and that needy purr. "Sassy!" I cried out.
Ben chuckled, and I was sure I'd heard that sound some place else. "She insisted on coming," he told me.
I blinked in bewilderment. "Why'd she want to go with you?" I asked him.
"We've had quite a few lonely days to bond," he replied. He swept off his cap, and the fake hair with it, and used a handkerchief to wipe the skin-colored makeup off his face. My mouth dropped open when John emerged from beneath that detailed disguise. "Happy to see me?" he teased.
At his words my mouth snapped shut and I frowned at him. "Let me out."
His face fell. "Why?"
"Let me out, and you come out, too," I ordered him.
John frowned, but followed my commands. We stood out there on that dingy street with Sassy watching through the heavily tinted window. "What the hell is going on?" I asked him.
John sheepishly smiled. "I've come to take you away from this terrible apartment building once and for all," he replied.