by Alana Allen
“Hmmm…..” was all the woman said before she turned to leave. “I guess I’ll try anything,” and she closed the door politely behind her.
~
Suzy was still looking at the card when she entered her office. John was sat at the desk across from her and looked pleased to see her come back.
“Any luck with the sheriff?” he asked optimistically.
“Just this,” she waved the business card.
Right, well it’s now or never, she thought. Her hand trembled as she held her hand over the phone. She never did like to talk to people this way. Just do it, she goaded herself. She punched in the numbers and listened nervously. She was surprised when the phone was answered on the third ring.
“Uh hello? Terry Jones speaking,”
“Hi there, sorry to bother you, Sheriff Watson passed on your number. I’m from the Texas Wildlife Foundation and he thought that maybe you could help….”
Silence.
“But of course I understand you’re a busy man and again… I’m sorry to bother you,” she moved to hang up.
“No! It’s not a bother at all. I’m just thinkin…. It’s Clarkson ain’t it? I heard about that. He’s wantin’ to drill for oil in the San Marco National Park ain’t he?”
“That’s correct sir,” she thought it sounded hopeful.
“Yeah… He’s a real sucker for causing devastation. Say why don’t you come on out here and we can discuss this further?”
“That would be great!”
“Watson tell you where I am right?”
“It’s on your card,”
“Great! See you soon!” and he hung up.
Suzy spent a few seconds chewing on a fingernail. That moved fast, she thought. Now what? She could see her reflection in the turned off monitor of her computer. She thought she looked dismal and couldn’t bear the thought of meeting someone looking the way she did but John’s voice broke her from her thoughts.
“You look fine Suzy! I can see what you’re thinkin’,”
“Hmmm?”
“You’ve been lookin’ at yourself in the computer screen for like five minutes. You look great! Don’t worry about it,”
“You really freak me out sometimes…”
“I’ve known you long enough Suzy… I know what bothers you,” and he threw an M&M at her. “Who was that anyway? Sounded serious,”
“I can’t say just yet… Don’t wanna jinx it,” and she stood up to make a move. “I’ll let you know how it goes,” and she was out the door.
CHAPTER 4
IT’S NOT A DATE!
Making a quick stop off at her home she ran to her bedroom. Looking in the mirror she determined that she had work to do. She ran the shower and stripped off her old, tatty uniform. Mocha brushed at her legs with a purr and she tickled the top of her head.
“I know you love Mommy no matter what she looks like,”
And the cat fell to the floor and showed off its tummy.
Suzy climbed in the shower and felt the water calm her nerves. If only she could stay here for hours. But just as she began to relax she caught her reflection in the mirror as it began to steam up.
“Oh God I’m so huge!” she lamented and felt the need to cover her eyes from her own body.
The truth was that she’d always been on the large side but it had never bothered her before. Her mother always told her she’d broken the mould when she was born, that she had too big a personality to fit inside a supermodel’s body. Suzy always thought her mother’s words were sweet and they always helped her through the difficult times when kids at school bullied her. But their snide comments and insults only fuelled her to carve her own path to happiness. She soon became one of the alt kids and died her hair radical colors and wore creative clothes she often sewed herself. She didn’t need anybody’s admiration or acceptance. Those were things she found in herself.
But here she was looking in the mirror as if she’d noticed her body for the first time and she realized that those thoughts of self-doubt had been creeping up on her for a while now. Maybe it was that she was getting older. At 32 she still felt fresh and young but she had watched her friends settle down with husbands and children and she felt that part of her life was passing her by. She felt sad at the thought she hadn’t found that special someone yet. Could it be possible to find someone who would love her big curves?
She looked back in the mirror and mentally told herself off for thinking so negatively about herself. Hey! She thought. You’re a damn fine beautiful woman and don’t ever forget it! Your self-worth isn’t determined by a number on a scale. And she smiled to herself and did a little wiggle.
Jumping out the shower and wrapping herself in a towel she began to rifle through her clothes. What am I thinking? This isn’t a date! She laughed to herself. But then why did she feel a flutter in her stomach as she got ready? There was something about Terry Jones’ voice that made her melt, something so strong yet gentle. She wondered what he looked like.
Pulling on her favorite jeans and a soft pink blouse she put the finishing touches to her make-up and looked herself over. Not bad! She decided. Smart but casual and made up but not over the top. She gave herself a wink in the mirror and hurried to her truck.
~
Terry Jones had just hung up the phone when he decided it wasn’t too early for a whiskey. He poured himself three fingers of Laphroaig and looked out to the desert that surrounded his house. He always felt pride swell within him as he looked out to his land and as he stepped out to sit on the porch he smiled. He pondered on the voice of the sweet lady on the phone and wondered what he could do for her. She’d be here soon and he checked his appearance in the reflection of a nearby window. Not bad, he thought. I still got it.
Terry or TJ as he was known to his friends and family was fifty five years old but still felt twenty. He was more athletic than most men half his age and prided himself on looking impeccable at all times. But he was a perfectionist in almost all ways and it was that sense of ambition that made him a cut above the rest.
The sound of cattle was heard in the distance and above the house TJ was certain he heard an eagle squawk. He placed his hand over his brows and looked up to the sky. The sun was beating down hard and dried everything it touched. But soon it would dip down into the earth and the cold would permeate over the landscape.
He headed back inside and poured himself another drink. He knew he shouldn’t but… it was his only vice. Well that and beautiful women and he’d certainly had a few of those over the years. But as he got older he soon tired of their money grabbing ways and their high maintenance. At least he got a son though and that meant more to him than all the women in the world and his empire combined. But he’d give all of that up just to make his boy happy. He looked to Vincent’s photo that was always on his desk and smiled. Good kid, he thought. Shame about his mother…
He looked to the clock and saw that it wouldn’t be long until his guest arrived. Well… if she found her way out here alright. He decided to do some research and sat down at his PC. He first searched the Texas Wildlife Foundation and was guided to a serene but plain website. He clicked on the team page and instantly saw the faces of the staff… and there was only one woman.
“Hmmmm!” he looked at her closer. “Pretty little thing,” he said to himself. He liked her friendly face and her big brown eyes.
Almost 45 minutes had passed and he found that he was still searching everything online about this Suzy. So far he had discovered that she was single, in her thirties and a chocolate fiend. She loved cats but all other animals too and she adored her job. He read one of the posts on her social media page:
“MAKE YOUR PASSION YOUR PAYCHECK”
He couldn’t agree more. She seems like a smart girl, he thought. Can’t wait to meet her… and soon enough he heard the sound of truck tires crackling on the gravel.
CHAPTER 5
Martini
Suzy had been driving for what felt like forever. All sh
e had seen for miles was desert with the occasional bison scuttling over the dry earth. She wondered what someone like Terry Jones was doing living somewhere so desolate and arid.
“What does he do out here?” she spoke into the breeze.
She stuck a hand out the window to feel the cool air rushing passed and looked into the rear view mirror to adjust her sunglasses. Awesome, she thought. I look awesome. And she fixed her eyes back to the road.
Something caught her attention in the sky and she craned her neck to look up. It looked like some kind of enormous bird and working for years in the national park had taught her everything there was to know about Texan wildlife. She surmised it was some sort of eagle but she couldn’t see it properly. Something else then caught her eye and it looked like the front entrance of a ranch. As she approached she saw the name and double checked it with the business card. It lay in the blistering sun on the dashboard and read:
EAGLE EYE RANCH ~ EST. 1896
“Yup, this is it!” and she turned right.
Suzy couldn’t have imagined the magnitude of the place. When she thought of a ranch she often imagined something only slightly bigger than a farm but this was almost a self-contained city, an entire community that was built just to serve the Jones family.
“This is crazy,” she whispered as she drove for mile after mile through the compound while watching the people working around her.
The road seemed to stretch on for at least five miles and then in the distance through the heat haze she caught the glimmer of a large house. As she drove nearer she saw that it was a gargantuan mansion sitting like a glowing white crystal in the middle of the desert.
“Good Lord,” she exclaimed deeply in awe.
As she arrived at the front door a mature, yet refined gentleman came out to greet her. He walked down the lavish staircase and waved jovially.
“You must by Suzanna,” he reached out a hand.
“Oh I didn’t realize I gave you my name,” she blushed.
“I know everything,” he smiled as he patted the side of his nose conspiratorially.
They both laughed and shook hands.
“But please, call me TJ,” he spoke warmly.
“And you can call me Suzy. Suzanna’s what my Mom calls me,”
“Very well,” he smiled. “Care to join me for a drink?”
She nodded as he led her inside.
As soon as she entered the main hall she was both aghast and impressed with the size and beauty of the building. The ceilings were high as the ornately decorated walls towered up to them. There was however something she didn’t like at all. The animal heads that were displayed as trophies on every space she looked at. She must not have been able to hide her disgust because TJ began to laugh.
“Not a big fan of taxidermy?” he chuckled.
“Er… no… not at all,”
“Ah well! You can’t exactly own a ranch and not kill some cattle eh?”
Suzy frowned as she thought that she’d probably come to the wrong place to save wildlife. But as she looked to TJ there was a cheeky twinkle in his green eyes that made her unable to take her gaze from him. He’s gorgeous, she thought.
Meanwhile TJ wasn’t oblivious to her attraction and saw the way she looked at him. She wasn’t his usual type though and if he was honest he would say that all women looked at him in admiration. He knew he was attractive despite his age and that wasn’t just because of his money. He smiled at her once more just to see the look on her face and he was pleased to see her melt. She grinned so widely that he was convinced it would hurt her face and her eyes were shining bright as she looked up at him.
“Come join me in my office,” he outstretched an arm to show her the way and she followed.
Once in the room Suzy was yet again impressed by the beauty and the elegance of the furnishings. Everything was perfectly in its place and looked as though it cost more than her house. Usually she prided herself on never being swayed by material things but this time she made an exception. She thought the place was incredible and it made her uncomfortable. What’s a fat, dumb girl like me doing in a house like this? She thought sadly as she sat down across from TJ. He was sat at his desk which was so large it looked more like he was captain of a large ship. And he had the tan for the job too.
She sighed as she looked to him and thought herself a silly girl for swooning after a man that would obviously have no interest in her. She was no regular beauty… she just liked the animals…
“So Suzy! What can I help you with?”
“Well…” she became nervous now that she was on the spot. “The park… that Kenneth Clarkson wants to tear it apart,”
“Ha! Yup… he does that,”
Suzy felt embarrassed, this was useless.
“But what he’s doing is entirely illegal!” she protested. “The town council voted against it!”
TJ leant back in his chair and nodded solemnly.
“I see ...” was all he said. “And what do you think I can do about it?” he seemed almost hostile and arrogant.
“Well I’ll be honest… I’m not sure. But Sheriff Watson implied that you were both you know… above the law in some regard. That you and Clarkson go way back,”
“Yeah,” he looked into the distance and laughed. “We go way back alright. That bastard stole my first wife and has been making my life miserable ever since… Or at least he tries to… He’s always tryin’ to kick up trouble in some way or another, buyin’ out my competitors, encroaching on my land. You get the drift. Anyway, I’m pretty sure he’s just tryin’ to make up for something in the pants department,” he winked and Suzy felt her stomach flutter.
“So… you think maybe there’s a way you can help?” she asked with her best puppy dog eyes.
“Any enemy of Clarkson is my friend,” and he smiled again and lit up the room. “Won’t you have a drink with me?”
“Sure,”
He strode over to his drink’s cabinet and Suzy made sure to get a good look at him. Despite his age she was happy to see he had a rocking body with a strong, muscular build. He knew she was watching and made sure to turn his back on her for a moment so she could get a good look at his behind.
“How about a Martini for the lady?” he asked over his shoulder.
“That would be great!”
As he dropped cubes of ice into glasses and poured liquor over the top he thought about the girl behind him. She was cute that was for sure but she wasn’t the kind of girl he normally asked out. She had real breasts for starters and a brain too and more importantly a heart. The thought of dating a real woman confused him for a moment as he thought back to his ex-wives. They were beautiful and perfect on the outside but as black as tar on the inside and just as putrid too. He vowed to never make that mistake again and he thought that part of his life was now over. But as he thought of Suzy he found himself wanting to see more of her, to ask her out on a date even. How can this be I’ve only known her mere minutes, he thought.
“Here you go my good lady,” he handed over her drink with a dazzling smile.
Instead of heading back to his desk he sat on a nearby couch and leaned back relaxed.
“So… Where do we begin? What do you suggest we do?”
“I’ll be honest in that I have no idea!” Suzy giggled and took a sip of her drink. “I mean there must be some sort of way we can reach an agreement where he leaves the park alone right?”
“Hmmmm….” TJ thought for a minute. “Something like… I buy the land out from under him and tell him to get the hell off! Something like that?”
“Is that even possible?”
“Sweetheart anything’s impossible. The very word spells “I’m Possible”, to quote the late Audrey Hepburn of course,”
“That would be the BEST!”
“I’ll see what I can do,”
CHAPTER 6
BLAZE
Suzy was driving back to the park with a mighty smile on her face. My God he’s a hotty alright! Sh
e was thinking about him so much that she was having difficulty concentrating on the road. But he’d never want a simple girl like me, she huffed. He probably only goes for pretty, young things with legs from here to yaya! Real thoroughbreds … I’m more of a Shetland pony.
She wished she didn’t feel so down on herself but she couldn’t help it. The stresses of recently had gotten on top of her and she was finding it hard to stay positive.
“You’re a beautiful woman Suzy! Don’t ever think otherwise!” she was almost shouting to herself as she drove down the highway. “You’re no different from all those other girls just because of your size!”
She put the radio on and heard the loud, blasting sounds of her favorite anthem. In that moment it felt like a sign from Heaven that she should be true to herself and be grateful. She rolled down the windows and enjoyed the wind in her hair as she listened to her favorite song. But then a noise… Urgh my cell phone, she realized.
Knowing full well that you shouldn’t be on the phone while driving she answered anyway. Who could see her all the way out here?
“Yo Suzy!”
“Yuh,”
“Get back here quick!” There was intense panic in Johnny’s voice. “Hurry!”
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
“A fire’s broken out!”
~
TJ had just waved goodbye to Suzy when he hurried back to his office and picked up the phone. It answered on the first ring.
“Sheriff Watson you son of a bitch!” he laughed. “Giving out my number to strange women are we?”
“Ha! So you’ve met sweet little Suzy then I take it?”
“Sure did and she’s getting me involved in a whole spectrum of trouble,”
“Aaw man I’m sorry!”
“Don’t be… It’s time to teach that Clarkson bastard a lesson for once,”
“Haha yeah… If anyone can do it, it’s you buddy,”
“Thanks man… I’ll get him this time,” and he knocked back the last of his drink.