Around the Way Girls 8

by Tina Brooks McKinney

  Chapter 11

  “Go home,” I suggested to Greg. For the last three weeks, he’d been staying with me. I overheard his friend mentioning to him about seeing a game at Buf-fa-lo Wild Wings.

  “Are you sure? I can stay with you,” he offered.

  “Yes, I’m sure. I love you so much. I appreciate you being there for me.”

  “It’s what I’m supposed to do. There’s plenty of food in the refrigerator. Call me if you need me,” he explained, before giving me a kiss and a hug.

  “I will,” I assured, before he walked out of the door.

  Today was bright and sunny. I needed to run to the bank and catch up on errands. After I got back home, I decided to go online to start looking for a job. I didn’t want to depend on Greg. Right now, my parents would be proud to see me strong and independent.

  While driving on Military Highway, I noticed a woman on the side of the road with her Honda Accord not starting.

  “Do you need some help?” I inquired, pulling behind her car.

  “Yes, I don’t know what to do,” she replied. It was none other than Michelle.

  “I have a road assistance card. I can get your car towed to a mechanic and then maybe take you home,” I volunteered.

  “That would be a great help. I think it’s my battery or alternator. I need it towed to Sears repair center. It’s the one on Independence Boulevard,” she explained.

  “Yeah, I know where that one is. By the way, I’m Jackie,” I replied, dialing road assistance on my cell phone.

  Road assistance took about twenty minutes to come.

  “Listen, Jackie, thank you so much for rescuing me. I’ve been meaning to get another battery, but I’ve been working so many hours,” she explained after getting into my car.

  “You’re welcome,” I responded.

  “One more thing—I apologize for pouring soda on you. I was just angry—” she revealed.

  “We’re even,” I acknowledged, after cutting her off.

  We both started laughing.

  “So where do you live?” I asked.

  “I live in Pine Grove,” she commented.

  “I live there too, on Linden Street. What street do you live on?”

  “I live on Waterbury Street.”

  “Small world,” I suggested.

  When we reached our neighborhood, I invited Michelle to eat lunch with me. Greg’s pork chops, steamed carrots, and mashed potatoes would come in handy. I finally had worked up an appetite. Once we got to my house, Michelle and I talked for hours. Her family was originally from the Dominican Republic. She was born in New Jersey. At the age of five, her family migrated to Virginia. We had a lot of things in common. For example, she and I were both Scorpios and we went to the same hair salon. Not to mention, we both realized each of us had tempers.

  After she left, I decided to clean up the house. I left my parents’ room the same for now. I took comfort in knowing their clothes were still there. An eerie feeling came over me that someone else had been in the house. Paying close attention to detail, I noticed a few folders, books, and magazines were out of place. The only person who had a key to the house was Greg. He wouldn’t come to my house without me knowing.

  The following day, I called a locksmith to change the locks and had a security system installed for peace of mind. People in this neighborhood walked their dogs at night. Still, you could never be too sure. Since the economy went bottom, home invasions had been on the rise.

  Chapter 12

  Since the death of my parents, two months had passed. Nights were harder than the days. The home movies of us together on VHS, I had turned onto a disk. Back at the storage unit, I rounded up any photos of my parents. I earned money by selling some of my most prized possessions on eBay. Not to mention, Greg had been secretly been putting money into my account. Whenever I did bring the subject up, he looked at me as if I was crazy.

  Michelle and I had gotten closer. We went to the movies, got our hair done, and went to see a play together. I could tell her friendship was genuine and she just liked me for me and not what I could do for her. I discovered her hidden talent of baking, especially brownies. They were addictive. My favorite ones were the marshmallow brownies. Even better, I ate them with vanilla ice cream.

  “Detective Snyder speaking,” he responded.

  I dialed the number so much, it was memorized in my head. “Hey, this is Jackie Montague. Did you get the DNA results back yet?” I inquired, wanting to skip the how are you greeting.

  “Ms. Montague, I received the results this morning. The only DNA found at the storage unit was yours and your parents,” he explained.

  “All right,” I replied, letting out a sigh.

  “We are still pursuing this case. You have my personal word that I won’t give up on finding justice for you,” he declared.

  “Thank you, I appreciate it,” I commented and threw the phone across the living room. Not realizing my strength, I broke the cordless phone. I was so angry someone killed my parents and was still out there walking the streets. Not ever knowing what truly happened was my worst fear.

  Chapter 13

  There was a knock at the door.

  “Hey,” I acknowledged Michelle, who was in tears.

  “Come in. What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “My house,” she responded after coming into the house with more brownies in her hand.

  “You’re trying to make me fat,” I pointed out, trying to get her to smile.

  “When I’m upset, I bake something sweet. More often, the brownies are what first come to mind,” she commented.

  “Thank you. Sit down. What’s going on with your house?” I asked after placing the brownies on the coffee table in the living room.

  “Two years ago, I refinanced my house to pay off credit cards and other bills to an adjustable rate mortgage. Well, it has ballooned. Starting in four months, my payments will be eight hundred more a month. I can’t afford that. I’m barely making it, now. I want to refinance to a fixed loan but my credit score is low. If I lose my house, my family, especially my parents, will be so disappointed in me. Out of five kids, I was the first to buy a house. I’m not trying to move back in with my parents,” she sobbed.

  “Let me talk to my Uncle Harold. He runs an investment firm. First, can you see if your mortgage company can give you some more time?” I questioned.

  “It’s worth a try. I’m going to go home, sulk, and eat my other batch of brownies. Working thirteen-hour days is killing me,” she confessed.

  Later on that night, I couldn’t sleep because I was worried about Michelle’s situation. How could I help her? I didn’t want her to lose the house she worked so hard for. At 3:45 in the morning, it came to me. I put on a coat over my nightgown, ran over to her house, and banged on the door.

  Her boyfriend, Miguel, answered. “Do you know what time it is?” he yawned after opening the door.

  “Jackie, what’s the problem?” she asked with her bathrobe clenched to her body. The cold air was seeping in the door.

  “It’s the brownies,” I announced after coming into the house, heading toward the kitchen.

  “What about the brownies?” she questioned.

  “The brownies are going to help you and me,” I added.

  “How so?”

  “Everyone loves those brownies you make. We’re going to sell them and call them Gabby’s brownies after your late grandmother. Besides, they’re her recipes. Now, I will need a picture of her to be our logo,” I explained.

  “You really think it will work? Do you think my brownies are good enough to buy? I never thought about selling them,” she expressed.

  “Yes, people love comfort food and brownies are one of them. When is your next day off?”

  “Ironically, I have this weekend off. They’re cutting back on overtime,” she confirmed.

  “Meet me at my house at nine in the morning. In the meantime, whip up a batch of marshmallow, walnut, and double chocolate chip browni
es,” I ordered.

  “Jackie, I don’t have any money to play with,” she revealed.

  “Neither do I. Right now, all both of us have is hope. I need you to have some faith and put a whole lot of love in those brownies,” I replied, before she handed me a picture of her grandmother.

  Chapter 14

  The next day, I made a call to Uncle Harold about Michelle’s house. He strongly suggested that she talk to her mortgage company, Horizon Bank, to lower her payments to something she could afford. Uncle Harold thought the mortgage company would work with her because she hadn’t missed a single payment.

  “I can’t do it,” she spat out after taking a seat at my kitchen table.

  “You can’t do what?” I asked.

  “I can’t call the mortgage company. They’re going to turn me down. One of my other girlfriends was turned down. She and her husband, two kids, one dog, and a bird have to vacate the premises in thirty days,” she explained.

  “Your case may be different from theirs. If I were you, I would at least try to get the bank to work something out with you,” I encouraged.

  Before Michelle had come to my house, I had run to Wal-Mart to pick up various colors of Saran wrap to decorate the brownies. Then, I went to Kinko’s to make stickers of Michelle’s grandmother sitting in a rocking chair to be placed on top of the brownies. Trying to come up with a slogan for them diverted Michelle’s attention. Two hours had passed before we agreed on a slogan.

  “Gabby’s brownies, rich in history, rich in flavor,” I proclaimed.

  Even though Michelle was scared and discouraged, she called the bank to negotiate a deal. Luckily, the representative on the phone agreed to have her payment stay the same for the next three years. By then, her credit would be good enough to refinance into a fixed rate.

  This business adventure of ours would take her mind off creeping bills and it would help me cope with the loss of my parents. Mom was right. It felt much better to give than to receive. It was a crazy feeling, but I still felt their presence in the town house.

  One of Dad’s old associates, Mark Emery, had been at the funeral. He was the CEO of Emery Marketing. He strongly urged me not to hesitate to call him if there was anything I needed. I took him up on the offer. Later that afternoon, he was able to squeeze Michelle and me in his busy schedule.

  Chapter 15

  “Ladies, Mr. Emery can see you now,” the receptionist stated, smiling.

  “Thank you,” we replied in unison. I gave her a brownie.

  We were dressed in our power suits. Michelle was wearing a navy blue suit while I was wearing a black one.

  “Jackie, how have you been?” he asked after we took our seats.

  “I take it day by day. Still, I can’t believe they’re gone. The lead detective in the case still doesn’t have any leads. Eventually, the killer or killers will be caught,” I responded.

  “Yeah, your parents died so tragically. Your father would have given his last dollar to help someone in need,” he expressed.

  “Yes,” I said, nodding.

  “What brings you two here today?”

  “My friend, Michelle, and I have a brownie that we believe is worthy of selling.”

  “Well, the fact you strongly believe in your product is the first step to success. If you don’t mind, may I try a sample?”

  “Sure.” I nodded and handed one of each three flavors from our baskets of goodies to him.

  After taking a small bite of each, we were anticipating his feedback.

  “Hmm, these brownies are delicious. The only thing I’m missing is a tall cold glass of milk,” he laughed.

  “Now that we have your attention. What’s next for us?” Michelle asked.

  “First, you need to get a food handler’s license to ensure proper protocol in handling food,” he revealed.

  Michelle and I were jotting his words of wisdom down.

  “Next, I would get a patent as soon as possible. The fees may run you to about two thousand dollars. Are you two going into this business together?”

  “Yes,” we both agreed.

  “With that being said, I recommend you establish a LLC, which stands for limited liability company, which means your personal finances won’t effect the business assets.”

  “How much will it cost?”

  “Around seven hundred and fifty dollars,” he estimated.

  “All right,” I replied, circling those figures he just said.

  “I love how the brownies are packaged and the slogan is catchy. The picture of the grandmother adds an element of history to it. Once these things are done, come back to me and we’ll brainstorm together about various kinds of marketing strategies.”

  “How much will your services be?” I questioned.

  “Free of charge. If it wasn’t for your father, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I was the first marketing firm Greg Sr. and your father used for Pozor. Life has been good for my family and me,” he revealed.

  “We’re going to take care of things right away,” I replied, committed to getting it done.

  “Mr. Emery, thank you for your time,” Michelle commented.

  “You’re welcome,” he said, before we walked out of the office.

  “Those brownies are tasty. Where can I get them?” the receptionist asked.

  “Don’t worry, we will be in the stores, soon,” I proclaimed, smiling.

  “I’m glad you like them,” Michelle added. I couldn’t help but notice how it boosted up her confidence.

  Chapter 16

  “Mom, Dad,” I called out. We were sitting in the backyard with our dog, a bichon frise named Muffin, eating hot dogs and hamburgers. Muffin desperately wanted a bite of my hamburger so I gave it to her. The first bite turned into five more bites. She was a big ball of fluff. The day was peaceful and serene. We continued to eat and talk.

  “Jackie, we love you,” they both continued to repeat.

  “I love you too,” I replied, giving each of them a hug and a kiss. Dad talked about his day at work, while Mom shared what we planted in the garden. The next thing I knew, someone came from behind and shot them.

  “No, no,” I screamed.

  “Jackie, wake up, it’s just a dream,” Greg whispered in my ear. I woke up in a cold sweat.

  “Where am I?” I inquired, trying to catch my breath.

  “You’re at my house. You just had a nightmare. Baby, do you remember what you dreamed about?” he asked in a subtle tone, caressing my hair.

  “Mom, Dad, Muffin, and I were having a nice day. All of the sudden, I see them dead. I miss them so much,” I cried out.

  “Baby, I know you do. I miss them too. Do you want to watch some more home movies?”

  “No, not right now,” I replied, holding on to him. “Greg?”

  “Yes?” he answered.

  “Will I be able to move on from their deaths?”

  “No,” he replied.

  “Why can’t the police catch whoever did this? Not one single arrest has been made,” I vented.

  “I don’t know. As long as we keep fire under the detective’s ass, he’ll have no choice but to work this case,” he responded.

  “Once the killer or killers are found, maybe I will gain closure to all of this. Right now, my heart is so heavy. Sometimes, I can’t stop crying. I’m so sad,” I revealed in tears.

  “Ssssh, I’m here for you always, Jackie,” he whispered slowly, rocking me back and forth. To help relieve tension, Greg laid me facedown on the bed. He started to play jazz music and began fumbling through his bathroom. I giggled after he tripped over my sneaker.

  “Ouch,” he blurted out. From the bathroom, he grabbed a bottle of lotion and mounted himself on my back and rubbed me down. Next, he went to my neck, arms, hands, thighs, and feet, working out all of the kinks.

  “Make love to me,” I whispered into his ear after turning over to face him. Since Mom and Dad died, I hadn’t felt up to it.

  “Are you sure?” he asked.
>
  “Yes.” I nodded and confirmed what I wanted by kissing him. I truly missed his tongue. Greg began licking on my left nipple in a circular motion through my sheer beige bra. It made me wet. He removed my matching panties. Greg’s dick found its way inside my pussy. I lifted my legs and spread them out so I could experience each intoxicating thrust.

  The next morning, Greg cooked me breakfast in bed. After brushing my teeth, I couldn’t wait to dig into French toast with a dust of powdered sugar and raspberry sauce, apple-glazed bacon, scrambled eggs with cheese, and a tall glass of orange juice. Today, my spirits were better. While Greg was getting ready for work, I turned on the television to watch Good Morning America on the ABC station.

  He still had his position at Colstice. I thought it would be a conflict of interest if I went back to work there. The company fires my father and I still work for them. I don’t think so. Besides, Greg’s father would only hire me back because he felt pity for me. I wasn’t any use there.

  “Thank you,” I commented on the breakfast while I helped him fix his tie.

  “You’re welcome. Baby, it’s nice to see you smiling,” he replied.

  “I feel good today,” I added. My cell phone started ringing. I almost missed the call.

  “Hello?” I answered.

  “Can I speak to Jackie Montague?” the man’s voice requested.

  “This is she,” I responded.

  “This is Brinks Home Security System, can you please verify your security code?”

  “It’s heart,” I mentioned.

  “You must have left your sliding glass door unlocked. About fifteen minutes ago, someone tried to walk in your house. The police are on their way,” the representative explained.

  “So am I,” I commented, hung up the phone, and quickly put my clothes back on.

  “What’s happening?” Greg asked, concerned.