by Anne Kyle
“I know who he is,” she said, “You must’ve made a very good impression at your interview. Does this mean that you got the job?”
I could feel myself blushing, “Uh… I, no, I didn’t get the job. We kind of went on a date last night.” Okay, it’s out there in the open, let’s dance.
She sat back in her chair and folded her hands on her lap, “From what I hear, he’s a very nice young man. What did the two of you do?”
I went over to his house and we had sex in his bedroom, because he only had the chance to go down on me the night before, then we had some oysters and had sex on his boat. Oh yeah, we think this psycho girl that he has a restraining order against slashed one of my tires. That won’t work.
“He took me to dinner at Bowens Island, it was great. We had a couple of drinks and when we got back to his house, I had a flat tire. He changed it for me, and then I came home. He really is very nice, I think you’d like him.”
“I’m sure I would. I don’t mean to seem indelicate, honey, but did anything come up about your situation? I mean, it’s only a matter of time before your circumstances resolve themselves, and we’re not really sure how that’s going to pan out yet,” she said in a genuinely concerned tone.
“Yes,” I answered, a little too defensively, “I told him everything. I said that in a short amount of time I might have to go to jail, and at the very least I’d have to make restitution on almost two million dollars. He seemed to believe my story, if that makes any difference.”
In a soothing voice, she said “Honey, I just don’t want you to rush into anything that could hurt you. The only concern your father and I have is your well-being. Just be careful, that’s all I’m saying.”
“I know, Mom, it’s just that it’s been so long since I’ve felt wanted by someone. It was nice to have a night where I wasn’t constantly worrying about going to jail or going broke, or both. He made me feel special. Even after I told him about my problem, he liked me for who I am, not what I was accused of doing.”
“Of course he did. You are a very special person and anyone would be lucky to have you,” she said, reaching over and patting my hand.
I held her hand. “He believed me so much that he asked me to take a look at his books for the restaurant. I’m going over there after I get a new tire. I’m not doing anything crazy, I’m only enjoying my life a little more.”
My mother rose from her seat, came over to me, and kissed the top of my head. “I’m not saying you can’t enjoy your life. And that’s quite a vote of confidence to be asked to look at the finances of someone’s business. I love you, honey, and I only want what’s best for you.”
“I know, Mom, and thanks for everything,” I said as I stood up and gave her a big hug. “I’m going to go get ready. I’ll call you if I’m going to be late.”
I took the flowers off of the table and carried them back to my cottage. It was one of those beautiful spring days in the LowCountry. The humidity hadn’t arrived yet, and I marveled at all of the wonderful smells that came from the blooming flowers in my parents’ backyard.
I set the roses on the counter next to the sink and thought about Alex. He had come from out of nowhere when I needed him the most. It was hard for me to imagine someone like him—gorgeous, privileged, not to mention wealthy—being interested in me. But he was, and that gave me hope. Sometimes, when everything else is gone, hope is all you need.
I got in my car and pulled out of the driveway. I was especially careful to look for any signs of the blue Ford with the dent. I didn’t think it was necessary to tell my mother the details about the tire; she was already worried enough about me without having to think that there was some crazy chick out there gunning for her daughter.
I drove down Coleman Boulevard and headed towards Gerald’s Brakes and Tires. It’s the best place in Mt. Pleasant for tires, and the only place I’ve ever been where, after they take care of your car if you’re a woman, they leave a rose in the car as an extra thank you. I don’t know what they do for men. Maybe they leave them a new pair of socks or a wrench.
I kept checking my rearview mirror for any indication of the Focus. I tensed up whenever I caught a flash of blue, but none of them was the car I was looking for—or so I thought.
I got a new tire and, when I got back in the car, had my rose sitting on the passenger seat. This rose was red and a bit on the tiny side; still, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten so many roses in one day. I pulled into the Westy’s driveway and, at the edge of the lot, thought I saw a blur of blue paint in my mirror, but when I looked again, it wasn’t there. I found a spot in front of the restaurant and parked in the half -filled lot. I got out of the car and looked back down the drive for a full minute, expecting the Focus to come roaring at me with a half-crazed woman hanging out of the window and firing a gun at me. It didn’t happen.
I walked up the stairs and veered left into the bar. It was before the lunch rush, and there were maybe twelve people in the place. I looked through the large windows at the outdoor seating area and spotted a couple of what l could only assume were tourists. We’re supposed to call them visitors now, but to me they’ll always be tourists.
I went up to the bar, where Jerry was stocking beer into a cooler. “Hey Jerry, how are you today?”
“Well, hello there, Kat,” he said with a friendly smile, “the boss told me you were coming in. I’m fine, thanks for asking, but it’s still early—ask me again in a few hours. Give me a couple of minutes and I’ll take you up to the office.”
I watched him finish stocking beer and answer a few questions from some servers. When he was done, he came out from behind the bar and led me up a flight of stairs to Alex’s office. Jerry unlocked the door and flipped on the lights. “Most of the stuff is on the computer,” he told me as he booted up the desktop. “There’s some payroll info in that binder, and I think that pile of papers are some food and liquor orders.”
He lifted up the desk calendar and pointed at a piece of paper. “The password is right there. Alex kept forgetting it, so I convinced him to write it down and leave it where we both could find it, since we’re the only ones who use the computer. I’ll leave you to it. When you get hungry, come on down, and if you have any questions, just give me a shout.”
Jerry closed the door, and I took a seat at the desk in front of the computer. When he showed me where the password was, something clicked in my mind. Goodman’s secretary kept a password taped under her desk blotter. I had snuck a peek at it once when she was away from her desk. The password was Goodman’s wife’s name, Ellen, spelled backwards plus the number 312. I remembered because my mother’s birthday is March 12.
I didn’t remember to write it down when I gave Alex the other passwords, so I texted it to him. He sent me a short text back saying if I thought of anything else, no matter how insignificant, get it to him immediately. He ended by saying that he couldn’t wait to talk to me. That made me smile and gave me a warm tingle in the pit of my stomach.
I didn’t know if it would help, but at this point, I was willing to grasp at straws. I entered the password into the computer and started going through the restaurant’s spreadsheets. It felt good to be in familiar territory again. I scanned the numbers quickly and made a few notes. The restaurant seemed to be doing very well and was turning a nice profit.
I felt my stomach rumbling and realized that I had been at it for almost three hours. I went downstairs and ordered a sandwich from Jerry. What do you know— there actually was a grouper sandwich on the menu. It was good. Jerry was busy catching up after the lunch rush and didn’t have time to talk, so I got a glass of tea and went back to the office.
I had just sat back down at the desk when my phone rang. I looked at the screen and saw Alex’s number. My heart did a little flutter, and I could feel a hot rush flush up my neck and down to a few other places on my body. I answered on the second ring.
“Well hello there, Mr. Westfield, how are things on the left coast?”
“Hello yourself, Ms. Matthews. The left coast is bustling, but I have to admit it’s kind of lonely,” he said with a warmth in his voice that made smile. “What’s going on there? Are the numbers adding up?”
I answered, “Everything looks good. The place is turning a profit, and that’s the most important thing. I’ve got a couple of suggestions, nothing earth-shattering. You’ve done a really great job in a tough business. And by the way, Mr. Romantic, thank you very much for the flowers—they’re beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like them. I know it’s corny, sending flowers, but I haven’t had a lot of experience wooing a woman,” he said with a smile in his voice.
I chuckled, “It’s not corny; I don’t think there’s a woman alive who doesn’t like getting flowers. I also appreciate being wooed—I’ve never had anyone woo me before. I have to admit that I like it.”
“There’s more where that came from—hopefully a lot more. On a more serious note, I gave Robo all of the information you gave me and he went right to work on it. He’s already come up with some stuff that he just calls ‘very interesting’. He tried explaining it to me, but I don’t speak computer. I can tell you that he perked up when I gave him that last password that you sent me.”
“That’s good news, I guess,” I said, trying to keep the excitement out of my voice. “I should tell you that after you sent the flowers, I had to have a talk with my mother to explain where they came from.”
“I hope I didn’t cause any trouble. Uh… what did you tell her?” he asked, cautiously.
“Don’t worry, Casanova, I didn’t tell her that you violated her little girl several times. I told her that we had dinner and that you fixed my flat tire. No carnal information was revealed,” I answered. “I’m afraid that you’re going to have to meet my parents sooner rather than later, though.”
“I can’t wait to meet them,” he said cheerfully. “I want them to know that you’re in good hands. Not to change subjects too quickly, but have you seen any signs of the blue Ford?”
“I haven’t, but I have been keeping an eye out, and I get a little jumpy whenever I see the color blue. Don’t worry about it. You just take care of business out there, and stay away from those California girls,” I told him.
He laughed. “Don’t worry about that, I prefer Carolina girls. Unfortunately, though, it looks like I’ll have to stay an extra few hours to meet with another set of lawyers. That should put me back home around ten o’clock tomorrow night. I’d love to see you, but I understand if it’s too late.”
“Are you kidding?” I barked. “It’s not like I have to get up and go to work. Call me when you get close to home and I’ll come over and show you how we welcome people home in the Lowcountry.”
“It sounds like a date, then. I really can’t wait to see you. Take care of yourself…until tomorrow night, that is, then I’ll take care of you,” he said, his voice full of promise.
“That’s a deal. Good luck with your meetings and be safe,” I said and ended the call. Just hearing Alex’s voice gave me an unfamiliar sense of well-being, and I realized just how badly I wanted to be with him. It scared and excited me at the same time.
I looked around the small office and rubbed my hands on the armrests of the chair where Alex had spent so many hours. I was trying to feel something of him in that gesture, but all I felt was smooth leather. I decided that I had done enough for one day, so I shut down the computer and put the papers I had been looking at back in order. I wanted to leave a little something to do tomorrow so I could fill the hours until Alex got home. I turned off the lights and locked the door, bouncing the key in my hand as I went downstairs and into the bar.
There were four people in a booth at the end of the bar and a lone person sitting outside watching a pod of dolphins slowly surface and descend in the calm, grey water of Shem Creek. Jerry was sitting on a stool behind the bar and reading the paper. A glass of iced coffee sat sweating onto the napkin where it was resting next to his elbow.
I sat down on the other side of the bar and placed the key next to Jerry’s drink. “Well, it’s been a few hours, so, how are you doing?” I asked him.
He set the paper down and smiled at me, “I’m doing great, but it’s still early—ask me again in a few hours.”
We both had a good chuckle, and I said, “Is that your answer whenever anyone asks how you’re doing?”
“Unless I’m walking out of the door after work, when nothing else can go wrong, that is indeed my usual answer. How was everything upstairs? Did you have any trouble finding anything?”
“No,” I answered, “everything looks good. The place seems to be doing really well. I guess I’ll come back tomorrow and finish looking at some expenses that I think are deductible, but to tell you the truth, I’m really just killing time.
“Look, Kat,” Jerry said, resting his hands on the bar in front of him, “I know about waiting. Sometimes you want something so badly, even if you know that what you want is just around the corner, it feels like it will never get there. So you just keep killing time, and don’t let the time kill you.” Still holding my gaze, he slid the key back across the bar to me.
“You may as well hang on to that,” Jerry told me, “it’s a spare, and it’ll give you something real to hold on to until something better to hold on to comes along.”
“Thanks, Jerry,” I said, pocketing the key and getting out of my chair. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”
“You have a good night—just keep moving forward, and tomorrow will be here before you know it,” he said as I walked out of the door.
Jerry’s words gave me a little comfort, but just a little. It wasn’t just waiting for Alex to get back that had me feeling like I was spinning my wheels, it was everything going on in my life. I felt like I wasn’t in control of the events that were shaping my destiny. I didn’t know what was going to happen to me if Alex couldn’t find any evidence to support my story about the embezzlement; however, I knew it wouldn’t be good.
From the high vantage point of Westy’s front porch, I looked out over the parking lot, and for a moment, all I could see were blue cars. My next breath came in a short gasp, and I shut my eyes tightly. When I opened them, the parking lot looked normal with a usual assortment of cars. I shuddered and laughed quietly to myself as I went down the stairs and got in my car.
I started the car and felt the cool stream of the A/C wash over my face. I thought to myself that I have to get it together and stay calm. If I let my imagination take over, I was in real danger of just shutting myself in the house and ignoring the outside world until it came knocking on my door.
Actually, staying inside for the night sounded pretty good, so I pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the Piggly Wiggly to pick up some groceries. I got one their precooked rotisserie chickens, some potato, salad and a cheap bottle of wine. I was putting my stuff in the backseat when I saw a slow blur of blue out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head and saw a blue Ford Focus drive very slowly past the rear of my car. The driver turned her head and pushed a few locks of dirty blond hair behind her ear, then wiggled her fingers in a mockery of a polite wave while fixing me with chilling smile.
My heart was racing as I got in the car. I turned the key while I watched the Focus creep up the driveway and pull out onto the road. I put the car in gear and drove in the opposite direction as quickly as I could. I took the rear exit out of the parking lot so I could cut through a neighborhood that is a back way to my parent’s house. I really didn’t want this nut job knowing where I lived. Hopefully, she didn’t already know.
I kept my eyes in the rearview mirror almost as much as I looked out of the windshield. I began to relax a little as I spotted my parents’ house just down the street, and my hands finally stopped shaking when I pulled up in front of my little cottage and shut the car off.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. There was a quick sharp knock on my window, and I let out a shriek that filled the ins
ide of the car. When I whipped my head around to see who was there I came face to face with…my father.
My father opened the door quickly and said,“Honey, I’m sorry I scared you. I thought that maybe you saw me when you pulled in.”
I slowly got out of the car and pulled him into a tight embrace, “I didn’t see you in the yard; I guess my mind was somewhere else.”
“Hey, you’re shaking. I really put a scare in you,” he said, lightly rubbing my back.
I let out a chuckle that I hope didn’t sound as hollow as it felt. “It’s okay, Dad, I was just preoccupied and got a little startled, that’s all.”
“Well, I’d sure hate to see you terrified. You’ve got a good set of lungs on you, girl. I’m surprised the windows didn’t shatter,” he said as he let me go. “Let me make it up to you. Your mother and I are going to the new Italian restaurant for dinner. Why don’t you come with us?”
“Thanks, but I think I’m just going to take it easy tonight. I’ve got some food, and I thought I’d just watch a movie and turn in early.”
He gave me his concerned-father face and said, “Baby doll, are you sure you’re okay? Your mother told me that you went out on a date with that Westfield boy. She thinks it might be too much for you, but I think you should have as much fun as you want to have. I think it’s good to keep your mind off of things for a bit. That said, if he doesn’t treat you like you deserve to be treated, I will cut him into tiny little pieces and fertilize my roses with him.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll keep that in mind, but I don’t think it’ll come to that.”
“Okay then. If you change your mind, we’ll be leaving about six-thirty,” he said and headed back to his rose beds.
I gathered my groceries from the backseat and went inside. I took the bottle of wine out of the bag and opened it. I got a glass and filled it up halfway, then thought better of it and filled the glass almost to the top. I took a big swallow and felt the red wine’s subtle heat blossom outward from my stomach to the rest of my body. I sat down on the couch, turned on the TV, and mindlessly flipped through the channels.