by Kylie Parker
“We had a lot to drink on the flight back,” He responded. “I got a little drunk, but I can remember everything. I didn’t touch her.”
“Mmm…” Clay hummed. “I’m starting to think you’re right. There are a couple of things I don’t like. First of all, the two bunks next to yours seem smaller and narrower, somehow. You look drowsy, too. You don’t look like a guy who’s about to get laid.”
“It’s been photo shopped,” Jake murmured, running his hand through his hair. “Why am I not surprised?”
“That’s what it looks like,” Clay said. “I know someone who can help you out with this. In fact, she’s the reason why I wanted to see you. Remember our little bet?”
“The one you won,” Jake spoke, a bitter smile on his face, as his friend seated himself beside him. “What about it?”
“Well, Jennifer’s a computer analyst,” Clay stated. “And she dumped Tom, a couple of days ago. The last thing she said to him was: ‘I should have fucked that bartender, a while ago.’ Stay away from her, brother. You and Tom are my friends. If he finds out you banged her, things could get messy.”
“I’m not looking for a new relationship, Clay,” Jake declared, shaking his head sideways. “I don’t need more heartache.”
“Who said anything about a relationship?” Clay spoke, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “She’s just looking for a good time.”
“Don’t worry,” Jake assured Clay, patting him on the back. “I can keep my dick in my pants. Now, you said she could help.”
“Yeah,” Clay nodded. “I’ll give her a call. Anyway, who were those guys you saved?”
“Austen Rivers and Ricardo Sanchez,” Jake sharply responded. “We go way back.”
“Rivers?” Clay squinted at him.
“Yeah, why?”
“I thought I heard someone call out his name the other day,” Clay continued. “This blue sedan had pulled up right outside Winston’s supermarket. The guy in the car said something like: ‘Come on, Rivers! I ain’t got all day!’ Then, his buddy came out of the supermarket and yelled at him.”
“What did he look like?” Jake was intrigued.
“I don’t know, man,” Clay shrugged. “I was pretty far, it was getting dark: average height, 5’9”, maybe 5’10”, a little thin for his build.”
“That sounds nothing like Austen,” Jake put a little force in his voice. “He’s a little taller than me, a little stocky. Besides, he’s been in Iraq all this time.”
“Whatever,” Clay mumbled. “Go put some clothes on. You need to get out of here.”
“Do I…?” Jake lowered his voice to a soft whisper. “Thanks, Clay. I’d rather stay here, though. The bar stays closed for tonight.”
“Fuck no!” Clay exploded with anger. “You’re going to the bar, darling. We are going to the bar.”
“You should have seen her face,” Jake whispered, squeezing his lips. “You should have heard the stuff she said. She sounded like she hated me.”
“She’s hurting,” Clay uttered. “Let’s go to the bar. I’ll ask Jennifer to stop by. The deputy will come back in no time.”
“I don’t care,” Jake spoke in a firm tone. “She wouldn’t hear me out. She lost faith too easily. Why should I take her back?”
“For the same goddamn reason you drank yourself to sleep last night,” Clay’s hoarse voice was filled with anger, as he intensified his stare.
“Why do you care so much?” Jake wondered.
“Because I don’t want you to end up like me,” Clay replied, lowering his tone: “Fifty seven, childless and alone.”
“God…” Jake gave an exasperated huff. “You don’t understand, Clay.”
“I understand just fine,” Clay disagreed. “But, I’m not going to force the issue here. Think about what I said. Now, go put some clothes on.”
“Alright,” Jake and drew in a deep breath. “You’re a pain in my ass, you know that?”
“Thanks,” Clay said with a grin. “Now, get up. You got a lot of work to do.”
24
Under any other circumstances, Jake would have taken Clay’s advice and tried to reconnect with Holly. His friend had already proved to him that he only wanted what was best for him. However, Jake would not even consider it. In his mind, Holly’s lack of faith was unforgiveable. She had every reason to be upset; the pictures of him in bed with Allison were incriminating evidence, but she had failed to do what he had done for her, twice: listen to what he had to say. One more thing puzzled him: Holly was supposed to know her way around computers and yet, she had not noticed the simple inconsistencies that Clay easily had. If anything, a young woman like her should have been able to tell whether those pictures were fake or not.
“So much for a computer geek,” he thought to himself. “Maybe it was dark when you saw them. Maybe you didn’t want to give us a chance. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you threw away what we had, Holly.”
Clay left his friend at the bar and went to pick up Jennifer. Jake chose a playlist in haste and waited patiently for him and the redhead. Still, the first person to visit his bar that afternoon was Sheriff Matheson. For some reason, he had a huge, almost silly grin on his face.
“Evening, Sheriff,” Jake said as he cast an interested glance at him. “What are you so happy about?”
“The feds finally cleared the station,” he said, leaning his elbows on the counter.
“Any luck on finding who murdered Jensen?” Jake asked.
“No,” The Sheriff replied. “They said they had no evidence. Look, is everything okay between you and Holly? She called in sick this morning.”
“Ask her,” Jake urged.
“She’s never called in sick,” The Sherriff used an emphatic tone. “I tried, but she wouldn’t say. Thanks, anyway. I’ll be seeing you.”
“Never called in sick, huh? What a shame, baby. You wrecked everything and now, look at us. Up until last night, I couldn’t imagine my life without you. I’m going to miss the Holly who was always there for me. I won’t miss the stubborn woman who gave up on us so quickly.”
The sound of his front door being pushed open snapped him out of his thoughts. Clay had done as promised; he had brought Jennifer with him.
“Jennifer Rockwell, Jake Isaacs,” he introduced them. “I’ll let you two to talk. I’ll see you later, pretty boy.”
“Thanks, Clay,” Jake winked at him. “Pleasure,” he said, offering his hand for a handshake.
“Nice to meet you,” Jennifer’s voice was a little deep for a woman and her face remained stiff, as she shook his hand.
“Can I get you anything to drink?” Jake asked.
“A club soda would be nice,” Jennifer replied, maintaining her businesslike tone, as she hopped onto a stool. “Clay said you wanted my professional opinion. May I see the picture?”
“Sure,” He said with a nod. He took the picture out of the envelope in front of him and handed it over to her. “Do you need more light?”
“Not really,” she responded, turning on a small flashlight. The tiny beam pointed down at the picture. Even though he had a good idea about what she had to say to him, Jake was still somewhat anxious about this.
“Cute little toy,” he commented.
“It’s not a toy,” Jennifer’s monotonous voice discouraged him from making any more smart remarks. “And this is not a real picture. It’s been tampered with. I count four separate sources. I’ll need to run this on my computer, but it will only confirm my suspicions. It’s sloppy; my 3-year old niece could have done a lot better than this.”
“Thanks,” Jake sighed. “What do I owe you?”
“Well, nothing…” she faltered, “yet. Like I said, I need to analyze it.”
“What’s your fee? How long will the whole thing take?” Jake had even more questions.
“Three to four hours. My fee depends on the case,” Jennifer said, putting the picture into her purse. “I can have it ready by ten, but I don’t want to bother you he
re again. I’m guessing this place is going to be packed. What’s your address?”
“I close at 2am, Jennifer,” this time, it was Jake who assumed a businesslike tone. “Don’t you have to go to work tomorrow?”
“I’m a freelance professional. I make my own schedule. I’d suggest we do this tomorrow morning, but I have a plane to catch. What’s your address?” She insisted.
“Damn it…” He hummed, frustrated by her persistence. “64 Patton Street. It’s at the end of the road. Do you ever smile?”
“I’m always dead-serious when it comes to work, Mr. Isaacs,” she flatly replied; her answer fueling his frustration even further. “Is 2:15 okay with you?”
“It’s fine,” he croaked.
“Okay,” she nodded, hopping off the stool. “Thanks for the soda. I’ll see you tonight.”
Jake couldn’t help but smile to himself. Jennifer did not act at all like the woman who had allegedly threatened her boyfriend that she would cheat with him. On the contrary, she looked more like a cold, unsentimental geek who took real pleasure in her work. Apparently, Clay had been kidding him the entire time.
“She doesn’t talk like the wild girl Clay said she was. She doesn’t smile, she doesn’t laugh… She doesn’t even flinch, for crying out loud. If I hadn’t seen her with Tom, I wouldn’t believe she used to date him. I mean, what’s a tall nerd like her doing with a fat biker like him? Women…”
25
As Jake soon discovered, Jennifer’s guess was proven woefully wrong. It was a Tuesday night and, although a few people did visit his bar, it was much slower than usual. He would love to preoccupy himself with work; it was the only way for him to take his mind off his painful breakup with Holly, but he could not do so that night. The bar itself added to his sadness. Days ago, she had worked with him. Jake was unable to prevent himself from picturing her there: taking orders; pouring drinks; or gracefully dancing around. Much to his relief, Clay and his crew showed up, just as he was about to close. Their loud mannerisms gave him a necessary distraction. Not only did he stop thinking about Holly, but he actually had some fun.
Tired, but also eager to find out the results of Jennifer’s work, he quickly drove back to his house. It was 2:20am and there was no sign of her yet. Too tense and dizzy to go inside, he decided to go to his backyard. Jake gazed up into the starry sky, feeling a chilly breeze blowing through his hair. He closed his eyes, as the memory of her blissful face filled his mind.
“Where are you, Holly? Nah, who am I kidding? You’re far, baby: really far away. You live five minutes from here and I feel as though we’re oceans apart. We have to deal with all of this pain, just because you didn’t want to take a closer look at a couple of pictures. It drives me crazy when I think about it. What a shame. What a big, goddamn shame. I was starting to have dreams for us. But now, they’re all up in flames. I wish you could see me now, Holly. You’ve seen me crying again, but not for you. It’s ironic, isn’t it? The woman I thought was dead destroyed the one good relationship I’ve had in three years. Where are you, my little angel? Why did you believe her lie? Why did you leave me?”
The click-clacking of high heels on the pathway acted like a wakeup call. Jake wiped the tears off his face, trying to control his breath.
“I was right,” Jennifer’s voice tore the silence. “There are four separate segments. Your front door was open. I left the picture with my report on the table.”
“Thanks,” Jake replied in a low tone, as he gazed out at the horizon. “What do I owe you?”
“The aggressive bartender has a romantic side,” All of a sudden, her voice changed. It assumed a mellow, friendly tone. “Who would have thought?”
“What do you know…? It talks like a real person,” he said in sarcastic tones, turning his head to the left to face her.
“It,” Jennifer questioned with a raised eyebrow, as her slow, confident footsteps closed the distance between them. “Did you just refer to me as ‘it’?”
“Yes, I did,” Jake admitted. “That’s what I call all…” he paused, “expressionless people.”
“I just take my job seriously,” The firm tone in her voice returned. “Maybe too seriously sometimes, but that’s just because I love it so much.”
“You seem like a smart girl, Jennifer,” He remarked, turning his attention back to the dozens of town lights that lay out before him. “Why did you get involved with a guy like Tom? I’ve heard him talk. He doesn’t sound so charming if you ask me.”
“I was about to ask you the exact same thing,” she confessed. “Why did a man like you get in a relationship with a woman as gullible as her?”
“Hey!” he yelled, returning his gaze to her face. “How…”
“Clay told me about you two,” Jennifer interrupted, as a sweet smile spread across her face. “It slipped his tongue, sort of.”
“I wish she wasn’t,” Jake whispered, as a tear rolled out of his eye.
“Oh, my God…” She spoke too fast, her voice filled with panic. “You’re crying?”
“What’s your fee, Jennifer? Don’t make me ask again,” He said, his voice thick with emotion, as he tore his gaze away from her.
“One,” she answered as she raised her index finger in the air.
“One hundred?”
“No,” Jennifer shook her head lightly, her voice a raspy whisper, as she tipped his chin up. “Kiss.”
She didn’t give him any time to react. Cupping his face, she pressed her lips against his mouth. Jake did not stop her. Too vulnerable to say “no” to her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Jennifer’s passionate kiss soothed him, as she ran her thumbs across his cheekbones. His tears soaked her fingers, as their kiss deepened, making his heart pound in his chest. Savoring the moment, he ignored everything that his friend had told him to avoid. Her kiss was the only thing that could make him feel a little better. He would enjoy every second of it. Jake explored her mouth with his tongue, as her hands crept around his face. A strong gust of wind whipped her hair about, as she stroked the back of his neck. Jennifer planted a firm kiss on his mouth, before leaning back.
“Wow…” she gasped, opening her eyes. “What a reward.”
“Don’t be stupid, red,” he said, his voice calm. Jake removed his right hand from her waist and pulled a thick wad of cash out of his pocket. He counted five hundred dollars and offered it to her.
“Take it,” he urged, narrowing his eyes. “No one works for free.”
“Five hundred is too much, Jake,” She whispered, as a small smile formed on her face. “I can’t take it.”
“I insist,” he raised his tone, slightly. “Come on.”
“Thank you,” Jennifer smiled once more, taking her hands off his neck. She took the money and put it in her pocket, as he dropped his arm. His short laugh grabbed her attention.
“What?” She inquired, looking up at him.
“I just remembered something Clay said to me, a few days ago: a threat of some sort,” He explained.
“The fucking,” Jennifer chuckled. “Yeah, that was a good one. Trust me, Mr. Isaacs. If I wanted to cheat on that prick, I would have fucked you a long time ago. But, I’m not a whore. And, in case you’re wondering, the reason why we’re not in bed right now is your friendship with Clay. You’re a decent man. You’ll tell him all about it. I don’t want them to call me a ‘slut’. You could be in trouble, too.”
“Thanks a lot,” Jake said with feeling, “for everything.”
“You’re being too kind,” she laughed. “I just made five hundred bucks and got a great kiss. Best reward ever for three hours of work. Thanks again. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Jennifer.”
Upon picking up her report from the living room table, he marveled at how thorough she had been. The young redhead explained everything, even the smallest technical detail. Jennifer mentioned that the colors in all four photograph segments were consistent with one another, which meant that the person wh
o had taken those four pictures had used the same camera. But, it only told him something he already knew: Allison was behind all this.
“If you were here, I’d pay you a visit, darling. But you stayed in DC. I don’t know if I should go after you. The last thing I want to see right now is that smirk on your face. But I know what I’m going to do, first thing tomorrow morning…”
26
Desperate to prove his innocence to Holly, Jake drove up to her house the following morning and slipped Jennifer’s report under her door. He wasn’t seeking an apology. More than anything, she had doubted his loyalty and his honor. He could not tolerate that.
Afterwards, he went to his – neglected – bar. With everything that had been happening lately, he had failed to notice that he was running low on whiskey, vodka, and a number of other staple spirits. Jake had to place a number of orders into his supplier extremely fast. As he counted the remaining boxes in his storage room though, his ears picked up Clay’s voice echoing in the bar.
“Hey, pretty boy!” he shouted. “Where are you?”
“I’m right here, man,” Jake said, joining him in the large main barroom. “What’s up?”
“Nothing much,” Clay shrugged. “I was just wondering about that picture. What did Jennifer say?”
“She pretty much confirmed your suspicions,” Jake stated. “She did a great job.”
“I’m guessing she wrote a report. Where is it?” Clay asked.
“Well…” Jake started. “It’s not here. She came by my house last night. I was going to talk to you about this, but…”
“You fucked her,” Clay tried to finish his sentence.
“What? No,” Jake waved his hand in front of his face. “I was going to say ‘it’s still a little early to call you.’ We had a nice talk. One thing led to another and…” He drew in a sharp breath. “We kissed.”
“Just kissed? That’s it?” Clay’s voice became high-pitched.