I wanted to grab her and shake her. She really did get under my skin and pushed all the right buttons. I slowly got to my feet and looked her in the eyes.
"Okay." After a shrug of the shoulders, I walked down the hall.
"Tyler, wait," she called. "Come on back."
I turned around and walked toward her. As I did, she opened her door and went inside. We followed our usual routine and sat at her table as we had done so many times in the past. She poured out two whiskies which I welcomed with open mouth. I downed it in one and motioned for another. She obliged.
She lit a cigarette. "So, what do you want?"
"I could ask you the same question. Why are you following me and Holly around?" I folded my arms. "If you want to bring me down, why don't ya? What's stopping ya?"
"Cause I like seeing you squirm. This is much more fun. Don't ya think?" She sipped her whiskey. Her eyes unblinking.
I downed my drink in one gulp, lit a cigarette and poured myself another drink. Maybe she'd trip up and tell me what she was up to if I threw out some awkward questions. "So where does Sanchez fit into all this?"
She took a drag. "Oh, he's just a pawn, but I am screwing him, just in case you do have any feelings for me. I want you to know what it feels like."
"So what's the game with Holly? Is she another pawn?"
"Oh, Tyler. She's scared shitless of her dad. She's only marrying you so she doesn't get cut off from his money."
"Oh I get it. You break us up, I lose the woman I love, and she gets cut off from Daddy's money. Yep, very clever, Debs. You get back at two ex-lovers in one fell swoop." I took a deep drag and now I understood her motivation. This woman scorned thing wasn't crap after all. Holly and I were now living it and Debbie was the conductor.
I took another drink. "Okay, Debbie, you win. Holly and I love each other and are gonna have a baby. No doubt you're gonna try to break us apart and make us as sad and miserable as you. I think our love is strong enough that we'll get through it. I might even be able to convince her that you're the one who's lying, not me. After all, you have been behaving like a psycho lately."
I stood up and downed the rest of my drink. "You hold all the cards, Debs. I don't have any choice but to wait until you play your hand. I'll just have to see if I can trump you." I moved toward the door, resting my hand on the doorknob. "I feel sorry for you." I walked out without looking back.
All I could do now was wait for her to tell Holly. My stomach churned as I walked back to my room. I had finally gotten my act together, but now had to wait for the assassin to take her shot and see if Holly and I could dodge the bullet. Nervousness matched my sadness and I regretted ever falling into her trap in the first place.
Chapter 28Mark and I went to Dolphin's for a drink after work. We got our beers and found a table. I had to make the most of the drinking when I could since I vowed not to do it in front of Holly until after the baby was born.
"How's Lori?" I asked.
He smiled. "Normal. Wouldn't you love to have a normal girlfriend?"
I shook my head. "Boooring. No, I like 'em mixed up, fucked in the head, former lesbian nymphomaniacs, with a touch of Valley. Life on the edge kind of thing." I lit a cigarette. "Well, I used to. Now it's just me and the adorable Holly, bringing up a baby and living happily ever after in the woods of Oregon. That sounds pretty normal."
He stared at his beer bottle. "I guess it does. Honestly, would you really marry Holly if she wasn't pregnant?"
"Probably not now, but yeah, I could have seen us married down the road. I love her."
"You sure you're just not saying that to try and convince yourself?" He looked at me. I made eye contact but didn’t answer.
We didn't speak for a few moments until Mark finally broke the lull. "So, you're really gonna get yourself kicked out then?"
I looked around to make sure we weren't being overheard. "Yeah, it's the best thing for me and my little family. By the way, I've been meaning to ask you if you'd be my best man."
"Of course I will. I'd be insulted if you asked anyone else." He leaned over and slapped my shoulder as he smiled. "I still can't believe you're going through with it."
I took a deep drag and forcefully blew out the smoke. "It's what I really want, but I think that psycho Debbie is going to try and ruin it. I'm sure she's trying to break us up. She could get revenge on both of us for screwing her then leaving her. She's quite twisted. You think you could get Lori to talk to her? You know, tell her to back off and leave us alone."
"I'll ask her, but I doubt it'll do any good. You're pretty worried about her, aren't ya?"
I nodded. "Man, she's really got me nervous. Why did I ever get involved with her?" I can't believe she's doing this to me. Okay, I got some benefit and pleasure out of it, but I honestly was just trying to help a friend.
I might be a lesbian. Would you fuck me to help me decide? Ninety-nine guys out of a hundred would say yes. The one who didn't would be gay himself.
Mark took a drink. "Well, you know what they say. A stiff dick has no conscience. As you sow, so shall you reap. Oh what a tangled web we weave—"
"I get the point. And you've already given me the tangled web speech. Don't you have any other lectures in your repertoire?"
"Sure, but they'd be wasted on you." We both smiled.
Sanchez appeared at the table. "Mind if I join you guys?" The question proved to be rhetorical as he sat before either of us answered.
He offered to buy the next round and I didn't waste any time snatching the money from his hand and trotting off to the bar to get the beers. He and Mark were in meaningless conversation about the destruction of the ozone layer when I returned. I sat down and thanked Jorge for the drink.
"How well do you guys know Debbie Meyers?" Jorge asked.
"Umm…not that well," I replied.
He looked to Mark.
"I know her fairly well, albeit a lot of it secondhand." Mark gave me a stern look then looked back at Sanchez. "Why?"
"Well, we're supposed to be going together, but she never wants to be alone with me. She's the one who came onto me, and now I can't get near her. I was wondering if it's her or if it's me." He hung his head, looking at the table.
Mark and I looked at each other. Mark sighed. "Maybe she needs a little time. She just came out of a bad relationship." He threw his gaze to me quickly then back to Jorge. "Her last boyfriend really messed her around. She's probably on the rebound. She wants a boyfriend but's afraid she'll get hurt again. Maybe you should call it off with her for a while. I don't think she's ready yet."
"Bullshit." I took a big gulp of beer and set the bottle down. "You're exactly what she needs, Sanchez. Did she say who her last boyfriend was?"
He shook his head.
Silently, I breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, I know him and he's a pretty decent guy. I don't know what Debbie's problem is with him." My glance caught Mark rolling his eyes. "Debbie's the one with the problem, not her ex. You need to hang with her and bring her out of this self-imposed depression. Get her to fall in love with you and she'll be cured. You can do it, cuz. She needs you."
"I don't know if I can deal with it. He's all she ever talks about. Well, him and Holly Knight. Every time—"
"Wait a minute." I leaned in. "What's she sayin' about Holly?"
"How much she admires her and wants to be like her. And keeps asking me if I think she's as good-looking as Holly. Just envy kind of things. I can deal with that. But this goddamn boyfriend thing is about to drive me round the bend." He sipped his beer.
"Is she out for revenge?" I asked.
"She hasn't said anything specific, unless you count the time when she said she wanted to cut his nuts off."
I puffed on my cigarette. "Her talking about her ex means that she really likes you better. We studied it in psych class. It's a coping mechanism so she doesn't lose you. You're doing the right thing, Jorge. You keep slippin' her the high hard one and she'll come 'round."
"T
hat's part of the problem. I haven't slipped her anything yet. She's either got a headache or has to wash her hair."
My mouth fell open. "But the other night, she said you and her were…."
"Yeah, I know, but trust me, talking about it is as far as it ever gets." He sighed and swigged his beer.
I leant back and looked at the ceiling leaving Mark to carry on the conversation. It was bad enough that I had to deal with a woman scorned, but a pathological liar as well. I underestimated Debbie. A twinge of jealousy did cross over me when she said she was screwing Jorge and I figured that's why she mentioned it. Poor old Sanchez. Most guys lie and say they scored when they didn't. He denies getting any and his girlfriend lies about getting some when her field has never been plowed by his tractor.
#
Holly and I took a day off together to go downtown and get our marriage license. We didn't need a blood test and they issued the license on the spot after checking our ID's.
We went straight to the mall afterwards to shop for Holly's wedding dress. Not a traditional formal dress, just something new. I asked if I should see her in the wedding dress before the service, but she said that her dad told her years ago that was just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo voodoo. I always had her pegged as the superstitious type; apparently I was wrong.
She looked stunning in a strapless, long flowing white dress. Folded material ran horizontal around her bust with wide vertical pleats running beneath the bust to the floor.
She spent over two hundred dollars on new shoes no one would ever see hidden under the dress. Her beauty radiated from beneath the dress and she looked fabulous. I could hardly contain my excitement while looking at the soon to be Mrs. Chambers.
Holly insisted on buying me a suit for the wedding. I would have been quite happy to get married in my dress-white uniform, but she said since I was going to get myself discharged by means not quite so honorable, she didn't want our wedding photos to be a constant reminder of my deceit. So a gray three piece suit it was.
We left the mall and I drove us back to her place. Stopping at Larry's Up-Market on the way home, I ran in and bought a couple of steaks, some mushrooms and a frozen bag of french fries, promising her I'd cook dinner that evening. I grabbed a bottle of wine, but put it back when I remembered I was on the wagon in Holly's presence.
It was nearly five in the evening when we got back to her place. I poured us some orange juice and we sat on the couch.
"Why don't I run you a bath, babe?" I gently stroked the back of her head. "You look a bit tired, and while you're in there soaking that hot little body of yours, I'll make dinner."
"Are you sure you're not one of those transsexual people?"
Holy crap. Was she suggesting I was some kind of gay person? I shook my head under a cloud of bewilderment.
"Sometimes I think you're too thoughtful to be a real guy." She smiled.
I patted her leg and got up. Knowing how she liked her bath, I ran it hot with plenty of bubbles. When it was ready, I called her in. Once she submerged up to her neck and there was nothing more to ogle, I left to make the dinner. I laid the table and set out candles. I called Holly and she came out in a long, white, fluffy bathrobe. Dinner was served and we sat down.
"You cooked these nice, Tyler," she said, still chewing her first bite of steak.
"Thanks." I wasn't sure if she'd like it since it didn't have any disgusting sauces poured over it. "How was your bath? Did it hit all the right spots?"
"Perfect. Just what I needed. You keep it up and you might make a pretty good husband after all." She gave me a wink. "You nervous?"
"About getting married. Yeah, probably. I don't want to let you down. You?" I popped a french fry in my mouth.
"Yeah, definitely. If it wasn't for the situation," she patted her stomach, "we probably wouldn't be getting married right now."
"What?" Panic and insecurity gripped me, but she already warned me that insecure guys didn't get her libido going, so I tried to play it cool. I put my knife and fork down. "You do want to get married, don't you?"
"Sorry, I said that wrong. What I meant was - this is the eighties, for crying out loud. People don't have to get married straight away because they get pregnant, but I couldn't bear to hurt Daddy." She dropped her head. "I'm still getting used to the idea of being pregnant, let alone being married as well." She looked up. "But, yeah, if it had to happen, I'm glad you're the father."
Not really the words a groom wants to hear in the run up to the wedding, but I could see that she was nervous and I think she still held some doubt about my genuineness. Why did I ever suggest an abortion? That did me some damage, but I was really happy about her having a baby now. I just had to keep showing her how much I loved her.
After dinner I escorted Holly into the living room and turned the TV on for her. She put her feet up while I went back to the kitchen, did the dishes and cleaned up. I joined her on the couch when I finished the chores and we watched The A-Team. My arm wrapped around her felt so right. I kissed the top of her head and felt her mouth break into a smile against my chest. We jumped when we heard a knock at the door.
"I'll get it." I moved Holly to one side to get up. Walking to the door I mumbled to myself. "If that's Debbie, I'm gonna smash her face in."
Opening the door, I found two men in suits standing there. One of them, a dark Hawaiian guy in the gray suit, flashed a badge.
"Sergeant Chan, Honolulu PD," he said. He opened his hand toward the pale looking red-headed man in a blue suit standing next to him. "This is Officer Como." He nodded. "Is Miss Knight in?"
My heart thumped, shaking my chest with each heavy beat. Cops at the door was never a good thing. Maybe I had been dating a drug baroness and didn't even know it. "Yeah, would you like to come in?" I stood to one side to let them in. "Holly, it's the police," I called out, but she would have already heard them.
I led them to the living room where Holly sat, still curled up on the couch where I had left her. She didn't seemed concerned, so maybe I was overreacting.
The cops sat down at my non-verbal instruction and I sat next to Holly, putting my arm around her.
"Sorry to disturb you, Miss Knight," Chan said, "but I'm afraid we have some bad news. You are the daughter of Reverend Cornelius Knight, correct?"
Holly’s lips quivered, shifting her gaze from Chan, to me, and back to him. She nodded.
"It's about your father. He was on a private jet en-route to Dallas. Unfortunately, the plane developed mechanical problems."
Holly dropped her chin toward her chest and shook her head.
Chan took a deep breath and continued. "The plane went down in an open field in Texas with twelve people on board. I'm sorry, Miss Knight, but there were no survivors."
She lifted her head. "No, you've made some mistake. I just spoke to him the other day. You must have him confused with Jimmy Swaggart or someone. Not Daddy. He can't be dead."
"I'm sorry, Miss Knight, but there's been no mistake."
"Daddy? Dead? It's not possible."
Chan and Como stood. "Sorry to bring the bad news. We offer our condolences. The media wants to break the news, but we had to notify the next of kin first. I'm sorry for your loss." He looked at me. "We'll let ourselves out." He nodded at me and they walked out, quietly shutting the door behind them.
Holly jerked in my arms as her crying moved to an uncontrollable state, she pounded my chest and kept crying out "Daddy." I sat stunned, trying to take it in that her dad was dead. I held her, resting the side of my face on top of her head.
I tried to comfort her by holding her tightly. I felt deeply saddened and upset myself. Her pain must have been a hundred times greater. My mouth moved but no words came out. There was nothing I could say that would ease the pain. We sat holding each other, not speaking - just her crying. I wiped away some tears myself. Some were for Mr. Knight, but most were for having to feel Holly's pain.
A crushing feeling swept over me as I realized that Mr. Knight would nev
er know about or see his grandchildren. I could only pray that knowing his daughter was about to get married was enough to let him die a happy man.
Chapter 29Comforting Holly became my main role. She cried often and told me a lot of it was because of guilt. She didn't bear him grandchildren before he met his untimely death and that really upset her.
I came around to her house after work every day. Passion had been put on the back burner while she came to terms with her grief. We sat on her couch sipping orange juice.
Her eyes were red and the sparkle had disappeared. "I got a call from one of Daddy's assistants. The funeral's on Saturday."
"Saturday? That's our wedding day." I ran my hand through my hair. "Come on, babe, you're the next of kin. Surely you can set the date for after our wedding. Then we'll both fly to LA for his funeral, and you'll have a loving husband there for support."
"Sorry, Tyler." She stroked my leg. "Daddy's aides have gone to a lot of trouble to get this organized. People are flying in from all over the country, I can't just move the date."
Disappointment crept over me, but she did have a point. She'd been too distraught and too far away to make the arrangements herself. The Reverend's assistants planned everything which was probably for the best; sparing Holly more anguish.
"Okay, but I'll still come with you," I said.
She looked at me and stroked my cheek. "That's sweet, but I'm staying with my aunt and she only has a one bedroom apartment. I'll be okay."
No wedding or funeral. This really was a sad day, but I had to be strong for her sake. As much as I wanted to get married before anything else, I had to consider her sorrow and be compassionate. I tucked her under my arm and stroked her hair. "So, we'll reset the date when you get back then, huh?"
The side of her face rested on my chest as she stroked my stomach. "I suppose so. But, like there's no major rush now. We were just doing this for Daddy."
I put my finger under her chin and lifted it until our eyes met. "I wasn't. I really want to marry you, Holly." I searched her eyes but only saw pain.
Trouble Triangle (Tyler's Trouble Trilogy) Page 27