Once Again

by J. Lea

  “Ella, get yourself together,” I say out loud. “You are simply imagining things.” I get up from the sofa, and check once again if I turned on the alarm system. Then I head to the bathroom, where I slowly undress. A long and hot shower is exactly what I need to relax. My panties are the last thing that lands in the laundry basket, and I step under the hot spray of water. I feel my tense muscles loosen immediately as I close my eyes. Water is cascading down my hair, and caressing my body. I scrub myself with a scented washing gel, and shampoo my hair. When I deem myself clean, I slide the shower door open. As I reach for the towel to wrap around myself, I notice a black SUV through the window, behind the fence, and an outline of a person behind the wheel. I shudder again. I quickly dry myself, pull on sweats, and hurry to the living room where I left my phone. I call the first number that makes me feel safe.

  Jake’s.

  But the line is occupied every time I try to get a hold of him. I get even more terrified when I realize the car looks awfully similar to the one that weird man from in front of the store window drove off in.

  “Jake, pick up already,” I mutter into the phone pressed against my ear, my eyes glued to the person in the car the whole time.

  Jake

  “Is she home?” I ask James, Ella’s new bodyguard.

  “Yes, she arrived a few minutes ago. The premises are clear. She is safe,” he assures me.

  “Good, I like to hear that.”

  “Mr. Burns? I have to tell you something else…”

  “Just a second, James,” I step into an office to have more privacy. I’m attending a sponsoring event at the moment with a whole bunch of important people and members of the press. I loosen my tie; it’s choking me. “Go ahead.” I lean on the desk in the middle of the room.

  “I think she spotted me. She seemed frightened. I apologize, Mr. Burns. I was following her as inconspicuously as possible, but out in the open, I couldn’t let her get far out of my sight.”

  “Shit,” I mutter, and run a hand through my hair. Maybe it’s for the best, I tell myself. “Okay, don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”

  “I’m truly sorry.”

  “It’s fine, James. I’ll let you get back to work.”

  “Of course,” he says, and hangs up. Running a hand through my hair in frustration again, I pace the office. She won’t like it when she finds out about the bodyguard, I’m certain of that. But on the other hand, perhaps it’s better if she knew. If anything happened, and she couldn’t get in touch with me, she could turn to James. I nod to myself. My phone rings again, and Ella’s name appears on the screen, raising my mood instantly.

  “Hey, babe,” I say, with a smile on my lips.

  “Jake,” I hear panic in Ella’s voice, and I immediately straighten. James has just assured me she is at home, and that everything is all right, so why is she so upset? “Somebody is out there, across the street. He’s been sitting in the car for quite some time now, and it looks like he’s not planning on leaving anytime soon. I’m scared. Should I call the police?” Her voice is shaking with fear.

  “Ella, babe, calm down,” I try to soothe her, but before I have a chance to explain, she interrupts me.

  “Calm down? Did you hear when I said there was someone in front of the house? I think he’s been following me for days now. I can’t—”

  “He’s your bodyguard,” I quickly jump in while she’s still panicking. As soon as she registers my words, she falls silent, and I have to check my screen to see if she is still on the line.

  “Ella, you still here?”

  “A bodyguard? I don’t need a bodyguard,” she says after a long silence.

  “Yes, you do. Now that you’re with me, I have to make sure you’re safe. I protect what’s mine.”

  “So, he was the one following me around while I was shopping with Sophie?”

  “Yes, that was James.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about him? Damn it, Jake. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I almost called the police.” I chuckle. “Jake, that’s not funny. I really thought someone was following me.”

  “I’m sorry, babe, that wasn’t my intention. I just wanted someone to protect you when I’m not with you. I didn’t think you’d notice him so soon.”

  “Do I really need him?”

  “Damn right, you do.” I have a bad feeling about that journalist. And since I’m absent for long periods of time, I can sleep more peacefully when I know she’s not alone.

  “You could’ve told me. What if I attacked him with a broom or something?” I can hear her relaxing a little, and I laugh out loud. “What? You don’t think I’m capable of it?” she challenges me. “I can be pretty dangerous.”

  I laugh even more. “I bet you’d scare him off,” I try to say as seriously as possible, but failing miserably.

  “Are you calling me weak?” I bet she raised her perfectly shaped eyebrow to contradict me.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “But you implied it.” I can’t hold it in anymore, and I burst into laughter.

  “Damn, I love you so much, my strong, unyielding and intimidating Ella. I can’t wait to see you again, and kiss every part of your glorious body…and make sure you have that broom of yours in your hands,” I add, roaring with laughter.

  “Ugh, you’re never going to let me forget I said that, huh?”

  “Nope,” I say mischievously. I love making her blush. “It’s tattooed into my brain.”

  “Oh, shut up,” she says, embarrassed but laughing.

  “I love you, babe.”

  “I love you, too,” she tells me, and we say goodbye.

  I can’t wait to take her on a vacation, somewhere where we can relax completely and spend a few days alone, without press and the fans. And I know just the perfect place to take her to. I rub my hands, pleased with my plan, and return to the gala. I won’t stay long; I have an important race tomorrow.

  Ella

  “Bye, Meredith,” I say goodbye to my boss as I leave Ace, glad for my shift to finally be over. I had to work two hours longer because a co-worker had an engagement she couldn’t postpone. I love my job—don’t get me wrong—but the desire to open my own massage therapy salon is growing bigger every day. I want to have my own business, a place where I’ll feel at home. I know I’m ready.

  I head towards home with a skip to my step; when I get there, I’m going to search for possible locations to open my salon, Paradise. I already came up with a name and I think it’s perfect. Besides various massages, I want to offer sauna services. A massage and a visit to the sauna complement each other splendidly. Jake is at a race, and Sophie is putting final touches to the wedding preparations, so I have plenty of time. I step into the house, lock the doors after me, and take off my shoes. I throw the keys on the table by the door, and grab a cold bottle of water from the fridge. My search can now begin. Sitting on the sofa, I put my legs on the coffee table, and place the laptop in my lap. Tiny butterflies are dancing in my belly as I think about my dreams finally coming true. During my browsing on the Internet, the television is on because Jake’s race happening right now. Since we’ve been together, I’ve watched every single one. Well, that is, if I wasn’t sleeping due to a time difference between us. I feel it is right to support his career, even though I’m still shaking every time he sits on a motorcycle, but this is his life.

  I manage to find a few nice locations for my salon, and I send my inquiry to the owners, along with my cell phone number and my e-mail address.

  Jake is on the start line, so I put the laptop away and focus on the race. On pins and needles, I clench my fists and cross my legs. The announcer is also eagerly waiting for the race to begin.

  “The competition for today’s starting positions was very intense, what with the racers overtaking each other throughout the whole race, and Burns winning by a fraction, ensuring the pole position. Starting from the second position on the grid is the British rider David. Gonzales, who finished the quali
fications with a nasty fall, is starting from the third position. The track they’ll be racing today is very interesting. There is a hairpin turn where the track climbs up and down the slope. This increases the opportunities for overtaking, especially in the second final straight. I think we’re in for an intense race.”

  Sitting on the edge of the sofa, my hands in fists, I’m watching as the racers fly down the track. A few laps into the race, the doorbell rings.

  “Who is it now?” I mutter to myself, angry for having been interrupted during the race. I head to the intercom, which is connected to the receiver by the main fence. “Yes?”

  “Delivery!” Again? Seriously? It must be a bunch of fan mail for Jake again. I swear, he should open a storage locker for all the mail he is getting. I buzz the deliveryman in, and then open the front door, and wait on the front step. I give the deliveryman my signature, and take the package. Shutting the door closed with my foot, I run to the television, where Jake is, luckily, still in the lead. During the commercials, I open the middle-sized box and peek inside. I pull out a bunch of photographs. Every single one is of me. In some, there’s also Jake with me. And every one is crossed off with a red marker. What the hell is all this? I ask myself, scrunching my eyebrows together in confusion. There is a piece of paper enclosed, and letters, cut out of newspaper headlines, spell out:

  Jake, you took something of mine. Now, it’s time to return the favor!

  I drop the note suddenly, as if I burned myself, and it floats quietly to the floor. I dig my hands into my hair, and stand there, frozen. What is this supposed to mean? What did Jake take from this person?

  I don’t know how much time passes before I manage to calm myself down enough to dial James’s number to tell him to come over. He carefully examines every photograph, and pays extra attention to the note. Without comment, he carefully packs everything, and before he leaves, he tells me he will hand the evidence to the police. Should I have already called the police myself? What can they do, anyway?

  “Do you think the police will be able to help?” I ask James with a shaky voice.

  “They’ll do their best. They’ll try to find fingerprints, traces of DNA… anything that could help them find the culprit.”

  I nod, wrapping my arms around myself. “What if they don’t find anything?”

  “We won’t give up, Miss Vaughn. I have friends at the police department. They will help me get to the bottom of this.”

  “Thank you.”

  James turns around, and puts his phone to his ear.

  Does Kevin have something to do with this? Could he have gone this far with his threats? It is possible. I shudder with terror.

  Jake’s race ended a long time ago. I missed the end of the race due to the mess the package created.

  James is by my side the whole time, and I can hear him speaking with Jake. Of course, Jake would be the first person he called. Jake sounds furious; I can hear swearing and parts of what he is saying through the phone. They decide to hand the evidence to James’s connection at the police station so he could examine the contents of the box. When the police officer arrives, I answer his questions, then I head straight to bed, and let James take care of everything. The whole thing left me so exhausted; I’m not even capable of sitting down. But I can’t fall asleep, either. The words from the note keep dancing in front of my eyes.

  The next evening, as I come home from work, I find Jake in the kitchen. He’s sitting at the table, leaning on his elbows, his palms on his face. He seems lost deep in thought.

  “Jake? What are you doing back so soon? Aren’t you supposed to be away for two more days?” I know he has a lot of sponsoring events after the races that he’s obligated to attend.

  Jake raises his head, and stares at me for a few seconds, as if he is still in a completely different world. Then suddenly, he pushes himself away from the table, and with three long strides, he is standing in front of me. Without words, he wraps his hands around me, and holds me against him for quite some time.

  “Are you okay, babe?”

  I nod. “I don’t understand what’s happening. Why would anyone threaten me, threaten us? Do you think Kevin is behind this? What does he have against us? Against me? Do you think he’s after your money?”

  Jake scratches his head angrily. “I have no clue what he wants, but I’m certain it’s not money. I’ll get to the bottom of this, and he’ll wish he was never born when I’m done with him.”

  I watch him standing in front of me; he seems to be having an inner fight with himself. I run my hand along his chest to draw his attention away from the dark thoughts. Our eyes meet, and all I can see in his eyes is pain.

  “I’m sorry you’re going through all this because of me, babe.”

  “I’m going to be alright. It’s not as if this is your fault,” I assure him.

  “But it sure feels like it. If you weren’t with me, none of this would have happened.”

  My hand on his chest stills. “What are you trying to say?”

  Jake takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and then shakes his head. “You should be far away from me, away from all this mess. You don’t deserve this. But on the other hand, I’m so selfish; I don’t want to let you go. I want you all to myself.”

  “I don’t plan on going anywhere. I’m still here.”

  “I know, but this is exactly what’s putting you in danger. You know how many threatening letters I’ve already received, but didn’t give a crap about? Mostly, they were empty threats, but of course, there was a maniac or two mixed up in there. I let the police handle with them. But now it’s about you, about your safety. I can’t let anything happen to you. Perhaps it’s just talk—maybe someone wants to intimidate us and get off on that—but this time I’ll take the threats seriously.”

  Shocked by his admission that he’s received threatening letters in the past, I stare at him with my mouth wide open. Why are people so cruel, trying to make innocent people’s lives miserable? I will never understand their actions. I bet it’s because people are jealous of his lifestyle and fame—I can’t think of a better explanation.

  “Next week, we’re going on a trip for a few days.” Jake suddenly changes the topic. I raise my eyebrow at him, waiting for further explanation. “Why are you looking at me like that? Since it’s going to be my birthday soon, I wanted for us to spend it together, alone, with as little clothes on our bodies as possible.” His lips curl up in a beautiful, relaxed smile: the complete opposite of his mood from a few minutes ago.

  “It sounds great!” I’m excited, but I can’t ignore the lump in my throat that is still there. I think it’s for the best to escape for some time from this chaos that we’ve been caught up in the last few days.

  Chapter Three

  Jake

  In a couple of hours, Ella and I are leaving for our short—and well-deserved—vacation. I promised to take her to a special place for my birthday where we could be alone, without paparazzi, groupies, and especially, threats. And the moment couldn’t be more appropriate. I get chills when I remember someone is threatening us; that my Ella might be in danger. I wish I knew already who that person is. I’ve informed James of everything, and Mike is the only person besides him who knows we're leaving for a few days.

  It felt wonderful packing a suitcase with Ella, and it was even better to board a plane together, as we were leaving for my race before our trip.

  ~ * ~

  I’ve just finished my ninth race this season. I crossed the finish line by popping a wheelie, and watched the crowds cheering and celebrating my win with me. Flags with number 25 are waved high in the air, and I can hear the spectators chanting, “Beast! Beast! Beast!” The members of my team are standing in the pit box, excitedly waiting for me, as I get off my bike. Everybody gathers around me: patting my back and congratulating me. They lift me up on their shoulders, where I remove my helmet. I see Ella in the distance, glowing with happiness and pride. Her hands are clutching her chest, her fingers
intertwined. “I love you,” I mouth, and I know she can read the words from my lips. She flashes me a grin, and mouths that she loves me too, after sends me a kiss. The press gathers around me, so I’m lowered to the ground. I remove the gloves, as the microphones are being shoved into my face.

  “You have completed another amazing race! How do you manage it? You practically raced without any mistakes.”

  I nod at the journalist. “Definitely, it was a good race. I’m pretty happy about it, and everything worked in my favor. The weather was idyllic, my engine ran smoothly, the tires served me well, and I felt phenomenal. I couldn’t be more pleased.” I’m engulfed in the deafening noise around me, I can barely hear the journalists’ questions, and there are racers walking past me, patting me on the back, so I have to lean down a bit to hear the next question.

  “You have six wins under your belt this season already. Do you think you’re going to end the season on a winning streak?” I let out a laugh, and shake my head. Rubbing my hand over my forehead, I respond.

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There are still a lot of races ahead of me. After all, we are only in the middle of the season, so we still have a lot to do. But one of my goals is definitely taking the title of World Champion home, and standing on the highest step on the victory podium at the end of the season.” Mike approaches me, and whispers into my ear that we are expected to come to the podium to receive our prizes. I nod and thank the journalists. Before heading to the podium, my eyes search for Ella, who is still patiently standing next to my team members. Debbie has joined her. They are talking and smiling. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing Ella smile and be happy.