“Have you been to see him in jail?” Dan asked. “If not, I could go with you.”
“I don’t know if I want to see him. I’m angry. Every time I see her, I don’t know quite what to say. I was embarrassed for her in that situation. I struggle to get those images out of my mind. She’s a sweet girl, new to town, and has bad stuff in her past. Some welcome she got from our church.”
Dan sopped up egg with his toast and looked thoughtful. “Sounds like there’s a lot going on, Tony. Betrayal of a friend, anger, unforgiveness, jealousy for the reputation of our church and the young woman. Are you responsible for this?”
“Maybe. No. Yes. I promised I would keep her safe. I failed.”
“But you prevented the rape. I would say that’s a success. Does she blame you or the church for what happened?” Simon asked.
“No. She says I was her hero. She’s still shy around me, and I can’t blame her. It was a messy scene.”
“You like this girl, Tony?” asked Nick.
Tony toyed with his hash browns.
Do I like her? “Yes, I do. That terrifies me.”
“Not every woman is out to crush your heart. Stacy was one in a million. Don’t look at this girl as being her reincarnation. Maybe she’s the real deal? I’m curious. There was a lot of discussion going on at the bonfire. How’d you even know she was in trouble?” asked Pastor Dan.
“I don’t know. A sudden feeling I couldn’t shake that something was wrong. If I’d been a few minutes later—” Tony shook his head, trying to avoid the images of what could have happened.
Simon touched Tony’s shoulder. “The Holy Spirit nudged you and enabled you to be there to rescue her. What Bryan had intended did not happen because you obeyed that leading. I’m proud of you, son.”
“Thanks, Simon.”
“We’ll be praying for you as you wrestle with the fallout of this with Bryan. I think you should go see him. You can’t throw away fifteen years of friendship, can you?”
“I fear by visiting him I’ll betray Renata. By standing up for her, I made a choice to stand against him. He was furious with me. I’ve never seen such evil in anyone’s eyes as I did in his.”
“Visiting him is not excusing what he did. Maybe he’ll repent. He’ll face the consequences of his crime, but didn’t Jesus preach a gospel of grace and forgiveness?”
Tony sighed deeply.
There was that grace again.
“You are right. Maybe we can go after breakfast? Will you accompany me, Dan?”
“I’d be glad to. Now Simon, what’s going on in your world?”
The conversation continued, but Tony struggled to stay engaged. They prayed for each other, and Dan came with him to his car.
“He’s in West Bend at the jail there. Wanna ride with me?”
“Sure, Tony, that’d be great. I’ll call the church to let them know I’ll be back later than I expected.”
They recounted the turnovers and fumbles that had led to the Packers’ game the Sunday before. The drive to West Bend took less than thirty minutes. After the initial paperwork and security clearance, they gained the opportunity to see Bryan in a secured room. The prisoner arrived, still wearing his same clothes, unshaven and handcuffed. An armed guard stood outside the room.
“Why are you here? I didn’t ask you to come,” Bryan snarled.
“I asked him to come,” said Pastor Dan. “We wanted to see how you were.”
“I’m doing great. Thanks to my best friend.” He spat out the words like poison. “My best friend beat me up and had me put in jail. What do you say to that, Pastor?” Bryan whined.
“Are you claiming you did nothing to provoke that?” Dan asked.
“I did nothing to him. Anything else I do isn’t anybody’s business.”
“I disagree, Bryan. To be honest, I’m surprised you look as good as you do given the attack you referred to. I would have responded the same way if I had come up on you attempting to rape a woman.” Dan’s eyes were hard now as they focused on the prisoner.
Bryan squirmed. “Well, it wasn’t like that, you know. She wanted it. I could tell by the way she looked at me.”
Tony’s muscles tensed. “How dare you?” The words contained a growl, low and angry. “No woman asks for that kind of treatment. I struggle to believe that the man—if one could call you that—before me now, is the same person I’ve called friend all these years.” Tony’s eyes were hard, and his fists clenched. Dan put his hand on Tony’s arm.
“What’s the problem, Antonio?” Bryan asked with a sneer. “Don’t you realize they are all like Stacy? Did you know Stacy and I—”
Tony was up in a flash and had Bryan by the collar, but the guard coming in interrupted them. Tony let Bryan go, and neither spoke as the guard escorted Bryan back to his cell.
“I hate him.”
“You hate his words or behaviors, as do I, Tony, but Bryan needs our prayers. His heart is hard. Don’t let your anger and his taunts goad you into hating him. That’s not how Christ would respond, is it?”
“No, but I’m not Christ. I need to do something with this adrenaline. You up for a run before we head back?”
“Not sure I can keep up with you, Tony, but if you need to burn off some of that aggression with a run, I’m with you on that.”
They jogged over a mile and walked back to the car in silence.
“I’m not sure this visit was a good idea,” said Tony.
“I’m disappointed. I’d hoped for some regret or sorrow over his actions, not this—this evil,” Dan said. Tony frowned as he started the car to head back to Menomonee Falls.
* * *
Renata took the call in her office and was grateful she had closed the door once she heard it was Officer Alvarez. She struggled to understand that the man who attacked her was pleading not guilty. It meant they would to go to trial. She tapped her foot uncontrollably as her finger clicked the pen in her hand. Officer Alvarez gave her the name of attorneys who could represent her. Renata sat in shock. Bryan denied doing anything wrong. Tony was a witness. A shiver of revulsion ran up her spine. Lawyer. She needed an attorney to help her go to trial. She didn’t want a court-appointed one. She looked at the list of names and made a call to Gabby.
“Attorney? You need an attorney? I’ll check around, I’m sure there’s someone in our church who would be more than willing to represent you. I’ll make some calls and see what I can find. Is there any rush?”
“They’ve set bail for him, but it’s high. I’m praying no one will come up with the money. It could be a while before a trial date will be set, but the sooner I have someone lined up, the better.”
“Can you afford this? Doesn’t the court have attorneys that could represent you?”
“I have some money set aside. It might stretch me, but I should be fine. Thanks for caring, though.”
“Not a problem, Renata. I’ll be praying, too. I’m honored you called me for help. That’s what friends are for, and I hope we can be friends.”
“Me too. Thanks, Gabby. I need to get back to work. I have an appointment waiting out in the lobby.”
“Later.”
* * *
Thursday, mid-morning, Stephanie texted her roommate:
Thurs pm karaoke—wanna go w/me?
Renata smiled and responded:
Sure, where, what time?
Trysting Place, Meno Falls 7pm, pizza n darts too.
I’ll be there.
Stephanie worked many evenings between the furniture store and De Luca’s and, as a result, Renata had found evenings quiet and lonely. She looked forward to a night out.
After work, Renata rushed home to change into her favorite blue jeans, with a soft raspberry-colored sweater and a scarf filled with bright colors to tie it all together. She brushed out her hair, added a touch of rouge to her cheeks and some lip gloss, and grabbed her coat to head out for the restaurant. She had checked online to get directions and was relieved the restaurant would be easy
to find.
Entering, she found a group of people from church with Stephanie in the midst of them. She walked over to join them while they waited for the hostess to seat them. She remembered some names and was content to be quiet and listen to the banter between these friends. She startled suddenly when strong hands landed on her shoulders.
“Shhh, relax, it’s me, Tony.” She took a deep breath. She was not accustomed to being touched without it leading to abuse. He moved his hands to work out the knots in her shoulders and neck, and she had to admit it felt good. She had never been touched like this before. He stopped, removed his hands from rubbing her shoulders, and came to stand beside her.
“Better?” He grinned.
“Yes, that felt—”
“Wonderful, relaxing, amazing, miraculous—?” He grinned even broader as she chuckled.
“I was going to say ‘good.’ Guess I need to pick up a thesaurus and broaden my vocabulary.”
“I’m okay with ‘good.’” Tony winked at her.
The hostess came to take them to a group of tables shoved together to accommodate them. Soon, negotiating toppings and how many pizzas to order ensued. They placed their orders, and the waitress delivered drinks to the table. While many had beer, Renata stuck to a lemon-lime soda and was surprised when Tony ordered water.
Soon the challenges were on. Everybody took turns signing up for karaoke as the song list was passed around. A few people from other groups in the bar area were already taking their turns at the microphone to mixed reviews from the crowd. Stephanie collected the slips and took them to the person managing the machine. They would wait to see who and when he would call people up to sing.
The first couple from their group sang an old Captain and Tennille song, “Love Will Keep Us Together,” and they performed it with schmaltz, resulting in rousing applause and laughter.
Steph was up next to sing “R-E-S-P-E-C-T.” Her voice was off key, but she threw her robust personality into it so much that the people from the bar made catcalls. She blew them a kiss before handing off the microphone.
“Are you going to sing?” Renata asked Tony as she bit into her deluxe pizza, trying to break off the cheese that stretched as she pulled the piece away.
“Me? I can’t carry a tune in a bucket. I would never be so rude as to inflict that kind of pain on unsuspecting people.”
“Are you serious? I thought part of the fun of karaoke is that even the worst singers could get up and have a few minutes to at least pretend to be good. Isn’t that why many people trying out for American Idol get the idea they can sing?”
Tony laughed. “I don’t get to watch that show, but have seen re-runs on TV on Sunday afternoons sometimes and I wonder—do these people have any friends?”
* * *
Renata was about to answer when her name was called, and she excused herself to sing. Tony was surprised that this shy, timid, little woman was going to brave a restaurant full of strangers in this way. She was more complex than he suspected.
Tony watched Renata walk up to the stage, take the microphone, and smile shyly at him. The song she had selected was the Amy Grant version of Joni Mitchell’s song “Big Yellow Taxi.” Tony’s jaw dropped when she started to sing.
What a voice! Her expressions and movement fit the song and she radiated joy, as if born to this. He suspected the performance came nowhere near to showcasing the range of her ability. When the last note rang in the air, there was a space of silence and surprise before the bar, and the entire restaurant, erupted in applause and calls for an encore. Renata bowed with a smile and came back to her seat to pats on the back and praise. She blushed a deep pink and tried to blend back into the group. Another woman at the table turned to Pastor Dan, and said, “I think you just found another singer for your worship team.” People all around them agreed.
* * *
Renata set down her glass of soda with a weak smile, excused herself, and escaped to the bathroom. When she didn’t return, Stephanie searched for her.
“Hey, honey, what’s wrong?”
Renata leaned against the wall, hugging herself, tears falling down her face. “They don’t know. I can’t. If they knew they wouldn’t—”
Stephanie came forward and hugged her friend. “You are being foolish, believing a bunch of lies Mick and your family told you. Your past is not your fault. You were a victim of many wrongs. You do not have to keep living as if you are unworthy of being treated well. Come on. You’re not on a worship team yet. You simply wowed us all with your talent. Your past does not have to keep you from serving God in that way if you want to. Girlfriend, it was remarkable! It’s been so long since I’ve heard you sing. I worried you’d choke up there and embarrass yourself.”
Renata nodded and tried to smile. “I have always wanted to try karaoke. I was terrified until the music started and Tony—” Her cheeks warmed.
“What about Tony?”
“He had such a look in his eyes that made me feel…special. Capable. I don’t know how to describe it, except I’ve never had a man look at me like that.”
“I’m glad, hon.” Stephanie lifted up Renata’s chin and wiped away an errant tear. “What do you say we splash cold water on those eyes and go back out there before all the pizza is gone? I noticed your jeans are loose. We need to fatten you up.” Renata laughed and did as her friend asked, and they returned to the group.
* * *
Tony put his hand on the back of her chair and leaned over to whisper in her ear, “Are you okay?” Concern laced his voice.
Renata looked at him and smiled softly. “I’m going to be fine, thank you.”
Tony nodded and watched her as the rest of the group talked and joked. Renata didn’t join in, but listened and laughed. He could see sadness lurking behind her eyes and wondered again about what other monsters she had faced in her life to leave her so fragile.
The evening did not go on late, as almost everyone had to work the next morning. Tony walked Renata out to her truck and was surprised to see what kind of vehicle she drove.
“I would have expected a classy lady like you to be driving a Japanese sedan. An old truck? I’d never have guessed.”
“It’s not the vehicle I’d wish for, but it is paid for and I don’t have to worry about vandalism or theft, and when winter comes, I’m not going to be as restricted in where I go.”
“True. You are a woman full of surprises, Renata. It’s a delight to get to know you better.”
Tony stood close. Her back was up against the side of the truck, and they were in the shadows.
She smiled up at him. “It was fun tonight. Thanks for making it a good evening for me.”
“I didn’t do anything, but I’m glad you came and joined us. I was happy to see you here.” He reached around her to open her door and closed it when she settled in. He stood back as she started up the truck and waved as she backed out of her spot to leave.
He shook his head. He got into his own vehicle and headed for home where he found it hard not to think about a certain blue-eyed angel sweetly singing to him in a pub. But what had sent her running? Why had she cried? He wished he knew how to help her. He wondered why he even cared.
CHAPTER FIVE
Sunday was chilly but clear, and Renata looked forward to hiking with Stephanie and a few other women from church after services. Leaves on the trees were turning color, and it would be good to be outside. Church filled with people wearing green and gold for the noon Packers game against the Rams. After last week’s loss to the Bengals, many of the men thought, by wearing their colors, they could sway the outcome of the game in favor of the Pack. Even some of the guys in the worship team wore jerseys. It made her chuckle.
Renata was surprised to see Tony show up for church before his sister, Gabby. He was wearing the Packers sweatshirt she had stitched for him. She didn’t think anyone would notice it had ever been sliced.
“Hi,” Tony said quietly as people kept coming in and the countdown video pl
ayed on the big screen.
“Hi, yourself.”
“I hope I won’t offend you by sitting here.”
“Why would you?” She sniffed at his sweatshirt. “Did you forget to wear your eau de garlique? I’ll live, I suppose.” She had a silly grin on her face.
“I can’t believe I forgot that as I dressed this morning.” He snapped his fingers in mock frustration. “I was, however, giving you a warning before I start to make a painful noise.”
Renata laughed and covered her mouth when she saw people glance over to them in curiosity. The worship team stepped up, everyone stood, and she didn’t get a chance to comment further.
* * *
Tony observed Renata throughout the service. A few times, they made eye contact and she would smile. She had a natural beauty about her. He watched her pencil as she took notes in part script and part printing. She wrote in a small journal tucked into her Bible’s carrying case. He saw her scrunch her nose when concentrating and looking up something Pastor Drew had referred to. She would glance at Tony when the pastor told a joke, and she would smile. She was relaxed and engaged as she worshipped.
He found this new facet of her as fascinating as her courage, her humility, and her gentle spirit. I bet Mom would love this woman, came the thought, as unbidden as it was unwelcome. He shifted uncomfortably and noticed her glance as she raised an eyebrow. He shrugged, smiled, and tried to sit still. He was grateful when the service ended, although he realized he hadn’t heard a word of the message. He’d have to download it off the website to listen to later in the week.
* * *
For her part, Renata had been conscious of Tony’s regard and wondered at his attention. She noticed, while he went flat when singing, his voice was not nearly as bad as he had portrayed it, and she enjoyed listening to the rich tones when they complemented her higher ones as they sang together. Then there was his passion. He didn’t just sing words. He meant them. The thought warmed her heart.
After the service, they made their way to the lobby. Stephanie had abandoned her to go connect with someone.
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