by C. M. Steele
I searched for a writing instrument. Then I saw it. Next to the house phone there was a pad of paper. I picked it up and saw it had the Middleton Hotels stationary header. It wasn’t the one you got from staying at the hotel. It was the corporate logo. I wondered what he did for a living. I thought about what he said, something in the security department for a large company. At twenty-three he probably was just getting started in the world. How cute, I thought, that we had a connection in another way, even though it was almost irrelevant, or so I believed. His house phone rang and the caller ID said Jacob Middleton. He was one of the three owners of the Middleton Hotels.
Hey, Tony, I’m surprised you’re still sleeping. Well, call me, I’m about to board my flight for Reese. I’ll be in touch with you when I land. Take it easy and hold down the fort for me.
Something struck me. Tony…I’d heard that name before at the hotel. I looked in his suit coat for his wallet and there it was. I took it out and looked at the business card inside. He was the head of security for Middleton Hotels. We worked together and that was a company no-no. Another notch on the ‘this wasn’t going to work list.’ I had to get out of there before I made the wrong decision and stayed.
I jotted down a quick note and was out the door in a flash.
Chapter 7
Tony
I woke up and rolled over to feel the cold bed. It couldn’t have been a dream. I could smell her everywhere, so that meant she was gone. In my heart, I knew she wasn’t just in the other room. She had left.
I felt my soul bleed as I thought about her. How could she run out like that? What did I do or not do to send her fleeing? She was everything I’d ever hoped for. Was giving me her virginity too much to deal with? I was going to have to find out and make everything right. Denise was mine, whether she realized it or not. Sniffing my pillow and taking in her scent before it slowly faded away, I mustered the energy to get out of bed. I don’t know how she could regret it since we went at it more than once. I only saw her have those two drinks, so it wasn’t like she was wasted.
I hopped into the shower, letting the cold water slam against my skin as a sort of punishment for not hearing her leave. I had to get her back and tie her to the bed if necessary. I washed my body, then quickly got dressed. I was mostly off for the day, but I did have to check in at the office. I also had to get in touch with my shit stain of a brother who left me to lose my fucking heart last night.
My living room was immaculate except for my suit jacket, which she placed nicely over the arm of the chair. The answering machine light caught my attention, so I strolled over to the phone and listened. It was Jake. Then I saw her note.
Sorry, this was wonderful, but we won’t work out. Denise
I flipped the note over, hoping for more. Something. I needed something. I balled up the note and tossed it toward the waste basket. I missed, so I went to scoop it up and throw it out. Snatching up my car keys, I left in a hurry. Maybe I’d see her ass walking unless she called a cab.
~~~~
“What’s up, Jake?” I asked. I’d been at the office all afternoon instead of going home. My thoughts were all about my mysterious woman and how I could go about finding her. I needed help, but I was too ashamed to tell anyone at the moment.
“I need you here. Like yesterday.”
“What happened? Is the deal going south?”
“No, not at all, but I have to leave right away, so I need someone here to monitor and secure the hotel.”
“You can’t just hire security or send another guard?”
“No, I can’t. I need someone I can trust. Someone who won’t make a move on my future wife.”
“Whoa! Slow down, please explain.”
“I met the woman I’m going to marry, but if I stay a day longer, I’ll be arrested for being a pedo. She’s got three months until she’s legally mine. I need you here. You have a vested interest in this hotel, too. So please get your ass here. I’ve already set up your stay here.”
“Okay, I’ll be there tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Tony. Seriously, though. She’s mine. No one, and I mean no one, goes after her.” I would laugh at him, but I was in the same boat and had no fucking idea where my woman vanished to. Perhaps this was just the trip I needed. Three months away from my house that now reminded me solely of Denise and our perfect night together that I thought was going to last.
Chapter 8
Denise
Two months being without Anthony and I was barely clinging to life. Knowing that he was in another state made it a bit easier to avoid calling him, but only just. My heart missed him more than I could have ever imagined. As I lie in bed every night, sleep took forever to come. All I would think about was that I should be wrapped up in Anthony’s arms. Feeling his warm breath on my neck as he whispered how beautiful I was, but that was just a fantasy. We’d both caved to the sexual tension that flowed between us. Now, I was all alone and feeling sick about it.
I’d been kicked out of my apartment by my cunt-erific roommates. It seemed they didn’t like that I wasn’t the same as them. I didn’t come from a well-to-do family with money up the ass. Apparently, I was a last resort for the apartment, but once they got a new replacement they did everything they could to make sure I was gone. They were unnecessarily cruel to me.
I found another place after staying at the Middleton Hotel for a week. It was a small apartment just down the road from the hotel, which was fantastic because my car was on its last legs. It wasn’t the only thing on the way out. It seemed my health had done a one-eighty. I went from feeling perfect to feeling like I got hit by a bus.
I was dressed and ready for work. I’d been doing overtime every day since I ran out on him. I didn’t know if it was because I wanted to get him out of my head or if I hoped by some off the wall chance he would come into the hotel and see me. But then I learned that the day after our night together, he’d gone to Oregon for work. I was scheduled in an hour, but wanted to get there early, so I got in my car and started the engine, then switched it into gear.
"Oh shit," I grumbled. I stopped the car just outside the parking spot, threw open my door, and vomited on the pavement. "Damn it."
I closed the door and reversed back in. I went around in my heels and grabbed the hose. After spraying down the ground, I got back in and tried again.
I got on the phone right away with my doctor’s office since I wasn’t feeling too hot. “If you can come in within the hour, I can take you. Either that or you’re going to have to wait a few days.”
“Okay. I’ll be there. Thank you for seeing me so quickly,” I said gratefully.
I got to my doctor’s office as fast as possible. “You’re just in time, Denise. Let me get a urine sample.”
I took the cup and went in the bathroom. I wondered if I had a kidney infection or something. Or maybe food poisoning. After handing the nurse the sample, they showed me into the room. I sat there nervously. I’d never been really sick. My period was the only thing that had ever been off. It was the reason I was on birth control pills.
It took about five minutes before the doctor came in. She was so nice. I’d been coming to her since I was fourteen.
“Hi, Denise. How are you?”
“I feel like crap all the time.”
“Well, we have an answer for that. It’s a pretty simple one. You’re pregnant.” I shook my head in disbelief.
“I can’t be,” I muttered to myself. All I could think about was becoming my mother. Anthony wasn’t going to want me or this baby. He was twenty-three, and I was a one-night stand.
“Did you have sex?”
“Yes, but just twice,” I admitted, looking at her in shock.
“It only takes once.” I rolled my eyes because what the fuck was birth control for if it didn’t work at all.
“But I’m on the pill and don’t miss my time to take them…like ever.”
“Yes, and it’s not a hundred percent.”
“Oh my God, what
am I going to do?”
“You have options,” she replied. I could hear the derision in her voice.
“That’s not what I meant. I’m keeping my baby, but there’s just… It’s just… I don’t want to be my parents.”
“Things work out the way they do. Give it time.”
She went over what was going to happen over the next month or two along with methods to control the nausea. I stood and looked for my keys in my bag so I could get out of here as fast as I could. And that’s when I saw the stupid pills.
“Here, you can keep these since they work for shit.”
She took them and opened the pack, then looked up at me. “These are what you have been taking?”
“Yes, of course.”
She took the foiled pack out of the little case and flipped it over. She brought it close to her face looking harder at it. “You haven’t looked closely at the pack have you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Someone sealed these again. You are on your second week of placebos.” My eyes darted open. I snatched them from her hand and looked at them closely. How hadn’t I noticed that they were all the same color? I had to think back to the last set I picked up. It was hard to remember how long they were all the same. My former roommates were always sneaking in my room; they could have easily stolen my pack and did something with it.
“This will need to be reported.”
“I don’t think it was the pharmacy. My former roommates had been really bitchy with me lately and forced me to move out. I don’t understand their motives other than I don’t fit in with them, but it had to be them. I just thought about it. Veronica never takes her last week of placebos.”
“You should have this investigated. You could have been given other drugs at any time. In fact, I’m going to do a blood test today. Seriously, you should consider pressing harassment charges on them.”
“I will, but now I need to think about my baby.”
“That’s a good idea.” I grabbed my bag and slipped it over my shoulder.
“Take care, Denise. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate. Wait here, the nurse will be here to draw your blood.”
“Okay. Thank you,” I replied, taking my seat again. She walked out of the room for the nurse to come in and draw my blood. Thank goodness I wasn’t afraid of needles. I was already in a state of panic.
Seven minutes later, I was walking out. I had twenty minutes to make it to work, so I went with thoughts of Anthony and the baby we made together.
Unable to handle the news, I called off sick. It was my first time since I started, but they had understood since I’d been looking off for weeks.
As I drove back home, I passed by my old apartment. Filled with rage, I wanted to have a talk with those bitches and find out why they felt the need to bring me down to the lowest level possible.
I stormed up to the apartment and pounded on the door. It took only a few seconds for someone to come nervously to the door and open it like they thought it was the police. As soon as they opened it an inch, I slammed it open and let myself in. She fell back, then scurried to the sofa.
“Hello bitches, I’m back,” I cheerily shouted. The three of them were sitting on the sofa with the newest roommate. Another blonde twat, I thought to myself.
“What do you want, Denise?”
“Why? Why kick me out? Why destroy some of my things? Why ruin my birth control? What the fuck did I do to you?” I asked, practically shrieking in rage.
The head bitch, Veronica, gave a sinister smile before saying, “Ask your mother. If I’d known who you were before I let you move in I would have tossed you on the street.”
“What does my mother have to do with this?”
“She’s the slut who destroyed my parent’s marriage.” Oh shit. I remembered my mother sleeping with a married man and not giving a shit, but I had no idea.
“Why are you blaming me for her?”
“Because someone had to pay. My mother hasn’t been the same since and it’s all her fault. Now you can take your pregnant slutty ass out of our faces before we call the police for trespassing.”
“How about I call and inform them of the drug tampering you did? I’m sure it’s a federal offense.” They all gasped and looked at each other in shock. “What I want from you is to stay as far away from me as possible. If you see me on the street, you go the other fucking way. I don’t want to even know that you exist. You’ve done something to me that can’t be undone and have irrevocably changed my life. I hope you rot in hell. If you come near me, or I smell a hint of you, I will go to my doctor and tell her to be my witness as I take you all to court. Nod, if you understand.”
They nodded fast and with no little amount of fear and for the first time in months, I could genuinely smile. I turned on my heels and left this place, hoping they heeded my warning because this bitch was done being anyone’s doormat.
Chapter 9
Tony
Two whole freaking months since I saw her beautiful face. I missed her for all the world. Everything in me wanted her back. Where was Denise? I’ve looked for her everywhere and nothing.
My phone rang as I stood by the wall in the hotel in Oregon. I had one more month of babysitting duty. Jake’s girl was pretty, but had nothing on my Denise. It was easy to look after her because she was sweet and never did anything other than work. We spoke briefly and she told me that I’d find her again if it was meant to be. I think it was because she was young and full of hopeful dreams, but I still hadn’t let the idea of seeing Denise again fade from my mind. It was probably for the best. The thought of becoming my father was always in the back of my head. I loved this woman to the point of obsession. All my dreams had been of her.
“What’s up, Andy?”
“Bro, do you have some time to talk?”
“Sure. Give me a minute.” I walked up to Harley and said, “I’ll be back in twenty.”
“Okay,” she said with a bright smile.
I walked into the manager’s office and closed the door. “What’s up?”
“You know I was visiting mom’s family and they gave me a box of photos she didn’t take with her. You have to see her prom picture. I just sent it to you.”
“Okay.” I wondered why it mattered if I looked at the photo. He could have just sent it to me and say, “Hey, look at mom and dad before he showed his true colors.”
I opened the message that said, “Sit down for this.” I fell into the chair as I looked at myself. This wasn’t the man I knew my entire life. “Who is he?” I asked, unable to take my eyes off him.
“According to mom’s cousin, that’s her one true love. He died the next night. Mom was never the same, and well, there’s more but you’ll have to call her to learn the rest. What I heard I won’t even mention ever again. But let’s just say mom was heartbroken, and well, she told her cousin that you were the son of this guy.”
“Fuck, this is crazy.”
“What’s his name?”
“She wouldn’t tell me. She said you’d have to go see her before she’d tell.”
“I can’t go for another month, but I will be there.” With my brother’s investigative skills, I should have him look into Denise for me.
“I need you do to something for me, Andy,” I added, then explained who I needed him to find. Denise was going to be mine for sure, especially since I now know I wasn’t related to that bastard.
Chapter 10
Tony
I sat across from the woman who looked like a healthy version of my mother. “Anthony, I’m so glad you’re here. I wish we would have met sooner, but things didn’t come to light until your mother died.”
“Who’s my father?” I asked, feeling like a helpless child.
“You weren’t named after that son of a bitch your mother married. You were named after your real father. They had the same first name. His name was Anthony Middleton.”
“Middleton?”
“Yes, like your boss
es, your cousins.”
“Wait? What do you mean?”
“I think you need to have a talk with Jacob. There’s much to discuss.”
I was about to call that son of bitch. He knew who I was the moment he saw me in the VA hospital and didn’t bother to tell me. “Before you go off on him, he didn’t know who you were that day. He saw your face and thought you resembled his uncle who he met as a baby and your name was Anthony. He thought it was fate to help you.”
“Well…” I muttered, running my hand through my hair. I felt the tears in my eyes, but I didn’t know how to absorb what she was saying.
I walked out of the house after learning more. Now I had to go meet with Jacob and, apparently, the rest of my family.
~~~~
I arrived at the estate of James Middleton Sr., my grandfather. I did my best to look worthy of the Middleton family.
Standing at the door was Jake. My boss and cousin. He looked at me with a sad expression, waiting for the storm that was going to come. He wouldn’t get it. As much as I wanted to snap at him. It wasn’t about that. I wanted to meet my grandfather.
“Tony.”
“Not now, Jake.” I walked right past him into a house of about twenty Middletons.
This large strapping older man approached and without a doubt I knew he was my grandfather. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a bear hug. “My God, you are real.”
“I am,” I said, removing myself from his hold.
“Jacob said he wasn’t sure until the test was run.”
“You did a DNA test on me? When, and when were you going to tell me?”
“I didn’t know if you were related, but I did it before you left Oregon.”
“Why did you take so long? Three years?”