Restoring Passion

by Sandra Kyle

  “Getting some more pancakes.”

  Marly shook her head. “Uh-uh. I offered you a second helping this morning, remember? You were in too much of a hurry to sit in front of the TV.”

  “Mom…” Jasmine whined.

  “Nope. Grab some water and a piece of fruit if you’re still hungry. Then, I need you to head upstairs for a few minutes and give the adults some alone time to talk.”

  Her tiny shoulders dropped. “Are you going to yell at Vanessa?”

  Marly frowned. “Why would I yell at Vanessa?”

  “You and Jack are talking all secret agent like about her in the kitchen. Like you talk about me right before you yell at me about something.”

  Marly lifted her hands up. “I…why would you…no, Jas. Things are fine. No one’s yelling at anyone. Go upstairs, please.”

  Jasmine shrugged and gave Vanessa a look filled with pity. She turned to her mother. “Okay, but I’m going to be an adult soon, too, you know.” She ran up the steps.

  Jack entered the living room and called up to Jasmine. “Hopefully you don’t have to stay up there until the entire transformation is complete.”

  “Sometimes I wish she had a mute button.” Marly groaned.

  “I’m sure she wishes the same about us,” Jack commented and then acknowledged Vanessa. “And I wish we didn’t have to have this talk, Vanessa.”

  “You saw Daniel this morning,” Vanessa stated.

  “He’s a wreck. He told me all of it.” Jack continued to stand, talking while Marly joined Vanessa on the couch.

  Vanessa’s interactions with Jack had started out prickly and off balance. It had taken quite a while for him to gain her respect. And that was mainly due to the relationships he had cultivated with Daniel, Marly, and Jasmine. The fact that Jack knew intimate details of the current situation was only palatable because of the tenuous faith she had based on a degree of separation. “Marly filled me in on everything you told her this morning.” He paced in front of the television. “There are a lot of what-ifs and uncertainty. Some professional advice is needed before the police knock on your door with a search warrant.”

  “Jesus, Jack.” Marly rolled her eyes.

  Jack shrugged. “I’m not going to sugarcoat the situation. It’s not going to go away on its own. She needs to be prepared and ready.”

  “A lawyer?” Vanessa asked.

  “I’ve got a bunch of contacts I’m going to reach out to, if that’s fine.” He waited for a nod from her and then continued. “And you and Danny really need to talk. Not today, but very soon. I’d suggest tomorrow.”

  Vanessa blew a loud exhale out of her mouth.

  “I’m gonna go make some calls. Not sure who I can get a hold of on the holiday, but I’ll leave a ton of messages.” Jack pointed upstairs. “I’ll check on Jas, let her know she can return to her steamrolling of…” He studied the paused stats on the video game. “Ugh, why does she insist on playing against the Cubs?”

  “Nothing wrong with some healthy rivalry,” Marly reminded.

  Jack shook his head and took to the steps.

  Vanessa stood up. “I’m sorry, Marly. I know you’ve got things to do. I’ll get out of your hair.”

  “Stop apologizing. We’re heading over to Monica’s for a barbecue later this afternoon, that’s it.”

  Vanessa crinkled her brow. “That’s right. She got back last night. Will you do me a favor?”

  “I will not breathe a word of this. You let her know when you’re ready.”

  “Savannah is the smallest big city I know. She’ll probably find out before I want to tell her.”

  “Prepare yourself for the call from her when she finds out. She cares about you, along with the rest of us. The concern comes from a good place.”

  Vanessa nodded. “Thanks again, for everything.” She slipped out of the house via the back door. Daniel’s potted plants in their yard begged for water as she crossed through the topiary border. The petty inattentiveness won out again. She headed inside.

  I’m only delaying the inevitable. She searched for a particular key on the key hook. Once she located it, she grabbed her bag and made a beeline out the front door to her truck.

  *

  Daniel drilled the last screw into the kitchen molding, securing it. He’d spent the past couple hours scouring the studio for minor repairs that had been on his list to complete. If he had to lay low, he rationalized he could at least be productive.

  Music blared from his ear buds while he worked. That’s done. Some putty next.

  He walked into the living room. Vanessa’s figure by the front door froze him in place.

  Scared that any movement might cause her to flee, he took her in with his eyes. A quick assessment of those beautiful brown eyes and the bags under them confirmed she hadn’t been sleeping well either. Her dirty blonde hair was tied up in a mussed high ponytail draped over one shoulder. She wore the pair of denim shorts that, in his opinion, hugged her curves the best, allowing for full appreciation and admiration. Any other day, there would be no hesitation. He would have walked over, threaded his fingers into the front belt loops of her shorts, and pulled her in for a long, deep, welcoming kiss. But today, the divide between them was tangible. It hung like oppressive humidity in the air.

  Def Leppard repeated a chorus multiple times. He tugged the buds from his ears. “Hey.”

  “I knocked and rang the doorbell a bunch of times. I figured you might be working on something and had those in, so I let myself in.” Her fingers strangled the straps of her purse.

  “Yeah. Trying to keep my mind occupied.” He nodded.

  They stood in their respective places for what felt like an eternity.

  Vanessa broke the silence first. “Whether I want to or not, we need to talk.”

  “Sure.” He motioned to the chair. “I’ll get you something to drink.”

  She waved a hand and then sat, placing her purse in her lap. “I don’t need anything.”

  Daniel scooted around the coffee table and dropped onto the couch. He leaned forward, clasping his hands together, waiting for her to begin again.

  Her gaze darted to his, then to the floor, then toward the hall. “I hate this,” she mumbled.

  “I know. So do I.”

  “I hate not knowing how to feel about you. About us.”

  Daniel ached to reach out and touch her.

  “I went to the police station when I got back into town. It’s not good. I think they suspect either you or me, or maybe both of us, had something to do with Brian.”

  “What did you tell them?”

  “Nothing, really. Well, I mentioned the photos. But I haven’t given them anything. Jack has information from both of us now and is calling some lawyers today.”

  “So, now we have to wait.” Daniel sighed.

  She sighed back. “The fallout is going to keep happening. Dad was expecting us today. I haven’t called him yet.”

  “Your mom called him while you were in Florida.”

  Vanessa’s mouth opened. Then she shook her head and laughed. “Of course she did. So, he knows? You talked to him?”

  Daniel shrugged. “I had to call him when I didn’t know where you were. I don’t know what all he knows. I do know he’s pissed at me, so your mom must have given him an earful.”

  “She doesn’t know everything,” Vanessa muttered. “My mother is many things, but my confidante is not one of them.”

  Their words retreated and emptied the air. Daniel heard the distant music from the streaming player, fished it out of his pocket, and then fumbled to turn it off.

  “The pictures.”

  Daniel’s heart dropped. He forced himself to meet his wife’s gaze. I never wanted her to look at me that way. The sadness in her eyes shattered any hope left.

  “You said you don’t remember much from the night you think they were taken.”

  “I remember the party at Ned’s, that’s it.”

  “Did you feel like you... migh
t have done something with someone when you woke up the morning after?”

  “No…” He wanted to call her “baby” but snapped his mouth shut. “It felt like a horrible hangover. You even said I looked like crap when I came home that night, remember?”

  “What are you going to do?” she asked, not bothering to acknowledge the recollection.

  As difficult as it was to do, he maintained eye contact. “I’m going to go and get tested, first thing tomorrow morning. Make sure I… we’re okay.”

  “Where? In Savannah?” Panic flooded her face.

  Her anxiety is shifting into third gear.

  He reclined and slumped into the cushion. She’s worried someone will recognize me. Doesn’t she know that’s a possibility anywhere now? “Where should I go?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I shouldn’t care who finds out; that’s not the most important thing right now.”

  “I’ll be discreet. A practice has to maintain confidentiality, or they risk getting sued. That’s probably not much consolation.”

  “Jack says we’ll need to talk to a lawyer, together.”

  Daniel nodded.

  “Well”—she tapped her bare knees—“I guess that’s all I came to tell you.”

  He leaned in again. “It’s going to all work out.”

  She laughed. Daniel recognized the shocked expression. “Do you think so?”

  “I have to.” Without hesitation, he clasped his hand over hers and squeezed it. “I love you, Vanessa. I’ll do whatever needs to be done to fix this.”

  The release of tears came on without warning. Her other hand covered her eyes. She squeezed back. Soft cries escaping her mouth turned to quick hiccupping gasps.

  Daniel waited until Vanessa calmed her breathing. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Stay with me,” he whispered. “I need you, baby. I guarantee I need you more than you need me. And I know I don’t deserve you. I love you.”

  She exhaled hard. “I love you, too. That’s what makes this hurt so much.” Her head shook, as she battled back the next wave of emotions. “I need some time, Daniel. Do what has to be done”—she lifted her shoulders in a defeated shrug—“and then we’ll see.”

  He nodded.

  She let go of his hand and got up without another word. The exit was hurried. The door clicked closed.

  Daniel dropped his head and cried.

  Chapter Five

  The bare-bones production crew was set to arrive at the beach home bright and early Wednesday morning. Even so, Daniel had beaten them to the site. He had sat on the tailgate to wait for the crew, a tray of take-out coffee and doughnuts next to him. He sipped his black coffee.

  A grin formed when Donnie pulled up onto the gravel driveway beside the truck. Donnie’s beat-up, bright purple sedan appeared even worse than the last time Daniel saw it.

  “My favorite director.” Daniel hopped down and embraced Donnie’s chubby figure in a bear hug. A curly brown mop of hair burrowed into Daniel’s armpit.

  Donnie coughed and adjusted his eyeglasses after the greeting. “Been too long, Danny.”

  “Jack jumped at the chance to hire you again.”

  Donnie nodded. “Especially when he knows how cheap he can get me for.” He followed the three stories of the beach house up with his gaze and whistled. “Got our work cut out for us again, I see.”

  Daniel placed a hand on his hip and admired the building along with him. “Nothing you, Phil, and Terri can’t bang out.”

  “I heard the original crew moved onto greener pastures when they were released from the production a couple months ago.”

  “Not going to make this easy, are you, Donnie?”

  “I get to swoop in and make things right as rain. Have to let me enjoy it a bit. At least, before Jack gets here and starts barking orders. Just like old times.” He pointed to the door. “Is it open?”

  “All yours. Take a look around.”

  Donnie snagged a donut. “Don’t mind if I do. Phil should be here soon with the equipment, and we’ll go over the schedule for the day when everyone arrives.”

  A salute and Daniel scooted back onto the tailgate. Donnie wandered to the set of French doors and disappeared behind them into the shadows of the Fitz-Davis’ home.

  The ocean waves rippled toward the shore at a rhythmic clip. Seagulls were busy swooping and searching for their breakfast. A bright blue sky with only a few clouds held the promise of warm, sunny weather. Daniel gazed at the scene for a while, trying to think about the positives the day had in store. It had been a rough stretch of night, day, and night without Vanessa. He’d heard back from Jack yesterday. A lawyer friend of Jack’s referred him to one of the best litigators in Atlanta. They had a meeting lined up for Thursday afternoon. Jack had already arranged things with Vanessa, who would meet them there. Using Jack as a middle man with his own wife for the time being was necessary and uncomfortable.

  The crunch of gravel under tires alerted him to another arrival. When he turned, his smile faded.

  Shit. Mabel. I forgot she threatened to show up today.

  Her high-polished silver convertible parked yards away, diagonally, with little regard to the amount of space it took up. Mabel raised a hand straight up in the air in greeting, dangling her fingers in a half-hearted wave. Daniel didn’t recognize the black male sitting in the passenger seat. He wore a cap and wrap-around sunglasses.

  Nip it in the bud. He heard Jack in his head, reminding him to circumvent the nosiness of eager homeowners. He dashed to the driver’s side of Mabel’s car. Alleviate their concerns before they even get out of the car. You’re working for people who barely want to lift a finger for their every need and, in reality, hardly ever have to. What do they want? They want to be told how special and amazing they are. Cater to their ego. Assure them they have nothing to worry about. Most importantly, follow through on the promise. Then, you’re golden.

  “How is your morning going?” Daniel asked.

  Mabel smiled under a white cap. She tipped her sunglasses up to gaze at Daniel and batted the long lashes curtaining big blue eyes. “Wonderful. I was about to start my tennis lesson with Cameron here.” She leaned over and rubbed her bare shoulder against the newly introduced instructor. He managed a smile, first to her and then Daniel.

  Poor guy.

  Her perfectly curled blonde ponytail bobbed behind her. Her pale pink tennis tank and skirt fitted her nubile curves as if she’d been sewn into them. “I mentioned filming was starting today, over our morning mimosas. It got me so excited I just had to bring him by for a quick spin.” She flicked a red painted fingernail in the direction they came. “Club’s only a hop, skip and a jump from here.”

  Of course it is.

  “Well, not much to see yet. We’ll be starting as soon as the crew gets here. I have it on my to-do list to get a full debriefing to you this afternoon. You don’t want to delay your lesson on us.”

  “Consistency is the key. Cameron has done wonders for my serve over the past few months.”

  Cameron nodded. “You’re a natural. Not much to teach.”

  She giggled and tapped his shoulder. “Sweet-talker.”

  Thank God. Someone else is getting her attention. I wonder how her husband, good ol’ Archibald, feels about it?

  “I was thinking, Danny. Maybe one of my interviews for the show can happen during a tennis match. You know, some shots of me in action?” She play-slapped Cameron’s hand. “What did you call it? Owning the court?”

  Cameron offered a slight chuckle. A slight shift in his seat away from Mabel hinted at discomfort in the current situation. Daniel couldn’t quite decide if it was because he didn’t care for the attention or that it was blatant, on display for another to view.

  Cater to their ego. “I think that’s a great idea. I’ll run it by Jack.”

  Mabel twitched her nose like a bunny and smiled. “Perfect. I should get back. Toodles.”

  Daniel waved. “Have a great lesson.”
>
  The convertible reversed onto the road at high speed. It peeled out as she stepped hard on the gas. One tire skidded and skirted into the gravel, kicking up pebbles and dust in the car’s wake.

  *

  Vanessa sipped at her iced tea. What the hell is taking the waitress so long? I should never have agreed to this. Jack does have a way of talking people into things.

  Daniel had made a point of sitting directly opposite her in the restaurant booth. Jack scooted in beside him. A mass rush-hour exodus from the city was on full display in the window Vanessa stared out of, trying to avoid Daniel’s stare.

  The mid-week dinner crowd in Atlanta’s downtown district comprised itself of a lot of suits and formal business attire. Happy hour appeared to be contagious for everyone but their sorry trio.

  “No point in sitting in traffic for an hour getting out of here.” Jack studied the menu and spoke to no one in particular.

  Vanessa would have much rather dealt with the drudge of rush hour. A fog had enveloped her throughout the day. There she sat trying to make uncomfortable small talk with Daniel and Jack. The current situation capped off an hour of questions and prodding by a lawyer, a veritable stranger. The detailed discussion circled around the death of her ex and bondage photos in which her husband starred. That was more invasive than my last pap test. And I was in stirrups and penetrated with a speculum for that.

  “How do you think it went, Vanessa?” Daniel’s blue eyes widened as he asked. Though taller than Jack, he had slumped down and looked a foot shorter alongside him in the booth. His foot had brushed up against hers by accident under the table and retreated in alarm. The reaction made her heart break. Only a week ago they would have not thought twice about the contact and relished the feel. Vanessa might have even slipped out of her shoe, delved into the opening of his pant leg, and run her toes up the side of his calf.

  My big strong husband is acting like a punished little puppy dog.

  “I don’t know.” Vanessa dropped her gaze from Daniel’s eager one and perused the dinner options. “I don’t have much to compare all of this to.”

  She caught Daniel shrugging out of the corner of her eye. “I think it went well. We got a lot of stuff out in the open. A timeline is in place that accounts for our whereabouts. Most of mine, anyway. And you were hundreds of miles away when…”