CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Like a Fine Wine
The vision of Jamie was one Nick wasn’t ready for. Except for her hair length, Jamie hadn’t changed one bit. Actually, she was more beautiful than Nick remembered. Her red hair flowed just past her shoulders, framing the perfect face that had been tormenting Nick for seventeen years. It was straight instead of having the waves he remembered so well. It was also a little less red. The fat body Nick had hoped for was well toned. She was wearing a short dress and a light cotton jacket. Her blouse had the top two buttons undone, revealing the start of the ample cleavage Nick recalled vividly. Benny stood up to greet her as Nick turned his head in grief.
“Ms. O’Malley?” asked Benny, as he extended his hand.
“Yes, and you must be Ben,” said Jamie, shaking Benny’s hand with a firm grip.
“Yes, ma’am, and this is Nicholas Peltier.” Jamie turned to Nick and gave him a warm smile.
“Nick and I already know each other from some time back. Nice to see you again, Nick.” She held out her hand for Nick, but he was too scared to touch her.
Andie, whose back was to the table, turned around to get a glance at Jamie. She turned back around to stare at Harold.
Debbie, who was facing Nick’s table, was trying to see Andie’s reaction. Andie didn’t look fazed. Debbie looked across the street to the 7-Eleven where Tony worked. She wondered where he was.
Harold, sitting between Andie and Debbie, was facing the street. He noticed the homeless man staring at him. The man was on the side of the 7-Eleven, drinking out of a bottle, wrapped in a brown paper bag. Harold recognized him and knew why he was being watched.
Jamie sat between Benny and Nick. She quickly glanced across the street and saw Gerome Elderberry, who was sitting in his BMW, parked in the 7-Eleven parking lot. She knew why he was there.
Benny was staring at Jamie. He could see why Nick was tormented all those years. She was undeniably gorgeous.
Nick was looking at a bird in the tree above him. He was wishing he could be that bird and just fly away.
“How was your trip, Ms. O’Malley?” asked Benny.
“It was horrible, thank you very much,” said Jamie.
“And please, call me Jamie.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Jamie. Is this your first time in New Lake City?”
“Yes, it is.”
“How do you it like so far?”
“Well, first let me say it rates a distant second to any city I have ever worked out of before. Your poor excuse for an airport couldn’t accommodate a flea circus, much less a world-class business. I saw your so-called lake on the way to your offices this morning; I wasn’t impressed. Your office building has the aesthetics of a run-down cigar shop - however, it does fit the personalities of those working there. There’s no imagination or spirit there. No wonder it’s a failing record company.”
She paused to call for a waiter then turned back to Nick and Benny.
“Anyway, I want to thank you both for meeting me here today. I had to let go of six people this morning. I’m hoping this lunch away from that appalling office building will delay my intentions to fire two more.”
Nick had enough. “Chill out, Jamie.”
She glared at Nick. “First of all, Nickster, I am perfectly - chilled.”
“More like frigid.” added Nick. “And don’t call me Nickster.”
“Nick,” said an intimidated Benny.
“That’s quite alright, Ben,” said Jamie. “Nicholas and I go way back and we’ll have plenty of time to reminisce later – however, this is a business lunch and I plan to discuss business.”
She turned her head again. “Oh, waiter.”
Andie was talking to Harold but couldn’t help to overhear Jamie. She looked at Debbie and mouthed, “What a bitch.”
Pizza Guy came running to the table. “What can I get you ma’am?”
“Perrier, with a twist, for now, and whatever beverages these gentlemen will be having.”
“We’ve already ordered,” said Benny.
“Perrier, with a twist, coming right up.” said Pizza Guy, as he strolled away.
“Okay, let’s get down to business,” said Jamie. “First of all, Nicholas – I apologize for calling you Nickster. That wasn’t very appropriate. I guess old habits die hard.”
“Much like broken hearts,” said Nick.
“Secondly,” added Jamie, ignoring Nick’s remark, “Ben, we have a serious situation with this band, The Cramping Violets.”
“Yes, I know. I’ve been on the phone the last two days trying to get more details about his death, and…”
“I don’t care about the details on his death. What I care about is the publicity we are going to get from this incident. We’re on a gold mine here. Why aren’t you taking full advantage of it?”
“With all due respect, Jamie, I think we should wait to show a little respect for the man. I mean he was a human being,” said Benny.
“You’ve just proved the point I’m about to make. You don’t have the killer instincts to be in your position. My job is to make sure the people we have on the payroll can do what it takes to get the job done – or else replace them with someone who can,” Jamie replied.
Benny meekly asked, “Are you trying to say I’m fired?”
“Fortunately for you – no. I’ve been studying your history with the company and I’m very impressed. Mr. Levon showed good taste when he brought you on. I know you two were close and I respect that. Well, he’s not in charge of this company any longer and you’re going to have to prove yourself to me. If you don’t jump on this Zipper Down opportunity, let’s just say my opinion of you will change drastically.”
Benny stood up. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll get on it right now.”
“Wait. Sit back down. You can start right after the meeting. Nicholas – let’s just say you’re a different story.”
Benny sat down and Andie turned her head a little to hear the conversation.
“Here comes the nail in the coffin,” said Nick.
“What are you talking about?” asked Jamie.
“Oh, nothing. It’s just a stupid phobia about death I have.”
Jamie assured Nick, “Nobody’s about to die here, Nicholas – at least not yet.”
“Yet. I hate that word. It reminds me of my grandmother saying, Mais, Nick, did you go to the dentist like I done told you, yet?” Nick said, in his best Cajun accent.
“Nick,” said a cautious Benny.
“You know, I didn’t go to the dentist like she told me and every time I turned on TV, I would see that stupid commercial – four out of five dentists recommend.” he said, talking like a commercial pitchman.
Benny jumped in again. “Nick.”
“Well, you know what? I felt sorry for that fifth dentist and I went to him. You know what that bastard did?”
Andie, in what was a reflex action, said, “Nick settle down.”
She turned her head and concentrated on her table. Harold looked at her with a confused look. “The fifth dentist story always catches my attention. Sorry about that. Now you were saying?” she asked, as she gave him her undivided attention.
Nick caught himself. “I’m sorry.”
“Do you know that woman sitting at that table?” asked Jamie.
“It doesn’t matter. Where were we? Oh, yeah, you were about to sentence me to my death.”
“My, God, Nickster,” said Jamie.
“Stop it with the damn Nickster,” Nick interrupted.
“The years haven’t been too good to you. Nobody is trying to kill you,” said Jamie.
“What about Carlos Verona?” asked Nick.
With that remark, Harold glimpsed at Nick.
“Why would Carlos be trying to kill you?” asked Jamie.
“You say his name like you know him,” said Nick.
“Everybody knows Carlos Verona – or at least knows who he is,” remarked Jamie.
“Please, Nick. We’re at a meeting,” said Benny.
“Please excuse Nick, Jamie,” said Benny. “He’s not quite himself today.”
“Well, I don’t know who he is today, but he better pull himself together pretty quick. Apocalypse Records has neither the time nor money to put up with people who can’t perform their duties,” Jamie said. She pulled out a few papers from her briefcase. “Let me start out with a few discrepancies here. What’s this charge of thirty-thousand dollars to Larry’s Limos for?”
Nick said, “Well, the band kind of set fire…”
“To the great idea Nick had,” said Benny. “One of the members of The Cramping Violets worked for the limousine service. We showed his signing bonus as limo rentals to help out the taxes. We saved the company a bundle.”
“That’s a little sleazy, but I guess if it works, okay. What about five-thousand to the New Lake City Public Library?” she asked.
“Hookers,” said Nick.
“What?” asked Jamie.
“The Hookerston Foundation,” said Benny. “It’s a cancer research project based out of the library. We made a donation on behalf of Apocalypse Records. You know, good publicity and a tax write-off.”
“Come on, Benny,” said Nick. “Why don’t you just tell her it was for prost…”
“Prostate cancer research,” Benny added. “Nick is so modest. He doesn’t want to take the credit. Do you, Nick?”
“I’m giving you credit for making an ass…”
“Asset out of the great work you’ve been doing for us,” said Benny.
“Give it up, Benny. You can’t hide anything from the great evil one here.”
“She’s not evil, Nick,” said Benny. “Please let me apologize for Nick - again.”
“I got your apology right here,” said Nick.
Pizza Guy showed up at the table. “Here’s your Perrier with a twist, here’s your water, and here’s your triple chocolate espressos, extra sugar in each, with a double shot of chocolate syrup in each.”
“That’s the last thing he needs,” said Jamie.
“Oh, so what you’re saying is this is my last drink, right?”
Benny jumped in, “Nick.”
Pizza Guy addressed Andie’s table, “I’ll be right with you guys.” He turned back to Jamie. “Can I take your food order?” He glanced at the street. “Hey, look. Over by that traffic light – that’s the chick I was talking about with the totally bitchin’ car.”
He pointed it out. Everybody stared at the car as it passed in front of the bistro. They looked as if they were watching a slow-motion tennis match.
“That’s my car,” screamed Benny.
Andie recognized Kat. “Oh, no, Debbie. That’s Kat.”
“Who’s that with her?” asked Debbie.
“That’s Tony with her,” shouted Benny.
Nick put his head on the table as Jamie and Harold gave each other a confused look.
Debbie stood up. “That no-good, son-of-a-bitch. I’ll kill him.” She ran towards the car as it sped away. “Come back here, you pathetic bastard.”
“She sure can run,” said Harold.
“High school track team,” said Andie. “She was all-state in the one-hundred meter dash.”
Benny stood up. “Jamie, I was just thinking about what you said, and I – I think I’d better jump on that Zipper down thing right now. I’ll get back with you. We’ll do lunch. Bye.” He left in frenzy.
“What on earth is going on here?” asked Jamie.
“Man, that chick causes a scene wherever she goes,” said Pizza Guy.
“She sure looked familiar,” said Jamie.
“She should,” said Nick. “You just fired her this morning, Jamie.”
Pizza Guy got excited. “You’re Jamie? Wow, like, I know all about you.”
“Would anybody like to explain what is going on here?” asked Jamie.
“Let me do it, dude,” said Pizza Guy. “I’m getting pretty good at it.”
“Would you please go to that other table and take their order?” said an exasperated Nick.
“Sure, dude. Not a problem.”
“Well Nick?” asked Jamie. Nick took a deep breath.
“Jamie, can we put the business talk on hold for a little while?”
“Look, Nick. I’m really sorry our little reunion had to get off on the wrong foot. I just got hired to take over a company and get it in shape for the buyer. I have to come off as being tough, stern, and powerful or else people will walk all over me.”
“Yeah, I guess I understand. But what’s up with calling me Nickster after all these years?”
“I guess you’ve been on my mind a lot, lately,” Jamie said, as she hesitated, “To be honest with you -I am supposed to let you go. From the company, that is.”
“Then, just do it. Get it over with. You already let me go from you seventeen years ago. You should be used to it by now.”
Jamie’s tough face got a little softer. “Nick – I really feel terrible for what I did to you all those years ago.”
“Oh – you feel terrible. No big deal. You just kind of took my heart and tore it into a gazillion pieces, without explanation, and left me stranded to figure out why.”
Jamie lowered her head. “I’m so sorry.” Her tough persona softened.
“No address, no phone number. I couldn’t even get your parents to tell me where you went to school.”
“I made them promise not to tell.”
“What did I do to you that made you disappear from my life like that?”
Pizza Guy returned to the table. “Can I take your order now?”
Jamie thought the situation needed some calming down. “Bring us a bottle of your finest wine.”
Pizza Guy looked into Jamie’s beautiful green eyes. “Sure.” He walked away and stopped. “Wait a second. Sorry lady, we don’t serve alcohol here.”
Being ever so resourceful, Jamie reached into her purse. “Okay, how about this?” She pulled out some cash. “Here’s fifty bucks. Why don’t you go across the street to that 7-eleven and get us a bottle of anything decent you can find – and keep the change.”
“Cool,” he said, as he grabbed the cash and ran across the street.
Elderberry was a little unnerved as Pizza Guy ran past him. He jumped as the homeless man walked up to him and tapped on his window.
“You a cop?” asked the man. Gerome rolled his window down.
“Who wants to know?” he said, as he looked at the man in disgust.
“I see you looking at that man across the street. He knows the secret to what’s going on with that murder.”
“What man and what murder?” asked Gerome.
“Ah, you don’t have to play games with me, mister. I know that the drummer that died a couple of nights ago was murdered. That man over there holds the key.” The old man stared directly at Harold.
“That little weasel?” said Gerome, as he looked at Nick.
“That little weasel, as you call him, is involved in a big con job. I’m sure of it.”
“What makes you so sure – and who the hell are you?”
“That doesn’t matter. Just keep an eye on that man and he’ll lead you to the murderer and to something else. Here, keep this picture. I don’t know if it’ll help you now, but you might be able to use it later.” He handed a photo to Elderberry. The photo displayed what appeared to be a woman, a younger version of the old man, and someone who had a strong resemblance to Nick.
Gerome was intrigued. “Look here, Mister. I don’t have any hard evidence that it was a murder. I do know that my intuition is always right. Why don’t you let me buy you some clean clothes and get you bathed? What’s your name?”
“Just call me Joe. I don’t want your money or anything like that. Just keep an eye on that man. I gotta go.”
>
“Wait a second,” hollered Gerome. As he got out his car to go after him, Pizza Guy was running out the store with the wine. They ran into each other and Pizza Guy dropped the bottle.
“Why don’t you watch where the goddamn hell you’re going?” said an angry Gerome.
“Sorry, dude. I better get another bottle.” Elderberry ran to the side of the building, but the old man was nowhere to be found. Why would that old man give me a picture of someone who looks like Pel-tire? he thought.
“I thought we were having a business lunch,” said Nick.
“Forget business,” said Jamie. “It’s time we talked.” The crashing of the bottle of wine Pizza Guy dropped was heard at that moment. Nick turned his head for a second to look at the commotion, and then turned back to Jamie.
“Please don’t tell me you went to a Christian university.”
“I did go to Notre Dame. Why do you ask?”
“A Catholic school. This is getting a little weird. You wouldn’t happen to own any AC/DC or Van Halen albums, would you?”
“What are you getting at?”
“How about snake-skin boots? You own any snake-skin boots?”
“Where in the hell are you going with these questions?”
“Exactly.”
“Nick, you are really starting to worry me.” Jamie was concerned. She remembered Nick as always being cool, calm and confident. This version was nothing like that.
“How about the Pope? Do you know him? Does your toilet need repairing? Do you like jalapenos on your pizza now? Do you like – disco?” He was covering all the bases of his devil paranoia.
Jamie was both worried and frustrated. “No, no, no, and - yes.”
“I knew it.” Case closed, thought Nick. Pizza Guy came running back to the table with a new bottle of wine. It was the store’s best – a 750 ml bottle of Riunite. He grabbed two water glasses on the way and quickly poured the wine.
“That was quick,” said Jamie.
“No problem, ma’am. Dodging traffic and knocking down undercover cops always give me a rush.” He turned to Nick.
“So dude, did she tell you why she didn’t give it up yet?”
“Will you please get out of here?” screamed Nick.
“Oh, wow. I forgot to pay for the wine this last time.” He ran back across the street.
“Just how much of this story has gotten out, Nick?” asked Jamie.
“A lot more than you care to know,” said Nick. He looked at Andie’s table and noticed her sitting closer to Harold. Nick was a master at multitasking his dilemmas.
“You seem a little preoccupied with that couple next to us,” said an observant Jamie. “Do you know them?”
“Yeah. She’s my best friend and I want to make sure she’s having a good time.”
Jamie smiled. “You were always thinking about other people. You haven’t changed a bit. You’re still a sweetheart.”
Andie was still half-listening to the conversation and turned her head for a second.
“Don’t say that too loud,” whispered Nick. “I have a reputation to protect.”
Jamie handed a glass of wine to Nick. “Well, here’s a toast – to good friends.”
“Yeah, right. Whatever.” Nick raised his glass to make a toast with Jamie, and then drank the entire glass while Jamie took a sip.
“You really don’t have any idea why I left you the way I did, do you?”
“No – not a clue. It’s been tormenting me for seventeen years. And you still didn’t answer my question - if I was so good to you, what made you leave like that?”
Jamie paused for a second. “You fell in love with me.”
Nick was surprised. “Was that so terrible?” He refilled his glass.
“Nick, there was no way I could love you back the same way.”
“But you gave me all the signals. What I mean is - the only thing we didn’t do was make love. I know we came real close, and I don’t want to sound like a complete jerk, but I knew you had made love with someone else before me.” He gulped more of the wine. “ I can’t understand why you couldn’t do it with me.”
Jamie took a quick sip of wine. “We were so young and I was terrified because I thought I was falling in love with you, too. But it’s much more complicated than that. You see, Nick, back then, if you were a certain type of person, you couldn’t let it be known. By the way, where did you hear that I had been with someone else?”
“Well, first of all, Wanda told me you were seeing someone else.”
“Weren’t you dating Wanda?”
“Yeah, but...”
“Where else?”
“I think it was Craig.”
“Craig – the guy Shelly dated after you started seeing me. What did he say about me?”
“Really? Craig dated Shelly? I didn’t know that.” He really had no clue of what his ex-girlfriends did after he dumped them.
“What did he say?”
“He told me you were getting it steady from some guy there for a while.”
“Who else?” asked Jamie. “Well, Mr. Robinson…”
“Mr. Robinson? The band director?”
“Yeah.”
“What on earth did he say about me?”
Nick lowered his head. “He told me that you had been having sex with someone else long before you moved to Lafayette.”
Jamie was livid. “Why would he say something like that?” “Maybe it was because I asked him,” Nick said. “I can’t believe you asked him a question like that. What were you thinking?”
“Obviously, I was thinking the worst.”
“I guess you didn’t know that Mr. Robinson was Angelle’s uncle.”
“Are you kidding?”
“No – I’m not.”
“I’m starting to see a pattern here. You mean, after all this time, none of it was true?” asked Nick.
“Well, most of it wasn’t true.”
“Which part?”
“The part about me being with some guy and about me being with someone else before I moved there.”
Nick started thinking. “So – that would leave the part about you seeing someone else.”
“Do you know who that person was?” She was hoping that after all the inquiries Nick made; he would have figured it out. This was getting more challenging to talk about. They both took a few more sips.
“Let’s see – Mr. Robinson was the sex before - Craig was the some guy thing – that would leave Wanda, ” said Nick.
“No – not who told you. I’m talking about the first person I made love to. Do you know who it was?”
Nick gulped down more wine. “So you did make love to somebody else before dating me.” He started shaking his head. “No. I never found out. I was kind of hoping you would tell me yourself.”
Jamie took another sip of wine to calm herself. “I’m so sorry. Do you want to know now?”
Nick finished the rest of his wine to prepare himself. “That depends – did I know him?”
“Well, yes and no.”
“It’s either yes or no, not both.”
“Let me put it this way – you knew this person.”
“So it’s yes.” Great. Its someone I know, thought Nick.
“Yes, you knew this person, and no, it’s not a him.”
“You mean – he’s not a him.” Who is this strange guy, he thought.
“No, she’s not a him.”
“She’s not a him? What the hell?”
“Right.”
“So – she’s a she?” Did I fall asleep in biology class on that day?
“Right.”
Nick was puzzled. “What do you mean that she’s a she?”
“Nick, please don’t make this any harder than it already is.”
“It can’t possibly get more confusing than this. The way I have it figured out right now is he’s not a she because she’s a she. Jamie, we didn’t go to school with any transvestites.”
“It was Cheryl Anderson,” Jam
ie blurted out.
“Cheryl wasn’t a transvestite.”
Jamie was reaching the point of total frustration. “Nick – Cheryl Anderson was the first person I ever made love to.”
Pizza Guy walked to Andie’s table, stopped, and stared open-mouthed. Andie and Harold spun to look at Jamie. Nick was in a state of shock.
“Nick, are you okay?” asked Jamie, as she poured him more wine. Nick looked at the glass Jamie just poured, shoved it aside, and grabbed the bottle, instead. He took a few gulps and put down the bottle. He needed something stronger to make it through tis conversation.
“All these years – I thought Cheryl was a girl,” said Nick.
“Nick, you idiot, she is a girl.” Jamie was about to lose control.
He had to gather his thoughts for a few seconds. “Let’s see, here. Cheryl Anderson was the first person you ever made love to and she was a girl – probably still is – then, that means you are…”
“A lesbian,” declared Jamie. Nick hesitated. “Excuse me? I could have sworn you just said you were a lesbian.”
“I did.”
“Why did you say that?”
“Because I am.”
“Are you sure you’re not trying to say you’re Lebanese? I mean, I thought the O’Malley family name would have meant you were Irish, but…”
“Damn it, Nick. I – am – a – lesbian.”
Nick grabbed his glass of wine, drank it all, then grabbed the bottle and drank more.
“And just when did you realize that?” he asked.
“Actually, falling in love with you made me realize that there was no possibility of me being with a man.”
Nick was stunned. He stared into Jamie’s still lustful eyes a few seconds without making any movement. He couldn’t blink or even breath. He took a deep breath and said, “I’m not sure, but I think I’ve just been majorly insulted.”
“No, not at all, Nick. You see - Cheryl and I had to keep our relationship a secret since, at that time, being a lesbian wasn’t exactly fashionable. I started to see you and really enjoyed the times we spent together. But, deep down, I knew who I was and I didn’t want to fool myself, or for that matter, you. So, after graduation, I purposely left without a trace. I wanted to explore my sexuality. I know Notre Dame wasn’t exactly the best place to do that, but I got a scholarship and couldn’t pass it up. I took a plane to South Bend right after graduation. I couldn’t bring myself to tell you.”
Andie was trying hard not to listen to the conversation, but couldn’t help it. She felt so bad for Nick, but was still intrigued by Harold. Nick shook his head in disbelief.
“Man, all these years, I’ve been thinking there was something wrong with me.”
“Absolutely not,” assured Jamie. “If there was any man I ever wanted to be with, it definitely would have been you.”
“Should I take that as a compliment?”
“Absolutely.”
Nick grabbed the bottle of wine, and finished it off.
The Devil's in My Bathroom Page 19