Chronicles of a Pessimist 55 Pt 2

“Hi, can you make us the absolutely strongest stuff you have on the menu?” Tammie asked Anna and Demarcus. “And I do mean strong. We need it.”

She nodded at the others, after which she and Kareem burst out into giggles.

“That guy’s here, so attention should be away from us for as long as he’s present,” Tammie chuckled.

“What is the deal with that anyways?” Kareem asked. “He’s rich, right? I thought everyone here was rich too.”

“Yeah, but apparently, Mr. Eddie was a big hit with the ladies when they were all younger.”

“He still is, as far as I can see,” Anna noticed.

“Oh yeah. He is. Never understood it, frankly. I’ve always thought there was something off about the guy, but I don’t know him that well, so I can’t really say,” Tammie shrugged.

“He does have a certain sort of energy about him,” Kareem said.

“Oh, not you too,” Tammie nudged him.

“What? He’s very inspirational,” Kareem chuckled, prompting Tammie to nudge him again, laughing.

“So, are you two an item?” Anna asked.

“Are we?” Tammie and Kareem exchanged a look, laughing again. “I don’t even know this guy. Who is this?”

They both laughed at this.

“We’ve been besties since middle school,” Kareem explained. “We did date a bit though, in high school.”

“Yeah, for about a month. And then we broke up and didn’t talk for nearly a year,” Tammie added. “Which sucked.”

“But that’s in the past. We’re tight again these days. And Tammie always invites me to these shindigs so I can get some inspo. In return, I keep her company so that she doesn’t go completely crazy among these people,” Kareem explained.

“Inspo? Are you an artist?” Anna asked, curious.

“I write.”

“He’s being modest. This is Kareem Pace. Maybe you’ve heard of him?” Tammie smiled.

“Kareem Pace?!” Marcus nearly jumped. “Wait, you’re that Kareem Pace?”

“You’re the writer!” Anna understood. She recalled Marcus going absolutely crazy after reading a nail-biting thriller written by this guy. Ever since then, he has devoured most of this man’s works, praising all of them highly.

“Yeah, I guess I got lucky. One book got published and it really flew of the shelves, so now all the publishers actually all want to work with me,” Kareem chuckled. “I’m sticking with my OG publisher, though. He’s the one who actually stuck by me since the start.”

“It’s pretty hard to make it in that industry, isn’t it?” Anna understood.

“Yeah, like I said, I pretty much got lucky with someone who took a chance on me,” Kareem admitted. “I’m sure there are many who could write even bigger hits if someone gave them a chance.”

“Maybe you can!” Anna offered. “With your name attached, you could probably help some young authors. Maybe even start your own publishing house?”

“Who knows? Maybe I will eventually,” he nodded. “Do you write?”

“Oh, no. I draw, but creating a story isn’t really my strong point. I leave that to the professionals,” Anna laughed. “Honestly, I have mad respect for anyone creating stories – how do you keep all those details in your head?”

“Hah, I actually feel like that’s easy. Now, art sounds way more complicated to me, so I guess we’re even,” Kareem smiled. “Now, how did all of us artistic-minded folks end up here?”

“Life, man. Life,” Demarcus shook his head. “Bills need to be paid and folks need their drinks.“

“If only we could do it in less unsavory company,” Tammie shot a tired look to where her aunt was chatting with the birthday boy and the others.

“You could say that again,” mumbled Nick, who was about done with his drink and ready to head out. This “high society” was not for him.

The elders and Chandra took up the space in the little nook of the club to get some privacy and discuss matters of interest without interruption from others.

“I really hope this place is to your liking, Uncle, Eddie,” Chandra told him. Honestly, this club was not her first choice, but the reservation for her original option fell through the same way as the original caterer and bartender.

“Oh, don’t fret, darling,” Eddie reassured her. “It is very cozy here. I love the ambience.”

“That’s great,” Chandra breathed a sigh of relief.

“It is nice. But I do wish the bartenders would pay more attention to how much some of the guests are consuming,” Janis tsked. “It wouldn’t do for the guests to get alcohol poisoning.”

“Oh, Janis, I’m sure we drank much more than that when we were their age,“ Eddie chuckled. “I know I sure did.”

“Yeah, and you’re lucky you’re still here with us,” Janis shook her head.

“They haven’t reached the point where they have to think about those things yet,” Donna smiled. “I admit I’m a bit envious – things were so much easy back when we were younger.”

“Won’t lie, things were certainly easier when I didn’t have to get chewed out by my doc over a little extra sugar,” Eddie agreed. “Or by my attorneys, for not following some obscure regulation that shouldn’t even affect my business.”

“Oof, what is it this time?” Janis asked.

“They’re saying I didn’t pay my license fee for doing business in in Louisiana,” Eddie harrumphed. “I don’t even have business there!”

“Wait, Eddie, but didn’t you have that big shipping contract with a Louisiana company?” Donna recalled.

“Oh, come on, it was a one time transaction.”

“For over a million, Uncle Eddie,” Chandra chuckled. “You know they won’t let it slide.”

“See? I’m telling you, things were easier in the past.”

Yes, Chandra agreed. In the past, one could grease the right pockets and the government would never have looked twice at Eddie’s business.

Times have changed, indeed.

“You just have to be smarter over this sort of thing,” Janis shook her head.

“Care to elaborate?” Chandra perked up.

“You want to make sure your gains are well offset in a way that profits you. Have you considered purchasing a plane?” Janis asked.

“A plane? It could be useful, but most of my shipping is done over a boat or on truck, if it’s in the country,” Eddie considered the idea.

“True. But you ship construction supplies all over the place. You could use a private plane. Then, take the maximum depreciation on it, offset your overall income.”

“You’ve got a point,” Eddie nodded.

“Hmm. And with a plane, once it’s a business asset, you can rent it to your friends at a reasonable price. Income plus expenses. You follow?”

“Indeed!” Eddie laughed. “Any more advice?”

“Oh, honey,” Janis laughed. “Ask me when we’re more in private.”

She glanced over to the others at the bar.

“But I will say this – a good trust attorney can save and make you millions,” she winked.

“Speaking of good attorneys, can you point me towards one? And towards a good CPA?” Chandra asked. “I’m ok if they charge biting prices.”

“Dear, I’ve just the people in mind for you,” Janis smiled. “I will give you all the details. But say, isn’t your sonny going to join us for your day, Eddie?”

“He should be in soon.”

To Josie’s consternation, once Nick ditched her, Maria seemed to have latched on to her.

“So, what happened to you back when you left Starlight Shores? I came in to the studio and not only are you not there, but there’s some cop asking for you? Whatever was that about?” Maria asked.

That bitch!!! Josie couldn’t believe the gall of her.

It was Maria’s fault she ended up in legal trouble over taking that stage jewelry in the first place. She was the one who mentioned actors were allowed to keep the props they wore in the scenes.

Yes, Josie should probably have checked the contract more diligently… but she was angry over her screen time being cut. She was owed something!

Of course Maria would ask about that now…

“Yes, it seemed to have been a big misunderstanding, at the end of the day,“ Josie told her, trying her best to keep it cool.

“I’m glad. Legal problems are always such a pain in the entertainment industry. Make one misstep and they hound you for years…”

“Yes, I know. It is really a pain,” Josie agreed. Maybe this was why she was having issues getting callbacks lately?

She wondered if Maria also had something to do with this. She wouldn’t be surprised if she did. This woman had it out for her since the day they met.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the old dinosaur get up to go greet a newly arrived man at the club.

Who was that supposed to be? His boyfriend or something? Now, wouldn’t that be a hoot? If, after all that female attention he was getting, he was playing for the other side, thought Josie.

Too bad. The younger guy wasn’t too hard on the eyes.

“You know, for whatever it’s worth, I was pretty sad to see you leave Starlight Shores. Things got boring afterwards,” Maria shrugged. “No drama at all.”

“Harvey, what’s taken you so long?” Eddie asked. “Can’t even be on time for your old man’s birthday?”

“Oh, come on, Pops. You know how it is at the club. They can’t do a thing without me shepherding them. Also, there’s this issue.. but it’s not a topic for today. Today’s your day. The big 80, eh? Happy Birthday, Dad!”

Harvey pulled Eddie into a big hug.

“Now that’s more like it,” Eddie smiled before noticing the giveaway scent of booze on his son. “Hey, have you been pregaming before coming to a bar?”

“Yeah, it’s a holiday, Pops. Can’t I celebrate your birthday?”

“Ah, you’re hopeless.”

“What exactly is that supposed to mean?” Josie asked Maria pointedly. “Are you saying I was stirring up drama on set?”

“Weren’t you?” Maria giggled. “I mean, that’s kind of your whole thing, isn’t it? Show up, make a lot of noise, be noticed.”

“I don’t need to make a lot of noise to get noticed, Maria. You know that damn well,” Josie glared.

“No, but that is a thing you do,” Maria continued. “Don’t worry, I understand completely. In this industry, anything is a weapon to get ahead. Some do it through talent, others… well, you know.”

That woman! If Chandra wasn’t in this room right now, Josie would already have been in a fistfight with Maria. But she had a very certain feeling that if she did that here, while her aunt was shmoozing up to her rich buddies, she would end up kicked out.

This sucked!

Especially since Maria was the absolute last person she wanted to run into in Brooklyn Heights or anywhere else, for that matter. If only someone could take Maria’s attention away from Josie…

“Harvey! It’s been ages!” Chandra greeted her old friend and school mate. “How’s life treating you these days?”

Better than it would have had she followed through on her original plan to introduce him and Josie, she was sure. But he didn’t need to know that.

He briefly glanced towards where Josie was embroiled in a half-argument with Maria, wondering what that was all about, before turning back to Chandra.

“I’m good, you know me. How are you, C? By the way, red is totally your color,” Harvey complimented.

“Oh, you’re a charmer. We should catch up sometime. I feel like we haven’t properly spoken since school,” Chandra laughed.

“Yeah, it’s a pain. So much stuff to do all the time. I’m stuck at the club almost around the clock lately,” Harvey grumbled. “Is it the same with your firm?”

“Oh, you know it. The hustle never stops. But it’s paying off. The profits have spiked after the last quarter.”

“Congratulations! I think this calls for some kind of celebration,” Harvey proposed.

“I’ll celebrate when the spike proves to not be a fluke,” Chandra told him.

“I’m confident it won’t be a fluke. You’ve always had a sharp head on your shoulders,” Eddie reassured Chandra. “I’ve always known you’ll go far in business.”

“Thank you, Uncle Eddie.”

“You do have quite the knack for these things, my girl,” Janis nodded. “Just like I did when I was your age. I’m definitely giving you my attorney’s details. Say, how is your firm doing with investors?”

“We aren’t public yet,” Chandra admitted. “But I’m hoping to get there.”

“I think we could do well if we combine our business strategies. Don’t you, Eddie?” Janis asked.

“Oh, yes, you two would be an absolute powerhouse together,” the man agreed. “And if it comes to that, I’m not opposed myself to putting in some capital.”

“Oh, Janis, Uncle Eddie, that is the highest praise coming from you two,” Chandra did her best to hide the glee from showing on her face. This was the whole goal of hosting Eddie’s birthday party, of course.

“Yeah, sounds like a plan,” Harvey nodded, somewhat absentmindedly. Looking at him, Eddie got the idea that the pregaming his son did before coming here was of a serious nature.

While the elders were busy schmoozing, Tammie and Kareem stepped out for a moment.

“Dude, I’ve got news – I’m not wearing it right now, but I have a ring. Guillaume proposed last week,” she told him.

“Girl!!! Congrats!!! When’s the wedding? Let me know so I can give you a proper present.”

“Well, we’re not sure yet. You’re literally the first person who knows in Brooklyn Heights.”

“Why the secrecy? You’re not scared Maria will try to sink her hands into him, are you?”

“Oh, no. Although, considering her involvement in the Keith situation, she might start rumors if she finds out. You know how vengeful she can be. But no, we’re still thinking through the whole living in two different countries thing.”

“Tams, you know you can’t keep living your life for others. Your aunt is a big girl, she’ll handle you moving to France.”

“I know, but…”

“No buts! Go to France, enjoy the lovely European countryside, your fiance’s delicious wine, and of course, your gorgeous fiance himself.”

“And if it comes to any crazy scheme those wackos want to involve your aunt in, you can rely on me. Donna’s like an aunt to me as well and I’m totally fine with telling sketchy scammers to hit the road,” Kareem reassured her.

“Oh, good, you think this whole evening is sketchy too, right?” Tammie asked.

“Duh, one has to be an idiot not to. No offense to your aunt.”

“None taken. She is way too trusting. I wish she’d stop hanging out with Janis. That woman has always been the ringleader and some of her schemes are just as questionable as Chandra’s.”

“Yeah, I guess there are those types of folks in every generation.”

“Unfortunately.”

After the long evening of chatting and networking, Amanda also allowed herself to have a drink. And no sooner had she drank some, had she noticed her husband heading for the drinks himself.

Again.

“Darling, are you quite alright?” she asked. “You’ve had a few too many already, haven’t you? And you’re not looking like yourself.”

“I’m fine, Mandy. Just a little peopled out, I guess,” Antoine made an excuse.

“It’s not like you. You’re usually the life of the party. But I get it, I’m actually just waiting for the cake to be served, so we can head home,” she admitted.

“For reals?” he perked up.

“Yeah, but we can’t leave just yet. That would be so rude. But come on, join us by the window. They’re having an interesting business discussion.”

Antoine followed Amanda, only to be interrupted by a familiar face, who has grown tired of Josie’s company.

“Hi, babe. Missed me?”

Ugh! Why now, he thought.

“What is it, ‘Lupe’? I mean, that’s obviously not your real name, is it?” he groaned.

“It’s as real as your ‘single’ status, isn’t it?” she smirked. “Does your lovely wife know your habit of picking up women at bars? Or is she blissfully unaware?”

“You and I both know I was drunker than a skunk that night,” Antoine frowned.

“Oh, I don’t know about that. You spoke quite eloquently for a ‘drunk’ guy, if you ask me. And did a few other things quite well,” Maria grinned, giving him a once-over that made him feel like a piece of meat. “How do you think wifey would feel if she found out about our little rendezvous?”

“What do you want, Maria?” he asked growing wearier by the minute.

“Hmm, I don’t know, I haven’t decided yet.”

She enjoyed knowing she had this guy’s marital status in her hands.

“Well, decide what you will,” he glared, before storming off and heading to the bathroom before the urge to take another drink hit him.

The moment she found herself free of Maria’s company, Josie made her way towards the bar.

This party sucked, but at least there was booze. She needed that. And also for this dumb evening to end, so she could go home and take a nap. She was feeling beat.

When she approached the bar, Anna finally realized why this woman looked familiar – this was her brother’s crazy ex! Of all the people she could run into today…

Clearly, Josie didn’t recognize her, but why would she? Anna only knew her from looking her up online, since Kevin had deleted all pictures of the woman from his social media. And Anna herself didn’t have much of an online presence.

She wondered how to quietly tell Demarcus who this was without alerting Josie, but seeing another familiar face made her freeze.

Harvey Gritton. Rachel’s former boss and known killer.

Or at least, known to her.

Shit! Rachel and Ashton were on the run. Because Rachel was a witness and oh no, Harvey had previously seen her with both of them.

Didn’t he? Sure, he was on the phone that evening and it was dark, but he might have remembered her face. He might make the connection…

Anna hoped she could keep the most neutral expression on her face, but it seemed there was no need- Harvey was only interested in the drinks on the bar counter and didn’t even give the bartenders a second look.

She still couldn’t say she was relieved, but at least at the moment, it seemed she was safe.

And then again, what could possibly happen here? In a bar full of other people, who would be instant witnesses if something was to happen?

Besides, from her many years working at a bar, Anna was sure of one thing: Harvey was absolutely sloshed right now.

To her major displeasure, Maria was back in her path once more.

“Drinking? You know that stuff ages you quickly, right? But I can understand – when your career isn’t going too well, the urge to drink is there.”

A bubble of laughter escaped from Josie.

“What’s so funny?” Maria frowned.

Alcohol was certainly unhealthy, but it sure could put some things into perspective, thought Josie.

“Oh, you know. It’s just amusing. We’re at this fancy club, with all these fancy rich folks who you could be socializing with. And instead, you’re here, stuck to me like glue,” Josie grinned.

“Excuse you?!” Maria looked affronted.

“Oh, don’t deny it, hon. All this talk about me being entertaining on the set – you really like, me don’t you?” Josie smiled. It totally made sense. Why else would Maria hang around her this whole time? “But just as friends, right? I don’t really swing that way…”

“You fucking bitch!” Maria spat, but before she could add anything more to that, she found herself quickly falling forward.

Antoine, who had returned from the bathroom a little calmer than before, made sure to quickly walk behind Maria and give her an ever so slight shove that sent the high-heels-wearing woman toppling.

Right into Josie, who also found herself toppling backwards, terrified as she hated losing her balance.

As she yelled and dropped her drink, she found herself caught by someone solid and strong right behind her.

That bastard! Maria knew this was no accident and that Antoine did it on purpose.

But there he was, walking away like he was innocent.

Innocent, her ass.

She’ll get him for this. And that bitch Janis. She knew the woman saw everything. But the old biddy always had it out for her anyways.

They’ll see. They will all see what she was capable off yet.

But for now, Maria was done with this evening and company.

“Oh my god! Thank you so much!” Josie thanked her savior. “How lucky for me that you were right behind me!”

“Well, I certainly wasn’t going to let you fall, not when I was right here,” Harvey shrugged. “I’m Harvey, by the way.”

“Josie. Delighted to meet you,” she gave him her most charming smile.

“The pleasure is all mine,” Harvey smiled and gave her hand a kiss. “And may I say, you are truly a sight for sore eyes.”

Oh! Now this was getting interesting, thought Josie. And very pleasing indeed.

“You’re hardly bad to look at yourself,” she turned up the allure. “What brings you here?”

“My dad’s birthday,” he motioned towards the old man. “You?”

“Chandra’s my aunt.”

“Well, I see beauty runs in the family, then,” he complimented her. “What do you say we step outside for some air? It’s getting a little stuffy in here.”

“Oh, I’d love that,” she smiled.

Finally, something was going her way tonight!

As the duo headed outside, they were met by Chandra who had stepped out of the room for only a few minutes.

Seeing the smiling couple, she realized she should not have stepped away even for a second.

“Harvey? Josie?”

“Hey, C, how come you’ve never told me you had such an adorable niece?” Harvey smiled, hugging Josie like they’ve known each other for ages.

“Oh, well…” Chandra stumbled on her words.

“It turns out real gentlemen do exist after all, auntie. Harvey here just saved me from potentially getting a nasty injury, so we’re gonna go have a nice chat outside, alright? Toodles!” Josie beamed.

“Oh, yes… of course! You two have fun,” Chandra smiled weakly.

Sure, they seemed charmed with one another for now! But how long would it last?

The fallout from this would be of epic proportions, she knew, but at this point, there was nothing she could to stop them hanging out with one another that won’t make her look like the bad guy.

As soon as Harvey left the room, Anna breathed a big sigh of relief.

“It’s ok, they’re gonna bring the cake out soon. Pretty sure we can head home afterwards,” Marcus told her. “It’s been a long night.”

“You haven’t even got a clue, man. Just wait until I fill you in on everything. But not tonight,” she promised.

Chandra, who had also spent a lot of energy tonight, was already feeling a big headache settling in.

Approaching them, she asked, “What’s the strongest thing you guys have here. Make me three of those.”

“You got it,” Marcus got to making the drinks. “And hey, the party’s almost over.”

“Can’t wait until it is,” she grumbled. “I think I want to sleep for a week after today.”

“So, what brings you to Brooklyn Heights? Or have you lived here always?” Harvey asked when they were outside.

“I did live here before. But I moved to Starlight Shores for work, a year or two ago. It was a mixed result, though, so now I’m back,” Josie told him.

“Starlight Shores, yeah. Nice place, did some business there,” Harvey nodded.

“Oh? What sort of business do you do?” She wanted the deets.

“I own a club,” he told her. “So, lots to do with that.”

“Sounds fun. I should visit sometime,” Josie said.

“Of course. What about you? What do you do?”

“Why, I’m an actress,” she told him.

“Nice. I’ve never dated an actress, heh,” Harvey chuckled. “You definitely have the looks for the job.”

“Oh, you are too sweet.”

“I’m kind of surprised we’ve never met before,” Harvey told her. “Chandra and I went to school together and she’s always been close with our family. Something about her parents being good friends with my old man…”

“Well, it kind of looks like your old man has a good many friends,” Josie noted. “All these ladies seem very fond of him.”

“Oh, yes. I know. He was the it-guy in town when they were all younger and I suppose things haven’t really changed much,” Harvey nodded. “It’s kind of annoying, really. To see them all beating around him like schoolgirls. Especially after he picked my mom all those years ago.”

“Well, some people have difficulty moving on from the object of their interest,” Josie nodded somberly.

Inside, they could hear the cake cutting start.

“Should we go back?” she asked.

“Do you want to?” he asked back.

“I don’t really care either way,” she admitted. “I did want another drink, but it’s a bit stuffy in there.”

“I agree. But you know what isn’t stuffy? My house. And I’ve got a full bar at my place.”

“Oh? Are you inviting?” she asked, hoisting a leg over his knee.

He smiled, knowing exactly what she was doing. He was totally into it.

“Fuck yeah, I am. Come on over, we’ll have a drink or two and see where the evening takes us.”

“Sounds like a lovely plan,” Josie smiled. “Lead the way.”

As soon as the cake was served, Anna took it as her cue to leave.

She wasn’t going to stick around until the mobster got sobered up.

Even as she left with no one watching her, she felt on edge the entire drive home, checking her area to make sure there weren’t any suspicious vehicles of people nearby.

But seriously, of all the people to end up at this party, why did it have to be him?

Jasper was asleep when she returned home, but he woke up as soon as she walked in.

“Hey! What’s wrong?” he instantly picked up on her nerves.

“That moron was at the club. Rachel’s club owner,” she told him.

“Shit. Wait, but does he even know you?” he asked.

“I don’t know. He may have seen me with Rachel and Ashton once, but he was on the phone and it was dark.”

“Oh…”

“He was really drunk at the club, so I don’t think he recognized me. But it was creepy.”

“Damn… well, let’s hope he really was super drunk and won’t remember a thing from tonight.”

“Hey, it’s gonna be ok. In any case, we’ve got Wyatt, Toya, and Jerri all at standby if anything goes south,” Jasper reassured Anna.

“I really hope you’re right.” She half-laughed. “It was a long evening.”

“But it’s over now. You’re home and safe. I think we can rest easy for now.”

Chronicles of a Pessimist 55 Pt 1

“Wow, you got here fast,” Anna laughed returning to her apartment from class to find Jasper readily waiting for her.

“Uh-huh,” he nodded, coming over to embrace her. “I was already in the area when you called.”

“Highly convenient.”

Neither of them wasted much more time on small talk.

A few things have changed in the weeks since Ashton and Rachel’s departure.

The first was, both were more aware that they had a propensity for jumping to conclusions and creating needless conflict because of their rashness.

The second – both became dully aware of the fact that their cigarette consumption had reached an all time high and that both of them were taking much more frequent smoke breaks than before.

Jasper was the first to do something about it – he simply went through all of his stuff and tossed out every pack he had anywhere.

Anna followed suit – she wasn’t a fan of the fact that she could barely sit through her regular class without wanting a smoke. She just hoped Jasper’s cold-turkey method was going to work.

It worked in one aspect for sure.

They were both horny 24/7.

“Is this comfortable?” he made sure, reaching for protection.

“Totally, continue,” she reassured him, starting to get her clothes off. What was the point of living without roommates if you couldn’t just do it anywhere and everywhere in your home?

Since their first irresponsible time, they were always careful, especially since they haven’t discussed things like children just yet.

Although… in moments like these, Anna’s mind was quite unopposed to the idea. Of course, she knew it was the hormones talking, but the idea of a mini-Jasper that shared her DNA was quite cute.

The thought was temporarily relegated to the back of her mind when much more pressing things were calling her attention to themselves right here on this couch.

“You always smell so good,” he whispered, feverishly kissing her neck. “How do you do it?”

“Perfume? Shower gel?” she laughed, blushing.

“No, I think it’s just you,” he continued his movements.

Did he have any idea what he was doing to her? She was already burning all over!

As they were about to remove the rest of their clothing, Anna’s phone just had to ring, making both groan in exasperation.

“Yes!” she barked into the speaker, hoping the person on the other end of the call could feel her anger at being interrupted.

“Anna? Uh, is this a bad time?” Demarcus asked, sounding sheepish.

“A bad time?” she repeated. Well, fair enough, her friend couldn’t possibly know he was going to interrupt their private time, especially in the middle of the day. “I suppose it’s fine…”

“Is it, though?” Jasper muttered, sitting up with annoyed expression. Yeah, she got it, he was in the moment too…

“I just wanted to remind you – today at 6 pm,” Demarcus continued.

“Yeah, of course, I remember,” Anna nodded. “I told you I’ll be there.”

“Yeah, sorry, I guess I’m just nervous. I’d hate to be stuck at Chandra’s event all alone, you know.”

“You won’t be, I promise. See you there, then, cool?”

“See you.”

“What was that about?” Jasper asked.

“I think Dem’s freaking out about having to bartend at his ex’s party. Don’t know why, really. They’re exes, it’s not like she’s going to make a play for him, especially with him dating Isobel now, plus there are going to be a bunch of people at the club. It’s going to be no different from our usual night at the bar,” Anna mused.

“I kind of get it,” he nodded, pulling Anna back into his lap. “I vaguely knew Chandra when she and Isobel worked together. She’s kind of meh as an individual.”

“But hardly scary, right?”

“Only if one is scared of getting scammed out of their hard-earned money. But I know you’re smart enough not to fall for anything she tries to peddle you, right?” Jasper chuckled.

“You know me, those scams aren’t for me. Can’t speak for the rest of the people who are going to be at the party, though.”

“Fair enough. But why are we still talking about them?” Jasper asked. “When do you have to be there again?”

“At 6.”

“That means we still have close to three hours to ourselves,” he winked.

“We do,” she smiled. “Where were we again before we got interrupted?”

---

As 6 pm approached, Jasper seemed to get somewhat somber.

“Do you really have to go there?” he asked.

“Of course, I promised.”

“But this is beyond your normal work hours.”

“Yeah, but she’s paying us very well. And like I said, I’m not ditching a friend to deal with his ex and her buddies all alone,” Anna told him. “What’s this about?”

“Don’t know. I just have this funky feeling I can’t put my finger on,” he shrugged. “Or maybe I’m just being selfish and don’t want you to leave.”

“I’ll take it as a compliment.”

“I must say, I’m loving the outfit,” Jasper admitted, nuzzling her neck. “Think you can keep it after the event?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” she winked. “I must say, though, I’m glad I don’t work at Pine Peak Lounge on the regular. They seem a little too posh for my liking.”

“I hear their drinks are good but quite pricey,” Jasper relayed her the information he got about the club from some of his clients. “Chandra must really be wanting to impress her guests if she’s paying for that place.”

“According to Dem, the party’s for an old friend’s birthday,” Anna shrugged. “Must be a rich friend she wants to invest in her business.”

Jasper chuckled. “Of course she does. Why am I not surprised her ‘business’ is an MLM? Some people just can’t do things the honest way.”

“Well, not everyone is willing to put in actual work into what they start, the way you did,” she turned around to kiss him. Dealing with people like Chandra made Anna appreciate Jasper and other hard-working individuals that much more. “Well, I gotta run now. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Let’s hope they don’t decide to party the whole night away.”

“Take care and don’t get dragged into anything silly.”

“Never!”

“Hey, sorry I interrupted whatever was going on earlier. I’ve been out of sorts about tonight for this whole week,” Marcus apologized. “Honestly, I can’t wait for this evening to end.”

“I feel you,” Anna understood. “Honestly, I still can’t imagine you dating someone like Chandra. She just seems so smarmy.”

“Yeah, well, I was younger and dumber back then. Definitely dodged a bullet when we broke up,” Marcus admitted. “And here she comes.”

“Hello, Marcus, Anna. Thank you both again for being available tonight,” Chandra approached them.

Despite being decked out and made up to the nines, Chandra somehow looked like she was about as enthusiastic to be here as they were. Anna wondered if this had to do with that niece who was staying with her.

Anna wondered if the young woman was going to be here as well. Marcus said she will be, which made Anna very curious to see who this problem person was.

“Of course, Chandra. You know you can count on us when we say we’ll do something,” Marcus reassured her.

“Uh-huh,” Chandra nodded.

“Would you like a drink?” Anna offered. “Something to take the edge off?”

“Oh, thank you, dear,” Chandra nodded. “I’m afraid I’m all pins and needles today. I offered to host an old family friend’s birthday party, but honestly, I wish I never did. The past few weeks have been a lot.”

“Yeah, sometimes, life’s like that.”

No sooner had she given the woman a drink, did the guests start to show up.

Chandra managed to drink the beverage quickly and be back to 100% percent as the guests started talking to her and one another.

“I take it the theme was red for tonight,” Kimberly Price, a known socialite winked at Chandra, after taking in the club’s decor and the colors most wore. “I can’t believe I forgot it was Eddie’s favorite color.”

“Come to think of it, so did I,” Chandra admitted, considering that she picked out her dress by chance. But it was a very convenient coincidence. She wanted Eddie to invest in her business and if a certain color swayed his mind, she was all for it. “Please, enjoy the drinks. They are top-notch.”

“It’s so sweet to see you here, Mrs. Morelli,” Maria smiled at the older woman. “I’ve heard your health hasn’t been so sweet to you lately.”

“Yes, dear. I’m not walking as well as I used to, that’s for sure. That’s life – enjoy your youth and good health while you have it.”

“How’s Tammie doing these days? I’m so sorry about that engagement falling through at the last moment,” Maria feigned sweetness.

“She’s quite well, thank you for asking. It’s been over two years,” Donna wondered why Maria would chose to bring up that unfortunate happenstance. But then again, this was Maria. She was just like that.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Maria smiled sweetly, remembering the fun evening she spent with Tammie’s ex just before he came to the conclusion he wasn’t quite cut out for marriage yet. “By the way, a friend of mine had tried out this amazing exercise plan a couple of months ago and she lost so much weight. If Tammie would like it, I can give her all the details.”

“Hmm, I’ll be sure to ask her,” Donna tried not to roll her eyes too hard. “Oh, there’s Janis and she’s calling me over. You take care, dear.”

Walking away, she reminded herself to cease further interactions with Miss Villegas. They were bad for one’s blood pressure.

“Did Miss Villegas wear you out already?” Janis Langford, asked her knowingly.

“That girl makes my blood boil,” Donna told her quietly, glad for the loud piano. “I can’t prove it, but I just know she had something to do with what happened between Tammie and Keith.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Janis nodded. “For the life of me, I’ll never understand how people as sweet and positive as Roberto and Lupe managed to raise that little monster.”

“Sometimes, the apple does fall from the tree.” At least, thought Donna, her niece was as different from this young woman as anyone could be. She probably couldn’t take all the credit for her upbringing, but she was proud of her.

The Varners were frequent fixtures at society events lately.

Amanda saw them as an opportunity to network and and establish new connections with suppliers.

Antoine, being an artist, also saw them as an opportunity to meet people and find new markets for his artworks. And the readily available alcohol flowing around these events wasn’t so bad either.

There was one problem for him, of course – these events always seemed to be full of women he’s had flings with in the past. Sure, his wife knew he was hardly a monk before they married, but Antoine wondered if she knew just how many of her acquaintances he knew far closer than she would’ve liked him to know.

“It’s a great venue, isn’t it?” Amanda checked in with her husband. “Their live entertainer is quite something.”

“She’s good, no doubt,” Antoine agreed. “Thanks for bringing me here.”

“Of course, I thought it would be nice for us to have a night out. Maybe we should come here some time without everyone else, too.”

“I’d love that,” Antoine agreed.

As the couple kissed, two of the present women were very interested in their romantic mood: Kimberly, who herself was previously involved with Antoine and who knew just how fake that young man could be, and Maria, who also had a dalliance with him, alas one that went much more on her terms than the man knew.

“Oh, this is juicy,” Janis whispered to Donna.

“Indeed. Better than a soap opera,” Donna agreed.

“Amanda sure picked herself a winner. I wonder if she knows just how many others he’s done the horizontal tango with.”

“I don’t think Kimberly will say anything. She’s kind of embarrassed by that thing they had going on,” Donna shook her head.

“Who’s talking about Kimberly? Want to bet Maria knows this upstanding young man quite closely as well? Just look at her.”

“Ooh! You are so right. He better be careful, that one’s quite venomous,” Donna noticed.

“Indeed. But how do the young folks say it these days? ‘Fuck around and find out’? Well, looks like that young man has reached the second part.”

“It’ll be messy.”

“You know it.”

While the high society love drama went on, Chandra zeroed in on someone she’s been waiting for – Nick Squires, her accountant, who just showed up at the club.

He wasn’t someone she would normally have invited for an event like this, but he was here to serve an important function. While his higher than normal ethics told her she’ll be looking for a new accountant quite soon, Nick was young, fairly good-looking, and, most importantly, single.

In other words, a perfect decoy for Josie’s attentions!

“Nick, dear, there you are. I’m glad to see you. Did you make it here smoothly?”

“Yes, I think so. Thanks for the invitation. I’ve been wanting to talk to you about that item…”

“Yes, yes, but during work hours, Nick. Not tonight. Tonight, we’re here to relax and celebrate.”

“Oh, right!”

“But tell me Nick, you are single, right?”

“Uh…”

“You’ve met my niece, right?” she continued.

“Oh, yes, I did!” Nick did meet Josie. Very briefly, and he definitely thought she was pretty. A fact that did not go unnoticed by Chandra.

“She’ll be here in a little while. How would you like me to put in a good word for you with her?” Chandra offered. “I’ve noticed you aren’t really seeing anyone lately and neither is she…”

“Really?” Nick asked. “You’d do that?”

“Of course. You’re a great guy. And Josie could use someone very different from her ex in her life.”

“Oh, thanks for the compliment,” Nick smiled.

“Don’t mention it, as soon as she’s here, I’ll introduce you two properly.”

And that was how you do it, thought Chandra to herself. This way, she won’t have to worry about her niece stirring up too much trouble with the other guests.

With the Josie matter out of the way, Chandra made her way over to Amanda and Kimberly, who were engrossed in a discussion about their busy lifestyles.

“I was able to take just a week off last year,” Amanda complained. “We fly out to this nice resort, just settle in, and the phone calls start and keep coming in. You’d think with all the talent I hire, they would know what to do while I’m gone for a week, but no… they needed my input on the dumbest crap.”

“I know what you mean,” Kimberly nodded in understanding. “I thought things would be easier when I hired a management company, but those idiots are professionals at constantly late invoices and delegating all the responsibilities right back at me. I thought the renters were paying late on the regular for a while, until I found out the company was mishandling their checks.”

“I trust they are no longer your management company?!” Amanda exclaimed.

“Absolutely,” Kimberly nodded. “I don’t need that kind of inefficiency in my life.”

Of course, she didn’t, thought Chandra. Kimberly preferred someone to handle all her daily responsibilities for her, leaving her free to participate in the city’s social scene. It helped that she could actually live that way, having been the sole inheritor of her late husband’s multiple properties.

“I understand you so well,” Chandra chimed in. “I was in the same boat three years ago. Stressed out, not feeling my best, needing a change. I guess I got lucky – my buddy made me sit down and really take a look at what my body was going through during the day and what I was putting in it.”

“You’re telling me I put something wrong in my body?” Kimberly huffed. “Girl, I go to the best dietician in town, pay more for a personal trainer than some make in a month, and make sure to get as much beauty sleep as anyone needs.”

“And that’s good. But sometimes, you just need a bit more to kick that routine up to the next level,” Chandra shrugged. “Trust me, I thought the same way as you, but when my friend made me start taking multivitamins for a month, for a trial, I instantly felt better.”

“You know, I didn’t believe you when you’ve talked about those vitamins of yours before, but they do seem like the real deal,” Amanda chimed in. “I’ve felt much more energetic since starting to take them. And they actually taste pretty nice, unlike many others.”

“So, you liked them?” Chandra smiled, trying not to look too gleeful. “Which ones did you prefer?”

“The multivitamin. I’m going to order more of them next month, so you can record this somewhere,” Amanda told her.

“Hmm, you know what? Put me down for an order as well,” Kimberly told her. “I’ll give that stuff a try.”

“You ladies actually believe all that bullshit about vitamins?” Maria joined the conversation. “You know, most of them are total duds, right?”

“What makes you say that?” Chandra asked, keeping her cool.

“The facts. We already get the nutrients we need from food. At least, we’re supposed to. Anything extra is just that. Extra. It doesn’t really do anything and isn’t even properly absorbed by the body. Sure, you can take all the vitamins you want, but they won’t really fix the underlying problems you have.”

“And what problems are those?” Amanda asked.

“Purely based on your own complaints, not having enough time to relax, stress, a hectic lifestyle, and if I may add, the obvious one – aging. As you get older, you simply become less able to withstand the everyday stresses of life.”

“That’s a little uncalled for,” Kimberly bristled while Amanda did her best to put on a game face.

“Hey, don’t shoot the messenger,” Maria shrugged. “I’m just telling it like it is.”

“Miss Villegas does have a point,” Chandra agreed. “As we age, we are less equipped to deal with the everyday stress we face. And if we don’t take care of ourselves, it’ll wear us out much quicker.”

“So true,” Amanda nodded along. “So very true. In any case, I hear you Maria. But Chandra, my order for the vitamins stays put. Even if I only feel better because of the placebo effect, or whatever it is, I’m not complaining.”

“Same here, I kind of want to find out for myself what all the fuss is about,” Kimberly agreed.

Maria couldn’t help but roll her eyes. They were such sheep.

She failed to understand one simple thing: sometimes, criticism was a good advertisement. Especially in a crowd such as this one.

While Chandra was busy schmoozing with the crowd, Josie finally made it to the lounge, where she almost collided with a young man coming in.

He gave her what he probably thought was a seductive once-over, but once Josie saw that hair, it was an absolute nope from her. A high maintenance man was the very last thing she wanted in her life.

Chandra quickly spotted her from across the room and quickly hurried to do damage control before Josie could interact with anyone.

“There you are!”

Putting her arm around Nick, Chandra firmly led him over towards Josie.

“Josie, this is Nick Squires, a very bright young man who will most certainly go far in life with that brain of his. Nick, this is my niece Josie, I believe you’ve met briefly before.”

“Hello, Miss Henning, right?” Nick grinned, trying not to let on that he felt Josie was far more attractive than most women he knew. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Josie smiled. Auntie came through with this one, for sure.

She was a bit surprised by how young he was – from the way her aunt previously talked, she thought Nick would’ve been older.

Not that she was complaining at all.

“Well, I’ll leave you two to chat. I believe Donna wants to finish our conversation.”

“She’s a busy one, your aunt…” Nick shuffled his feel a little awkwardly.

“Yeah, that’s her. She’s always doing something. So, Nick. Tell me a little about yourself,” Josie asked.

“Well, I’m an accountant. I work the firm handling the accounting for your Aunt’s company. That’s how we met. I’m a little surprised she invited me, though,” he admitted. “We don’t always see eye to eye on things.”

“She must think well of you anyways,” Josie shrugged. “Why else would she introduce you to me?”

“Oh, yes, I suppose you’re right,” Nick chuckled. “Well, what about you? What do you do?”

“Me? I’m an actress. And a darned good one at that,” Josie grinned.

“Oh? What have you been in? Maybe I’ve seen you? You do look pretty familiar, now that I think of it,” Nick asked.

“Oh, you know me. I’ve been in a bunch of things. It’s hard to keep track sometimes.”

“Wow, that sounds really busy,” Nick whistled. “I guess you don’t get much time to relax then?”

“It can be quite hectic, true,” Josie nodded. “Those studios are constantly buzzing and, like, half the people working there haven’t got a clue what they’re supposed to be doing. It sucks when, on top of you own job, you have to show others how to do theirs. So tiring!”

“That sucks. But yeah, I feel you. Half the time, our newbies are also really clueless and we have to show them the ropes, but that’s life, you know. If no one shows them the ropes, they’ll never learn, right?”

“Oh yeah, sure. I guess we all have to suffer from inept workers, huh?” Josie nodded along.

“I wouldn’t say inept,” Nick shrugged. “Everyone starts somewhere. Besides, accounting is a tough profession, with all those rules and statutes. It takes a while to really get the hang of things. I don’t judge them.”

“You must be a very helpful person, I take it,” Josie smiled sweetly. “Are you any good with taxes?”

“Am I? That’s kind of my specialization,” Nick nodded.

“How convenient! I actually am looking for someone to do my tax returns!” Josie told him.

“Sure, just let me know how you’re paid, what your expenses are, and so on, and I’ll be able to estimate how much you owe or get back.”

“Antoine, dear,” Janis addressed the young man. “Did I ever tell you how much of a resemblance you have to my dear Brandon when he was young?”

“Oh, thank you, Mrs. Langford,” Antoine beamed at her. It was no secret her late husband was a major looker in his young days. “I’ll take it as a compliment.”

“Hmm. But young man, if you want your looks to last longer, you should go easy on those drinks. How many have you had just this evening?”

“I haven’t had that many, ma’am,” he answered somewhat brusquely.

“Are you trying to kid me or yourself?” Janis shook her head.

Oh well. One could give advice. One couldn’t take the advice for the other person.

“He has been drinking a bit much tonight,” Amanda agreed with her once Antoine walked off. “Don’t know what got into him. He’s not usually like that.”

“Of course, of course.”

Another one who was kidding herself, thought Janis. Oh well. Oh well.

“Are you still selling that building over by the docks?” Maria asked Kimberly.

“Most likely, once I figure out the best time to do it to avoid being robbed clean by Uncle Sam,” Kimberly nodded.

“Ugh, taxes. Yeah, fuck us, right?” Maria agreed with the sentiment. “Say, how much does that building cost? A million, right?”

“Probably a little more, but around that amount.”

“Great! My father wants to sell of a building right by the movie theater. It’s smaller, but the cost would be in the same bracket. How about we do an exchange? I recall you saying you wanted to invest in an office building,” Maria offered.

“Right by the movie theater? That does sound quite convenient. When can I see it?” Kimberly was intrigued.

“As soon as next week.”

“Great!”

“Drinks, ladies?” Anna walked up to them with a fresh batch.

“Oh, no thank you,” Kimberly shook her head. “I’ve had more than enough.”

“Likewise,” Maria agreed. She preferred to keep her head clear during such events, unlike certain blond individuals, who were currently busy shooting her worried looks.

Antoine was looking at Maria quite a bit tonight.

He didn’t know her officially until tonight. But he did know her.

Unfortunately.

As soon as he spotted her here tonight he instantly recalled an evening out at the bar, when after a few drinks, he ended up enjoying a very hot night with a good-looking young woman.

As it happened, that woman was Maria. And the night happened after he became Amanda’s husband.

From the sardonic smiles she shot him tonight, he knew she quite enjoyed having this information on him.

He needed another drink.

And there was the waitress. And she was quite cute too.

“Well, hello,” he half-slurred, shooting Anna what was likely supposed to pass for a seductive smile.

“What the fuck?” thought Anna. Dude was here with his wife and flirting with her? Yikes, big yikes.

As soon as he took the drink, she made sure not to go around him for the rest of the evening.

When Nick asked Josie for an estimate of her income for tax purposes, he expected the usual – he had a few clients in the entertainment business and knew their pay could be irregular.

This, however…

“I had a few gigs where they paid me in money orders and a couple where they did direct transfers to my account. And a couple of them paid me in stock, which I’m going to sell in a little bit, so I don’t really worry about it yet.”

“Don’t worry about it yet because it’s already accounted for by your employer, yeah?” Nick nodded along.

“No, why would they worry about it?” Josie asked. “Who cares about these stocks before they’re sold?”

“A lot of places,” Nick chuckled. “And those money orders and transfers. They’re all like miscellaneous income, which you’re taxed on as an independent contractor, correct?”

“Yup! It works perfectly, I haven’t had to pay a cent in taxes in years,” Josie smiled smugly.

“Uh…because you’ve had a lot of work-related expenses to offset your income, right?”

“Sure…” Josie smiled sweetly. “Whatever shows me to be in the negative. I mean, I don’t even report most of the direct transfers and money orders. So, it all works out.”

Upon hearing about Josie’s payment schedules, Nick started to break out in a sweat.

“Look, Josie, I don’t know who advised you on how to report taxes in the past, but what you’re describing doesn’t sound completely legal. And if I become your tax preparer, I legally could not condone it,” he warned her.

“You don’t have to condone it, you just have to sign off on it, man,” Josie laughed. “It’s not difficult, is it?”

“Not difficult?” Nick started to wonder if this was some sort of a test by Chandra to figure out how much he was willing to bend the rules. Come to think of it, it seemed the aunt and niece had quite a lot in common in that aspect. “I mean, I’ve studied for years to become a CPA. I’m not signing off on a tax return I know to be fraudulent.”

“How do you know it’s fraudulent?” Josie huffed.

“Because you have literally just told me,” he explained slowly, deciding he was going to need a stiff drink in a few moments.

“So? Just pretend I didn’t. What about that client-accountant confidentiality?”

“Client-attorney confidentiality, you mean?” he asked. “Because accountants don’t get the same privilege – and also, I’m not your accountant yet!”

And he won’t be! Josie may have been hot, but there was no way he was losing his license for that harebrained scheme of hers. And to think that she was just talking about it so calmly in a room full of others!

“Whatever, bozo. I’ll just find someone else to do it.”

And suddenly, Nick remembered why Josie seemed familiar to him – a friend of his loved to watch trashy reality TV – and Josie was on one of the episodes. Having a full on fight with another busty blonde.

Nope, he was not getting involved with this.

“Sorry, I gotta go now.” And with that, Nick headed to the bar for that stiff drink that certainly had his name on it by now.

What a strange guy, thought Josie, as Nick trounced off away from her. Why did her aunt introduce them? Sure, he was cute, but he seemed a little off.

Before she could ponder this further, Josie’s gaze fell upon the very last person she wanted to see in this city – Maria Villegas.

Maria… that girl had a way of ruining her day whenever they ran into one another. That’s how it was in Starlight Shores. At first, she was the director’s darling on the set. And then Maria showed up! And then, slowly, her role on the show started to shrink, with her getting fewer and fewer speaking lines.

Sure, Josie couldn’t actually prove anything. But it all started after she and Maria had a row. Next thing she knew, her career was taking a hit.

“Josie? Never thought I’d see you here,” Maria smiled in a way that would’ve come across as genuine to anyone else, but Josie knew better. “What brings you to Brooklyn Heights?”

“Long story. I had to settle things with my ex, but that’s finished now.”

“Oh yes, those things can be a drag. What are you up to now?” Maria asked.

“Not much. I’m just here with my aunt,” Josie nodded towards Chandra, who was busy talking to Donna and Janis.

“You two are related? No way.”

“Yeah, well, we are.”

Meanwhile, Tammie, who’s been alternating between annoyed and bored for the length of this evening, finally smiled when a welcome face appeared in the lounge.

“Kareem! Finally!” she hugged her friend, whispering, “Dude, where have you been? You’ve been missing out on some majorly juicy stuff here.”

“Sorry, Tams, I was stuck with my publisher. Long story, I’ll fill you in later. But what’s been happening?”

“It’s a right circus in here, man. This was supposed to be a birthday party, but the birthday guy isn’t even here, and MLM stuff is heavily being pushed on the guests. Also, I feel like there’s something weird going on between all those women and that blond guy, who’s been getting drunk all evening.”

“Man, I have been missing out,” Kareem chuckled.

“Right? Come on, let’s get you a drink. The bartenders are nice at least,” Tammie dragged him to the bar.

At the same time, the birthday boy finally arrived to his birthday celebration.

“Eddie! Goodness, there you are!” Janis have him a hug, appreciating how, despite his years, Eddie Gritton never gained too much weight. If only she had been blessed with such a metabolism. “We almost thought you’ve decided on a more interesting company for the evening.”

“Janis, my dear, I would never. Unfortunately, business kept me busy. Yes, yes, even today,” the man laughed.

“Well, you should take it easy, once in a while, you know. I know you like to push yourself, but these days, we have to mind our limits,” Janis cautioned him.

“I know, but it’s hard to remember that sometimes,” Eddie brushed off her concern.

“Uncle Eddie! There you are!” Chandra spotted him across the room and made a beeline for the man.

Eddie was not actually related to her, but as he has known her family longer than she had been alive, it seemed fitting to call him “Uncle”.

“Chandra, my my, you are getting more beautiful each time I see you. Life’s been treating you well, I take it?”

“Very well, indeed. Did you find this place well? I know I should have driven you here myself,” Chandra fussed.

“Hey, now, I’m still quite able to get around,” he winked. “Now, I hear drinks are available?”

“Of course! What would you prefer?”

So this was the guy her aunt was going crazy about, thought Josie. What a dinosaur. And all these women were so crazy about him?

Well, the next time her aunt talked about her taste in men, Josie would bring this up.

Chronicles of a Pessimist 54

Note: Discussion of infertility towards the middle/end of chapter.

It’s been two weeks since Rachel and Ashton arrived at the Byrds’ and after calming down a bit from their run, the two of them were settling into some kind of a routine in Florida.

For the most part, Rachel wasn’t jumping at every sound anymore and could sleep through the night, while Ashton felt a little less lost with his family around.

One thing hasn’t changed though.

“So. How is Rachel doing?” Bernadette asked over breakfast. “I couldn’t help but overhear last night – she was sick at night.”

“I know,” Ashton nodded with concern. “I hope she didn’t catch anything at that stupid motel. I doubt their kitchen was safe to eat from.”

“Hmm? Is that what you think is happening?” his mother chuckled. “Then how come you’re all fine and dandy?”

“Lucky, I guess.”

“Or maybe because whatever she caught men can’t catch?” Bernie winked knowingly.

At that moment, Rachel came into the room and Bernie stayed quiet, not wanting her to overhear that conversation just yet.

“Good morning,” Rachel greeted everyone, joining with a plate of pancakes.

“Same to you dear. How are you feeling? Do you want some more of that chamomile tea?” Bernadette asked.

“I’m alright, I think. And thank you so much for the tea. It’s a major relief.”

“You’re welcome, dear. And these pancakes are made with bananas – which are a good food for when you’re feeling sick. We have some crackers in the cupboard too.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. I feel bad though – we dropped down on you and you’re going out of your way to do all these things for us,” Rachel admitted.

“Don’t worry about it. We like having you young ones around to take care of.”

“How long have you been unwell now?” Bernie asked once breakfast was over. “Maybe it’s time to see a doc?”

“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea right now,” Rachel frowned. “We’re supposed to be staying on the down low.”

“True, but staying safe from the criminals won’t do you much good if you neglect your health because of the circumstances.”

“I know…”

“Also, doctors are required to keep quiet about their patients. And it’s not like anyone knows you’re here. Think about it.”

Weatherman on TV: Florida residents can expect a small respite from the heat in the upcoming week, with temperatures dropping 5 degrees by Sunday. The heatwave will return once more later next week.

“Ah, at least a few days of fresh air,” Doug sighed wistfully. “And then back into the hotpot.”

“It’s hotter than usual this year, isn’t it?” Ashton frowned. “And politicians are still arguing over global warming.”

“They’re trying to cover their own rears, I’ll tell you. But that’s something they tend to do pretty well.”

“So, Florida isn’t always this hot?” Rachel asked.

“In the summer, sure, but not this late in the fall,” Doug shook his head. “It’s been taking a toll on all of us.”

“Oh…that could be why I’ve been like this…”

No sooner had the words come out of her mouth, when Rachel was overcome with another wave of nausea and made a beeline for the bathroom.

“Yeah, the heat…” Doug muttered. It looked to him like someone was deeply in denial.

Rachel’s state was duly noted by Bernadette, who had enough of beating around the bush. If the girl wasn’t going to face the facts without intervention, she’ll do it for her.

Approaching Doug, she asked him, “I’m going for a pharmacy trip, want to come along?”

“About time,” he laughed. “Let’s go.”

“Are you alright?” Ashton joined Rachel in the bathroom when she didn’t emerge after a while.

“Yeah, just feeling lightheaded,” she admitted. “I think your Mom’s right. I’ve been feeling off for far too long for it to be a simple food poisoning or heat sensitivity.”

“I’m sure we can arrange to see a doc.”

“It’s going to be complicated. We should reach out to Jerri and check in to see if there’s a way to do it on the down low.”

“Even if she says no, it’s better than risking this being serious.” Ashton paused, before adding, “Say, you don’t think you could be pregnant? I mean, this is one of the main symptoms.”

She shook her head. “Pretty sure I’m not. Besides, we’ve only done it twice and and we used protection both times.”

“That’s true.”

“Anyways, I think I’m better now,” she started to get up. “You know, you don’t have to keep me company in here.”

“Let’s get some fresh air,” Ashton offered. “I’ll get some sodas.”

“Sure, sounds good.”

Five minutes later, he came outside with two cans of ice cold ginger ale.

“You never get out of that ‘extra caring’ mode, do you?” she asked, taking a sip.

“Nope. It’s my go-to mode.”

“I’ve noticed.”

She rather wished more people were like that. But she could see where he got that – Bernadette and Douglas were really great people.

“Speaking of pregnancies, your folks had both you and your sister fairly late, didn’t they?”

“Yeah. Mom was already 41 when I came along. And Candace was a big shock – she was 50 at the time. Life has a funny way of striking when you least expect it.”

“But your parents were together long before you came along, right?” she asked, wondering how long they lasted together before children entered the picture.

“Since their early 20s,” he nodded.

“They have a very strong relationship, I take it,” Rachel guessed. Stronger than her own parents, that’s for sure.

“I’d say. I think they’ve been together longer than any of my friends’ parents.”

“It’s rare,” she smiled. “And precious.”

“What about your parents?” he asked. “What’s their relationship like?”

He regretted asking almost immediately, after noticing how her face changed.

“Well, they’re divorced. For a while now.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be – it’s for the best. Things weren’t so smooth between them in the years leading up to the break. Frankly, I don’t quite understand how they lasted together as long as they did, but I guess there was some kind of an attraction that brought them together. It just didn’t last through the reality of their married life.”

“That sucks. How old were you when it happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Nine and half. And yes, it was a messy divorce if you’re wondering.”

“How so?”

“Long story short – Dad had an affair and got the other woman pregnant.”

“No…”

“And as it came out after that became known, the affair wasn’t his first one and was taking place while he and Mom were seriously talking about having another child. Mom didn’t want to go through with it – from what I know, her experience being pregnant with me was fairly unpleasant and she knew another pregnancy wasn’t likely to be nicer. But she was almost willing to do it because she knew he wanted another child and she wanted me to have a sibling.”

“She must’ve felt so betrayed when information about his affair came out.”

“Oh, you know it. I came home from school to see his stuff out on the lawn. And when he got home that day, they had a yelling match.”

“I’m sorry you had to see it.”

“Meh, it happens. Seriously, I don’t think they were a good match for one another. Ever. Not that I think he’s a good match for Gemma either.”

“That’s the other woman?”

“Yeah. I know it sounds strange, but I don’t hate her. My Dad… he’s good at getting people to like him. She was pretty young when she got with him, but I attribute the fact that my brothers are such cool kids to her good upbringing.”

“You keep in touch with them?” Ashton asked.

“Oh yeah, I try. I babysat them quite frequently when I was still in Riverview. I think they’re going to grow up swell.”

She paused. “As for my Dad… well, he’s my Dad, but I hope Gemma wises up and leaves him eventually.”

“Why?”

“Let’s just say, I don’t think Gemma’s the last person he’s had an affair with. Of course, I don’t have solid proof, but it’s just a feeling. I don’t think he’s really built for being faithful. Some people just aren’t made for monogamy.”

“Kind of like Jerri?” Ashton asked.

“Yeah! Except, she’s honest about it. She knows she doesn’t want a marriage and everything it entails and she lets the people she dates know. The rest is on them.”

While the couple was talking, Doug and Bernie returned from their pharmacy run and brought back all the goods.

“You think she is?” Doug asked.

“I’m certain. I’ve seen it plenty of times with my coworkers.”

“What if she’s still in denial?”

“I was too, when Candace happened. But the sooner she knows, the better.”

“Hello, dears,” Bernie joined the two of them on the porch. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better, thank you,” Rachel reassured her.

“That’s good. Doug, Annette, and I are heading out to Bingo night, but we got some things from the store. And there’s something for you in the bathroom.”

“Thanks, I’ll check it out.”

Looking in the bathroom, Rachel was only half-surprised to see the pregnancy test. It made sense, after the question Ashton asked her earlier.

Of course, she didn’t need it.

And boy, wouldn’t that be a fun conversation to have!

“Hey, what’s up?” Ashton looked in. “Oh, that’s what she bought you?”

“Yeah. But I told you, I’m not pregnant.”

“You did. But you know what? You should do the test anyways, just to be sure. After all, there’s no 100% efficient protection,” he reasoned. “And this way you’ll know for sure.”

“Ok, but it’s not going to be positive,” she shrugged.

Ten minutes later, Rachel was staring at the results in bewilderment.

A solid POSITIVE response stared back at her.

“This has to be a joke,” she laughed nervously. “One of those fakeout positive pregnancy tests? But this isn’t funny. Why would Bernadette do this?”

“Hey,” Ashton knocked. “How is it?”

“See for yourself,” she told him.

“It’s positive. That explains why you’ve been so sick lately – it’s morning sickness.”

“But you don’t understand, it has to be a false positive.”

“What makes you think so? The symptoms and the test say otherwise.”

“But now? Of all the times it could’ve happened?” Rachel was having a lot of trouble processing the situation, but Ashton supposed this was to be expected.

“It’s ok,” he pulled her into a hug. “Don’t worry. It’s all going to be ok. You’re not alone and we’ll figure everything out.”

“I just can’t believe it. That of all the times it could happen, it would be now,” Rachel rubbed her temples in a soothing way. She could feel another way of nausea coming on and now that she had an explanation for why she felt that way, there was also some panic mixed in.

She couldn’t possibly bring a child into the world right now, not with her current situation and with the criminals looking for her, could she?

Fuck, they were perching in Ashton’s parents’ house indefinitely at the moment, she had no job, no safety, she had no idea what tomorrow would bring…

“Let’s think calmly,” Ashton’s words brought her out of the trance. “It could’ve happened only on two occasions, right? That first night we slept together and the night after that concert.”

“Yeah,” she nodded, trying not to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. She wasn’t with anyone in that way for over three years and almost immediately after this new relationship started, she was expecting?

“So, you’re probably around 4 weeks in right now,” he continued. “We have options.”

“What are you saying?” she shot him a dark look. “What sort of options are you talking of?”

“I’m just saying, we’re not living in the middle ages or in the 50s, we have access to medicine and…” he continued, stammering a bit.

“Yeah, we’re not in the 50s in the more,” Rachel agreed. “Is that why you’re bringing up my term?”

“I guess. Look, I know we haven’t really talked about these sorts of things yet,” he continued.

“Or at all,” Rachel agreed. Truth be told, they barely knew one another. And now, she was hiding out with his family and expecting?!

This was a mess.

Her face crumpled in moments and Ashton was confronted with the fact that he really hurt her feelings.

“I didn’t mean to sound callous,” he hurried to apologize, but the floodgates were open and now Rachel was crying.

“I know,” she nodded through the tears. “I believe you. I just can’t process all this right now.”

“It’s a lot. We’ve just found out.”

“Yeah. We did. And now we’re talking of options.”

“Rachel, I’m sorry…”

“I know. I just don’t like any of those options. I… need a little time ok? To be by myself and think through all this,” and with that she stormed off to the bedroom.

Ashton wasn’t stupid enough to follow.

She needed space and he could respect that.

---

In the evening, after Bingo Night ended, Doug returned home earlier, while the ladies stayed around to chat with the others. Luckily, Berto was glad to give him a ride home, while Bernie and Annette had the car with them.

“Real talk, Berto. I am pretty tired of getting tired so quickly these days,” Doug complained. “I still remember those days when I could function like a stallion on barely any sleep. And now, if I don’t get my rest, I’m beat.”

“I know the feeling, man. Hell, if I didn’t, I’d still be sailing.” Berto dearly missed his sailing days, but facts were facts: his physical condition wasn’t what it used to be and definitely not good enough for international trips.

“At least, we can still fish,” Dough shrugged.

“Oh, about that. After our last fishing trip, did you by any chance see this lure that looks like a rainbow-colored goldfish in your things? I had it and now I can’t find it anywhere.”

“I’m not sure. Why don’t you come in? You can see if it’s in my tackle box.”

Coming inside, they found Ashton standing outside the bedroom he and Rachel shared, a panicked expression on his face.

“Dad, she’s gone!”

“Rachel? Why? What happened? Did she take the test?“ Doug realized.

“Yes, and then I said the wrong thing and now she’s gone. Fuck! I was giving her space like she asked me to. Where did she go?”

“Alright, cool your horses, kid,” Dough sighed in frustration. Bernadette thought there may be some strong emotions after the results of the test, which was why they made sure to be gone at the time.

Now, Doug thought, maybe they should’ve stayed home.

“Sorry, but who’s gone?” Berto asked.

“His girlfriend, Rachel.”

“And the test?”

“Pregnancy test.”

“Ah…”

“She doesn’t even know this city, where would she have gone?” Ashton continued to panic.

“Doesn’t know the city? Then why not look around the neighborhood first? If she wanted space, she probably went for a walk.”

“Why did you two have an argument anyways? Why did Rachel need space?” Doug asked as they searched the neighborhood.

Ashton breathed in deeply. “Because I mentioned how far along she must be and that we have options.”

“Ashton…” Doug tsked. He understood why his son brought up that conversation – and why Rachel would get upset. Despite the couple’s current situation, if the man you were with brought up “options” the moment a pregnancy was discovered, that was hardly a reassuring sign for the woman. “She probably now thinks you don’t want the kid.”

“I know. And that’s not the case. Man, I just hate this whole situation. I’m just trying to think about the logistics of everything and I don’t know how we can have a kid right now.”

“Kids kind of tend to happen when you least expect them,” Berto chimed in, with a slightly sad look on his face.

“True that. That was the case with both you and your sister,” Doug nodded. “Don’t worry about the logistics. You’re with family and we got you.”

“Great. Now we just have to find Rachel and let her know that,” Ashton said tiredly.

“I feel like she’s probably not far,” Berto scoured the area. “Hmm. I think there’s someone at the playground. That your girl?”

“Hey,” Ashton approached carefully. “First off, I’m sorry. Second, please don’t scare me like that. And third, can we talk?”

“Ashton?” Rachel looked up with red and puffy eyes. “I wasn’t trying to scare you. I just felt like I was going to suffocate in there.”

“Yeah. I can understand. I kind of dropped the ball there. We’ve been cooped up in the house for far too long and it’s messing with our heads.”

“But is it safe to actually go anywhere?” she asked, not sure about the idea.

“No one knows we’re in Florida. Besides, it’s not like we’re going to be posting selfies on Insta with out location tagged, or something.”

“No, I suppose not,” she chuckled. “We’re skirting around the subject, though.”

“Yeah… look, I’ll be honest, I’ve always thought it’ll be a while before we have kids, if we got there at all,” Ashton admitted. “We’ve been together for such a short time and we’re still getting to know each other. Also, I can’t help but feel like you are being forced into my company due to the circumstances.”

“Ash… I did push you away a lot didn’t I?” she smiled apologetically. “I had some things to work through. I’m sorry it took me so long to allow myself to get romantically involved with another person again.”

“Hey, your hurt feelings were absolutely valid,” he told her. “Getting ditched that way sucks.”

“It does, especially when it makes trusting others so much harder. But Ash, I want you to know – I want to be with you. I just wish we had more time to get to know one another in normal circumstances.”

“Well, we’ve got all the time right now, it seems,” he took her hand in his. “If you still want to, that is.”

“We do, don’t we? Well, there’s something you should know about me. Remember how I mentioned my Mom’s pregnancy with me being really bad? Well, the fact that she managed to have me in the first place was practically a miracle. There’s a problem in our family, on my mother’s side – most women have some sorts of fertility problems. The men are fine, but it’ll take me both hands to count all my female relatives who had problems either conceiving or carrying.”

“Oh. Is that why you were so certain the test would be negative?” he understood.

“It is. And I’m still not 100% convinced it’s real. When I was 15, the doctor told me that, even with medical assistance, the chances of me getting pregnant were slim to none. And she was one of the best OBGYNs in the region, so I didn’t exactly have reason to doubt her diagnosis.”

“So, you never got a second opinion?”

“Didn’t seem to be a reason. Until now, I guess.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve always loved children, though. I thought, eventually I’ll just adopt.”

“You really want this baby, don’t you?” he understood.

Tearing up again, she nodded. “I know the timing is bad. But if I really am miraculously pregnant by some wild chance, I have to keep the baby – there might not be another one.”

“Hey, don’t cry now,” he wasn’t sure if her mood was due to the overload of information she received today or due to the hormones, but he didn’t like to see her so upset. “It’s going to be ok.”

“Is it, though?” she asked. “You don’t hate me for putting us in this situation?”

“I can never hate you,” he pulled her into a hug. “Unless, you somehow turn out to be one of those body snatcher clones, like from that old movie.”

“Oh, please no, that movie was terrifying enough,” she laughed.

“I can think of some real life things that are scarier,” he admitted. “Do you want to come home now?”

“Yes. I was going to come back in a bit – you needn’t have worried. Honestly, I feel like I could fall asleep right here.”

As they approached the older men, who, up until now chatted with one another, Rachel and Berto did a double take once they saw each other.

“Rachel? Girl, what are you doing all the way out here in the Sunshine State?” Berto exclaimed.

“Uncle Berto? Uh, it’s kind of a long story. Wait, when did you get here?!” she was just as dumbstruck.

“About three years ago,” he smiled. “I figured, since I had to retire, I’ll still spend as much time as I can near the ocean and the sun.”

“Of course you would!” she laughed.

“Wait, you two know each other?” Ashton and his father were amused.

“Yes, this is my great-uncle Berto.”

“And also their neighbor, for the last three years,” the man chuckled. “Small world, eh?”

“Looks like we have a lot to catch up on,” Berto gave Rachel a hug. “But not today. It’s pretty late and you two look like you’re both about to sleep in the street.”

“It’s been a long day, in many ways,” she agreed. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Seeing Rachel so relaxed with a family member, Ashton felt some of his own worries melt away. What were the chances that she’ll have family here? And yet…

Somehow, they will be ok.

---

The next morning, the elders were up and talking.

“So, how about that? Berto is Rachel’s uncle. Life is a funny thing, ain’t it?” Doug asked.

“It sure is. That’s good though. She could use some family in her life right now,” Bernie told them, making waffles.

“I think so too,” Annette focused on brewing the tea. “Pregnancy is hard enough when you’re doing it in a calm environment. She must be going crazy right now.”

“That’s an understatement,” Doug mumbled. “Have they been up yet?”

“Deeply asleep, as far as I can tell,” Bernie smiled. “Let them rest. They’re gonna need lots of energy.”

Despite the elders’ wishes, the two woke up fairly soon.

Rachel nearly jumped out of bed the moment she opened her eyes, the familiar symptoms assaulting her senses the moment she was awake.

“You ok?” Ashton opened looked on with worry.

“Yeah, yeah, I think so,” she relaxed as the momentary spinning of the room went away. “At least I know why I’m like this, now.”

“True. And now that I know why you’re like this, I’ll know how to make sure you feel sick as little as possible?” he promised.

“And how do you plan to do that?”

“Going to research the hell out of pregnancy and everything it entails.”

“Still sounds unbelievable,” she admitted. “If I didn’t have the symptoms, I wouldn’t believe it, for real.”

“Stranger things happen,” he told her. “And let’s be honest, this isn’t the first time that the doctors are wrong. I know it’s not uncommon for women to be told they can’t have kids only for them to have multiple pregnancies.”

“Kind of makes one hopeful. Hmm, I wonder if maybe that’s why they tell us that. So we behave less careful and end up procreating?” Rachel wondered.

“Well, we were careful, I think. Life just had a different idea,” he chuckled. “So, your uncle is our neighbor. How about that?”

“Oh, it’s wonderful. He was always my favorite relative. Never treated us kids like we were stupid, always brought cool gifts from sailing, joked with us…”

“A real popular guy.”

“Oh yes. Especially with the ladies. As far as I know, he’s always been a bit of that sailor stereotype – a woman at every port,” Rachel winked.

“I guess some things don’t really change – from what Mom tells, he’s quite popular with the local ladies.”

“Why am I not surprised? Anyways, we should visit him sometime, while we’re here.”

“Good morning,” Annette greeted the couple when they joined the others for breakfast. “I hear congratulations are in order?”

“It seems so,” Rachel smiled, looking at the fresh waffles. “Oh, thanks. Just a salad, for now.”

“I hope I wasn’t overstepping too much when I got you that test,” Bernadette apologized. But we all knew and we figured you were in denial.”

“That’s one way to put it. But I’m glad I know, so don’t even worry,” Rachel reassured her.

“You should see Dr. Umpton soon. She is our OBGYN and she is very good at her job,” Bernadette continued.

“Yeah, but is it safe?” Rachel worried.

“Oh, don’t worry, dear,” Annette smiled. “This woman treats most of the retirement community around here and there’s one thing we can all agree on about her – she is the queen of discretion. So if you don’t want something known, it won’t become known.”

“Alright, then. I’ll see her,” Rachel agreed.

Chronicles of a Pessimist 53

Since the assignment had turned into a lengthier one than the team had anticipated, William opted to rent an apartment in town for the team to stay in. It gave everyone a sense of home comfort and gave them a private place for discussing information.

Also, living in an average apartment and coming and going at random times attracted less attention than it would have at a hotel. And saved money in the long run, in addition to giving him some extra oversight of the team.

William knew that this team wasn’t the brightest one he could’ve been given… but like always, he made do with what was available.

And now he was making waffles because, no matter what was happening in life, proper breakfast was a must for everyone.

“Waffles? Yum!” Adolfo yipped as soon as he woke up that morning.

“Carbs, here we come!” Mitch agreed eagerly. “Nothing beats some sugar in the morning.”

“Well, only if the sugar is brought to you by a sweetie wearing a nice bikini, maybe,” Adolfo chuckled.

“Fuck yeah!” Mitch agreed.

“Too bad for you there aren’t any sweeties nearby, and I sure am not putting on any bikinis,” William snarked over his shoulder.

Yes, he was making do with what was available. But these two were giving him a headache.

To pass the time while the food was being prepared, the two opted for a short game of cards. Neither was serious about the game, since both had something on their mind.

“Say, have you ever had that situation with a girl, where, instead of insisting on using protection, she tells you there’s no need because she’s on birth control?” Dolf asked.

“Hmm? Not me, but a buddy of mine had it happen to him. Why? Did that happen to you?” Mitch asked.

“Uh, yes! Remember Lynne from training?”

“She tried that with you? About a month ago, right?”

“How did you know?”

“You didn’t fall for it, right?” Mitch asked. “Tell me you didn’t.”

“No. I actually faked an emergency and noped out of there. It seemed kind of sketchy.”

“Good. Turned out she and her boyfriend broke up and she found out afterwards she was preggo. And was looking for a baby daddy.”

“Good thing I trusted my gut,” Adolfo cringed. “I am nowhere near prepared for something like fatherhood.”

“I’m glad you recognize that,” William smiled, coming over with the food. “Being a parent is a serious endeavor and a job without days off.”

Frankly, the idea of these two becoming parents and imparting their “wisdom” on the future generation was the sort of stuff that made him seriously concerned for the next generation. Then again, thought William, maybe his ancestors felt the same way about his generation? Maybe that was what the circle of life was all about?

“Dig in. We’ve got a big day ahead of us.”

Meanwhile, Jerri, after having mulled over the information given to her by Ashton, went home the prior night and had a good long sleep.

She didn’t want to behave too rashly, after all.

But seeing as her first idea on how to deal with her younger coworkers still sat firmly in her head, she decided to stick with it.

After all, revenge was a dish best served cold.

“So, what’s the big deal?” Adolfo asked. “Why did we need the witnesses around for catching that mobster anyways? We already know he did the deed. Committed the crime. The whole deal. Why can’t we just arrest him?”

“He’s right,” Mitch agreed. “What are we waiting for?”

“We know he did it, yeah. We don’t know how many are helping him and whether he is even the biggest player on the scene. We don’t want to nab someone who turns out to be a small fish and alert the sharks,” William explained. “That’s been happening a bit much lately.”

“Oh yeah… Starlight Shores, yeah,” Adolfo remembered. “Still can’t believe that guy just skipped town so fast.”

“I can. They’ve got ears where they’re not supposed to.”

“Mitchell!!!” William blanched.

“What? It’s more than plausible. We’ve all seen enough crime dramas to know whoever has the deepest pockets gets the law enforcement on their side. Plus, can you really say you will vouch for the moral compass of every individual in our unit alone?”

Well, thought Jerri. He wasn’t wrong about people having a wonky moral compass. Even some people in this room.

Without further ado, Jerri proceeded to pick up the bucket and douse the young men in front of her with ice cold water.

Extra-iced. She made sure it was as cold as it could possibly be.

Mitchell didn’t have the luxury of knowing what was coming ahead of time, but Adolfo saw her and tried to move out of the way before the water hit him.

He wasn’t fast enough.

“What the fuck, Jerri!!! Are you out of your mind?!!!”

“Are you crazy!!! What the hell?!”

“Jerri, what is the meaning of this?”

In her haste, William also also ended up on the receiving end of her cold treatment.

“I’m sorry, William. I didn’t realize you were sitting here as well,” she apologized calmly, as the dripping wet men jumped out of their seats.

“Ok? Please explain what’s going on. This is not like you,” he was astounded.

“I just thought the boys could use something to help them cool down, seeing as they’re in heat,” she explained.

“Hey!” Mitch tried to complain.

“So in heat, in fact, that it gets in the way of their work performance and at the most inopportune moments at that. Ain’t that right, Mitchie?”

“Uh…” The way she was looking at him told Mitch she knew exactly what happened at the motel, but how?

“By the way, Rachel and Ashton are ok, Will. No thanks to these two. They were busy doing something more important, apparently. Or, should I say someone?”

“Dude? What the hell?” Mitch glared at Adolfo. “Besides, it’s not like I was the only one with someone?”

“Don’t look at me, I didn’t say anything!” Adolfo shrugged.

“No, you didn’t, but you didn’t need to,” Jerri told them. “Did you know that, while you two were happily bumping uglies with someone, there was a belligerent drunk trying to knock down the door that the people under your protection were behind? And that, only after realizing you were useless as protectors, did they decide it was safer to leave without you?”

“Uh…” Adolfo wondered if he should just admit he wasn’t even on the same floor at the time.

“So that’s what happened…” Mitch realized, remembering the strange noise that night. 

“Unbelievable,” William shook his head. “You’re not even denying it now, are you? The agency’s standards have really fallen since the days when I started out.”

“I will handle these two from now on,” William told Jerri. He was smiling in the way that was reminiscent of a teacher about to announce the whole class failed an exam.

“I am sorry again about getting you drenched – I didn’t realize you sat this close to them,” she apologized.

“Nonsense. Knowing you, I’m glad you’ve decided to ‘punish’ them in a way that can simply be fixed with a change of clothes.” He knew full well Jerri was showing restraint today, compared to how she behaved a few times in the past. Was this growth? He hoped so. “I will impart on them further the seriousness of their blunder. Where are your friends now, by the way? If you don’t mind?”

“Staying with some family,” she told him. “In Appaloosa Plains. We’ve decided they’ll stay there until things are calmer.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he nodded. “I take it you have contact with them? Good. This was, we’ll keep them in the loop and vice versa.”

“I can get behind that,” Jerri agreed.

“Ay! What’s up! Sorry, I’m late,” Aaron ran in excited about something.

And then he noticed the mood in the room and the state of their clothing.

“Hey, are you all having a wet t-shirt party or something? I didn’t realize we did that kind of bonding thing here…”

---

A couple of weeks after the events that transpired, Tony Wells was at his brothers home. Like he promised, he went to talk to Chandra in order to settle the matter of him having gotten his brother and Isobel involved in the multi-level marketing scheme without their knowledge.

And like Demarcus had anticipated, this wasn’t as easily solved as he thought it would be.

Chandra wasn’t happy that her company was losing members because of his blunder.

She also wasn’t happy that those members were enrolled without their knowledge. For all her flaws, Chandra knew that this was the sort of headache she did not need – and these days she had plenty of those already.

“She didn’t let us of the hook this easily, did she?” Marcus smiled knowingly.

“No. But she said she’ll be willing to consider it if she could talk to you about some matter in person,” Tony told him. “Sorry.”

“What does she need me there in person for? She didn’t need me there to sign me up for that crap.” Demarcus was becoming more annoyed. What was his ex’s game here?

“I don’t know man, I told her you were busy with the bar and couldn’t just pick up and leave. But as soon as she heard ‘bar’ she suddenly wanted to talk to you,” Tony shrugged.

“She’s interested in my bar? She better not be expecting any money from me,” he frowned. “I might bother with getting an attorney if she starts in that direction.”

“Heh, heh,” Tony chuckled nervously. “I’m sure it’s nothing like this. Come on, don’t you want to talk to her after all these years?”

“Nope, but let’s just bite the bullet and get it over with. Is she home now?”

“Should be.”

“How did you even meet up with Chandra after all this time?” Marcus wondered. “I never thought you were particularly close with her when she and I dated.”

“No, we just randomly met at a work party – she was with a friend and we got to chatting and reminiscing about old times. Why did you two break up anyways?” Tony asked.

“She broke up with me – she thought I was going to be poor after l quit my old job, remember?”

“Oh yeah… that does sound like her,” Tony nodded. “Eh, her loss, I guess.”

“So, that’s where she lives now? Not bad. I bet she got it from an ex,” Marcus mused.

“How did you know? She did!” Tony exclaimed.

“Lucky guess,” Marcus chuckled. “Huh, she’s here. It’s almost like she’s been waiting for us.”

“Tony, Demarcus! Oh, I’m so glad you’re here.”

Chandra rushed down the stairs and was in front of them in record time. She looked and smelled like she was freshly from a beauty salon, and just like in the old times of their relationship, Marcus’s nose began to itch as soon as she was close enough.

Seemed like some things never changed.

“Hi, Chandra. Yes, we’re here. Tony says you wanted to talk to me? What is this about? I thought it was pretty obvious Isobel and I didn’t consent to be signed up for anything.”

“Yes, it’s fairly obvious now.” She shot his brother an annoyed look. “And I will remove both of you from the roster. But I’m going to need something from you in return. Come inside, I’ll explain everything.”

“Alright, I’m all ears. What do you need from me?” Marcus asked once they were seated indoors.

“You own and run a bar, correct? As in, you’re the one bartending, making all the drinks, hosting events?” Chandra asked.

“I co-own it,” he corrected her. “But yes, I do most of the bartending.”

“Great! And do you have any experience with hosting events?” Chandra kept prodding.

“A bit, why?”

“Marcus, I know we didn’t end our relationship on a good note, but for old times’ sake, help me out,” Chandra pleaded. “A good friend of mine is hosting a get-together in less than a week. A good business friend. And I’m in charge of the catering and drinks, but I have no one booked for the event – and the deadline is coming up. You see my predicament?”

“I do,” he nodded. “And I’m kind of surprised. It’s not like you to procrastinate.”

“Yeah, how come you haven’t got someone lined up already?” Tony asked.

“I had someone until this week,” she grumbled. “But due to circumstances, I don’t anymore. This person refused to work for me, even though I promised to double the pay.”

“Wow, how did that happen?” Marcus was shocked.

“It happened. And just so we’re clear, if you say yes, you won’t be working for free. You’re getting your subscription to LifePositive cancelled, plus you will be paid very well. And whatever tips you make during the event are yours, obviously.”

“Not a bad deal,” Tony chimed in.

“Yeah, that does sound nice. You’re really in a pickle, huh?” he realized. “I mean, sure, I can bartend.”

“Lovely! Thank you so much. And you don’t happen to have contacts of a good caterer, by any chance? Preferably, someone who is fine about working with difficult clients?”

“Are you a difficult client?” Demarcus asked. He had always known her to be a business-savvy schmoozer, not a difficult client.

“No, but I must warn you, since you’ll be working the event – I almost guarantee you an unpleasant experience with one of the people present there.”

“Huh?”

At that moment, the door burst open and a royally pissed off Josie stormed in, cursing up a storm.

“That motherfucker wouldn’t give me a discount, even though I told him his nail work looked like shit! Can you believe the gall of him?!!!”

“Please calm down, Josie,” Chandra managed to squeeze out through the most tired smile either of the men had seen up to this moment. “What did Andre do wrong?”

“It was a completely different color and the polish wasn’t even a gel! How else am I supposed to make it last?” Josie screamed.

“I told you he doesn’t do gels,” Chandra reminded her. “And you said you still wanted Andre to do your nails.”

“That was before I knew he was an incompetent twat!”

“But you’re not even wearing nail polish right now,” Chandra noticed.

“Obviously, I made them take it off.”

“I see.”

The brothers exchanged a bewildered look. Sure, Tony’s had his share of messes that Marcus ended up dealing with, but no one could ever say he was unpleasant to interact with. If anything, he was too charming for his own good.

But this woman?

Somehow, Demarcus found himself developing some respect for his ex’s current patience. He would’ve flipped out earlier and he half expected Chandra to do the same.

But she remained stoic.

“We’ll figure out the situation with your nails, Josie,” Chandra told her calmly. “Or you’ll just have to come without getting them done. Meanwhile, why don’t you get on the computer, find a reputable nail salon, pick out the exact style and quality you want, and bring that in to the artist? You know, what I told you to do initially.”

“Fine!” Josie stormed off.

“Is this the difficult client?” Marcus asked once the young woman was out of earshot.

“Yes. Now that you’ve had the chance to meet my ‘lovely’ niece, are you still up to doing this gig?” Chandra asked without any malice. “Honestly, I’d understand if you say no.”

“Ah, don’t worry about me,” he chuckled. “I’ve had my share of interesting characters show up at the bar. She’s probably not the worst. Give me the time and place. Unless you want to host the event at The Pigskin?”

“Marcus, you are a lifesaver. And I’ll text you all the info about the location and time by this evening.”

“Sure thing. But if you don’t mind me asking, how come you’re putting up with her behaving like this?”

“Family,” she shrugged. “At least with me around, believe it or not, she’s doing less damage than normally. Now, I think I owe my poor nail artist an apology and a nice bottle of wine.”

“Man, what the hell was that?” Tony asked once they were on the way back to Marcus’s home.

“Probably what happens when you don’t tell a kid ‘no’ at least a couple times while they’re growing up,” Marcus shrugged. “Probably…”

“I think our folks were pretty soft with us, but we don’t act like that,” Tony shook his head. “I feel bad for Chandra.”

“Can’t believe I’m saying it, but me too. You know, Iz mentioned she has some problematic relatives and that she’s not in contact with them anymore. I can’t imagine why Chandra would put up with this, and in her own home too.”

“Family drama?”

“Wouldn’t surprise me. I wouldn’t let someone this unhinged live with me, though. Who knows what that kind of person can be capable of?”

“Who were these guys?” Josie asked her aunt once the brothers left.

“The people who are rescuing the upcoming party, after you’ve managed to scare off my bartender and caterer. Seriously, did you have to toss the drink at Brant? He literally gave you a dirty martini, like you’ve asked him to.”

“It had olive juice in it! That was gross!”

“That is literally how a dirty martini is prepared, Josie! I thought you knew that.”

It’s been only two weeks since her niece came to stay with her, and already, she was out of her go-to caterer, bartender, hairdresser, and possibly several others. And all because this young woman couldn’t handle being decent to people for at least a few minutes.

She wasn’t of a high opinion of Marty Henning before, but now Chandra wondered how that man managed to stay married to Josie for this long. She would’ve ran screaming for the hills before the honeymoon ended.

“Anyways, do I have to wait until the party to meet this mystery man of yours,” Josie asked, making Chandra begin to develop a new headache. “Or can we speed it up?”

She did promise to introduce Josie to an old friend’s son. The man was in his late thirties, fairly good-looking, and had a good business of his own, which, in Chandra’s mind made him a perfect boyfriend and husband candidate… for someone who could appreciate those qualities.

After spending the past two weeks in her niece’s company, she felt more and more apprehensive about introducing the two.

No, screw that, she was now fully convinced that making any sort of a match between them would be a 100% terrible idea.

After all, he was a good friend, a useful business partner, and one of the main investors for LifePositive.

Somehow, Chandra doubted he’ll be any of those things to her after spending a little while in Josie’s company, and she’ll be to blame for it.

No, there was no way she’ll be matchmaking for them.

“Have patience, my dear,” Chandra fibbed. “It’s less than a week, now. Besides, he’s out of town right now.”

“Alright, I’ll take your word for it,” Josie didn’t sense anything amiss.

Her niece was going to be at the party in any case, because after being at this house this whole time, she knew where and when it was taking place. Chandra had a feeling Josie will show up even if she told her not to. But she didn’t know who she was supposed to be meeting.

Chandra will just introduce her to someone else, someone less important, therefore keeping both parties appeased.

Chronicles of a Pessimist 52

Two hours ago.

“Gone? What the hell do you mean Rachel and Ashton were gone from their room in the morning?!” Delia was flabbergasted at hearing the young agents’ story. “Where the hell would they have gone?”

“We don’t know,” Mitchell kept explaining. “Maybe they went exploring the town?”

“Exploring?!!! While a mobster is out looking for them? While they were supposed to be under your protection?!” Delia screamed at them. “Please tell me you’re not that stupid.”

“We are really sorry,” Adolfo understood their predicament a little more. “We didn’t think to check on them during the night. But they seemed pretty beat, we didn’t think they’ll just leave. Plus, we were right next door. If they needed anything, they only had to knock.”

“But they didn’t? You’re sure they didn’t?” William, their boss asked.

“Uh, yeah…”

“Hey, guys, do you want this last pizza piece, or can I finish it?” Aaron butted into the conversation.

Lord, this man had a bottomless stomach, thought Delia. He was constantly eating something or other. And, he was seemingly able to eat anywhere, in any circumstances.

But boy, was now not the time!

“No, eat it yourself!” she blew up.

“Ok, your loss.”

“And what were you doing while those two were sleeping in their room?” William asked the agents. “Did you take turns staying up to make sure nothing went wrong?”

“Yes, but there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, it seemed,” Mitchell went on.

“I may have nodded off,” Adolfo told them with the most innocent expression possible. “It was a really long day and the coffee at the motel was pretty weak.”

“You nodded off… I see.” Delia was going crazy. She had promised Ashton and Rachel that they would be safe.

This didn’t sound like safe to her.

It sounded like her team failed them. Of all the times they had to mess up, it was now, when her friend’s life was at stake.

Maybe that’s what she got for getting attached to people.

“Look, my sources say nothing sketchy went down in Simmeapolis yesterday, at least not around the area they were staying in. It’s still possible they are safe,” William tried to reassure her. “Maybe something spooked them? It’s not uncommon for people under witness protection to loose their head under pressure. Maybe they’ll contact us once they get somewhere they feel safer?”

And maybe pigs could fly, thought Delia. Too bad one was in her kitchen, eating like table manners were a mythical concept.

“Can you stop smacking your mouth for one fucking minute, Aaron?” she flipped around on him. “Do you even hear yourself?”

“Chill, I’m hungry. What am I supposed to do? Absorb the food telepathically?” Aaron remained nonchalant.

“It’s not his fault, Jerri,” William addressed her. “We’re all missing something here.”

“Damn right, we did. And I’m going to get to the bottom of this. With your help or without it.

---

“What took your agents so long to come back here?” Anna asked, once Jerri filled them in on what went down with the missing couple. “It’s not such a long drive from Simmeapolis to here.”

“Girl, tell me about it. I have a feeling they royally fucked up somewhere along the line. I just don’t know how,” Jerri explained. “Now, I’m just hoping that those two maybe got in touch with you.”

“Nope,” Jasper sighed, as he warmed up some cheese fingers. “Not with me, at least.”

So much for the idea of getting a good night’s sleep. Now, he was going to worry.

“Dig in,” he offered the now warm food to the others.

“Thank you,” Jerri took a bite sheepishly. She felt weird about eating in Jasper’s house, after her team managed to lose their mutual friends. But truth be told, she was now starving. “Can you think of any place they might’ve gone?”

“Not really. Are we sure they left of their own accord?” Jasper wondered, getting up. “Is it possible there was a leak in your chain and they were followed?”

“I wish I could say no,” Jerri told them. “But frankly, the longer this case goes on, the less confidence I have in my team’s competence. But there were no signs of struggle in the motel, according to the agents. And their belongings weren’t there either. Somehow, I don’t think the mob would’ve bothered with that, if they had gotten their hands on them.”

“That’s somewhat reassuring…” Anna had to admit Jerri’s logic was valid.

“Strange,” Jasper mused. “Ashton isn’t one to behave like this normally. He’ll usually go with the set plan.”

“Rachel’s pretty much the same,” Delia nodded. “Something must’ve changed their mind drastically.”

“Indeed.” Jasper’s phone rang at that moment and, after a quick glance, he answered it. “Hi Mom. What’s up?”

“Hi, dear. Are you quite alright? You sound tired.” Annette Dyer was always one to pick up on these little things, even over the phone.

“I’m alright, it’s just been a long day.”

“I imagine it has. Sorry I missed your call earlier – my phone was on silent again.”

“Of course, I figured that was the case,” Jasper tried not to chuckle. Even after so many years of owning a smartphone, his mother still wasn’t on the friendliest terms with it.

“‘s that Jasper?” a slurry, sleepy voice could be heard on the other end of the line. “Great! May I?”

Wait, that voice!

“Ashton?!!!”

---

Much earlier that day…

“You ok, Rach?”

“Yeah, let me just get a breather for a moment. Is it always this humid here?” she asked.

“Yup. Welcome to Florida.”

Meanwhile…

“After months of rumors, linebacker Trey Bears was signed on to The Dolphins for $15 million. We are expecting good things to come their way with this star athlete on the team.”

“You can expect all you want, idiots, one linebacker won’t fix a whole team of incompetents,” Doug Byrd complained. “If only they invested all that money into infrastructure and education, we would have far less problems in the world.”

“But infrastructure and education don’t sell front row seats or bring in ad revenue, sadly,” Annette tsked as she and Bernadette got out the tea cups for their afternoon tea.

“And a more educated public might be less interested in buying up whatever they are advertising,” Bernadette laughed. “Alright, looks like the tea’s ready.”

“Now that the tea’s nice and hot, let’s talk about the other piping hot tea,” Bernie winked at her friend. “That was quite the scene at the store this morning. Audra looked like she was just about to unzip her blouse right in front of everyone at the store, all so she could catch a bit of Berto’s attention. Heh! And last week, Betty was all over him with her homemade pies.”

“I did see that,” Annette smiled. “I shouldn’t laugh at their garish antics, but I admit it is somewhat entertaining.”

“Always has been, when women threw themselves at a clearly uninterested party.”

“Ah, they’re just lonely. Not everyone’s as lucky as you and Doug, to still be together and in love after so many years. Many of them just want a little bit of that domestic bliss,” Annette felt rather bad for their acquaintances.

“True. They’re looking for it in the wrong place, though,” Bernie appraised the situation.

“Facts.”

To her delight, before Bernie could continue expanding on the Berto topic, the doorbell rang and her friend got up to see who it was.

“Ashton! What are you doing here?!” Bernadette was always happy to see her eldest, but she was surprised at his unexpected visit. “And who is the lovely young lady?”

“Hi, Mom. Sorry about coming here on such short notice. This is Rachel. Can we come in?” Ashton told her, sounding as tired as he looked. The young woman looked even worse.

“Of course! Why even ask. Come in, come in. And please,” she turned to Rachel, “feel free to call me Ettie or Bernie. Most of my friends do already.”

Rachel quickly went into the living room, leaving Ashton alone with his mother for a few moments.

While he remained stoic during their trip from Simmeapolis to Alpine County, seeing his mother made the stress of the past few days come back.

And Bernadette noticed. She always was pretty attuned to whatever went on with her kids.

“Ok, spill. What’s going on?”

“Mom, we’re in trouble. Rachel and I. There are some very bad people after us right now and, long story short, we were supposed to be in witness protection, but we ditched them. They, uh, weren’t very protective, to put it nicely.”

“You’re not hurt, are you?” Ettie instantly became wary.

“No, I’m ok. And I think she is, too. We’re just really tired. And I think she’s pretty traumatized and Mom, I have no idea what I’m doing. They don’t prepare you for stuff like that in school, eh?”

“No, honey, they don’t. That’s why they call life the School of Hard Knocks. But you’re here and safe, so you must’ve done something right. Cheer up, sonny, you’re not alone now.”

“You look like you’ve had quite the trip,” Doug nodded to Rachel as she sat down. “Don’t worry, you can rest up here. I’m Doug, Ashton’s dad.”

“Rachel. Nice to meet you. And you’re not wrong about the trip.” She paused before adding, “Sorry about dropping in on you with no notice.”

“Don’t fret – life happens. Plus, we’re always happy to see the kids here. Hungry?”

“Now that you mention it, yes.”

“Hope you’re ready for these pancakes!

Over the meal, Ashton briefly filled the elders in on what was happening.

“They’re going to be looking for Rachel for sure, and for me in connection,” he explained. “But from what I gather, they don’t actually know who I am, or even my name properly.”

“So, as long as they don’t see you, you’re fine,” Doug understood.

“I hope so. We were supposed to be in Witness Protection. But it turned out to be more like Witless Nonprotection, so it seemed safer to stay as far away from those idiots as possible. I didn’t think anyone would look for me or Rachel here, besides I know this area relatively decently, compared to some unfamiliar place,” he continued.

“Good thinking,” his mother agreed. “You two can stay here as long as necessary.”

She turned towards Rachel. “And if you’re low on warm weather clothes, there’s plenty here.”

“Thank you. You really don’t have to,” Rachel felt grateful for Bernie’s reassuring manner.

“Are you quite alright?” Bernie asked her, noticing how unwell the young woman looked for a moment.

“Yes, I think so.”

Despite her words, after their meal, Rachel looked progressively paler and was overcome with a wave of nausea while helping to clear the dishes.

Her sprint to the bathroom was well noticed by the elders.

“What do you think?” Doug asked his wife and their friend. “There’s no way our pancakes could make someone so ill.”

“Maybe they ate something bad on their trip?” Annette wondered. “Or maybe… well, they are a couple…”

“There’s no maybe about it, my dears,” Bernadette chuckled over her tea. “She is most certainly pregnant. But probably doesn’t know it yet.”

---

As the evening fell, the couple retired to the guest room, which the Byrds designated as theirs for the time they would be staying here.

Bernadette, Annette, and Doug were out on the veranda, chatting about their day as usual. 

Only the topic of conversation was anything but.

It was a parent’s worst nightmare that something terrible would happen to their kids. To actually know that a bad thing was happening took things up a notch.

The Byrds and Annette, however, were no strangers to dealing with emergencies of all kinds. At least, no one was ill or dead this time around.

“I’ve always thought there was something sketchy happening in Brooklyn Height,” Doug said. “This doesn’t surprise me that much.”

“I’m with you,” Annette agreed. “It always was awfully easy for Wesley to get his hands on the hard stuff, even though it seemed like everyone nearby was a good, law-abiding person.”

“Drugs aren’t even the worst of it. I still remember hearing two of my seniors talk about seeing what looked like people dropping off a body off the bridge,” Bernie recalled. “I’m pretty sure they were right about it too. Our old hometown sure was wild.”

“Heh, I rather enjoy not dealing with the heat myself,” Doug chuckled. “Speaking of the weather – since it’s so nice lately, Berto and I were thinking of going on a day-fishing trip sometime this week. You ladies want to come?”

“Maybe some other time,” Annette smiled. 

“You can go, dear. Just make sure to use sunscreen this time around,” Bernie chuckled. “You two sure were a sore sight that day. Extra crispy.”

“Har har. Laugh all you want. In our youth, we didn’t mind getting a little toasty in the sun,” Doug harrumphed.

“In our youth, we didn’t know as much as today about why getting ‘a little toasty’ can cause health problems down the line,” Annette reasoned.

“Ain’t that the truth?” Bernie nodded somberly. They all knew a few too many of their cohort who found out tough life truths the hard way.

“Alright, alright,” Doug frowned. “I’ll make sure we’re staying safe.”

“And do make sure to stay hydrated. On that note, let me go make some tea,” said Bernadette.

“Heh, I rather enjoy not dealing with the heat myself,” Doug chuckled. “Speaking of the weather – since it’s so nice lately, Berto and I were thinking of going on a day-fishing trip sometime this week. You ladies want to come?”

“Maybe some other time,” Annette smiled. 

“You can go, dear. Just make sure to use sunscreen this time around,” Bernie chuckled. “You two sure were a sore sight that day. Extra crispy.”

“Har har. Laugh all you want. In our youth, we didn’t mind getting a little toasty in the sun,” Doug harrumphed.

“In our youth, we didn’t know as much as today about why getting ‘a little toasty’ can cause health problems down the line,” Annette reasoned.

“Ain’t that the truth?” Bernie nodded somberly. They all knew a few too many of their cohort who found out tough life truths the hard way.

“Alright, alright,” Doug frowned. “I’ll make sure we’re staying safe.”

“And do make sure to stay hydrated. On that note, let me go make some tea,” said Bernadette.

“Say, Annette,” Doug asked once Bernadette went inside. “Is everything cool with you and Berto, by the way?”

“What do you mean?” she asked nonchalantly.

“Ah, well, we all used to be really tight. And it just kind of seems to me a little like you’ve been going out of your way to avoid him lately. He hasn’t done anything weird, has he?”

“Don’t worry on my account, Doug. No, Berto hasn’t done anything questionable. I wouldn’t let that slide – you know me.”

“Oh, ok. Just checking to make sure. We all know life can get weird.”

“I appreciate it.”

“Ayo!” a familiar voice rang across the yard. “What’s good, homies?”

“And there’s the man of the hour,” Dough laughed quietly. “We’re good, Berto. How are you?”

“Never been better,” Berto laughed. “How are you? Ready for the boat trip?”

“I am,” Doug replied. “The ladies are opting to sit this one out.”

“Aw, that’s a shame,” Berto scratched his head. He really was hoping all of them could come. “Is it the heat?”

“It is,” Annette told him. “I’m not sure I want to be out there with this sun still raging.”

“I understand,” Berto nodded. “It’s barely breathable out here. Even Señor Gato’s being extra cranky.”

“That poor cat,” Annette sympathized. “I bet he’s also antsy about not being able to go out and roam about as usual.”

That brought her back to the fact that Berto was in the backyard without having entered through the front door. “Berto! Did you jump over the fence again?!”

Knowing his friend was about to get chewed out, Doug quickly made his way inside.

“You have, haven’t you? We’ve talked about this,” Annette gave Berto a reproaching look.

“Hey now, I’m being careful, like I promised,” the man reassured her bashfully.

“Being careful would be to simply come in through the door, like everyone else.”

“But where’s the fun in that? Besides, one has to stay in shape somehow – and climbing the fence is a great exercise!”

“You could just as easily go to the gym for that. The city even has a free personal trainer program for seniors.”

“Bah! I’ve met a couple of those ‘trainers’, my dear. They look like they barely passed PE class in school. The sort that would’ve been washed off the deck by a semi-decent wave.”

“Come now, that’s mean!” she couldn’t help but laugh a bit. He wasn’t completely wrong in his assessment, after all.

“Just saying it the way I see it,” he smiled. “Besides, you’re now smiling, so I’ve accomplished something!”

“It’s much appreciated,” Annette smiled. “We’ve had the kind of day that calls for some cheering up.”

“Always happy to oblige,” Berto winked. “I’d be happy to cheer you up some more over, say, a dinner. An old buddy of mine gifted me a 30-year-aged spiced rum straight from the Bahamas and I’d love some company trying it.”

“Oh… well…” Annette stuttered slightly. “You know me, Berto. I’m not much of a drinker.”

“We don’t need to drink. We can just chat over some good food. And I’m not joking about good food – no one’s ever left my table unhappy with the quality of their meal.”

“That does sound nice,” Annette knew she was blushing by now. This guy sure knew how to get under her skin and, while she was extremely flattered by the attention, she was equally terrified.

“You’re vibrating?” he asked.

“Huh?”

“I think it’s your phone,” he pointed out the sound coming from her pocket.

“Oh! Of course!”

Did she turn her phone down too low again? No wonder no one called her all day!

“No, thank you. I’m quite sure I don’t have any soon-to-expire car warranty,” Annette told off the phone scammer. “Darn it, I thought it was someone important.”“These calls are annoying,” Berto nodded. “Whenever they bug me, I just tell them that I’m Blackbeard, that my ship’s warranty expired in the 1800s, and that I’ve never owned any other vehicles, nor do I plan to. If they’re gonna waste my time, I’ll do the same with theirs.”“Heh, I should start asking them if they insure UFOs,” Annette joked. “Good one!”“Oh, it looks like I have a bunch missed calls from my son! I really need to stop forgetting to turn on my phone. Sorry, Berto, I really should call him back- maybe something happened?”“Of course, don’t worry about it! I’ll see you tomorrow, cool?”

“Sure thing.”

“Jasper, hi dear. Are you quite alright? You sound tired. I’m sorry about all these missed calls. I had my phone on vibrate and didn’t hear it. Again. Did something happen?” she asked with concern.

“Of course, I figured that was the case,” he understood. It wasn’t the first time that happened. “I’m alright. I just wanted to check on you and the others.”

“We’re ok. Just getting along with every day. How are you and Anna? You should all come out for a visit sometime.”

“That would be lovely. Maybe when everything has calmed down around here.”

“Oh yes, about that – I have something to tell you,” Annette started saying.

In the guest bedroom, the couple was drifting in and out of sleep when they’ve overheard Annette’s phone call. Rachel had already gotten up for a bit, to stretch after getting some rest, and she had a valid question.

“Is she talking to Jasper?” Rachel asked. “Say, are you going to tell him where we are?”

“Oh yeah. I should, he must be worried. Assuming he knows we left the agents.”

“You think they told their superiors?” Rachel asked. “Surely, they have no way to spin our departure in their favor. Not after their complete uselessness.”

“Hmm, good question!”

Jumping out of bed, Ashton came out of the bedroom and motioned to Annette’s phone, “Hey can I talk to him for a moment?”

He could hear his friend’s incredulous reaction to realizing he was there.

Oh, this will be good! There was no way he was staying quiet about what went down at the motel.

“Yo! It’s me. Did we give you all a scare?” Ashton asked.

“Did you?! Delia’s here and she’s freaking out because you’ve disappeared, man. So are Anna and I. How did you end up all the way in Florida, anyways?” Jasper asked. “What happened to going through with Witness Protection?”

“Call it Witless Nonprotection and you’ll be more correct. First off, tell Delia and Anna we’re perfectly fine, no thanks to those morons.”

And with that introduction, Ashton launched into a full retelling of everything that went down at the Windfall Motel, making sure to point out in great detail what everyone was and was not doing. And also to point out who the agents were doing.

At the end of the day, Ashton was a good person – but knowing that the safety of someone he cared about was endangered by someone’s bullshit had severely tested his patience. And he wanted to make his displeasure known.

Towards the end of his rant, Jerri had the full picture of what had transpired within the team assigned to protect them.

And she was PISSED.

“Put me on the phone,” Jerri asked and Jasper obliged, handing her the phone. “Hi, Ashton. I am so, so, so sorry about all this shit. I mean it. I should’ve come with you guys, but that certainly would’ve looked suspicious.”

“Understandable, Del… wait, what do you prefer to be called?” Ashton asked.

“Honestly, Delia and Jerri are both fine, now that the cat’s out of the bad,” she chuckled. “How are you holding up, really?”

“Well, we’re with my parents now, so things could be far worse. Rachel’s still really queasy, but I’m hoping it’ll pass once things calm down a bit. They’re still on the wrong trail, right?” Ashton asked.

“As far as we can tell, yes, Harvey’s goons were spotted on the way to Lucky Palms. Hope their car breaks down in the dessert and they have to sleep on a cactus,” Jerri joked, glancing at the couple who were already deep into their cigarettes. Hopefully, they weren’t planing to quit anytime soon, with all this stress lumping on them.

“Hah! I’m with you,” Ashton agreed. “So, since we’re already here, I think Rachel and I should stay here for a bit. I’m fairly familiar with these parts and I’d rather we didn’t have to figure out our way in a strange place.”

“Sound logic,” Jerri agreed. “You have my approval for this plan. I will let you know if anything urgent comes up. I take it, this number is an ok one to reach you at?”

“This is Annette’s, Jasper’s mother’s phone, but she’s here and yes, she can pass on any info, at least until I get my own number here.”

“Ok. And don’t worry. You did as good as anyone possibly could have under these circumstances. Wish we had more people like you on our crew. But I will deal with the ones we do currently have.”

“Best of luck. And be careful,” Ashton asked her. “Who knows what else Harvey’s capable of?”

“Don’t worry about me – I’ve still got a few aces up this sleeve. Take care.”

“What now?” Jasper asked as Jerri prepared to take her leave.

“I think they’re fairly safe in Florida,” Jerri nodded. “Actually, this may be better than the original plan.”

“How so?” Anna asked.

“Well, now no one within the FBI knows where they are as opposed to the agreed on location.”

“Twinbrook?”

“How…Wyatt told you, right?” Jerri understood.

“Yes. He knew I was worried.”

She sighed. “It’s ok to tell you – obviously you’re a trusted and worried friend. But this whole mess with the agents really made me think – what if there’s more here than just their incompetence? I did mention that there were other witnesses before Rachel. And that the mob got to them before we did. I can’t help but wonder if someone in our ranks helped them.”

“Sounds pretty messed up,” Anna frowned. “How would you go about finding out who the leak is?”

“Got my ways,” Jerri smiled. “You two take care, cool? I’ll be in touch.”

“Well? Are you a little less worried now?” Anna asked once the agent left.

“A bit. I trust Mom and the Byrds, though. They all have good heads on their shoulders and if anything seems sketchy, they know how to act,” Jasper told her.

“Your Mom was a schoolteacher, right?”

“Both of our Moms were. She and Bernadette taught in the same school for years, until Bernie retired. Mom still had a few years left before her official retirement, but she chose to do so early and move to Florida with them. I don’t think she liked the idea of staying so far away from her friends.”

“Aw, that’s sweet. That’s a rare kind of friendship.” Anna felt a bit envious at that.

“For sure. They’re more like sisters than friends, if you ask me. Although, to be honest, there was another reason she was done with teaching.”

“What was it?”

“Computers. The bane of her existence. To put it nicely, my Mom and technology are not friends.”

He yawned loudly.

“Ok, Mr. Reminiscence. Time for bed.”

Chronicles of a Pessimist 51

The day after Ashton and Rachel’s departure, Jasper was at the shop, trying to organize the month-end financials.

This task, which usually took him less than an hour to complete, was proving to be difficult and unmanageable today.

And he knew why – he couldn’t focus.

Not only was he worried sick about Ashton and where his friend now was, but he felt totally off about his fallout with Anna.

Sure, they’ve had a falling out before, with him paying off her tuition behind her back. And that was resolved at the end… only because Candace and Kevin ended up at the hospital and they had to get their shit together while an emergency was taking place.

And then, once they got together, disagreements were kind of forgotten and pushed aside.

Not that he complained, but the picture this painted to him of their relationship was turning out rather problematic.

His line of thought was interrupted when Wyatt strolled into his office.

“Hey, what’s with the sour face?” Wyatt asked, first joining him in the seat across, only to think again and move to a different one.

“I could ask you the opposite question – what’s with the upbeat mood?” Jasper frowned.

“Well, you know me. I like it when a case moves forward. And yesterday was a huge deal,” Wyatt explained. “To think that the source of all our problems was right underneath our noses this whole time.”

“Hmm. I wish you could’ve had that big discovery without Ashton being involved,” Jasper tried not to sound upset.

“Yeah, me too. Obviously.” Wyatt rolled his eyes. “But at least we know what’s going on and that’s already a lot. And Ashton is safely under FBI protection. As is Rachel.”

Clearly, Jasper’s face gave away certain information that Wyatt was not a huge fan of.

“Alright, you don’t like the girl, I take it?”

“It’s not that, it’s just-”

“That our friend kept hanging around this strip club long enough to actually be recognized because he was hung up on this girl. Luckily, the girl didn’t consider that to be creep behavior, as many would have, and they’ve even started a relationship. But because of circumstances, they are both now in need of legal protection from some shitty people. And now they’re forced to go into hiding.” Wyatt sighed deeply. “Look man, I get you. He’s your bestie. Your found family brother if you will. And I know you – you need someone to blame for things. But trust me, Rachel’s not your optimal target here. If you want to blame someone, blame Harvey Gritton. He’s the actual bad guy here.”

“I really dug myself into a hole here, haven’t I?” Jasper muttered.

“Nah, you’re just being human. Like all of us. Why, did this come up before?” Wyatt asked.

“Anna and I had a disagreement. Same topic.”

“Oof. Sounds like you need a drink.”

“And a proper night’s sleep.”

“Haven’t we all pulled an all-nighter with Ashton’s situation?” Wyatt asked.

“Yeah, and I’m still feeling beat. I thought I’ll sleep once I got home, but I kept waking every half an hour,” Jasper admitted.

“You need a drink indeed – please tell me you have some real coffee here and not just decaf.”

“Good stuff. You don’t scrimp on the supplies around here,” Wyatt complimented.

“You scrimp, you pay twice,” Jasper shrugged, taking a big gulp of the drink.

“True. So, when you say you and Anna had a disagreement, how big a disagreement are we talking about?”

“Not sure, to be honest. We decided on a timeout before we had a bigger fight.”

“Good call,” Wyatt approved. “Very mature.”

“I’m hating it anyways.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m the one who put my foot in my mouth. Like I always seem to do. That, or I behave in an impulsive way without thinking and upset people. Not just with Anna. It was the same with Rose and Isobel too, if I’m honest.”

“A pattern, if you will? So, what are you gonna do about it now that you’re seeing it?”

“I don’t know? What should I do?” Jasper asked. “It’s not like I can change my whole personality in days.”

“No. That’s not realistic. But you can be more aware of your tendencies. Talk it out with Anna, maybe.”

Wyatt’s advice was solid.

“I’ll talk with Anna. I don’t want to lose her because of this.”

“Sounds like a plan. Speaking of plans, our friends should be heading on to their safe destination right about now.”

“I wonder where they’re going to keep them-”

“Twinbrook,” Wyatt whispered.

“Oh? How do you know this? I thought this was FBI matter.”

“Yeah, but considering that we’re not strangers, Jerri thought it was ok to tell me.”

Not strangers with Ashton or not strangers with Jerri? Jasper definitely picked up an overly familiar vibe between his friend and the FBI agent. Also, they did work together in Starlight Shores…

“Yes, I know what you’re thinking,” Wyatt chuckled. “Jerri and I did have a fling in Starlight Shores. If you could call it that. We were more like coworkers with benefits than an actual couple.”

“Does Toya know?” Jasper wondered.

“Toya’s not the jealous type. Besides, neither of us was lonely during this separation.”

Wyatt had a point, Jasper knew. Both he and Toya were very pragmatic about handling their separation and keeping their physical needs met at the same time.

He could never.

“Have you talked to Candace?” he asked, changing the topic.

“Yesterday. But I was planning to pay a visit today. Want to come along?”

“I might as well. I’m useless here today anyways.

Half an hour later, they were at Candy’s house.

“Hi, guys,” she greeted them. “Come on in.”

Once they were inside, she asked addressed Wyatt. “So, what’s going on with you-know-who? Has he been arrested yet?”

“About that,” Wyatt grimaced. “Not yet.”

“Oh?” Candace raised an eyebrow, somewhat disappointed. “How come?”

“Two reasons. The first being, we don’t know yet if Dupre is the only one in our department who’s working with the mob.” Wyatt’s face turned darker. “It seems somewhat unlikely that he alone was responsible for covering up this much  criminal activity.”

“Yikes,” Candace understood. “You are going to keep an eye on him, though. Right?”

“Oh, you know it,” Wyatt guaranteed. “Which brings me to the second reason. There’s a good chance that him working with the mob and trying to drug you are only tips of the iceberg. I don’t yet know what else we’ll uncover once we start digging. So, please be careful. I’d like to arrange for someone to be here and keeping an eye on you.”

“I appreciate this. But I’m not so sure it will be necessary. Besides, wouldn’t a police presence here 24/7 only attract unneeded attention?”

“Ah, I see your point,” Wyatt nodded. “But please promise to be careful.”

“I am, Wyatt. Besides, you know me. I’m rarely alone anyways,” Candace told him, turning on some music.

“I’m going to be around more often,” Kevin promised. He and Candace exchanged a look. “I’m going to stay here most nights, or alternatively Candy with me, until that creep is behind bars.”

“Good call,” Jasper nodded. He didn’t feel comfortable about her being here alone with Ashton out of town.

“Has there been any news from Ashton, by the way?” Candace asked. “I didn’t want to risk contacting him in case it’s not safe.”

“They should be moving towards their safe space right around now,” Wyatt reassured the concerned sister. “Once they are safely set up, you guys will be able to talk, I promise. And this isn’t permanent. With all these events, we should have enough on Harvey Gritton to put him behind bars for a very long time – and once that happens, Ashton and Rachel will be able to come back.”

“So, we pretty much just have to wait it out a bit?” Kevin rephrased.

“Yes,” Wyatt told them. “And in the meanwhile, I’m going to be checking in with the federal team soon. I’ll have more information for all of you once I do that.”

“Alright, then.” Candace nodded in understanding. “Keep us in the loop. While you’re here, is anyone hungry?”

As they left the Byrd residence later, Wyatt asked Jasper for his further plans for the day.

“I’m going to head back home and try to get some sleep. First order of business. And then…”

“Don’t rush things. But also, if you know talking things out will help both of you, then talk them out.”

“You’re a good friend. You know that right?”

Wyatt laughed. “I try.”

---

Anna, meanwhile, has been able to get some sleep, waking up to see it was pouring cats and dogs outside.

It rather looked like the weather was in accord with her mood today.

Waking up alone in a cold bed, with only some cold yogurt in the fridge, didn’t make things much nicer either.

But this did make her very aware of one thing – she was falling into her old pattern of being so used to her boyfriend’s presence that being by herself seemed difficult.

And this was something she wanted to prevent happening.

But after her talks with Peijing, she knew that running away from the relationship would not be the solution to the problem.

Instead, she consciously chose to do something healthy.

The painting inspiration came to her easily today.

It was different from what she normally painted lately, much more happy and cheerful than the current topic of her art project.

But something was still missing and she was feeling off.

Time to hit the journal.

And for good measure, despite the weather, she would not stay shut in today.

No, she’ll go someplace with people.

To her delight, by the time Anna drove to the coffee shop, the weather had cleared up entirely and the sun was shining as bright as ever.

“Wow,” she told Kelly as she ordered a coffee. “I can’t believe it’s so nice out right now. It’s like the weather had a mood swing.”

“I know, right?” Kelly laughed. “Don’t you just love when that happens? It’s like the day starts smiling.”

“That’s true. Love that comparison.”

Armed with a mug of the shop’s strongest brew, Anna set to journaling all of her innermost thoughts out into something that resembled a pattern that made certain sense.

She thought back to the boy she dated in high school. He was pretty nice. A little emo, but who wasn’t in those days? She was as well. Their relationship was fairly usual in terms of high school relationships.

Until she started doing poorly in her math class, which in turn made her really stressed out, which in turn made her kind of clingy with poor Joey. Come to think of it, that was the main reason their relationship fell apart, even before graduation came around.

With Rudy, she behaved quite similarly. Looking back on their relationship, they did move in together far more quickly than was normal. Of course, they were so in love… But maybe, if they had been thinking more clearly, they would’ve taken things more slowly. Not that he minded when she was clingy, but then again…

Looking up from her journal, she noticed a familiar face at the shop.

Good. She had a question for Kade and he most certainly could answer it.

Catching her eye and wave, he greeted her. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Not bad. Can we talk for a moment?” Anna asked.

“Sure, let me just get a drink.”

Soon, he joined her. “What’s with the serious face?”

“Just thinking,” she explained. “Look, give it to me plainly, were Rudy and I codependent?”

Kade nearly dropped his drink upon hearing her question, but the look on his face was all the answer she needed.

“Yeah, you two were,” Kade told her. “Hate to say it, but anyone would, had they observed you two together.”

“I thought as much,” she frowned. “I guess I have a pattern of that.”

“Maybe? So did he, honestly,” Kade admitted. “Come to think of it, every relationship Rudy was ever in had a major degree of codependency in it. Why are you thinking about that now?”

“I’m scared I’m doing it again. And this is a thing I wanted to avoid,” Anna slumped in her chair. “What if I can’t even be in a relationship without being codependent?”

“Well, I don’t know what’s going on in your current relationship, since I’ve never met the guy, or had to chance to observe you together” Kade told her. “But I do know what went on when you were with my brother. You were blind to all potential issues, you were taken with each other to the point of obsession, and it was pretty much the classic case of all red flags just looking like flags. You both ignores anything that would’ve indicated things weren’t 100% great.”

“Did we really?” Anna asked, remembering how she never complained about Rudy’s sculpting supplies getting in the way of things, even though it annoyed her, just because that was how he lived.

“Yeah, but it was a two way thing,” he told her. “You were kind of living in a little world of your own. It was bound to end poorly one way or another.”

“How come no one said anything about it to me back then?” Anna asked. “About how unhealthy we were?”

Kade chuckled a bit. “Would you have listened?”

“Good point.”

“But you’re asking the question now. That’s a good sign. What happened to make you think about it?”

“We had a disagreement and an argument. And I took it poorly and probably personally,” Anna looked back on the way her conversation with Jasper ended.

“So, you stormed off on him?”

“Not really. We decided to have a timeout until we were both calmer and had some sleep, rather than continue in that direction.”

Kade laughed at this. “Ok, I don’t know enough about your relationship, but what you’re describing actually sounds pretty mature. Better than what my aunt and uncle did, anyways.”

“What did they do?” she was curious.

“Lived in ‘complete harmony’ for over two decades without any sign that anything could possibly be wrong – only to have the most epic fight of all on their 25th anniversary. Listed out all of their faults and flaws, how much they both hated the other person’s ways and behavior. In front of all their guests. Anyways, they’re now split up and still won’t talk or be in the same room. What I’m saying is, having some disagreements early on is normal and healthy. Good, even.”

“That’s… wow, that’s a lot,” Anna admitted. “No, I’m definitely not behaving like that right now.”

“Yeah, calling a timeout for when things get heated is always a good plan. Wish more people would do it. It would save everyone a lot of grief.”

“I can agree,” she smiled. “Thanks, by the way.”

“Whatever for?”

“Well, you know. We haven’t always seen eye-to-eye in the past. But now, you’re being really helpful.”

“Ah, it’s nothing,” Kade smiled.

He still looked fairly tired, so she asked,“How have you been? Are you sleeping any better? And have you gone to the center?”

“Not yet, but I signed up for their group thing for next week,” Kade told her. “Keeping my fingers crossed all works out and I can make it there.”

“Lots of work?”

“We’ve had some funky deadlines lately,” he explained. “And my direct manager isn’t the most clear on what he wants on the final product. So, a lot of my work has been some intricate guesswork. But the final deadline is soon, and that’s going to end.”

“The sooner, the better,” she could sympathize.

“Hi, guys, would you like to hear about this amazing company called LifePositive?” a local teenager approached them. “We sell natural products and you can make some good bucks if you join?”

Now there was something that sounded familiar to Anna. This was the same company Demarcus was having an issue with. Huh. She wondered if there was some sort of a legal age limit on how old one had to be to join these things?

“Aren’t you a little young to be in an MLM, kid?” Kade asked.

“I’m 18, sir,” the kid stuttered, not very confidently.

“Uh-huh,” Kade gave Anna a look.

“Sorry, we’re supposed to be somewhere,” she caught on. “Come on.”

“That sure was something,” Anna laughed a little as they stepped outside.

“I know, right? They’re starting them young,” Kade agreed. “Whoever hired that kid is going to be in legal hot water if this comes to light – can’t be in an MLM if you’re not 18.”

“I wondered about that. This kid is not 18 for sure. He comes into the bar for wings 24/7 and constantly complains about his homework, so he’s definitely young. Maybe in 10th or 11th grade, tops.”

“And he didn’t think you’ll recognize him?” Kade chuckled.

“Well, I’m dressed differently… maybe he didn’t recognize me.” It was a wonder to Anna how many people straight up wouldn’t recognize you if you looked just a little different.

“Let’s hope he’s as successful with others as he is with us. No need for any more people to fall for this stuff.”

“Agreed!”

“What are your plans for the rest of the day?” Kade asked.

“Honestly, I’m probably going to head home and sleep. I had to pull an all-nighter yesterday and even though I got some rest today, I’m still feeling it,” Anna told him.

“Sounds like a plan,” he nodded. “I’m gonna try to do the same, once I take Rusty out for his walk.”

“Do you need a ride to your place?” Anna asked.

“Thanks for the offer, but I actually live fairly close by. You take care, ok?”

After driving off from the coffee shop, Anna headed in the direction of her home, but looking at the night-lit city, a memory came over her.

A memory of an evening similar to this one, when things felt very magical, even though she didn’t want them to.

And before she knew it, she was driving in a different direction.

It took a few minutes, but she finally got to the little park with the pond that she and Jasper visited during their first official date.

They certainly did jump over many bases before even having a date, she thought. Come to think of it, she had only met him a few times before the man ended up in her bed.

Not that she was complaining about that. She had to be honest with herself if she wanted to live healthier, and the truth was she had the hots for Jasper since their first meeting.

Even with Rudy, it wasn’t like that.

So, did the sexual attraction make her forget many of her boundaries?

Maybe.

But did she also care for him strongly and want to have a positive, healthy relationship with him?

Yes.

How was she going to do this if she was constantly second-guessing all of her decisions. Moreover, how was she going to do it if any disagreements made her think his differing opinions were intended to go against who she was?

Because, after she got some sleep, she knew she had overreacted to his words about Rachel. They weren’t coming from a place of judgement, but rather out of fear and worry for a loved one.

No sooner had she processed those thoughts, a sound of footsteps pulled her out of her head. At first, Anna was concerned – after all, she was out here after dark, without anyone knowing where she was.

But then she recognized the person who had arrived.

“Jasper?”

“Anna?”

“What are you doing here?”

“I don’t know… I just needed to think,” he admitted. “And before I knew it, I was here.”

“How come you’re here?” he asked.

“Honestly? I just started thinking about our first date and how we came here. And I really felt like I should come here. To get my head straight,” she admitted, amazed at the fact that they both ended up here, without any planning.

“I’m glad you did,” he told her. “I want to apologize. I wasn’t thinking straight, well, still am not, if I’m honest. But I overreacted and spoke without thinking through the whole situation.”

“You weren’t overreacting. You were scared. Are still scared.”

“Yes, but I know I won’t make things better by trying to find villains here.“

“Other than the obvious one, right? Harvey?” Anna chuckled.

“Oh, for sure. But bad guys aside, this isn’t the first time I’ve done this. Said the wrong thing without thinking or did something impulsively and alienated a loved one,” he admitted. “And I don’t want that to happen with you. I don’t want to become someone you cut ties with because of something dumb I did.”

“I know,” she told him. “And I don’t want to take everything I’m told as an affront to myself. I’ve been doing it a lot lately and I want to change that.”

“Ok. So, are we still fighting or not?” he asked.

“I don’t want to fight. I really don’t want to fight,” she told him.

“Then let’s not.”

“You know, it is a little freaky, how we seem to be on the same wavelength. Like coming here at the same time,” she laughed a little as they sat down. “You don’t have a tracker on my car or something, do you?”

“Not my style,” he laughed.Then, he added more seriously, “But on that note, you should check your car for those, once in a while. We actually found them on female clients’ cars more than once. Not to scare you, but you know…”

“Ok, yikes! Crazy boyfriends?”

“Or just random creeps,” he told her. “Organized crime never sleeps. And certainly not in this town, as it turns out.”

“Hate to know it,” Anna sighed, noticing how tired he looked. “What about you? Did you sleep at all?”

“Not well,” he told her.

“Let’s go home, then. And have a good talk in the morning.”

“Come on, let’s get you to bed,” Anna urged as they got in the elevator in Jasper’s building.

“Hear, hear. Heh. You sound like my Mom did when I was little and trying to stay past bedtime.”

“Your Mom sounds like a sensible woman. Sleep is gold.”

Coming out of the elevator, they saw a familiar face by Jasper’s door.

“Finally!” Delia exclaimed. “You’re here! I am so sorry, but we have a major problem.”

Chronicles of a Pessimist 50

Jasper had tough shifts at work before, but today was something else.

And it wasn’t the fact that he was tired, no. It was more like his brain forgot how to work on cars for a bit.

After starring at what was one of the simplest engines in current production for well over an hour without moving forward one bit, he knew it was time to call it a day

Luckily, this wasn’t a rush job and he could come back to this later.

When he could get his head back in the game.

Sitting down, he wondered how this week went downwards. One moment, they were having a quiet dinner and the next, his best friend was in danger and on the run because he got involved with the wrong person.

Except, deep down, he knew that he couldn’t blame Rachel for what happened. She was a victim in this mess.

So, why did he want to?

Because if not for her, his friend would still be here and Jasper would be able to make sure he was safe and sound at any time.

Ashton was like a brother to him – Jasper hated knowing he could be in trouble without being able to do anything to help.

Leaving the shop, he wondered if he should stop by Anna’s and apologize for his earlier behavior. He knew he really put his foot in it and he hated that he was ruining thing between them with his outburst.

Then again, maybe it was best to take some time to cool off and stop making a bigger mess.

His phone rang with a familiar number.

“Hi, Mom,” he answered. “What’s up?”

“I’m good, sonny, I’m always good. How are you?”

That was Annette Dyer for you. Everything was always good with her, even if the whole household was sick, there was a fire and a flood happening at the same time, and a state of emergency was declared nationwide, all at once. Not much fazed her.

“I’m aright. Had a long day, so I’m going to go home and relax for a bit,” he told her.

“That’s good, dear. You should take care of yourself better, you know.”

“I try, Mom. How are Bernadette and Douglas?”

“They’re doing wonderful!” Annette laughed. “Ettie’s been on a roll lately. One of the ladies in our bingo group got into some new scam makeup sales project, and Ettie absolutely demolished all of her sales pitches.”

“Good. Those programs are the worst.”

“Oh yes, they are. Unfortunately, many of our friends feel lonely and these scams are far too good at preying on this. It’s a shame, really,” his mother explained. “I’m glad Ettie and Doug aren’t the sort to fall for it.”

“No, they’ve always had good heads on their shoulders,” Jasper agreed. “As did that guy from last year’s holiday party – Berto.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that, his ego’s big enough already,” his mother chuckled.

“I’m just saying. He seemed cool.” If Jasper was correct, Berto had a soft spot for his mother, who’s been single long enough.

“He is. I never said he isn’t,” his mother sighed and changed the subject. “How is Anna doing?”

“She’s… alright,” he told her.

“Hmm? I hope I’m not sensing a lover’s quarrel?” Annette asked.

“Not a quarrel. More like, a disagreement. We both had a long, bad day and not thinking too well,” he admitted.

“That happens, dear. Rest is important, as well as proper nutrition and health. You’re eating well, I hope?”

“Of course, of course!”

“Ok, I’ll hold you to it. Looks like Ettie’s outside, let me go talk to her.”

After talking to his Mom, Jasper realized that the part about proper nutrition was absolutely correct – he was starving and it was making him grumpy.

A trip to the diner was the obvious choice for the evening.

---

That evening, Demarcus was busy trying to figure out what the hell was going on with his private information and why a Multi-Level Marketing company was sending him multiple texts per day.

“LifePositive, eh? ‘Relieve the stress of your daily life through the healing power of nature,’ eh? Somehow, I’m not feeling so relieved after receiving communication from you guys,” he muttered to himself.

What sort of a bullshit scheme was this, anyways? He figured he should at least look up some reviews about this stuff before he made further moves to deal with them. Before he could get on it, the doorbell rang.

“Man, am I glad to see you!” he welcomed Isobel in. “You’re always a sight for sore eyes.”

“You’re the sweetest,” she smiled, hugging him. “I’m glad to see you too. You wouldn’t believe the day I had at work.”

“Oh, do tell!” He loved hearing all the workplace gossip – and frankly, loved knowing that he didn’t have to work with any of these people.

He had no idea how a sensible person like Isobel lasted with any of her coworkers nearby – they were exceedingly moronic.

As usual, the two of them preferred to relax over video games. Both of them were having the kind of day where they needed a (virtual) outlet to pummel someone senseless.

Usually they preferred a multiplayer for these purposes, but one couldn’t just pass up Mortal Kombat.

“Dude! What are you doing!? There, I’m not even blocking now!” Isobel called him out, as he failed to spot an obvious weakness in her strategy.

“Yeah, I see it. Ugh!”

Without even trying hard, her Sub-Zero landed another major blow against his Scorpion, ending the round with victory going to her.

“Got ya!” Isobel released a little victory whoop. “But seriously, you’re way out of it today. What gives?”

“I don’t know, Iz. I guess it’s one of those ‘woke up on the wrong size of bed’ kind of days,” he admitted. “You know, when you wake up and can just feel the day won’t go al that great?”

“Yeah, I get those sometimes,” she knew how it was. “Sometimes, when you get that feeling, even leaving the house seems like a poor choice, because everything’s going wrong once you do.”

“You get it.”

Of course there was more. He had a feeling he was missing something and that it would bite him later on. But what was it?

“I don’t think gaming’s helping us release any stress right now,” she observed.

He groaned. “Please don’t even talk about stress relief right now. Those dumb texts are enough for me.”

“Wait, you too? You’ve been getting them too?”

“Have you been getting texts from LifePositive?” he asked.

“Yes, this whole past week!” Isobel nodded.

“It’s an MLM scheme, one with questionable marketing strategies, from what I hear,” he told her. “And I have a feeling someone gave them my number.”

“I thought they got it through advertising, like most of them do,” Isobel told him.

“I thought so too, but I have a feeling someone gave our numbers to those jerks. Oh no…” he groaned more. “I can’t believe he gave them yours too.”

“Who?!”

“Who else would be dumb enough to join one of these sales scams?” he rolled his eyes. “Tony.”

Almost like on cue, the door opened, with an overexcited Tony prancing in and asking, “Hey, guys! Have you gotten the texts yet? You’re not gonna believe the amazing deal I got us!”

“Oh, shit, you were right,” Isobel whispered, observing the change on her boyfriend’s face. “Honey, keep calm, ok?”

“Yeah, I’ll keep calm, alright. I’m not the one who has an empty kettle for a head, after all.”

“Eh… you guys having a bad day or something?” Tony asked, losing some of his excitement once he observed their sour faces.

“Bad day? Yeah, you could say that,” Demarcus looked him straight in the eye. “I’m just going about my day, not bothering anyone, and all of a sudden, I find out that some strange company has my contact details and wants to send me my first shipment of something. And funniest thing, I’ve never even heard of anything like it, and most certainly never signed up for anything.”

“I’ll tell you all about it…” Tony started, but Marcus stopped him.

“And then I find out it’s not only me who’s been signed up for something called LifePositive, but also my girlfriend, who also never consented to be signed up for anything by that name.”

“Weirdly enough, it’s not the first time someone signed me up for an MLM without my knowledge,” she told him.

“For real?” he asked.

“Yeah, remember our mutual acquaintance?” she reminded him.

“Why am I not surprised?” he shook his head.

“Ok, seriously, you could at least be a little grateful,” Tony huffed. “I was just trying to do you a good thing.”

“Do me a good thing? You know what would be lovely? If the next time you got the idea to do me a good thing, you had actually asked me first!” Marcus flew off the handle. “It’s bad enough you’re always getting yourself involved in random dumb schemes, but now you drag both me and Isobel into it?”

“Hey, I’m sure it’s not that bad,” Isobel tried to calm him down. “We can just call them and tell them it’s a mistake.”

“But why?” Tony was legitimately confused. “It’s a good program, you know. LifePositive sells nature-based products that help their users relieve stress. That’s a good thing! And as the distributor, you get them heavily discounted, so when you sell them to the next guy at full price, you make some profit too. And if you bring three more people on to work as distributors, you get a nice bonus…”

“Are you kidding me? That is the most obvious example of a pyramid scheme!” Demarcus tried to drum into his brother’s head.

“What? No! No, really, it’s not!”

“I’m sorry, Tony, but it totally is,” Isobel stepped in.

“It’s, like, the most classic example of a pyramid scheme. Ever heard of Herbalife? Yeah, they did that,” Isobel told him more calmly than the still seething Demarcus.

“I don’t know. They seemed pretty cool,” Tony didn’t seem so convinced. “I mean, the person who talked to me was really nice and didn’t seem all that shifty.”

“Yeah, that’s kind of how they do it,” Isobel nodded. “They get your trust and then, when you’re hundreds or thousands worth of dollars into that mess, you realize you got duped.”

“But why? It’s not a bad business plan,” Tony failed to follow.

“Because, just like us, most people you meet wouldn’t be all that eager to buy or join anything that is even similar to a pyramid scheme,” Marcus tried to explain more calmly. “And these things require you to keep buying more product, so you’ll be spending lots of money on things you can’t actually resell. I could show you a few articles and stories from people who have been involved in programs like these.”

“And I guess, with your TV persona status and known high income, you were really a prime target for that recruiter to go after,” Isobel sympathized.

“Oh, she wouldn’t do that, she knows me,” Tony laughed.
But it’s ok, I’ll talk to her tomorrow and settle all this.”

“You know that recruiter personally?” Isobel asked. “Do we also know her?”

She wanted to make sure she was alert to any more attempts to recruit her.

“Oh yeah, Marcus here does,” Tony nodded. “Remember that girl you used to date? The one things didn’t really work out with? Her, Chandra.”

“Chandra,” Marcus breathed out, trying not to lose it again. “You signed me and Isobel for this thing through Chandra?”

“Yeah, why is that such a bad thing? You parted on good terms, didn’t you?” Tony asked.

“Well… I wouldn’t say that. Damn it!”

Marcus and Isobel exchanged a look. This was literally the last person either of them wanted in their lives.

---

Jasper was polishing off a second serving of food, when a few familiar faces entered the diner. His attention was instantly caught by Josie making the most dissatisfied noises upon stepping inside the establishment.

“Here? When you said we were going out, I thought we were going somewhere nice!”

“Please, Josie, can you not complain about things for at least half an hour?” her companion asked in a tone that indicated Josie was about the last person whose company she wanted to enjoy at the moment.

“But it’s a diner,” Josie pouted.

“And? They have an A health rating and serve delicious food. Where’s the problem? Plus, you’re getting a free meal – which is already more than your behavior has earned lately. Now, go sit and order something.”

Well, well, well… It’s been a while since he had seen this one, Jasper thought. Not since he and Isobel were married and they worked together. What was her name? Oh, that’s right, Chandra Smith.

Jasper hoped Chandra won’t recognize him, seeing as she and Isobel notoriously didn’t get along in those days and he didn’t feel like dealing with random drama from the past.

But he didn’t need to worry – Chandra had enough on her plate at the moment.

“What is it now?” she asked Josie, who still seemed displeased with something.

“Did you have nothing but this dress to give to me? I mean, it’s freaking dowdy,” Josie looked at the clothing she wore with distaste.

“Dowdy? Child, this dress costs more than you make in a month.”

“But-”

“Besides, it’s not my fault you’ve pissed your roommate off enough that she won’t let you in unsupervised to get your stuff,” Chandra added, trying her hardest not to add that most of Josie’s own wardrobe looked like something a unicorn barfed up.

“Please, she’s just being dramatic,” Josie tried to shrug it off, but Chandra wasn’t having this.

“Tell me, how did you manage to screw up this much? You’ve assaulted your ex in full view of every shopper in that store, their security cameras, and an actual off-duty cop. Where did your parents go wrong with you? I know my sister is hardly an Einstein, but she is no fool and I hoped she also didn’t raise one. But boy, did you make a mess!”

“He pissed me off, ok?” Josie told her. “Acting like he was too good for me, like that new boy-toy of his is so much better.”

“So, you’ve decided to take your anger out on him in the worst place to do it, got it,” Chandra sighed.

“It’s not like I’m the only one of us, who had problems with the law. You actually went to prison, Auntie,” Josie added, hoping Chandra would take the dig at her age.

“I only went because my business partner was a moron who didn’t know his ledger from a horse’s rear,” Chandra rolled her eyes. “Or at least, pretended not to know in court, which is a crummy defense, if we’re honest. And my legal problems are in the past. Yours are still very current. Don’t forget you’re out on bail.”

“Yes, I know. Thanks, by the way,” Josie remembered, becoming more humble. After all, there was no way she could’ve settled that amount herself at the moment.

“You’re welcome. Just, please, try to stay out of trouble, at least until things are settled.

Jasper couldn’t help that they sat down so close to him, but he chose to stick around a little longer and listen in. Why was he not surprised that those two were related.

“When was the last time you’ve actually talked to your parents?” Chandra asked over the menus.

“Oh, I talk…”

“Because Lisa said she hasn’t heard from you in a few months,” Chandra told her. “She’s your mother, Josie. Just because you’re grown doesn’t mean she stopped caring about you.”

“She cares, alright. So much that she was dead set against me moving out here, because, obviously, I can’t make it on my own,” Josie complained.

“That’s what parents do. They worry. After all, they brought you into this world, they feel responsible.”

“Hmm, sure.”

“Well, the risotto is actually palatable. Color me surprised,” Josie admitted.

“It’s a diner, not a dumpster. What did you expect?” Chandra chuckled.

“I don’t even know. Anyways, what’s with you? I haven’t seen you in ages and I feel like we’re just talking about me. You’ve been away for years after the whole fiasco with your former boss – how’s that going for you?”

“It’s going. You know me. I land on my feet, regardless of what else might be happening,” Chandra smiled.

“Any new man in your life?” Josie winked.

“Hmm, I don’t kiss and tell. But no one particularly serious. And I’m definitely not tying the knot again – that was a big old fail.”

“You’re doing well for yourself all by yourself, then?”

“You could say that, yeah. I got into this company a couple of years ago and it’s been going pretty well.”

“LifePositive, right? I think I’ve heard of them,” Josie nodded. “I thought those companies are pretty hard to succeed in.”

“True, but you just have to have a certain personality to get ahead in them.”

“Oh! I have an idea. Earlier, you said I should get a job – well, why don’t I join LifePositive?!” Josie offered.

“You want to join our program?!” Chandra almost choked on her pasta.

“Of course! You guys go around selling products and getting others to join the team, right? I can do that!”

“You know what? I’ll check in with HQ and see if they have another opening on the team,” Chandra put on her best saleslady face. On the inside, she was thinking no way in hell!

Her niece needed a real job, that much was true. But the idea of her having to deal with the public and trying to sell anyone on positive living, considering Josie’s recent outbursts, sounded like the start of a horror film.

Maybe she’ll forget about it by tomorrow.

“That’s a great car you’ve got,” Josie complimented as they left the diner.

“Thanks. Didn’t you also have a car?” Chandra explicitly remembered an expensive car Marty gave to her niece.

“Oh, yeah. It got towed.”

“Why?”

“It’s a long story. This cop took a dislike to me and kept giving me tickets.”

“And I’m sure you did everything perfectly legally…”

“Of course!”

“Damn, you live here?” Josie asked in awe, upon seeing her aunt’s house. “Not too shabby!”

“Hubby may have been an idiot, but his unwillingness to get a prenup really worked in my favor,” Chandra smiled. “Oh, there you are!”

A small Bichon Frise galloped towards her and jumped in her arms.

“You have a dog,” Josie regarded the creature with mild disgust. “Why would you bring an animal into this house?”

“First off, this is my house and I decide who stays in it. Second, this dog is smarter than most and actually is an amazing protector, despite her small size. Isn’t that right, Daisy?”

“Woof!”

“Well, let’s go inside. It’s late and I’m tired. I’m sure you are, too.”

“Not what I expected, decor-wise,” Josie admitted.

“I haven’t had much time to redecorate,” Chandra admitted. “Buddy bought it from a family with teenagers and they didn’t quite remove the decor before moving.”

“That explains it.”

“Although I’m definitely keeping the big player and the foosball table. Those things are great for entertaining parties. And the more entertained someone is, the more likely they are to buy from you.”

“Attract them with honey’s the motto.”

“Always!”

“Tell me, what’s really going on with you?” Chandra asked. “You look like someone forced you to drink pure lemon juice.”

“Do I? I had no idea,” Josie sighed dramatically. “Why does she stare at me like this?”

“Daisy?”

“Yeah, she looks at me like she’s pissed at me.”

“Because dogs can sense when someone’s tense and your stress levels are over the roof. Was it the run-in with the police? My lawyer got you out as soon as we got your call. You didn’t even have to spend the night.”

“I know, I know. It’s just everything. Getting fired in Starlight Shores, the whole mess with Marty, the mess with Kevin. I feel like everything’s going wrong.”

“Oh, child,” Chandra understood. “You’re just having a rough streak in life. Those don’t last permanently.”

“They don’t?”

“Of course not! If they did, I’d still be in jail. But if it makes you feel better, I never thought Marty was such a great match for you. He’s cute and rich, but he’s got no substance.”

Chandra let the annoyed dog go and joined her niece on the couch.

“What you need is a solid, respectful man. Someone you can actually count on.”

“You think I can’t make it on my own, then?” Josie frowned.

“Of course you can. But why do everything on your own, when you can get solid support?”

“Ok, suppose I’d like to find someone like that man you describe. How would I go about finding him? My luck with men seems to be the worst, lately.”

“That’s where your aunt comes in,” Chandra smiled. “I happen to have a good friend who fits that category and who happens to be single.”

“Alright…what’s the catch? I mean, if he’s so great, why haven’t you gone after him yourself?” Josie felt wary.

“If I were younger and still looking for someone, I probably would have – he’s not bad-looking, if you’re worried, and he’s not old either. But he’s a serious relationship kind of guy and I already got what I wanted from marriage,” she gestured at the house.

“You only got one house from Buddy,” Josie told her. “I thought, with his means, you would’ve gotten more.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Chandra smiled. “Just because you only see the house, don’t assume that’s all there is. I got what I wanted. Now it’s your turn. So, what do you say?”

“Ok,” Josie nodded. “I’m in. When can I meet this mystery man of yours?”

“Soon, dear. He’s having a get-together for friends and I’m invited. You’ll be my plus one for the evening. Now, get some rest.”

Josie didn’t like having to share the bedroom (and bed) with a dog, but clearly, she had to play by the local rules.

Chronicles of a Pessimist 49

After sending their friends off with the feds, Anna and Jasper managed to get a little relief. At least, the couple was now in the company of security and they were on the way to safety.

Finally, the exhaustion of the night was beginning to catch up with them. After seeing Ashton and Rachel off to Wyatt’s the previous night, Jasper and Anna headed to the Byrds’ house and set to packing up whatever they thought the couple would need on the road or at their location, meaning they didn’t get much sleep.

Not that they would’ve slept anyways – they were too worried.

“Quite a night, eh?” Anna sighed, sitting down in the shade.

“That’s one way to put it,” he agreed, joining her. “Of all the things I could expect, this was at the very bottom. So many single women in this city, and Ashton manages to get together with the one who has a mob target on her head? Seriously?”

“Dude…not cool,” Anna shot him a warning look. “It’s not like she ended up in that situation on purpose.”

“I’m just saying! How long did she work there? A year? Two years? How does one not realize their workplace is a cover for a criminal scheme for all this time? And that loan? Anyone would know this was a scam! And she actually stuck around paying it off?” Jasper continued.

“Not anyone,” Anna narrowed her eyes, not liking this outburst from her boyfriend. “I wouldn’t have noticed either. And plenty of businesses behave in legally questionable manner. I know a few workplaces of mine did. Whether it’s cutting corners on health and safety rules or paying people under the table to avoid taxes, you’d be hard-pressed to find a workplace that’s all above board, especially in the service industry.”

“I don’t cut corners or violate the law. At least not as far as I know,” Jasper conceded.

“Not everyone is you,” she reminded him. “Besides, you run an auto service. I dread imagining what could happen if you cut corners.”

“Yeah,” he nodded.

“I think it’s quite a bit different with places like strip clubs and bars. You expect sketchiness there. It’s a bit of a trick to figure out where normal sketchiness ends and the really criminal stuff begins.”

“Ok, I see your point. But why didn’t she reach out for help before things got this bad?” Jasper wondered.

“Alone in an unfamiliar town. Heartbroken after her long-term relationship ended out of the blue. Intimidated by a creepy, powerful businessman. Pick any of the reasons,” Anna frowned. “What would you have done in her position?”

“I don’t know, but I wouldn’t just have stuck around in this mess,” he continued on.

“I don’t know either. But truth be told, I’m very lucky that things ended for me the way they did after Rudy’s death. Anyone could’ve pulled me into any sort of mess in the immediate months after it happened. When you’re upset, you don’t really think clearly enough to see the obvious signs of trouble.”

“I guess…” He didn’t sound entirely convinced.

“I’m a little surprised by your reaction right now,” she told him. “A guy who paid off a near-stranger’s bill suddenly complains about someone who’s in trouble because of criminals? I thought you’d sympathize with her.”

“This isn’t the same,” he argued. “Helping you didn’t put me at risk of mob ire.”

“No, but going off to help my brother sure did. You had no way of knowing what sort of person Marty was when you went to talk to him.”

“Marty’s no criminal,” Jasper chuckled. “Just a really misguided fool with a bad ex…”

“And once again, you had no way of knowing that before you jumped head-first into the situation,” Anna reminded him. “And for all you knew, I could’ve been some kind of scammer, eager to get you to pay for me and then ditch with the money.”

“You’re not!”

“No, but you didn’t know that.”

“What’s this really about?” Anna asked. “Why are you so set against Rachel?”

“I’m not!” Jasper defended himself. “I’m just concerned!”

“Hi, guys,” Mike saw them as he passed by and came over to chat. “We’re finally getting some nice weather, eh? Probably won’t last long before cooler weather sets in, but it’s nice we can enjoy it while the chance is here.”

“Oh, yeah,” Anna nodded at the young man who just arrived and completely missed the mood at the table.

“Weather’s weather, it can change any time,” Jasper grumbled. “Blink, and before you know it, there’s a thunderstorm happening.”

“I don’t know, the forecast’s good,” Mike shrugged, starting to pick up on the weird air at the table.

“Have a good day,” Anna told him and got up to leave.

“Yeah…” he shot Jasper a look questioning if everything was ok with them.

“I’ll see you soon, Mike.”

Jasper followed her, not wanting to leave things bad.

“Anna, wait,” he rushed after her. “I don’t want to leave things like this. Don’t be mad at me.”

“I’m not mad. I just feel like you’re being a little hypocritical here,” she told him. “How many times in your life have you done things that were straight up reckless? Did you even count?”

“No,” he admitted. “I didn’t.”

“Of course not. But your friend, who’s been single for years, has finally met someone he cares about. And she’s a good person, who just happened to find herself in a really bad situation. And because they are now affected by circumstances beyond their control, you’re being like this?”

“Do I really come across that way?” he asked, starting to look uncomfortable.

“Hate to say it, but yes.”

“I’m sorry. I just hate it,” he groaned. “We’ve never even met her before, and the first time we do, this whole thing is happening. It’s hard not to get a negative first impression.”

“I guess. I’ve met her before, though, so maybe I’m not as affected by this as you are,” Anna conceded, not completely letting him off the hook. “But still…”

“Morning,” her classmate Donovan passed by and greeted them. The guy was carrying his little one, probably to daycare. Because it was the morning of a new day.

And they’ve definitely be up for over 24 hours now.

Realizing that, a wave of exhaustion came over Anna and she noticed that Jasper was struggling not to yawn himself.

Yeah, they were tired. Tired and annoyed. And it was showing.

“Hey,” she told him. “We need to take a break. Both from arguing and in general, a real physical break. Go home and rest. I think we’re both not in the best mind-state right now.”

That, and they were arguing about this in the middle of the street, where anyone could overhear them. Which, considering the matter at hand, was not a wise decision.

“Hmm,” he nodded, seemingly realizing the same things. “Yeah. I know I’m definitely not. Do you need a ride home?”

“No, I’m good for now. Are you going to work now?”

“In a little bit.”

“With no sleep? Are you going to be ok?” she was concerned.

“I’ll be fine, I’ve had tired days before. You have a shift too?”

“A short one.”

“Be careful, ok?”

“Sure thing.”

Walking home, she mulled over their argument.

This was it. Their first major disagreement as a couple. Of course, one happened in every relationship and it was a natural part of life.

But she hated it so much.

How could Jasper, the guy who always rushed in to help people, suddenly judge Rachel poorly for ending up in trouble?

Was there more to this? Was this not even about the dangerous situation?

Perhaps he was judging her for where she worked as well? She didn’t think he was like that, but Anna certainly met many people in the past who would judge a young woman for working at a strip club.

Plenty judged her for working at a bar, after all.

She needed to process all of these things in a more productive way.

Sitting down in the shade of a big tree, she took out her diary and started putting her thoughts down in it.

She was upset about the argument, about their difficulty seeing eye-to-eye on this. Was this a taste of more disagreements in the future? After all, she knew Jasper could be hard-headed about things, and the same could be said about her.

She feared he was judging this young woman for the wrong reasons, too.

At the same time, what would she have done if it was her brother who ended up in that situation? She wasn’t so sure. After all, Kevin did end up hurt because of a woman, and she was furious enough that she would’ve attacked her, had she been given the chance.

On the other hand, Josie purposely put Kevin in a bad situation. Rachel did not willingly do the same with Ashton.

This was all hurting her brain…

Out of the corner of her eye, Anna caught the familiar sight of Kade and Rusty hanging out together.

This was something she had always admired about Kade. No matter how he was with people or what he was going through, he always took the time out of his day to take good care of his dog.

He probably treated that animal better than many people treated their actual kids.

“Ready, boy?! Oh yes, you are! Catch!!!” Kade shouted, tossing the stick for the over-eager dog.

Closing up the diary, Anna turned to look at them playing. The excited dog brought the stick back, happily wagging his tail, only for Kade to throw it back and send the pooch on a new “adventure.”

Animals were easy to please by the simple things.

“Hey,” Anna approached them to chat.

“Hi yourself,” Kade smiled. “It’s a nice day, isn’t it?”

“Oh yeah, it’s nice.”

She studied the young man. He still had the dark circles under his eyes that she had noticed during their last meeting and still looked more tired than usual. At the same time, he seemed more upbeat than before.

She hoped it was a good sign.

“How have you been?” she asked, not wanting to ask outright whether he had taken her advice.

“I’m… I’m getting there,” he admitted. “I haven’t gone to the therapy place yet because we’ve been kind of busy at work, but I have appointment in this upcoming week.”

“That’s good! Those people know what they’re doing.”

“Yeah, I hope you’re right. It’s something that would make it worth opening up to a stranger.”

“I was hesitant too,” she told him. “I don’t regret going, though. It’s nice to know that there’s someone who can help when your head gets all weird about things.”

“That’s a major mood,” he agreed.

Rusty rushed past them, snarling at a squirrel.

“He thinks he’s a mighty hunter,” Kade laughed. “He hasn’t caught a squirrel in his life. But I better go after him, before he starts playing with squirrel droppings like last time.”

Kade visibly shuddered at that last part.

“Take care!” Anna called after him.

---

“You look really out of it,” Marcus noticed when Anna showed up for her shift. “Insomnia again?”

“Not exactly. There was a family situation that had to be dealt with and I didn’t even get to go to bed,” Anna admitted. “I’d tell you more about it, but we’ve got no privacy here.”

“Oh? Sounds serious,” he frowned. “I hope it’s nothing bad?”

“It’s not good, but I think most of the people involved are ok. For now, at least.”

“Well, that’s reassuring, I hope.” Marcus took the hint and switched the topic from something that they weren’t supposed to discuss in public. “Say, have you had any issues with scam callers and texts lately?”

“Scam callers? Like the type who tell me my car warranty is expired?” Anna asked. “Or ones who tell me my non-existent computer has a virus?”

“Something like that, I guess. I’m so sick of them, you have no idea. And lately, I’ve been getting a new sort too. Something about LifePositive,” he groaned. “Texts reminding me to order the next shipment of their product. They’re getting bolder and bolder, I’m telling you.”

“Did you say, LifePositive?” Chrissy, one of their regulars asked. “Dude, they got to you too?”

“You know them?” he asked the diminutive woman.

“Know them?!!! Those bastards recruited my aunt and she signed the whole family up for that crazy MLM scheme – without anyone’s knowledge, might I add,” the woman frowned. “It took ages and threats of lawyers to get our names removed from their lists. Stay away from them, at all costs.”

“Oh, I intend to, I have zero interest in getting involved in any sort of an MLM scheme, trust me,” Marcus stated.

“I wonder how they got your phone in the first place,” Anna mentioned. “I get many scams too, but never any from MLMs.”

“Yeah, same,” Chrissy agreed. “I didn’t think they advertised this way. Then again, with our information sold left and right by anyone who gets their hands on it, it’s not that difficult for them to start recruiting through these methods as well.”

“Yeah,” Demarcus nodded, trying to keep his blood from boiling. Sure, there was a chance the company got his information from a telemarketing list. Then again, there was a much stronger chance they got the info directly from a very stupid source in his own family.

And he would need all of his patience to deal with this.

Chronicles of a Pessimist 48

Note: Some NSFW stuff towards the end.

After Delia got the green light for them to leave town, Rachel and Ashton were shepherded into the company of two FBI agents whose job it was to get them to safety.

Their names were Adolfo Dias and Mitchell Valentine, or Dolf and Mitch, as the others referred to them.

They seemed rather youthful, but everyone had to get their start somewhere, the couple thought.

At first.

After spending 5 hours stuck in the same vehicle with them, both Rachel and the more positive Ashton were leaning towards the idea that all organizations should establish Moron Tests for those applying to work in them.

With their obnoxious driving behavior, their terrible snack consuming habits, and generally stupid jokes cracked in the car, these two made Beavis and Butthead seem rather intelligent.

Of course, perhaps it was only the couple’s reaction to the two. They were tired and on edge, after all.

Eventually, when the couple’s patience had nearly ran out, their car pulled up to a beaten-down looking motel, with an ill-fitting name – The Windfall Motel.

“Alrighty!” Mitch grinned. “Here’s our stop for the day.”

“Where are we exactly?” Ashton asked, as they got out of the car.

“Simmeapolis,” Dolf informed them. “There’s a big university in this city, if either of you are interested in applying. And they have a really great night life.”

“Thanks,” Rachel shrugged. Secondary schooling wasn’t really at the top of her to-do list at the moment, but she was glad to stretch her legs a bit after the long ride.

“We still need to get stuff for you, like new documents and a placement for where the higher-ups want you to stay,” Mitch explained. “So, we’re gonna wait here for a bit until we get that info.”

“Meanwhile, you can relax, take a nap, eat, whatever,” Dolf continued. “But let’s get checked in first.”

“Well, it’s all set. You guys can have this room, since it’s got a double bed,” Mitch grinned knowingly. “And we’ll be right next door, if you need anything. Seriously, anything – just holler or knock on our door and we’ll get it to you.”

“And there’s a bar downstairs, with drinks and food and it’s really inexpensive,” Dolf reminded him. “Are you guys hungry yet?”

“Maybe in a little while?” Ashton answered, glancing at Rachel. She was pretty miserable for most of the ride and he wanted her to get a break from the bumpy road before bringing anything strong-smelling into the room.

“Yeah, let’s wait a bit,” she agreed.

“Suit yourselves, we’ll get a bit of a snack and come back,” Dolf told them.

“Wow, their names should be Beavis and Butthead,” Rachel half-laughed the moment the agents left.

“I’m so glad I’m not the only one who got that vibe,” Ashton chuckled. “I’m kind of surprised they work you-know-where.”

“Yeah, I think I get why Delia is always so annoyed. Imagine having to work with them?”

“I do! Yikes.”

This reminded them of the reason they were here in the first place. Not that they ever forgot. It was hard to forget things like that.

“So, that’s really it,” Ashton said, sitting down on the bed. “This is witness protection.”

“Not quite what I pictured,” she admitted, joining him. “Then again, I didn’t picture being in this situation in the first place.”

“True. But we’re not the first ones to go through this,” Ashton considered the facts. “And likely, won’t be the last. Not as long as organized crime is a thing.”

“Do you think they’re looking for us really intently right now?” Rachel wondered. “Delia said they don’t even know your name and Harvey didn’t know anything about me aside from where I lived and who I spent time with – you.”

“I really don’t know what to say,” Ashton admitted. “He didn’t know my name then. But I’m hardly a hermit. And even if he went looking for some fictional Asher Blake, he’s bound to realize he’s been sent on a wild goose chase at some point. What we don’t know is how long it would take him to realize it.”

“The longer the better,” she muttered. “Let him waste time – less of it to spend on his nefarious businesses.”

“That’s the plan. And we get to make a clear getaway,” Ashton agreed.

They heard another annoying set of giggles coming from the neighboring room – Mitch and Dolf seemed to find the bedding unusually entertaining.

One would’ve assumed FBI agents would be over such things at their age, and yet…

“You think we’ll have to listen to this all night?” she asked, slightly irritated. Sure, she didn’t expect those guys to be therapists, but they could have been a bit more considerate in their behavior.

“I really hope not. In any case, there’s a vending machine downstairs with ear plugs,” Ashton told her.

“I’m sure it wouldn’t come to that,” Rachel shook her head, not wanting to admit she didn’t want anything that lowered her alertness until she felt properly safe.

Feeling utterly exhausted, Rachel allowed herself to lie down. Normally, she would’ve triple-guessed the cleanliness of the bed and the room in general, but just as the others predicted, the adrenaline from earlier has long worn off and the hours spent awake and running have caught up with her.

“Are you still feeling queasy?” Ashton asked.

“No, just tired now.”

“You should try to get some sleep,” he told her. “Who knows when we’ll have another stop?”

“True. Let me just take a quick shower and change.”

While Rachel showered, Ashton turned on the TV. The reception was shitty, but it was better than just sitting in complete silence and they all needed a distraction.

“And he just caught the alligator in a trash can, the absolute mad-lad!” one of the TV presenters talked in awe about the video of a Florida man dealing with a reptile on his home ground.

“Bet the alligator didn’t expect that,” the other presenter laughed along.

Ah, Florida man, Ashton thought. You never seized to surprise and amaze. Then again, what would he have done in the same situation? The guy probably had family in the house and didn’t want to risk the gator coming after them. Even though it seemed irresponsible and dangerous at first glance, it was probably the reasonable thing to do for him.

“Hey, despite looking like it’s falling apart at the hinges, this place has hot water,” Rachel informed him, coming out of the bathroom.

“Good to know. Feeling better?” he asked. “Oh, come on! That was the easiest touch-down ever and you missed it?”

“Weak team?”

“The worst.”

“And yet, they are on TV, probably getting paid pretty decently for it, too,” Rachel tutted. “Where’s the fairness?”

“There’s no fairness here,” Ashton agreed. “Well, I guess there is when the fans later yell at them on social media.”

“But do they care about the public opinion over their sponsorship money?” Rachel asked.

“Good question.”

While the couple stayed in their room, the agents made their way into the bar. It wasn’t much cleaner than the rest of the motel and the grease in the frying pans was probably reused a few times, but food was food and the drinks were cheap.

Besides, the drinks here came with a show – a cute bartender. One of the other patrons, already very tipsy, was trying to make his way into her good graces.

“We planned this outing for three weeks and what does she do? She ditches me at the last moment. Probably to go spend time with her ex and his tiny-ass aubergine.”

“Hmm,” the bartender nodded along, stoically, tossing a wry smile Mitchell’s way. “How awful. I feel for you.”

“You do? That’s great,” the already tipsy guy continued. “So, want to spend some time together once you get off? I can guarantee you my aubergine is more than up to anyone’s standards.”

“I believe you, dude. Maybe another time, cool? When you’re not as heartbroken?” she cooed. And not as drunk.

“Aw, that sucks,” the guy sighed, deciding to try his luck elsewhere.

“Well, that was something,” Mitch scooted over to get a better look at the cute bartender. “This kind of stuff happen here often?”

“Ah, every once in a while,” the bartender laughed. “I’m Consuelo. You?”

“Mitch. You seem good at this,” he noticed her skill with the drinks.

“Thanks!” she shot him a dazzling smile. “You’re not local, are you?”

“No, just passing through.”

“Me neither. I’m just here for school. The pay ain’t much, but you can get free food and drink. And sometimes, you can meet interesting company.”

The wink she gave him was impossible to interpret as anything other than pure flirtation, that much Mitch knew.

“Aren’t the shifts kind of long for someone who’s in school?” he asked.

“Not that long. In fact, mine ends in less than an hour.”

Eventually, Rachel nodded off and Ashton decided that he should also turn in soon. But they would both do well to eat first.

Taking a quick shower and changing into something less neon, he decided to head down to the bar and bring some food up.

Coming downstairs, he spotted Dolf having a nice chat with a woman who looked to be a few years older than him and who had the air of someone who spent a lot of time at this motel.

Ashton wasn’t one to judge people for the sorts of jobs they worked, but he was a bit irked that one of their FBI agents seemed more interested in the local nightlife than in actually doing his job.

Coming into the bar, he saw the other agent getting very cozy with the young bartender. So busy, in fact, that Mitch didn’t even register him as he passed by them.

“Hey, man, is there something to eat that I can take upstairs?” he asked the new bartender.

“I’ll make you some burgers,” the guy told him. “And the other guy forgot all about his order of fries, so you can have them. I guess he’s got something more interesting to look forward to. Too bad; he could use the extra stamina.”

The bartender laughed like it was the biggest joke in the world.

“Huh?”

“Consuelo there isn’t the sort of gal to let a guy off easily. He better be up to the task of giving her the Big O,” the guy added.

Ok, that was way TMI, thought Ashton.

“Great, best of luck to them,” he nodded, quickly grabbing his food and heading out.

As soon as he stepped out of the bar, he found himself face-to-face with the night worker who was previously talking to Dolf.

“Hey, cutie, are you coming along as well?” she asked. “Dolfie didn’t mention a threesome, but you look good enough to eat.”

“No, thank you!” Ashton stepped back, nearly dropping the food.

“Hey, are you coming or what?” he heard Dolf call from inside the room.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be right in,” the woman called back.

Ashton quickly walked back to his and Rachel’s room, muttering “Nice to see my tax dollars at work, morons,” under his breath.

After they ate, he’ll make sure their door was well-locked for the night. Clearly, their protectors had more important matters to attend to.

After eating the far-too-greasy burgers and fries, Ashton and Rachel finally nodded off for the night.

Unlike them, the others were thinking of things other than sleep.

Once her shift ended, Consuelo made her intentions of consummating her new friendship with Mitch clear and he was only too eager to oblige. Judging from the noises coming from the downstairs room, his friend Dolf was already having a grand old time.

“Do you have classes tomorrow?” he asked, wondering how much time they had tonight.

“Yeah, but it’s not one I like much, so I plan to skip it. Chemistry. Blegh.”

“Which class is your favorite, then?”

“Human anatomy.”

Once Mitch brought Consuelo into their room, she didn’t find any issue in the fact that it was a room with two single beds.

This girl had one thing on her mind and she was going to get it.

Mitchell was beyond delighted, forgetting pretty much everything else.

While Mitchell and Consuelo were enjoying their hands-on lesson in human anatomy, another person was learning just how unpleasant overdrinking was on one’s body.

“Ugh,” the bar patron named Jereme half-stumbled, half-swayed his way upstairs. His room was somewhere here. Now, he just had to reach it. And get the key in. Key, he was sure he had it somewhere. But where. Oh! It was in his pants. But where were his pants?

Holding on to the wall, he swallowed hard to stop the contents of the bar that were now inside of him from coming back outside.

Why did he get so drunk again?

Oh, that’s right. Christy. His sweetheart. She just had to go and ditch him. For the guy with a fat wallet and a tiny…

Hey!

Through the thin motel walls, he heard the all too familiar sounds of a couple having a good time. And that voice…why, she sounded just like Christy! She was here?!!! With him???!!!

Oh, hell no!

“Hey!!! Open the fucking door, you dumb bitch!!!” Jereme yelled at the top of his lungs. “I know you’re in there, you whore!!!

In his drunken stupor, Jereme started banging on the door next to the one that the offending sounds were really coming from – the door that the tired couple was trying to get some shut-eye in.

Well, they were well and truly awake now.

“Ohmygod!!!” Rachel yelled, nearly jumping out of bed. Her dreams were already filled with all sorts of terrible things and this was the cherry on top. “Is that…?”

She didn’t want to say it, but he kind of sounded like one of Velour’s regulars. Maybe he was one of Harvey’s men?

Oh no!!! They found her!

Just at that time, the door dangerously rattled under the drunk’s weight, letting them both know just how flimsy this building was.

“Hey, it’s ok,” Ashton tried to reassure her. He saw this guy downstairs when he went for food. “It’s one of the local drunks. He’s harmless. Just really drunk.”

But where the hell were the agents? What was the point of having the FBI near them if some drunk could accost their room in the middle of the night.

“Wait…” Ashton processed the noises coming from next door. “Are they fucking in there? Now???”

“Hey, d’you hear something?” Mitch tried to discern over the sound of Consuelo’s porn-star quality moans.

“No, babe, don’t stop, please! Yes, yes, like this!”

“You got it.”

Eventually, Jereme must’ve come to his senses and gave up in his pointless endeavor.

The entire time it took him to stop ranting at their door, Ashton stood on the other side, half-certain that the flimsy door would give out and the crazy drunk would get inside.

Also, the entire time this went on, neither of the agents responded to the situation.

When the drunk left and the sound of the moans coming from the neighboring room still didn’t stop, Ashton knew one thing for sure.

Counting on their current escort for help was futile.

Turning to the terrified Rachel, he told her, “Get dressed. We’re leaving.”

“What?” she looked at him in confusion.

“Do you trust these two to protect you? It was just a local drunk – this time around. Do you trust them to handle the situation if it’s a serious criminal coming after us?”

“No, I don’t. I thought Delia would be with us, but…”

“Then get dressed, we’re leaving.”

“Where to now?” she asked quietly as they waited outside. “We don’t even know where we were supposed to be placed.”

“Wherever that is, we’re not going there,” Ashton announced with certainty. “I’m sorry, but being strangers in a strange place is the last thing we need right now.”

“You have an idea, then?”

“Yes. Let’s just get out of here first. I’ll tell you on the way.”

He leaned out into the street, making himself visible to passing cars. Eventually, a cab spotted him and stopped.

“Hi, you two,” the chipper taxi driver greeted them. “I’m Tina, what’s your destination?”

“Can you take us to the central train station?” Ashton told her.

“Sure thing. Is everything alright, though? No offense, you just look like you’ve had a terrible time somewhere.”

Rachel didn’t know what to say to that, but Ashton picked right up.

“Yeah, we bought a cheap travel package – and learned the hard way why you shouldn’t. We’re going to need a vacation from this vacation.”

“Oof, I feel you,” Tina laughed. “My ex bought us the cheapest tickets available for the honeymoon and it sucked. Part of why he’s an ex, really. Don’t worry, I’ll get you to that train station nice and fast.”

In the morning, Dolf got call from the head of their unit regarding the couple’s placement for the time being. They would receive their fake documents once they arrived at the destination.

“Ok, got it, sir.”

“Hey, bro, how was your night?” Mitch asked, coming out of their room. Consuelo left sometime earlier, with Mitch feeling absolutely juiced from having to satisfy her appetite.

“Pretty good, yours?”

“Hot. We got a place to take these two or what?”

“Yes, William said it’s Twinbrook.”

“Cool, let’s go tell them.”

Coming into the couple’s room, they found it long-deserted.

“Uh…” Dolf took in the scene. “We did tell them to wait here, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Do you think something happened?”

“How would I know, I was a little busy last night,” Mitch barked, annoyed.

“It was supposed to be my turn to have fun, dude,” Dolf sighed.

“Yeah, well, it’s not every night that one gets a young nymphomaniac practically throwing herself at them. What was I supposed to tell her?” Mitch asked.

“I don’t know, man. What are we gonna tell William?”

“Ugh!!!”

They were screwed.

Chronicles of a Pessimist 47

Note: Gun violence/threat.

While Rachel’s crazy day was in full swing, Delia was blissfully unaware of anything unusual happening right under her nose.

She had her own issues to deal with anyways.

Even though she told Rachel she had a doctor’s appointment, she would’ve preferred that to the truth – spending what seemed like an eternity listening to Aaron talk their boss’s head off for hours about what a great job he was doing, whereas Delia knew full well Aaron was faking it all. Their job was going without much success, even though Delia worked her ass off to get anywhere.

Of course, once Aaron finally shut up and took a bathroom break, she managed to get a few minutes alone with their superior and tell him her suspicions about Harvey. It was true that she didn’t have much to go off, but the whole situation with Rachel’s loan triggered some alarm bells for her and she wanted to investigate this further.

Luckily, her superior took Delia’s concerns seriously and he already made a few calls to look into Harvey Gritton’s business practices. Now, she just had to wait.

She wanted to tell Rachel to cheer up – if Delia was right, her loan concerns would soon be a non-issue, because what Harvey was doing was straight up illegal.

But Rachel wasn’t home, even though she should’ve been here hours ago.

“Hello?! Anyone?!” Maybe she was with Ashton, Delia thought. They did spend a lot of time together in this past week, after all.

Loud knocking on the door distracted Delia’s line of thought. Coming over to open it, she was met face to face with the man of the hour himself and a couple of guys she noticed around the club on a few occasions.

“Harvey! What brings you here?” she did her best to appear nonchalant.

“Where is Rachel, Delia?” he asked without humor.

“What do you mean, where’s Rachel? Isn’t she still at the club?” she pretended not to know her friend’s schedule.

“No, Delia, she is not,” Harvey frowned. He was sure Rachel would reach out to someone about what she had seen and that Delia would be among the first to get the info.

Delia was now 100% certain she was right about Harvey being a person of interest, which was the only positive in this situation.

For one, she was now seriously worried about Rachel. What had her friend gotten herself into?

Secondly, even though he was doing his best to hide it, Delia clocked the gun on Harvey the moment she saw him.

Just as she expected, he had it for a reason. The next moment, Delia was pinned to the fridge by Harvey, gun pointed right at her face.

She should’ve been terrified, especially as she could see how unhinged his eyes were, but instead the adrenaline was making everything appear crystal clear to her in a way not many things did.

For a basement-dwelling dweeb, Harvey was a lot stronger than she expected him to be, Delia observed, as she tried to calculate a way out her situation. But while he was strong and had a gun pointed at her, his stance was bad and Delia could disarm him if necessary, at least long enough to break free.

The other two would prove to be more of an issue here.

Harvey’s voice brought her back to the present.

“Listen very carefully, Miss Bates,” Harvey growled. “This morning, our dear Rachel stole a large sum from me. So if you know anything about her whereabouts and aren’t telling me, I’m going to make things very difficult for you. So difficult, in fact, that the doctors won’t be able to help you.”

Bitch please, she thought. My life’s difficult enough as is.

Harvey’s hand shook slightly, revealing his frayed nerves and making her wonder what exactly happened to spur his visit. She didn’t believe for a moment that Rachel stole something from him. But whatever happened had clearly upset him.

She had to find out more!

“I don’t know, I swear!” she gasped. That much was true, at least. “I have no idea where she is!”

“So, you say. If you’re lying to me, I won’t hesitate to use this gun,” Harvey threatened. He didn’t want to kill her just yet. She could still be a way to track down Rachel. As was that boy who always hung out around the club. “What about him?”

“Him?!”

“Don’t play daft, you know I’m talking about that guy who’s always sniffing around Rachel. Ash, or whatever his name is.”

“Asher?!” Delia tested the waters to figure out if Harvey knew Ashton’s full name. “Asher Blake?”

“Yes, where is he?”

Bingo! “I’m not sure! I think he went back home earlier this week, to Lucky Palms.”

“Lucky Palms, eh?” Harvey narrowed his eyes. “What’s he doing there?”

“Business?! Something to do with a casino?!” Delia added more, deciding to land a home run. “At least, that’s what he told Rachel when he invited her to move there with him.”

Delia didn’t know whether Harvey was going to buy her act. His eyes still had mistrust in them, as he processed the information she told him.

But she was quite literally saved by the bell.

Harvey’s cellphone rang. Even though he was unwilling to release Delia, he knew that unless he was going to shoot her right now, keeping her pinned was pointless.

“Hello,” he growled into the phone. “What?!”

“Harvey, you need ta get here!” Cherie yelled into the phone. “They’re fighting like jackals!”

“Cherie?! What’s going on?!”

“These two guys had a disagreement over their drinks, or at least I think ’t was their drinks! And they started brawlin’ somethin’ terrible. Then two others joined in… hey!!! Stop that!!!” Cherie could be heard yelling at someone and Harvey was sure he heard something breaking. “Harvey, ‘s bad! Please do somethin’!!! I’ve already called the cops but they’re takin’ their sweet time!”

“Shit!” Harvey cursed. The cops were the last ones he needed involved with the club right now. “I’ll be there in 10.”

Ending the call, he told the guys, “Come on, we need to hurry.”

“What about her, boss?” Fred asked.

“Leave her for now. We’ve got a bigger problem.”

And just as quickly as they arrived, Harvey and his goons left the premises.

Delia tried to get up, but couldn’t – her legs felt like jelly and her arms were shaking.

Wow, adrenaline was a hell of a drug, she realized. Did she really weave a whole tale with a gun pointed at her?

Not bad, not bad!

But Rachel! Goodness gracious, what had that girl gotten herself into? And most importantly, where was she?

Pulling herself together, Delia climbed up and shut the door, locking it from any more invasions. Then, she turned on her phone, which had been shut off for the past 8 hours.

25 messages from Rachel!!!

“Delia, stay away from Harvey! He killed a guy!”

“He’s a mobster!”

“Don’t go to the club!”

“Delia, where are you?”

“Please answer!”

And so on. Listening to Rachel’s harried voicemails, she was starting to get a clear picture of what it was that her friend “stole” from Harvey.

Oh, this guy had no idea of what was about to hit him!

Dialing her boss, Delia skipped the formalities.

“Sir, no need to investigate further, it’s him. It’s Harvey Gritton, he’s our guy.”

“But we checked him thoroughly when we started the investigation. Are you sure? If it’s about your friend’s loan…”

“William, do you really think I would tell you to target someone over a fucking hunch?!” she addressed him by his first name, breaking all formalities. “This creep was literally in my apartment right now, pointing a gun at my face! And I know for a fact now that he has killed someone.”

“…What? Who?!”

“I don’t know. Yet. My roommate witnessed something.”

“Where is she?!”

“On the run, clearly!” Delia was losing patience over the dawdling. “And William? I demand seniority on this case.”

“But Aaron…”

“Aaron couldn’t tell the facts from a horse’s ass, William. Tell me, whose job was it to background check everyone at Velour? Not mine, for sure!” she lost her temper. “Also, seeing as the witness and I have a good relationship, I’d rather not jeopardize the case again by sending Aaron to mess everything up.”

There was a pause on the line as William thought everything over. Eventually, he must’ve seen reason in her request.

“Ok. Ok. It’s your case now. Don’t make me regret this.”

“You won’t, sir.”

Ending the call, she tried her best to steel herself.

This wasn’t how she imagined this day going at all. At the same time, for the first time in three whole months she felt the wheels moving forward.

But at what cost!

Wherever Rachel was she had to be freaking out. Poor girl probably thought Delia was dead.

Ok, first order of business – reach out to Rachel.

At the other side of town, Rachel and Ashton were getting ready to leave with Wyatt when her phone pinged.

“OMG!!! It’s Delia!” Rachel exclaimed. “She’s alive!”

“Rachel, I’m ok. Got your messages. Whatever you do, don’t go to Lucky Palms!”

“This is random,” Ashton mused. “Why would we go there?”

“I don’t know, but she must have her reasons.”

“Do you think it’s really her?” Wyatt asked.

“Good question,” Rachel admitted and sent her a text.

“Can you prove you’re really Delia?”

“Your dumbass ex broke your rare crystal skull lamp and never replaced it. He also would eat the last of all your favorite snacks. Would Harvey know this? I’d call, but Harvey was here earlier and I’m not 100% sure he hasn’t left someone to listen at the door. It’s best they don’t know I’m in contact with you.”

“It’s her,” Rachel nodded and continued to text with her.

“Are you safe? And is Ashton with you?”

“For now. I’m with him and his friends.”

“Good. Stay down and lay low for the next few hours. I’ll come see you soon, once I’m more certain it’s safe and our building isn’t being watched.”

“Feeling better?” Wyatt asked, noticing the change in her behavior.

“A bit. She’s alive, but Harvey already paid her a visit. I wonder how she’s so ok with all this.”

“Where does your friend work?” Wyatt asked.

“At the club, with me!”

“But she mentioned she worked in information technology before that,” Ashton added. “And plans to go back soon.”

“Hmm, IT people are usually in stressful jobs,” Wyatt agreed, wondering if this Delia was who he thought she might be. “Well, let’s go while it’s still dark.”

---

“Make yourselves at home,” Wyatt welcomed them in. “Sorry that this is on such short notice. Are you hungry? I have a pretty good stew in the fridge and it’ll only take five minutes to warm it up.”

“Thank you,” Rachel pictured the food and the thought of eating anything instantly made her queasy again. “I’m good. Some water would be more than enough.”

“Yes, of course,” he nodded. “Ashton? Are you ok?”

“Achoo!” the young man sneezed. “Fine. Don’t you have a cat?”

“Yes… oh, crap, are you allergic?”

“Yeah… it’s fine. As long as she doesn’t come rub herself all over me,” Ashton reassured him.  

“Are you sure you’re going to be ok?” Rachel worried.

“I’ve been in feline company before, I’ll be fine.”

“What’s going to happen now?” Rachel asked Wyatt as he sat down with them. “I told you everything, but do I still need to give another formal statement?”

“You might have to, once the feds get here,” Wyatt told her.

“That sounds kind of scary. I’ve never dealt with the FBI before – is there some kind of protocol for this?”

“They’re just regular people doing their job,” Wyatt reassured her. “They will likely relocate you for the time being. Both of you.”

“I figured this much,” Ashton nodded. “Will you look out for Candace while I’m away.”

“Absolutely. Don’t worry, neither Jasper nor I will leave her to fend for herself.”

Hearing about Ashton having to leave his sister behind because of her made Rachel feel guilty. If he had never gotten involved with her, this wouldn’t be happening to him now.

But she did warn him to stay away from that place so many times. He just wouldn’t listen.

Feeling clammy once again, she excused herself to the bathroom.

Even though the bathroom was close enough, she barely made it there before nearly passing out. At least, the nausea was sort of subsiding.

Ashton and Jasper did mention that she’ll likely keep experiencing these shock symptoms for some time, but she hoped they’ll end sooner rather than later.

Splashing some water on her face, she wondered where the feds would take them. It was true that she didn’t even want to be in Brooklyn Heights this morning – but not like this!

“So… how long have you been together?” Wyatt asked while Rachel was away. “You’ve never mentioned having a girlfriend.”

“It’s kind of complicated. We’ve known each other for a bit, but things have only recently started getting serious. We haven’t even had the girlfriend-boyfriend talk yet,” Ashton admitted wearily.

“Tough circumstances tend to bring people together, from what I’ve had a chance to observe. Besides…”

He didn’t get to finish because Kaia ran into the room, curious about their visitors.

“Kaia, no. Your food bowl is full.”

“Mrow?!”

“No, you can’t come here,” Wyatt told her sternly.

“Mrrow!!!” the cat yelled angrily, but turned in a different direction.

“Wow, it’s like having a little furry kid at home,” Ashton observed, trying not to breathe in too much fur.

“Yep. Except, you can’t ground her with no video games,” Wyatt chuckled. “That reminds me, I’ll give you a fresh bedspread.”

“No, we really can’t!”

“Trust me, Ashton, you should. Get some sleep while you can. The better rested you both are, the easier the next few days will go for you.”

Eventually, Wyatt’s reasoning won over and the couple went “to sleep” in his bedroom, if one could call it that.

Both of them were far too strung out to actually sleep.

“I’m sorry,” she finally said. “I shouldn’t have dragged you into all this.”

“I kind of dragged myself in,” he shrugged. “Also, you’re not responsible for the shitty behavior of others.”

“But because of me, you have to leave everything.”

“No, because of me,” he told her. “Listen, you’ve warned me it was a bad idea to spend time around that club. I didn’t listen. The rest is on me.”

He pulled her closer. “Besides, if you had disappeared one day without a trace and I didn’t know what had happened to you, I would’ve been worried sick. At least, this way, I know what’s happening.”

She didn’t say anything in reply, she simply squeezed his hand. Even though she felt selfish for this, she was grateful to have him by her side. She had no idea what she would’ve done if she had to go through all this alone.

---

While Wyatt was busy with the couple at his apartment, Delia was getting ready. Making sure to keep the lights and the TV on in the living room, she headed into Rachel’s and gathered as many things as she could into a suitcase.

Of course, she couldn’t gather too much – if she thought the house was being too watched, she’ll have to downsize this as well. But she didn’t want Rachel to leave town with nothing to her name. At least, she put all the savings the girl had in, adding a bit from herself – she wasn’t sending her out into the world penniless.

Lastly, she pulled something out from the depths of her own drawer.

It was true that she never had to use a weapon in action up to this point. But in the practice range, she tended to have great scores. And if her earlier emotional state during Harvey’s visit was any indication, Delia was sure she’ll keep her wits about herself long enough to be useful if push came to shove.

She usually walked to the club, seeing as it was within walking distance. Therefore, Harvey and his idiots never saw her car or license plate.

And now that a few of her coworkers scanned the area and confirmed that there wasn’t anyone keeping watch on her apartment, Delia knew that it was safe to exit.

Wryly, she wondered if Harvey did leave his goons to guard the place and the rain chased them away. It wouldn’t have surprised her too much.

In either case, she drove around town for a bit, to throw off any potential tail. Once she was thoroughly satisfied there wasn’t anyone after her, she headed to the house the call came from.

“Kaia, I know you want to play with our guests, but one of them is allergic to you and the other one is constantly near him. I promise, when we have non-allergic guests, I’ll let you play with them, ok?”

The cat snorted a little, showing her dissatisfaction, but accepted the deal.

“Now, let me go get changed, ok?”

No sooner had Wyatt changed into his normal clothes, had someone knocked on the door. Opening carefully, he got his suspicions confirmed, but seeing her was still a bit surreal.

“Agent Lancer! It is you!” he greeted the woman.

“Hi. Long time, no see. Too bad we’re meeting again under these circumstances,” she tried to smile. “How are they?”

“About as well as you would imagine,” Wyatt grimaced. “Is she?”

“My roommate, would you believe it? Someone at the agency is going to have to answer for this negligence, I’m telling you. Three fucking months and nothing to show for the investigation, until that poor girl literally walked in on him. And I was in there practically every day, too. It was right under my nose.”

“I can relate,” he nodded, thinking of Dupre.

“Are they up yet?”

“I don’t even know if they had slept.”

Having recognized their friend’s voice from the bedroom, Ashton and Rachel came out to see her. Rachel, in particular, was delighted to see Delia alive and well.

“I was so scared,” she told the other woman, pulling her into a hug. “You weren’t answering the phone and I thought that was it. He got you.”

“He probably wanted to, at first, but I’m guessing finding you seems more important to Harvey right now,” Delia explained. “I’m sure he’s going to try to use me to track you. Eventually.”

“But not now?”

“He seems to have more pressing matters at the club right now. It seems there was some kind of a fight happening there, which is likely why I got off as easily as I did,” Delia explained.

“Wait, what did happen? You said he was there, at our apartment,” Rachel worried. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“No, didn’t really get the chance. He got called away, but I’m sure he’ll remember us quite soon, so we need to act and fast.”

“Wait, how are you here?” Ashton asked. “We never told you where we were.”

“About that – there are some things I need to tell you,” Delia smiled. “Why don’t we all sit down.”

“First off, I’m sorry about lying to you two,” Delia apologized to Rachel and Ashton. “The story I gave you when I answered that roommate ad was mostly fabricated. I don’t really work in IT. Well, technically, I do specialize in IT in our department, I suppose, but mostly for security purposes. For many years now, I’ve been working as a part of an FBI unit. We deal with many things, but lately, we’ve been pretty hampered down with a particular case dealing with interstate drug trade, weapons smuggling, racketeering and money laundering. It seemed like a simple thing when we started, but every time we’ve found witnesses or loose ends that could move the investigation forward, they would develop a tendency to turn up dead before we could properly find the mastermind of the operation.”

“This was the case I worked on when I lived in Starlight Shores,” Wyatt added. “And how I met Jerri.”

“Jerri?”Ashton asked in confusion.

“Apologies. My real name is Jerri Lancer,” Delia admitted. “Technically, I’m not supposed to give it out, but all things considered, I owe you a whole lot right now. You are in this situation because the former superior on this case clearly screwed something up.”

“Let me guess. Aaron?” Rachel asked.

“Who the fuck else? The reason I was sent undercover to Velour was to find out whether there was a possibility the gang was using the club to launder their money. We pretty much got lucky in tracing one of the their money transfers passing through Velour and, considering that we had a tip off to criminal activity happening in Brooklyn Heights, it was decided someone should keep an eye on that club and what happens in there. How we failed to tie Harvey to the dealings until now is absolutely beyond me. I simply don’t believe that Harvey was that slick. I think something failed on our end.”

“I’m a loose end now, aren’t I?” Rachel asked.

“Hate to say it, but yes. The difference is, we got to you before they did,” Delia reassured her. “And I intend to keep you alive, by any means necessary.”

“How do you know it would be enough?” Ashton asked. “Whatever you’re planning to do.”

“For starters, I’ve sent Harvey in a different direction. I told him that your name is Asher Blake, that you work in casino business in Lucky Palms, and that you have invited Rachel to move there with you. I had no chance to verify it yet, but I think he bought the story.”

“So, he doesn’t even know my name?” Ashton asked.

“No, but he knows your face. And it’s best for you to not be here when he realizes the ruse.”

“Where would we go?” Rachel asked.

“Witness Protection. It wouldn’t have to be for long. Just until we get Harvey and his people behind bars.”

“Would we know what’s happening?” Ashton asked. Being in the dark about the developments of the case didn’t seem too appealing.

“I’ll keep in touch,” Delia promised. “This goes against protocol, but you guys aren’t insignificant to me, if it makes you feel any better. I want you both to be safe and sound when everything is over.”

“Good morning,” Jasper and Anna arrived with Ashton’s things packed up in a suitcase.

“Hello,” they were greeted by some listless greetings. Clearly, the couple weren’t in the best of moods, which was only expected.

“I’ve taken the liberty of gathering some of your things,” Jasper told his friend. “It’s not much, but I thought you could use your clothes wherever you are.”

“Thanks, man. I appreciate it,” Ashton smiled.

“Rachel, I brought some of your things as well,” Delia told her friend. Lowering her voice, she added, “Your money’s here too, as well as some extra funds.”

“Delia, you didn’t have to!” Rachel told her.

“Yes, I did, and that’s that on that. Trust me, being relocated is much easier if you’re not counting pennies.”

“So, when do they leave?” Wyatt asked.

“As soon as I get the all-clear from my coworkers,” Delia told them. “I want to make sure no one sees them leave town.”

“You two are…” Delia addressed Jasper and Anna.

“Jasper Dyer, I’m a long-time friend of Ashton’s family.”

“Anna, I’m with him.”

“Nice to meet you,” Delia smiled. “Jasper Dyer, eh? Janice sends her regards.”

“Wait, Janice? Janice Edwards?”

“The very same. She’s doing well, by the way.”

“That’s good to hear. I was worried.” He turned to Anna and added, “Remember I told you about one of our female mechanics who moved away. That’s her. It was such a weird situation too. One day, she’s borrowing money from me and the next day, she gives it all back and tells me she’s moving to Italy. Right out of the blue!”

“Janice was our first tip off to the mob activity in Brooklyn Heights,” Delia nodded. “She went to the police first and nearly lost her life as a result. Sorry, Wyatt, but this was why we didn’t make contact with the local department. We know someone in there isn’t trustworthy.”

“Do you know who it is? Because I do. And thanks to Ashton’s sister, we have a darned good portrait of the guy to send to all other jurisdictions,” Wyatt offered.

“You don’t say! That’s perfect!” Delia grinned. “Well, I got the all-clear. Let’s get you two out of this town.”

---

“And that’s what went down while you were away,” Wyatt finished his recount of the events. “They are likely halfway to their destination now.”

“So, my brother and his girlfriend, who I didn’t even know he had, are on the run from the mob as witnesses in an actual murder,” Candace summarized dryly. “Still trying to figure out which part of all this is the wildest.”

“Probably the part about that jerk from the club turning out to be an actual dirty cop and working with them,” Kevin said. “I mean, of all the creeps in the city, what are the chances he’s the one you had a run-in with?”

“Slim, but I guess it’s a good thing it happened. Gave me a chance to get a good look at his face,” Candace opted to see the best in the situation.

“I’d still be careful,” Marty shuddered. “Looks like I was right on the money about him being bad news. What do we do if we run across him in the city?”

It was a valid question, the others agreed.

“Act casual,” Wyatt recommended. “As it stands, they are working on the ruse information they’ve been given. And looking elsewhere. Let’s not give that guy any reason to look closer to home.”

“Where to now?” Rodrigo asked, once they left Wyatt’s home.

“Now, I think it’s a good idea to go home and unpack from our camping trip. I’m going to stop by the corner store near me and grab some groceries and get some rest,” Candace told them.

“What about your…?”

“My what?” Candace winked. “The best we can do for certain people who aren’t currently here is to behave as closely to how we normally do as possible.”

She had watched enough spy shows to know that the best defense often came in the face of civilians who had a good head on their shoulders. “And hey, let’s not discuss certain subjects outside, cool?”

“You’re right,” Marty nodded. “It’s the smartest course of action.”

Kevin agreed with that line of thought.

They’ll do their part by playing it cool, keeping things casual, and most importantly, keeping their eyes and ears peeled for anything.