A Date With Fate (33 page)

I didn’t think performing a classic move of checking the situation out signified I was falling for Luke. It only meant I was going to take him up on his earlier offer to hang together tonight due to my own plans falling apart. I didn’t want to interrupt by calling him if he had plans with someone else. That could be awkward. That’s all I was up to.

No, the thing that floored me most was realizing I must be seriously losing it to have come up with this unworthy plan to put one over on these two worldly, talented fiends. There was no excuse for it. I know perfectly well what these two girls are like.

Everywhere we go, Goddess Tre fights off men throwing themselves at her size eleven feet for the fruitless chance to worship at the altar of her voluptuous magnificence. I say fruitless because Tre J is a twenty-seven-year old virgin saving herself for Mr. Right and marriage.

No shit.

She’s probably the oldest voluntary virgin, next to Aunt Lily, in Northfield, Maybe in the entire twin cities metro area.

Not that I think any man would voluntarily put it to Aunt Lily. But to give the demon her due, Aunt Lily has been the most zealously faithful bride of Christ outside of Carmelite convent a woman could ever claim to be.

On that note; is it wrong, if only in theory, to pity the hell out of Jesus Christ?

I don’t think it’s so wrong, either. Poor man.

My little sister, on the other hand, treats her men like she works her horses. She expertly culls a prime piece of flesh out the herd. She saddles up and rides him relentlessly until he’s broke to the bridle to her satisfaction. Then she cheerfully gives him back to his owner, a more submissive, well-trained mount that can even perform a showy trick or two.

The glass of the window feels cool against my cheek. I am feeling sleep deprived, yet full of strange, manic energy—a disturbing combination. My fun weekend off keeps throwing me curves. Feeling punchy with relief at surviving the latest near-miss; it was no wonder that all my filters and fences are down. This was the only explanation for me so clumsily messing up my need-to-know rule like an amateur with Jaz and Tre, yet not giving a damn when I thought it over.

When life throws me curves, it’s only logical to bend and acknowledge what my choices are to achieve my goals. In this instance, I may have to flex my beloved control freak rules just a smidgen and not go it alone. I may have to take on partners and form a temporary triad.

‘Okay
,
I can do this. This was my sister and good friend, after all. Not a couple of enemies at the gate.’

I dropped my hand and smiled. “So, was there a ‘Yes, you do want to see his house’ somewhere in all that, Jasmyn?”

Tre J whooped and Jazy laughed, punching my shoulder in camaraderie before sitting back. The Dome Light of Truth was turned off. Soon we passed my brother’s driveway on the right and kept going. Absently rubbing my sore arm, I cautioned Tre J to be on the lookout on the left for the unique mailbox of a John Deere miniature tractor identifying Luke’s turn off.

I had been to Luke’s house once before when he needed to pick up his wallet. I had waited in the car that time. I was curious to see the inside. It was odd to know him so intimately, yet not know such basic things about his everyday life. My stomach was fluttering in anticipation of seeing him so soon again.

Jazy, the resident expert on classic moves, told Tre, “Let’s kill the headlights and coast quietly up the driveway.”

I didn’t comment on Jazy’s directive to go in dark, this was their bailiwick, but I flicked off the radio. I knew Luke was hyper-aware of his surroundings. If he was home; I was counting on him to ask questions first and attack second. Hopefully, he believed in taking prisoners.

I suggested, “Let’s wait a second here in the dark just to be doubly sure we weren’t followed. I’ll text Jack we’re okay so he doesn’t freak and call Reggie.”

Jazy whistled. “Crap--I’d already forgotten. Good idea. I’ll text Reggie to expect us in ten. I’ll text Mac we’re safe, too, or else she’ll be all over our ass.”

I whistled back my admiration. What a team of competent connivers we made.

We waited a few anxious minutes in silence. Not seeing any vans lunging out of the darkness, we decided the coast was clear around us. I texted Jack as he’d instructed.

Tre, guided only by the light from the moon and stars overhead, slowly drove the bouncing Honda up the open, rutted lane towards the tree shrouded farmyard a hundred yards ahead of us.

As we crept closer, I turned and grinned at Jazy in the backseat. This was fun being sneaky. I couldn’t believe I’ve never tried this before. She grinned back, a flash of white teeth in the dark interior of the car.

We entered the inky darkness under the canopy of dense trees, and Tre J slowed to a stop until her night vision further adjusted.

Here the road did a loop into a big, circular driveway. I recalled in the grassy center of the circle were massive groupings of huge lilac bushes. It was late autumn and they were bare of their leaves, but the tangle of thick branches still created a barrier preventing us from seeing the other side of the drive way and the whole house.

From where we were stopped it was possible to see a front porch light was on outside. It spotlighted the cement stoop and iron railing of the mid-century style rambler. The bushes blocked a clear glimpse of the house, but enough lights could be seen twinkling through the branches that it appeared Luke was home.

After a moment’s thought, Jazy directed Tre J to go slowly to the right. Tre J turned the wheel and crept towards the house.

Clicking open her seatbelt again, Jazy scooted forward and softly explained her logic to me. “We need to be able to see what’s going on without committing you. It’s a rambler, so there’s probably a picture window in front, right?” She must have sensed my nod in the dark car because she went on matter-of-factly, “We can’t get out of the car here and go surveil. It’s too far away. It would be uncouth if we were caught looking in his windows.” I giggled at the term and the image. “If we can get the car close enough, then maybe we can verify Luke’s home and alone, without getting out. If we can’t, having the car close makes it acceptable to be out walking near his front window like we were going to the front door.”

“Hot diggety, Jaz, you really know your stuff! I had no idea classic moves use so much devious strategy.” I was in awe at the unforeseen depths of my baby sister’s ninja stealth knowledge. I teased in a whisper, “Here I thought I’d just go blundering up to the door and ring the bell if he’s home.”

Jazy and Tre J let out similar oaths of hissed surprise. “Don’t be such a stupid ass!” and “Oh, that wouldn’t be smart, Anabel!”

Not offended by their words, I found myself smiling to be creeping up on Luke’s house. I was holding my bated breath while Tre J inched us closer to the dwelling and it became more visible.

Tre buzzed down her window partway, head cocked and listening. We could all hear it then, the sound of loud music playing.

Tre whispered, “He must have a window cracked somewhere.”

Jazy murmured, “This makes life easier. You hear that song? It’s Radiohead, good choice.”

Tre fervently agreed. “I love Radiohead.”

She inched the car to the end of this leg of the driveway, right before it jogged left within a few feet of the foundation of the house. Tre J had hugged the left side of the lane. We were quietly idling, a dark car shadowed by the giant, looming lilac bushes.

I was dutifully peering ahead, trying to see inside the living room through Luke’s front picture window. It was lit up like a small theatre stage. From this angle, I couldn’t see too much. An empty chair, a lamp, and an arched doorway leading into darkness were about it.

My cell phone buzzed loudly in the quiet car. I quickly grabbed it. Using my purse as a covering, I saw a text from an unknown number. Curious, I read it quickly and blew out a surprised breath.

I have important news. Please allow me to tell you. All I ask is 5 min. Mike McClain

Glancing up at the sudden tenseness in the air, I heard Tre’s cautiously murmured, “Well, well, what do we have here?”

“Tre.”

Shoving my phone in my purse, I forgot Mike’s text to concentrate on what was happening. At my sister’s one word instruction, Tre had smoothly put the Honda in reverse and we were backing up.

The car stopped. Jazy made her move and slipped out. She shut the car door closed with a soft click. Poised for action, Tre J was on it. She had reached up and covered the dome light with her gloves. When I glanced back in the direction Jazy had gone, there was no sight of her in the dark night around us.

I didn’t know yet what had them curious, but I was totally impressed at their tandem movements. They worked together like a well-oiled machine. I wondered what these two were up to in their spare time. Did training horses together and being roommates explain why they’d be so in sync at covert operations, or could Jazy and Tre be a couple of female Peeping Tom’s?

“What’s going on, Tre?”

“Look over my way at about ten o’clock. It’s through the bushes on the side of the house. Can you see it?”

I sat forward and strained to see where she pointed. It didn’t take me long to see it, too. Staring fixedly, I couldn’t look away from the sight of Candy’s light blue, Honda Civic parked in Luke’s driveway.

My mind was scrambling to comprehend. I thought back quickly over the past two months for clues to understand why I was seeing Candy’s car at Luke’s. Candy had been over at Reggie’s on the Saturday morning I’d first met Luke last September. I had to assume he’d met her at least that once. I would definitely have remembered being sick if Luke had mentioned hanging out with Candy in any of our ensuing conversations. I don’t vomit frequently enough to not distinctly remember the experience when I do.

To prove my thoughts, a sickening sensation now replaced the excited butterflies in my gut. Staring at her car, I had to conclude this meant one of two things; Luke was dating Candy, or he was friends with her. Either way, he hadn’t mentioned her name to me. I had never told him anything about my past with Candy, so he didn’t know I despised her.

Luke and I had no agreement of exclusivity, but would he be so crass as to be with my cousin? I also realized, exclusivity clause or not, these had to be jealousy pangs twisting up my innards at the idea of Luke being with another woman. Mixed with the pangs of horror that the woman could be my cousin Candy, and I was fighting the need to hurl in disgust. Neither concept was pretty.

I guess there was a third, remote possibility that could not be overlooked. Candy had shown up out of the blue at Luke’s house. He wasn’t seeing her, or friends with her. Maybe he’d let her in because she was selling Girl Scout cookies at ten o’clock at night and he was a good citizen.

Did I say earlier Fate was trying to kick my ass? Obviously, I misspoke. Fate was trying to kick my ass, my gut, my head, my ankle—you name it. This was a full-body contact, slaughterama of a weekend. I am sitting here watching my past comingling with my future, and repeating itself like a remake of a cosmically bad joke.

I fell back in my seat and muttered darkly, “Why does everybody think Radiohead’s so frickin’ great, anyway? Nothing but New Age Pink Floyders.”

Chapter XIV

“Rolling In The Deep” by Adele

Saturday, 11/17/12

10:37 PM

Tre reprimanded me with gentle tolerance over my Radiohead comment, as if I was a cranky preschooler who knew not what she said.

I was waiting with outward calm for Jazy’s return. Inside, I was a snake pit of seething emotions and barely hanging onto my temper. Not racing to the door and finding out for myself what was going on took every ounce of self control I possessed. I really despise waiting around.

I practiced my yoga breathing. I came to a decision. Luke would get the benefit of my doubt unless proven untrustworthy, but not Candy. She knows exactly who she’s messing with tonight.

Candy and Reggie were aware I had a first date with Luke minutes after it was arranged last September. I hadn’t been very subtle grilling Reggie about Luke when he’d left. Reg had teased me unmercifully in front of Candy about Luke and me sniffing after each other like dogs in heat. There was no way Candy didn’t know I was dating Luke.

Candy Anne MacKenzie has been living on borrowed time for the past nine years, and now she needs to die.

Candy takes after her mother’s side of the family in looks. You would never guess we are first cousins, or even related. She is fond of informing people she resembles the celebrity, Tori Spelling. It is true Candy has bulbous, brown eyes.

During our teens, she acted possessed over the fact that I had a larger bra cup size then she did. Candy threw tantrums and made my uncle’s life miserable over this issue. It goes without saying; Daddy soon bought her a new set of boobs. It also goes without saying; once she got her way she went big--as in ginormous. A porn star would be envious Paired up against her thin, slight frame her melon-sized breasts appear painfully huge in proportion.

At first glance, my cousin is an attractively packaged woman complete with factory warrantee. Candy’s skin is tanned mahogany, the hair’s bleached white blonde and long with extensions, the teeth are whitened to that weird purplish-white hue, the make-up is piled on, the eyebrows are plucked to a thin, black half circle, and the eyelashes are false. She dresses and accessorizes expensively with Uncle Trevor’s credit cards, but her taste continues to be questionable. This is from years of Anna and I indirectly influencing her fashion choices, but more on that later.

I’m sure she sees herself as a desirable, hoochie mama that every man lusts after.

I see her as a walking, toxic dumpsite.

Satisfying as it would be to pull Candy out of Luke’s house by the roots of her Chernobyl blonde hair to give her a dermabrasion treatment she’d never forget on the gravel drive tonight, it wasn’t going down that way. My beef with her was of long standing duration. It’s not going to be about Luke.