Looking Out for Lexy (33 page)

             
Jack continued down the steps, his back to them. 

             
“Jack, you can’t just leave without telling me why.  Hold on.”  Chris ran down the steps and grabbed him by the arm.

             
“Take your hands off me, Chris!”  Jack ripped his arm away and continued walking.

             
“Wyatt!  At least tell me why.  Jack.  Jack!  As a friend if nothing else.  What’s going on?” 

             
Jack stopped and slowly turned towards him.  He looked at Gina standing in the doorway, watching him coolly.  He stared back, his eyes nearly black with anger.

             
“Ask her.  Ask your leading....lady.  Maybe you will want to take the extra days out of her salary...or something else.” 

         He spun around and strode away, leaving them both staring after him.  Brandt turned to Gina.  She smiled at him weakly.  She had a lot of explaining to do and as far as Brandt was concerned.  It better be good.  He started toward her as he heard the jeep start up and roar out of the camp.  The shouting began as a cloud of dust rose in the distance.

Thirty-one

Lexy opened the door to the soup kitchen quickly closing it after her.  She needed to be alone to compose herself before the rest of the staff came in.  She had kept it together until Sunday.  April had tried to console her that day, but nothing had worked.  She knew it had been Jack calling her that Saturday morning, but her pride had kept her from answering.  He had not tried to call again.  So much for that romance. 

              If that were not bad enough, Tom had called the same day to tell her he was getting married again.  Great!  All good things happen at once.  She had put on a good show for Ryan and Jessie.  As far as they were concerned their mom had a great time with her new boy friend, but it was nothing more, in spite of the fact that they had really liked him.  They had taken off for whatever activities they were involved in, forgetting about it already. Lexy looked forlorn and felt even worse.

    
              She went over to the window of the large old kitchen looking out at the cold, cloudless sky, sighing, remembering how she had felt a few short weeks ago looking out this same window.  She folded her arms about herself and shivered.  How a person’s life could change from one of happiness to misery in a few short hours was amazing.  Well, she would pull herself together again.  If she could just stop thinking about his kiss, his hands in her hair, fondling her....Lexy shook away those thoughts as  April walked in the door.

             
“Are you going to be okay?”

             
“I’m fine. Going through next month’s menu will keep me occupied.”

         “You know I'm here if you need me.”

              "Thanks April.  Things can't get worse than they are, I'm sure."  But they did.

              Lexy was startled as the doorbell rang that evening.  She had been working on a presentation for the head of her department to keep her mind occupied so as not to think of Jack.  If she did think of him it got her so angry she was not able to concentrate.  Lexy had already figured out a hundred ways to get back at him.  The only thing was, she concluded, he didn’t care. 

             
And she had played the fool.  That had made her cry.  Well, this lady was through crying.  The trouble was, she couldn’t force him completely from her mind.  Now, she began to berate herself.  She could find every viable reason not to like herself so why should he love her?  How stupid and naive could one person be! 

             
Lexy got up to answer the door. Tom and Denise stood in the doorway. 
Great!  Just what I need!  Well, really rub your face into the ground, Lexy
.

    
              “Hello Lexy.  May we come in?”  Tom looked smug as Lexy stepped aside to let them in.  “I see the old place hasn’t changed.  I figured that you would throw out everything that reminded you of me.”

    
              “Don’t flatter yourself Tom.”  Lexy was sarcastic, the old familiar frost creeping back into her voice.  That was better.  To be in control again made her feel stronger.

             
“You know, Lexy,” Denise interjected, “Your things are a little behind the times.  Maybe I could come over and give you some tips on how to get you out of the Nineties.” 

             
Denise’s nasal voice grated on her.  Maybe she was a slim, attractive blonde in her twenties, but she was still a bimbo, Lexy observed.  She didn’t favor her with an answer.

             
“What do you want, Tom.  I can see this is not a social call.  Get to the point.”  The frost had turned to ice.

             
“Actually, we came to discuss our wedding plans with you.  I hope that doesn’t bother you.  By the way, where is your friend?  We haven’t seen him around lately.  Did he get tired of you already?”  Lexy ignored Tom’s last remark, her heart sinking at the mention of Jack.  How could she have ever lived with
this louse, anyway?               

             
“Why would I have any interest what so ever in your wedding plans, Tom?”  She deliberately left Denise out of the picture as she addressed only Tom.

             
“I want the kids to be part of our wedding.”

    
              “Now that is interesting,” she said caustically.  “Why not give them the back child support money instead of spending money on them to be in your wedding?”

   
              “Real funny, Lexy.  We were not planning on us spending the money on them.  We just want them to be there.  Is that too much for a father to ask, to have his kids at his wedding?”

    
              “I see.  You want to make yourself appear as father of the year.  With this bimbo by your side, you will look like the perfect family of the new millennium!” 

             
Lexy couldn’t help herself.  She was not usually this ungracious, but the combination of everything going wrong in her life at the moment, got the better of her good judgment.

    
              “Let’s go, Tom.”  Denise whined in the nasal voice of hers. “I don’t have to stand here and be insulted by your ex-wife just because you left her for something better!”

             
“I’ll say one thing for you, Lexy, you have a lot of nerve.”  He took a menacing step toward her, his fists balled at his side.  She backed away quickly.

    
              Suddenly Lexy was very tired of it all.  She was tired of fighting, tired of everything. 

             
“Tom, call and talk to the kids yourself.  They’re not here right now.  I am sure they will be happy to join you for you celebration.  And one more thing.  We’re not married anymore, so don’t ever threaten me or touch me again.”

   
              Tom smiled that slow, menacing smile she had seen so many times before. 

             
“Now why would I want to do that, Lexy?”  He turned abruptly making her jump slightly.  “I’ll be in touch.”  He started to walk out the door, satisfied that he had made her nervous.

    
              “Fine.  Now if you don’t mind, I have a lot of work to do.”

    
              As they were leaving Tom turned back to her.  “You and your
friend are invited, of course.  If he’s still around!”

             
He always had to have the last word!  She closed the door in his face, relieved that he was on the other side.  She could feel her eyes welling up with tears.  Lexy determinedly march back to her desk.  The tears started spilling on the papers she was working on.  She put her head down in her arms and began to sob. 

             
“Why can’t he just leave me alone.”  She lifted her head angrily, brushing the tears away.  “I can’t concentrate on this now.  Sleep.  That’s what I need.”  She rose up shakily and headed for her bedroom.  Slipping into her nightshirt, Lexy closed her eyes,  finally drifting into a fitful sleep.

Thirty-one

              “Get up Lexy girl, get up!”  Someone was shaking her.  She couldn’t move her limbs, her eyes refused to open.  “I said, Get up, Lexy.  Now!"

             
Lexy's eyes suddenly flew open.  At the same moment the smell of rancid liquor slammed against her senses, causing her bolt upright. 

Tom’s face was within inches of hers.  The gravity of the situation hit her simultaneously.

              “What are doing here?  In my bedroom.  In my house?  How did you get in?”  Her head was spinning.

             
“I still have a key, Lexy girl.  For times just like this.  In case you’ve forgotten, this was
my
house,
my
bed, too.”  His breath nearly made her faint.

             
She shrank from him.  And took a deep breath.  “You’ve been drinking, Tom.  I think you should go home.  This isn’t your house anymore.”

             
He grabbed her arms and yanked her off the bed, causing her fall against him.  He staggered out the door of the bedroom, dragging her with him.  “You little whore.  I’ll kill you before I let another man take my place in my kid’s lives.”  Tom pulled her close to him, his nails digging into her flesh. 

             
“And don’t think I didn’t know about Ryan from the beginning.  Remember, he’s
my
son.  It’s my name on his birth certificate.  Not that no good bum you are so fond of.  It wasn't him that was there when you were pregnant.  You never forgot him, did you Lexy?  He came between us every time we made love.” 

             
Lexy strove to free herself.  “Tom, please.  No one will take your place, I promise.  We...we can talk about this.”  She struggled to keep her composure, all the nightmares coming back. 

             
“Come on Tom.  Let’s talk.  Over here.”  She pointed towards the sofa, her mind working overtime, trying to figure a way to get to the phone to call for help.

             
“Not on your life, Lexy-Bitch!  I know your sneaky, conniving ways.  Like the time you called the cops.  Tell me now that you didn’t mean to do it.  You didn’t mean to make a fool out of me.”  He pulled her closer.  “I’ll show you who’s boss and you’ll like it, bitch.  A bitch in heat.  I want some of what
he’s
getting.”  His mouth came down on hers, savagely.  His hands grabbed her breasts and squeezed them until she cried out in pain.  Lexy turned her head, trying to free herself. 

             
“Tom, please!  Don’t do this.  Let me go.”  She pushed him with all her strength.

             
He held her at arm’s length.  “All right, Lexy.”  Without warning the back of his hand slammed across her face, sending her careening into the wall.  She fell, a warm sticky substance oozing down the side of her face, as waves of unconsciousness  were taking over. 

             
Through the haze she heard Tom cry out in pain.  A sickening crunch followed. She fought to stay conscious, drifting in and out of a fog.  She heard a familiar voice that seemed far away, as if it were an echo in a canyon. 

             
“You stinking, lousy, drunken creep!  Don’t ever come near Lexy again.  This is just a sample of what you’ll get.”

             
Jack picked Tom up off the floor.  “Do you recognize me now, Tom?  The kid you nearly beat to death that night on the beach?  This is for me too.”  Tom’s eyes opened wide as Jack opened the door, throwing him out head first.  “Don’t ever try to see her again.  You’ll regret the day you come near her way again.”

             
"Mom.  Jack.  What's going on.  What happened. Mom!"  Dimly, Lexy could hear voices far away.

             
"It's okay, kids.  Your...father, Tom was drunk and hit your mom.  Ryan.  You’ll have to take care of things around here.  I'm taking your mom to the hospital."

             
"But I-

             
"Not now, buddy.  I need you here.  Your sister needs you."  Jess was sobbing, trying to hold Lexy.  Jack lifted her gently and gave her to Ryan.

             
"Go on, son.  Take her to her room and stay with her.  I'll call you from the hospital."  An understanding look passed between the man and the boy.  Ryan led Jess away, turning once to gaze at the dark haired man beside his mother.