The Job (Volume One) (8 page)

“You can have anything you want, but I don’t have much…” I stutter as my body begins to shake.

“You can reach into your bag and hand me that four hundred dollars back. Once you do that, you turn and walk out. If you call the cops, I will tell them all about you and how much you wanted me to pay you. You don’t want to go to jail for being a whore now do you?” I reach for my purse slowly, as he eyes every move I make. My body is shaking and I drop my bag twice before I can grip it and pull the money out.

Tossing it on the coffee table, I turn and run for the front door never looking back at him. Once I am inside my car, I lock the doors and fire the car to life, flying in reverse out of his driveway and screeching my tires down the narrow beach road.

All of my reservations come flooding back into my mind. What an absolute naive asshole I’ve been all along thinking this would actually be a good idea. I should have known something like this was bound to happen to me. Guys who are picking women up off of the internet, especially a creepy ass website like Craigslist, aren’t going to be good people. Not every one of these men are going to be a Brian. Hell, none of them are going to be anything like him. The one good experience doing this was all I am going to get and I should have known that when I walked out of his house that morning.

I’m not stupid and I’ve watched all those shows on OWN. I know women like me disappear and are never heard from again. That is it! There is no way I am going to go back on that website. I am going to delete the ad, delete all my emails and be done with it all. This was all a big mistake.

I drive home faster than usual, with my heart beating steadily against my chest. I’m lucky he didn’t hurt me or do something worse! And now, I have no one to run to. I have no one to talk to. No one to confide in about my own damn stupidity. I’m alone, and I’m scared. And it is all my own fault.

The worst part of that entire experience was the fact that after leaving that scumbag’s house, I had to go and pick my children up from school. Shaking and panicked and in absolutely no condition to take care of them. Not only did I feel like a giant piece of shit, but I felt even worse because I know I literally could not function as a parent that moment in time. As soon as I got home and set them all up with a snack and homework, I retreated to my bathroom, locked the door and cried. Which is where I find myself now. Curled up in a ball on my bathroom floor, crying hysterically for being so fucking dumb.

How did I think I could actually get away with doing something like this? How did I ever think any of this was a good idea? Oh, that’s right. It’s called desperation. It’s called nowhere else to turn. My phone rings and I ignore it. My text tone goes off and I ignore it. Once, twice, three times, and someone is blowing my phone up. I want no part of it. I don’t want to talk to anyone when I am having a breakdown like this.

I wipe away my dripping mascara and stand eyeing myself in the giant mirror over the spacious double sinks. His and hers, I insisted on when we bought the house. This house… that is the problem. This life… that is the problem. The lies I live on a daily basis… is the problem. I’m not over everything that has happened despite all the lies I’ve told myself. My phone rings again, and looking down at the number I don’t recognize it. I take a deep breath in and answer, pretending I haven’t been crying.

“Hello?”

“Madeline?” his voice is deep on the other end, sending a chill through my body. I don’t need to ask who it is, because I could never forget his voice. Not in a million years.

“How did you get my number?” I ask Brian, even though I know it is a really stupid question. A man like him could track anyone down.

“I put my number in your phone as well, when you were sleeping. I figured by now you would have realized it, but I guess not.” He lets out a chuckle and I’m just not amused. Nothing could bring me to laugh or even smile right now. And he wants to chit chat.

“It really isn’t a good time right now, Brian.” My voice trembles and a stray tear falls onto the vanity.

“You’ve been crying,” he says, as I sniffle into the phone line giving myself away.

“I appreciate your concern, but I really don’t want to talk right now. I’m sorry.” I’m trying to end the conversation, but I don’t think he is going to let me.

“Something happened to you, didn’t it?” I nod, as if he can see me. Silence fills the phone line, and I can hear the tone of his voice change. “Madeline, tell me.” He is stern and demanding. I want to tell him. I want to spill everything to him, but I can’t get a word out over the lump in my throat. I’m trying to hold my tears back, but they are just flowing like a river now. The only thing in the world that could fix any of this is Brian, and he is a stranger to me.

“Madeline, hang up the phone and text me your address. Now. I’m on my way there and I won’t take no for an answer.”

“But… my children…” I whisper into the line, as I take a seat on the floor once again.

“Your children will be fine. I’m coming over there to take care of a
friend
. Text me your address now.” The phone line goes dead and I just stare at my phone wondering what I should do. I don’t want to upset him. I know he is probably running to his car right now, getting to me as fast as he can. I don’t want him to be my knight in shining armor. I don’t want him or any man to save me, but for once I think I need to let my guard down and let him. I got myself into a bad mess this time around and even though I managed to get myself out… kind of…I don’t know what to do from here.

I’m sad and I’m alone. I shouldn’t be alone, that is for sure. I type out my address in a text message and press send before saving his phone number in my contacts with his name. My phone pings again alerting me of a text message. Looking down on the screen, I see Brian’s name, and open it immediately.

I don’t care what you did. I’m on my way and I am going to make it better.

I don’t know what I ever did in my life to deserve someone who cares about me this much, without even knowing anything about me; but right now I know he is exactly what I need. I splash some water on my face, cleaning off the remainder of makeup I didn’t cry off and try to make myself look somewhat okay. For my children, not anyone else.

When I come downstairs, the children are exactly where I left them and none bother to even acknowledge me. I am relived to an extent, but I have to warn them about the
friend
I have coming over shortly. If I don’t say anything at all, I am sure they will immediately run back to Drew with some wild tale. Especially Trenton.

“Hey guys, a friend of mine is going to be stopping over shortly to help me with my process of finding a job. I want you to be on your best behavior with Mr. Thompson, okay?” I cringe while I wait for them to answer me. “He is nice enough to come and help me since my resume is outdated. I don’t want you guys being rude. Do you understand?” Finally they begin to acknowledge me one by one. Grace smiles big and starts to ask a million questions about Brian. Most of which I don’t have any answers for.

“Mommy does he like Sofia?” She smiles at me, pointing at the Disney character on her t-shirt.

“I’m sure Mr. Thompson doesn’t know who she is, baby girl.”

“Does he have kids too?” She continues her interrogation.

“Yes honey. But, they are older.”

“Is Mr. Thompson old?” I laugh at her question just as the doorbell rings. My goodness, he got here quick. I turn from the kitchen and wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans before opening the door.

And that is when the shock sets in…

“Drew, what are you doing here?” I ask my ex-husband who decides it is alright to casually walk into my house.

“Now is not a good time. I have company on the way over.” I cut him off and try to block him from getting any further into the house.

“I told Trenton I would bring him to the mall tonight. He didn’t tell you?” Drew asks me while Trenton runs past me and right out the front door.

“No, he didn’t tell me. Sometimes, you put a little too much faith in that boy. Next time, just text me the plan, alright?” I’m short with him and annoyed because Trenton’s recent behavior doesn’t deserve a trip to the mall, but I’m also glad because the boy needs new jeans and I just haven’t had the money to dish out for them. “He needs some new jeans as well, so you can grab them while you’re there.” I add and give him that shit eating grin I always used when I got my way.

“I’ll make sure he gets dinner as well.” Drew adds while he starts to walk out the door. Just as he makes his way down the front steps, a small silver sports car whips into the driveway and Brian emerges.

Shit. Fuck. Crapbasket! How am I going to explain this? I hope Drew continues on his way to the car where Trenton sits, perched in the front seat waiting for him.

“Brian Thompson?” Drew questions while Brian briskly walks up the front steps.

“Drew Anderson. Fancy seeing you here. If you’ll excuse me, I’m here to see Madeline.” He walks right past Drew, completely brushing him off and my shitty ex-husband only stands there watching like a deer in headlights.

“How do you two know each other?” Drew asks from behind Brian.

“We’re dating.” Brian dryly replies. “You walked out on an amazing woman.” He includes while walking up the steps, pressing a chaste kiss onto my cheek and entering my home like he actually belongs here. Like we are actually dating, and that it wasn’t some bold faced lie.
Why would he even say that to Drew?

“Dating, Maddie?” Drew asks me.

“What does it matter to you? It’s not any of your business.” I say back, trying to get my wits about me still.

“My kids live here. It is my business.” Drew throws back in my direction and I am pissed. Like not even mildly mad, or even annoyed like I usually am with him. I am officially momma bear pissed.

“Drew, seriously? You live with a twenty something bimbo who thinks go-karting is a freaking sport and you are going to give me shit about having company over at dinner time? If you want to make a problem of it, I’ll make sure Little Miss Botox can’t be there when MY children are there. I’m sure she’ll really love being kicked out of her
home
every weekend.” I turn around, and make my way for the door only coming to a stop once I’ve slammed the front door and can see him through the side window standing there in shock that for once, I have stood up to him.

“You mean to tell me Drew Anderson is your ex-husband?” Brian asks me flatly when I turn around. “Madeline, there is so much I don’t know about you… but I think that all needs to take a back burner for now. Is there someplace we can go to talk?” He says while looking right at my children.

“Grace, Brady, meet Mr. Thompson.” Both children acknowledge him momentarily before going back to whatever they were doing before.

“We can go upstairs… to talk.” I say to Brian quietly and lead the way. Each step I take up the stairs, I am hyper aware of his eyes on me, following every move I am making up the stairs. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t swing my ass just a little more than I normally would the million times a day I climb up and down these stairs.

“You’re trying to tempt me, Madeline.” His voice is deep and filled with hunger. If I didn’t know any better, I would think he was going to bend me over the instant we hit my bedroom. But, with my children downstairs I know he wouldn’t even think about it.