Stranded (4 page)

“I’m going with you,” he replied.

“I didn’t make you miss work, did I?” she asked in a sudden panic.

“No, no,” he replied. “I have my own business.  I do small construction.  I have a flexible schedule.”

“I don’t want to go home,” she said stubbornly. 

She was clear.  The idea of going back to her place where she wasted time with Daryl Pollard turned her stomach.  She was going to grab some things and go get an apartment.

“So what I was thinking,” she said even though the idea just occurred to her.

“Hold on,” he said. “I gotta spit.”

“That’s what she said,” Naomi joked.

“That’s not what I remember,” he replied, his eyebrows gathered darkly.

Foley stepped out of the bedroom and rinsed his mouth.  He returned and sat on the end of the bed.

“I’m all ears,” he said. “What were you thinking?”

“You know those apartments down at the bottom of the hill behind that strip of businesses?”  she asked.

“Yes,” he replied.

“Well, if I were to rent one of those, would you be comfortable with me asking your friends to help me move?” she asked hopefully.

But the look on his face dashed that hope.  She wondered if she had stepped out of line as she saw his face gather darkly.

“That’s no place for you to live,” he replied.

“Oh my goodness, why not?” she asked with a laugh.

“They’re nasty apartments.  Lotta crime and vagrancy.  No,” he said. “Now there are a couple of cute neighborhoods you can check out but baby, why are you moving?  Kick his ass out.”

“I don’t like the house.  Super awful associations,” she said.

“But it’s
your
house, am I right?” he asked. “Wellingtons have lived in it for as long as I can remember.”

“Yes,” she said, knowing he was right. “Maybe I can kick us both out and rent it to someone.  The energy in that place -- you’d have to feel it for yourself.”

“Okay well first things first,” he said. “Let’s go by your place.  But you can’t go until I feed you.”

Naomi didn’t eat breakfast as a rule but she wasn’t about to tell him that.

“You have been so generous,” she said.  “I can’t thank you enough.”

“Shush,” he said.  “And come eat your grits.”

Grits.  She hopped she didn’t make a face.   Naomi absolutely detested grits and why people around town still ate them was beyond her.  She politely climbed out of bed and freshened herself up for the breakfast table. He poured her a cup of coffee.

“Cream and sugar?” he asked just before he kissed the top of her head.

“I don’t usually but I think I will today,” she said.

The grits were buttered and seasoned with salt and pepper.  She wasn’t sure what exactly else he did to them but they were delicious. She hated them before but they were now her new favorite thing.

“How did you do that?” she asked.

He smiled and gazed at her like he knew somehow she had not been straight with him.

“How did I do what?” he challenged.

“Make these so good?” she said.

“You don’t like grits, do you?” he asked.

“I don’t mind them,” she lied.

“Hm,” he said.  “Wonder what your mother would have to say about that.”

Her mother would back him over her. She knew he was just guessing she hadn’t liked grits but it was a pretty good guess.  Naomi and her mother had spats over breakfast.  Her mother rarely served them but when she did, Naomi was made to eat them.

It was probably not a good idea to mention that her mother had passed away.   Both her mother and father died and left Naomi a sizable chunk. She could afford to move anywhere she wanted to but Foley was right.  Why not make Daryl leave?  If Foley was backing her, she could tolerate the tantrum and a half that Daryl was going to throw.

“So you going to give me a ride over to my place and help me kick Daryl out?” she asked with a grin.

Foley looked at his watch.

“Isn’t he at work?” he asked with a stern look on his face.

He poured himself coffee and sat next to her. 

“Daryl Pollard doesn’t work, he dabbles,” said Naomi with a laugh. 

“But you say the woman I saw him with yesterday was his secretary?  How can he have a secretary and not have a job?”

“Daryl Pollard has a secretary just to be able to say he has has one.  He does draw an income but it goes out the door on himself,” said Naomi.

“Why on earth would you put up with that?” he asked her plainly.

“You know at first he seemed for real.  He was so thoughtful.  Even romantic. My daddy liked him.  And my daddy didn’t like anyone.  He told Daryl, boy if you’re here for a payday, the bank is closed.  Daryl said, sir, I work for a living and my bank is on Main Street down town. And so from then on things were good.  He signed a pre-nup.

But after we were engaged for a while he asked oh so casually about family finances.  I was instructed by my daddy to always cry poor.  Daryl wanted to know why a pre-nup if there was no money,” said Naomi.

“Oh.  So he i
nquired
,” Foley smirked. 

“Oh did he.  He inquired and played it off like he was emotional, making a big step and the fact that I might not have been straight with him threw him,” he said.

Foley rolled his eyes in disgust.

“You might have to stop telling me stories because I really can’t stand the guy,” he said.

“Well he’s not going to be too fond of either of us in a little bit,” she said. “What do I tell him? Git?”

“What did the pre-nup say?” he asked her. 

“It said he gets a small compensation in the event the marriage fails.  Everything else goes to children and to me,” she replied.

“You have children?” asked Foley alertly.

“Yes,” she said wistfully. “I do.  I have three children.”

Foley seemed shocked.

“You’d never know it by looking at you,” he arched his eyebrow.

“They just happened to be spending two weeks with cousins in Charlottesville. Getting some horseback riding in.  Probably smoking cigarettes, who knows,” she said with a laugh.

“How old?” asked Foley with a tilt of his head.

“I got Marlor, she’s sixteen.  I got Wilton, he’s fourteen.  And then my little baby girl Andy is all of eight years old. Oh my goodness, can’t even talk about them I miss them so,” she said.

“How long have they been gone?” asked Foley with concern.

Naomi laughed.  “Day before yesterday.”

“Well they are not in the house right now and that’s a good thing.  The home is about to be busted up.”

“Yep,” she said.  “You are right.”

“Come on,” he said, kissing the side of her head.  “Let’s go.”

“What about my car?” she said.

“Never mind about your car,” he said. “Donny says it most definitely has been sabotaged.  Like I said, we’ll scare you up a car.  In the meantime, let’s ride.”

The breeze was soft and warm against Naomi’s face as she stepped down the front porch to Foley’s bike.  Naomi marveled as he swung his long, well-cut leg over the bike.  It never got old. She had to shake her head.  Finally she followed, mounting behind him.

They rolled down the quick, steep incline out to the service station where her car had died the night before, out onto Route 3, and rode along-side the long length of a cow pasture.  The field was lit with dandelions.

The view from the bike was spectacular.  Holding on tight to Foley Lardner’s amazing body was wondrous.  Naomi was born and bred in Orange and yet experiencing it for the first time in many ways.

Her stomach pulled as the bike took the rise of ‘the hill.’  Her house sat on the very top. It had views of both sides of foothill.  Daryl’s car was in the drive.  Foley pulled in behind him. Naomi drew in a deep breath.  It really wasn’t fair to involve Foley after all.

“Hey I’m going to be fine.  He’s not going to do anything to me in broad daylight. I can handle this myself,” she said.

He raised his eyebrow like she was being silly and waited patiently until she got the message he was not going anywhere.

“After you,” he said in his deep rich voice.

Her stomach was a flutter with butterflies.  It occurred to her that this was the feeling she often got going into her own home.  She tried the door.  It was lock.  She put her key to the knob but her hands were shaking.  Foley closed his big strong hand over hers and steadied it.

As soon as she showed her face, her husband blasted her.  The door was not even all the way opened when Daryl hurled cuss words at her.

“What the fuck do you think-!” he began.

But Foley pressed the door opened wide and showed himself.  When Daryl stopped in his tracks laying eyes on Foley, Naomi needed no other confirmation.  Her husband had indeed asked him to kill her.

“Who is this? Your boyfriend?” he asked.

“No I am her mover,” said Foley. “I am here to throw you out of the house.”

Daryl doubled over with fake laughter.

“Damn boy, that is rich,” he said. “Y'all can both leave my house.”

“My house,” said Naomi. “The house is mine.  Mine and the kids.”

“Honey sweetheart wife of mine,” he replied “You gave it to me as a wedding present.  Signed it over, lot, stock and barrel.”

Naomi flew. If it were not for Foley holding her back, she would have landed at the top of the stairs and tackled her husband.

“Did not! You lousy, lazy, motherfucker!” she shouted.

A quiet knock at the door brought everything to a standstill.  Naomi turned to see the sheriff, John Hayhurst standing behind them.   Naomi was certain he had just heard her use foul language.  He gave her the eye.

“Excuse me folks,” he said all business-like. “A neighbor reported a disturbance.  What’s going on?”

That was odd. She and Foley had just arrived and she had only just raised her voice.  Naomi got on with everyone on the hill.  Her best friend Kay lived two doors down.  She could not think of anyone who would have phoned her being there, in.

“Yes officer, thank you,” said Daryl ultra-politely. “My estranged wife and her boyfriend are trying to make me leave my home.”

“Boyfriend?” John glared at Foley. “Hmm, are you sure about that?”

John was clearly signaling for someone to say no and so Foley did.

“I just gave her a ride,” said Foley. “Her car broke down.  According to the mechanic, it was tampered with.”

“Fuck if it was,” replied Daryl.

Foley gave him an evil glare.

“No one mentioned that you would know anything about it,
Daryl
,”  he said, mocking his name.

Naomi nearly busted over laughing.  She hated her husband’s name.

“Right because as far as I understand, Mr. Pollard, you and Ms. Wellington here are married folk, are you not?” asked John.

“Not for long,” giggle Daryl.

“Yes or no?” John snapped.

“Yes,” said Daryl.

“Well you need to be careful of who you calling ‘boyfriend’ in this case.  Mr. Lardner is likely to file a defamation suit.  You see adultery is a felony here in the state of Virginia.”

Naomi’s friend Kay bright face appeared at the doorway.  The entrance of Naomi’s home was awfully crowded.  John studied Kay before finishing his thought.  He had a strange look on his face like he was calculating.

“Are you the neighbor who called?” he asked. “I know that the request was to remain anonymous but are you she?”

Kay looked awkwardly. 

“I didn’t call anyone,” she said finally.  “I saw your car here and I came over.  I wanted to make sure everyone was okay.”

Naomi gently gripped Kay’s arm.

“She and I are bestie, sheriff.  It’s fine,” said Naomi.

There was some tension still that didn’t make sense.  It felt like it was more than the issue between Daryl and her.   Naomi probably needed rest.  She was just a touch hungover from her one drink and night of hot sex.

John spoke, “Now folks, in a situation like this, either a judge’s decree or a deed of trust would determine who stays and who leaves.  But since you mentioned kids -”

“One moment,” said Daryl with a snap of his fingers. 

And he dashed off to his desk and shoveled around in drawers.

“Right here,” he said.

He shimmied down the front stairs and handed folded papers to the sheriff.  John immediately raised his eyebrows.

“It appears we have a deed,” he said with amusement.

He handed the documents to Naomi.

“This is not my signature.  I didn’t sign this.  This is forged,” said Naomi.

“We can verify this document as legit super fast.  We have a hand writing expert down at the county building.  There’s likely to be a copy one record down at county but it would be real convenient if I had this one.  Mind if I take it?” said John coolly.