Unforgettable (27 page)

“
I want you to be mine. All
mine. Still having your…”

“
Yeah. Couple of more
days.”

“
Can’t modern science do
something about that?”

“
Yeah, it’s called pregnancy
but that brings on another whole set of issues.”

Thursday

Two happy weeks had flown by,
until…

Jack left early for the studio. At nine
I received another shipment of scripts. There were three of them.
David had a brief note that he was still looking for a science
fiction/adventure/romance.

And that he loved me. I read it over
and over feeling his lips…everywhere.

He also included a hefty check.
Nice.

It took me about an hour to go through
the scripts. None of them fit his requirements.

At noon one of the security men I
didn’t know brought me another package. It was heavier than the
scripts.

I put it on the desk and ripped open
the gray bag.

It was a small laptop. I turned it on.
The only thing showing on the desk top was a folder marked: “For My
Dear Friend Sam.”

I stared at it, wishing I had x-ray
vision. I just knew this was not going to be good.

I clicked.

John Black appeared.

“
Hello Sam. I thought you
might enjoy seeing your beloved behind the scenes, when you’re not
around. In the backgrounds you will often see your good friend
Fritz, too.

“
Hmmm. Could it be that
Fritz has been keeping Jack’s secrets from you?”

His words were staccato
stabs.

Pictures followed of Jack and Shandi.
He was sitting and she was in his arms. He kissed her belly and
then moved down. She laughed.

The trembling began in my spine,
vibrating up to my skull. I could not bear this. I had lost all my
strength.

I was dying.

“
Makes you wonder what they
do in private if they do this in public with their clothes on. I
can get you pictures of that, too. Maybe we could watch them
together. My place.”

The next shot was of Jack flirting with
the make-up girl, playing with her breasts.

No moisture was left in my
mouth.

I was dying.

And last was Jack behind a tent kissing
Shandi. He held her just as he had held me. He looked into her eyes
just as he had mine.

“
You see my dear Sam animals
don’t change their spots. Or their stripes. Or their dicks. Jack is
a womanizing ass, always has been, and Fritz keeps his sexy, sweet,
secrets very well.”

He pointed his finger at the camera
like a gun and shot it.

He knew I was dying.

Then he laughed.

A message came on with his phone
number.

“
The offer to Chicago is
still on. And I could line you up with several other wealthy
clients. You are a remarkably sweet ass. I still spend alone time
thinking, imagining your ass as mine. Jack told us it was good. I
believe him. Kiss, kiss.”

It went black.

And I wished I was dead.

The truth bit me. It was over. I would
never hold Jack again, laugh with him, kiss him. No
future.

I don’t know how long I sat
there.

Roger wandered in eating a
sandwich.

“
Hey. Heard you got some
packages…Sam, what’s wrong?”

“
I don’t know what to do…
have to leave… need a place… leave…have to leave now.”

As I spoke the trembling
intensified.

“
Sam…what the hell is going
on?”

He clicked on the icon on the
laptop.

“
Fuck!” he whispered. Not to
me. I wasn’t sure to whom.

“
Fuck. Son of a
bitch.”

I leaned back in the chair and closed
my eyes.

“
I need a place to go. Now.
I need a place, please.”

“
I think you need to talk to
Jack.”

“
Why? No need. It’s
clear.”

I walked to the bar and poured myself a
large scotch spilling a great deal of it. I went to the pool and
sat on the edge. It began to rain. It was an interesting sensation
and I played with the drops on my arm and thigh. I let the rain do
what it wanted. It would anyway.

I didn’t care.

I was dead.

I drank. It was warm and real and put
air in my lungs, quieting the trembling. Rain fell watering down my
scotch.

I heard Fritz and Roger
talking.

He said to Roger, “you just let her sit
out there in the rain? Remind me to never leave you alone with
puppies or small children! Fool!”

He walked to me.

“
Sam, come in. You need to
dry off.”

He helped me up and we walked…he
walked, I stumbled…to his house.

I watched him undress me, peeling my
wet clothes off, like a child. I didn’t care.

I was dead.

He wrapped me in a thick blue
robe.

I seemed to step out of myself, and I
watched as I stood and slapped him as hard as I could.

I didn’t know slapping made your hand
sting. I’d never done it before.

“
I’m sorry, Sam. I’m so
fucking sorry. This is a side of Jack I was hoping you wouldn’t
see.”

The trembling, now fed by the rage,
spread like gangrene. I tried to drink but Fritz took the glass
away from me.

He put his arms around me and I was
surprised that I could accept the comfort.

But I did.

“
How can I help you? What
can I do?”

“
Kill him.”

“’
Don’t think I can do
that.”

“
I’ve got to
leave.”

“
I know. Stay with me, Sam.
Or we can go away. Go find the castles. Make beautiful babies. I
have always loved you. And I always will.”

“
If you did
then…”

“
I know. But the thing you
don’t understand about Jack is that he does love you. I’ve never
seen him with a woman like he is with you.”

“
The lie has killed me. I’m
dead.”

“
No, Sammy. You’re here with
me. You’re going to get through this.”

“’
Not sure I want
to.”

An hour later I was packed and getting
into the car with Roger and Fritz. Fritz said he had a place for
me. I didn’t remember the drive there at all.

The apartment building was at least
twelve stories if not more and made of white cubes staggered on top
of each other, jutting out like boulders in a cliff. Luis was
already there, looking very stern and watchful.

Fritz and Roger looked straight ahead
on the elevator.

“
Penthouse?” I asked. “I
just wanted a small place. Something I could afford.”

Fritz ignored me.

The doors opened to a cavernous
apartment with black marble tile, white and brown furniture, and
wall to wall windows.

“
You can see for
miles.”

“
This was the easiest to
secure,” said Roger.

“
I suppose so unless they’re
coming by helicopter.”

A woman came out of the back somewhere.
She stood in a military stance.

“
This is Jess. She’ll be
here the next twenty four hours. Perhaps longer.” We shook hands.
She didn’t smile. She retreated back to the rooms that I could not
see. All I knew was that she was heavily armed.

“
We also have two people
downstairs. They have walkie talkies. This is how you lock the
elevator.” Roger showed me how to use everything. “I’m going on
record, Sam, that you’d be better off back at the compound. I
called Silverman. He was pissed.”

I nodded. I felt like a scared,
sniffling kid being dropped off at camp. I didn’t want this. I
wanted to go back. I didn’t want this death.

“
I can stay,” Fritz offered.
He did not touch me.

I shook my head.

“
Jack is going to come
over,” he warned.

“
I don’t want to see him.
Thank you both, very much.” I had to turn away as the elevator
doors closed.

The silence was a hungry serpent,
swallowing me inch by inch. I wandered into the chrome and granite
kitchen, pouring myself another scotch. There was a pantry full of
comfort foods, but none of Sarah’s chocolate chip roasted almond
cookies. I took a package of pecan sandies out.

The sounds of the ice rattling in my
glass and the cookie crunching in my mouth were the only evidence
that I existed here.

The scotch warmed the places where the
shards of pain pierced me.

Chief Matthews was nude, as
were his two seconds in command, Jameson and Rudy. The three
prostitutes were busy tying a fourth one to an X shaped device
built specifically for this bondage.

Rudy was ready. He began
the erotic torture, blindfolding the young woman, clamping her
nipples, and pulling out the cat of nine tails.

He kissed her and then
gagged her.

"My good slut," he
whispered as he began.

"Chief," Jameson said. "We
have to talk about the Governor and the Mayor."

"No we don't."

"They're investigating.
Asking questions."

"Slut!" he called the tall,
black woman to him. She automatically knelt before him.

He moaned.

"I've got a year and a half
to retirement. I can skate from here. Ah, baby that's good. Good
slut..."

"Chief, you gotta take this
seriously. I think they've got people in the ranks."

The Chief leaned back,
climbing higher.

"Shut up, Jameson. They've
got Silverman and a couple more I know. And it's your job to make
sure they're about as impotent as...this old man's
cock."

He laughed.

"And if you
don't...well...you're pretty enough...prison will be good for
you."

He opened his eyes and
winked at Jameson.

My phone went off waking me which was a
surprise since I hadn’t known I was asleep.

It was David.

“
I heard,” he
said.

“
Yes. I’m…well, I’m in this
big white apartment building. Not sure where.”

“
I know. I’m coming
over.”

“
No.”

“
Why?”

“
Because I’ll cry and we’ll
end up in bed.”

“
And that would be bad
because…”

“’
Just not
ready.”

“
I don’t like you being
alone right now. I really wish you would come and stay with
me.”

“
Can’t.”

“
Sam. What am I going to do
with you?”

“
Did you know about
Jack…screwing everything in arm’s reach?”

“
Not the particulars. I saw
the video. I’m so sorry, Sam. Please let me come over. I’ll bring
dinner.”

“
Perhaps tomorrow. Can you
have any scripts delivered here? It will give me something to do
besides turning my liver into Swiss cheese.”

I thanked him and hung up.

My phone rang. I knew who it was before
I checked. I didn’t answer.

He called again and again. And then
silence.

An hour later the elevator opened and
there was Jack, his jaw red and swollen.

“
Leave!” I yelled at
him.

“
No, we have to
talk.”

“
Leave or I’ll have you
escorted out.”

“
They’re working for
me.”

“
Damn you. There’s nothing
to say, Jack. Except, perhaps, why? Wasn’t I good enough? Was I
too…something or not enough something? I’ve been sitting here
trying to figure it out.”

“
Sit down,” he motioned to
the couch.

“
You know, I’ve been
thinking all afternoon about what you were like when we met. How
you flirted, you grabbed a kiss when you could, you constantly
tried to seduce me. And I thought it was because you really liked
me. I was so naïve.”

“
It
was
because I liked you. I was drawn
to you…unbelievably drawn.”

“
No. That’s the core of the
lie. It was the
game.
It was a
challenge
. And that’s what it is with every woman you meet. And you
know what else I figured out? That’s the way it will always be for
you. Did you fuck her?”

He was silent.

I was breathing as if I’d run a mile in
galoshes. I could no longer hold it in. I put my face in the rough
couch cushion and cried and sobbed and raged.

I was dead.

“
I loved you more than I’ve
loved anyone in my life.” The words spit at him.