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Chapter 24
Planes are an odd thing. They never land on time. Normally they're late, but never on time. Today they happened to work for my advantage and be half and hour early. I raced over to Brian's and took down everything I put up. My last stop was his room. I took down the cameras, the microphones and the tape recorders.
I sat on his bed and sighed as I finished. I stuffed the last of it into my bag and looked around. When I put this stuff in I could have cared less what was in here…now…it was all so very important. I picked up a basketball by his bed and immediately set it back down. Tears threatened to show when I touched it. Crying was something I wouldn't do. Never.
I thought about the ending of our date and the things I told him. I touched my lips remembering the taste of his kiss. That is something I'll savor forever.
11:55 PM the night before
"Brian I had a lot of fun."
He laughed, "I'm sorry I fell a sleep. You were just so warm and comfy." He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and held me close. I rested against him and he against my car hood.
"I didn't mind." I smiled at him. We were about the same height, but I never paid that much attention. Now I found myself paying attention to everything.
"I'm glad." He leaned down and grazed his lips over mine, barely touching, but enough to taste the fire between us.
I couldn't take it so I took the intuitive and pressed my lips harder against his. I could tell he was a little surprised, but he responded anyway. His arms lowered around me, resting just below my shoulder blades and pulling me closer. My hands and fingers roamed his still bare back.
When we broke I was breathless, as he always seemed to make me. He had a fire about him I could figure out and didn't want to. It's what I like most about him and it was what was making so hard to say.
I reached into my back pocket and produced a standard white envelope. "Brian I'm giving you my phone number and my address."
He smiled, "Whoa and only three dates. Should I feel special?"
"Very. Very few know my number and only one other knows my address. I have a privet life that I don't talk about and don't like to."
He looked at the envelope, one arm still around me. "Should I open it now?"
"No." I rested one hand on the hand that held the envelope. "Brian things will change after I leave today. They're going to change more than I think you're ready for."
"What are you saying?" His eyes questioned more than his words.
I looked down, unable to meet his eyes and keep going. "I'm going to be on TV and I want you to watch."
"You're going to be on TV? When?" He smiled overjoyed for me.
"Tomorrow at 5. I'll be on CNN."
"Hey, the big leagues." He hugged me tight.
"Brian, wait. The things I'm going to talk about I can't tell you, but I'm going to warn you, you won't like them and you won't like me. I'm not who you think I am and I don't do what you think I do. Nick was right about me. I'm a liar and I don't fix computers. It was something I picked up along the way. I…I can't tell you what I do right now and I can't tell you anything else. Just watch the show and if you have any thing to say, you hate me, just don't like me or if you want to come yell at me come do it. Or call and do it." He let me go and took a step from the car and me.
I knew he would but I didn't think it could hurt so much. I turned to look at his unrelenting blue eyes. They were both hurt and still questioning.
"What? Nick was right?" He turned from me and tapped his palm with the envelope. "So should I be prepared for the worst tomorrow?"
"Yes."
He nodded. "Thank you for warning me. It might have hurt more coming from you with out it."
At first his words didn't register, but then I understood, he meant flipping on the channel and seeing me tell the world what ever it was I was going to say.
"I don't think I can say you're welcome. You are, but I don't think it would do any good."
"It's the thought that counts."
I really didn't get him then. "How can you not be yelling at me? I just told you that your best friend's suspicions were right and that tomorrow I'm going on TV to tell the world…"
"Tell the world what?" He turned, his whole being questioning.
I told myself to breathe; there'd be no good coming of me fainting because I forgot to breathe everytime I looked at him.
"I can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"I just can't." I rested against the car. "I wish I had done this better. I have the time of my life when I'm with you and then…how can I do this tomorrow if I can't even talk to you?" I was talking more to myself than Brian.
He stepped closer to me and his eyes probed. He leaned down and kissed me softly. "I pray what you have to say tomorrow doesn't change the way you kiss."
Present day- 10:30
I snapped back to reality and checked my watch. I grabbed my bag and headed for the front of the house. I connected the alarm wires and set it to turn on in five minutes. I headed for the back of the house and exited without anybody noticing. I headed down the highway and had to stop at a traffic jam.
I picked up my cell and called Jake. While I waited for him to pick up I noticed the same black Lincoln a few lanes open. The window behind the passenger went down and a small antenna was placed on the hood by a black gloved hand.
"Hey babe," Jake joked.
"Listen Robby I'm stuck in traffic. I won't be able to make our date."
"Aww that too bad. I was looking forward to our little date."
"I know it's a pity, huh?"
"Oh yeah. Gees!"
"What's wrong?"
"Some cat almost got run over out front of Readers Lounge. Animals can be really dumb."
"I'll call you later babe." I hung up the phone. Looking back at the lane the black Lincoln was gone. I turned in my seat and now they were behind me. "What the?" The cars started moving and I floored it. My wimpy rental car nearly blew the breaks when I made sharp turns back and forth between the cars.
"I'm getting too old for this." I made another sharp turn. "I'm tired of this." I looked in my rear view mirror and they still followed. "Don't they get it? No, of course not. I'm traitor now." I flew over two lanes nearly crashing into three cars.
I lost them with that and when my cell phone started ringing I chucked it out the passenger window.
I floored it to the hotel Jake was at. He came out to greet me.
"Jake I quit. After today that's it." I tossed the black bag at his feet. "Oh and thanks for the directions."
He smiled, "Good to hear."
I sighed. "I need some sleep. Get rid of that car. Get rid of that crap and get the heck out of my face…for good."
He picked up bag from the ground and smiled. I held out the keys for him to take and he did. Next he hugged me. "Don't kill your self."
"I'm almost out, why would I do something like that now?"
"Because you would…for him." He smiled and moved passed me for the car. He tossed me a key card and slid into the car. I watched as he drove off.
"Half way there."
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