Previously...
A musty scent fills the room as the gentleman takes off his coat. Licking his lips, he stares at Valerie
and shoots a sinful smile in her direction. Val looks back with a half-hearted smile at the man who must be nearing sixty. Certainly old enough to be her father, she wonders if that is what sparked her initial attraction to the man.
When she
first received his call earlier this afternoon, his scraggly voice seemed to be somewhat of an attraction to her. She knew the type quite well; someone who held a secret obsession for younger women that he could never reveal to his wife and children. When she initially heard the word 'discrete' she became intrigued. Indeed, it was her whole lifestyle and occupation that had to be discrete. No one could ever know what she did each night before she returned home.
"You are far more attractive than I thought you would be...Jesus, you could easily model."
Valerie bashfully looks away and smiles. "Thank you. You are too kind."
"I'm just being honest. Your pictures online do you no justice."
"Again, I thank you very much, Mr. Jones."
She knew very well that Mr. Jones wasn't his real name. In fact, she knew that these men hardly ever used their real names. Always going by these silly aliases, she understood the reasons quite well. Most of these men were married and held very prominent positions in the community. It would be a true crime if it ever came out that one of them was sleeping with another woman- especially at the price each would pay.
The man slowly grows closer to Valerie and caresses her cheek with his wrinkled hand. The feeling is comforting to Val, trying her best to push out any feelings of disgust.
"Come here," the man commands her as he removes his hand from her cheek and motions for her to come closer. The two soon touch again as the man plants a series of small kisses on her neck. He then slowly begins to take off her jacket and then begins rubbing her back which sends a shiver down her spine.
For some reason, she begins to feel quite uncomfortable about the whole situation. She reminds herself that it will only be for one night- that's what she loves so much about her job. She is always in total control and she knows it...if she never wants to see a man again, she can easily ignore his next call. It was the true beauty of it all- Val hated being tied down to one man. It made her feel like she wanted to just shut down, perhaps those same feelings that began to arise after she went on a few dates with Terrence.
Suddenly her phone rings quite loudly as they both seem to simultaneously roll their eyes. She knew the importance of turning off her cell before she met each new 'client', perhaps she was distracted today for some reason.
She quickly breaks off the
embrace and walks over
to the nightstand where she picks up her phone. Ready to turn off her cell, she quickly glances at a message from Kayla that reads that there is an urgent situation and that she needs to come to the house immediately. She immediately begins to fear that something has happened to Haylie.
Without thinking twice, Valerie apologizes to Mr.
Jones and grabs her jacket before shutting the door behind her. She takes
a deep breath before continuing to her car and thanks God that she got out
of an uncomfortable situation. She still feels dirty after being kissed by
the man though- she is certainly in no state to see her family right now.
Still, the text seemed urgent enough. She would soon be on her way to see
what exactly Kayla wanted.
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Scene: The Preston Residence. College Oaks District.
Kayla
shuts off her cell phone and paces around the room with great feelings of remorse. While she hasn't set her current plan into action yet, she realizes there will be many hurt in the process. She tossed and turned all night while her husband slept well; she was living a nightmare he could never understand. She got up several times last night to simply stare at her beautiful daughter- for it was Haylie who had gotten her this far.
It was Haylie that kept Kayla going all this time.
But when would everything come crumbling down? When would Kayla draw her last breath of frustration? She mulled over these very questions all night and realized that there was no going back at this point- she knew what she had to do.
Sadness begins to flood her eyes now as she looks over at her precious daughter. With sparkling blue eyes and hair of gold, Haylie lies in her crib and stares back at her mother. Too young to ever understand the current predicament her mother is in, or to realize that Kayla simply wants the best for her, Haylie slowly begins to close her tired eyes.
A tear begins to trickle down the side of Kayla's cheek as a few more begin to follow. Could she really have the courage to leave everything behind- even her own flesh and blood? Perhaps it wasn't courage at all that she would need; maybe she was just being selfish. She begins to think to herself that leaving Haylie with Rick won't be the best scenario for the child. After all, God only knows if Rick will have the troublemaker Liz help rear the child. The thought of Liz even touching her baby made her sick to her stomach.
Of course this is the decision that Kayla had made. She would no longer have any say about her daughter's upbringing if she left tonight...and it was only a matter of minutes before Val would arrive.
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Scene: Chez Rendezvous.
Jason
instantly admires Lucas'
attire as he walks into the restaurant. Following him closely, the two are soon greeted by the maitre'd and are quickly taken to their seats. Easily being the most popular restaurant in town, Jason takes it as a total surprise that there is no wait. Perhaps it's a good sign that the evening will go well. After all, it's been weeks since the two have conversed. Jason, feeling as if he owed it to himself to apologize to Lucas, felt it would be a nice gesture to take him out to dinner.
"This place is definitely nice," Lucas smiles before seating himself.
"Yeah, it's one of the premiere touristy places to go- and a favorite for the locals too. The views of the ocean here are phenomenal."
"I can see that," Lucas replies as he looks out the window and admires the view. "I can see why so many people would come here."
Jason nods. "Apparently it's just a slow night. Lucky for us though, usually there's quite a wait."
"Well, it is a Tuesday after all. I really appreciate you inviting me out, by the way. Working those four twelve-hour shifts a week has been killing me. It's nice to get out of the City for a while and experience something new."
"The life of nursingI can only imagine," Jason replies. "I take my schedule at school for granted. I don't know what I would do if I had to work weekends."
"Yeah, teachers do have a pretty awesome schedule. Nursing isn't all that bad though.like teaching, it's rewarding. And I do get three days off per week, which is relaxing."
"Well, I'm glad I caught you on one of your days off."
"I was actually surprised by your call," Lucas says. "I hadn't heard from you in weeksI didn't know what had happened."
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I've just been busy with school and also with a lot of other things that are on my mind right now."
"Like?"
"I don't know"
"I'm sorry, if it's too personal you don't have to talk about it."
"No, it's cool.school is just stressing me out and I'm contemplating whether I want to teach again next year. Stress is the last thing I need right now."
"I hear ya on that one. So what else is going on?"
"Well, I think I'm finally getting some closure with Keith- if that's possible at all given the situation. I just really wanted to apologize-"
"No need at all, Jason. We were both very hurt and you had every right to ask questions."
"Thanks for understanding," Jason nods and smiles back. "It really means a lot. I mean, I did give you the third degree. I'm surprised you're even speaking to me."
"Hey, we can always use friends, right?" Lucas responds as he peruses the menu in aww. "Man, there are a lot of great dishes on here."
"You are right on that one."
"So I ran into Shane again.he couldn't stop talking about you." Lucas cracks a smile. "One trip to San Francisco and you're already making the boys melt."
"Oh, stop!" Jason begins to blush and turns his head away.
"Oh, come on! You saw how the guys were looking at you.you could commit murder in The City and they will still hold you up on a pedestal."
Jason laughs and replies, "I wouldn't go that far. But I guess I was getting stared at a lotI'm sure you did too though when you first started going out. It's the whole 'fresh new meat' concept."
"I suppose.well you're it right now."
"So Shane was talking about me, eh?"
"Yeah...are you interested? Man, I could tell you some wild stories about that boy. He drove me crazy for years.but, by all means, I'll let you experience the ride for yourself if you want to. A cockblocker is something I've never been called before!"
Jason responds with wide-eyes at Lucas' very forward response. "That's a good thing I suppose..."
"There is one thing that I need to tell you about Shane though. I mean, if you are interested"
"I'm not really looking for anything, but what?" Jason raises a brow.
"He's positive. I mean, it's no big deal at all and I have a lot of friends who are positive, but I just thought I would let you know. I don't know how you feel about that kind of thing."
Jason nods as his mind starts racing with a million thoughts. Does this mean that Lucas is positive too since they dated? Did Lucas suspect that Jason was positive as well? He realizes this is his moment to let everything out. He might not have the courage to do it again.
"Lucas, there's really something I need to tell you as
well..."
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Scene: Trader Joe's. Northern Heights District.
Today Emily Landon walks into the store with her head held high. It's been years, perhaps even a decade, since Ms. Landon was seen out and about doing her own shopping. She cringes for a moment as she looks around at the common folk- this certainly isn't her cup of tea.
Suddenly her worst nightmare comes true as she spots Diane Davison to her left. With a basket full of groceries, Diane continues examining some kind of fruit in the produce section. God only knows what kind of fruit it is as Emily stares at her in shock. She hasn't seen Diane in months, and it was only less than a year ago that she had Diane fired and removed altogether from the Landon Points building. She chuckles to herself thinking back to a time when she had all of Diane's personal belongings shoved into a box and put outside her door.
"Oh, good times..." Emily says under her breath before she's caught by Diane.
"Well, isn't this a sight for sore eyes! Emily Landon is commingling with the regular folk. What's wrong, Emily? Did you fire all your help?"
"No Diane, I only fire the truly incompetent ones...perhaps you should look in the mirror to find such a person."
"Actually, I'm quite happy you released me from that hell-hole you call a company. You were sucking the blood out of all your employees and I'm much happier now that I'm free." Diane fires back.
"Well, Steve is certainly still pleased..." Emily cracks a smile.
"I'm sure he's only pleased outside of the bedroom, Emily."
"Look, there's really no room for jealousy here. I mean, I know it's hard to realize your husband of twenty-something years left you for me, but you really need to get a grip on reality here."
"The only thing I need to get a grip on is your scraggly hair," Diane laughs as she begins to pull Emily's hair, not caring about the crowd that was thickening around them.
"My god, have some decency- hair pulling is so ten years ago...So is this ripe enough for you?" As Diane releases her grip, Emily picks up a tomato and smashes it into Diane's forehead. The red juice begins to pour down Diane's face as the crowd gasps.
"Oh, it's ripe baby...but of course you can't forget what tomatoes are used best for, can you?" Diane asks as she walks over a few feet to the Deli. She notices a pizza sitting on display that's easily in her reach.
"No Diane, please enlighten me."
"Well, you know what they say... When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie,
that's amore!"
As Emily's eyes grow wide with horror, Diane quickly picks up the pizza and launches it in Emily's direction. In a matter of seconds, it lands on Emily's face and begins to slowly slide down her body. Cheers are soon heard from the crowd as Diane shoots an accomplished smile around the room- Diane had the power to do something that many around town had only dreamed of.
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Scene: Chez Rendezvous.
A pensive look covers Jason's face as he pauses for a short while. Seeming like an eternity, Lucas stares back in anticipation before taking a knife to the deathly silence.
"What is it, Jason?"
"I...I believe I contracted something while I was with Keith. I mean, I'm pretty sure I did while I was with him."
Lucas bites his lip as he probes for answers. "Like what? And how sure are you that you contracted whatever it is from Keith?"
"Look, I'm not some kind of whore who cheats on my boyfriend...I was monogamous the whole time Keith and I were together. Whether he was faithful- well, that's debatable." Jason fires back.
"Excuse me? I knew Keith very well and he never cheated on you. There's just no way."
"Well, Keith was best at keeping secrets. Hell, have you forgotten that he never even told me about you?"
"Because there was nothing going on- and besides, you had your jealousy issues.Look, I don't want to argue about this because we're just going to go in circles." Lucas pauses for a moment and takes a sip of water before continuing. "But I do know he never cheated on you. That wasn't what Keith was about."
"Then how do you explain the fact that I was monogamous with him the whole time and I contracted something so horrible? Lucas...I have...I'm HIV positive."
Lucas' eyes grow wide for a moment as he stares back in disbelief. HIV positive? Was it truly possible that Jason contracted something while he was with Keith? No, there couldn't have been a way. He knew Keith better than that, and Keith just wouldn't cheat- especially with someone not using protection. There was simply no way.
"No, I don't believe it...I mean, have you gotten retested since your initial diagnosis? You know those tests aren't always accurate."
"Yes, I've been retested twice and I got the same result each time, Lucas. I've had a hard enough time dealing with this in the last six months. Hell, you're only the second person I've even told- and the first person only knows because she was there at the doctor's office with me. I just can't force myself to say it aloud...but I did tonight, so I guess I should be proud of myself."
"Yes,
you should...I mean, I'm so sorry. I can only imagine the pain you've been going through. If there's anything I can do, please let me know. Like I said, Shane is HIV positive and I also have other friends who are as well...Just know that there's a lot of support out there for you."
"Wait,
so Shane and you dated- right? So, I mean, are you positive as well?" Jason inquires.
"No...no, I'm not. I actually just got my regular testing done, and I was told I'm still negative. Shane and I were very careful. I knew he was positive when I went into the relationship, but for some reason it didn't faze me. I fell in love with him...not caring what he had, you know?"
"I can understand that..."
Jason hides his face behind his hands for a moment as he feels the tears start to appear in his eyes. Another dead end it seems. Lucas swears that Keith never cheated, and if Lucas was negative, then Keith certainly didn't contract it from him. Lucas had to be telling the truth- he just seemed so sincere. The hardest part for Jason was not knowing...and he felt now that he was lost more than ever.
______________________________________________________________
Scene: The Preston Residence.
Kayla had just finished putting the last of her suitcases in the trunk- hidden from an uncaring world and a sister-in-law that would grace Kayla with her presence any moment. Haylie was now asleep, thank God, as Kayla stared back at her one last time before closing the door behind her. She just couldn't bear looking into those sparkling blue eyes one more time...they would pierce through her like a sharp knife cutting her every limb. There was just no easy way to say good bye to such a young soul who couldn't understand.
She finally hears a knock at the door and slowly makes her way through the house to meet Valerie. She opens the door, her eyes slightly red from crying earlier, and forces herself to smile.
"Kayla, are you okay? You look like you've been crying."
"I'm fine...it's just been a hard day. I really appreciate you coming over so quickly. I'm so sorry if I interrupted anything."
"No, no...you're fine. So what's going on?" Valerie inquires.
"It's my mother. She went on another drinking binge and nearly killed herself. She's in the hospital now and I just didn't want to take Haylie with me. I just really need you to watch her while I go and find some answers. Is that okay?"
"Sure.I mean, I'm so sorry to hear about Vanessa. I hope she's okay."
"I'm sure things will work themselves out in the future..." Kayla tries to convince herself as she forces herself to lie once more. "I just need to go and be with her. Rick should be home in a few hours."
"Yeah, no problem at all. Is she sleeping now?"
"Yeah, she just fell asleep. By the way, Val, there's a note on my nightstand for Rick...Please let him know it's there when he gets home."
"Of course."
Kayla looks one last time around the living room and studies the pictures that hang on the wall. She notices Haylie's first baby picture and a family portrait that she, Rick and Haylie had taken just a few months ago. She had to leave soon or she knew she would back out. Saying a final farewell to this fantasy was just too much...she could no longer live a lie, but she dreaded the pain that would come from her disappearance. She could only hope that Rick and Haylie would someday understand.
She quickly embraces Val with a hug and flashes a fake smile once more before she turns her back to the house and walks towards her car. Her whole body is shaking viciously and each stride seems to get longer as she makes her way to the front seat of the car. When she is no longer in view of the living room window, she decides she can't hold her composure any longer and she finally breaks down. Tears begin to stream down her face as she does her best to turn her key and back out of the driveway. She was leaving the home that Rick and she had built for their future...a future that was now crumbling before her very eyes. It was a seamless lie, a fantasy she simply couldn't bear to hold onto any longer...
To be Continued...