Chapter 11
Nick was shocked when Jeanie and
Kevin asked him about Tiffany. He’d mentioned the job opening to her, but just
in passing. He had no idea she would actually act on it. Kevin actually
apologized to Nick for asking so many questions about Tiffany, but explained to
Nick that it was a girl named “Tiffany” who had somehow managed to find out the
phone number for their private line. He and Jeanie’s relationship, even though
it was better, was still tenuous at best. Kevin didn’t want to take any chances
of something or someone else upsetting the apple cart.
It was hard to get used to Tiffany
in the house. She was a beautiful girl with dark eyes and medium build and
somewhat shy. Madi seemed to like her okay. However, Kevin and Jeanie both
noticed that Madi had a real problem sharing when Tiffany was around and had
become quite adept at the popping off with “No!” or even worse, “No, mine!”
She’d always been a pretty easy-going kid. Jeanie blamed a lot of it on the
“stress” fallout she picked up on because of her and Kevin. Jess seemed
somewhat guarded around Tiffany…the total opposite of how she was with Lindsay.
Then again, the circumstances were different. Jeanie and Linds were friends
first, before she moved in. Madi and Jess were probably just not used to
Tiffany, a stranger, in the house.
She did her job well and never
seemed to mind the tasks she was assigned, no matter how menial. In time,
Jeanie was certain it would all work out.
* * *
“I can’t believe you actually did
it,” Nick was almost whispering. He had no idea why because he was home alone.
“Why? I told you I would!” Tiffany
giggled.
“Still, Tiff…you moved half-way
across the country and stuff…” Nick wasn’t happy. He’d known her a long time,
but never really considered her a friend just a neighbor. She was always
hanging around his parent’s house because of his sisters. He also wasn’t too
happy knowing that if and when he ever made a move on Jeanie again…Tiffany
would be there watching his every move.
“I needed a job and this is
perfect…the kid bothers me a little, but oh well…” She laid on her best Valley
girl accent.
“Which kid? Madi? Jess?”
“Actually, both. Jess is a little
bitch and Madi is cry-baby…”
Nick bit his bottom lip. “Hey…Jess
is cool. Madi IS a baby.”
“Jess is a bitch. Trust me, I live
here. Madi is a spoiled baby. Pulease… No offense, Nick, cause I know you are
so in LOVE with Jeanie, but she’s right up there on freakin’ bitch list. No
wonder her kids are like that…”
That did it. “Look Tiff. Maybe
that’s not the job for you. If hate them so much…”
“I didn’t say I hate them. I just
call it like it is… Oh, got some dirt on your girlfriend…”
“Jeanie’s not my girlfriend,” Nick
nervously ran his hand through his hair.
“Whateva…looks like she’s keepin
those legs together and whatever else she can do keep Madi from having a baby
sister or baby bro.”
“What? How do you know?”
“Cause I go through her trash and
I screen her calls. I also overheard her talking to her hubby. He wants kids
and she’s like ‘talk to the hand’… oh, haha, that’s funny. Hand…get it? Hand
job?”
Nick’s stomach was doing flips.
Maybe he should call Kevin, but then what? If Kevin fired her, she would tell
them that he put her up to calling about the abortion.
“Crap, hold on…” Tiffany laid the
phone down. Nick could hear Jeanie talking in the background and Madi’s voice.
“Nick, I got to go. Jeanie’s on a
long distance call, Lupe and Jess went to the store and precious here is
hungry. I swear… I ought feed her something to make her sick or give her the
poops…ugh…just joking…later!”
“Tiff…” The receiver went dead.
* * *
The night air was thick and heavy.
Lightening flashed incessantly and the low rumblings of thunder echoed for
miles and miles. Another storm was moving across the plains of west Texas and
barreling into the Metroplex. There would be little sleep tonight…children
afraid of the sounds of summer storms, adults anxiously watching weather
crawlers at the bottom of their television screens…”tornado watch in effect,”
“high winds with possible flash flooding,” “golf-ball size hail,” and everyone
listening… Always listening…for tornado sirens…for the deadly “vacuum” or eerie
silence that supposedly takes place just before a tornado drops down. Warnings
everyone who lives in Texas is familiar with, yet they are warnings that no one
ever gets used to.
There were no lights in the
bedroom, yet the room was illuminated from the lightening popping and flashing
across the midnight sky. From time to time the whole house would shake from the
thunder.
“Oh God, Nick…” Jeanie gasped as
his tongue worked furiously against her. She grabbed for the sheet as he
slipped a third finger into her, his tongue playing, nipping harder and harder
until she couldn’t hold on. This orgasm was his favorite Jeanie-orgasm…not the frenzied,
powerful, throw-you-off-the bed orgasm…the gentle, powerful rolling orgasm that
seemed to last forever. Her contractions almost seem to match the rolling
thunder as she rocked against his hand, now wet from her as he continued to
nuzzle her thighs.
And just when she began to come
down, he turned her over and started again…and so it went for hours.
“I love you…God, help me me…I love
you…” Nick whimpered over and over.
Suddenly, he sat up. He was
dripping wet from his own perspiration. He was also alone in his own bed in
Florida. He lay back down and pulled the damp pillow to his chest. It was just
a dream…another haunting dream. Another painful memory of loving another man’s
wife and it was driving him insane. He knew he had to stop, but he didn’t know
how. He was frantic because he knew that Tiffany was trouble…he was heartbroken
because every single day spent without Jeanie seemed to further concrete or
seal her relationship with Kevin. He was beginning to get desperate. He’d never
felt so alone in his life…
“Please God…please…help me. I love
her…”