Lenore typed away feverishly on her laptop that she dug up from her suitcases. It had been too long since it was last fired on, writer's block made it sickening to even look at the device. She felt taunted, never had she run out of ideas for so long. But yesterdays events, the conversation she made with the twin sisters ignited a spark.
It was a long shot, what chances did she have of finding Mr Jones? Would her newly built reputation be ruined for being nosy? How many people would she have to betray? All these thoughts crept into her head, only to be defeated by one argument. What else was she to do in life? She'll never have kids, probably never have a husband, her family disowned her. A hunt for a needle in a stack seemed so much more interesting than her life.
When finished the first draft of chapter 1, Lenore shut off the laptop and plugged it into the charger. Her creative juices were flowing, but the energy juices not so much. She climbed out of the chair, and exited her tiny windowless office.
The kitchen downstairs was cluttered with every piece of equipment one could imagine. A vacuum cleaner was crammed into a corner and a chainsaw hung loosely on the boxed fridge. Most interesting of all, was that her house renovator lay sleeping on the floor he half made the previous night.
Lenore's best friend, the coffee machine poured the hot and appetizing liquid into a mug. Nothing could ever beat the smell of coffee in the morning. The rail yards smell nice in the morning too Lenore added. She loved the rail yards.
Coffee in hand, Lenore laughed at the rhythmic snoring of Casey Duncan, her renovator. She thought he looks adorable sleeping, but she'd have to spank him for drooling on her floor.
After downing her coffee, and thinking of ways to contain her excitement on her new novel in progress, she sat next to Casey and contemplated some more. His snores were getting lighter Lenore noticed. It was about time he started to wake up.
Casey pushed himself up while rubbing his eyes. A yawn escaped his mouth, filling the air around him with morning breath.
"Where am I?" His head buzzed, soon starting to remember his location. Lenore's house! Now he just awaited some sort of telling off...
... but he didn't get any! Instead his purple haired client placed her hand on his and propped her other arm on his chest. They were a head away from each other, Casey wanted badly to pull her in for a kiss but restrained himself considering they barely knew one another.
"Hey sleepy head, you drooled on my floor." Lenore chuckled resting her chin on Casey's chest.
"I've had very pleasant dreams, actually you were in it and we made out." He couldn't resist but to use his boyish charms on her.
"You're a bad boy Casey, and my floor isn't finished, get your ass up."
She turned to leave the kitchen but was forgot to tell Casey something midway. "I'm working until 3 today, and my neighbour will come help me with my computer at 7."
He smirked. "Are you asking me to ask you out?"
"I'm informing you, to make it easier if you were to ask me out."
"What? It's not like I find it hard to ask someone out!" Casey defended his precious pride.
"Why haven't you already then?"
"Will you have dinner with me tonight ma'am?"
"That's better, minus the ma'am."
---
At the Jones house, Lenore did some research about Mr Jones. She whisked through the books in the bookshelf downstairs. There didn't seem to be anything of help, no books with inscriptions to Mr Jones, no photos or documents wedged between pages.
But eventually, a spark of hope ignited. Lenore pulled out what looked to be an old battered family album, hard to notice at first. It had the hardback cover of a book, but the plastic pockets gave it away.
"What are you doing?" Ms. Jones demanded through gritted teeth.
Lenore's heart stopped as she almost fell back. "I was uh. Looking for books for Sara."
"And you happen to be holding my family album? Don't lie to me, there's a bookcase full of baby books upstairs!" Ms Jones Snapped, she wasn't oblivious to the girl snooping around. With the people in town, she guessed Lenore already knew about Mr Jones' disappearance. She had to go.
"I um, I wasn't lying to you." Lenore lied guiltily.
"The last sitter that stuck their nose into family matters got fired. I know you took Walter out yesterday although he wasn't supposed to. You mind my children, not raise them to make bad choices, Walter knows why he's not aloud to go see that prick of a singer so you just respect that!"
"What? I um.. I am sorry." Lenore couldn't believe what she was hearing. How did she know? And why was she being so hot-headed over this situation? An innocent person would never behave such way, Ms Jones..
.. Had something to hide! The uproar of her voice proved that, and rather than persuading her to stop mousing about, it awoke a new dedication in Lenore.
"You may be sorry, but it changes nothing! I'm seriously thinking of firing you kiddo, but you're lucky the kids like you. I've got to go now. I'm late." With that the one sided argument finished, and Ms Jones thundered out the door.
After a silent session of sobbing Lenore remembered she had a duty to do. Picking a book from the children's bookshelf she began to read to Sara, who snugly sat herself beside her babysitter.
Sara, a bookworm in the making was finding Lenore to be too slow at reading. She flicked the pages herself and pointed at her favourite parts. She began speaking a mixture of baby language and English, and it was adorable!
It was time for Sara's nap, and she quite quickly gave into the sandman. Considering that Ms Jones took the family album, Lenore had no lead to go on. But, maybe Walter would be able to tell her something.
The spiral stairs lead to Walter's lairs. Lenore wasn't surprised at the emptiness and neatness of his room. The walls were painted white, and the furniture was a light brown. Stumps in the wall suggested that there were once pictures hanging on the screws.
Walter was glued to his computer, he barely acknowledged Lenore until she spoke up.
"Hey Walt." She smiled weakly.
"Hi L. Heard mom was giving you a hard time, ever since dad disappeared she became so sensitive."
"Really? I didn't mean to anger her. I'm sorry about your father, I really am." She confessed, despite her writing aspiration she had no idea what to say, it was wrong to just waltz into a kid's life and ask him to help her search for his daddy. "Walter? Did you ever consider looking for your dad?" It was one of may unprepared sentences she had and it just slipped.
"I have looked and searched, but if there was a trail to begin with it most likely went cold. Why?"
"I'm sorry to be bugging, did you find anything of interest?"
"Well, kind of. Not enough to go on. Why? Do you want to find him?"
"Walter, I do. I want to find him." She didn't know how he would take it, but he didn't shout, he didn't tell her to get out. Maybe they were on a good path?
"Lenore, you do know this is a long shot?"
"I do Walter. I currently have no goals for my life, I can't have children, I'm not getting married any time soon, and I need inspiration for my novel. What inspires better than an adventure?"
His smile bloated. "You're a writer? That's so cool!"
"Yes, and Walter, I know we barely know each other but, can we have a heart to heart?"
"Go ahead." Walter was really confused, a heart to heart about what?
"I've noticed something's eating you up, I think you're in love!" Lenore mused.
Walter sputtered jumping back slightly. "Excuse me? With who?"
"The singer Austin." She saw him reddening in the cheeks. His mouth formed an O.
"I um.. Lenore.." He stuttered.
"Walter, you can talk to me! That's what you need, a conversation about this because it's becoming to stressful for you to keep in!" He hesitated before answering.
"I.. yes I love him! But it doesn't matter!"
"Why?"
"Because he's 19 and I'm 15! Besides, I don't think he's gay.. why am I having this conversation.."
"Walter, that's a tiny age gap, besides, you'll be sixteen soon! At least talk to him!"
"I do!" He confessed.
"How?"
"Over his fan website, I'm under an alias, and I was one of his first fans on the page so he added me!"
"Get rid of the alias, put up your picture! He'll recognize you. How many of his concerts did you attend?"
"Almost every one that he played in town, well, my mother didn't let me go for the past two years. When told her I'm gay." He frowned. "She's a devout Catholic, now more than ever!"
"Walter, you need to get this off your chest so talk to Austin! You don't have to tell him that you love him, but make conversation!"
---
3:20 PM
After Lenore's shift, Casey took Lenore out to a local bistro known for it's finest seafood! They helped themselves to sushi and lobster. Yet there was unease at the table, Lenore being at it's epicentre.
"Hey Ellie? What's wrong?" Lenore smiled in surprise at the use of a new nickname, her mind has been on one thing only that afternoon.
"I'm most likely getting fired tomorrow!" She exclaimed clapping her hands once in exasperation. "Miss Jones had an outburst because I pulled out her family album from the bookcase. Can you believe that?
"Janice Jones, that lady is the source of many urban legends here. Best not to dwell on it. You'll find another job, wouldn't want you hanging around with her much."
"The thing is, I like the kids. I'm not sure if it's sympathy, or I don't know." She attacked the remains of her sushi, Casey put his arm over her shoulder.
"I feel for the kids too. You should have seen the beat down Walter got around two years ago. He had to go to the hospital. According to Janice, someone broke into the house and beat him. Everyone knows she did it to him though."
Lenore froze. Two years? About the same time expressed his feelings for boys. That cold hearted bitch.
The couple finished off their meal gazing at the scenery. It was truly breathtaking! Not breathtaking enough to take Lenore's mind off Walter. She thought she had a hard life, but this boy had it much worse it seemed!
---
"Thanks Casey, I really had fun. And thank you for finishing my kitchen tiles!" Lenore pulled him in for an amorous embrace, her hands ruffling through his blonde locks.
No matter how they tried, neither could pull away from one another. Lenore was surprised that Casey was way different than expected. In her mind the date was going to be a one night out deal, but he'd been such a gentleman and she felt that she could actually start something with him!
Casey was the first to pull away, he looked at his shuffling feet while his cheeks flushed. "I had a nice time!" He whispered before..
.. he kissed her lips! Her lip gloss tasted of wild berries. Fireworks shot out around them, the connection was inevitable! Which was weird, they only knew each other not two full days!
Lenore kissed him back harder, tightening her grip on his body. They were so indulged into themselves that they didn't hear the door open. It was Daniel! Lenore's next door neighbour.
"Hey Lenore? Your door was open so.. oh.. sorry for interrupting!"
"You need to learn to lock your doors Ellie!" Casey Sighed.
What? Daniel thought? Ellie? Who the heck was this guy? He didn't like him already! He stood right ahead of Daniel's tunnel light! Lenore!
"Goodnight babe, I'll be back tomorrow 8am sharp!" Casey bid her goodbye and skipped out the door.
Babe? Daniel didn't imagine that his attempt to woo Lenore would go as bad as it did!
"So, come upstairs, the software doesn't seem to be working right." Lenore gestured for him to go upstairs.
Upstairs in the office, Lenore showed Daniel what was wrong. He didn't seem to worry over it.
"You have some outdated drivers, and it's kind of a domino effect for other programs. I'll update them now!"
"Thank you so much Daniel. How do you know all this stuff?" She was impressed, Daniel sensed it and he liked the feeling!
"I've studied engineering and computer tech, it's pretty much 2+2 for me." He boasted subtly, he had to do everything possible to impress Lenore.
He was going to get Lenore to love him one way or another!
---
After a long emotional day, Lenore stripped down and entered her newly decorated room. The bed was assembled, posters were framed like planned. Casey had overdone himself. Even though he had other renovators help him, she knew he was the brains of the operation!
No text had arrived with Lenore's work schedule on it. Meaning that she was fired or Janice Jones wasn't working tomorrow. With all the rumours spreading around town, it was strange to think why nobody had looked into Janice. Her children are mistreated, and she's been accused of murder, and yet she remains in the town! If Lenore were in her shoes, she'd move towns.
The new mattress and pillows were a welcomed change from sleeping on the floor. How long ago had Lenore slept in a double bed? The last she remembered was with her husband 7 years ago. Then he left her due to her infertility. And well, he wanted a baby! Lenore did too, but through those seven years she had learned to accept that babies won't ever be part of her life.
The phone buzzed on the dresser. Someone was calling, but who? Lenore screwed her face thinking of the possibilities. Probably Casey, or Miss Jones. The only people she gave her phone number to. Escaping the grasp of the luxurious bed,
She climbed out and sauntered towards the wardrobe. She picked up the phone, an unknown number was calling.
It was Walter!
"L? You have got to see this!"
End of chapter :)
End of chapter :)
No comments:
Post a Comment