Mimi
2000, Fort Lauderdale (Before the Execution)
“That’s him. That’s him!” Maggie whispered, gently poking Mimi with her elbow.
Mimi looked up and saw Elliott approaching. She could feel her pulse quicken. He broke into a wide grin when they made eye contact.
“That’s the guy who always asks about you,” Maggie said quietly, looking down as she pretended to arrange flowers. “He’s been in here at least three times and always misses you.”
Mimi didn’t say anything. She just smiled as Elliott approached.
“I’ll be in the back. Can you help this customer, Mimi?” Maggie asked in a voice that was too loud and obvious. Mimi could feel the embarrassment creeping up her neck and face in the form of a healthy red blush as Maggie headed for the back room.
“I’ve been in a few times,” Elliott shyly told Mimi.
“I’m sorry I missed you.” She meant it. She’d spent countless hours daydreaming about the young man who’d waltzed in and out of her life last month. She’d prayed she’d see him again, and God had heard her.
She took in his physique. He was wearing blue jeans, a T-shirt, and a light threadbare jacket. His hair was a little longer than she remembered. As if sensing her scrutiny, he ran his hand through it and stammered.
“So, umm, when I was here last time I kind of mentioned you having a boyfriend, but I realized I never actually found out if it was true. I’m just here to see, ah—if you don’t, um—if maybe you’d like to do something sometime? Maybe let me take you out somewhere?”
He bit his lip and looked away quickly before looking back at her.
“You mean, like hang out?” She caught a whiff of his cologne then and her heart flip-flopped. She absently started straightening up the counter.
“No, I don’t want to hang out with you, Mimi. I want to take you out. On a date. That is, if you don’t have a boyfriend.” He started to turn red.
“I don’t have a boyfriend, and I’d like very much to go out with you, Elliott.” She started twirling her hair and bit the edge of her lip.
“Great!” He gave her a wide smile and rolled back on his heels, hands shoved tightly into his jeans pockets. “I guess I’ll need your phone number, and maybe you can tell me where you live so I can pick you up? Maybe tomorrow night? If you’re available?”
He looked at her hopefully.
She didn’t want Elliott coming to her house to meet her parents. They hadn’t talked enough to exchange ages, but she was certain he didn’t know how young she was, and she was pretty sure he was at least eighteen, if not older. She would have to play this carefully.
She gave him a genuinely disappointed look.
“I can’t tomorrow night. Unfortunately, I’m busy for the next few nights.”
“Oh,” was all he said. He looked away, and Mimi could tell he was grappling with whether or not she wanted to go out with him.
She took in a big breath and prayed for a confidence she wasn’t quite feeling. The overpowering smell of flowers brought an unexpected calmness to her. With more boldness than she felt, she decided to take the plunge.
“But, well, I get off in a couple of hours. If you want to come back then, we could go out tonight. That is, if you want to. If you already have other plans and can’t, I completely understand.”
He grinned. “No, I don’t have any plans. Tonight is great! Do you want to go out for dinner?”
“Sure, as long as it’s not fancy. I won’t be going home to change. You’ll have to come back here for me, and what you see is what you get,” she couldn’t help but laugh at her own joke.
Elliott, who’d been staring into Mimi’s eyes, allowed himself to slowly scan his way down her body, making sure not to linger on her chest. She was wearing a lacy white top that wasn’t too tight, dark jeans she’d rolled up mid-calf, and white sneakers with no socks. He noticed a silver chain on her left ankle. He gulped.
“Nothing fancy. And even if it was fancy, I think you look perfect.” He caught her blushing and quickly asked, “What time should I come back here for you?”
“I’ll be out front at five o’clock.”
“Okay then, I’ll see you at five.” He gave a final smile and wave and headed out the door.
Mimi was still staring at the door when Maggie came out from the back.
“So? Tell me!” Her boss elbowed her.
“There’s nothing to tell,” Mimi answered, giving Maggie a small smile. “Yet.”
At Maggie’s questioning look, she added, “He’s picking me up when I get off, and he’s going to drive me home so he can meet my parents. I figured it’s the best way to start.”
“Good girl!” Maggie said. “I’ve got a few deliveries and won’t be coming back, so you can just lock up. I’m so excited for you. I don’t think you’re back in until next Tuesday, and I’ll want details!”
“I’ll tell you everything then.”
Less than ten minutes later, Mimi had arranged all the details. First, she’d called Lindsay to let her know she needed an alibi.
“I’m going to tell my mom she doesn’t need to pick me up after work. I’ll tell her you asked me to go to the mall because you need a new dress for your dad’s work thing and we’ll grab something at the food court.”
She could practically hear Lindsay rolling her eyes.
“Yeah, that’s kind of true. The whole family has to go to his stupid banquet every year. It’s not important enough to warrant a new dress, but it sounds convincing enough.”
“So can you find an excuse to be driving your mom’s van around six-ish so it’s not in the driveway? My dad gets home from work every night around six,” Mimi said. “I don’t know if he’d notice when he drives by your house.”
“Won’t be an issue,” Lindsay said. “It’s been in the shop for two days. I think she’s going to have to get something new. God, I hope whatever it is it’s going to be better than an ugly minivan.” Then as an afterthought, “How are you going to get home? Are you going to have this guy drop you off at your house?”
“No. I was thinking he could drop me off at your house, and you could walk home with me. Maybe we could say that the trip to the mall was unsuccessful, and we were going to comb through my closet to see if I had anything you could wear. I think that would really be convincing. What do you think?”
“I think I’m in!”
Mimi then made the necessary call to her mother. It wasn’t unusual for Mimi to get a ride home from work with her friend Lindsay. And they usually involved pit stops, so this wasn’t out of the ordinary. Her deceitfulness, however, was. She hoped there was nothing in her voice that betrayed her true motive. She’d never realized how exhausting deception could be. She wondered how her parents had pulled it off for so many years.
The rest of the afternoon passed slowly as Mimi tried to concentrate on work. So many thoughts about her upcoming date were doing battle in her brain. The lie to her mother. Involving Lindsay in the story. How would Elliott react when she told him her age? Would she even tell him? Would he care?
Her mind was so full of thoughts she could barely pay attention to what she’d been doing. She was certain that Maggie would have some rearranging to do. Mimi’s feeble attempts at arranging some of the heartier bouquets were a disaster.
At five o’clock sharp, Mimi was standing in front of the flower shop when she spotted an older model tan pickup truck coming down the road. She watched as Elliott parked right in front of the shop and got out. He’d changed into black trousers and a long-sleeved casual blue shirt.
He opened the passenger door. “Your chariot awaits, my lady.”
But he must’ve had second thoughts about what he’d said, because as soon as the words were out of his mouth he looked uncomfortable, like he’d just exposed his inner nerdiness.
Mimi tried not to giggle as she approached and climbed in. This was her first real date alone with a guy. She’d had casual boyfriends before, but they were always school-age friends, and dating was limited to boy-girl parties that were closely chaperoned or school and church events. This was the first time she’d actually been picked up by a guy who drove his own truck.
As she settled herself in the seat, she realized she was probably way behind other girls her age when it came to boys. She knew Lindsay had lost her virginity last year to the school’s football captain, though she’d vowed to never do it again.
“It hurt, and he was a slobbering pig,” Lindsay had announced to her friends. “Never again. I’m never having sex again.”
Mimi shook off the thought as she tried not to let her nervousness show. He climbed into the driver’s side of the truck and gave her a smile that caused her heart to have palpitations.
“Do you like Italian?” he asked.
“I love Italian.” It was the truth. The Olive Garden was her favorite restaurant. It couldn’t rival her mother’s cooking, but she still loved it there.
“Does Marcella’s sound good?”
Even better. “It sounds perfect, Elliott.”
They made small talk during the drive. She asked him a lot of questions, mostly because she wanted to steer the conversation away from herself, but also because she was truly interested.
She found out the vintage truck they were riding in had belonged to his grandfather. It was in pristine condition, and she could tell Elliott took pride in caring for it. He was a senior in high school and would be graduating soon. His parents had divorced when he was very young. His father had moved away to Michigan, and Elliott had hardly known him. To his surprise, his parents had found each other again thanks to the Internet, and after a whirlwind reconnection, remarried after almost fifteen years apart. His mother moved to Michigan, and Elliott stayed in Florida with his grandmother.
“Did you miss your father? Did you miss having a man around while you were growing up?”
“I don’t know if I can answer that. I mean, there were other men around. My mom dated. They all seemed like nice guys. I had male teachers along the way. I don’t know if I missed the man so much as I missed the idea of a father. Am I making any sense?”
“Yeah, I think I know what you mean.” Mimi looked at her lap. She thought about her own painful feelings concerning the man who was her biological father. The murderer who sat on death row. The man who was scheduled to die this summer. Such a sharp contrast to the respectable architect she’d known as Daddy. She dismissed the thoughts with a shake of her head. “So you’re graduating soon. I guess you’re eighteen, then?”
“Not yet. My birthday is right after graduation. Almost there, but not yet. How about you? How old are—”
“So what are your plans after graduation?”
He downshifted and slowly glided into a parking spot at the restaurant.
Mimi glanced around the parking lot and wondered why he’d parked so far away when there were so many open spots closer to the restaurant. He answered her unspoken question.
“Dings. Trying to avoid the jerks who don’t care if they slam their car doors into somebody else’s car. I’ve taken care of this truck, and I’m not going to let some careless door-slinger mess it up.”
Turning off the engine, he looked over at her and answered her other question.
“I’ll keep working and go to college.”
They found themselves having so much to say over dinner that they kept interrupting each other. There were no awkward silences or uncomfortable lulls. As a matter of fact, it was just the opposite. Mimi was relieved he never pressed her about her age. They talked about school, friends, dreams, hobbies, even church. But he never asked what grade she was in. She was relieved.
While they were waiting for dessert, Elliott fidgeted uncomfortably.
“It’s getting hot in here. Are you hot?”
“No, I’m not warm at all. Why don’t you roll up your sleeves?” She’d wondered why he was wearing long sleeves. It wasn’t hot, but it was warm out, though she imagined he’d been trying to dress up for her.
He looked away nervously. “I don’t want to give you the wrong impression.”
“What do you mean?” She leaned forward.
“I, uh, have a lot of tattoos.” He blushed. “Not all of them are very nice ones. I went through a bad spell. The wrong types of friends. What I put my poor grandmother through.” His blush deepened, and he shook his head.
Mimi smiled. “Most guys would be trying to impress a girl with all of their ink, and here you’re afraid to show me yours. I actually think that’s kind of admirable.”
He looked at her as if he was embarrassed. “There’s more.”
“I’m listening.”
“I don’t usually drive my grandpa’s truck. It’s too nice to take out and drive to school and work.” He looked down. “I normally drive a motorcycle.”
She laughed out loud. “Stop looking so nervous, Elliott. My father has some incredible tattoos, and he drives the baddest Harley around.”
She caught the surprise on Elliott’s face. Then his expression turned to concern.
“Don’t worry, though,” she quickly added. “My dad’s a nice guy. He’s an architect and my mother is a housewife who does accounting part-time. Tattoos and a motorcycle don’t always mean bad.”
At least I don’t think they do. She remembered the things she’d learned about her parents’ past—things she was still learning from Leslie’s interviews with her mother.
He looked relieved and rolled up his right sleeve, held his right arm out to show her.
“This was an early graduation gift to myself. It’s my newest.” He turned his forearm over so she could see it. Mimi’s breath caught in her throat.
“Oh, Elliott, it has to be the most beautiful tattoo I’ve ever laid eyes on! The details are amazing.” Her fingers gently caressed his forearm.
In a quiet voice, he asked, “It doesn’t turn you off? I mean, you don’t think you’re dating some kind of religious freak, do you?”
Mimi stared at the tattoo. It was a cross and had a beautiful vine of flowers intertwined around it. They were detailed and colorful. She peered closer and saw a tiny white dove amongst them. A crown of thorns hung at the top. Drops of bright red blood dripped from it and was spattered on some of the flowers.
“Are you serious? Turned off? No, I’m not turned off. The edges are a little pink. Does it still hurt?”
“No. It’s tender ’cause I’m still having my guy fill in the detail, but it doesn’t hurt.”
He smiled at her but she couldn’t hold his gaze. She looked away.
Something was wrong. “What is it?” His eyes looked sad. “Too much for you? I’ve just unloaded so much on you and you’re probably confused. Is that it? The tattoos, the bad friends, the motorcycle, and now you know I’m a Christian. I’ve just unloaded a total ball of confusion, didn’t I? TMI?”
She shifted in her seat, and the squeak of the vinyl made an embarrassing sound, bringing her out of her thoughts.
“That was not what it sounded like,” she said smiling.
He just smiled back. “What’s wrong then, Mimi? What is it?”
She let out a resigned breath. “I like you, Elliott, and I’m not sure if this is going to matter to you or not. I guess I think it matters, otherwise I would’ve told you up front.”
“Told me what?” He shifted, too, and the seat made the same sound. They ignored it.
“You’re going to be eighteen soon. I—I just turned fifteen.”
Before he could respond, the waitress showed up with their desserts. After asking if there was anything else they needed, she left them alone.
Mimi chanced a glance at Elliott. He was looking at her.
“Whoa. Yeah. I see what you mean. You just turned fifteen, which means you were fourteen not so very long ago.” He leaned back against the booth and stared at his cheesecake.
Mimi watched him. Her own dessert no longer held any appeal.
Then he sat up. “You know what? I don’t care. You are fifteen. I am seventeen. That doesn’t sound so bad. I think the best thing for us to do, for me to do, is meet your parents. Ask them if I can formally take you out. I know there will be limitations, but honestly, Mimi, I like you enough to chance their refusal.”
“What if they do refuse? I mean, I like you, too, Elliott. I don’t want to think about how I’ll feel if they don’t let us see each other.”
“Then let’s not think about it for now. Let’s enjoy tonight, and we’ll talk about when we think it would be a good time for me to meet them. I don’t like sneaking around, but I’m guessing that’s what you did to arrange tonight. Am I right?”
“Yes. They think I’m with a friend, and before you think bad of me, I’ve never lied or snuck around behind their back before.” At least not with a boy. She didn’t want to think about her secret meetings with Leslie as sneaking around. Besides, it was her parents’ fault. If they’d been truthful with her, she would’ve been truthful with them.
“I don’t think bad of you at all.”
She gave him a little smile. “Listen, if you don’t mind seeing me once in a while, just so we can see if we like each other enough to pursue this, see if it’ll be worth it, can we keep it to ourselves just for now? I’m dealing with some really heavy personal things right now, and so are my parents. It might not be good timing to throw into their lives a soon-to-be-eighteen-year-old that their just-turned fifteen-year-old daughter would like to date. Like I said, I’m not one for sneaking around, but I’d like to do it that way for a little bit. Is that okay?”
She couldn’t tell him she’d been talking to a reporter on the sly while trying simultaneously to convince her mother to give an interview about the evil sperm donor. It was too much pressure to try to introduce a potential boyfriend into the mix. No. She’d like to keep Elliott all to herself. At least until after the execution. That would be coming up soon enough.
His brow creased. “I don’t know, Mimi. If things do work out with us, I’ll feel funny meeting your parents knowing I’ve been seeing you behind their back.”
She stiffened. “My parents are in no way perfect, Elliott,” she said, her voice cool. “And as much as I appreciate your concern and respect for their feelings, let’s just say I’m in a place right now in my relationship with them where I’m not certain they deserve it.”
Her change in attitude stunned him, but he didn’t say anything. So she had a feisty side, he mused. That wasn’t so bad.
“As long as it’s before I turn eighteen, though,” he said finally. “I’m pretty sure if I see you after I’m eighteen, I could get into legal trouble.”
She softened. He was a nice guy, and she could understand his concern.
“It may not matter anyway.” She looked down at her lap. “We may find out we don’t get along so well after all.”
He reached over then, tucked her hair behind her ear. He grabbed her chin and turned her face toward his.
“I can guarantee that will not be the case for me, Mimi. I’ve felt more comfortable with you this last hour than I’ve ever felt with any girl. And it’s not like there have been a lot of them. I’ve had a few girlfriends, but they were always about shopping and gossip. I can tell you’re not like that at all.”
She gave him a smile, and he leaned over, gently kissed her cheek. He signaled to the waitress for their check.
“Now tell me. When can I see you again?” he asked.