Chapter 5

 

Ava

 

LATER THAT DAY, I returned the motorcycle to the rental company, and took the first flight back to my condo in Miami. After walking through the door, I called my mother and left a message, letting her know that I’d returned. I then attempted to call Andrew again, but there was still no answer. I began to wonder if he’d chosen to avoid me as well. It was a sad thought, although I didn’t know what kind of life he had now, and the fact that he was mixed in with an outlaw biker club spoke volumes. It was very possible that he’d changed and wasn’t the sweet guy I used to know. I hoped I was wrong, but life could do a number on an individual. I knew that more than anyone.

Later that evening, Mom called and asked if I wanted her to go with me to the funeral. I knew she wanted to support me, but for some reason, I wanted to keep my past and present separate. I guess part of me was worried that something might change between us when Millie saw my mother. It was probably a silly notion, but I couldn’t seem to shake it.

“No, I’m just going by myself. Thank you, though.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. If I change my mind, I’ll let you know. We should get together though.”

“Yes. I would like that.”  

We arranged to have lunch later in the week and then talked about the movie.

“So, why did they let you leave early?” she asked.

I thought about shielding her from what happened, but decided to tell her the truth. When I was finished, she was furious.

“You should have called the police on that jerk,” she said angrily.

“I know. With my luck, they would have arrested me for punching him in the chin,” I mused, looking down at my knuckles. They were actually still a little sore from hitting him.

“Do you think he has the power to keep you from getting other stunt jobs?”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” I replied. “I’m hoping he forgets about it.”

“You should report him to someone,” she said. “Especially if he’s threatening to blackball you like that. You know, there’s a woman at church who used to work in the media. She was a reporter. I bet she could talk to someone for you and set up an interview, I’d be happy to talk to her if you’d like.”

“Thanks, Mom. I’d rather just put this behind me. I mean, if I have problems getting jobs down the line, I might take you up on it then.”

“I hope so. He sounds like a real creep. I’m not watching any of his movies anymore,” she said angrily.

I smiled.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” I replied. “Really.”

“Have you heard from Andrew yet?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

“Maybe something happened to him? He is mixed up with some dangerous people.”

The same thought had crossed my mind. “I hope not.”

“I have to go. My show is almost on. Call me tomorrow?”

I told her I would and then we hung up.

My thoughts returned to Andrew. Had he fallen into harm’s way?

My gut was telling me that something might indeed wrong. I decided that if he didn’t return any of my calls by the following week, I’d consult with a private investigator to see if he could help locate Andrew. At the very least, I wanted to make sure he was alive and doing okay, even if he didn’t want a relationship with me.