Chapter eight - Tom
I drove like a madman, predicting her reaction, enjoying the way that her fingernails were digging into the dashboard. The Snowflake was my pride and joy. It moved through the streets with the grace of a single thought.
Roseanne was breathing deeply in a black ensemble with a plunging neckline. She kept trying to pull it up. Gravity had other ideas.
“Is there a reason why… we have to be going this fast?”
I answered her query by pushing the accelerator to the floor.
I was taking corners without fishtailing across the street. It was a very smooth ride and not one Snowflake was like another. There were subtle differences. It was the reason why I came up with the name in the first place.
The faster I went the more Roseanne became unglued, until she was maniacally laughing. Her hand slapped onto my thigh and awakened the serpent from its cage.
I had a similar reaction when I was in Jamaica. I rented one of those jet skis, but I wasn’t expecting the return trip to be a life-and-death, harrowing ordeal.
“I want to test the horses underneath the hood. These back roads are perfect to give this vehicle a roadworthy experience. I hope you’re not going to have some kind of accident. I haven’t Scotchgarded the material.” I was making a joke, but I don’t think that she found anything I was saying at the moment very funny.
“Before I pass out, I will say this has exceeded my original expectations.”
We arrived with the necessary flashbulbs of the press to give us a proper welcome. There was a red carpet and I had to help Roseanne to a standing position. She was white as a ghost, but she managed to shake it off. The dress made me wonder how it was possible she was able to wear it without her body busting through the seams.
I had intentionally ordered it a size smaller than what I had guesstimated as her size. She had somehow squeezed into it. I could only hope it wasn’t cutting off the circulation. I was going to need her to be in full control of her faculties during the party. I’d already seen people I knew from the industry, and even some celebrities, who were clamoring for the first taste of what I had to offer for a considerable price.
“I was there during the initial unveiling, but seeing it alive and coming toward you is something different,” said a man who greeted us as we walked up the red carpet. Cameron was my biggest supporter and had supplied me with some useful talent he had headhunted. “The curves are amazing. Whoever sculpted the design should be given a huge bonus. I apologize–this lovely piece of eye candy on your arm should not go unnoticed.”
“This is my latest find. She’s still a work in progress, but I believe she has potential for greatness. I don’t make that claim lightly.” I had my arm around Roseanne and I could literally feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins.
I was feeling the same thing, but I was used to fast things moving at a breakneck speed. Any relationship was first met with criticism, but then the bedroom would call us in a siren song. It was fleeting and over while leaving us feeling empty and alone. I was never able to get past the first romp in the hay. There was no need for a repeat performance when I knew what I was going to get.
“Tom, you have outdone yourself, and I’m not talking about the car.” He playfully jabbed me in the shoulder. I played it off casually, but underneath I was raging with a need to punch him in the face.
He might have been my biggest supporter, but he was also my biggest critic. He was always telling me that it couldn’t be done. It made me that much more determined to prove him wrong. The controls on the Snowflake had a hair trigger. It took a lot of trial and error to get it exactly right. It was perfect for the inclement weather of snowstorms and flash floods alike.
“I appreciate how you have opened up some doors with the first responders. I’m already in the planning phase of making vehicles for lifesaving measures. They will respond quicker in bad weather because they will literally glide over any slippery surface like mountain goats.”
I escorted Roseanne into the building with her fingernails digging into my hand to inform me of her fear of heights in the elevator.
“I thought I could… handle this.” I gave her a reassuring squeeze and she almost buckled from the sheer audacity of me making her climb these heights in a glass elevator.
“You should have said something sooner. We don’t have to stay long, but we do need to make an appearance.”
“It’s not like you knew of my affliction. I would’ve said something had I been forewarned about the glass elevator.” She had her eyes closed. I took this opportunity to roam over her body with my eyes.
The door opened and I was pulled into the gravity of two young ladies who I had the pleasure of being with in the past. They were all over me, touching my tuxedo and giving me their admiration. I was very cordial, but I kept one eye on the awkwardness of Roseanne in an environment that was plainly not her forte.
I made the necessary small talk, mingling with those with their hand outstretched in greeting and congratulations. I was pleasant, but underneath I was begging for the night to be over with.
I was glad to see she was no longer standing by herself like a lamb to the slaughter. She’d somehow insinuated herself into a conversation about the latest marvels of technology. I was pleased to find she was holding her own and even came up with some brilliant insights.
“I’ve only seen her in the office, but she really does know how to dress to impress. I wouldn’t mind seeing the dress on the floor with her legs in the air on the bed.” Logan was acting immaturely, and I should have expected his interest in Roseanne.
“I’m going to ask you respectfully to back off. She’s off limits and I don’t want to repeat myself. I know sometimes you can latch on without meaning any harm. I don’t have the gift to make them laugh like you do. I can fake it until I make it, but it’s not the same as having the gift for conversation. Keep it in your pants.” My intentions were crystal clear, but he was smiling like he understood better than most.
“There’s no reason to get emotional. There are plenty of fish in the sea. I can dangle my bait in the water and see what will bite. Be careful, and we both know how you get when you overestimate the beast inside.”
The animal was brought out when I couldn’t control the emotions boiling inside me. It meant a long hour of meditation each morning to center myself. And still, sometimes I could not control it.
“It seems you have taken a vested interest in my sex life, Logan. There’s no reason to worry about me. I can take care of myself.” I left him to join Roseanne and easily captured the essence of the conversation within seconds of my trained ear.
We finally had some time to ourselves, picking over the food at the table. The problem with these kinds of parties was that I had to be very careful about what I consumed. My allergic reaction to mushrooms, peanuts, and shellfish was nothing like a trip to the emergency room. These people would have gotten a different look at me. It would have made them scared and run for their lives, and rightfully so.
“I have to tell you the main reason I hired you was because of your passion for cars and Montana. I spend a lot of time with my friend Logan camping in the mountains. It gives us a chance to become one with nature.” I felt it was important to explore the little things we had in common.
I was not immune to her dress or the way she would bend over casually to pick up a piece of food. It made me yearn for something more than what was on the menu. I couldn’t make any outright overture. A subtle touch and a slight graze along her arm and shoulder were easily enough to make her shiver in place.
“The mountains of Montana have always been a refuge from the real world. I always find myself more at peace without trying to make someone happy. I don’t mean to be a poison pill, but these people are exhausting. We’ve been here for three hours.” She had managed to swim with the sharks and nobody had a disparaging word about her.
“I think we can sneak out without being noticed. I will have the car brought around back. It won’t be the first time I discreetly made an exit, and it won’t be the last. I will take you home and make sure you get there safely. I did bring you and it would seem appropriate to leave together.” I whispered to one of the catering staff. He listened, but it was the $100 bill in the palm of his hand which made him scurry off with the keys to my car.
We slowly got closer to the kitchen and then ducked inside with the rest of the catering staff. We were assaulted by different smells and steam billowing from huge pots on top of the stove. The staff were dressed mainly in black and white with vests to match.
We sidestepped a few carrying trays loaded down with a fresh supply of champagne glasses filled to the brim. I snatched one and drank it in one swallow to mute the influence of the bear inside.
“I have to say this party wasn’t what I was expecting,” Roseanne said. “I thought that I was going to be a little fish in a big pond, but I was the toast of the party. Your friend, Logan, made sure to pull my fat out of the fire when I felt a little overwhelmed.” Despite specifically telling Logan to steer clear, he just couldn’t help himself.
“He has always been the life of the party. I’m sure you noticed the way that he had the crowd buzzing with curiosity. The tricks of his sleight of hand are something of legendary status.”
We found the exit in the back, clearly marked, and went outside to find the car waiting for us. We drove away, but this time I was a little more conscious about her fear of dying in twisted metal at the bottom of the ravine. It still handled like a dream, but I was no longer going at the kind of speed which would terrify most people.
I didn’t mind bringing her right to her door, but she didn’t want that. I stopped a few blocks back and put my jacket over her shoulders on the walk to her apartment. It was at her request and I felt obliged to follow her directions to the letter. She didn’t want to be the subject of conversation around the water cooler the next day. I didn’t blame her.
I saw somebody looking quite dapper and carrying a bouquet of red roses at her door. Her hand grabbed mine a little tighter than necessary. It dawned on me this was someone who had tracked her down to the Big Apple. The confidence in his stance was a little unnerving.
“Jason… how the hell did you find me?” Her tone was rather defensive and made me put my arm in front of her to protect her from someone she didn’t want to see.