Tommy
HERE WITH VIV, we looked on as Jade disappeared into her home with some redhead. I would never have guessed in a million years the beautiful woman I met last night on the dance floor would have materialized this morning on my patio. Well, more like ferociously confronted me this morning in my yard.
I had to admit when she ran down the stairs in just a T-shirt and black lace panties I was taken back, but when I recognized her, I was pleasantly surprised. Jade was even more beautiful in the daylight. Her cheeks were sun-kissed, which matched the subtle fire she exuded as she demanded my gardening cease and desist.
Being my neighbor, I would definitely make it a point to get to know her better and be more…neighborly. Speaking of neighbors, I addressed… “So, do you want to explain to me why Jade thinks I’m renting?”
Appearing aloof yet whimsical, Viv turned her attention up and into the air before addressing me.
“Not really. So, would you like tell me why no one knows you’re here, except for Daniel, that is?” She quickly rattled off her rebuttal.
I shook my head.
“Well, then, I guess we’re even. See you at 8.” Except for a satisfied smile, Viv said nothing more as she waltzed out, whimsically, the same way she came in.
Just then, my cell phone vibrated on the glass table by the deck that was located at the beach level patio of the house. It had to be Daniel. I told him I would call him last night after I had dinner, but I hadn’t gotten around to it. Someone more beautiful had stolen my attention.
I ran back toward the house and answered it. Looking at the screen confirmed I was right; it was Daniel.
“Hey! Good morning,” I stated, almost excited to hear from him.
“Wow. Dude, you sound great. You’re not even down the shore a full week yet, and it seems to have already affected you.” Daniel said, surprised.
“Yeah, I gotta admit more and more this was the best decision I made for myself in a very long time,” I agreed with unequivocal sureness. One reason was the house on the beach. Another was the plan of meeting someone new. Both of which seemed to have materialized almost immediately.
“I’m really happy for you, Tommy. So how did it go yesterday? I didn’t hear from you, so I assumed you were exhausted and crashed early.”
“Not exactly,” I said, alluding to the fact that I had been doing more than unpacking necessities all day and night.
“Oh man, that statement has a woman written all over it,” he said, amused.
“You’re right, it does,” I chuckled.
“So, who is she and more importantly, does she have any friends for me?” Daniel lightheartedly asked.
“She’s Viv’s niece. I’m not sure if she has someone for you, but from what I can tell she has a girlfriend, a good looking redhead that appears to be staying with her for the weekend.”
“Let me get this straight. You’re there, what, less than a week? And you’ve already been out with Viv’s niece, and you know her well enough already that you’re aware of the comings and goings of her and her friends?”
I laughed out loud. “It sounds like that doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, from this end, it certainly does. By the way, just for your information, the redhead that’s staying with Jade is her best friend Blaze,” Daniel added.
“Blaze, huh? Well, her name definitely suits her.”
“It certainly does and not just in her appearance. From what I can remember, Blaze does everything full throttle. She’s fiery in more ways than one,” Daniel remarked with a bit of whimsy.
I chuckled. “Listen, do you have some time? There’s a lot I want to fill you in on.”
“I have all the time in the world. The center is closed for classes today.” Daniel was referring to the Center for Addiction and Disabilities near Philly.
He was employed there as an art therapist and counselor. He himself had been treated there for many years due to issues with his immobility. He had spinal cord issues that made movement from his legs difficult. He has sensation in his lower body, but his inability to walk comes from his muscles, not his nerves. Unfortunately, his condition doesn’t allow him to be fully mobile.
“Great! Here’s what happened,” I paused. I had a better idea.
“Is something wrong?” He asked.
“I have a thought. Is the center closed for the entire weekend?”
“Yeah, actually it’s closed through Tuesday. Why?”
“How about I ditch all this work for the weekend and I pick you up, so we can hang out down here? Unless you made other plans, of course.”
“No, actually my plans fell through and I wasn't up for going into the city this weekend.”
“Problems with your family?” I asked.
“No, not at all, but they’ve come down here every holiday, so this holiday I had a date with a hot nurse I met at the hospital when I went for my physical therapy. She bailed on me and I didn’t want to call my folks to come down and babysit their forty-year-old son. They had already made plans to go away for the weekend with my brother and his family,” Daniel added.
Daniel’s sister-in-law, Rain, and I grew up together. If she knew Daniel would be alone for the weekend, she would have insisted he stay with them, whether he wanted to or not.
“What do you say?” I asked with the hope that Daniel would agree to stay for the weekend.
“I’m in, but you said that your new place has quite a few stairs. I wouldn't want that to be a problem for you.”
“That’s not a problem at all. There’s a bedroom on the main floor, as well as a bathroom with a walk-in shower, so that should make it easier for you. Plus, you’ll be right near the living room and the kitchen. There’s also a deck that runs around the parameter of the house. You’ll be able to take in all the views.”
“Are you sure it’s not any trouble for you?” He seemed awkward.
“Well, we all know that you can be trouble, but not the trouble that you're referring to.” I needed to lighten the conversation up a bit.
“Thanks, Tommy, I’m definitely up for a weekend at the shore,” he agreed.
“Great! Then it’s all set. I’ll just shower and get to you as soon as I can.”
“Shit! You're going to hit major traffic.”
“No big deal. My story will make the car ride back more interesting.”
“Okay. I’ll see you when you get here.” Daniel was just about to hang up when I realized something.
“Wait. Did I ever tell you Jade’s name before?”
“I guess it’s a possibility, but I’ve known Viv and Jade for years.”
“Oh, that’s right, Viv had a family member at the Center with you.”
“Yeah, Jimmy Stanton, he was Viv’s nephew and Jade’s older brother.”
“Was?” I wondered what Daniel meant by that.
“You didn’t hear this from me, but Jimmy died almost three years ago.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah, and the worst part about it was that he was way too young to die. He was an incredible surfer and a very talented artist. Although the whole thing was unfortunate and what was worse was that it was also preventable.”
“I don’t follow.” I was confused by what Daniel just stated. It sounded more than ominous.
“He didn’t have to die. He took his own life. It was so devastating for the family, but Jade was hurt the most. From what Viv told my parents, Jimmy’s death nearly destroyed Jade in the process. I don’t know if she ever moved on from it. You don’t ever get over that, but you find a way to live. Hopefully, with the time that has passed, Jade has done that,” Daniel said.
“I don’t know what to say. I knew there was more to the story about this house than Viv was letting on, but I had no idea about any of this.”
“Now, I’m the one who doesn’t follow you.”
“I’ll explain once I get down to the Center and we’re on our way back.”
Daniel agreed the ride back could be long, and that we could talk more then, to fill the time. After we hung up, I showered and headed to Philly. I put the top down on the Camaro. It was too beautiful of a day for air conditioning. With Daniel coming to hang out for the weekend, it was going to be better than I had originally planned.