Jeff finds himself in Washington DC on business trying to close a big deal for his company where he meets up with Nancy again, the FBI agent he had fallen in love with in Atlanta nearly two years ago. Jeff is separated from his wife because of Nancy
Chapter 29 of
Tuesday, 5:11 PM: Life Goes On
They go to Potomac
House where Nancy
- Chris Lamela
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Author contact: Chris Lamela,
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K Street, Chapter 29
Tuesday,
5:11 PM: Life Goes On
Arnie knocked on the glass in front of him followed by an electric hum, the
glass shade lowered. Ted leaned his ear toward the back, his eyes staying on
the road.
“Ted,” Arnie looked at Nancy who was leaning back with her head on
Jeff’s shoulder with her eyes closed, “go ahead to Potomac house, then maybe
you want to swing Nancy
“Nancy
She shook her head sitting up
straight, leaning on Jeff to get upright, rubbing her eyes, turned to Arnie
with weak determination, “No, Arnie, it is what it is, life goes on. This deal
has got to get done, that’s the only way the Iranians are going to get the
killer.” Tears welled in her eyes, she flopped her head back, “Whatever it was
that happened back there,” she gulped trying to catch a sob, “happened, there’s
nothing I can do about it.” Tears sprung from her eyes, she looked to Jeff with
a squeaky voice, “And if he’s gone then that’s it, huh?” bursting into tears, turning,
again burying her head in Jeff’s shoulder.
Jeff glanced over to Arnie’s helpless face, looking down at the woman
who had melted onto him. Arnie reached across the front seat, “Never mind, Ted,
just go to the house, maybe we can get her to lay down.”
Jeff looked back at the caravan of three cars following them feeling relieved
that they were at last going to make it to the signing.
Twenty minutes later they pulled up to a gate in front of a large wood
house with ornate trimming giving it a deliberately ginger-bread look. Ted
rolled down his window, pressed buttons on a panel mounted on a large wooden
post, the gate opened. A man came running from the house pointing to a parking
place for Ted, ran behind their car to do the same for the other three cars.
A few minutes later everyone was settled in the living room in the
house. It was a large room that had four couches and a number of large stuffed
chairs arranged so that everyone could have perfect visibility of everyone
else. There was a large empty space on the other side of the room.
Jeff turned to Arnie sitting next to him on couch, “We really need to
get her to lay down, don’t you think? Is there a bedroom available?”
Arnie turned signaling to the man who had come running out when they
drove up, he stepped over to them, Arnie making the inquiry. “Yes, sir, there
are five bedrooms upstairs, three of them are available.”
Jeff turned to him, “Do you think we can take her upstairs? She’s had a
hell of an afternoon.” The man nodded, Jeff stood up stepping to Nancy,
kneeling down in front of her looking up into her face, “Hey, how you doing?” She gave a scarce nod. “They have a
room upstairs, you don’t need to be down here, why don’t you let me take you
up?” He started to stand, reaching to help her with rag-doll floppy legs supporting
her, arms limp at her sides.
He put his arm around her waist leading her to the stairs, slowly upward
toward the man now standing at the top of the stairs. “The last door on the
right,” he said softly as they came to the top, Jeff turned holding Nancy
They turned into the room, he reached around
her pulling off her coat, her blue sweater, leading her to the bed. She sat
with a vacuous stare, he kneeled down pulling off her shoes, he stood up
pulling her legs around, she leaned back laying down.
Jeff turned to the bathroom, came
back out with a glass of water. Putting his hand under her head he raised it
holding the glass to her lips, “Here, have a drink, it’ll do you good.” She
made a slurping sound, water dribbling down her chin. He laid her head down
setting the glass next to her, reaching for a tissue box, pulling one out to
dry her chin.
He stood up feeling his heart breaking for her, she lay with her eyes
half-open, utterly blank expression. “Listen, I’m going to go back downstairs
to help get this thing done, I’ll come back up, okay?” No response.
Jeff stepped softly to the door looking back at the figure laying on the
bed, his heart surged in his chest, like all the warmth inside him was being
sucked out by the pathetic scene in front of him. He stepped through the door
closing it quietly, walked on tip-toes to the stairs, down to an empty living
room.
He heard voices through an opened door, walked toward the sound,
emerging into a small dining room with a normal wooden dining table, five men
around it with papers and envelopes in front of them, Tom’s box and satchel
laying on the floor next to him.
Arnie motioned to a chair, Jeff
sat down next to Frank Pacfil, they exchanged nods.
Jeff finally noticed Roger the congressman, giving him a quick guy nod to acknowledge him, Roger
returned the nod looking back to the papers in his hand.
Tom handed Jeff the contract. Jeff had read it a couple times already.
He had returned it back with mark-ups, so he scanned the document quickly,
stopping at the changed sections to make sure they were incorporated smiling
that everything looked copasetic.
The export license was passed to Jeff, he read it carefully.
Tom handed Jeff a pen pointing to the blue plastic tabs, Jeff reached
into his shirt pocket pulling out his favorite pen. Tom smiled, “Everywhere you
see a blue tab is for your signature and date.” Jeff took the pen, signed, dated
the Export License, flipped to the contract, signed, dated in two places,
initialed four places, set the two documents side-by-side.
“Last is the payment receipt,” Tom handed Jeff a document with that
heading.
“How about payment first?” Jeff asked.
Tom smiled, “Of course,” reaching for a large envelope. Jeff tipped the
envelope, six pieces of heavy-bond gilded paper floated out onto the table. He
picked them up, weighing them in his hand reading them, flipping each over to
read the legends on the back, slid them back into the envelope. He signed the
receipt.
“I didn’t bring my computer case,” Jeff said, one of the Arabs looked up
at him, “my briefcase. So I have nothing to carry this all in.”
“I can take them and make sure they are delivered to your factory if
you’d like,” Arnie offered.
Jeff nodded smiling, “That would be great, these are like cash right?
Wouldn’t want to get knocked on the head for these sons-a-guns!” everyone
laughed softly, the mood feeling slightly better.
The entire ceremony took less than fifteen minutes, soon everyone was
standing up. Jeff was amazed that something that had caused the death of two
men, suddenly he thought of Shawn―make that three men―his own near murder, his
wife’s kidnapping―his kidnapping
could be consummated in the time it takes to eat a meal at Denny’s.
Hands reached around the table, congratulations were made, there was
almost a joy to the moment that this had been accomplished.
I am going back with my six million! were the only words circling in
Jeff’s head.
I did it!
Moments later the room was empty, a few seconds later Jeff was sitting
in the same huge chair Nancy
Arnie flopped into the chair next to Jeff with a huge groan. They sat in
silence for fifteen minutes at least.
“So what’s next Arnie?”
“I think you should stay here tonight. Nancy
“Here? Why not back in Cooke’s Park?”
“Too much moving around, too much going on over there. It’ll be quieter
here.”
Nodding Jeff smiled to Arnie, “Yeah, this is definitely more peaceful. Just
get me a toothbrush, a razor and a comb. You should get some stuff for Nancy Nancy
“I’m going to go ahead to have your luggage brought over, we’ll go by Nancy
Jeff laughed standing up, “God, I know what you mean. I know we have
lots to talk about and I know that tomorrow is going to be busy again, but I
really need to get up to see Nancy
“I don’t get out here, so I don’t know what we can get, but I’m pretty
sure one of the guys will know. What time do you want it?”
Jeff glanced at his watch, “How about eight? That should give me some
time with her enough to get her to come down with me maybe.”
“Yeah, but Jeff, don’t push it. Give her the time she needs. She’s gonna
need time. That’s the only medicine there is for what happened today.”
Jeff nodded turning to the stairs, in another minute he was sitting on
the bed next to Nancy
He stood up, walked to a stuffed chair that was actually not in the
corner, laughed at the thought, sat down quietly looking across at the Sleeping
Beauty form before him, leaning his head back.
Jeff awoke to a voice at the door, light coming in from the hall, “Food
is here.” He looked at the clock next to Nancy, eight-fourteen.
“Thanks,” he whispered, “leave the door open,” the man nodded backing
out. Jeff stood up to stretch, walked on
tip-toes to Nancy’s bedside seeing her expression more relaxed, could hear her
deep regular breathing. He leaned over kissing her forehead, turning back to
the door.
Jeff turned back to see Nancy
“They brought some food, are you hungry?” She didn’t answer, he went
back to the bed sitting down next to her. “How are you feeling?”
She turned away from him to look at the ceiling, back to him, “Like I’m
in a dream.”
He laid his hand on her arm.
“I mean, I know that it happened―I don’t even want to think why. I just
know it happened.”
Jeff knew he had no wise words, no great wisdom to bring light to that
moment. He felt helpless, he sat next to this sad beautiful woman.
“Jeff, he was going to be my life. He told me that when this was all
over he wanted to talk to me about our next step. I don’t know if he meant to
propose. I don’t know. He never said.” He looked into her eyes, misty eyes
looking back at him, “And now I’ll never know.”
Jeff knew that there were still barriers to happily ever after for her and Shawn. So many secrets between them.
Too many secrets. She had found this man, latched onto him, built picket fence dreams around somebody who
didn’t even know who she was. Who she didn’t know. How many secrets did he have
from her? Who was this man?
How could they ever build a life together when the foundation was built
on deception?
“There are many things we’ll never know,” he rubbed her arm smiling gently
at her. “What the hell was that supposed to mean, huh?” he smiled again, she
giggled softly. “I mean I need one of those tiny little airport books with
those five thousand things to say at inappropriate moments,” she chuckled
louder. “Hell, maybe this means I should write the book!”
She laughed out loud laying her
hand on his leg, “I love you Jeff, you are such a good soul.”
“Well right now I’m a hungry soul! Can I bring you something?”
“Would you? I really don’t want to face anyone.”
He smiled warmly, “Sure, don’t know what they have down there but I’ll
bring you up a plate. How hungry are you?”
She thought, doing an inventory of her body, “Come to think of it, I’m
really hungry.”
“Good, then I’ll be right up with some food so we can eat together, will
that work?”
She sighed rubbing his leg, “You are one in a million mister Jeff. Thank
you for being here for me.”
“We are one in a million, and
I wouldn’t miss it.” He stood up turning to the door.
“And Jeff?” he turned back around at the door, “I do love you. I guess
life goes on, and I have to go on with it. But I mean it when I say I love you,
thank you for being you.”
He stepped back to her leaning to give her a quick kiss on the lips,
“I’ll be right back,” he stood walking to the door, turning back to her, “And
Nancy?” She looked up to him, “I love you.”
A few minutes later Jeff came through the door balancing two paper
plates of food with a soda can under each arm. Nancy
He laughed, “I thought these plates were sturdier!”
Giggling she took the plate laying it carefully on the night stand,
“Maybe it was before you put three pieces of soppy pizza on it! How hungry do
you think I am?” she laughed again.
He gingerly laid the second plate on the night stand setting the soda
can down, turned around, instantly they were in each other’s arms kissing
passionately, their tongues swirling, they pulled the other into them, “Oh
Jeff,” she panted, “Oh, Jeff,” hugging him so tight he couldn’t breathe, “Thank
you for being here for me, thank you thank you thank you!” she kissed him
again.
Jeff’s head was spinning, he felt the rise between his legs, a twinge of
guilt, his head swirled with he’s gone!
We can finally have each other!
Finally they pulled apart. He could scarcely make out her eyes in the
dim light from the hallway through the door.
“How’s your jaw?” he could see her concerned face in the faint light.
“Can we have some light?” he reached for the bedside lamp turning it on.
He sat up again, she reached out touching his jaw.
“You have a hell of a punch, I’m just glad I pulled back.”
“I’m so sorry, it’s just …”
“Stop it. Don’t worry about it,” he rubbed his chin. “Hopefully the
bruise won’t be too bad!”
They laughed together.
“Yeah, but still…”
“I said don’t worry.” She smiled faintly with a soft nod.
He looked into her eyes expecting to see their excited glow. Instead
they were dim with the tiniest glow more like a night light than the fiery
beacons that he was so used to.
Sadness.
Guilt suddenly washed over him that he dared to think the coast is clear for me! as he looked
into sad those eyes. But then maybe not.
He stepped over to the large chair pulling the ottoman around by the
side of the bed, reaching for his plate sitting down. He smelled the food
realizing he was starving, but when he looked up she was sitting with a vacant
stare looking at the wall away from him.
Setting the plate back onto the nightstand he reached out to put his
hands on her knees. “Hey,” he said in a whisper, “you’re going to be fine. It’s
hard, I know. I don’t know what to do, I’ve never been through anything like
this. I can only imagine.”
She wiped her eye with the back of her right hand. He could see the glisten
of a tear on her cheek. She rubbed both eyes, sniffed.
“He was my future. He gave me a diamond.” She sniffed again. “He was
going to be my happily ever after.”
Jeff wasn’t sure what he should do. Let her continue like this? Bring
her back to reality about their relationship?
The answer was both.
“Honey,” the word sounded so funny coming from his lips, like they were
back home and he was watching TV holding the clicker calling out to her to
bring him more popcorn. “Babe,” even this word sounded out of place, almost too
familiar. “Nancy
“It’s just that I know how special you are. I know a little about
relationships, and I know a lot about marriage,” her look to him said that he
was doing some good steering, “I know that you had a long way to go until you
would really be able to know if this really was the right one.” She snapped a
quick sharp look, “What I mean is that I could see your affection for him, that
was obvious, but I think he had a long way to go before you two would be equal
in that.” Oh please tell me I didn’t overcorrect
on that corner!
She nodded, “You’re right.” Good
steering! “He didn’t know how to do that. When you were downstairs just now
I wondered what he would be doing if he were here right now. If he would have
sat in that chair while I was sleeping.”
“I thought you were asleep!” he said with a laugh.
“I was, but I could…I don’t know…I knew you were there, that you cared
about me.” She gave him a deep appreciative smile, “I realized that diamonds
don’t really say I love you.” She sniffed, he could see tears welling in her
eyes again. “Then there was the little matter…”
He smiled rubbing her knees, “The little matter of you being a Federal
agent.”
She sniffed, “And that I was always worried that he was on the wrong
side. I never knew anything for a fact, I never had evidence of anything, it’s
just that being in his business…” She reached over to the tissue box pulling
two tissues out blowing her nose softly, crumpling the damp tissues in her hand
tightly, “It’s just that I had these…I don’t know if you’d call them
nightmares…just worries really…that I’d find out he was on the wrong side.”
Jeff knew that’s all that was needed right now, time to double back, make a U-turn. “Yeah, but for right now, none
of that matters, right? You need to…I’m not sure what the right word is…”
“Grieve.”
“Yes I guess, but I don’t like that word. That word always sounds like I
am missing my grandmother,” they both laughed.
“How about I just miss him?”
“Yes, that’s perfect. That you miss him.”
They both picked up their plates taking big bites of sloppy cold pizza.
“I forgot napkins!” Jeff laughed with a full-mouth, he stepped into the
bathroom coming back out with a roll of toilet paper unspooling it handing her
a wad. She laughed again, she wiped her fingers, reached over opening the two
root beer cans, handing one to him.
She set her plate down in her lap looking into Jeff’s eyes. “It will be
okay right? I will get past this?”
Jeff suddenly remembered many years ago when his wife miscarried at two
months. He remembered how wrenched he was at the thought of that tiny new life
ending. How he and his wife grieved. He remembered telling her parents, how her
father had cried. Jeff had never seen a tear from that strong man, never seen
such sadness in that man that Jeff had always thought was so stoic. How it felt
like life couldn’t go on.
But it did.
Life did go on.
“It’s like you said,” she sniffed, “life goes on.”
He didn’t remember saying those words. Maybe she was reading his mind,
but she was right.
In a few minutes the paper plates lay empty next to half-consumed cans
of root beer. Jeff sat back with his hands around his knees, arms stretched
holding him upright, he relished her aura that was slowly emerging again, the
sparkle in her soft golden eyes gradually rekindling.
“Come lay with me, I need to cuddle,” she waved to him with her fingertips.
He stood up, unspooled more toilet paper, wiped his hands tossing the
wad aside, crawled over her, laid behind her, holding her, close, two spoons in
a drawer. Her wonderful soft cherry-wood hair with the enticing aroma of Nancy
In a moment he could hear her soft regular breathing, the regular rise
and fall of her chest under his arm around her.
Yes, he thought to himself.
Life goes on.
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