I went to work, even though it was the weekend and I had wanted to spend time with Lacie. Where was she? Her Jeep wasn’t at her house this morning at seven when I drove by. Where could she be? I was going to call her again, but I didn’t want to scare her off, so I settled on going to the office.
I worked on my latest client. I reviewed some of the information as to what they wanted and what we had found to review with them. The last deal we’d been working on was in the finishing stages, all resting on which way they choose to go. Either option was solid, but I leave it up to the client to decide how to proceed. But this new client, they were extremely particular, everything we’d found they turned down and they were working my patience thin. Of course not seeing Lacie or knowing where she was also didn’t help my mood. I reviewed the locations they turned down and looked at some new areas we’d been scouting and put together an outline for them to review of three more properties. I would leave the information for Lydia to type up and send over to them on Monday. I had worked straight through the day and realized that I was starving. I finished up and headed out.
I stopped for some take out. I was not in the mood to cook and I truly just wanted instant food. I was so hungry. I grabbed some Chinese and headed home. I sat on the patio, the torches lit and thought about Lacie. That woman was so damn beautiful and I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I wanted to pull her body to mine and never let her go.
I shook my head. I needed to get a grip. I was letting this go too far too fast. I have never had this reaction to a woman in my life. She was getting to me and I wanted to get to her. I wanted to hold her and make love to her again and again. Damn, she just consumed me.
I finished eating and headed inside to get a drink. I poured some rum over ice again. One drink limit tonight. I was not going to wake up the way I did the other morning. I took my drink outside. I stood on the patio and looked out around the yard. The candles were all still set up. I needed to bring that all into the house, but I lacked the desire to. I wanted to light them all and bring Lacie back.
My phone vibrated in my pocket and I truly wanted to ignore it, but I always checked in case of Mom. Shit, Mom. I was supposed to go see her today. Damn, my sister was going to ride my ass. I looked at the phone and nearly dropped my glass. I answered it, “Lacie?”
There was silence on the other end. All I could hear was her breathing. “Lacie? I can hear you breathing. Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not okay! You’re trying to make me feel things I shouldn’t. I mean, I’ve been fine until you walked into that bar and now….”
I heard giggling in the background.
“Lacie, who’s with you? Are you drunk?”
I couldn’t help it. I was grinning. Imagining her drunk and completely out of control made me really wish I was with her.
“I’m certainly am drunk. I mean, I am drunk. Wait, did I say I was drunk?”
The other voice was female. “Yes, he’s got it you’re drunk, Lacie. Tell him you’re hot for him.”
“Abigail, shut up! I am not hot for him. Wait, am I?”
Abigail, I assumed, said, “Hell yeah, you’re hot for him.”
“Abigail, shut up. I’m hot for him, no wait, I’m not hot for him.”
I heard the other woman laughing in the background. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Lacie, are you home?”
I heard her shushing her friend and then said, “No. I left town.”
I started to panic. “What do you mean you left town? Are you coming back?”
“Duh, of course I am. I work there, you know. I have responsibilities. I just needed to get away.”
She didn’t say anything for a minute and her friend was quiet too.
“Tell me, Lacie, why did you need to get away?”
I heard her sigh then said almost on a whisper, “Because you scare me.”
My heart jumped in my chest. “Lacie, please come back to me. You scare me too.”
“Goodnight Jackson.”
“Wait, Lacie…” I paused to see if she would just hang up, but she didn’t.
“Can I see you again?”
He heard the female voice say,
“What did he say?”
Then Lacie repeated, “He wants to see me again.”
The other voice said, “Say yes.”
I was really liking her friend, this Abigail. “Yeah, Lacie. Say yes,” I pleaded with her.
Lacie sighed. “Next weekend. Meet me Saturday night at The Tavern, seven p.m., but, Jackson…” Lacie paused and I swallowed.
“Yes, Lacie.”
“I’m not going home with you again.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Okay, Lacie. For now, I’ll accept your terms. Say goodnight, Lacie.” He could almost see her grin,
“Goodnight, Lacie.”
I started laughing. Then she said again, “Goodnight, Jackson. Don’t call me again.”
I laughed. “Goodnight, Lacie, and you can call me anytime you’d like.”
She hung up the phone and I was on cloud nine. How did this happen? Where was she? Who was her friend? Damn, all valid questions but there were no answers. He had a week to get through then he would see her. I just needed to hold it together for that week. I also needed to find out who Abigail was and send her something nice, because I have a feeling, she is the reason Lacie called. For that I will have to thank her. Now she took a step and it was my turn to let her see how right we were for each other, how we deserved a chance to see where things could go.
I woke up refreshed. It was early, but I didn’t care. I talked to Lacie last night. She called me. She was drunk, but she called. It was a win! I got up and made some coffee, showered, dressed and headed to the nursing home to see my mom. I was seriously on cloud nine. I walked into the nursing home and waved at the security guard, then headed to my mom’s floor. When I walked in she was sitting there staring at the television, but it wasn’t on.
“Mom? You okay?”
She turned and looked at me. “Jax, yes, I’m fine. I was just worried. How are you?”
I moved in and kissed her cheek. “I’m fine Mom. What were you worried about?”
Mom looked at me and smiled, “Why are you looking so happy today? What’s going on Jax?”
I moved into the room and sat down on the chair next to her. Mom looked good and her mind still seemed sharp, but there were some lapses here and there that just couldn’t be let go. I understand my sister wanting to keep Mom safe, but this place really seemed to bother me. I wished we could have kept her at home. Looking at her though, she seemed happy enough. She seemed to still have her memory for the most part, but there were times she would talk about things that didn’t make sense to us. She would say or do things that seemed off. The doctor said if it kept her calm, just go with it. The more you corrected her or the more you acted like she was wrong about something, the more frustrated she would become and eventually could end up withdrawing completely. Today she seemed sharp. She noticed that I was happier than I’ve probably been in a long time. So I thought, what the heck. What could it hurt telling her a bit about Lacie?
I smiled at Mom and said, “I met someone a few nights ago. It’s still very new and she’s very… skittish? Not sure if that’s the right word, but I really like her mom.”
My mom beamed at me. “Jax, really? Tell me about her.”
I couldn’t keep it to myself if I’d tried at this point.
“Mom, she is beautiful. She has long black hair, the eyes of an angel, they are the most beautiful color blue I’ve ever seen. She’s amazing. She makes me laugh, she challenges me and she is nothing like anyone I’ve ever met before.”
My mom looked puzzled, then said, “What’s her name Jax?”
I looked at her and said, “Lacie.”
My mom smiled and said, “That’s a beautiful name. So can I meet her? How serious are you two?”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Oh, Mom, I don’t know about meeting her yet. She’s having some issues with trusting me and just giving in to what we feel for each other. It is moving a bit fast, I mean I’ve seen her twice and talked to her once on the phone. She actually walked out on me after our last date. She told me pretty much that we weren’t going to see each other again. So I need to slow things down. Meeting the family isn’t slowing things down.”
I sat and talked with Mom for a few hours. When I saw she was getting tired, I told her I would be in to see her on Wednesday. She asked me to try and come a little earlier this time. She wanted to see me after her dinner around five thirty p.m.
I grinned and said, “Of course, Mom. I’ll try and wrap things up at work sooner and get here around then. Are you happy here, Mom?” She looked at me and smiled.
“I’m where I need to be Jax. No worries. I love you Jax.”
“I love you too, Mom. I’ll see you Wednesday.”
Before I could get up to leave my mom stopped me.
“Jax, would you do me a favor?”
I stopped and smiled. “Anything, Mom.”
She looked at me pointing to the nightstand.
“In that drawer is a story. Would you mind sitting and reading a little to me?”
I moved over to the nightstand and pulled out some printed pages. “Sure, Mom.”
I pulled out my glasses and started reading. This all sounded familiar, this sounded like the first night I met Lacie.
‘Jackson made me want to take a chance.’ Fuck me!
“Mom where did you get this?” My mom smiled and cleared her throat.
“My aide wrote it. She reads to me every night before she leaves here to go home.”
I looked at my mom. “What is her name?”
She smiled at me and said, “Why it’s Lacie, my dear. Who else would write about my boy?”
I was stunned. I read a little more of the story to my mom and when I stopped I said, “Is Lacie going to be here Wednesday when you want me to come?”
My mom smiled and nodded.
I put the story away, moved to kiss her cheek and said, “I love you, Mom. Thank you.”
She smiled with eyes so bright, “Good luck Jackson.”
I left the nursing home completely on cloud nine.