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THE ROOM WAS DARK EVEN though it was a sunny mid-afternoon in early June. The opaque shades were drawn closed. Heavy breathing was the language of two people negotiating their lustful intentions toward each other. The rustle of clothes being removed and discarded was punctuated by the sounds of lips coming together and apart, at first slowly, then with more intensity. A low hum, the electricity of attraction and desire, built in the air.
The room was cool but sweat began to form as skin slid over skin. The increasing friction took on an urgency neither woman wanted nor had the willpower to stop. In the dark it was hard to tell where one body ended and the other began.
A phone rang. Something beeped. The door was locked and anyone looking for them would have to knock to gain entry to this momentary sanctuary.
As a tongue slipped from mouth to neck to nipple, murmurs of encouragement were barely audible between hard breaths. Fingers ran through soft hair. Hands traced lean shoulders and clutched at the muscled back of the woman kissing her way down the stomach of her paramour. The murmurs became moans.
Any thought of extending this moment quickly gave way to the tension created by their mutual desire. There would be time later for a more careful exploration. This time was about immediate cause and effect. A gentle bite here earns a moan. A finger flick there causes a sharp intake of breath. A lick along this spot sends ripples through the body. Putting them all together equals rolling waves of pleasure suspending a brief moment in time.
***
AFTER AN EARLY LUNCH, Shon and Bryan retrieved Fred from the police station. Shon’s bright yellow car was barely large enough for two adults. Fred inhabited the back seat as if it were her throne, sticking her head first out one window, then the other as they drove away from the station.
Seemingly the entire town had read Dani’s story of Fred’s heroic actions. People waved, shouted, and applauded as the yellow chariot with a brave giant head sticking out the window drove by on a slow tour of Main Street. Fred, Shon, and Bryan enjoyed the processional so much that they decided to take a second lap through town. They also hoped if a paparazzi was still around, this photo op would satisfy the urge to click and send him on his way.
Once back at the farm, Shon dropped Bryan off at Jamie’s house to drive her SUV back to the hospital. At the office, Shon spent the afternoon reading messages to Fred from her fandom. The story of Fred was viral on several media platforms and people were posting adoring tributes and stories of their own dog’s heroic feats.
“Here’s a good one from Nova Scotia. Looks just like you. Says she saved a small child who fell off a boat while fishing in the bay. Jumped right in, plucked the boy out of the icy waters, and took him back to the boat. Then swam a mile to shore.” Shon scratched and patted Fred’s head. “Aren’t you glad we just make you walk through snake and tick infested woods? You may land a movie deal out of this, you big lovable lug.”
Fred had stolen the spotlight, which was fine with Shon. As long as the positive spin continued, there would be less social media management to do. Shon thought a good strategy for diverting attention from Boo would be to talk Jamie into allowing Dani to write a feature story on Fred, the rescue wonder dog.
***
BOO SPENT THE AFTERNOON recovering at the hospital. The doctor would clear Boo to leave as soon as she could stand and walk without feeling dizzy. Her headache had subsided, but she was cautioned against encounters with bright lights and loud noises for the next few days.
Across town at her parent’s house, Jamie ate a late lunch with Max, who was excited about the idea of spending time with his Godma Gabby. Between his Godma’s unexpected visit and his grandparents’ loving attention, Max did not seem to miss his mother, leaving her with a twinge of sadness. Jamie rang Gabriela’s cell and left a message updating her. Chief had taken Gabriela to lunch and they had yet to reappear.
“As soon as Bryan brings my car, I’ll take Boo home. Would you two mind keeping Max for one more night? Gabriela will probably stay here with him.”
“Of course we’ll keep Max.” Philip affectionately ran a hand over his grandson’s head. “Marco is also staying tonight, while Gee gets settled at home. Would you send Gabriela a text and tell her dinner is at 6:00? She and Chief can join us.”
Jamie texted Gabriela the invitation. Still no reply.
After a few moments of quiet time, Lessa drove her daughter to the hospital.
“How are you holding up, honey? You haven’t had much sleep and it was a quick trip.”
“I’m glad I came home and that Gabriela is with me. We really need to find this María Garcia. She’s the most concrete clue we have to Boo’s identity.” Jamie looked at her mother for reassurance as she formed a new resolve. “I think it’s time I tell Boo who I am.”
“Boo already knows who you are, but I’m sure she will appreciate hearing more about your life. She is obviously attached to you in lots of ways. And you to her.” Lessa was only slightly coy with her words. “Chief said something about it being time to post something on the internet, maybe a picture of Boo as a missing person, but she’s afraid it will bring out the scammers.”
“I was thinking, after I tell Boo about my work maybe we could make a public appearance together. As friends. Then her picture would be posted without saying we are searching for her identity. If someone is looking for her they would try to contact her or us. What do you think?”
“Sounds like a good idea to me. Do you want something low-key here in town? There’s a local art exhibit opening Thursday night. We could go as a family, that way we could shield her from too much attention. We can tip Dani off and make sure there’s a camera crew there.”
“Sounds great. I’ll talk to Boo and Chief before we make final plans.” Jamie’s thoughts were back on the deception by omission she needed to clear up with Boo. “I hope my talk with Boo goes as planned and she’s not angry with me.”
“Oh, honey, I’m sure she’ll understand. She loves the real you. You’re the same person she has learned to rely on.”
Lessa had intentionally used the word love. The word both comforted and scared Jamie.
***
GABRIELA AND CHIEF showered in separate bathrooms at Chief’s house to avoid being any later for dinner than they already were. Chief tried to decide which would look less guilty of the afternoon tryst—making an excuse to bow out of dinner, or showing up with a silly grin on her face. Given that very little escaped Lessa’s notice, she decided she might as well join her friends and enjoy the dinner.
Gabriela checked her cell phone. Two missed calls and several text messages from Jamie. She texted back that she was on her way to dinner at Jamie’s parents’ house and would stay there with Max for the night. Gabriela knew Jamie would figure out the reason for her afternoon disappearance as soon as she was less distracted by Boo’s health scare.
***
BRYAN DROVE JAMIE’S car to the back of the hospital, maneuvering behind a delivery truck to obscure the direct line of sight from outside the immediate loading dock area. Hopefully this would prevent any more paparazzi pictures from surfacing later. Finding Jamie outside Boo’s room, he gave her the keys and a hug, and left to retrieve his own car to take Gee and Sarah home.
Boo waited in the room, sunglasses on even though the room was dark. She walked slowly but steadily beside Jamie, still limping on her sore ankle.
“The car is out back. Do you need anything before we leave town?” Jamie wanted to take hold of Boo’s arm but allowed Boo to walk out on her own.
“I can’t think of anything. You really didn’t have to come home. I feel bad you missed your work obligations.”
Jamie stopped in her tracks, turning to look directly at Boo. “I came home because I would have been too worried about you and Gee to be effective at work anyway. It is far more important to me to be here, with you, and Gee and Sarah. I am right where I am supposed to be. Now, do you want ice cream before we leave town or not?”
“Chocolate fudge, please?” Boo had learned that arguing with a resolute Jamie was futile.
Jamie helped Boo into the SUV, driving slowly out of the service area while scanning the parking lot for possible paparazzi. She planned to have a long talk with Boo as soon as they were settled at home. Jamie was preoccupied by how to begin the conversation. A good script would come in handy about now, she mused.
The trip home was mostly silent. Boo licked her ice cream cone deliberately to keep the drips from escaping onto her clothes or the car seats. She closed her eyes against the bright sunshine. Sensing Jamie’s distracted mood, Boo did not want to pry.
At home, Jamie fixed a light dinner in the kitchen, closing the blinds and dimming the lights. It gave dinner an unintended romantic ambience.
“Boo, we need to talk. First, I want to be clear that I am committed to finding María Garcia and I have a plan.” Jamie paused to gather her thoughts. “There’s a story that goes with this plan that I need to explain first. I haven’t been totally forthcoming about my work. I act...in movies mostly. I have for almost twenty years. I have no idea if you would have seen any of my films. It’s been a very lucrative career for me, and means that a lot of people recognize me.”
“Should I recognize you? I’m sorry if I—”
“No, you would not necessarily recognize me. And, you do know who I am—Jamie Jordan. Mom. Chauffeur. Great cook—don’t you dare disagree with the last part.” Jamie winked at Boo. “You just know me here at home, not when I’m at work.”
“What kind of movies are you in? Would I have seen them?”
“If you want, we could watch parts of a couple of movies later. See if you recognize something.” Jamie was relieved the new information apparently did not trigger recognition of her career.
“If you want to show me, that’s great, but it’s not necessary. I respect your privacy and if you don’t want to talk about your work, it’s okay.” Boo still did not grasp the extent of Jamie’s fame or the lack of privacy Jamie had in her life because of her work.
“The other thing I need to tell you is that some people do not respect my privacy. They think all of my life should be available to the public. This includes people who make a living by taking pictures or finding stories about people like me mostly doing ordinary things. It’s an unfortunate consequence of my job and sometimes makes it difficult for me to do things with other people without it being reported like it’s big news. It has caused me to be distrustful of new people.”
The last sentence hit Boo, shaking her sense of ease with Jamie.
“I can leave. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, especially in your own home. I’m not here...” She wasn’t here by choice exactly, although she had needed a place to stay and Jamie seemed to have freely invited her.
“Boo, this is not about you. I want you here. I enjoy having you here. I feel comfortable around you. In fact, I have probably taken advantage of you not knowing about my career and I am sorry for that. I think maybe I have kept you somewhat isolated so I could keep you all to myself.” It felt cathartic and scary to Jamie to reveal her true feelings.
“I’m confused. Why are you telling me this now?”
“A couple of reasons. First, there was a picture online of me arriving at the hospital this morning, which means there is a paparazzi looking for pictures to make some money. So, if you are with me, your picture could be posted anytime.”
“Okay. Is that bad?”
“Not necessarily, and in fact it plays into my plan for finding out your identity. My mother told me there’s an art show opening in town on Thursday. It’s just a local show, but if you show up with me, there will be pictures, and those pictures will be posted online. Although you will be attending as a friend of the family, some people will speculate that you and I might be dating. If people think I might be dating someone new, it tends to go viral.” In Jamie’s mind it sounded innocent, but when she said it out loud she realized how much the plan reflected her true desire—to be with Boo as more than just a friend.
“Are you sure people will take pictures?”
“Oh, trust me, they will. Most local people don’t care because they have known me since I was a child, but some people can’t resist. Plus, we’ll tip off one of the local reporters. It’s an efficient way for a lot of people to see your picture. We think someone might recognize you and try to contact you, especially if they have been looking for you. If not, we’ll move to Plan B.”
“What’s Plan B?”
“I’m not sure yet. We’ll figure it out if we have to. This just seems way better than Chief posting your mug shot on a milk carton. That brings out the whackos. This is a different kind of crazy.”
“Okay. If you think this is a good plan,” Boo put on her best brave look. “Will Shon dress me for my big debut?”
“I am sure they will love this assignment.”