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She applied to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco a few months before graduation and finally received her acceptance letter a few days before, but after discussing her options with her mom, she declined. Despite her mom's desire for Ellie to pursue an acting career in Hollywood, and not the theatre, exactly as she was during her teenage years, Ellie's heart was set on New York, and her mom understood that.
One of Advance Publications' Christmas parties introduced him to Jessie, the CEO's daughter, and who was fifteen years younger than him. They married within two years of dating, with much disapproval from her dad, George Harper.
Ellie and Zoe rarely got to see their father over the years, all because of their mother. But now that they were older and Ellie was approaching her 18th birthday, she knew that she could make her own decisions, starting with moving to New York and pursuing her dream.
A light tap on the shoulder was heard as Ellie was unpacking her locker for the last time. She turned around and saw Josh, the prom king and huskies' quarterback.
Being accepted to UCLA on a scholarship was one of Josh's dreams, and he knew he could one day become a famous NFL football star, just like his hero, Jim McMahon. As Ellie did with Broadway acting, he lived and breathed football. He was a Chicago Bears fan. Throughout the season, which was from September until late December, he went to watch a few games live with his dad.
Makayla's only wish was to become a famous singer, and Madonna was her inspiration. As a result, she signed up for private singing lessons every evening while her studies would take her into Psychology at UCLA.
When the three girls got together, it was an understatement to say they shopped until they dropped. They never spent less than two hours at a mall, whether it was trying or buying clothes, make-up or grabbing something to eat or drink.
A few hours later, after grabbing a bite to eat and shopping for a few summer dresses, Ellie dropped off Missy and Makayla at their houses just a few blocks away from her place. The next morning, the group was planning to meet for breakfast at Hugo's Studio City, as a farewell for Ellie.
Upon arriving home, she was surprised to find her mom sitting at the dining table with Leo. It was typical of her mom to have a glass of wine in front of her, no matter what time of the day it was.
“Hi, honey. What does it feel like to no longer be in high school?” her mom asked, taking a sip of her wine.
“My best interests are what I want, and I want to go to New York. Neither of you will stop me from going."
As she was about to leave, Leo grabbed her arm. “Take your mom's advice, Ellie. She knows what is best for you.”
"Let go of my arm." He did so without hesitation. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to pack."
“Ellie, you are not leaving. I have already told your dad not to expect you on Saturday."
“You did what? How could you do that? Stop dictating my life! Leave me alone!” Tearfully, she stomped up the stairs to her room, slamming the door behind her. Her heart sank, and uncontrollably she began to cry, wondering how this had happened to her. She was eagerly anticipating the day when she could leave L.A. and move to New York, but once again her mother was interfering with her life, probably because Leo was involved.
Several hours later, there was a knock on her bedroom door. "Honey, dinner is ready." A few seconds passed, but no response was heard. Francesca knocked again, but still no response was heard. “You shouldn't punish yourself by not eating, Ellie. I cooked your favorite for you.”
Her mother was startled when the door jerked open. "Don't think you can bribe me with my favorite meal and expect me to forgive you." She shut the door in her mother’s face and locked it.
“Ellie, open this door right now." Francesca began banging on it. She put on her earphones, listening to her music, and ignored her mother's plea to open the door. "Okay suit yourself."
After taking out her boarding pass from beside her bed, Ellie stared at it in sadness. Music filtered through her headphones, as she stared at her dream floating away in her hands.
When her mom had purchased the ticket two months earlier, she was so excited then, wishing the days away. The writing displayed American Airlines 747 from LAX to JFK. Departure from Terminal 4, Gate 41, June 22nd 1985. Although she wasn't sure if she was going to be accepted to the Academy of Art University at the time, she was not bothered. All she wanted was Broadway.
In three days, she would have boarded the plane, but now it seemed like a dream. Or was it? She needed to talk to her dad and find out what was happening. When she last spoke to him a couple of days ago, he expressed the same excitement to have her there as she did. He couldn't possibly have changed his mind so quickly? Her watch indicated a little after eight, making it a little after eleven, New York time. There was no doubt in her mind that her dad would still be awake at that hour, whether he was watching TV or working in his study. Ellie realized then that she had left her back pack in the dining room with her cell phone in it, and needed to get it without her mom or Leo noticing. She decided to wait until they were asleep before making the call.
A few years earlier, Francesca had ended her acting career after a fall in one of her action movies, where she broke her arm, and sustained a concussion. Over six weeks, she was in a cast. In the aftermath of the accident, she has had constant headaches, which sometimes lasted for days. In her case, the doctor who treated her recommended that she get a brain scan, which she did, and thankfully no abnormalities were found. Ibuprofen was prescribed and he suggested she take it easy for the next few weeks. She then became a Personnel Assistant at Universal Studios, for the director there, a gentleman named Harold Masterton, who on many occasions had shown his interest from what Ellie could see.
Her mother was always an early sleeper. Even though she was just a PA, she tried to get as much sleep as she could before going to work the next day. In Ellie's opinion, her mom always looked her best, regardless of whether she tried. In contrast to Ellie, she had olive skin tone and emerald green eyes, and after having two children was still in great shape.
As she climbed out of bed, she slowly unlocked and opened her bedroom door, peering down the hallway, listening intently. The faint sound of talking from their bedroom told Ellie they were either in bed or about to go to bed.
After an hour, it grew silent. Throughout the house, the lights went out, signifying that they had fallen asleep. As she knew that steps five and seven creaked, she deliberately stepped over them in order to avoid being heard. Downstairs, she pulled her cell phone from her bag, headed to the kitchen, and called her dad in New York. As Ellie was about to disconnect the call, her dad answered, "Hello."
“Dad, it's Ellie," she whispered as she covered the mouthpiece of the cell phone with her hand.
“Hi, sweetie, how are you doing?” He asked half asleep, which was unusual for him.
"I'm not doing great right now. I’ll cut straight to the chase: Mom said she told you I wouldn’t be coming to New York anymore?”
Not taking her eyes off the material she was reading, she asked, "Is there a reason I need to tell you this?"
As soon as the announcement was made over the speaker, everyone was instructed to remain seated until after the takeoff. Twenty minutes later they were airborne.
Ellie could not believe she had pulled this off. Although it was emotional for her to say her dad was sick to get on the flight, she was desperate, and desperate times called for desperate measures.
A few minutes after the plane came to a halt, the captain announced, "Ladies and gentleman, welcome to O'Hare Airport in Chicago. Please be patient while we open the door. We also realize that this is not your final destination, so we have asked that everyone make their way to the shuttle outside, which will take you to the Holiday Inn for the next few nights. We have been informed that the storm might last up to two days. Once the weather clears, we will leave for New York as planned. Please show your boarding pass at the hotel as well as on the shuttle. I would recommend that you give your cell phone number to the stewardesses when you get off the airplane so we can contact you should anything change in the next couple of days. Thank you, and have a safe evening."
In an orderly fashion, each passenger made their way to the exit, giving their cell phone numbers to the stewardesses, as instructed.
Ellie was next. "I apologize for asking, but is there any other way I can get to New York tonight? It’s an emergency.” She didn’t want to use the excuse of her dad being ill again, but if necessary she would.
As the stewardess who tried to get Ellie out of the lavatory earlier answered with a smile, "I'm afraid not Miss, as the captain said the storm could last up to two days, and all flights are currently cancelled." Thanking the stewardesses, she gave her cell phone number. She felt defeated as she walked away. With the rest of the passengers in tow, she made her way to the shuttle. Once at the hotel, they learned that there were not enough rooms, so most people, who were strangers, had to share.
“Can I please have my own room?” Ellie pleaded.
A shocked look appeared on her face. She said, “What?”
“Exactly what I said, and if you wish to ask him, he is right behind you. Next," she ordered the person behind Ellie.
Moving out of the way so the next person could be helped, she saw Jason standing there with a smile on his face, showing her the key to "their" room. “I thought it would be appropriate considering we sat next to each other on the flight.”
Sighing, she followed him to the foyer where she retrieved her luggage from the pile on the floor. After opening the door to the room, Ellie noticed that there was only one double bed. "You've got to be kidding me," she said, sarcastically.
Throwing his duffel bag on the bed, Jason replied, "I could sleep on the couch if you want."
"Great," she said, as the downpour continued, thunder rumbled outside and flashes of lightning danced across the sky. As she closed the curtains, she noticed faint traces of lilac in the cream colored fabric.
“Thunderstorms don't appeal to you much, I see."
"I've had a few bad experiences," she said as she grabbed her necessities from her suitcase, saying, "I need to take a bath." She locked the door to the bathroom behind her. She sat on the edge of the bath and lightly brushed the water as it filled up. As she undressed, she immersed herself in the warm water, letting all her frustrations wash away. While she was drifting off, a light tap on the door awoke her.
“Ellie I am heading downstairs to get something to eat. What would you like?” he asked softly through the door.
Sitting up in the tub, she responded, "Nothing for me."
As soon as she woke up the following morning, Francesca was stricken by a severe headache, which she was unable to control without a few pills; caused by the accident, and she knew a migraine was coming. It was another day of trying to manage it.
Since Leo was still asleep beside her, she left him there while she took a shower, and woke him up later.
While attending the after party at the Academy Awards show in 1983, Francesca met Leo. He was the waiter serving the champagne there, and was totally smitten with her as he handed her a glass of sparkling wine. Throughout the night he kept an eye on her, and once the party was over he made his move to ask her out. Initially, she was reluctant to go on a date with him, but after much persuasion, she eventually changed her mind and said, "Okay."
Within two months of meeting, they got married in Vegas. Two years later, they were still happily married, or so Francesca believed. Logan became her surname, while Ellie and Zoe continued using Hoffman as theirs.
Despite knowing that Ellie wouldn't like Leo, Francesca always hoped she would eventually accept him as her stepfather, but that never happened, which caused conflict in their marriage at times. Despite his best efforts, she never acknowledged him or even spoke to him, unless she had to. She kept on saying that he was trying to take her dad's place because he wasn't there, but Francesca kept reassuring her that Leo was not.
After they met, Leo decided to attend the California Culinary Academy, founded in 1977 and one of the first culinary arts schools on the west coast. He worked at one of Los Angeles’s finest restaurants, Water Grill; open daily, and was hailed as "the best seafood in Southern California" by the internationally recognized Zagat Guide. He served as the restaurant's head chef.
(Untitled)
It was not unusual for him to come home after the restaurant closed, which sometimes was after midnight, but they knew this would happen when he worked in the restaurant industry.
She shook him gently, saying, "Leo, wake up, it's nearly seven o'clock", before asking, "What time do you think you'll arrive home tonight? Since you've been working long hours lately, I'd like to prepare something special for us to eat."
Gritting his teeth, he replied, "I was considering taking time off today. Perhaps spend the day with your daughter. Yesterday was not particularly pleasant.”
Putting on her gold studded earrings, which she had gotten from Leo for their first wedding anniversary, she replied, "I know. But she's not going to New York anymore, so you'll have plenty of time to do that."
With a stretch and a yawn, he got up and climbed out of bed, coming to her from behind and letting his lips linger on her neck. “Why don’t you take the day off to, so we can get down and dirty before the girls wake up?" he said in between kisses.
Turning around, she wrapped her arms around his neck and looked deep into his eyes. "As much as I would like to, I can't. We're expecting a very important client today, and Harold is definitely going to need me to be there. I shouldn't be late. I promise." She parted from him, grabbing her handbag. Before she left she said, “Please make sure Zoe eats all her breakfast this morning. I don't like her wasting food. I'll talk to you later, love you.” She blew him a kiss and disappeared. While leaving, Francesca paused by Ellie's door. She was tempted to knock, but left it. After all, she knew how they left things yesterday wasn't acceptable.
In order to get the day off, Leo had his assistant, Antonio, cover for him. He made fresh basil, shredded parmesan, and chopped ham French omelets for Zoe, Ellie and himself for breakfast. While he made his usual coffee for himself and Ellie, he poured Zoe a glass of orange juice.
He had earlier attempted to get Ellie to come down and eat something once the food was ready, through her closed door, but he didn't get any response, so he, like Francesca, left her alone.
There was a knock at the front door shortly after ten. He was surprised to see Missy and Makayla standing there when he opened.
"Hello, Mr. Logan," they said in unison.
“Yes, is she here? We had planned to meet up for breakfast at nine o’clock today, but she didn’t show up, so we were worried,” Missy responded.
“I think she’s angry with us at the moment.” He opened the door wider. "Come on in. She's in her room," he said. “It would be great if you could talk to her, because her mom and I can't. That girl is stubborn, I tell you."
Not asking what happened, they went upstairs and knocked on Ellie's door. "Ellie, it’s Missy and Makayla." No reply came. They knocked again, louder this time. Still unresponsive, Missy slowly opened the door. Upon entering the room, the curtains were still closed, and there was nothing else but clothes scattered on the bed.
"She isn't here. Perhaps she went to the bathroom," Makayla stated.
“What's with her untidy room? I don't remember Ellie being like this. Something feels off." Leo noticed them in Ellie's room just then as he came up the stairs. “How did you manage to get her to open the door?’’ He glanced around the room, but he couldn't find Ellie anywhere. “Where is she?” he asked, noticing the clothes lying around, and not liking what he saw at all.
“We don’t know Mr. Logan. It wasn’t locked when we tried it,” Missy answered with concern.
“Where are you Ellie?” he shouted, going from room to room upstairs. Makayla and Missy followed suit, also calling for her. Leo approached Zoe cautiously as she ate her breakfast in the kitchen. “Zoe, did you see your sister this morning?”
"No." She continued to eat, not looking up.
“I need you to pay attention, Zoe. Her clothes are spread everywhere, and she is not in her room. That is something that she would never do. Did she mention anything about going somewhere this morning?” he asked, growing anxious and frustrated. He wondered how he was going to explain this to Francesca.
She sipped her orange juice. "I said I didn't know where she was." This time, her response was colder and more formal. “She probably ran away. I don’t blame her.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You didn’t want her to go to New York, and now she has probably run away.”
“How can you say such a thing, Zoe?”
“That’s just my opinion.” She got up and placed her unfinished plate on the counter next to the sink before drinking the last of her juice. As she brushed past Leo, she went upstairs and closed her door without saying another word. While she read a magazine on her bed, she listened to the commotion downstairs as Makayla, Missy and Leo attempted to find Ellie. Ellie was her role model, even though, since her parents' divorce, she and Ellie didn't get along like sisters should. Zoe was just as beautiful and flawless as her mom and Ellie, but she shared her dad's fair skin, blonde hair, and freckles. Despite not being as popular as Ellie, guys were still highly interested in her, so she asked her sister for advice often, but she was usually either too busy with something else or out
with her friends to speak with her, so she eventually gave up trying to heal their relationship.
They were still no closer to finding Ellie an hour after phoning Francesca and getting the police to come out. Francesca kept trying her cell phone, but it was off. After leaving dozens of messages, she hoped that Ellie would respond, but she never did.
One of the officers took their statements, but said it was best to wait at least forty-eight hours before filing a missing person’s report, because a lot of kids return after a short period of time. By that time, Missy and Makayla had already left, but promised to inform them as soon as they heard from Ellie. It was clear that Francesca was in for a long day.
“What's with the police being insensitive and doing nothing?” Francesca asked, after they had left.
"I don't know," he replied, "but I know she'll show up soon. She couldn't have gone too far. The car is here."
"I hope that's the case, Leo. Maybe something could have happened to her.”
"Don't think that way. It seems that Zoe thinks she ran away." He drew Francesca closer to him and hugged her tightly.
"Why would she say such a thing and not tell me?"
"It beats me."
"I'm going to have to speak with her. Maybe she knows something."
"Evidently she doesn't know anything."
"We will see about that."
Jason was talking on his cell phone when Ellie awoke. She turned to see him lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling and talking softly. He noticed she had stirred and she watched him intently. “Listen I have to go.” He paused. "Yes, I'll let you know when I get there." Pause. "Great. See you later," and the call was disconnected. “I'm sorry. Did I wake you?” he asked, sitting up.
“Does it matter?” She climbed out of bed, grabbed the robe the hotel had provided and wrapped it tightly around her. Despite the gloomy weather, as she peered outside, she did not see any lightning or hear any thunder. “Has the airline called?”
Getting up, he replied, "No." Standing in front of her, she could smell the cologne he wore from the day before. “I was wondering why your cell phone isn’t on.”
“What makes you so sure it's not?” she snapped back.
"If that were the case, you wouldn't be asking me that question. Is that correct?”
"Well, it has nothing to do with you."
“It is the first time I have encountered someone with such a secretive nature. What is going on?”
“Such things don't concern you.” She pushed past him and went to the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
“Okay, I’m going out to get some fresh air,” he shouted, grabbing his coat and storming out.
As Ellie sat on the edge of the tub, tears began to trickle down her face. There was no way she could stay here for much longer. When she realized Jason had left, she opened the door, grabbed her suitcase, put on jeans, sandals, and a sweater, and left the room quickly.
Having no idea what time it was, she asked the front desk lady. "Almost two o'clock Miss. If you're interested in having lunch, we're serving it in the main foyer until three.”
"Unfortunately, I don't, but I heard that there is another storm on the way, so all flights are grounded until further notice."
To make sure she wouldn't run into Jason, she took the next shuttle to the airport so she could learn more about her flight. The rain had become harder, and thunder could be heard closer by then.
While waiting for the shuttle to fill up with people, Ellie turned on her cell phone for the first time since leaving the house in L.A. Within seconds, she saw twenty five missed calls and ten voicemails. Another few seconds passed when Ellie felt the vibration in her hand as her phone showed, "Mom." She let it ring, and just as she thought, another message was left making it eleven in all. Without thinking twice, she deleted everything and then turned it off again. Ellie knew what her mother would say; pretending to be concerned, but Ellie didn't give a damn. Throughout her childhood, Ellie learned that she always got what she wanted, especially when her dad was around, but after Leo entered her life two years ago, she suddenly found that her mom always took his side when it came to household decisions.
As hail began to fall, the shuttle made its way to Chicago's O'Hare Airport, and Ellie breathed a sigh of relief. She was relieved not to see Jason.
(Untitled)
“I can't believe she turned off her phone again," Francesca complained. Her hands were trembling as she paced up and down the bedroom with her phone.
"Sit down, Francesca. Making a hole in the carpet won't make Ellie appear any sooner." Francesca sat down next to Leo.
“Where is that child of mine? Doesn't she realize how worried we are?”
“They did say forty-eight hours, and besides they were just here an hour ago."
Her cell phone began ringing beside her. She grabbed it from the bed hoping it was Ellie, but instead saw Harold's name. “It’s Harold. I'm sure he's wondering what's going on." She answered after the third ring. "Hello, Harold. I apologize for not getting back to you after leaving work in a hurry." Pause. “No, we haven’t heard anything.” Pause. “You want me to come in now?" The pause was longer this time before she replied, “Okay. I'll be there soon.”
“You seriously aren’t going back to work now?" Leo asked after she disconnected the phone call. His face was filled with disbelief as he got up from the bed.
“When will you be home?”
“I don’t know.” She left without saying goodbye.
Having worked with Universal Studios for two decades, Harold bought Francesca a brand new Mercedes Benz SL Class Convertible as a gift. Leo wasn't impressed, but said it was a smart car and she deserved it for all that she has done. Despite liking Harold, his instincts told him the man wanted more from Francesca than he was letting on. Although Leo wasn't the jealous type, if he knew someone was sniffing around in his territory, he would attack without a second thought. Francesca was delayed for over an hour by an accident on the Hollywood Freeway involving a Station Wagon and a Camaro. The traffic officers were trying to get traffic moving as quickly as possible by directing cars in all directions.
When she finally reached the Studio, she made herself a cup of strong coffee before heading to Harold's office. She found Harold in the middle of a phone call. When he saw her, he motioned for her to come inside and sit down. “Yes, I will be in touch soon Jerry. I must go." Replacing the receiver, he said, "I'm so glad you could come back in Francesca. I know it must be hard with everything happening at the moment?”
After taking a sip of her coffee, she sat down. “I’m fine.” she said. "Work might even make me forget for a second or two that my daughter is missing."
“I would be happy to help you in any way that I can. You can count on me no matter what.” “I appreciate it. I will remember that,” she replied with a smile.
“Okay, let's get this show on the road. I need you to look at the budget reports for the movie Back to the Future that is currently in production. Later today, I will have the director in, Robert Zemeckis, and he wants to get everything sorted out before its release in July. You know he can be a pain in the ass if things don't go his way."
She stood up and took the folder from him. "Fine, I'll have it ready in an hour or two." After making her way to her office, down the corridor, she began to work on the budget report. The office was her happy place. This was her home away from home. Her walls were painted a light peach color and featured famous paintings by Jackson Pollock and Edward Hopper. A large antique settee filled one corner and a two-seater couch filled the other. The L-shaped desk was made out of butcher block wood with a mahogany finish. The roses she always had on her desk were varied from pink, yellow, and red and Harold ensured that they were delivered weekly. She loved the fragrance they gave her office. When her desk phone rang an hour later, she was still busy with the report. "Hello, Francesca Hoffman here," she politely said.
“Hi, Francesca, I have Leo on the line. He said he's been trying to reach you on your cell phone. Can I put him through?" The front desk agent at Universal Studios enquired.
"I can't take the call right now, Eva. Let him know I'm in meetings. I'll get in touch with him later."
"No problem." she replied.
"Thank you." She replaced the receiver. A few seconds later, she was startled by a knock at her door.
“I apologize for scaring you. Have you finished the report yet?” Harold inquired.
"I’m almost done." She punched a few digits into the computer after calculating a few more numbers.
He closed the door behind him and sat down in the settee, watching her intently when he asked, "I was wondering if you would like to have dinner after the meeting with Robert."
“No. There was a crisis at work, and as Harold needed you, Antonio needed me too.” "You've got to be kidding me!" she said, folding her arms.
“What?" he asked, awestruck.
"You're trying to get even with me."
“It's impossible for us to leave while Ellie is missing."
“My guess is that she will be back by tomorrow. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if she walked in the door right now."
Once back at the airport in the midst of the treacherous hail storm, Ellie went to the American Airlines counter, where she was told they were still grounded. A hurricane was even mentioned on the news.
There were still torrential downpours. It seemed inevitable that they would leave the bus terminal without getting soaked again.
“We can wait it out here for a bit, and see if the weather eases up. If not, we can head to Subways. I'm sure you're hungry now. I certainly am.”
By then, Ellie was feeling hungry. The last time she ate was when she went out with Makayla and Missy to Westfield Fashion Square, where she had a salad and soda. "That sounds great. I am quite hungry," she said.
They grabbed their luggage, took a cab to Subway on W Harrison Street, which was a couple of blocks away. Ellie ordered a meatball marinara sandwich and a diet coke, and Jason ordered a sweet onion chicken teriyaki and a coke. Taking a seat in a corner booth, they ate their sandwiches in silence for a while. As soon as Jason had a chance to speak, he asked, “By the way, where are we going to sleep?”
She thought for a moment and responded, "Good question."
In between sips of his coke, he said, "We might be able to find a motel somewhere around here. No point in staying at the Holiday Inn again. I checked us out.”
"I would never turn down food." He finished the rest of her meatball sandwich dripping in marinara sauce. "This is so delicious," he said, "let's see if anyone knows where to get something cheap around here." The rain had eased a bit by that point, but thunder could still be heard in the distance.
One of the customers nearby recommended a reasonably priced motel a couple miles away, a place called Ohio House Motel in western downtown Chicago, which was convenient to the Greyhound Bus Terminal. They called a cab, which took them to the motel. There was something enjoyable about the Ohio House, distinguished by its funky diamond motif; it looked like a slice of retro Americana right in the middle of downtown Chicago. In addition to the diamond roofline, other points of interest included the mirrored suspended sign, which was held up by a geometric metal grid, which was itself mirrored in the pattern block fence that ran along Ohio Street. It’s distinctly Chicago Mid-Century design was characterized by rough-faced stone walls and a large stainless steel sign on the east facade.
On entering the reception area, they were greeted by a lady who appeared to be the owner's wife. Her name tag read Sarah. "Hello, we'd like to book a room for the night." Jason took out his
American Express card.
The screen suddenly lit up with "Makayla." Initially unsure whether to answer, she went ahead and answered. Makayla shrieked before Ellie could respond, "Ellie, where are you? Everyone has been worried sick about you." Missy, in the background, sounded similarly distressed.
Missy snatched Makayla's phone. “Ellie, what’s happening?” she franticly asked.
“You don’t have to worry about me, Missy,” she whispered.
“Why are you whispering? Are you being held captive somewhere?” She started to panic. "I'm fine. Don't tell my mom or Leo that we spoke."
“They are worried about you, though. Police were even called to find you," Missy answered, tears streaming down her cheeks. “At least let us know where you are.”
“I can't do that. Sorry."
“We are your best friends, Ellie. Why can't you trust us?”
"I wish I could, but I can't at this point. I have to go. I will call you soon though okay?“ Before Missy could respond, she disconnected the call and switched her phone off, knowing that they would call her again without hesitation. As she curled up under the covers straight after the call, she dreamed about New York.
She jumped out of bed after turning on the light beside her. "Why hadn't I thought of this sooner?" she asked. “I know exactly where Ellie is.” She searched for her cell phone on her vanity table and found it. A speed dial to her ex-husband in New York followed. Several rings later, a woman answered. “Jessie, please put James on the line.”
“Francesca, it’s five o’clock in the morning,” she replied sleepily.
"I don't care," she replied. “It's important."
She heard mumbling on the phone. In a few seconds, James was on the line. “Francesca, can this possibly wait for later?”
“No, it cannot. Be honest with me. Is Ellie there?”
“What?” he asked in confusion.
"Yes, you heard me. Is Ellie with you in New York?”
“Why would she be here? You told her not to come anymore. Remember?” Francesca bit her nails when she was under stress. Now Leo was standing next to her. “Francesca, I asked you a question? Why would she be here?” he asked again. “Has anything happened that I should be aware of?” He sat straight up in bed.
After hesitating, she replied, "Ellie has been gone for two days, and we have no idea where she is."
“She is what?” he shouted. Jessie was equally frightened, and attempted to calm him down despite not understanding what was going on, but could only assume it had something to do
with Ellie. She repeated what she said. “And you only told me this now because?” He got up from the bed. She remained silent. “I asked you a question,” he said.
“We had a fight, and I was expecting her to return once she had calmed down.”
Following a few more unpleasant exchanges between them, James decided to go to Los Angeles to help search for Ellie. Despite her best efforts, Francesca could not convince him to stay. Packing his bags, he departed on the next flight. Jessie remained behind.
The morning sun streamed through the window as Ellie awoke with a smile on her face. Since Jason wasn't in the double bed next to her, she thought he might be in the bathroom taking a shower, but the door was open. Frowning, she got up. She was relieved to find his duffel bag still there. While he was out, she dressed in a floral summer dress and Greek sandals. The moment Jason returned to the room with food, Ellie was ready to venture out.
“Good morning,” he said as he closed the door.
“Good morning," she replied with a smile.
Her beauty impressed him. “You look lovely.” He set the food down.
"Thanks." She went to stand next to him. “So what did you get this time?” He offered her a strawberry smoothie, pumpkin cream cheese muffin, and ham and cheese croissant. The meal he had consisted of a turkey pesto Panini, oatmeal cookies, and iced pumpkin spiced latte.
The conversation flowed as they enjoyed their meal. After finishing their meal, Jason commented, "I asked Sarah at the front desk about some attractions in the area."
“So what did she say?”
"Well, she mentioned The Adler Planetarium, Buckingham Fountain, Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago Bulls, but I'm not sure if she was referring to watching one of their games, and I think she also mentioned China Town."
"That sounds interesting, and I'm ready, and we don't have much time left before we must check out." It was after ten when she said this.
"I just have to take a quick shower, then we'll be on our way."
While Jason was showering, Ellie was flicking through the TV channels when his cell phone started ringing. Although she didn't want to pry, she couldn't resist looking to see who it was. The word "Unknown" appeared on the screen. She replied casually, assuming it was American Airlines telling him they would be flying today. “Hello.”
Another female voice responded from the other side. “Who is this?”
Panicking Ellie cut the call short. As soon as the woman answered back, she knew it couldn't be American Airlines. Soon after, it began ringing again, but she ignored it. Following that, it rang several more times, and she continued to ignore it.
After Jason finished his shower, he got dressed, they thanked Sarah, and returned the keys to her. The missed calls hadn't been noticed on his phone until it rang again outside The Adler Planetarium. “Sorry I have to take this,” Jason said, stepping away from Ellie.
As he spoke, she watched him closely, but she was unable to hear what he said. She expected him to ask her why she answered his phone at the Motel, but he never did, which led her to wonder who that might have been? Did he have something to hide? His girlfriend perhaps? But then again, maybe it wasn't even the girl from the Motel who called. For all she knew, it could have been a guy friend. It was not her place to ask him or wonder, but she was curious to learn who it was.
At school, Ellie never felt a particular attraction toward anyone, but for whatever reason she felt an attraction towards Jason, and had from the moment she first saw him on the plane, but other distractions, like getting to New York, made her not notice it until that moment. Chocolate brown hair and emerald green eyes characterized his height and handsome appearance. From what she could see, he also had an athletic physique, with broad shoulders and muscular legs. From their earlier conversation, she learned that he was three years older than her. August was his birthday and July was hers.
He looked at her. “I told you everything was fine, Ellie. Can you stop asking?" he replied abruptly. The way he answered offended her, but she didn't speak further.
Next, they visited Buckingham Fountain, an iconic Chicago landmark located in Grant Park. It was one of the largest fountains in the world when it was dedicated in 1927. Based on the Latona Fountain at the Palace of Versailles, it was built in the rococo style of a wedding cake and was meant to represent Lake Michigan with regular water shows and colorful illuminations. The fountain was decorated with festival lights during the winter.
Before heading to the Cadillac Palace Theatre, they caught one of the hourly water shows.
The Cadillac Palace Theatre was originally known as the New Palace Theatre, a Broadway in Chicago. The interior included large decorative mirrors, breche violet and white marble. Inside, the walls were decorated with gold leaf and wood decorations, along with a series of intricate arches
and brass ornamentations. When they toured the theatre, they were absolutely amazed. As she
imagined herself on stage as the leading actress, she became even more excited.
"Don't worry about it." But how could she not worry?
As soon as she realized what was happening, he grabbed her by the arm, drew her to him, and kissed her on the lips. As their tongues entwined, the kiss seemed to linger forever. His hands moved from her face to her back as he pulled her closer to him, their bodies touching. It was like he was touching her from the inside out. Her heart pounded and she felt him close. Two hearts beating together. Ellie didn't care who was watching, she just enjoyed what was happening right then.
As they entered the bus, their names were ticked off and they sat in the middle of the bus, Ellie taking the window seat once again, just like on the airplane. They departed for New York at 5:05 p.m.
The kiss kept haunting Ellie's mind. What was up with him pulling away? Was it because of her bad kissing skills or because he didn't find her attractive? What if, as she suspected, he had a girlfriend and was too scared to tell her? During her school years, she kissed only one guy and
regretted it deeply. Having her first kiss be as special as the one she had with Jason was important to her.
"What exactly would you like to know?" Jason asked. "I kissed you, and as I said, this shouldn't have happened, and I apologize."
"Stop apologizing and just tell me what I did wrong? The call at The Planetarium totally changed your mood.”
"I'm not sure. You looked distracted, and you still do." She turned away from him and stared out the window for a moment. When she asked him directly, "Do you have a girlfriend?" he looked at her confused. "Is that why you pulled away from me?" He never replied, but rather stared at his hands. “That’s it. Right? Wow, how could I be so stupid?" She shook her head. “You're an arsehole, Jason.” she said. "How could you do this to me and especially to your girlfriend? When you told me you were a decent person, I believed you."
"I have no idea why I did it. I did apologize.”
He turned to look at her. “I know,” he replied. "She said.”
“You kissed me anyway?" She stood up. "I can't sit next to you anymore."
"Where are you going?" he asked. "The bus is full.”
"It doesn't matter as long as it isn't next to you." She pushed past him. In politeness, Ellie asked the couple seated a few rows in front of them if they would exchange seats, explaining the situation. It didn't take the boyfriend long to get up and sit next to Jason, staring him down in disgust.
The woman known as Stephanie comforted Ellie while she sobbed silently. This was going to be a long journey she thought.
(Untitled)
Having not yet arranged a hotel in Los Angeles, James arrived at the Logan home as soon as he landed. Once he had arrived, they exchanged pleasant greetings.
“We might as well call them back and see what they have to say,” James replied, taking a sip of his beer.
Another hug followed. "I'm so glad you're here."
"Me too, although I wish it had been under different circumstances."
“Mr. Hoffman as I said, I will let you and Mrs. Logan know as soon as we know anything. Okay? We have to get going now. In addition to this, we need to look into a homicide."
“What is your plan?” Leo asked about launching their own investigation.
"I don't think so, James."
"Can't daddy stay with us? Please?" Zoe pleaded. "We have plenty of room here."
She hesitated before saying, "That's fine, I suppose. Let me prepare the guest room."
On the five-hour journey, she never glanced around to see where Jason was or what he was doing, but just as she was about to go to sleep, he came and sat beside her. She never opened her eyes, but the cologne he was wearing from the previous times gave away his identity.
"Well it's too late for that," but before he got up she added, "I really thought you were different, so caring and worried about me." She turned her head and stared out the window into the darkness disregarding his presence beside her. He got up without saying a word.
“Yes, I am sorry, but I was caught up in the whole Ellie thing." He sat up in bed, rubbing his temples. He needed painkillers immediately.
"Yes, she was quite pleasant," he responded as he climbed out of bed and put on some pants.
Having no idea how Jessie would respond to his answer, he hesitated. “I'm actually staying with them.”
“Them?” Jessie asked, baffled.
"Yes, by Francesca, her husband, and my daughter." He leaned back against the headboard. There was silence on the other side. “Jessie. Can you hear me?”
“Where is this coming from? I’ve been upset, and I got offered one beer after another by Leo, and now I have one hell of a headache."
"You watched her grow up, Francesca. I never had the chance."
Following that, the bus took off and dropped her off twenty minutes later.
Almost forty minutes later, the cab pulled up in front of the three-story apartment. Her suitcase in hand, she ran up the stairs and rang the doorbell without paying the driver. She was given a disapproving look by him. After apologizing, she paid him and he drove off.
She was stunned and asked, “What are you doing there?” Having no idea what to do, she sat down on the steps in front of the apartment.
Before getting into the car, James tipped the valet boy generously.
Jessie commented, "What a jerk," as they drove away towards Brooklyn Heights. Ellie just sighed.
Ellie wasn't able to eat any of the food that was brought home that evening. Instead, she lay on her bed staring at the ceiling. Towards the end of that evening, her mother, Zoe and Leo called to wish her a happy birthday.
After finishing the phone call, she was interrupted by the sound of a light tap on the door. “Can I come in?” Jessie asked.
"Yes," she replied.
Suddenly, a tear trickled down her cheek. It was wiped away. "I liked him a lot, Jessie," she said. "At first, I didn't trust him, but he proved to be such a decent person as I got to know him.”
"Leave him alone," she yelled.
Stunned, he looked at her. “You have the nerve to say that to me." She was crying by then. "I will never forgive you for this." Before leaving, he pointed at Harold lying on the ground. "Don't think I'm done with you yet."
After Leo had left, slamming the door behind him, Francesca walked over to Harold to see if he was okay. After helping him up, she grabbed ice and a towel from the kitchen and gently applied them to his jaw.
"Francesca, I am sorry. I probably screwed up your marriage." The swelling on his jaw was visible by that time.
"We were both involved, Harold.”
"How am I supposed to explain where you are to Zoe?”
"You should tell her the truth."
Following him inside, she watched him get his duffel bag from the closet in the bedroom and stuff several pieces of clothing into it. During this time Francesca was begging him to stay, but he kept pushing her aside and then left, while she cried silently.
(Untitled)
“Okay if you say so. I'm going to take a bath and finish up some theatre school work.” She kissed her dad and Jessie goodnight. Trying to keep her thoughts away from the phone call, she made her schedule of classes for the semester. She had a busy year ahead of her.
The rest of the week was busy as she learned more about her classes and what classes she would take. As Friday approached, she was exhausted and was glad she was just there until one thirty instead of six o'clock as she had been all week. Keeping her schedule that way had made everything easier for her.
As she left the Theatre School, she wasn't aware someone was watching her. Suddenly, she felt someone touch her shoulder just as she was about to unlock the car door. Startled, she turned around to see Jason standing in front of her. “What are you doing here, Jason?”
“I wanted to see you,” he said. “I need to speak with you, Ellie.”
As she opened the car door, she asked, "What is it with you? Why won’t you leave me alone?”
“I love you, Ellie.” She stared at him in astonishment. “I have since the first time I saw you.”
“But you don't know me, and what about your girlfriend?”
"It's over.”
"I'm sorry, but that doesn't excuse the fact that you kissed me while dating her." She climbed into the car, slamming the door behind her.
"Is there any way we can talk? Can we grab a coffee somewhere? You never have to see me again if you do not like what I have to say." He placed his hand over his heart as an indication of his promise.
She wound down the window. “I’ll think about it.” She turned on the ignition and drove off without looking back.
(Untitled)
Her weekend passed without her contacting Jason. She was dying of curiosity too hearing what he had to say, so she called him after class on Monday, and he was happy to meet up with her.
Among the restaurants they considered was Victors Café, a Cuban restaurant near the school. Sitting at the bar, they considered their options. While Ellie had a Cubiche Flaco, which was a "Skinny Motito," Jason had a Vitico, which was vanilla espresso vodka, espresso shot, and blue agave.
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