Ever After (5 page)

However, I didn’t get too much of a chance to be alone with my thoughts, because Jack and Scotty were soon coming down the steps. They both looked like they didn’t have a care in the world.

Jack had still been a fixture at the loft, even though he had returned to his own apartment to live. He explained that he had worn out his welcome with us, especially with Aaron living here, and things were heating up with Lance, his Burberry boyfriend. As much as I knew that Scotty enjoyed him living with us, I think that she also somewhat agreed that Jack probably should return home. After all, he did have his own life outside of Scotty and me.

That said, he did come and visit rather frequently. I always sent Charlie to come and pick him up and take him back, as I didn’t necessarily think that he should have to ride the subway to my place.

And Scotty still, technically, lived with Jack, although that was just a formality. She was really living with me. But, since Jack did still need her part of the rent, she felt that she still needed to legally stay there with him. I knew that, when the time came that Scotty and I got married, I would have to make sure that Jack was taken care of, so I was stalking the units in my building, keeping my ear to the ground to hear about any upcoming vacancies. As soon as one came up, I would buy that loft and put Jack in there. That way, it would be the best of both worlds for Scotty – she would live with me, and have Jack close by. And Jack was more than on board with that idea, reasoning that a loft in this building would be infinitely more luxurious than his current apartment.

Jack took a seat on the leather chaise, propping his feet up and putting his hands behind his head. Scotty sat down next to me, and stifled a grin on her face as she looked over at Jack.

“What’s up?” I asked her, feeling uncharacteristically irritated. I wish that I could be more like her right at that moment. She seemed to have not a care in the world, while I sat there stewing at what to do with her rapist. Of course, I knew that this was just a snapshot in that moment in time, and that she really was as stressed about the entire situation as I was. But, it still grated my nerves that she was seeming not to be as concerned as me.

“Well,” she said. “We were wanting to know who sang the song
Moving in Stereo.
”

I raised my eyebrows. Such a dumb question. “You mean the song where Phoebe Cates was coming out of the swimming pool in
Fast Times at Ridgemont High?
”

“Yeah,” she said.

“The Cars. Duh.”

“I know that,” Scotty said. “But who sang it?”

I sighed. “It would be Benjamin Orr. He was the one with the deeper voice.” I guessed that Scotty somehow decided that I was the foremost expert on songs by The Cars. Owing to the fact that I was into eighties bands, in general, and The Cars was one of my favorites from that era. “Is that really what the argument was about? How come you just didn’t Wiki it?”

“I didn’t even think of that,” Scotty said. “Stupid me.”

“Stupid us,” Jack chimed in. “Well, Scotch Marie, I guess you win the bet.”

“What was the wager?” I asked.

“The winner has to order and pay for pizza delivery tonight,” she said, taking out her phone. “Okay, Jack, let’s order.”

Jack got on the phone and placed our order, and I stared out the window. Scotty put her hand on my shoulder.

“Hey,” she said. “You okay?”

I nodded my head and said nothing. “You should probably go and check on your brother and see how he’s doing. That movie is probably about over.”

I didn’t meet her eyes, but I heard her leaving the den and going out to the living room to see about Aaron. She came back in a few minutes later, Aaron in her arms.

I put my arms out, motioning Scotty to put Aaron on my lap. She brought him over, and sat him down on my legs. Aaron giggled and said “thanks for movie,” he said. “Another?”

I worried about Aaron spending too much time in front of the television set, so I said “why don’t I ask Scotty to find you a game to play?” I looked at Scotty, and she went to Aaron’s room and reappeared with one of Aaron’s games in her hand. The two of them sat on the floor and played, while I continued to look out the window and ponder what was going to come next.

Scotty looked up at me, and I looked back briefly, and then looked away. She had a questioning look in her eyes, and I immediately felt bad. But there was no way that I could let her in on what I was thinking. It would stress her out way too much. The last thing that I wanted was for her to start worrying even more than she already was.

The door started buzzing after about a half hour, and Jack went to retrieve the pizza that was waiting for us. He brought it into the living room, a decadent blend of artichoke hearts, cheese and chicken. Scotty tended to favor the more exotic pizzas, so she usually liked to have things on her pie like figs and prosciutto. I was more of a traditionalist, so we tended to compromise on toppings that were not quite exotic and not quite run of the mill.

We set up the dining room table and put the pizza in the middle. Scotty got the plates and all of us took a couple of slices. Aaron had a single slice. I smiled at Scotty, although I wasn’t really feeling the smile. She smiled back tentatively, but I knew that she could sense that I was not myself that evening.

Scotty and Jack talked casually over dinner, and Scotty kept trying to include me in the conversation, but I really didn’t talk much. She kept looking over at me with a worried expression on her face. Jack, for his part, didn’t appear to notice the tension.

“So, Lance and I are going to the Hamptons this weekend,” Jack was saying, as he took a bite of his pizza. “He has a friend who has a house in Montauk.”

“Oh, you lucky dog,” Scotty said. “You know, I’ve lived here all my life, and I’ve never had the opportunity to go to the Hamptons.” She looked over at me as she said that. “Nick, why don’t we go out there sometime this summer? We can rent a house or something.”

“Sure,” I said.

And then Scotty and Jack started talking about something else, and I said to Scotty. “I can buy a house out there, in fact.”

“Out where?” Scotty asked.

“The Hamptons. I’d like to buy a house out there. I’ve been thinking about it.”

Scotty giggled. “That’s great, Nick, but I was confused, because Jack and I stopped talking about that subject about fifteen minutes ago.”

“Oh, sorry,” I said. I obviously was having an issue with keeping up with their banter, and I felt a little bad about that.

“That’s okay,” she said, putting her hand on my leg. “You seem a little distracted tonight.”

“No,” I said. “Just a little tired. Have a lot on my plate these days.”

“Yes, I know,” she said. “I know that you have a lot going on at work and with your teaching. I understand. You’re burning the candle at both ends.”

I just looked at her. I was more than a little incredulous about how clueless she was seeming. As if my work and teaching were the only things on my mind. Work issues were the last thing that I was thinking about. I took a deep breath, trying hard not to lose my temper. “Yes, Scotty, that’s what was on my mind. That’s the only thing that’s on my mind.” I got up and poured myself a glass of Scotch, even though we hadn’t yet finished eating.

Scotty gave me a look, but shrugged her shoulders and continued her conversation with Jack. “Anyhow, Jack, how do you want to get to Bonnaroo? I’m assuming that Lance has a car?”

Bonnaroo? Since when are they going to Bonnaroo?
“Am I missing something here?” I asked her. I rattled the ice in my glass and crunched it forcefully. My jaw started to hurt. I rubbed my temples and poured myself another drink.

Scotty looked startled. “I’m sorry Nick, but Jack and I were just talking about this. I just asked you if you wanted to go, and you nodded your head.”

“Well, I can’t go,” I said, although that wasn’t true. It was only a weekend, and it wouldn’t be that big of a deal to fly down to Tennessee for the festival. But that wasn’t the point. “Anyhow, if you thought that I was going with you, why were you just wondering whose car you were going to use to get down there?”

“Come on, Nick, you have a two-seater. There’s going to be at least six people going, so we’re going to need a bigger car than that.”

I took a deep breath. Sometimes I forgot that Scotty was only 23 years old. Soon to be 24. In some ways, she was mature beyond her years, but, in other ways, she was, well, 23 years old. That was the period of time when you’re supposed to lose yourself with ganj and music festivals. But that didn’t excuse the fact that she was apparently planning this jaunty getaway when there was the issue of Mr. Lucas hanging over her head. Or, at least, the specter of Mr. Lucas should be paramount on her mind. Not screwing off and taking a weekend to go down to Tennessee for a music festival.

There were ten years separating us in years. Usually it wasn’t that big of deal, but tonight, for some reason, those ten years seemed like a yawning gap.

“Scotty,” I said. “Could I talk to you alone?” I gave Jack a look. “Scotty and I will be in my study if you need anything. I trust you’re okay with watching Aaron for about a half hour?”

Jack didn’t say anything, but just nodded his head and looked at Scotty worriedly. Scotty gave him a look back, like she had no clue on what was going on.
He’s pissed at me, but I have no idea why
her look said.

We got to my study and I shut the door. I pointed to a chair. “Sit,” I ordered.

She looked frightened, as she sat down and looked at me silently. She put her hands on her legs, and looked down at the floor like a scared puppy. I instantly felt sorry for causing her to fear me, if fear was the right word.

I sat down next to her, and took her hands. “I’m sorry, Scotty. I was angry with you. But the way that you’re looking at me…I shouldn’t be so snippy.”

“No, it’s okay,” she said. “You probably think that I’m being too carefree right now, with everything that’s going on. But, Nick, I have to have a way to blow off some steam. Or I might go crazy.”

I nodded my head. I didn’t even have to say a word. She already knew why I was upset. Damn, that girl was good. “Yes, that’s what I was going to talk to you about. I’m sorry, but I can’t stop thinking about that bastard. He’s on my mind 24/7. I guess I expect him to be on your mind 24/7 as well. But it just seems like you’ve moved on, and I want you focused. Focused like a laser on getting his head on a pike.”

“And you think because I’m talking about
Bonnaroo
and the Hamptons it means that I’m not focused on getting him.” She said that as a statement, not a question, as if it were a foregone conclusion.

“Something like that,” I said. “Listen, Scotty, it took an act of Congress just to get you into that police station. Now it seems that I can’t motivate you to really get interested in getting him. I mean, it’s been over two weeks since you gave that cop your statement. Over two weeks. They were supposed to arrest him in a matter of days. Doesn’t that even concern you a little?”

Scotty looked stricken, and I felt bad again. “Nick, no offense. But I’ve been down this road before. I told people before about him, remember, and nothing ever happened.
I
was the person who was looked at suspiciously, not him. Not him. I hate to sound cynical, but I really don’t think that anything is going to happen with this case this time, either, so maybe I just need to forget about it and move on.”

I didn’t want to tell her that she was probably right. That Mr. Lucas would never see the inside of a jail cell. But I still wanted her to not lose hope or focus. I mean, she had a lot going on in her life, too, what with Aaron and her work with the firm and her therapist. So I decided to try to keep her motivated. “You can’t think like that,” I said. “You have to be interested in this. You have to be on Angie’s ass every day. Beat her down until she has to file charges. I can’t do all the heavy lifting, here, Scotty, and I feel that’s what’s happening right now. I mean, I call Angie all the fucking time. She’s been giving me the runaround, but I’m pissed because I feel that you call her once for every five times I do. And that’s not right.”

Scotty stood up and started pacing the floor. “Nick,” she said. “I love you. And I love that you go so much out of your way to make sure that you’re doing all you can to protect me. But you really have to let me handle it in my own way. I know that you’re only trying to help, though.”

“In your own way?” I asked, incredulous. “It seems like your own way would mean that the entire case is going to fall through the fucking cracks. And that predator won’t be punished at all. Maybe you shouldn’t have taken a sabbatical at school, since you obviously choose to sit on your ass instead of making sure that fucking bastard is nailed to the wall.” I had to admit that I was a little bit hurt. I wanted her to appreciate what I was doing to put Mr. Lucas behind bars. And if she only knew the lengths that I was willing to go through to make sure she was safe…

“Well, Nick, maybe you’re right. But I was taking that sabbatical not just because of Mr. Lucas, but also because of Aaron and the fact that my therapy is digging up stuff that is overwhelming for me.”

“Yeah, I can see how overwhelmed you are. So overwhelmed that you’re going to
Bonnaroo
and dreaming of sunning yourself on the beach. You’re just out there thinking about having a grand time, instead of focusing on your responsibilities. Maybe you took a sabbatical because you wanted to play.”