The Enclave of Jyme (G Street Chronicles Presents) (12 page)

When Moly finished, he had me carefully step out of the train wreck of a suit. He handed me a robe, then scribbled something down on his pad and handed it to Zedd. Moly left the small room and Zedd watched me put the robe on.

“When Calvin explained your situation, I didn’t imagine this,” he told me. Zedd patted my shoulder and then went back toward the door making another call. I sat down on the platform, waiting for whatever was next. Moly came back a few minutes later with a rolling rack full of clothes. There were jeans, slacks, t-shirts, buttoned shirts, jackets, and belts. Moly handed me a pair of boxer briefs that were shaped funny in the front. I slid them on under the robe, and I could tell the difference immediately.

The beast wasn’t all bunched up like before. He could actually rest, and I wouldn’t have to readjust him forty times a day. Moly handed me four different pair of pants. The first pair was a pair of khakis. They weren’t too tight, too long, too short, or too big. They were just right; the exact same fit with the two pair of trousers and a pair of jeans. He then handed me three different shirts: a sweater, a buttoned down shirt that fit perfectly, but the ribbed long sleeve shirt was way too tight. I pulled at the shirt trying to loosen it up. Moly yelled something at me and looked over at Zedd.

“Mr. Samson, the shirt is supposed to fit like that. It’s called a Henley, and men your age wear them. It’s a casual piece that’s popular with your generation.”

“Oh well, it looks too little.”

“How does it feel?” he asked.

“It feels good.”

Zedd nodded at me then at Moly. Moly handed me a belt and I slid it through the belt loops. On the bottom of the rolling rack were three shoe boxes. The first box he had me try on was a pair of shiny shoes similar to his; the second pair was brown lace-ups. They weren’t as dressed up as the shiny shoes; a little more casual. And in the third box was a pair of Polo boots, but much nicer than mine. I kept on the Navy blue Henley, the jeans, brown belt, and the brown Polo boots. Moly picked up the phone hanging on the wall. He spoke to the other person on the other end for about a second and then hung up. About a minute later, the young man from earlier walked in. He gathered the other clothes and the rack and exited the room.

“Mr. Samson, how do you feel about jewelry?”

Our next appointment was at a jewelry store. Zedd passed the cases with rings and then the necklaces. He started talking to the man behind the counter and I wandered off to the other side of the store to a case with peculiar watches. There were some with leather twisted bands and then there were the traditional styles too. But all of the faces were either oversized or looked mechanical.

“Are you a fan of the leather bracelet watches?” Zedd asked me.

“I’ve never seen them before. I like them though.”

“They suit you. I think you’ve found your signature piece.”

“What?”

“I like bracelets. So bracelets are my signature pieces. I’ve had them specially made from all over the world. Everyone needs a signature piece.”

We ended up getting me two wide leather bracelet watches. My total was a little over a thousand dollars. We got back into the town car and started back toward the hotel.

“Do you have any other scheduled events this week or the next?”

“No,” I said.

A few minutes later we pulled up to the hotel. I sat there waiting on the driver to open the door for me.

“You did better than I expected today.”

“Ok.”

“I will email you an itinerary for the next two weeks.”

I nodded as the door opened for me. I picked up my bag from the jewelers and got out the car. I noticed several people staring at me as I walked toward the elevator. As I stood in front of the mirrored doors, I saw people staring as they walked past. Some just stopped right there in the middle of a step to get a peek. I realized very quickly they liked what they saw. This was all new to me and it made me feel uncomfortable. I’d had girls who didn’t know me gawk at me before, but not like this. Men and women both stared now.

The next two weeks were brutal. My itinerary was crammed full of things I’d never experienced before. I spent my days with Zedd and Paulo, Zedd’s driver. We went to auctions, museums, and a handful of exhibits. Zedd quizzed me constantly on the appointments and events we attended. I spent my nights explaining everything I had done to Calvin. I had breakfast and lunch with Zedd and dinner with Calvin. I started going to bed at 10:00 p.m. sharp. Zedd had us on a tight schedule and he despised tardiness. I was on time every morning.

Moly had sent me a brand new wardrobe. He had each and every item numbered for each outfit. Even the socks had numbers on them. Day 1 had the number 1 penned on them; Day 2, etc. By the fourth week, I had finally gotten into the swing of things. Zedd and I had become almost friends, I would say. I started noticing little things about him. Zedd would lower his eyes when he spoke with women. His face became very relaxed and it carried a soothing effect to the women. They would seem to mimic his mood and embrace his affection. I noticed whenever he received a chirp notification from his phone, he would sigh. And then he wouldn’t say a word for a long time after that. I could tell whoever it was bothered him and he would have to collect his thoughts after he saw the name on the screen or read text message. I’d never seen him wear the same suit, socks, tie or belt twice. Zedd never ran his fingers through his hair. And I did this constantly out of habit. I tried to stop because Zedd never said anything about it, but he would stare at me whenever I did it.

On the thirtieth day with Zedd, he told me I would have the next day and the weekend to do whatever I wanted. Paulo pulled into an apartment complex building after breakfast. I sat there waiting for the door to open for Zedd, then for me.

“I think it’s time you get your place,” Zedd told me.

“I have a house.”

“I mean a place of your very own away from the reservation.”

I looked out the window at all the buildings wedged tight together. I looked at the front sign, and it read
The Nolo
. The building looked new and polished. I knew what Zedd was getting at. I needed to start my own life; whatever that was, and I needed to lay down some concrete roots. Even though I had my own house on the Res, it was on the Res; and Res life was not for me anymore.

“Mr. Samson, you can’t live in a hotel forever.”

“I know that and I understand. I’ll take it.”

“Don’t you want to see it?”

I shook my head and after a minute or so, Paulo drove away. We rode in silence to the next appointment. We pulled into a parking lot and just like clockwork, Zedd’s door opened first and then mine. As we walked around the corner, I saw the sign, The Confectional. Calvin’s girlfriend worked here and he had praised their cheesecakes.

As soon as we walked in, my eyes went straight to the glass display. There were hundreds of these cupcake-sized cheesecakes and cheesecake truffles. There were over a dozen different flavors: Key Lime White Chocolate, Caramel, Kahlua, White Chocolate, Lemon White, Mexican Chocolate, Mochaccino, Peanut Butter & Chocolate, Quadruple Chocolate, Raspberry White Chocolate, Seattle’s New York Style, Triple Berry, and even a Sugar-Free Seattle’s New York Style Cheesecake. The truffles currently came in two flavors: Cookies & Mint Chocolate and Raspberry White Chocolate.

I noticed Zedd went for the truffles without even giving the cheesecake a second glance. There was a pretty, dark-skinned woman behind the counter. She wore her hair pulled back into a ponytail, and she moved like she was on an assembly line.

“Mr. Samson, this is Emeli; Calvin’s fiancée.”

I looked at the well put together woman and I could see her with Calvin. Calvin was extremely well polished and I imagined they complimented each other.

“It’s very nice to meet you,” I nodded.

She wore gloves and I knew she probably wouldn’t want to take her gloves off to shake my hand.

“Calvin speaks very fondly of you, Mr. Samson,” she said.

“You as well.”

“And what will make you repent your sins today?” she asked me with a smile.

“I think I will have the Key Lime White Chocolate and the Seattle’s New York style Cheesecake please.”

Emeli nodded and prepared my order.

“Emeli, please add a Columbian Hot Cocoa to his order.”

She gave Zedd a wink and returned to the counter finishing our orders.

We sat at a small table against the wall. People gawked at us as usual. I’d heard it all before. She thought I was Zedd’s play toy, and others thought I was an apprentice. The stares and the whispers didn’t bother me anymore. A couple of weeks back, a woman asked Zedd if I was his son. She said we moved like mirror images of each other. I thought that to be a compliment. I was proud for people to think I was Zedd’s son. I would have been honored to have a great man like him to look up to.

Emeli brought our order to the table. I noticed she squeezed Zedd’s hand before she walked away. I peeled the fancy paper from around the Key Lime White Chocolate and took a small bite. My taste buds went crazy at once. Zedd laughed at me and pushed one of the small cups of cocoa over. I took a sip; it complemented the flavor perfectly.

“How long has it been now?” Zedd asked me.

I looked at him and knew what he meant at once. “Almost a year and a half.”

“How do you cope?”

“I try not to think about it. It’s always been a disaster, so it doesn’t matter.”

“That’s not true,” Zedd told me with a look of almost pity, but he didn’t let it get that far. He ate a truffle and sipped on his cocoa.

“Do you have someone?” I asked him.

“Yes.”

“Are you in love with her?” I asked him.

“No. But I have responsibilities. I have love toward her and respect her.”

“It’s good to have someone.”

“No, that’s not true either.”

“Why do say that?”

“Because if it’s not love, it can almost be unbearable,” he admitted.

“Elle loved me for the wrong reasons. I was her safety net.”

“I can’t think of any woman that would be worthy enough for your love,” Zedd gave me a small smile and then it was gone.

“I doubt I’ll ever find the one for me.”

“You will.”

“How will I know?” I asked.

“When your heart and your dick jump at the same time.”

My eyes bucked wide open. He laughed and I soon joined him. People were staring now, but they laughed with us, not knowing of Zedd’s dirty mouth.

Chapter 7

I made it to the Res late that Wednesday night. I didn’t take the ferry because I decided to drive those hours so I could think. I had been communicating through text messages and emails mostly. It was easier for me that way. Mom and Loon had been in charge of everything. The only person I’ve been talking to on a regular was Patty. I couldn’t resist her. She was so excited with her boutique and the money she was bringing in. She found a new shipping company who would ship her any and everything. I must say, I did have a hand in it, but Judge owed me a favor. He begged me to come back and work with him. I told him maybe one day, but not right now.

When I pulled into the drive, there was a light on inside. I walked in and found Sheen on the couch.

“Hey,” he greeted me dryly.

“Hey, man,” I greeted him back. He looked as though he had been through it. I figured he and Cera must be on the outs again. Sheen stayed here a lot when they were into it.

“Everything alright?” I asked.

“I should be asking you that question,” Sheen looked me over and I saw his expression change.

“Did you go and get preppy on me?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“Are you trying to wash away the Res from you?”

“No, but there is something better out there for me.”

“I respect that, man. Well, I’ll get out of your hair,” Sheen stood.

“No, stay.”

“I have to admit to you…your couch and I have become really good friends.”

“I know she’s helped me through a lot as well. Use her as much as you need.”

I went to shower and then got into bed. While I was laying there looking up at the moonlit ceiling, I couldn’t help but think of Elle. This bed reminded me of her so much. I made the decision to get rid of the fucking thing tomorrow.

The next morning I woke before dawn and Sheen was gone. I went for a run on the beach. I had started morning runs in the city. Zedd told me to find something to clear my head. I didn’t have anything I could do but listen to music and then Calvin suggested working out. I don’t like the whole gym scene, so I decided running could be a good way to find release. Calvin said I didn’t need the exercise, but the routine may help. I started, and I did like the routine.

When I got back in from my run, I called Patty.

“Hello?” she answered sleepily.

“Little girl.”

“You’re home! What time is it?” she smiled through the phone. I could hear it in her voice.