story.’
Christina, looking away, didn’t seem to be listening in, but Jake cupped his hand over the earpiece just in case.
‘How did this happen?’ Jake said, trying to disguise his panic.
‘Don’t know all the details,’ Stu said. ‘Ronald suggested we conference later to strategize, but I think you see my point about the SUV and trainer issues. Hopefully we’ll be able to resolve the Fernandez mess with no harm done. Who knows? Maybe he’s bluffing.’
‘Did Jimmy find out anything?’ Jimmy Mulligan was the detective Jake had hired.
‘Spoke to him before too,’ Stu said. ‘Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to dig up any dirt so far. The girl’s never been arrested, and no one else in the family has a record either. I really think you’re gonna have to play ball with this guy and make some kind of payment.’
Jake looked back over his shoulder and smiled at Christina. Then he said, ‘I won’t do that.’
‘Look, I can tell this is probably a bad time to discuss all this,’ Stu said. ‘Wanna gimme a shout later on? I’ll be home or you can get me on my cell.’
‘Righto,’ Jake said, and ended the call.
‘I wanna go home,’ Christina said.
‘Yeah, sure,’ Jake said, distracted.
As Jake helped Christina over the next fence and into the next backyard, he realized how serious his situation was. Now that it looked like the Fernandezes were going to go public with the rape claim, Jake had to announce his wedding date to his high school sweetheart ASAP - ideally in tomorrow morning’s papers - to get some positive PR going.
At the bottom of the fence Jake said, ‘So how ‘bout next December?’
‘How about what next December?’
‘The wedding. That’ll give us over a year to plan it. And you’re gonna need time to pick out a dress and—’
‘If you think I’m marrying you, you’re out of your mind. I came out here to break up with you.’
‘Baby . . .’ Jake tried to put his arms around her but she shifted away.
‘Don’t touch me.’
‘All right, just chill, just chill.’
He led her over another fence and through another backyard, and then they emerged onto Avenue J.
‘Bye,’ Christina said, and she started walking away.
‘Wait up, where’re you going?’ Jake was next to her, trying to keep up.
‘Home.’
‘I’ll walk you.’
‘It’s okay, I—’
‘Come on, you can get killed out here at night. I promise - I’ll be a gentleman.’
They continued along Avenue J. Jake tried to break the ice, cracking jokes, but Christina wouldn’t even look at him.
When they got to the corner of Christina’s block, she said, ‘I can walk home from here.’
‘No way,’ Jake said. ‘I’m walkin’ you to the door.’ Then, when they reached her house, he said, ‘Hey, can I use your bathroom?’
Christina deep-breathed and looked away.
‘Come on,’ Jake said, ‘you don’t want me to have to piss in the bushes, do you? I’m just gonna use the bathroom, then I’ll go - I swear.’
Christina continued to look away, shaking her head; then she turned back to him, with her arms crossed in front of her chest, and said, ‘Fine, but you’re just gonna use the bathroom and then you’re leaving.’
The house looked the same as it always did - dark, dingy, and dirty - and it smelled like a dog lived there, even though Christina and her father didn’t own a dog. It had the same old wall-to-wall carpeting, stained in places, and the furniture had to be fifty years old. Jake decided this would be great, like a real Cinderella story. Jake Thomas rescues the beautiful girl from her dirty, ugly house, and they ride away together on a white horse.
Jake followed Christina, wincing as he noticed her ass, which seemed even bigger than it had before. The TV was blaring in the living room - it sounded like horse racing, which meant Christina’s degenerate father was home.
Passing the living room ahead of Jake, Christina said, ‘Daddy, Jake’s with me.’
The TV
Christina, looking away, didn’t seem to be listening in, but Jake cupped his hand over the earpiece just in case.
‘How did this happen?’ Jake said, trying to disguise his panic.
‘Don’t know all the details,’ Stu said. ‘Ronald suggested we conference later to strategize, but I think you see my point about the SUV and trainer issues. Hopefully we’ll be able to resolve the Fernandez mess with no harm done. Who knows? Maybe he’s bluffing.’
‘Did Jimmy find out anything?’ Jimmy Mulligan was the detective Jake had hired.
‘Spoke to him before too,’ Stu said. ‘Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to dig up any dirt so far. The girl’s never been arrested, and no one else in the family has a record either. I really think you’re gonna have to play ball with this guy and make some kind of payment.’
Jake looked back over his shoulder and smiled at Christina. Then he said, ‘I won’t do that.’
‘Look, I can tell this is probably a bad time to discuss all this,’ Stu said. ‘Wanna gimme a shout later on? I’ll be home or you can get me on my cell.’
‘Righto,’ Jake said, and ended the call.
‘I wanna go home,’ Christina said.
‘Yeah, sure,’ Jake said, distracted.
As Jake helped Christina over the next fence and into the next backyard, he realized how serious his situation was. Now that it looked like the Fernandezes were going to go public with the rape claim, Jake had to announce his wedding date to his high school sweetheart ASAP - ideally in tomorrow morning’s papers - to get some positive PR going.
At the bottom of the fence Jake said, ‘So how ‘bout next December?’
‘How about what next December?’
‘The wedding. That’ll give us over a year to plan it. And you’re gonna need time to pick out a dress and—’
‘If you think I’m marrying you, you’re out of your mind. I came out here to break up with you.’
‘Baby . . .’ Jake tried to put his arms around her but she shifted away.
‘Don’t touch me.’
‘All right, just chill, just chill.’
He led her over another fence and through another backyard, and then they emerged onto Avenue J.
‘Bye,’ Christina said, and she started walking away.
‘Wait up, where’re you going?’ Jake was next to her, trying to keep up.
‘Home.’
‘I’ll walk you.’
‘It’s okay, I—’
‘Come on, you can get killed out here at night. I promise - I’ll be a gentleman.’
They continued along Avenue J. Jake tried to break the ice, cracking jokes, but Christina wouldn’t even look at him.
When they got to the corner of Christina’s block, she said, ‘I can walk home from here.’
‘No way,’ Jake said. ‘I’m walkin’ you to the door.’ Then, when they reached her house, he said, ‘Hey, can I use your bathroom?’
Christina deep-breathed and looked away.
‘Come on,’ Jake said, ‘you don’t want me to have to piss in the bushes, do you? I’m just gonna use the bathroom, then I’ll go - I swear.’
Christina continued to look away, shaking her head; then she turned back to him, with her arms crossed in front of her chest, and said, ‘Fine, but you’re just gonna use the bathroom and then you’re leaving.’
The house looked the same as it always did - dark, dingy, and dirty - and it smelled like a dog lived there, even though Christina and her father didn’t own a dog. It had the same old wall-to-wall carpeting, stained in places, and the furniture had to be fifty years old. Jake decided this would be great, like a real Cinderella story. Jake Thomas rescues the beautiful girl from her dirty, ugly house, and they ride away together on a white horse.
Jake followed Christina, wincing as he noticed her ass, which seemed even bigger than it had before. The TV was blaring in the living room - it sounded like horse racing, which meant Christina’s degenerate father was home.
Passing the living room ahead of Jake, Christina said, ‘Daddy, Jake’s with me.’
The TV
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