"I can't believe he caved that easily. I just thought I would goad him for my money," Tomorrow said, looking at the check John wrote for her.
"Well, apparently the deposition went well," Gentry noted.
"Apparently it did. I just told him that I blamed him for everything as I do, and apparently, he felt badly enough to buy me a new car."
"Well, as you explained it, he should, out of decency."
"That is the thing. I didn't think he had any. The man is a low life jerk."
"Well, you have his money so good for you. What kind of car do you want," Gentry asked, just happy to be with her out of her mother's house.
"I don't know, I can't drive for a year. I have to wait to make sure I'm good, according to my doctor. My mother informed me this morning. Either I didn't hear the doctor say that or she made it up. I think I blocked a lot of what he said out." She could vaguely remember Doc Steinberg saying that but hoped it wasn't true. I think at that point I was just glad to be alive.
He shook his head, not sure how to feel about that. She will never be free to go where she wants to go with her mother watching her every move.
"Was that Dante, I saw you with?"
"Yeah," she turned in her seat to see if she could still see that white van.
"It was, he just got custody of his daughter, and we were visiting for a few minutes. He told me about the service he uses to get around. You know my mother won't take me anywhere."
"I noticed; she is just being protective. I mean, look at yesterday."
"I know my life is crazy. I would like to get out on my own."
He pulled into the parking lot, and he came around and walked her into the office area. Muller stood as she walked towards him. "Ah, Miss Jones, we have been working hard for you."
"Yeah, what have you found out," she asked as she sat down happy to be sitting again. She was getting to her limit. The little sparkles were starting in her eyes, and her head was starting to hurt.
"Well, we don't have any evidence your attackers were working for Billy. It seems they were just out looking for trouble when they saw you walking down the street. They parked and took off after you. They won't admit it, but we think they were looking to break into cars along the street."
"So just three dumb men doing dumber stuff in my neighborhood," Tomorrow asks, disbelieving her luck.
"Yep, very dumb, they were looking to steal stuff, break into cars. We have them for kidnapping, sexual assault, assault with a deadly weapon, and extortion. All because they thought it would be fun to hassle you."
"So, do you think these guys are hardened criminals," Tomorrow asked because they didn't seem to be with it.
"Oh, they all have rap sheets, petty crap, but it has been building to more dangerous stuff. We are trying to link them to a rape a few months back. The girl lived, but she was messed up. We are waiting on DNA. They will not be going anywhere for a while though. So, I need you to write your statement, and I'll call your mother to come and get you when you're ready."
Tomorrow looked around to see if Gentry was gone.
"He had to go out on patrol," Detective Mullen explained why her beckon call boy was gone. "Did your deposition go well?"
Tomorrow nodded her head as she looked over the paper she was going to write on, "I think so the truth is the truth. I was left to die," she said flatly.
Her mother came to pick her up about an hour later. She had written about four pages by then. She carefully worded it to make sure the full impact of what they did and the fear she felt was understood. She may seem calm, but she was far from it. A nervous breakdown sounded good to her right about now, but she was not sure how to go about it. Maybe Dante will have an idea tonight when he calls her, she will ask. She was looking forward to his call more than she could express. He had made being in that place bearable.
She looked out the side window the whole time they drove home. Her mother was chattering away about baby Brice. She had gone to see them while she waited for the call to come to pick up Tomorrow. She climbed the stairs and was out in seconds, pencil skirt, and all she slept.
Her phone that was stuffed in her purse by her head woke her. It was dark in her room as she rolled to her side and fumbled for her phone, noting the time on her clock radio. "Yellow." She chimed out.
"Yellow to you too. You sound sleepy."
"I was sleeping, but I needed to wake up, I'm starving. I came home and that is all I remember."
"Apparently you needed the sleep."
"I did, it's just I have my days and nights backwards ever since Today had her baby," Tomorrow complained and told him the story about the baby and her falling out.
"Sounds like you're not doing as well as you think," Dante pointed out, realizing it for himself too.
"No, actually I was going to ask you how to go about having a nervous breakdown."
"Oh, you think you want to have one of those," Dante asked, not liking the sound of that.
"I was thinking it might come in handy, since I don't know where to go with all the emotions I'm having. I mean one guy wants to kill me and then these others wanted to rape me and oh yeah and slit my throat," she said sounding about to break.
"Is that what you found out today?" Dante asked gently.
"Yessss," Tomorrow cried out, "they weren't working for Billy, they just saw me as a piece of meat for slaughter."
"But remember they didn't hurt you," he reminded, hoping to curtail her breakdown.
"True," she said, calming down, "only because I was smarter than them."
"Maybe you need to talk to someone like a therapist."
"In other words, you don't want to hear about it."
"I didn't say that. I'm not trained to tell you how to have a nervous breakdown. I will listen to you all night if it helps."
"Nope, I feel better already, I just needed someone to hear me cry," she said dismissively.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, it was a crazy last few days. But I'm fine. How is Mandy doing?" Tomorrow asked to make a subject change.
"She is great, but I broke the cardinal rule, she is sleeping in my bed."
"Oh, that is to be expected, the first night is scary for everyone."
"You're right. I think she expects me to disappear like her mother has."
"Is she going to see her again?" Tomorrow asks, thinking as a little girl, the thought of not seeing her mother is very scary. Even as crazy as she makes her.
"Yes, every two weeks for an hour, unless she doesn't make it to one visit the judge said he will cut them off. I think she has done a lot more than just leave her for a while one night."
"She left her alone," Tomorrow asked, which sounded scary for a small child. Well actually any child. I would be dead if my mother had left me especially after they found a stray syringe in her nightstand at the hospital. `
"Yep, the neighbors called the cops because Mandy was crying at the door. How long she was alone, I don't know."
"I think you're right, there has to be more to this situation. You aren't worried about her trying to come and take her from you."
"No, she doesn't know where I live anyways. It was all so stupid. I have been asking for weeks to let me see Mandy. If she would have let me keep her for the weekends, she could have partied all she wanted. So, for being a bitch, she loses her kid, and Mandy has abandonment issues at two. What a world," Dante said, sounding frustrated.
"We sure have screwed up lives. But what was with that kiss? I mean that shot right to my womanly parts. It was like bam."
"Yeah, my manly parts took notice fast too."
"Interesting is it not."
"It is well past interesting. I think we should take notice of the phenomenon and explore where it will take us," Dante said, the last part slow and sexy.
"You think you're up for that?" Tomorrow asked sexily too.
"I'm up for it right now, all you had to do was mention that kiss."
"Right next to your daughter. Shame on you," she teased.
"I'm in the living room; she is in the bedroom you dirty minded girl."
Dirty minded was right so she asked, "You want me to talk you through it."
"Sure, what about you," Dante offered his services.
"I can't, I'm completely dressed."
"Well, take it off and tell me about each piece," Dante asked with a teasing chuckle.
"How often have you done this," Tomorrow teased, trying to lighten the mood because Dante had taken it to the gutter.
"Never that is why I wanted you to do the talking."
That was good to hear, she didn't want to find out he was a pervert. "Well, I haven't either, so that will be boring." That put a definite stop to this discussion.
"Ok then tell me are you still seeing that police officer," he asked because the mood was gone, and he had to know if the competition was still strong.
"No, I called him after the men attacked me. I knew he would know what to do. No, we are just friends. I know he wants more, but there is no passion there."
"And what about the doctor," he asked one down and one more that he knew of to go.
"Oh lord no, he turns my stomach. I mean, who talks to a coma patient about sex and what he would do to them. I think that is perverted."
"That is what he did?" This is the first Dante has heard of this.
"Yep, how he would eat me till I screamed and hit so hard my head will hit the headboard. I think it all sounds good, but not to someone in a coma."
"Yeah, that is a little insensitive. I would eat you until you almost scream because it may scare Mandy, but I would protect your head at all costs."
"Ah, aren't you sweet? I would protect your head too; I would only do frontward cowgirl so I could watch out for your head."
"Now see how kind we can be. So, caring about the other's condition," Dante teased.
"Maybe I could bury my head in a pillow so you could keep on eating." She offered, trying to remember the last time she screamed from pleasure. She absolutely couldn't.
"Aren't you a clever girl," he added cheerfully.
"I am quite clever. I have had a little practice in college being quiet."
"I hear college girls can be quite naughty."
"I have heard that too. You didn't go to college?"
"No, but I think I'm going to go now. I have to learn something that doesn't require brawn, I need brains now."
"So, what interests you?" Tomorrow asked and then went into a long conversation about different fields of studies. She got to know him better. A little of his background and the fact he could sing. He gave her a quiet version of a number of songs, and she loved every second of his singing. She was sad to hear he had no close family. His mother and father lived across the country. He has a sister with a drug problem, he doesn't see her either. No family came to help him out at all. As he talked, she wondered how her mother would react to her dating him. If a cop is not good enough, a guy on disability is doomed. She likes him very much and apparently, her body does too. Certain tones he used in speaking set her off and she waited for the tone to come back.
It was 2 o'clock in the morning when she finally told Dante he had to go to sleep. Mandy will be up at the crack of dawn. He hung up with the plea of, "come see me."
Rummaging around in the kitchen for food she wondered how she could accomplish that, 'come see me' spoken so sadly was drawing her to him. She could tell her mother all excited about meeting him at court and how he wants her to meet his daughter. Maybe with a kid in the picture she would trust her to see him. She ate something, went back to bed, and slept for six more hours.
Peggy was up, puttering around the house when Tomorrow woke, she brought the check down to show her. "I need to put this in the bank. And I didn't tell you that I saw Dante at the courthouse. Do you remember Dante from rehab?" Her mother gave no recognition of his name. "He was in court to get custody of his daughter. Come on Mom, you remember him, he has those beautiful blue eyes." She went into all the details and how horrible it was for her mother to leave her alone in the apartment by herself.
"Anyways, he has invited me over any time so I can meet her. I think it would be good for me to go over for moral support."
"Um, yeah right. Is he able to use his legs yet?" Peggy asked, still on virtue patrol.
"No, that half is still not working. I think they have given up; he is going on disability as I understand."
"That is too bad," her mother said, actually sounding concerned for him. She probably figures his dick stays limp. Tomorrow knew better, she felt it move as she sat in his lap.
"It is, he has lost so much weight, and his muscles are just about gone. It is very sad to see a young man waste away like that.
I'm sorry, I was so quiet yesterday I was just worn out. Those guys have a bunch of charges against them, but Billy didn't hire them so at least I'm safe."
"Well, that is good to hear. Don't go out walking in the middle of the night again," Peggy warned, "Yesterday will be graduating in December. I think she will be coming home. That will give you someone to hang out with."
"Wow, so soon," Tomorrow asked.
"She took summer school; she wants to get out and going. Jobs are hard to find under the best circumstances."
Taking that as a hint, Tomorrow told her, "I know, and I have been looking. I even went over some of my old tests and papers to refresh my memory. I put out a few résumés online. So far, nothing. Maybe Brice would have something, some kind of advertising job just to get my feet wet."
"I don't know, maybe he would, he is trying to reach out for different metal working jobs. You could call him and get some ideas and try to make an ad campaign and submit it to him. It is a start," Peggy offered.
"True, maybe tomorrow," she said with a tired smile. "Otherwise, can we put this check in the bank before he changes his mind," she held a year's pay in her hand.
Second trip to the bank in so many days. Tomorrow put the stack of deposit slips back on the check-writing table.
"I was in the middle of a police sting and some men expected me to leave this building with a wad of cash. Sorry I took your deposit slips sorry," Tomorrow told the teller passing them back to her.
"I take it that everything worked out," the teller asked, looking concerned.
"It did, they may be in the paper. They were really dumb."
Tomorrow told her and slipped her the check for deposit.
"This will take ten days to hit your account."
"No problem, it is just going to sit for a long time," she said, feeling depressed at her prospects of having to wait nine more months to drive. Something has to give; she needs a job or something to do. A life would be nice too.
The road that led to Dante's apartment was coming up, did she chance asking her mother to turn. Was she prepared to deal with him now? She passed the intersection and let the prospect go by. She hoped to talk to him again tonight. She knew what he was after, and she had to decide if she was going to give it to him. She needs to give it to someone she needs attention.
Dante had his hands full with Mandy, she was a bundle of energy. Giving credit to Melissa, he could see why she yelled all day, and hoped she would calm down in a few days. She had all her toys and a few of the clothes spread across the living room. He felt he spent his life bending over to pick things up or making something to eat. Oh yeah and changing diapers. She could down a cup of juice fast.
At 2:00, she crashed in his lap for a much-needed nap. He knew she wasn't always this hyper. Once she knew she was staying she should settle down, he prayed. Placing her on his bed, he pulled himself up and laid down next to her. A nap sounded good to him after the late night he had talking to Tomorrow. He could obsess about her or sleep. Sleep sounds better.
Pressure on his chest and a very wet kiss woke him from a very sexy dream about Tomorrow. He had a number of them at the rehab place, but not so many lately. Opening his eyes, a pretty blonde loomed over him, but not the one he was dreaming about, but a good one. "Hi sweetie, did you have a nice nap," she hugged his chest and giggled. Pulling himself up his day was on again.
Angie called a little after 4:00 for permission to stop by.
Of course, she can stop by any adult conversation is welcome. One day with a two-year-old is frustrating. He needs something for her to do and he needs something to do too, besides clean up after her.
He welcomed her at the door with open arms for a hug. Angie laughed as they hugged. "It is a lot of work isn't it."
"Yes, I don't know how stay at home mothers do it," Dante complained.
"Well, you need to learn the tricks and I brought you a few," she watched a smile crawl across his face. Any help was appreciated, he was going nuts. "I brought you a VHS player. Now I know that is old-fashioned technology, but I have many tapes. They will entertain Mandy and if they get ruined, I don't care. I also brought books I know she'll love for you to read to her. I brought you some pamphlets from the community college and grant applications for you. I also have one for day care for you while you're in class."
He sat looking at the jackpot Angie brought. Dante's TV was an old one, she picked up from the storage room at the rehab. They replaced all the old ones with flat screens. Connecting the VHS player to that TV will be easy.
While she did that Dante told her about seeing Tomorrow at court. He also told her about her latest problem.
She told Dante, "you know she just has no luck."
"Sounds like it; but she is a sweetie," he hoped that was not true, he was hoping for some kind of relationship with her.
"I'm wondering how much of her problems revolve around her controlling mother."
"I know what you mean. Tomorrow is getting frustrated with her controlling ways. That is probably why she was out walking so early in the morning. She knew her mother was asleep and couldn't complain and was seeking some kind of freedom," Dante pointed out.
"Sounds right to me," Angie said and slipped a tape in the player. Selecting something for a very young child, Teletubbies started, and the calm music and talking caught Mandy's attention quickly drawing her to the TV.
"Now this may drive you crazy, so put on some headphones or something, but they love repetition. She could watch this same video four or five times a day and never get tired of it. If you want a quiet, happy child let her watch some TV, read to her often. If you can find someone in the complex with a calm two-year-old, let them play. It may also give you someone to talk to, just don't piss off someone's husband," Angie suggested with a smile. He was a handsome man, wheelchair or not.
"Ok, maybe make friends with the man first who has a kid."
"Right unless the woman is not married," she threw back. Thinking that maybe what he needs.
"And then that may be trouble."
"That depends on where your mind is," she said.
"Yeah, I'm a man, what do you want?"
Angie sat on the couch shook her head and watched Mandy dance in front of the TV as she smiled. She remembered her daughter doing the same thing. She tried to give her the tapes, but they were too old fashioned for her granddaughter. She was happy to see someone getting some use out of the old things. Dante sat close by and read the pamphlet.
"You have a few months before the new classes start; but if you want a grant, you will need to apply soon. In your situation grants will be easy, and daycare as long as there is money. Now don't think this will be easy. You will be up early and go to bed late, but you will have something to do and a new life once you're finished."
Dante looked at all the papers and asked, "you think so?"
"Yes, I do. You're not my first rodeo boy, other young men have had worse injuries and come out of the trauma as well. I'm expecting great things from you. Plus, your daughter deserves a good life one her daddy provides for her."
"You're good. Very motivational in your presentation," Dante teased.
"Glad you think so, I worked on that as I drove over here. So, have you settled in?"
"Yeah, we're doing well. Mandy's worker brought us more dishes, silverware, and a few pots. Diapers, thankfully diapers I didn't even think about them. Mandy did have a few things at her grandmother's, all of them are dirty, but we can wash them in a few days. The stuff she brought looks like someone donated them. They look to be left over from when someone died, but it is all good stuff."
"That is all that matters, is it usable."
"Yes, it is, and I have a sink full to do later," Dante said as a reminder to do them. Gone are the days he could leave the dishes for days.
Angie stood and patted his shoulder. "You're doing good Dante, be proud. Call me anytime if you need help."
"I really do appreciate your help. I think I would be climbing the walls without you," Dante told her, watching Mandy mesmerized by the colorful characters dancing on TV.
"Ok, I will see you soon," Angie told him and headed out the door. He locked the door and went back to the pamphlets.
"What do I want to be when I grow up?" Dante pondered as he looked through the different classes. He didn't think he wanted to go the degree route. Career training, maybe something to do with computers. He could sit all day behind a desk and go slowly insane. That is why he worked in the oil industry. He was outside in the fresh air using his muscles being quick. That was his downfall; he expected the others around him to do the same. "Ok, reality check that life is over," he told himself and went back to look for a new life in the booklet Angie brought. Mandy calmed considerably with the videos, but he didn't want her to be a TV junky. Mandy collected her toys around the TV and sat acting out the characters. Dante did the dishes and made dinner. She danced around with her baby doll flapping in her hand until she dropped from exhaustion.
"Hi, how was your day?"
"Slow, I put the check in the bank and nothing else."
"I wish I could say the same thing."
"Mandy keeps you busy?" Tomorrow said with a chuckle.
"You have no idea. Angie brought over some videos and a player, and she watched them all evening."
"I take it that it helped."
"That and the nap helped."
"I knew you were up too late."
"Why didn't you come see me?" He asked in that begging tone that ate at her.
"It is not that easy. I brought you up and I'm working on it."
He chuckled and asked, "how old are you?"
"That is rude you don't have to live here," Tomorrow shot back. This guy just pissed her off big time.
"What is the worst she can do? Kick you out. You got a check big enough to pay rent for a year. Find your own place. It is not a big deal you can stay here if you want," he offered, hoping she would take him up on it.
"You just want me to come over for sex it doesn't matter if I mess up my family life."
"Not true. Your mother is driving you crazy, it is not a nervous breakdown you're chasing, it is dealing with your mother," Dante loudly whispered to her. "You wouldn't have been walking the streets if it hadn't been for her."
"Not true, my sleeping is off," she said, sounding angry.
"Right, sorry for offering a solution."
"I can't just run off; she has been good to me. Billy would have smothered me if she left him alone with me."
"So now you owe her your life," he couldn't believe she was that dependent on her mother.
"NO damn-it; you may not have a relationship with your mother, but I do. Yes, she drives me crazy, but I have to handle her in my own time. You're just looking for a booty call."
"I do not just want to see you for sex. I want to see you period, no sex involved," he said quietly but she could hear his frustration.
"Ok, so don't push me, I'll work it out. I'm going to let you go. I'm too pissed to continue this conversation. Bye."
Hanging up, she was steaming, how dare he act like he knows her life. Typical man tries to fix things to his benefit. "I must be attracted to men who want to control me. Maybe all men want to control women."
Tomorrow fell back on her pillow and blew out a frustrated breath. She had to get a life, find something to do, something to keep herself busy. She will call Brice in the morning and hopefully he will think her idea of a brochure will be helpful.
"We can do a mass mailing to any company or auto repair shop that could use our machine shop expertise. Those antique car restoration shops he enjoys visiting would be good." She started to get excited, if he gave her ten percent of what he made from her brochure, she might make a decent living while she looked for a full-time job.
She dug around in her dresser for a camera. It was old, but digital. She could take pictures of the different machines and some of the parts they can make. She had not been there for years; her father had proudly shown her around a few years before she went off to college.
They made many oil field replacement parts, she remembers that. The thought of oil field parts brought Dante back to mind. She didn't need the help he was always right there in the back of her mind. Those lips, she kissed, those eyes, the man, ah damn what was she going to do about him. Just the thought of him makes her heart pound and a place a little more personal pound too. She wanted that man and not just to kiss.
Looking at the camera in her hand, she needs to keep on track. Looking through her closet, she found a nice dress and shoes to wear tomorrow. Pulling one of her larger purses off the top shelf in her closet to hold the camera and other things for her presentation. Looking through the pockets, she found some money. It was not a large sum, but enough to make her look through the others lining her closet shelf.
Seven purses down and she had fifty-three dollars sitting on her dresser. What a spoiled brat she was, she realized. There Dante was trying to figure out how he was going to feed his daughter next month and she had all this money sitting around for years. Her next purse held thirty-seven dollars and a bunch of make-up that cost her at least a couple hundred dollars a few years back. She remembered wondering what happened to it but just went out and bought new.
Tomorrow sat on her bed with the bottles and tubes in her hands. Disgust is what she felt. She was disgusted with herself and the privileged life she has led. Apparently, she had pulled out what she needed at the moment from that purse and put it in the newer purse. She continued on looking in the other bags in her pockets and coats. All told, she found a hundred and fifty-seven dollars in cash, and seven dollars twenty-three cents in change, and a dozen other items she knew she had newer ones in her bathroom. Scattered across her bed was thirteen thousand plus dollars worth of purses. None of them she liked any more.
Going down stairs, she grabbed a handful of trash bags. She was going to go through her old stuff and take it to a resale shop. Someone else may like her old cast offs.
At 3 o'clock in the morning, she was still sorting clothes. She knew she was being ridiculous, but she debated each item, recalling, if she could, where she bought it, and when the last time she wore it was. She found it helped her assess her life by the clothes she wore. A number of outfits were shoved in a trash bag because of the memory. What a fool she had been staying with Billy as long as she did. Holding a silk shirt to her cheek, she had memories of a quiet dinner with him. He had removed that shirt when they got home. That was the last time he acted like he even cared for her at all. Counting back the months and years, she realized it totaled two and a half years. Shaking her head in disbelief, she was grateful she was out of there and relieved, she could remember as much as she could. The vacant eyes at the rehab of the other people with similar scars haunted her. Shifting a bag off her bed, she slid in and rolled to her side.