Fated Encounter
Fated Encounter
Fated Encounter
Fated Encounter
By Lesia Reid
1.
Two minutes late for work and Travis Benton was going to
chew her out. Deana cringed as she saw the hefty diner owner making
his way towards her. She could almost see steam coming from his ears.
Two minutes, and he was going to rag her out for the better part of an
hour. She dropped her bag in the long desk of the office and started for
the door. Better to head him off. If he cornered her in the office, his
top would surely blow.
"You're late!" Travis Benton said.
"I'm sorry," Deana said. "I had no one to look after Joey."
"I hope you didn't bring him here," Travis said. "I do not run a
baby sitting service."
"It's only for a few hours. He will sit in a corner and sip a
shake," Deana said.
"He better not be sitting there if I have customers waiting,"
Travis said.
"I'll make sure he doesn't." Deana said hurrying towards the
cash register.
That was her job at the diner, manning the cash register and
making dessert cakes and pies. After spilling coffee several times and
breaking a dozen or more plates, Travis had confined her to the cash
register.
He shouldn't be mad at her anyway; it was her day-off. She
would not be late and have to rush Joey here if Ivy had not called out
sick. He should be grateful instead he was going to rag her out over
two goddamn minutes that were hers anyway. She was missing night
school for this. Joey would have sat quietly beside her in the class
tonight. He normally stayed with her friends Thelma and Carlton
Wayne, but they had a family emergency.
Deana pinned her name tag to her blouse as she moved
towards the register. She glanced briefly in Joey’s direction; his head
was down in his books. Good, she thought.
mom loved cheesecake and he obliged her when she asked him to pick
one up on his way home. She would spend ten hours in the gym for the
next two weeks working off the guilt. As long as she was doing that,
she wouldn't complain that he forgot to call or that he forgot to book
her flights for vacation or visit his father's grave or whatever else
parents found to complain about. He would never understand it. And
Alexis Torrance certainly did not stir him into wanting to be a parent
any time soon. And even that she complained about.
'You're almost forty, when are you going to get a serious girl
and start making some grandchildren.' He could hear her voice now as
he stood two places back in line. When Alexis was in his head, there
was nothing else he could think about. Perhaps he should go on that
date Jaime arranged. It couldn’t hurt.
The problem was, Sebastian didn’t feel thirty five, and he
hated dating. Inevitably his dates get around to ‘so you are Sebastian
Torrance’, and he hated that. He longed for anonymity. Dating was
futile. He would look at the woman and know immediately the night
would end in one of two ways, a quick rumble in the sack or a promise
to call that inevitably never happened.
But Sebastian always took care. A brief interlude was never at
his place. It was either her place or the penthouse of one of Torrance
Towers or some other luxury condominium Torrance Construction
owned. He always kept a penthouse, a tradition he inherited from his
father, as a respite from life or as room for out of town guests.
Now, he steels himself for Alexis’ question tonight. And when
that is done, he will meet with his best friends Jaime and Mack and
indulge in pizza, poker, play video games or watch basketball and
forget about mummy-dearest. Maybe, he mused. Sebastian knew he’d
have to be drunk or dead to forget one of his mother’s lectures.
"How may I help you?" The soft voice like water gently
rolling down a mountain slope pulled him from his thoughts. She was
an angel. He had never seen this woman here before. She smiled at
him and repeated the question.
"Oh-ah,” he paused forgetting why he was in line.
“Sir?” She asked.
She was beautiful. She didn’t wear makeup, not even a hint of
lipstick. Her shiny black hair hung loosely around a perfect face. She
had a fairly evident widow’s peak that gave her face a heart shaped
look, beautiful olive skin and dark eyes that held mystery. Her lips
were slightly full, and curved at the ends as if she was smiling.
Kissable lips, he thought. Her neck was long and he thought about
what it would be like to nibble at the skin there. He felt a stirring in
his belly looking at her and thinking about kissing her neck. Oh the
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 7
screw up. She knew Travis stuck her with this call-in because she’d
taken two unscheduled evenings off last weekend. She needed this job
and no matter how good her cheesecakes were, she was sure Travis
would give her the boot in a second.
"Is there a problem?" Deana turned to the customer, but
Travis was already barreling his way to the front of the diner.
"Sorry Mr. Torrance," Travis was apologizing. "Let me take
care of that for you."
"Everything is okay." Sebastian said feeling foolish.
"Are you sure?" Travis asked.
"Yes." The voice was more impatient than he intended, even
though Travis didn’t seem to notice.
Travis breathed a sigh of relief and gave Deana the evil eye.
She ignored him and waved to Joey who was sitting in the corner doing
his homework. Sebastian followed her gaze. The boy was the image of
the woman. He waved with a big smile on his face and a pencil in his
hand. Sebastian turned and instinctively looked at her hands. No ring,
he felt a weight lift from his shoulders before he realized he was
dreading her being married.
Sebastian walked out the restaurant, looking back only once.
He could see that his temporary lapse of control had gotten the young
woman in trouble.
"Okay."
Becky pouted at the news. Deana knew the only reason
servers pouted at a missed customer was either they were celebrities or
great tippers. Deana couldn’t care less. She had seated them close to
Joey so if she needed to she could always use them as an excuse for
being over at the table. Besides the Torrance trio, there were only two
other tables with patrons and no one waiting for the register. Deana
took the time to sit across from Joey and review his homework.
"Are you done yet?" Joey asked.
"Just another hour," Deana said. "Do you want to go sit in
Travis big chair? It might be more comfortable."
"No, that's boring. Can I have another chocolate shake?"
"May I," Deana corrected. "And yes you may. But if you start
to get sleepy, let me know. I’m sorry about this Joey."
"It is almost nine," Joey pouted. "I could have stayed home
and watch TV or played video games."
"And the police would put me in jail," Deana said. "Let me
get that shake."
“I’m a big boy,” Joey complained. “I know what to do if the
house is on fire and I know not to let anyone inside.”
“I’m, sure you do,” Deana replied. “But for now, you are my
baby and I can’t leave you home alone.”
“I am not a baby mom.”
“Even you’re a hundred years old you’re my baby. One
chocolate shake coming up, okay?”
Joey pouted but nodded as Deana got up from the table.
Sebastian couldn't help overhearing the conversation. He was
interested in everything Deana.
"I know why you are here," Jaime said as soon as Genie took
their order.
"Yeah?" Sebastian said.
"The hostess," Jaime said. "It's funny how a beautiful woman
gets you out of the house."
"You got me," Sebastian said. "Her name is Deana."
"Are you talking about my Mom?" Joey asked hearing his
mother's name.
The three men turned to look at him. He was a cute kid. He
looked even more like his mother up close. His hair was a tad long and
lay in an unruly heap on his head. He had the same dark eyes, the
defiant chin and jet-black hair. Where her lips were slightly full, his
were. He’s going to be a heart breaker someday, Sebastian thought.
"Is she your Mom?" Sebastian asked pointing to Deana who
was seating a couple in the smoking section of the restaurant.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 10
turned towards Joey. What was the kid up to? Travis would kill Deana
if he ever saw this.
"Joey," Genie said after setting the drinks on the table. "You
know you're supposed to be doing your homework."
"I'm almost finished," he said lifting the book so she could see.
“They started it.”
“Guilty,” Jaime said to Genie. “Tell him we are not bad men.”
“Did he say that?” Genie asked. “Joey, these men are very
decent men. They are not bad men.”
“Okay,” Joey said.
Genie smiled at the men apologetically. She moved quickly to
the cash register to warn Deana.
"Deana Joey is -.”
"Oh Lord," Deana swore as she saw Joey joining the men at
their table, book and pencil in hand. She started for the table, but one
of the customers was ready to leave. She rang up the bill as quickly as
possible, forgetting her customary smile and thank you, all the while
eying Joey.
Three minutes later she was running over to the table before
Travis could see what was happening.
"Joey! I'm so sorry gentlemen. This is not like him, he's just
-."
"It's nothing," Sebastian said. "If you want to know, he really
didn't want to come, but it was better than turning to talk with him. It's
no problem."
"Yes, but he's not -.”
"Suppose to talk to strangers," Mack concluded. "I am Mack
Vernon, this is Jaime Davis and you've met Sebastian Torrance. You
have nothing to worry about."
"Your names don't make much of a difference to me," Deana
said lightly. "I don't know who you are which means you are
strangers." The three men exchanged shocking looks. They were used
to being recognized almost everywhere they went in Boca Raton,
especially Sebastian. And if not the faces, certainly the Torrance name
was famous enough.
"I'm sorry about this," Deana said again. "Joey, say goodnight
to the nice gentlemen and let's go."
"You'll be at the front," Sebastian said. "We won't run away
with him. And if you don't know who were are Travis does. And we
promise not to hurt him, scout’s honor – and we were really scouts.”
The fierce blue eyes were smiling now.
A ring at the cash register meant a customer was waiting.
What a hell of a day, Deana thought excusing herself. She was leaving
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 12
feel it.”
“I wish you luck,” Mack said seriously. “Somehow I didn’t
get the feeling that she’s interested in you. But the kid’s a nice boy.”
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 14
2.
car.
"Hello Deana," he said.
"Hello. Fancy running into to you again," she said. He was
more handsome than she thought now he had her attention. She was
off duty and there was no fussing between Joey and Travis and making
sure the customers were happy. It was just the two of them in the
parking lot. She should have taken the time to find out whom
Sebastian Torrance was, but she was busy all week. Besides, she knew
she would never see him again and there was no possibility she would
have called him for lunch. The business card, she hadn’t looked at
either. It was stuffed in the glove box of her car.
“I thought we might go get a drink,” he said.
“I can’t. I have to pick up Joey in exactly twenty minutes.
See you.”
“He can come too,” Sebastian was out of the car.
She saw that he was well built below the polo shirt that
hugged his body. She hadn’t noticed these details before. It’s
surprising the things you notice when your mind is more relaxed, she
thought. Not that he made her relax – scrutinizing her with those vivid
blue eyes.
“I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?” Sebastian asked. “It’s just a drink and if I
start boring you, I can leave.”
“I have tons of housework. Plus Joey’s looking forward to his
evening of uninterrupted video games.”
“How about dinner? The three of us.”
“No,” she said looking at her watch. She couldn’t be late.
The Wayne’s were leaving in half hour, she had to get Joey.
“At a very public place if you still consider me a stranger,” he
said moving in front of her. He was between her and her car.
“You’re not earning brownie points by blocking my exit. I
have to get my son. Good bye Mr. Torrance.”
“Rain check,” he suggested.
“Rain check,” she agreed to get him out of her way.
She clucked to herself as he waved at her. He was leaning
against his shiny late model Porsche convertible in a sexy pose that had
her heart beating faster than it should. She didn’t wave back. The first
night she met him, he drove a Lexus RX 470. Perhaps it belonged to
one of his friends, but she doubted it. Showoff, she thought.
She made the Wayne’s’ in fifteen minutes. Thelma was
dressing Trevor when she arrived.
“Sorry I’m running behind the clock,” Deana kissed her best
friend’s cheek.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 16
3.
“It’s ten minutes extra for me to get to know more about you.”
“Okay, your car.”
He opened the door for her and she climbed into the luxurious
interior. He was at the front of the car when she snapped her seatbelt.
By the time the reality hit her that she was seated in his car going for
ice cream, he was getting in.
“Comfortable?” He asked when a frown creased her brow.
“Yes.”
“Good. Now there is a Baskin Robbins about five miles from
here. Since we have almost an hour, there’s plenty of time to get there
and back.”
“You’re pushing your luck,” she said as the vehicle eased out
of the parking lot.
He grinned. God, Deana thought was it possible that my
insides are doing the flip flop every time I look at that mouth.
“Am I wearing you down yet?”
“You’re trying,” Deana replied.
“Do all your dates get such a hard time?”
“What dates?”
“Deana, you are a beautiful woman. I can’t imagine men not
falling over you. I was just wondering if this was a Sebastian thing or
you’re always like this.”
“I don’t date often.”
“It’s that tough exterior, but I think beneath it all, you are a
softie that just wants to be hugged and kissed.”
“How sadly mistaken you are,” Deana said. “Oh, since you’re
headed this way, let’s just go to the ice cream counter at the Whole
Foods market.”
“I’ve never been there.”
“They have soy ice cream.”
“How do you like your milk, whole, one percent or two
percent?”
“We have only soy milk.”
“Are you lactose intolerant?”
“Are you a doctor?”
“I’m curious.”
“No, I’m not. Joey is. He’s always been so I changed my diet
to suit his.”
“Okay. So I know a few things about you. You like cheese
steak, soy products, you’re a single mom and you intimidate would-be
dates.”
Deana chuckled.
“You should stop sending flowers,” she said.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 23
In the daylight, he could see that she had done a lot of work on
the house. The once drab lawn was neatly manicured and she currently
had the water sprinkler going. The outside that was once an ugly shade
of white, now had a soft coral color with a light orange trim. The
driveway was newly replaced and a bright, colorful garden lay
magnificently against the house. A bike was resting against the front
porch. Sebastian parked his car behind hers. He hadn’t called ahead.
He’d spent the better part of the week wearing her down. He
succeeded, on Thursday afternoon she caved in for a Saturday
afternoon lunch.
He rang the doorbell. He barely saw movement as Joey
looked through the glass window on the right side of the door.
"Sebastian!" The boy pulled the door open. "You are early.
Mom said you might be dropping by for lunch. It’s barely passed
breakfast, but I’m happy you’re here. Do you want to play video
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 25
beautiful. He would have to get the name of the artist they were
beautiful.
He got to the landing at the top of the stairs and white gave
way to beautiful sea foam green. This was a house of shades. The
fusion of colors was bold, but they worked surprisingly well together.
She must have spent a small fortune with an interior designer. The
entire hall way was sea foam green, and the floors were not of the same
stain as the floor in the living room. This was a natural tone that lifted
the space, making it seem larger and more airy. Torrance Construction
should definitely consult with this interior decorator. The look was so
fresh and art deco.
There were four doors off the hallway. There was one to the
right, one in the center and the other two to the left. Joey led him to the
right.
“We have to go through the bedroom. She’s working in the
master bedroom,” Joey said.
The bedroom was huge. The centerpiece was the bed that was
against the wall, just below the window. It flowed into paneled wall
and wood cabinetry. Two antique lamps were bolted to the wall on
either side. The rest of the room had a cheerful relaxing shade of
watermelon pink. Here, the floors were natural pine, contrasting the
cherry of the paneling and cabinetry. There was definitely an eye for
color and flare here.
To Sebastian she looked divine in cutoff jeans that stopped just
an inch below her buttocks. Joey saved her from being ravished and
even then he had to distract himself by studying the room.
He looked at the bathroom, the bench top tile cutter on the
floor, the beautiful roman tiles and the woman with a wet sponge and a
silicone sealer in her hands. He recognized the sealer from its pungent
odor. Her back was towards them and she was squeezing sealer along
the rim of a tub.
It was a beautiful bathroom. The shower stall was completed
in glass blocks on three sides, the exterior wall and two interior walls.
Though the walls were opaque, the glass shower door was fully
transparent. The step up and into Roman tub was a few feet away and
had a huge bay window from where the tub met the wall to just a foot
or so below the ceiling. He could see outside. It was the west side of
the house and the view was of the garden below and the backyard that
sat on a lake. He suspected that the tint only allowed for one-way
vision. The natural lights make the room large. He saw a few recessed
lights in the ceiling and above the washbasin. Deana was a beautiful
woman who obviously liked beautiful things.
“Mom,” Joey said. “Sebastian’s here.”
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 27
When she finally made it down the stairs, showered and fresh,
laundry basket hugging her hips, the video game was off. She panicked
for a minute before she realized she could hear them in the kitchen.
She felt silly. She had checked out Sebastian Torrance as much as she
could. He was indeed the head of a multinational construction
company. She wouldn’t have invited him in her house or even left him
with her son if she had not done that.
Sebastian and Joey were seated at the table in the breakfast
nook having PBJ sandwiches and Orange Juice. They were engaged in
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 28
conversation and only paused to great her as she passed them to get to
the door leading to the garage and the laundry machine. Deana never
thought of the garage as such, it was her work shed and right now it had
the sweet odors of pine and cedar wood.
“Need a hand?” Sebastian asked.
“No.” She turned on the lights and stepped into her own
private world.
She had debated putting off the laundry, but that would mean
putting off something else and it would be a chain reaction that would
have her exhausted playing catch up at the end of the week. The thing
that would suffer most was her private time with Joey in the evenings,
and that was not an option.
Deana separated the laundry into five loads, loaded the first
then went back to the kitchen to join her son and Sebastian. She filled
a glass with orange juice and sat beside Joey and across from
Sebastian.
Sebastian liked the way she smelled. He did not miss the soft
delicate scent of perfumed bath soaps wrapped around a unique
feminine scent. He smiled at her as she pulled a half sandwich from the
pile of four they had on a plate between them. It was a stunning sight
to see the two together. Mother a beauty with dark mysterious eyes,
boy a future heartbreak for young damsels.
It struck him how close the two were. Even in their attitude
now there was an intimacy of mother and child, best friend and best
friend. He did the math in his head as he looked at them together. She
must have had Joey in the mid-teens. It was risky at any age to raise a
child on your own, but it must be damn near impossible for one so
young to raise a child alone. Maybe there was family or child support,
but still the burden of a child could be weighty.
“I thought we had some cold cuts,” Deana said.
“PBJ is okay,” Sebastian said. The sandwiches were Joey’s
favorite and Deana suspected he had talked Sebastian into it.
“Well I see that you have at least made yourself at home. I
was prepared for a later showing.”
“I had some time on my hands. I figured if you were home
and busy, I could hang with Joey, and then both of us would be out of
your way. If you weren’t home, I ‘ld be disappointed and sulky.”
“Sebastian wants us to go to Denver with him next week-end,”
Joey said. By the sound of his voice, Deana knew he was dying to say
this the moment she’d stepped into the room. “We’ve never been to
Denver, can we go?”
“I’m afraid not,” Deana said.
“I told you the answer was no,” Joey said to Sebastian. “You
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 29
4.
"No you cannot take your video games." Deana was arguing
with Joey for the better part of an hour. He didn't want to wear his
button down shirt, and he wanted to take video games to play after
dinner. They were launching into the twelfth minute of this battle when
the doorbell rang.
"Pleaseee," he pleaded.
"No and stop pouting. Look who's at the door. Don't open it,
just look through the window."
Deana swore under her breath as she grabbed her purse. This
date was making her nervous. Added to this, she had never been on a
date accompanied by her son. She shook her head now, wondering
why she had accepted.
"Mom, there's a black limo in the driveway." If Grand
Turismo had him pouting, the sight of the limousine in the drive way
made his smile stretch from ear to ear.
"Let me see." She made her way to the door on the second
knock. A man dressed in a full black suit was standing on her doorstep.
"May I help you?"
"I'm here for Deana and Joey Lang," the man said.
"I'm Deana Lang, but I'm afraid I did not ask for limousine
service," she said.
"Mr. Torrance wishes me to escort you to his house," the man
said. "I am Angus. I will be your chauffeur this evening."
"Sebastian rocks!" Joey was already out of the house heading
towards the car.
There was no point in Deana refusing the ride. She locked up
and followed the driver to the limousine. Joey almost dived across the
back seat once the door was open. The glee in her son's eyes caused
her to laugh and she wanted to cry at the same time. This was his first
time in a limousine and just watching his excitement gave Sebastian
brownie points, even if she didn't know the man well.
a socialite.
He greeted then on the small stairs leading to the house. He
was casually dressed in slacks and button down shirts that were rolled
at the sleeve. He timidly kissed her cheek and shook hands with Joey.
"You rock Sebastian," was all Joey said. He looked at the
large house and Deana could see the awe and wonder in the boy’s eyes.
"My friends are not going to believe I was here. They won't even
believe I was in a limousine. This is so cool."
"How about if I ask Angus driver to take you to school on
Monday?" Sebastian asked. “That would be a picture.”
"That would be super cool," Joey said.
"You cannot promise him that," Deana said.
"Of course I can. Come on inside. Dinner is almost ready."
The living room took her breath away. It was huge. The high
vaulted ceiling and marble floor tiles were dazzling in there own right.
Add the expensive chandelier and exquisite art collection and she felt
she must have stepped into an art museum of sorts. She wanted to
explore the many rooms and take a look at the architecture. Even Joey
was quiet in admiration.
"Dinner will be ready in another ten minutes," Sebastian said.
"How about if I show Joey to the entertainment room and you and I can
have a quick pre-dinner drink?
Deana nodded and Sebastian disappeared with Joey in one of
the adjoining rooms. She felt like a kid in Buckingham palace. She
walked around gingerly making sure she did not touch anything. Such
beauty and extravagance, she thought. She was eying a riveting
painting of the French Riviera when he entered the room again.
"So you like art?" He was by her side. “I didn’t think the
selections on your wall were random, though I didn’t recognize the
artist.”
"I used to paint in high school. My teacher said I was very
good, but I never quite developed the skills. Oh, we brought dessert."
She handed him the small box she was carrying. He took it
from her hand and led her towards the kitchen. The distance to the
kitchen from where they stood in the living room was almost twice the
length of her house. He opened the box and removed a cheesecake. It
was a triple choice cheesecake - raspberry, chocolate and blueberries.
"Thank you," he said. "You didn't have to."
"It's nothing," she said. "I always have extra when I make
them for the diner."
"You make the cheesecake at the diner?"
"Yes. Before Joey I wanted to be a chef. Actually, I wanted to
be an artist, I had no talent for that, but I had a knack for pastries. Now,
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 33
it's a hobby and well, it helps to bring home a little extra money." She
felt foolish discussing money when she was standing in a house as
grand as this. This man must not know what it is like to spend hours at
a task that will only reap a few extra dollars each week. For some
unexplained reason she hated Sebastian Torrance. Maybe not so
unexplained, she thought. He reminded her of Joey's father. Rich,
arrogant and didn't know what it was to work hard one single day of his
life. Men like him only knew how to take what they wanted.
"You are very good at it," he said. He was stirring a pot on the
stove and adding pasta to a huge pot of boiling water. He even cooks
Italian, she thought.
"Merda!" She couldn't help herself.
"I'm sorry," he said. "Is something wrong?"
"I have to go," Deana said. "I shouldn't have come."
"What have I done?" He stopped stirring and looked at her.
His huge blue eyes were not smiling now. They were sincere
in their concern and she hated that even more.
"Where's Joey? We have to go."
He removed the pot with the pasta and placed it in the kitchen
sink. She looked around the kitchen, anywhere to avoid his eyes. The
kitchen was fully equipped and twice the size of her master bedroom.
"I have a few errands I forgot to run," she said. "We must go."
"What have I done to offend you? Please, don't go."
His voice lacked the arrogance of Antonio. His poise though,
exuded confidence and strength. She could feel the power of the man.
She had genuinely upset him. He was concerned about this mood
swing. Okay, maybe she should have dinner and never see him again.
Joey had been talking of nothing else but a rematch with this man. She
should endure the night if only to see her son happy.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I feel so foolish. I had a few things that
were not quite settled before we left."
"Let's have some wine. It will help you to relax."
They dined on a screen patio overlooking the ocean. In fact,
the pillars supporting the patio were beneath the water. Several times
Deana had to scold Joey to have him eat rather than be lost in the
scenery. She had to concentrate not to get lost by it all either.
"I want to hear all about Deana and Joey Lang," Sebastian
said.
"I'm eight years old," Joey said. “I'll be nine in three months.
I am the man of the house."
"Right you are," Sebastian grinned.
"Is this where you live everyday? Do you live by yourself?"
Joey asked.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 34
the conversation a long time ago, but she was busy working up a hate-
mobile for Sebastian. Hard as she tried, it was difficult to hate him
when he made her son so happy. To think they only met a few days ago
because she had to work on her day-off.
"So, are you finished throwing daggers at me?" He asked.
"No. How could you promise him a limo to school? He will
be so disappointed when you don't show up."
"I intend to have Angus pick him up. He's a kid. It's not nice
to make broken promises especially to one so bright and young. So tell
me what is really bothering you."
"I know so little about you," she said. "If I knew this about
you, I wouldn't be here."
"Why? Do you hate the ocean?"
"No. But as far as you and I go, we could be from two
different planets. I am a simple cashier in a diner."
"Why don't you get to know me before you decide if you hate
me?" Sebastian asked. "Forget the house, forget Torrance
Construction. Think about Sebastian, and don't say merda. I know
what that means."
"I don't want to know you," she said. "I know men like you.
Flashy and tries to impress, then once you have your way you’re gone.
I don't want you hanging around my son and giving him things he will
yearn for. Things I will not be able to provide for him. He's a happy
well-adjusted boy with his one parent who loves him. He doesn't need
anyone else in that equation."
"You mean you don't need anyone else in that equation." She
sparked his anger. This was the first woman he had tried to wine and
dine in a long time. First woman by any memory he was willing to
chase, yet she was telling him she would not give him the time of day.
She wasn't even willing to know the man behind the things she saw.
"I'll play with your son, and then I will have Angus take you home. I
will keep my promise to him, what time does he need to be at school."
"You don't have to do it. I will explain to him."
"You will explain nothing to him. I made a promise. I will
keep it. If that doesn't figure in your little hate generator, suck it up and
deal with it. Deal with me."
"I don't have a hate generator. And I do not want to deal with
you."
"Then we are at an impasse because like it or not I want to get
to know you and I like your son and would like the opportunity to
know him better also."
"That is not fair," she said. "I've just met you. Don't expect
me to run head long into some steamy sexscapade with you."
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 36
"If that's all you think you have to offer me then you think
very lowly of yourself and poorly of me. A man does not spend hours
cooking a meal and providing limousine rides for a romp in the sack. If
you want me to back off say so, but don't cheapen this date for me, for
us. It is almost eight o'clock, I will spend some time with Joey and
then Angus will take you home when you’re ready. You can stay here
and sulk or you can pretend to enjoy the evening for his sake."
“We will leave now,” Deana said getting up from the table.
“You will not,” Sebastian countered. “I promised him I would
play a game with him and I am going to. I am going to start breaking
my promises to him because you don’t like me. He likes me and I like
him.”
“He doesn’t need a father,” Deana said.
Now she had insulted him. He was on his feet also. In the
soft evening lights on the patio, she could see the deep sea blue of his
eyes. Anger, yes she could feel his anger. She didn’t care. His control
was perfect when he spoke. “I’m not hoping to be his father. I just
want to be his friend.”
Deana had nothing to say. She was hoping he would have said
something that would help fuel her anger, but nothing. This was the
first man she had felt a shred of emotion for since Joey’s father. This
was misdirected hate, the man she hated with all her energies was miles
away in New York, and the only emotion she felt had for him was fear
and that fear had blossomed into an all consuming hate that was only
tempered by the love of and for her child. She didn’t date often,
because behind every sly smile, behind every ‘I can’t believe you’re a
mother’, laid the face of Antonio Pacelli – the bastard who fathered her
child.
Then there was Sebastian. He had taken a instant liking to her
son. He played with him, made him feel like he was part and parcel of
the package – mom and child. She almost laughed to herself, because
in that thought was the answer to her anger. Part of the package, so if
mother rejects him, son loses a friend. Someone he liked. Yes,
Sebastian was a close out.
Sebastian didn’t know where to place the anger she stirred in
him. He understood her guarding her son jealously, but she had not
given him the chance to screw up. He hated being measured against
anyone – the primary reason he avoided his mother as much as
possible. She always tried to place him in Howard Torrance’s shoes.
But he was not his father, and never would be. He was not the uncle
who died in Vietnam either. He was Sebastian Torrance, and that’s the
only person he knew to play. Now Deana measured him against a man
he had not met before. - Joey’s father. He had to be either special or a
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 37
first class screw up, but Sebastian didn’t want to be measured against
either.
He moved to clear the table. He had to do something in the
silence that engulfed them. If he didn’t, he would kiss her. He wanted
to pull her into his arms and ravished every hating inch of her until she
could think of nothing else. Then he would feel better. He would have
earned the hate. Why not, he thought, the evening could get no worse.
When he placed the plates on the table, Deana thought he was
going to walk away. She didn’t expect him to pull her roughly in his
arms and claim her lips. All the anger in him was emptied in that kiss.
His lips were rough against hers. They were hard and demanding as his
tongue forced her lips apart and one hand tangled in her hair as he
pulled her closer. She almost fought against the assault except it wasn’t
hate she felt from his embrace; it was wild unbottled, unbridled
passion. She felt a fast jolt of electricity up her back, a tingling
somewhere in her brain, a shiver in her belly as need coursed through
her body. Her hands of their own volition embrace him as she leaned
into the kiss.
Sebastian felt the flutter in his belly when she wrapped her
arms around him. He wanted her. Her back arched and he trailed a
path down her cheek. He kissed her chin, and finally nuzzled the base
of her sensual neck. It was better than he thought. She smelled sexy
and feminine, she tasted good and he liked the quickening of her pulse
against his lips. His anger flew away and left him raw with desire for
this woman. He would have taken her then, if he didn’t think about
Joey. Reluctantly, he left her go. She stepped from his embrace.
To Deana, Sebastian did well masking the raw desire in his
eyes. He went back to stacking the plates, but said nothing to her.
There was little to be said. They both knew what they had felt.
“I’m sorry if somehow I offended you,” he said after the long
silence during which they completed clearing the table and loading the
dishwasher. “I really like you and would love the opportunity to know
you better. I don’t care that you’re a cashier at a diner. It’s honest
labor. I thought we clicked when we went for ice cream. I thought you
were seeing me as a real person, not a name.”
“Sebastian you are a real person, but I don’t think you’re good
for me. You are at most mid-thirties, handsome and rich, why aren’t
you married?”
“Thirty five to be exact and I’m not married because I hadn’t
met the right person.”
She didn’t miss the fact that he used hadn’t instead of haven’t.
“I’m twenty-four. And don’t say anything about my youth and
motherhood. My son’s an A-student and I believe he enjoys life as
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 38
much as any other child his age with an older mother. I’ve provided for
him all his life and I don’t need anyone’s help or charity. Cinderella
stories don’t happen in real life. We enjoy them as kids and then we
grow up to the real world.”
“I don’t care if you’re a young mother. If anything, it adds to
your appeal. I’m not trying to take over your life. I just want a chance
to know you better.”
“Joey is my world, and in that world no one else can exist.”
“But you exist somewhere, and that’s where I want to be. Is it
my age that scares you?”
Deana almost laughed. She hadn’t thought about the age gap
between them. It was silly. She might be younger than him, but in
some ways they were on the same brain wave.
“Age, if I was that petty I would start sounding like the stupid
people who thinks Joey is my brother rather than my child and I’m
using him to say stay away.”
It occurs to her now that she was using Joey to tell him to stay
away. Not in the way most of her dates had gone, but to lock him out.
She enjoyed the ice cream shop, but she knew then and now they were
from two different worlds.
Sebastian didn’t reply. He sighed and looked at her defiant
dark eyes.
“Let’s go see what your son is up to.”
Thank heavens on the outside the room was sound proof.
Between Joey's shouts and the noise blaring on a 15-foot giant screen
she was having a headache. She knew Joey was in video game heaven.
She sank into the sofa while Sebastian took a place on the floor with a
game control in his hand. Her lips were slightly swollen from his
assault, and he body yearned for his embrace once more.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 39
5.
By the end of the week, there was no one that Joey knew who
did not know he rode in a limousine to dinner at the mansion on the
beach and the limo took him to school the following Monday. This tale
was only second to playing Grand Turismo on a 15-foot screen in the
mansion on the beach.
Deana was still wondering why she had allowed the
conversation between Sebastian and Joey to get as far as it did. She
scolded herself a hundred times for allowing the limo to take Joey to
school. It was imperative she kept her life quiet and a secret. She was
also sorting out the emotions she felt for the man. The thought of him
made her angry and swell with the desire at the same time. It didn’t
help that he sent her flowers on Monday afternoon with a huge apology
for ‘whatever I might have done to offend you’.
On top of her woe, Ivy had not returned to work because she
had the flu so Deana was forced to double up on her shifts. This meant
that by the time she got home, spent some time with Joey reading then
seeing him off to bed, she was bone tired, but she had to spend another
hour or two making desserts for the store in the mall and cheesecakes
for the diner.
Friday evening found her thoroughly exhausted and happy
Joey was spending the weekend at Trevor's house. She needed the time
for herself. The summer was fast approaching and her budget was not
yet balanced. She needed to tidy up and get the for sale signs ready for
the morning.
She had a simple plan. She was never going to be a pastry
chef, she was never going to have enough money to have her own
pastry store, but she knew how to use her hands. She had attended
every free house repairs and remodeling class at the hardware store
during her time off and when Joey was in school. She learned how to
lay tiles, paint, laminate a floor, paneling and a lot more. She’d made a
steal on her current house. And with durable simple material, she had
almost doubled the value of her home. Joey loved it there, but it was
money she could use. If she sold now, she could make a small fortune.
It wouldn’t be enough to make her financially independent, but she
could spare more time for her son and not worry about the next
paycheck.
Joey protested the idea of parting with the house when she told
him two months ago. She understood, it hurt her to part with it too. It
was their first real place. The first place they owned. He was too
young to understand the economics of it, but she had tried to explain it
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 40
anyway. Her saving grace had been another house on the same street
for sale. That would keep Joey on the same street with Trevor. It was a
bargain. Not as good as the one she currently had, but it was
reasonably priced. She’d made an offer already. This weekend was her
open house. If all goes well, she should be closing on the other house
in a few weeks.
She soaked in the new tub for an hour. It was almost eight
o’clock and with Joey gone, she didn’t need to get dress. She pulled on
an old bathrobe and moved to the kitchen. The budget and the ‘for sale
by owner’ signs waited.
The new house was pending foreclosure when she found it. It
needed a lot of work. Deana was not afraid of the work. Her current
residence had needed a lot of work also, and she’d carved it out nicely
for her son. Hard work was nothing if it meant making Joey’s life
better.
It would be summer in three weeks and she would have to pay
for Joey's summer camp. Then she would be hit by schoolbooks,
clothes shoes and the list was endless. She needed to balance that
budget to see where she stood. She gathered her folder that contained
their living expenses, projected cost and incomes along with a cold
bottle of Arbor Mist and settled at the table in the breakfast nook.
I shouldn't have bought the Playstation, she thought looking at
the last red spot in her budget. But, she reasoned with herself. It helps
to keep Joey busy when my eyes cannot be on him. She shoved the
thought out of her head and settled down to what she had, what was
tangible, what she could do.
She was half way through rearranging her bills when the
doorbell rang. She pulled her robe closer and went to the door, a glass
of Arbor Mist in hand. She looked through the glass. It was Sebastian.
"Merda!" She opened the door.
"You're a regular Miss Putty mouth." He smiled and handed
her flowers.
"What are you doing here?" She asked. They hadn’t spoken
since he bid her good night at his house a week ago.
"I wanted to see you. It seems that even though you have
insulted me, my pride is not wounded enough that I can stay away.
And I’m leaving for Denver in the morning, I didn’t feel comfortable
knowing at the end of next week I wouldn’t have seen you in two
weeks and,” he paused. “I’m babbling. May I come in?"
"Sure," she stepped away from the door and let him in. She
locked the door and headed towards the kitchen. She followed. "May I
offer you a drink?"
"I'll have some of whatever you are having," he said. He saw
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 41
the papers on the table, the ‘for sale’ signs and guessed she was
working. He took a seat at the table while she placed the mixture of red
and white roses in a clear vase. She placed them on the bar area of the
kitchen then fetched a glass from the kitchen cupboard.
She poured the glass of Arbor Mist and took her seat at the
table once more. There was some order to the madness of papers in
front of her, which she refused to move on his behalf. She didn't want
to move to the living room either as that would be too intimate. And
Deana knew she had thought about what he might look like without a
shirt.
"Sorry if I interrupt your work," he said.
"No problem," she said. "I needed a break anyway." She
absently rubbed the back of her neck with one hand and only stopped
when she saw him staring intently. "It's been a helluva week."
"Where's Joey?"
"Tormenting Thelma with video games and tale of his ride to
school in a limousine and eating on top of the ocean. For forty eight
hours, I won't have to help him recall all the details of last weekend."
"I'm happy at least one person enjoyed himself. What were
you doing?" He glanced down at the stacks of papers under her arm
and all over the desk.
"My budget; some of us have those." She didn't know why
she felt the need to be defensive.
"And some more than others," Sebastian said. “Are you
selling the house?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Why? It’s beautiful.”
“It’s an investment that has reached maturity.”
“Where are you going to live?”
“Three houses down. I already have an accepted offer. I just
need to get this on the market,” Deana sipped her wine. She wondered
if he knew how sexy his mouth was when he spoke. She tried not to
think about it.
“How does Joey feel?” He was asking.
“He doesn’t like the idea, but he feels better knowing he’ll still
be a stone’s throw away from Trevor.”
“And you, forgetting about the investment part. How do you
feel?”
“I’ll feel better when it’s over. It doesn’t matter how I feel in
the end. I’m doing what I think is best for us, Joey and myself. I got
this house up to scratch and I can do it with another one. It might even
be easier, this could be called practice.”
“That was Deana the mother, what does Deana the individual
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 42
feel?”
“There’s no such person,” Deana said.
“Of course there is. I’ve met her once, maybe twice. She’s
kisses like hell and she smells like a thousand roses.”
Deana blushed, but didn’t rise to his bait. “There is only one
Deana and she wants what’s best for her family. I want Joey to have
the best of everything. I want to spend less time at work. I want to be
able to say no Travis; I will not work after six in the evening because I
want to spend the time with my son. Now, I play the swap games that
get the worst shifts, but I spend some time with Joey.”
“Do you get child support for Joey?"
He saw the quick flash of fear in her eyes, replaced almost
instantly by blazing anger. He braced himself for the fire, but it didn't
come. He watched her eyes as she visibly reined in whatever beast was
about to break lose and sipped her wine.
"No. We don't talk about Joey's father around here. I give him
all he needs and that it is."
"And if he needs more later?" Sebastian asked.
"You mean if he needs to learn to pitch a ball, go fishing or
how to drive a car? I will teach him all I can. Kids have survived for
years with fathers. Joey has me and I have him. What do you want
anyway Sebastian Torrance?" He was irritating her. This was a subject
she was not comfortable with, and though she knew the day would
come when she will need to explain Antonio Pacelli to Joey, she
dreaded it and would put it off as long as possible.
Sebastian knew she was angry at him again. It seems no
matter how hard he tried; he would always do or say something that
rubbed her the wrong way. But, from the first time he heard her with
Joey, he knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Nothing worthwhile ever
was.
"I thought I would take you and Joey out for an evening on the
town but since he's not here, I will settle for the mother."
"I have things to do. I am very tired and I start an early shift
at the diner tomorrow. Plus I have an open house starting around noon.
We don’t all fly to Denver on the whim."
“That’s unfair. I invited you and Joey.”
“Yes,” Deana said. “I’d be fired and Joey loses a week of
school. In this house, we live in the real world where we have budgets
and little boys move from the houses they love. Good night, Sebastian
Torrance.”
She stood up. He hated the annoying way she always tried to
dismiss him. She did the same thing on the patio of his house last
weekend. But Sebastian would not be dismissed. He stood and pulled
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 43
her close. He did not kiss her immediately. He watched her eyes go
from surprise to anger then to something else. Some thing he found
wild and enticing in their black depths. Only then did his mouth touch
hers.
His lips were hard against hers. The hand holding the front of
her robe moved to her back, and the other tilted her head giving him
full access of her mouth. She tasted of wine and some thing exotic and
unmistakably Deana. The same thing he tasted last weekend. When
she didn’t pull away from him, he wrapped his hand around the silky
black hair and tilted her head even further. She moaned against him
when he kissed her cheeks, her earlobes and finally her neck.
Deana found him irresistible. Two weeks ago she would have
wagered her life that no one could let her feel like this. No one could
make her so hungry with desire. But Sebastian did. She’d never desire
any man. They had their purpose, and she had always seen them as
such. That clumsy definition did not hold true where Sebastian was
concerned.
He barely broke their contact for a minute as he pulled on the
string of her robe. She didn’t move away, and he would have chased
her if she did. She was naked beneath the robe. His hands reached up
and kneaded her breasts. He teased her nipples and they hardened to his
touch. Her fingers were on his shirt, fumbling with the buttons. She
moaned and arched her back as flames of desire ignited her body. He
broke contact with her as she pulled his shirt away.
When he dipped his head to kiss her breasts, her fingers dug in
his back and she pressed against him, loving the slight pressure he
placed on the small of her back.
“You are beautiful, Deana,” he whispered. His breath was hot
against her skin.
He kissed her breasts, her belly, then up to her neck again. He
lifted her slightly and she went with him. He turned and leaned her
against the wall for support. She thrust her hips towards him when his
hand touched the soft spot between her legs.
“God,” he said against her neck. “You’re hot and I want you.”
“Shut up,” She said, but the tone was not harsh. She didn’t
want to hear lies and promises now. She just wanted him to release her
from these emotions.
The first wave of relief would have knocked them to the floor
if they hadn’t lowered themselves there already. His expert tongue was
licking and kissing her tender places, his hands caressing and kneading
her body. He felt and tasted her climax against him. She tasted good.
He was filled with her. She helped him out of his pants, and he only
paused for the ‘just-in-case’ condom he carried in his wallet.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 44
She was so tight and hot against him he had to slow himself
not to explode on contact. Her hips arched and met his. He slammed
into her and they were joined, complete. He moaned her name as they
moved together, timing each others stroke in the waltz that came so
naturally. Her body arched as she erupted against him. He propped
himself on one hand and the other lifted her buttocks and he felt his
loins on fire. Even as they crested the wave together, he knew it was
not enough for him. This was not enough. He wanted more of her,
needed more of her.
He buried his head in her hair and kissed her neck, not
wanting to break their contact. He felt both her hands on his sides. She
wasn’t hugging him any more. She wanted him to move. He felt it but
didn’t respond immediately.
“I think you should go,” she said. Her voice was thick with
emotions.
“Deana,” he said.
“Go,” she said.
He moved away from her. She stood up and reclaimed her
robe from where it had fallen. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
She refilled her glass with Arbor mist and waited for him to get
dressed. She slammed the door shut when he turned to tell her
goodnight.
Deana wasn’t proud of herself. She hadn’t intended on having
sex with Sebastian. But it was done, no use to rehash or think about
what might have been if she’d just pushed him away.
Men do this all the time, she rationalized. They have fun, and
then they leave. So what if a woman did the same thing? It was
natural to desire a man, why not him? He was handsome, well built
and had the most sexy mouth she had ever seen, and he knows how to
use it, she added. Well, there was no seeing him again. They both got
what they wanted and that was that.
She turned out the lights and meticulously went through the
house making sure everything was locked up tight. She felt sore in
places, and she still had a longing for more of him.
“Nothing another glass of wine can’t cure,” she said aloud.
She removed a bottle of 2001 Marsannay Rouge from the
small collection she kept in the wine rack of her butcher’s block. She
took her glass, the wine and a few candles and made her way to the
new tub. She needed to wash Sebastian away. She was filled with his
scent and would have a restless night if she didn’t.
wine and watching the flames of the candle dance, Sebastian was
cursing himself. He had felt desire in her arms. She made him whole.
When their bodies had joined, he felt complete, he felt like a whole
person. He’d clung to her and her to him as they climaxed. Then she’d
kicked him out as if it was nothing.
He couldn’t tell what secrets or mysteries were in her eyes,
she had avoided looking at him. Once they were no longer tangled
together on the floor, she had scorned him, like yesterday’s trash. He
shouldn’t have left, shouldn’t have allowed her cheapen the moment; to
reduce the act to its basic components. He realized as he sped towards
his house on the beach, that he was powerless against her.
He wanted her and she humbled him. He could still taste her
and feel her wrapped around him. No one had so completely ignited
his passion or so completely matched his. For the minutes of glory he
had spent with her, he would have traded all he had. And it wasn’t
enough. She was under his skin. He was the oyster and she his grain of
sand.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 46
6.
Deana was in the middle of packing, but her mind was not on
the task. She was thinking of last Friday night with Sebastian. It was
the middle of the week and fortunately, she had worked the early shift
at the diner. Joey was in school and it gave her time to pack. The offer
on her house was only a few thousand below her asking price. It was a
good solid offer and the buyer had been pre-approved for greater than
that amount. Joey had sulked when she told him the news.
Sebastian called every evening. Deana was fortunate to miss
his calls on Saturday, Sunday and Monday afternoons. She deleted his
messages without listening to them. On Monday however, she was not
as fortunate, as Joey answered the phone. She declined speaking with
him, but he spoke with Joey. She couldn’t help listening in. The
smooth timbre of his voice shocked her system and she couldn’t help
glancing at the kitchen floor where they’d had sex.
“Hey Joey,” he said. “How are you?”
“I’m fine.” Joey sounded a little depressed. “Mom sold our
house.”
“Sorry to hear that. I’m sure it’s for the best.”
“Yeah,” he wasn’t committing to that storyline. Deana was
not surprised how easy it was to read her son. He had made his
feelings clear about selling the house.
“How is your mom?”
“Pretty good I guess. She’s been kind out of it since we
accepted the offer. She started packing yesterday. I’m going to miss
my room.”
“But you’ll get a new room,” Sebastian was trying to cheer the
boy up. “Think of all the fun you will have painting and choosing
colors this time. Plus, you get to hang out with your mom and paint.”
“I know,” Joey sounded more upbeat. “It’s just that with this
house mom was always working at it and then the diner, plus her pastry
stuff and she gets tired. We didn’t spend as much time doing fun stuff.
Now, we’ll go back to that.”
“Oh,” Sebastian said. “Well, I know how to use a paint brush.
I’ll help so she doesn’t get as tired.”
“You will?” Joey’s voice brightened.
“Sure, and I know guys who can paint your house in one day.
When I get back, we’ll go look at the house and the colors and see what
we can do.”
“Cool,” Joey was definitely in a better mood. “Sebastian, are
you going to be visiting us often?”
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 47
signing the sale contract for the house; Joey was in a good mood.
“Hey,” Thelma said and kissed Deana on the cheek. “You
must be timing me. I was just about to sink in the bathtub.”
“Lucky you,” Deana said entering her best friend’s house.
The lack of noise from a heated video game match struck her as odd.
As a teacher, Thelma was strict on homework. All homework was
usually completed before video games. School was out over three
hours ago. Friday was no exception to her rule. “Where are Trevor and
Joey?”
“Out with Sebastian,” Thelma waved her off. “God Deana
he’s so fine. On the news and in the paper you could see he’s a
handsome gentleman, but when I opened the door, I had to roll my
tongue back into my mouth. He must know he stinks of male sexuality.
And the mouth, Lord, if Carl had a mouth like that, I’m not sure I could
get out of bed in the mornings.”
“You let him take the kids?” Deana asked in disbelief.
“Yeah. He’s Sebastian Torrance. I can’t see him kidnapping
them especially since Carl’s the chief of police. He doesn’t strike me
as stupid and he’s your boyfriend anyway.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.” Deana realized she sounded like a
defensive thirteen year old. She’d sounded this way when her mother
had chastised her about Luigi Ventura many years ago. Then, it was
truer than now. She’d like Luigi, but that was childish infatuation
based on a need her mother never understood or wanted to understand.
“I should have called you first,” Thelma conceded. “It’s just
that after the dinner, taking Joey to school and you inviting him to your
house I thought the relationship was going somewhere. Joey was so
happy to see him; I thought it would be okay.”
“Joey knew he was coming?” Deana asked.
“Here? I don’t think so,” Thelma said. “But he knew
Sebastian would be in town today. I’m sorry Deana.”
“I’m sure they will be okay,” Deana said. “I can’t imagine
Sebastian with two nine year old kids.”
“Three kids,” Thelma corrected. “He had his goddaughter
with him. They are going to the mall and I think Dave and Busters. He
left his cell phone number if I needed to reach him. He said you knew
how to contact him.”
“Joey wants to do kids day at work with him,” Deana said.
She dropped in the sofa with a worried look on her face. “What do you
think?”
“As a teacher, I think every kid should participate in kids’ day
at work and it is especially encouraging when they want to try
something other than their parents’ line of work. As a friend, I think if
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 49
Sebastian likes Joey and Joey likes Sebastian you should encourage it.
You know Carl and I are always here for you, but it never hurts for Joey
to have another person who’s willing to look out for him. All the better
if you like Sebastian.”
“I don’t like Sebastian.”
“Now you have my attention.” Thelma sank into the loveseat
across from Deana. “Talk to me.”
“Thelma, I’m a cashier at a diner that has not expanded since
the sixties. I’m stuck in a dead-end job with a nine year old kid and I
spend almost sixty hours every week trying to give him a good life.
Sebastian’s inherited a fortune. He’s suave, sophisticated, I don’t think
he’s ever had to sit one day and say ‘hey how am I going to pay
mortgage next month’, or something like that. We have nothing in
common. I’ve seen him driving three separate cars; I have to pray my
engine turns over in the morning.”
“So what?” Thelma retort. “He’s a man with needs and
you’re a woman with needs whether you choose to admit it or not.
Deana he met you at your job, he’s been to your house. I’m sure if it
bothered him he wouldn’t have looked at you. You’re beautiful but I’m
afraid to tell you that banging you for brags doesn’t seem to fit his
profile. A limo and flowers almost everyday doesn’t sound like cheap
sex. Besides, I can’t imagine the most eligible bachelor in Florida
becoming that desperate.”
“Thank you Thelma,” Deana said in a cheerful voice. “You
sure know how to put me in my place.”
“That’s why we’re friends. I don’t b.s. you.”
“And you’re the only teacher I know who says b.s. and
banging without a filch. You should have your bath,” Deana said
standing up. “I have boxes to pack.”
“Deana, I’m sorry again. I should have called.”
“Stop apologizing Thelma,” it was Deana’s time to wave her
off. “I trust your judgment.” The women exchanged kisses then Deana
left.
She was happy she had Thelma to talk to. She never had
many friends as a kid. And since Joey, she’d spent more time moving
from place to place than she thought possible. It was fortunate for her
that Joey and Trevor had taken an instant liking to each other when
Thelma showed up on her front porch with macaroni and cheese
casserole. She’d invited them in the mess of a house then, and over
cheesecake, she and the woman became close friends.
On the short drive to her house, Deana told herself she should
be fuming mad at Sebastian. He had no right to her son without her
permission. What was he playing at anyway? She tried hard to work
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 50
up the anger, and ended up with a headache instead. Maybe she should
call him and tell him off. That would be enough fuel until he took her
son home.
Deana had to go through her purse and then her car before
finding his card stuffed in the ashtray of the car.
The noise in the background was deafening and she could
hardly hear him. After attempting a mere greeting, she realized it was
an exercise in futility.
of heated sex. We’ve been there and I’m still here. I don’t know on
what pedestal Joey’s father is, and I hate being measured against the
man. I am Sebastian Torrance, that’s the only person I know how to be.
Don’t shut me out without good cause. The harder you slam a door in
my face, the more I will pursue you. If you walk, I’ll jog, if you jog,
I’ll run. I want a chance with you. If you hate me, then tell me I’m
wasting my time, because neither your body nor your eyes say that. So
lie to me.”
“Go away,” she felt foolish.
He took her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him.
“Lie to me and I’ll go,” he repeated. “But before you say another
word, I want you to know that I’m falling in love with you. When I
walked into Cronus, I wasn’t looking for love; I wanted a cheesecake
for my mother. I don’t believe people grow into love. I believe they
start out with feelings similar to love that gets better over time. That’s
how it started with you. And it’s not infatuation or pure chemistry, it’s
more.”
She couldn’t lie to him. She would be lying to herself also.
She liked him and he stirred her in ways no one ever had. He was not
Antonio Pacelli. But not because she couldn’t lie to him or herself
meant she wanted him in her life. She needed space and time to think.
“What time is dinner tomorrow?” She asked.
“I’ll pick you at five,” he said.
“No limousines this time, okay?”
“Okay. Thanks for this Deana.”
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 54
7.
“I’ll have the margarita,” Deana said sitting in the empty chair
on Stacey’s left.
“Good.” Britney moved to a bar which was an extension of
the patio and started a mix.
Joey tried the milk he had poured. It wasn’t like the milk he
had at home. He took the cup over to where Deana was seated.
“Excuse me. Mom, it’s not soy milk,” Joey said.
“Oh,” Bridget said. “I’m sorry. Let me fetch you a glass.”
“It’s no problem,” Deana said. “If you have lemonade that
will be fine.”
“Nonsense,” Bridget said. “Sebastian told me to get soy milk
but it just slipped my mind when I brought the milk out. I have a bottle
in here. Hang on.”
Bridget poured the glass of soymilk for Joey and he went back
to the table with Britney, who curiously enough wanted to taste
soymilk.
“It doesn’t taste like milk,” she said.
“That’s because it’s not from a cow.”
“What is soy?” Britney asked him.
“Beans.”
“How can you get milk from beans? Are you drinking beans, I
hate beans. Mom makes me eat beans but -.” Deana lost the rest of the
conversation as Bridget returned to the next chair and pulled her into
one of her own. The three men were at the grill in the yard.
“So you’re the woman who’s got our poor Sebastian running
crazy?” Bridget said.
“I don’t know about running crazy -.”
“He is,” Stacey agreed. “And he adores your son.”
Deana felt odd. The men were gathered in the yard, her son
was having milk with his new playmate and she was supposed to be
bonding with these women. She never bonded with any woman except
Thelma and it started because they had sons about the same age and in
the same class at school. Joey was always the center of whatever
conversations she had. She was lost without him.
“So where are you from?” Bridget was asking.
“New York, but we haven’t lived there for a while. In fact we
left just after Joey was born.”
“And your family?”
“Joey’s my only family,” Deana replied. “Do you have a
restroom I may borrow?”
Bridget directed her to the restroom and she left. Sebastian
saw her leaving the group. It amazed him that in such a short time, he
was able to read her by her movements. He could tell now that
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 59
something was bothering her - just the slight slump of the shoulder. He
gave Jaime his pair of tongs and moved towards the patio.
“Is something wrong with Deana?” Sebastian asked.
“Other than she’s shy, no,” Bridget said. “She just needs to
use the restroom.”
“I better find her,” Sebastian said.
“Leave her alone,” Stacey said. “She might not like you
fussing.”
“I’ll check just the same.”
He found her just as she exited the bathroom. She has a
frightened look on her face and tried to mask it with a smile.
“What’s wrong?” Sebastian asked.
“I feel like I’m at the meeting of the wives club. The children
are playing by themselves, the men barbequing and the women making
small talk.”
“Do you want to leave?”
“No, they are your friends, you should enjoy their company. I
have no doubt they are nice. It’s just that outside Thelma and Carl, I’ve
never had the time to make any friends.”
“Meeting people is what you do everyday. This is no
different. They are my friends and I would like you to get to know
them. Joey is a younger version of you and he and Britney clicked the
first time they met. And if it amuses you, I think he is her first
infatuation.”
“Don’t say that to him. He still thinks girls are made up of
everything bad. Joey was always the people person,” Deana said. “We
should get back though. They’d think we ran away.”
“If you get uncomfortable, we can leave. Or we could grin
and bear it, you throw a temper tantrum as soon as we get back to your
place and we make love again. You have no idea how sexy you look
when you’re mad.”
She blushed as he moved into to her.
“I do not throw temper tantrums. Anyway, we should get
back.”
“Deana,” he said trailing a finger down her cheek. “I’m happy
you came and I’m grateful that despite my macho stance, you didn’t lie
to me last night. I meant what I said about us. This is not about casual
sex, though I can’t wait for our next interlude.”
Joey was indeed the life of the party. In her absence, he was
chatting up Bridget and Stacey. Deana joined them.
“Mom,” Joey said. “I was telling Bridget about my ride to
school in the limo. Britney has never been to school in a limo.”
“Uncle Sebastian will take me one day,” Britney said. “Deana
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 60
“It was great. But I think Britney likes me. Which is cool, she
doesn’t do girlie stuff. She doesn’t like dolls and she plays video
games.”
“That’s nice,” Deana said.
“Yeah, she’s nice for a girl.” Joey said. “Sebastian, why does
she call you and Mack Uncle?”
“I’m her godfather and Mack is like a brother to Jaime.”
“Godfather?” Joey asked.
“Yes, if something happens to Bridget and Jaime, she comes to
live with me. I would take care of her.”
“I don’t know what I would do if something happens to my
mom,” Joey said sinking into the seats of the car. He loved this car, it
smelled good and the seats were comfortable, unlike his mom’s car
which was old and though it smelled clean, it didn’t smell as good as
this car. Plus, his mom did not have air conditioning. “I don’t have a
godfather.”
“Well,” Sebastian was quick and took the question before
Deana could jump in. “If something should happen to your mom now,
would you like to live with me?”
“Yeah, but I can’t imagine something happening to my mom.
And your house is too big, I would get lost. Our house is small, and
there are no boogie men in the closets. Boogie men like big houses.”
Sebastian didn’t have time to reply as they pulled up in
Deana’s driveway. He walked them to the door. Deana invited him in,
and she meticulously checked every door, every window and every
room.
“You’re either paranoid or very careful,” Sebastian said.
“Force of habit,” Deana replied. “Joey, it’s time to get ready
for bed. Brush your teeth; I’ll be up in a few minutes to tuck you in.”
“Can Sebastian read to me tonight?”
“No honey, I think -.”
“Sure,” Sebastian said. “I’ll be there in two minutes.”
“Grazie.” Joey bounded up the stairs and to the bathroom off
his room.
“Well, I guess if you are going to stay I might as well make
some tea. We seldom coffee here, so I’m afraid it’s tea.”
“Sounds perfect.” He followed her into the kitchen. He
watched her as she filled a kettle and placed it on the stove. She
opened a cabinet with perhaps twenty or so different types of teas.
“Any choices?” She asked.
“I’ll have whatever you’re having.”
“You don’t have to read to him,” Deana said turning to face
him. “He’s just excited another grown up is taking such keen interest
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 64
asked.
“It turned out better than I expected, though I have so little in
common with Stacey or Bridget.”
“Bridget’s a mom like you and Stacey is almost there. You
don’t have to be friends with them. I just wanted you to meet them, get
to know them and give Joey some play time with Britney. I’ve know
Jaime and Mack all my life. It’s important that you know them.”
“So when I met you on that Wednesday night it was boys’
night out?”
“Some thing like that. We like to give the women their space
every now and then. When Joey’s older, he’ll join us. I’ll be the first
of the three with a boy. I’ll get that for you.” He couldn’t resist her
rubbing her neck any longer. He got up and kneaded her shoulders. He
felt the sudden tension in her as his hands touched her, but then she
relaxed a little and started enjoying the experience.
To Deana, Sebastian’s hands were like fire touching her. He
was an expert, rubbing just hard enough, then soft enough to have her
swooning. It was desire she felt for him. Most men, either ducked out
at her temper, or chickened out at the thought of immediate fatherhood.
Sebastian had done neither.
That’s what scared her. She couldn’t get tied up with Sebastian
because of Joey. It was hard enough raising a son alone, but exposing
him to a short romantic interlude then yanking him back to the reality
that all they had was each other, was cruel. She could not put her son
through this. Already he thought of Sebastian as a friend. Maybe it
was her fault falling for those mysterious blue eyes and wide smile.
“I think it is my bed time.” She stood up.
“Then it’s my cue to go. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“No, I’ll be busy.”
“Okay.” He sensed the slight mood swing in her. It was not
the time to press her.
Deana walked him to the front door. From the corner of her
eyes, she spotted something unusual. A dark car was parked in the
driveway of the empty house she was buying. On first glance, it would
seem like an ordinary car in a driveway, but she knew the house was
empty and this was no ordinary car, it was a Cadillac. From here she
couldn’t miss the broad smooth design of the front. She knew Caddies
because she hated them. Her mother had driven a Cadillac all of
Deana’s life – at least when she was with her. When Simon announced
‘I’m getting a new car’, one could not lose a bet it would be a Caddy.
A chill crept up her spine. She’d seen this Cadillac
somewhere before, but not on this street, somewhere else. In the
waxing moonlight, she couldn’t tell if it was empty, or what the color
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 67
was. She had the strangest thought that something evil and wicked lay
in wait in that car. And it wasn’t waiting for just anybody, it waiting for
her.
Sebastian felt a slight shimmer in her when he bent to kiss her.
Her skin was cold.
“Are you okay?”
“Ah…yes.” But her voice was breathy like a child who’d just
received the scare of her life.
“Deana.”
“Goodnight.” This time her voice was stronger, because she
wanted nothing else but to be locked in her house. She closed the door,
turned out the lights and double checked every window and every door
in the familiar darkness.
She sat intently at the window in the dark watching the car.
Her tired brain screamed paranoia, but her heart said caution. It was
two hours before the car finally drove away. So someone had been in
the car – watching. Were they watching her? Did Tony finally catch up
with her? Deana’s heart bled. She loved this neighborhood, she loved
that Joey finally had a real life, with best friends and sleepovers. How
dare Antonio try to take this from him? The fear that gnawed at her
earlier was replaced with anger, and her chilled skin would have been
hot to the touch if anyone touched her.
Deana reigned in the emotions. She didn’t survive by being
an emotional wreck. She would watch. Every dark Caddy was now a
suspicious vehicle. If they were watching her, she would watch them
and be ready.
Staying up to watch the car despite her tiredness had given her
a headache. She would be worse for wear in the morning with the little
sleep she was expecting tonight. She looked in on her son, checked the
house once more then went to bed.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 68
8.
“Where did you get that?” Deana asked Joey. He was in the
living room playing a new video game that she hadn’t bought. It was
typical for him to play his games as loud as possible, this was very
quiet and it got her attention.
“In a minute mom,” he replied. She waited him out for five
minutes until he paused the game. She usually interrupted him for
school related work or for his part of the chores. On evenings such as
this when she had work for the mall, she would let him play or read
uninterrupted. “Sebastian bought it for me.”
“When did you see Sebastian?” Deana asked.
“A couple days ago. He stopped by Aunt Thelma.”
“Are we keeping secrets Joey Lang?”
“No mom. You told me if he hurts me I’m to tell you, he
didn’t. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I knew you would get mad at me
because you’re mad at him. And I asked him before you were mad at
him.”
“When?” Deana asked.
“When you let him read to me. Nobody else every read to me
except you, so I thought you liked him. Is it because he read to me why
you’re not talking to him?”
“No. I am working hard to make our lives better. Sebastian is
a distraction.”
“What’s a distraction?” Joey asked.
“He gets in the way,” Deana said. “And I have tons of stuff to
do. We have to move by next Saturday and I’m not even done with the
packing. You see Joey; I need time to focus on what we need. I want
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 71
you have a great life and all the things I never had. I want you to go to
a great school and not worry about how I’m going to pay for it. To do
that, I need to focus on my goals. With Sebastian I lose my focus.”
“But I have a great life mom. And if Sebastian gets in the
way, you can ground him like when I’m bad.”
Deana wanted to laugh. Sometimes Joey’s logic was eight
going on forty, and sometimes he was just eight years old. The picture
of a grounded Sebastian brought a smile to her face.
“Oh I get it,” Joey said watching his mom strain to contain her
laughter. “You have already grounded him that’s why he sends flowers.
I’m never dating because I’m not going to waste so much money on
flowers and I hate being grounded.”
Now she couldn’t contain the laughter. She laughed until tears
came to her eyes. Joey stood looking at her suspiciously.
“I love you son.” She hugged him and went back to the
kitchen, still smiling. Joey followed her and the scent of fresh baked
cookies.
“Oh Mom,” Joey said. “Sebastian’s coming over with Britney.
I think her mom and dad are out of town for the weekend. I didn’t
know he was grounded. We were going to play this game together.”
Deana was still laughing at the original joke to be upset at the
moment. It wasn’t Joey’s fault she had not explained the finer concepts
of dating. She had only gone out a few times since being a mother and
he was probably too young and none of those men had even glanced at
him twice for him to understand what such relationships were. His
finest example of relationship was Thelma and Carlton, and whatever
he could divulge from a book.
Sebastian is coming over, rang somewhere in her brain and
she realized she had only planned cold cuts tonight. There was no time
for cooking and she had several more pies and cookies to go.
“I wasn’t making dinner tonight,” Deana said.
“I know. He said whatever we were having is fine. We could
order pizza. I have sixty bucks in my piggy bank.”
“Sixty? You are getting richer by the second.”
“I hope so, because I’ve not been wasting my money. Oh and
mom, you owe me allowance for last week and this week.”
“I’ll write you a check,” Deana said.
“Man, you are a poor boss, but a great mom.” He pulled a
fresh Macadamia cookie from a platter. He knew his mom always
baked extra.
“Love you,” she said.
“Ditto,” he replied.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 72
Sebastian, could you get everything ready, I need to talk to Joey for a
minute.”
“No problem,” he said.
Deana walked Joey to the living room. Sebastian fetched
Britney so they would be alone. She motioned for Joey to sit on the
sofa, and then she sat in the loveseat across from him.
“About me kissing Sebastian,” she started.
“Mom, it’s okay. I don’t care if you swap germs. As long as
he doesn’t hurt you or give you bad germs. One of my friend’s mom
got bad germs from her boyfriend and she had to go to the emergency
room. And he didn’t come to school for a whole week.”
“Let me explain,” Deana said. Now she felt like a child
pleading with a parent. Isn’t it funny how kids make you do that, she
thought. “Sebastian and I like each other, and sometimes we kiss
because we like each other. It doesn’t mean I love you any less.”
“Mom, I understand,” Joey said.
“You do?”
“Yes. Uncle Carl and Aunt Thelma kiss all the time, and
sometimes, Trevor says they make funny sounds in their room and Aunt
Thelma likes it when Carl makes her make those funny sounds. Uncle
Carl said that’s how they make a baby. And I don’t know if that is true
because they don’t have a baby, but their working on one.”
Sweet Jesus, Deana thought, how do I explain this?
“Need a hand?” Sebastian asked. He’d heard them from the
kitchen. He suspected Deana had been dying to explain the kiss to
Joey, now he confirmed. Britney ran into the room and sat beside Joey.
Great, Deana thought. As if it wasn’t bad enough trying to explain to an
eight year old boy.
“Is there an easy solution?” Deana asked.
“No, but we could give it a shot.” Sebastian sat on the arm of
her chair. “Okay Joey, let’s get this right the first time. When people
love each other, they need time together to play and have fun. When
you have fun you tend to laugh loudly and cheer like when you are at
the playground. Are you following me so far?”
“Yes.”
“Well, when adults have their fun, it’s like that except they
make different noises to express themselves. They both love to hear
the other make these noises so sometimes it can get a little loud. Your
mom and I will try our best to keep it down when we are at that stage.”
Deana went to a shade of lobster red. “Part of loving each other means
they touch each other, kiss and maybe sleep in the same bed.
Sometimes they make babies when they are having fun, and sometimes
they don’t.”
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 75
“My mom and dad sleep in the same bed everyday,” Britney
says.
“So you and my mom will be having fun in her room?” Joey
asked Sebastian.
“Maybe, how do you feel about that?” Sebastian asked.
“What about the bad germs?”
Deana sank into the chair some more. This was getting out of
hand.
“Right now, because we have just started dating, we take
precautions to prevent your mom from getting my bad germs or me
from getting her bad germs, though I don’t think either of us have any.
When you’re older, I’ll show you how to protect yourself from getting
bad germs.”
“Are you going to be having babies?”
“Perhaps, if we decide that it’s right for us later. But we can
also protect ourselves from having babies,” Sebastian said.
“And you’re going to get married like Uncle Carl and Aunt
Thelma?”
“When the time comes,” Sebastian said.
Deana was surprised Sebastian was handling this so well. For
a man who’s not had a kid, he was not half bad. He even did a better
job than she might have, but she wouldn’t let him know that.
“Will I have to call you dad and change my name?”
“I hope you will want to change your name, and you can call
me dad only if you want to.”
“If you have kids will we live at the new house?”
“No, you will live at my house or we buy a different house.”
“Cool, because the other house is still too small for more than
one kid. If you want to have fun with my mom in her room, that is
fine. Is it time for pizza yet?”
The four left to the kitchen. Deana felt a weight off her
shoulders but couldn’t quite explain it. She had merely intended to
explain a kiss to Joey. They had gone from that to a version of the
birds and the bees. She knew this talk with Joey had to come at some
point in the future, but she was hoping for a nice growing up age of
fourteen or sixteen if she could just keep him thinking girls were made
up of all the bad things. Perhaps Sebastian wasn’t so bad after all, who
knew you could relate sex to playground fun.
Deana watched with interest as they ate their pizza. If
Sebastian had any single talent, it was making Joey feel he was the
center of the world while they were together, not that Britney was
excluded from anything. Perhaps a leap of some sort with this man was
not so bad. He was good with and to her son. She left the table to get
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 76
At ten o’clock, with Joey snoring softly in his bed and Britney
in hers, Deana joined Sebastian in the living room. He stretched his
legs and turned off the television. She sat beside him in the gloomy
living room, lighted only by the soft glow of a mood light.
“I don’t want to keep you up,” Sebastian said. “It looks like
you will have a busy day tomorrow.”
“I will, but I don’t usually turn into a pumpkin until closer to
midnight. Thanks for the help with Joey.”
“You didn’t trust I could explain a kiss to him,” he noted.
“And you eavesdrop very well,” she countered.
“So we both want to protect him,” Sebastian conceded.
“There’s nothing wrong with that. If anything, it should be a bonus that
he has two adults who loves him and want to take care of him. Now I
would like to hear this grounding bit.”
“Grounding was the way Joey understood us being apart for
the past two weeks. I’m afraid if we don’t work out, he’ll miss having
precisely what he had this evening - two adults that loves him. And it’s
not fair for me to expect or want you to suddenly be father to a nine
year old.”
“I can promise you if we don’t work out, I will still love your
son. And even when or if I have a family of my own, I will love him
just the same.” Sebastian said. “I might not be a father in the
traditional sense of the word, but I know kids. Do you think Jaime and
Bridget would leave Britney with me if they didn’t trust me? I am
thirty five years old Deana, I must have been around a few kids in my
life.”
“You must think I’m a paranoid fool,” Deana said. “My
mother never really wanted a daughter, my father skipped town when I
was Joey’s age and my step-father, he was powerless against my
mother and his son. As a child, I never felt quite grounded to anyone or
anywhere. I don’t want that for Joey. I don’t want to smother him
either. I just want a happy well adjusted child.”
“I think you’re a great mother Deana. It’s tough to take care
of a child by yourself, but you do it. For that alone you are tops in my
book and Joey couldn’t have done better. It’s hard to let go and allow
someone else in your lives, but I can promise, whatever goes bad
between us will never affect Joey. Though, I hope nothing ever goes
wrong between us. I am starting to think of you both as my family.”
His lips were against hers. The kiss was soft and she enjoyed
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 77
“I’m getting to it. It’s just a little harder than I imagined,” she
said following him up the stairs.
“I could get movers for you. They’ll come in and pack
everything, then unpack exactly the way it is now.”
“No,” Deana said. “Unfortunately that is expensive.”
“It’s my treat.”
“No. Our relationship so far is like a rollercoaster. I’m not
sure when the crazy ride will be over and I’ll be damned if -.”
“Shhh,” he whispered turning on the landing to look at her.
“Must you always look a gift horse in the mouth?”
“That’s more than a gift, it’s -.”
“It’s my way of saying I want to take care of you. I will love
you, pamper and spoil you if you let me.”
“I don’t want us in an argument tonight. It’s been a pleasant
night. We can pick this up at a later date.”
Sebastian lifted a sleeping Britney from the bed. Her head
rested on his shoulder as he took her down the stairs. He kissed Deana
lightly on the lips then left. Deana waited until he was out of the
driveway before closing the door. She locked the door then
meticulously walked through the house checking every door as was her
nightly ritual.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 79
9.
The stranger watched intently as the man and child left the
house. He felt the smooth edges of the scar across his face. He had
been watching this house for two months now. There was never an
opportune time for him to see the boy. The boy was never left alone
and never left with other kids.
It wasn’t chance that made him found the boy and the mother.
For nine years he’d meticulously tracked her down. He was always a
few steps behind, but now he had caught up with her. She either
thought the deal was over, or that she was impossible to find.
He could wait longer. He would wait longer. The bastard boy
and his mother will eventually let down their guard. And who was this
man, this stranger whom they had accepted in their lives? Well, he
smiled to himself as he rolled silently from the driveway five houses
away; every woman needs a little john every now and then.
“Well, I have a few guys at the new house right now waiting
for you and your Mom. They will fix the house in no time, and it won’t
feel like you’re moving except you have a bigger house.”
“Cool,” Joey said.
“Hey,” Deana was entering the room. “I heard you were
here.”
“Yeah, thought we might take a look at the new house
together.” Sebastian moved towards her and kissed her cheek.
“Yes Mom,” Joey said excitedly. “Let’s go.”
Deana locked her house and they started the short walk to the
new house. She frowned when she saw the two trucks parked in the
driveway of the new house. Sebastian had the two kids and they were
skipping towards the house. She was wondering who would have
parked two work trucks in front of the house when a large burly man
started walking towards them. Her heard skipped a beat for a second
until Joey shouted, “Juan.”
Joey high-fived the man as they met in the middle of the
driveway. There were six or seven other gentlemen sitting on the front
porch in work clothes. Deana had not seen them from the street.
“Hey little man,” some of the men greeted Joey.
“Hey Pepe,” Joey shouted. “How’s Tania?”
Deana gathered Joey knew these men from his ‘bring-your-
kids-to-work’ day that Sebastian had taken him on.
“Breathe,” Sebastian whispered in her ear. Only then she
realized her mouth was wide open in surprise as she stared at pallets of
construction material. “This is your construction crew. Let me
introduce them.”
Deana didn’t hear much of the introduction. She shook one
hand after the other trying to figure out how to stop Sebastian on a task
he was hell bent on completing.
“Just tell us where you want to start ma’am,” one of the
gentlemen said.
“I’m sorry,” Deana said. “I don’t know. I wasn’t expecting -.”
“We should take a look inside and you can tell us what you
want done,” Sebastian suggested.
He had to put pressure on the small of her back to get her to
move. Britney and Joey were already ahead of them.
“Sebastian,” she whispered. “I told you not to.”
“So I’m stubborn, you can ground me later. In more ways
than one,” he said. A sly knowing smile crept over his face and Deana
blushed.
She opened the door and crew, kids and Sebastian spilled into
the vacant living room. A slightly musty scent clung to the air. She’s
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 81
promised to have the house vacuumed and aired before moving in, but
that would be next week.
They kept the children close as they walked through the house.
Deana was trying to picture it in her mind, but all she came up with was
the current house. The angles, textures, colors even arrangement of the
furniture eluded her. How strange it was to become so attached to a
small piece of property. But it had been their property – the first thing
she and Joey ever owned. She’d never taken the time to analyze her
feelings before making the decision to sell and start over. She’d
thought nothing else but the income the sale would bring and how it
could help Joey’s future. It was an economically sound plan, she knew
in her heart that was her first home. Not even living with her mother
was home.
“They brought a color selection guide, hardwood samples,
blinds, everything you might want to try except tiles,” Sebastian was
saying. “Just say what you want.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I can’t picture it in my head.”
“Deanna,” he said. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing, I’m just a little overwhelmed I guess.”
“They can use the same colors as the other house,” he
suggested.
“That would be cool,” Joey said exiting his new room. “Four
bedrooms, that’s a lot bigger than our other house. Maybe I can get a
games room like your house, Sebastian.”
“Only when you start paying the electricity bill,” Deana said.
“Well, if it’s my crew then they could come over and see what I like.”
The men followed her to the house. They were impressed by
the dazzling colors and upgrades. They were even more impressed
when Sebastian told them Deana had done the job herself.
“You’re tailor made to be a Torrance,” Juan said. He was
obviously more than just an employee to Sebastian, and Deana blushed
at his words. “Every Torrance, I’m told, knows how to wheel a
hammer, even the gorgeous and delicate Alexia Torrance, his mother.”
“Juan’s been with the company forever,” Sebastian explained.
“He’s a very good friend of the family and all our projects pass through
his hands first.”
“The style here is very eclectic,” Juan continued. “You could
drop in and teach our interior decorators a thing or two. I would surely
like you to design some of our models. Sales would flow like water off
Niagara. Where’s your office?”
“What office?” Deana asked.
“You’re an interior designer, nuh?”
“No,” Deana said. “I don’t know a thing about interior
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 82
designing.
“You’re wasting your talent.”
“Tell her that after you try her pastries,” Sebastian said. “Now
there is some real talent waiting to be discovered.”
“I’m looking forward to it ma’am. If you don’t mind, the boys
and I will star clearing out the old stuff and get ready to lay the floor.
We have a sample of hardwood close to what you have here. You
would you like something else?”
“That’s perfect,” Deana said. “I’m a little tied up over here
and might not be able to drop by but if you need anything - .”
“We will let you know,” Juan said and he and the men left.
“Mom, can I go with them?” Joey asked.
“No.”
“Please. I’ll stay with Juan or Pepe. They wouldn’t mind.”
“No. You can play games with Britney or continue reading
your book. Later you can help me take over a bite to eat, how’s that?”
“Okay,” Joey said in a dejected voice.
Deana didn’t need to tell Sebastian to follow her to the
kitchen, one motion of the head and he got the message.
“Uh oh,” Britney said. “You’re in trouble again Uncle
Sebastian.”
Deana shook her head and smiled. Britney was so acute to all
the subtle hints she gave Sebastian. It reminded her that it was
something Joey might never know. When he was older and started
dating, how would he be able to pickup on subtle women’s gestures
that meant so much in a relationship? She would have to teach him
more than she anticipated.
“Not this time,” Deana told Britney.
“Aunt Deana, why don’t you live with Uncle Sebastian if
you’re selling your house? His house is huge and he lives by himself,”
Britney said.
“Ah,” Deana didn’t quite know how to explain this to Britney.
She looked towards Sebastian. “A little help please.”
“This is all yours.” He grinned and passed her making his
way to the kitchen.
“Ah…well…”
“They are not married yet,” Joey put in.
“Yes,” Deana agreed wondering why she never thought of the
answer as simple as that. But she knew why. Joey said not married
yet, she would say not married but Britney was told by her father to call
Deana Aunt Deana.
“You should just get hitched and then you wouldn’t have to
move again,” Britney said.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 83
they will come. They will fix everything as it is now, you’ll just have
the two extra bedrooms empty. Let’s go sailing and so there’s no
pressure, Bridget, Britney and Jaime will come also.”
“I’ve never been sailing,” Deana said.
“It will be wonderful. The fresh air, the open sea, we could
got to the Bahamas and back.”
“You’re twisting my arm nicely,” she said. “Okay, but let’s
see what Joey thinks.”
“Hey Joey,” Sebastian called. “Can you pause that game?” He
had to shout over the noise in the living room. But the game was
paused almost instantly, which surprised Deana. She usually had to
yell a second time, bribe or threaten for that immediate response. Joey
and Britney were in the kitchen in a double.
“Ho would you like to go sailing on Friday?” Sebastian asked.
“Sailing?” Joey’s eyes were wide as saucers. “In a boat?”
“A yacht, it’s slightly bigger than a boat.”
“Sounds cool,” Joey said. “Can my friend Trevor come?”
“Sure, but I think Deana would have to ask Thelma.”
“This is so cool,” Joey said. “Friday’s the last day of school.
We leave at two, can you pick us up or have Angus pick us up, and that
would be super cool?”
“Joey,” Deana cautioned.
“Sure,” Sebastian said. “No Angus though. Your mom and I
will pick you up after school and we head straight for the marina.”
“Great, are we going fishing?” Joey asked.
“We could if you want. I still have a fishing license
somewhere. But we’re going to the Bahamas.”
“Where is the Bahamas?” Joey asked.
“About fifty miles or so away,” Sebastian said. “We will take
it slowly, but we can spend all of Saturday and we start back on
Sunday.”
“Great,” Joey said. “Can we go back to the game now?”
“Sure.”
The kids ran back to the living room and the video game could
be heard again.
“Something’s wrong with my son,” Deana said.
“Huh?”
“With news like this, I’d have to fight him to get off the phone
with Trevor. He’s excited and he’s in the living room playing video
games with a girl. Oh,” she said after a brief pause. “She’s not really a
girl, she doesn’t play with dolls.”
“This must be a mother-son moment,” Sebastian said.
“Sort of.” She felt guilty for his exclusion so she explained.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 85
“Joey hates wearing button-down shirt and slacks. I told him when he
starts dating and want to show off, that’s what he’ll wear to impress.
He said he wouldn’t want to date a girl because all they have to talk
about are dolls, except Britney, she was good at video games.”
“Uh-hmm,” Sebastian understood. “Joey’s first crush.”
“Don’t let him hear you say that. You’ll probably lose a
friend. Plus, he doesn’t realize it. I should start putting a snack
together for your – my crew.”
“I’ve already taken care of that. I just promised them dessert
after the job is finished. They have a week.” He pulled her into his
arms. “Thanks for sharing that Joey moment with me. It’s not like his
first steps, but it’s something.”
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 86
10.
The only person in the SUV happier than Joey was Trevor.
Deana couldn’t understand how Sebastian was keeping up with them.
They were loaded with questions about the yacht and how they would
get to the Bahamas. Trevor was ecstatic because neither of his parents
had ever been on a yacht or to the Bahamas.
“I’m going to get my dad a sou -. What did he call it Aunt
Deana?” Trevor started calling her Aunt Deana when Joey started on
his Aunt Thelma and Uncle Carl.
“Souvenir,” Deana said.
“Yes,” Trevor said. “How big is this boat again?”
“Pretty big,” Sebastian said. “It belonged to my father.”
“I’ve never been sailing,” Trevor said. “This is so cool.”
“I don’t know if he has sea sickness,” Deana told Sebastian.
“I don’t know if Joey has either so you may have a rough weekend.”
“They’ll know their on water only when they are above deck.
Plus I hired some help in case there are any emergencies.”
“I’m sorry Mack couldn’t make it,” Deana said.
“It’s nothing. The doctors didn’t think it was wise for Stacey
to leave at this time.”
They got to the marina and Sebastian parked his car. He got
both boys to follow him like good little soldiers. The size of the yacht
not only caused Trevor and Joey’s mouth to fall to the floor, but
Deana’s. It was a behemoth. Bridget, Jaime and Britney were already
there.
“Come on,” Sebastian said. “Let’s get her sailing.”
Three men approached and took their bags. Sebastian ushered
everyone aboard. Introductions were made to crew and Trevor and the
yacht started its journey.
If the limousine and the sight of his house had knocked her off
her feet, this nearly killed her. It was a fifty six meter triple Decker
with rooms for up to twenty two guest and about the same amount of
crew. She must have looked as she felt because Sebastian squeezed her
hand.
“I’ve arranged it so the boys will share the same cabin. I have
a nurse who will stay with them at nights. I want you to stay with me,”
he whispered in her ear.
“I promised Thelma I would see to Trevor.”
“Please,” he whispered. “The nurse is very competent. We
have two because one has to stay with Britney.”
“They are my responsibility,” Deana said stubbornly.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 87
the kids can be if that’s what you’re worried about. Everywhere you
go; there are cameras and at least three crew men within a few feet.
And on deck, the few feet becomes with a foot.”
“Yes, but I have to make sure they are okay.”
“Ah, now I get it. Sebastian dreams up Caribbean crew and
Deana wants to stay with the kids. I was there too,” Bridget said.
“Did Jaime understand?”
“He’s got two balls, of course not. He thought I was
overprotective, and you know what, he was right.”
“It’s not Joey alone,” Deana said.
“That’s why he has a full crew and not the usual six or seven.
He’s paying for it, enjoy it.”
“Sebastian Torrance party pooper,” Jaime said to his friend.
“Somehow that doesn’t sound right. You’re usually the life of the
party, even though our young guests seem to be doing a better job than
us.”
“I’m just tired,” Sebastian lied.
“Liar, liar pants on fire.”
“She doesn’t understand that I love her kid with all my heart
also,” Sebastian said.
“It’s always hard for them to let go, let anyone in, and
especially single mothers. I was there with Bridget too, no?
Fortunately I was there from the beginning so I didn’t have nine years
of bonds to weave through. It’s going to be tough.”
“The problem is not Joey,” Sebastian said. “He accepts me,
but Deana, she’s so afraid.”
“Sixteen is a tough age to have a kid, and to be where she is
right now must have been tougher. She’s a freaking diamond in the
rough, and it’s going to take a lot of polishing to remove some of that
build up. Talk to her, be patient. Hey, I never thought I would see you
in love, and she’s good for you. Don’t let your temper blow it.”
“Uncle Sebastian,” Britney was calling his name. “Can we go
watch the horizon in the cockpit?”
“You mean the sunset,” Sebastian said. “Sure.”
Four crew members came towards the table as the children got
up to leave. Sebastian watched to see what Deana would do, but she
didn’t get up, even though she sat up straighter in her chair. With the
kids gone, Jaime and Bridget wandered away and they were left alone
still poking the food around in their plate. He was sitting at the head of
the table and her at the end.
“We meet half way?” Sebastian asked.
“Sure.”
They met at the middle of the table and sat down. Their
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 92
servers came and removed the plates. Sebastian waved them off. He
needed to talk to her and he wanted no distractions.
“I’m sorry about getting angry earlier,” Sebastian said.
“I’m sorry if you felt I was shutting you out. I’m used to
being the only caregiver.”
“I know,” he said. “Look, you don’t have to lose that
protectiveness. All I wanted was for us to have a private weekend
together and for the kids to have fun. I should have asked you about
the nurse before or how you wanted the sleeping arrangements, but I
thought we were there. I thought you wanted that private time with me
and not having to explain strange sounds from mom’s room.”
“Ah,” Deana smiled. “To be wined, dined and romanced on
the open sea.”
“Something like that. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted
anyone and I know you are still a little jittery about us being together
around Joey, so this was a good option.”
“I knew you’d be a distraction,” Deana said. “See, I’m not
even thinking about the three kids in the cockpit trying to steer this
yacht.”
“Good, then you’ll stay with me?”
“How much do you know about this crew?” Deana asked.
“They’ve worked for Torrance Construction on and off for the
past five years. The yacht doesn’t always sit in port. Are you running
from somebody?” Sebastian asked.
“No,” but he saw fear etched across her face for a few
moments. “I’m just curious.”
“Deana, if something is bothering you or someone is bothering
you, let me know. I can keep both you and Joey safe.”
“I was curious,” Deana insisted.
“Is that why you meticulously check the doors and windows
five hundred times every night?”
“I don’t,” she protested.
“Deana, I don’t want any secrets between us, but know that
whatever is bothering you I want to know. I’m not going to press for
answers. I am here when you need me. I love you.”
“Thanks for insisting we come,” Deana said. “I know Joey
will enjoy this, and I’m already enjoying myself despite my earlier
condition. Thanks for the tablets, the band and thinking up everything
to make this easier.”
“Getting over it?” Sebastian asked.
“Yeah, mind over matter or something like that.”
“It will be a great weekend,” he assured her.
“As long as I don’t become a fussy old hen.”
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 93
11.
“Do you know what I’ve been thinking about for the past three
weeks?” Sebastian asked as he kneaded her shoulders. She’s joined
him in his cabin for wine after putting the kids to bed.
“I’m sure you’re going to tell,” Deana said.
“I’ve been thinking about you. I can’t stop thinking about
you, and the more I try to control it, the more I want you.”
“Stop it.” Her voice sounded weak.
“I want to touch you, to taste you to smell you. I want all of
you.”
“Sebastian.” She got up to move away from his hands, but
that was a mistake. It was as if the room closed in on her as he pulled
her against his body. They fitted perfectly. One hand lay on the flat of
her belly and the other sneaked across her chest and he kneaded her
breast softly as he had her shoulders. His breath was warm against her
neck. She felt the soft kisses on her shoulder. His chest expanded
against her back as he inhaled the scent of her.
“I love the scent of you,” he said.
His lips nipped at the soft spot of her neck and she shivered.
Coils of desire unraveled in her. She felt the butterflies that long laid
molting fluttering in her chest. She wanted him to touch to her make
love to her, to stop this mad fountain ready to erupt. Making love to
him before had left her wanting more and she had tried to keep those
desires at bay. She leaned into his body, running her hands along his
side. Her head tilted and she gave herself over to the pleasure of his
kiss.
The hand on her belly glided downwards; pass her navel,
below the soft elastic waist of her underwear. She was on tip toes
craving the touch of this man.
He wanted to ravish her, to feel her warmth against him, but
there was more. And he didn’t want the quickness of a stolen night.
He wanted the long slow, touches. He wanted to know her in every
way possible tonight.
In a soft fluid motion he turned her, his hands moving gently
over her body, never losing contact. He moved forward and trapped
her against the door. He lifted her right leg as his lips captured hers.
Her mouth parted and she urged him even more into the kiss. His
tongue stroked her lips softly. Their tongues met and he drank of her
and her of him.
He lifted her slight and her legs wrapped around his waist.
Her back arched when he dipped his head and trailed a kiss down her
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 95
neck.
“Sebastian,” she whispered.
Her hands clawed against his back as she pulled him even
closer. He trembled under her touch. He managed to tear his mouth
from hers and looked at her. He loved the way her eyes darkened and
drooped heavy with desire. He gently eased her shirt over her head.
Her nipples were hard and erect against her laced bra. He teased them
between his fingers, watching her face knot in pleasure. He stopped
teasing her enough to run his fingers under the straps of her bra, gently
easing them from her shoulders.
He held her in this position as his lips nuzzled the base of her
neck and his hand slipped around her back and undid her bra.
“Beautiful,” he said as hands caress her breast. “You are so
beautiful. I want to see you naked. All of you.”
He eased her from the door. He knelt in front of her. Slowly,
he unzipped her jeans. His hands brushed lightly against her skin. She
stepped out of the jeans and stood in her laced thong. He gently
removed those also. He stood up and moved away from her.
Deana could feel his eyes caressing every inch of her body.
Even without the immediate contact, she skin tingled everywhere he
looked. When he reached for her, she stepped readily into his embrace.
“Make love to me Sebastian,” she said.
He lifted her and took her to the bed. Deana surprised herself
as she lay naked watching him unzipped his pants and removed his
briefs. She had never been this open with anyone before. She’d never
lain naked under a welcomed gaze.
When he moved towards her on the bed, she reached for him.
Their lips locked as she hugged him and pulled him into a long kiss.
He supported his weight on his hands, as his palm lay flat on both side
of her. Only their mouths touch and their naked bodies moved over the
other teasingly.
He bent his hands at the elbow and lowered himself unto her.
She welcomed his weight, stroking his back and grinding her hips into
him. He moaned her name against her mouth. His lips straddled her
bottom lip between his. The kiss was long and slow. He felt her
tongue against his mouth. Slowly he ran his tongue around hers,
intertwining his tongue with hers. She responded by wrapping her
arms around his head. He licked the edges and inside of her lips with
the tip of his tongue.
His kissing excited her and she wanted him more. She
moaned his name as he nibbled at her earlobe. He kissed and gently
sucked at her neck. He’d had so many fantasies about kissing her neck.
Her response ignited his passion.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 96
parent and child, they were best friends. He was just a stranger that
happened to stumble into their lives. He loved Joey and Deana and he
could not imagine his life without them. In the few weeks he’d gotten
to be a part of their lives, he was even surer that he belonged with them
and them with him. He let go a long breath then in a small steady voice
said, “I want to marry your mother and if you let me, I would be
honored to be your father. You don’t have to call me dad or even
change your name. I want you to know that I love you and I love
Deana. I want to spend the rest of my life taking care of both of you.”
Joey knew he was holding his breath only when it rushed from
him now. He felt like a huge rock was lifted off his shoulders, and his
heart beat slowed to normal again. It was okay, Sebastian wasn’t
abandoning them, and he wanted to stay with him. He wanted to be his
father.
“Did you hear me?” Sebastian asked. Joey’s silence following
the announcement was uncommon.
“Yes, I’m thinking Joey Torrance has a good ring to it,” Joey
said.
Sebastian felt slightly light headed. Joey was his major
concern. He knew Deana loved him, but they would be parted if Joey
didn’t accept him.
“So that’s a yes?” Sebastian asked.
“Of course, when are you going to ask her?”
“I’m not sure. Your mom’s a pretty tough cookie and you are
the most important person in her life, so she has to be sure that our
relationship will not hurt you. I know I don’t want to lose both of you.”
“Can I call you Dad now?”
“If you want to, I would love it.”
Sebastian had tears in his eyes when he hugged the boy. All
his adult life his mother had tormented him about marrying and having
a family. He’d rejected the concept. He’d been on numerous dates to
placate his mother, but they never went anywhere. Then he met Deana.
The instant he heard her voice, saw her face, in his heart he knew he
found the missing piece of his life. And it wasn’t just her. It was Joey
too. He completed the picture. Sebastian was honest when he said he
couldn’t imagine his life without them.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 99
12.
I’m grateful. And so you know, after Friday night I didn’t want any
arguments either.”
When she opened the door, she was pleasantly surprised. It
was like walking into her old house, only slightly different. The
layouts were not the same because this house was larger and did not
have the same angles as the old, but everything was perfectly placed as
she had described it to the moving company. The colors were of the
same bold, rich taste. It was beautiful. Joey darted up the stairs before
she could stop him.
“There’s no repaying you for this,” she said misty-eyed.
“I’ll settle for a kiss, but I have another surprise for you.”
“Something else?” She asked.
“Follow me.”
He led her through the kitchen, and opened the door leading to
the garage. This was a two car garage, a lot bigger than the single car
one she had before. The scent of pine and cedar was familiar as the
movers had also moved the pieces she was working on. Unlike her
previous garage that had not yet gotten shelved, this one had new work
tables, more power tools than she ever had were stacked neatly on
shelves and her hand tools hung from slate walls. They even added a
tool chest and cabinet.
“I like it,” she said.
“What?” He asked.
“The garage. I was so busy with the main parts of the other
house I never got around to fixing the garage the way I wanted it, but
this looks great and don’t think I’m going to protest those power tools.”
“Oh, that’s not the surprise though.”
He moved towards the covered car in the center of the room.
Deana who’d never covered her car had just thought the workmen
covered it to avoid getting it dusty while they finished their job. Only
now she realized this vehicle was higher than her Mitsubishi would
have been. Sebastian removed the cover to reveal a Silver Lexus 470,
just like the one he just parked in her driveway.
“A housewarming gift,” he said.
“I can’t take it Sebastian,” she said.
“Why not?”
“It’s too much.”
“Deana I love you and I want you to be happy. I know your
car doesn’t have air conditioning and it needs some work. I got this
because it’s safe and comfortable for both you and Joey.”
“No,” Deana said. “When I can afford a car, I will buy one. I
want my old beat up car back.”
“Why are you fighting me on this?”
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 101
“Because it’s too much. I barely have time to breath from one
thing before you spring something else on me. It’s too overwhelming
and it would be easy to say sure I’ll take it, but what happens if
tomorrow you wake up and you realize you don’t love me and you
didn’t love me?”
“It’s a gift Deana, I wouldn’t take it back. I’m thirty five years
old. I don’t have schoolboy crushes any more. Let’s -.”
“Mom,” Joey shouted. He’d followed the voices to the
garage. “My bedroom is exactly the same as the old house only bigger.
Wow, is that our new car?”
“No,” Deana said.
“We’re considering it,” Sebastian added.
“Cool.”
“Look,” Deana said. “It’s already nine o’clock. How about
you hit the shower and I come and tuck you in later?”
“Okay, but Dad can tuck me in tonight.” He was out of the
garage again.
“I need to talk to him about that,” Deana said.
“About what?”
“Calling you Dad,” she said. “He has to understand that you
might not be in our lives forever and I don’t think you should
encourage him.”
“Well, legally he’s not my son yet. When we get married I’ll
do the formal adoption. Joey and I already discussed it.”
“You discussed us getting married?”
“Yes. We had a man to man talk on Saturday morning. He
asked if he could call me dad, I told him he didn’t have to but if he
wanted to I’d love it.”
“You should have asked me first.” Deana was not mad at him.
In fact, it touched her that he would consider Joey’s feelings primarily.
“Deana, I don’t want you as a bridge between Joey and me. If
I need to say something to him, I shouldn’t have to rely on you to
convey my message and it’s the same for him. You said you love me
and I love you too, we are on our way to becoming a family. Deana,”
his voice faltered. “Say you’ll marry me. My heart will break if you
won’t.”
“Sebastian, there are things about me that you don’t know,
things you will not like. On some day or night when I’ve told you
everything, ask me again.”
“Nothing you tell me can stave my love for you. Even if you
ripped my heart out and held it in your hands, I would still love you.”
“My love,” she whispered because her voice was thick with
emotions. “I will tell you everything about me, Joey, about his father –
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 102
but not tonight. I’ll tell you when Joey’s away at camp so there is no
chance he will ever know what happened to him and why he doesn’t
even have his father’s name.”
“Okay,” he whispered because the mood was right for it. “I
can wait.”
She embraced him, loving his hard body against her. “Thanks
for the vehicle, the Florida sun is a bitch.”
“Everything I have is yours,” he hugged her breathing in the
soft feminine scents mingled with the scents of pine and cedar.
“Stay with us tonight. My room’s not that close to Joey’s
anymore. Our weekend doesn’t have to end as yet.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Sebastian replied. “Let me go see to our son
first.”
driveway, but he could see the nervous fringes just at the edge of her
eyes.
There are no jealous exes. Promise me if you’re in trouble
you’ll let me know. I can help you, whatever it is.”
“I’m not in trouble.”
“Promise me.”
“I promise.”
“So are we going to New York?” Joey asked at the start of the
meal.
“No,” Deana said.
“Mom,” Joey pleaded.
“There’s no bargaining,” Deana said sharply.
“Okay. It would have been cool though.”
The rest of the dinner went to discussing the new book they
were reading. It was a part of a mystery series and Joey seemed to be
enjoying it. Deana listened half-heartedly, the thought of New York
was drumming somewhere in her ears. Joey was almost nine, in
another nine years she would not be able to say no to him going
anywhere. Nine years if she’s lucky, he might rebel against the whole
idea of mother know best long before that. She would have loved to
send him on this adventure. He was young and getting his impressions
of the world, and who knows, Sebastian might not be in his life much
longer. He could afford to show Joey a good time, but New York was
too risky at this time.
“I didn’t say I would take you,” Sebastian said later after Joey
was tucked in bed and they were doing the dishes. “I just mentioned I
had to go.”
“What?”
“The trip to New York. I didn’t say anything to Joey that
would interfere with your decision.”
“Thanks. I’m sorry we can’t go. For what it’s worth, I’ll send
him on your next adventure, as long is it’s not New York.”
“So your past is in New York.”
“Yes, and hopefully it will stay there. You’ll understand after I
explain it.”
“He wouldn’t be out if my sight for a minute,” Sebastian said.
“Yes he would. You have business to take care of and it isn’t
out of your sight I’m worried about. Let’s not talk about this. Thanks
for a great dinner.”
“It was nothing. I’m not staying tonight. I have to be in New
York for a meeting at nine so I’ll be leaving early.”
“My bed will miss you,” she said.
“Only your bed?” He asked.
“When are you coming back?”
“Some time Saturday. I promised Joey I’ll take him shopping
for camp. You’re invited. Oh, before I forget – you need to pickup the
cell phones on Friday afternoon.”
“You have the receipt?”
“It’s on the nightstand on my side of the bed.”
“Okay.”
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 106
They finished the dishes, put away the games and the books,
before he took his keys to go.
“I’ll see you Saturday?” He pulled her into his arms.
“Yes. Is there anything else I need to do before Saturday?”
“No, I think the cell phone is the only major thing, unless you
want to volunteer to pick me up at the airport. Angus would appreciate
the day off.”
“Call me when you’re in the air.”
“Good night, darling.” He kissed her lips tenderly.
13.
saw the Cadillac again, but she’d seen a dark sedan pass the street once.
She was in a dilemma. She wanted to send Joey to summer
camp, but all her instincts said Tony had found them. She trudged
through the days wondering what to do. All Joey spoke about was
camp and Sebastian’s promising to take him and Trevor shopping.
She couldn’t very well pickup Joey and run again. Their lives
were just starting to make sense. And there was the question of
Sebastian. They started out rocky enough, she couldn’t deny that she’d
been attracted to him from the start, but now they were beyond the
petty fights, they were functioning.
Some time between the weeks and days since they met, they’d
become a unit for Joey. Deana dreaded telling him about her past,
dreaded him leaving them though she felt it wouldn’t happen. She
found comfort knowing he was truthful when he said he would always
love her son.
If she uttered a word of moving from the state, Joey would
look at her with those huge black eyes and break her heart like he did
when she announced selling the old house. She needed Joey to be
some place safe so she could think a strategy.
Sebastian called Friday and spoke with Joey for a half hour
before talking to Deana. Even over the telephone he didn’t miss the
edge in her voice.
“Are you okay?” He asked.
“I miss you.”
“I miss you too, Honey. I wish you were here. It’s quiet and
lonely in the nights without you and Joey.”
“Well, it’s not so quiet here, just a bit sulky.”
“I’m sorry I told him about New York before running it by
you.”
“It’s nothing. He understands.”
“I can’t wait to get home.”
“I’m sure your house is quiet. Probably it doesn’t seem that
way because Joey’s chatter might be running in your head.”
“That’s not what I meant. Home is with you and Joey and I
can’t wait to get back.”
“Sebastian,” Deana thought about telling him about the sedan.
She wanted his opinion. She’d made every decision about Joey’s life
from the moment he was conceived, and it wasn’t until this moment he
realized what loving Sebastian meant.
“Deana?” He asked after the long pause.
“I’m here. I love you and I can’t wait for you to get home.”
“I love you too.”
Deana picked up Sebastian at the airport a little past noon.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 110
She had Trevor and Joey in the car with her. Thelma was glad Deana
volunteered for the shopping trip; though Deana thought it was the least
she could do for all the unpaid hours of Joey staying with the Wayne’s
after school.
“Thanks honey,” Sebastian got in the car and kissed her. “Hey
Joey, Trevor, are you guys ready for some camp shopping?”
“Are we ever,” Trevor said.
“Did you get the cell phones?” Sebastian asked.
“Yes.”
“I memorized both your numbers,” Joey said. “Mom told me I
had to know them before going to camp.”
“Good and remember you have to call after breakfast and by
six o’clock, okay? We don’t want to give your mom a heart attack.”
“You’re exaggerating,” Deana said.
“Tell me that the first time he doesn’t call on time. Let’s go to
the outdoor store at the outlet mall in Fort Lauderdale.”
“Okay, but we are on a strict budget,” Deana warned.
“You’re on a strict budget, we guys are not,” Sebastian said.
Deana slanted him a look for a second, but didn’t comment.
They made good time to the mall despite the traffic. The boys were
thoroughly excited about their first camping and their shopping
expedition.
“You’re spoiling then,” Deana admonished as both Joey and
Trevor dropped two pairs of overpriced binoculars in the shopping cart.
The shopping was Sebastian’s treat, and he had insisted on paying for
Trevor also. He’d told her that his father did the same for him, Mack
and Jaime on their first camping trip, and this would be no different.
“It has night vision,” Sebastian said.
“That’s no excuse.”
“It’s a boys’ toy. You know boys have to have their toys.”
“Not at that price,” Deana said.
“Let me worry about the bank account,” Sebastian said. “I
don’t want you to think about anything other than being happy. Britney
wants to go camping. Bridget says she’s been moping around ever
since we got back from the Bahamas.”
“Poor Bridget,” Deana sympathized knowing how much Joey
had pleaded to go and how difficult it is to think of him gone so far
away.
“I know, but Britney’s too young. Next year she could go, she
would Joey to look out for her then.”
“Do you have all these long term plans in your head?”
“I can’t think about my future without both of you, so yes. I
didn’t want to say anything in the car, but I have to go to Denver on
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 111
Tuesday. I’ll be back late Thursday or Friday. I want you both to come
with me. We’ll be having a picnic with some huge clients. Everyone
will be bringing their families so you won’t feel left out.”
“Sorry, I have to work. You know that.”
“How about if I take Joey, give you some time to relax?"
Deana saw a solution to her problems. If she had some time
alone to think over this development, to follow up on the rent-a-car
agency car had traced the car to, she would be able to know for sure if
Tony had found them. “Sure.”
“Is that a yes?”
“He’d be happy to go.”
“Thanks you. It means a lot to me. When I was ten, my father
took me to all the Torrance Construction offices worldwide. It was
very nice to see what the family did. Joey needs to know what the
family does; the business will be his someday.”
“If we get married,” Deana said.
“You didn’t say no, you said ask me again after I’ve told you
everything. There is nothing you can tell me that can make me leave –
nothing.”
“We’ll see about that. Just don’t tell him the business will be
his. And if anything goes wrong, call me immediately.”
“I think I can handle it if anything goes wrong.”
“Sebastian I don’t expect you to suddenly become father of a
nine year old. Call me if anything goes wrong and that goes for you
too.”
“Okay,” Sebastian said.
“Dad, can I get this backpack?” Joey called.
“That’s too big,” Deana whispered to Sebastian.
“Let’s find one in his size.”
Deana protested every item all the way to the cash register.
He reminded her that it was his treat. She gave up as he slid his debit
card in the machine.
“Are you in the mood for ribs?” Sebastian asked.
“If Jaime could hear you,” Deana said.
“Don’t worry about that. He introduced me to this great ribs
and chicken place on University Drive, I don’t know about you but I’m
starving.”
The chatter about the camping stuff they had bought echoed
throughout the car. Deana had never seen Joey this happy before. For
him it must have been like a great Christmas. She’d cautioned
Sebastian not to get carried away, but he was like a big kid too
suggesting gadgets and gear that would make the camping extra
special.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 112
“Sure you don’t want to play hooky for the rest of the week?
It’s not too late to change your mind about Denver.” Sebastian asked
Deana on Monday night.
“I’ve got bills and that means work. I’m sure you’d hate it if
your secretary plays hooky four days in a row.”
“Yes, but I’m not sleeping with my secretary.”
“I would hope not.”
“Don’t even put that thought in my head. My secretary is
almost sixty three and even if she was a young filly, there’s only one
woman I desire in my life.”
“My two favorite men are going on their first solo adventure.
I can’t believe I’m letting Joey go with you, yet it feels right that you
should have this time alone with him.”
“Deana, move in with me.”
“I just moved here,” Deana said.
“Then I’ll move in with you.”
“Don’t be silly,” Deana said. “I couldn’t imagine your huge
house fitting here and we don’t have a sound proof game room.
Besides, I’m just beginning to enjoy your sleepovers.”
“It would be nice if we are in the same house.”
“We’ll discuss it when Joey’s away at camp.”
“Okay, but - .”
“Shhh,” her lips touched his as she moved closer to him in the
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 113
“You will have a lot to write about when you get back to
school. They always have those summer essays. You can write about
the Bahamas, Denver and the summer camp tomorrow.”
“Don’t forget my birthday party at Dad’s house.”
“Well, you should be tucked in early tonight. You want to be
fully rested for tomorrow.”
Joey hadn’t crawled in bed with her since the first week they
moved to the old house. Tonight, she woke to the soft knock on her
door.
“Mom,” he whispered.
“Come in honey.”
Sebastian too woke up and moved over as Joey came into the
room.
“Is something wrong?” Deana turned on the lights on her side
of the bed.
“No,” Joey said. “Can I sleep with you and Dad tonight?”
“Sure, come on.”
Joey climbed into the bed between them. It was fortunate they
always dressed after making love, though they hadn’t made love
tonight. Sebastian would pull on pajama bottoms or boxers, and Deana
would pull on her pajama. It was part of them understanding that Joey
was first priority in the family.
“Did you have a nightmare?” Deana asked as she turned out
the light and settle in the bed.
“No, I missed you.” He hugged his mother. “Good night
mom, dad.”
“Good night,” Sebastian said but his voice was tight. In the
dark, his face was twisted with emotions. There was no way in hell he
could leave Deana and Joey.
Denver with Sebastian hadn’t scared her, but her eyes were
teary as she waved good-bye to Joey when the bus pulled away from
her house. Even though Trevor was with him, this was the first he
would be truly alone.
“He needs this,” Sebastian comforted pulling her in his arms.
“This is all a part of him growing up.”
“I know, I’ve had that lecture with myself a hundred times, but
he’s still my baby.”
“And you’re a great mother for fussing. I’m sorry if I stole
him away for the pass few days. It must have been tough.”
“No, somehow it wasn’t - knowing he was with you.”
“It will be okay, Honey.”
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 116
And it was okay for the first three days. Joey called on time
everyday like he was supposed to. When Joey didn’t call at six o’clock
Wednesday afternoon, Deana became worried. She’d reminded him at
noon that he needs to keep the phone charged and that she was waiting
for his six o’clock call. The line of customers at the cashier was
growing, but that was not her primary concern. It was six o’clock, Joey
should have called. At exactly a minute after six, she called him. The
telephone was turned off. She got a generic message from a
mechanical voice.
For the next five minutes, she rang the number every fifteen
seconds, holding her breath for an answer. It was the recording service.
The customers were getting impatient and she was getting slower with
worry. Finally at ten minutes after the hour, she left the register in
search of Travis.
“I have to go,” Deana said. “Joey hasn’t called.”
“You can’t leave,” Travis said. “We are already two short and
I need a full time cashier on the shift. He’s at camp for god sake. He’s
cutting the umbilical cord.”
“Joey would have called me on time,” Deana said as the bell at
the cashier register started to ring.
“Deana I need you here.”
“And my son needs me. I have to go Travis.”
“If you go then your job won’t be here when you get back, not
even making pies.”
“Fine,” Deana said. “My son’s more important!”
She took off her nametag and handed it to Travis. She brushed
pass him to the office and retrieved her bag. She knew her son and she
knew something was wrong. She dialed the camp as she headed for the
door. A counselor picked up on the third ring.
“This Deana Lang, I’m looking for my son Joey Lang.”
“Oh Mrs. Lang,” the counselor said. “We are out looking for
the boys also. They left with their guide around four this afternoon and
we haven’t heard from them.”
“Merda!” Deana swore as she hung up.
She got in her car and broke every speed limit on the way
home. She ran inside, packed a hasty bag and returned to her car. She
drove to Thelma’s first to find out if they knew what was happening.
Thelma was sniffing in a big handkerchief when Deana
arrived. Carl was home with her. Deana could see the worried look on
their faces, and Thelma was gripping her cell phone.
“What is it?” Deana asked.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 117
sound of the TV toppling and the broken glass topped off some of his
anger.
“What the devil is he doing?” Antonio said.
“I’ll check,” Tommy replied.
“No,” Antonio said. “He’ll think his antics will bring him
results.”
For Joey, the antics did bring him results. The coffee table had
toppled with the television and was broken. He stepped gingerly
through the splint and picked up a manageable piece of wood. He
measured it against his jeans and put it side his pants, keeping if firmly
in place by adjusting his belt.
black eyes. Donato couldn’t mange him, and mama, Tony loved her
and she was loyal to him. I think mama was the only person Tony ever
loved. Just after my fifteenth birthday, Tony told Luigi to stop
interfering with me. Luigi brushed him off at first, then Tony and his
gang beat him to a pulp. Luigi never told a soul but I knew.
“Anyway, I was safe as long as Donato was home. Then he
and mama went away on a trip. They left me with the servants and
Tony. I was scared for my life. For the first three days I didn’t even
leave my room. Not for food, not for school, not for anything. Tony
would knock at my door, and go ‘come out, come out wherever you
are’. It was horrible. I would bar my door with a chair and pray he
would go away. On the fourth day he tricked me. I watched from my
bedroom window until he left, then I sneaked down to the kitchen to
get food. I was starving. His friend Tommy was waiting for me in the
kitchen.”
Her voice faltered and she paused to gather herself. She
couldn’t shed tears now for that night. It had taken her out of New
York, away from the threat, and even though it always loomed in the
front of her mind, she had in the past nine years been better off than
hiding behind her stepfather who could not control his son.
“He grabbed me from behind and yelled for Tony. I fought
with all my might, but I was weak. I hadn’t had anything but tap water
in three days. Tony had dismissed the servants. I didn’t even know
this. I fought with Tommy and just when I thought I made it out, Tony
came through the back door of the kitchen. Tony was not a skinny kid.
He was bench-pressing almost two hundred pounds at twenty. He
grabbed me by my hair and dragged me to the living room. I fought
him, I cursed him, I did everything I could but it was no use.
“When he ripped my clothes off, I knew it was over. We lived
in Upstate New York, one mile away from the nearest house, with
nobody to help. I’d never been more scared or terrified in my life.
When it was over, Tony laughed at me. He spit at me and called me his
little puttana. For three more days all my body knew was what Tony
did to it. And it wasn’t just the sex. He got a kick from punching me;
slapping my face and seeing it go red. When mama and Donato came
back, Tony told them I was having a party and some guy had knocked
me up good and he came back in time to save me. I told my mother he
was a liar it was Tony who did this to me. I can still feel the sting of
her palm across my cheek. She cursed me that I was a worthless liar
like my father.
“Donato helped me. He got the towels. Covered me, ran my
bath and put me in it. I will forever be grateful to him for that. I never
went to the hospital; my mother never believed that I was raped. I
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 122
believe even Donato was afraid of Tony by this. He had his gang of six
or seven boys who would do anything he says. I never bolted my door
again. I slept with an eight-inch blade under my pillow. I prayed Tony
would come back to bother me. I swore I would kill him. But he never
came.
“I missed my period for three months, but that was not
unusual. I lived in constant stress so my cycle was always out of
whack. But I bought the home pregnancy test anyway, because I was
feeling nauseous and I had symptoms of the flu without the flu. The
test was positive. I bought maybe ten different types; they all returned
the same result. I was stupid; I wanted mama to believe me, to know I
was not la baldracca. So I told her when the baby was born I would
have it tested and prove it was Tony’s and that he raped me. I was still
a minor – it would work. Two days later, Donato wasn’t home, and I
don’t know where mama was when it started. I suspect she was there,
but Tony and his boys came. I was in my room when they stormed in.
“I was no match for the six of them, but Tony paid. I stabbed
him in the crotch. I wanted him to hurt like he did to me. I would have
stabbed him again except they were all trying to get at me. I slashed, I
stabbed and I don’t know who got hit from who didn’t. My mom came
in the room because Tony was screaming. The boys were running out,
they didn’t know mama only cared about Tony. She pulled him out of
the room. He was screaming and threatening to kill me, she was
threatening to kill me. I had enough. I didn’t want my child to grow
up like this, and I couldn’t have an abortion, it was not his fault what
happened to me.
“So while mama rushed Tony to the hospital, I stole her
jewelry. I stole every penny from Tony’s room and he had a lot of
money, a couple thousand maybe. I don’t know how he and his gang
got their money, but he always had a lot of money. I emptied Donato’s
safe, grab a backpack with a few clothes and took off. I didn’t know
what to do. I was afraid the police would come and get me. I was
afraid mama or Donato would find me. The only person I was ever
close to was Luigi. He sent me to the people who could help me
because he didn’t want to get involved.
“I had to lose my identity if I was to stay at the safe house. I
was four months pregnant and no one knew what to do with me. On
top of that, no one had reported to the police exactly what happened to
Tony. Some of the people in the safe house knew him by reputation. I
was doomed. I lived in a safe house in New York until Joey was born.
I had nowhere to run to and what money I had I couldn’t waste it trying
to get housing and a job in a different city. I couldn’t work in New
York, but Luigi would get money or word to me of what was
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 123
14.
Tony. He had done this on his video games so many times he didn’t
have to think about it. He didn’t want to think about as the wood came
crashing down on Tony’s head. Man and boy fell to the ground. Joey
was on top of Tony, hitting as hard as his hands would allow him.
Flight was not in his head until he heard footsteps coming on the stairs.
The blood was pumping in his ears. He ran for the door. The man who
had grabbed him at summer camp was bounding up the stairs. Joey ran
the other way and into the next room before the man could see him. He
heard Antonio screaming in pain. Both men were in the room. He ran
for the stairs. He had to get out.
He was half the way down when the man started after him.
He ran. Another man came from the hallway, but he was slow and Joey
was making it to the only door he saw. He yanked the door open and
ran out the door. His feet almost got tangled in the clothes he had
thrown through the window, but he didn’t fall. He could hear them
behind him and the one called Antonio was shouting.
He had no idea where he was going, but he followed the
driveway, switching from asphalt to turf to asphalt, keep always in a
straight line. Sebastian told him when they were in Colorado Springs
that it was the shortest distance between two points. That’s why he’d
talked about the bridge to Cripple Creek. Now he ran as fast as his
almost nine year old legs could carry him. His chest was tightening,
but the pain was nothing, he was still ahead of them. He ran until he
couldn’t hear them anymore.
“He’s eight years old!” Antonio shouted. “How could you
lose him? One of your strides is three of his.”
“He can’t go very far,” Tommy said. “The gates are closed.”
“That’s what you said about his mother and it took you more
than nine years to find her. I want him here now, and not a scratch on
him, okay? Not one single scratch or I have your neck!”
Joey cut his leg getting over the gates. It was not easy. The
steel deco was tall and his legs could not fit properly in the slots. A cut
was nothing. He knew the man was a bad man. Why had he
kidnapped him in the first place? If he was really his father why hadn’t
he just asked his mother to see him? And why did he call his mother la
puttana? And his mom would have talked about him if he was a good
man. His mother was the best person in the whole world, and she
wouldn’t have kept him from his father, unless he was a bad man. I’m
only eight, he thought, what do I really know?
“Almost nine,” he said aloud because he needed to know he
was alive and not stuck in one of his video games.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 126
He had hidden in the bushes until he was sure the coast was
clear, then he high-tailed it over the gate.
He ran out of steam and breath ten minutes later. He was
staying as far away from the road as possible. In the mystery books his
mom read to him at nights, the hunted always stay away from the road.
They followed it as a guide, but they stayed away from it.
He didn’t know where to go. He didn’t know anybody in New
York. He had never been in New York, he was only born here and his
mother never spoke about New York. Trevor, he thought. Aunt Thelma
had a sister who lived in New York. That’s how Trevor had seen snow
for the first time. But Joey didn’t have any money, and he didn’t know
how much it cost to call Aunt Thelma from here. He kept as much as
possible behind the trees and kept a half jog half walk pace.
does he have? Please honey, let’s not rush in. You still have the
element of surprise. He does not know you are here. If he had to resort
to kidnapping a boy, then his reach might not be as far as you think.
You were fifteen everything was a bit grander then. If he’s looking for
you it will be through flight logs, not through Torrance private flights.”
“You are right Sebastian, but I cannot think knowing the hell
Joey might be going through. He’s only eight, what can he do?”
“He’s almost nine going on forty,” Sebastian said. “He is your
son and I believe there is so much of you in him, it would take more
than Tony Pacelli to break him.”
The five men searched every corner of the property. Joey was
not to be found. No one thought he would make it over the gate. It
was difficult for an adult to climb; a kid would definitely find the task
daunting. But one person had seen it. He had seen and prayed in his
heart that the boy would make it. Luigi Ventura was not proud of
giving Mia up ten years ago. It was a choice between his life and hers.
Now, he wished he had chosen more wisely. Tony cracked a hard whip,
and he had bolted under the pressure rather than play the hero. He
owed her. It was his fault Mia was raped. She trusted him to take care
of her, and Tony only wanted her because he thought she loved Luigi.
Now, he returned to the house after the fruitless search,
knowing he had given the boy what he hadn’t given the mother – a
chance to escape. The city was five miles away. The boy would
probably need an hour to get there. They had spent at least forty five
minutes searching the grounds. He had seen to it that they double
checked everything. Tony would be happy for that and never think
twice. In the city the boy could get help. If he was anything like his
mother, Tony would never be able to find him again.
“What do you mean you can’t find him?” Tony roared. “Did
you check everywhere? He is a small boy he could have climbed up a
tree or hidden in the bushes.”
“He’s not out there,” Tommy said. “He must have gotten over
the gate.”
“Then find him. He doesn’t know the city, he’s never been
here, and you should be able to find him. Call in friends if you have to.
I want him here in the next hour.”
The five men exited the house as the boy reached the city
limits. It was almost sunset, and he was tired and hungry. He hadn’t
eaten since sharing a candy bar with Trevor about ten in the morning.
His legs hurt and were bleeding and his hands hurt from hitting Tony
and everything else in the room. He should find a policeman he
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 128
thought, they would help. But what if they called Tony and he told
them he was his son, they would take him back. No, he must talk to the
police, if they were helpful, they would have been on their way to get
him by this. He was sure Trevor had told his mother - Trevor who had
fought the bad man with him, but was knocked over the head. He was
breathing when the man pulled him away, and he had dropped the cell
phone in Trevor’s shirt. If not his mother, Trevor would have called
Sebastian or Aunt Thelma and they would be looking for them.
He had taught Trevor some Italian, and he had sounded the
bastard in Italian. His mother would know what it means. She would
have called the police if they could help. This was Tony’s city. He
took him here because this was his orb of power, just like in the video
games when the ghosts led you to their source of power so they could
deal you fatal blows. No, he was alone. He wandered the streets and
alleyways, careful to avoid as many people as possible. He was hungry
and tired. He had to find somewhere to sleep. Then he saw them,
people lying in the alleys on cardboard. That wouldn’t be so bad. He
could spend the night there and maybe they could help him with some
food.
15.
There was no place like home, but Joey was not worried about
that now. When he woke, the sun was up and he was no longer beside
the dog, but by himself, under a piece of cardboard. The lady, who had
given him bread the evening before, was packing odds and ends in a
shopping cart. Safe, he thought. He had spent his first night in New
York on the streets with a stranger, but he was safe.
He groaned in pain as he got up. The cut on his leg had stop
bleeding, but it was hurting. His feet still hurt from running and his
arms were sore. He was still hungry, but he didn’t think he could take
another piece of bread. He rubbed his eyes, looked around him and
started walking again. He asked a few people for nickels or dimes, but
they looked at him as if he was insane.
“Where is your mother?” One lady asked him.
“In Florida,” he said. “I need to call her to come get me.”
“You poor thing,” the lady replied. “Let me get you to the
police station, they can help you.”
Police, the sound made him dash down the street. He didn’t
want the police. They couldn’t be any good. He ran for a long while
before he stopped again. It was early in the morning, and people were
everywhere. He didn’t know exactly where he was going.
He ran to a corner and into a man playing a flute. The man
was in dark glasses. Joey apologized but the man didn’t stop playing,
nor did he look at him. At his feet, there was a basket with coins and
one dollar bills. I will have mom find you and pay it back, he vowed to
himself. He looked around to make sure no one was looking and
picked up all the coins and paper dollars from the basket.
“Thief!” Someone shouted.
Joey didn’t look; he started running as fast as he could down
the street. He only stopped to look back when he had gone six or seven
blocks down the road. No one was following him. The money jingled
in his pocket and he felt queasy.
He walked for another ten minutes before finding a telephone.
It did not use coins.
He wasn’t deterred. He would find another one. He stopped
on his search to buy an apple. No time to waste his money on anything
else. The apple cost him a quarter. He found three more telephones,
but none of them took a coin. He wondered how people in New York
got by if the telephones didn’t work. He lifted the receiver and the
telephone had a dial tone. He hit zero. The operator asked him his age
and refused the collect call. He tried again saying he was sixteen, but
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 130
whoever the operator was, was very smart because she refused his call
again.
He continued walking to a bus stop, and then the name jumped
out at him. Torrance Construction, now building, that was Sebastian’s
company. It said offices in New York. He looked at the number, what
was toll free? He shook the coat of the man in front of him.
“Excuse me sir, what does toll free mean?”
“It means you just dial the number. Are you by yourself?
Where are your parents?” The man asked.
He thought about saying Florida, but this man might want to
call the police also. So he pointed to the ad, “They at Torrance
Construction.”
“You must have gotten lost, this is Westchester. That is all the
way over in Manhattan.”
“How do I get to Man- what’s –its-name?” Joey asked.
“Manhattan? You have to take the bus or a taxi. But I don’t
think you can go on the bus alone. You are only a boy. You should go
to the police station. They could call your parents from there.”
“No,” Joey said. “How much is it anyway?”
“It’s going to cost a bit.”
“Hey Mister,” Joey said. “Do you have a pen? I would like to
write down that number. I have to call my dad.”
“Sure.”
The man gave him a pen and he wrote the number in his hand.
“You sure I can just dial the number without paying any
money?” Joey asked. “My mom always complains about those toll
free ads on TV. She says they only want to take your money.”
“I’m sure you don’t have to pay.”
“Thank you.”
Joey went to the telephone and punched the numbers he had in
his hand. He was placed on hold for a little while. He crouched in the
phone booth as he saw a car with the scar-faced man passing. That was
the man who had taken him from camp. He only knew two faces.
There could be more looking for him. He had to be smart and stay
away from the roads.
“Hello Torrance Construction, how can I help you?”
“This is Joey Torrance,” he said. “I need to speak to my father
Sebastian Torrance.”
“How old are you?” the operator asked.
“I am nine,” Joey said. “Just tell my father I’m on the
telephone.”
“You should not be playing with the telephone young man,”
the operator admonished. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 131
“You need to keep the card for the next bus. You look a little
too young to be traveling by yourself. That’s a nasty cut on your leg.
Are you running away from home?” She said.
“No ma’am, I’m trying to get home. My dad’s Sebastian
Torrance,” Joey said. “Do you know Torrance Construction?”
“Yes, I bought a house from them.”
“Well, we are in Man-hat-tan for vacation and we got lost. I
took a bus because it looked like this one, and I ended up here. The
man in the store over there,” Joey pointed to the clerk who waved at
him. “Called my dad to make sure I would take the right bus.”
“Okay, have a seat,” the driver said.
Joey sighed with relief as the bus started. He was getting
away from the worse of the bad men. Joey Lang, you are a dirty liar he
told himself. And a thief he added thinking that he only had only a
dollar and four cents now and if Man-hat-an was as far away as they
said it was he would need to get more money.
Deana woke when Joey got of the bus, five miles closer to
Manhattan, and had already completed his second telephone call to
Torrance Construction.
“I need to do something,” she said.
“We will,” Sebastian replied.
“Today,” Deana insisted. “I have to do this today. I don’t
want to think about Joey with that bastard.”
“Neither do I Deana, but you have to believe he is all right.
Joey is a smart kid. Tony will not break him. I am waiting for some
data on the man and then we can make a plan for action. Do you want
breakfast?”
“No, I cannot eat.”
Joey could eat though, and he was starving. He bought a
candy bar at a convenience store and took the transfer bus. One more
bus to go and he would be in Manhattan.
Ten miles closer to Manhattan, he made another call to
Torrance Construction.
“I told you not to call back,” the operator said. “This is a
place of business and not a playground.”
“Miss, just call his cell phone number or my mom. He’s going
to be my dad.” Joey raced off the number to her. “Tell them I am in
some place called Eastchester Bay. I’m heading to your office in Man-
hat-tan. The bus is here.”
He hung up before she did this time. The operator was
tempted to throw the number in the trash, but the little boy was
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 133
persistent and specific. If this was a joke, then she was going to tell off
whoever was at the end of this number. She dialed the number the
number the boy had given her.
Deana picked up in the first ring.
“This is Deana,” she said.
“Miss, there is a young boy who keeps calling our number all
morning. He gave me this number to call you. He claims you are his
mother -.”
“Joey?” Deana asked. She was out of the bed.
“He said that was his name. He also said Sebastian Torrance
was his father. We do not -.”
“Sebastian is his father, what did he say where was he calling
from?”
“Miss, Mr. Torrance has no children. Good-bye.”
The woman hung up.
“Merda!” Deana swore and pulled the number up on her cell
phone.
“Deana was that Joey?” Sebastian asked. He was beside her.
“No, it was -,” she paused to look on the name. “Torrance
Construction. The woman said a boy has been calling all morning and
that you are his father.”
Sebastian saw the light in her face. It was hope, not the dark
despair he had seen her take to bed. He was on his cell phone calling
the Manhattan Office. That was the only office in New York. Joey
must have seen the number on a billboard. If he had called, it means
Tony didn’t have him.
“This is Sebastian Torrance,” Sebastian said. “My son called
earlier, what did he say?”
“Listen to me, if any of you call this office again, I’m going to
have the police tap your phones and have you arrested for harassment.”
She hung up.
“She’s fired,” Sebastian said. “Get dressed, we’re heading to
Manhattan.”
The limousine sped through the streets, heading towards his
Manhattan office. He called his general manager directly from the car.
He was mad. The woman stood between him and Joey at the moment.
He wanted to wring her neck as badly as he wanted a piece of Antonio
Pacelli.
He got out of the car before the limousine driver could make it
to the door. The general manager was in the lobby waiting for him.
“Sebastian,” Bill McGraves said. “You should have called me
directly. We didn’t know you were in New York.”
“I don’t have much time Bill, where’s the receptionist.”
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 134
***
For the second time in as many days, Joey found the strength
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 135
to outrun his captors. He was so close now, closer because his mom
and Sebastian were in Manhattan waiting for him. This gave his legs
strength he never knew he possessed. How had the bad men found
him? If they knew he was taking the buses, it was only a matter of
time. He was starving and tired. He needed to know where he was.
Sebastian went through every single document on Antonio
Pacelli. He had too many properties for them to search it all, and it
could take days or months even to find him because Antonio was no
longer in the Brooklyn house Deana remembered. All they had was
Joey, if Joey got away and if he could call again.
“We have to tell ourselves he’s okay,” Sebastian said to Deana.
He hadn’t fired the receptionist. She was apologetic and
distraught that she may have cost them the life of their child. She was
new to the job and was not trained how to handle a situation such as
this other than being polite and hang up. All she knew of Sebastian
Torrance was from office gossip; he was rich, single and an eligible
bachelor. He had visited the New York office once since she had been
there, and he never wore ring nor was he accompanied by a wife.
“He sounded okay,” Deana said. “Thank heavens he
remembered you owned Torrance Construction. I know we will find
him.”
“Deana,” Sebastian said. “This might be a bad time, but when
this is over, we’re getting married, no protests. I cannot tell you how I
feel at this point and I know you must be feeling the same way. I will
make him my son.”
“He is already your son,” Deana said.
“I have the location of every billboard, every bench ad in New
York,” Bill walked in with two sheets of typed paper.
“Tell me if anything rings a bell,” Sebastian said to the
receptionist.
She scanned through the city names quickly. The boy had
never said a specific street, only city names.
“This,” she pointed to Westchester on the paper. There three
billboards and five bench ads in Westchester.
Sebastian checked all the locations against any property that
had Antonio Pacelli on the deed. There was none.
“Are you sure?” Sebastian asked.
“Yes, he called Manhattan, by a funny name. That’s part of
the reason I thought it was a joke. He said he was nine. He took a
bus.”
Sebastian was on his laptop.
“What are you doing?” Deana asked.
“All New York transit routes are on the internet. If we can
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 136
place any of these ads to a route, then we can start there, work our way
forward. He called three times each time after a bus ride. He was
specific - he was heading to Manhattan. You know Joey is chatty, and
I’m sure someone must have asked him why he was riding alone. He
had to be pretty convincing to get on a bus.”
Half an hour later they were each on a phone to two transit
lines that both had bench ads. Sebastian hit the Jackpot.
“Yes, this is Sebastian Torrance, his father - Oh, did he? – East
Chester Bay – a cut on his leg. Thank you, I’m grateful for this.”
Deana got off the telephone. Sebastian was pumping the air
with his fist. She swore she had never seen him this happy.
“That’s our boy,” he said to Deana. “He told the driver his
name was Joey Torrance and he lost us in Manhattan. She said he
looked fine except he had a nasty cut on his leg. She left him in East
Chester Bay and I have the number.” He was dialing as he spoke.
“Yes, this is Sebastian Torrance. My son was on one of your
buses earlier today heading towards Manhattan. – Edison Avenue. That
would be nice. Thank you.”
He called the number for the Edison office transit. Joey was
in Melrose.
“He’s five miles from here maximum. Let’s go.” Sebastian
took Deana’s hand. “He will be home by tonight. If he calls, tell him
to get to a hotel and give them my cell phone number.”
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 137
16.
“You didn’t have that limp nine years ago,” Deana said. “This
time you won’t be limping. The last thing you will see before you die
is my face. I am no longer afraid of you Tony. I am afraid for my
child, but I’m not afraid of you.”
“Mia,” Luigi said. “Go! Take your man, your son and go.”
“The drama gets better,” Tony laughed. “I’ve had enough of
this. Tommy, get the bitch, Simone get the boy and we’ll ask Mr.
Torrance to come politely.”
It happened faster than Deana or Sebastian could get a grip of
the situation. One minute Tommy was coming towards her, the next
minute he was stumbling backward, a hole in the center of his forehead.
Simone let a little scream, and tried to scramble away from the body.
Tony for once in his life was quite.
“Go,” Luigi said. “This chapter of your life is closed.”
“Luigi you cannot be like them,” Deana said even as the
reality of what happened to Tommy sank in.
“It is not like you think. Angelo DiMarinetti says hello. Now
go.”
“My father?”
“It’s better if you don’t know. Tony’s beaten many raps
before, this would be no different. He spent nine years looking for you
and your son because you took away his chance to hurt another woman
the way he did you. There are no more answers and explanations
here.” He looked at Sebastian. “Love her all you can, she deserves it.
Take your family and go.”
Sebastian had to pull Deana away. They ran towards the
limousine with both Tony and Simone shouting curses at them.
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 142
17.
tore it open.
“What is it?” Sebastian asked.
“I don’t know.”
There was a letter and several other pieces of paper. She
opened the letter first and recognized the curvy flow of Luigi’s writing.
Dearest Mia,
It was not an angel that saved you or your boy from the Devil,
but a man who died when his sunshine was snuffed from him.
As I promised, you will never have to live in fear again. You
will not from this point on hear from a Pacelli, Ventura,
DiMarinetti or any other from your past. This is my last note
and reassurance to you and your new family. I will not
describe the details of the aftermath, except to say your
history has been buried.
I have enclosed a gift for your son. It is the only contribution
we will ever send. This comes with love from his grandfather
and from a coward who should have been his father. Do what
you will with them. They are yours and his.
Deana refolded the letter and pulled the remaining papers from
the envelope. They were savings bond, nearly twenty of them, all a
hundred thousand each, and all set to mature on his twenty fifth
birthday.
Oh, she reminded herself, Luigi was there for Joey’s birth.
“What do you think?” Deana asked.
“About the bonds or the letter?”
“Both.”
“I think your past is literally buried in New York, but I can’t
prove it and I don’t know if I should be concerned. I believe Luigi
genuinely wants you to have a better life. The bonds are up to you.
Joey is my son, a Torrance. As such, his future is financially secured
and not just from Torrance Construction. There’s a trust for every
Torrance and he’s no exception. He’s not the first adopted Torrance
either and the principles of the trust will be upheld even if – and I pray
this never happens – you decide to leave me.”
“I don’t want this to be my decision.”
“Then put them in the safe. Let Joey make the decision when
he’s older. We cannot take this from him. You know in time we will
Lesia Reid – Fated Encounter 145
have to explain it all, and not the short version we gave him so he’d
understand.”
“Not everything, Sebastian. I cannot explain the beginning to
him.”
“Honey, you cannot be ashamed of what Tony did to you. It
was not your fault. I am afraid if we keep this from Joey and later he
finds out it will be worse than if we told him the truth. He has your
strength, he will understand.”
“It’s unfair for him to know he was conceived that way,”
Deana said.
“Deana, many children are conceived in the heat of passion
and don’t have a mother half as loving and caring as you. I think he
will understand. It will make more sense to him than our explaining
that you left New York because his father was a violent man - a violent
man who searched for him for almost ten years. I will stand by
whatever decision you make. For my part, I love you even more
knowing what you went through and knowing what you endured to
save your child.”
“He’s just a boy.”
“But he will be a man someday. And he will ask the tough
questions. You have time to think about it. Let’s go to bed.”
“How did I ever get so lucky to meet you?”
“I think I’m the lucky one. I love you Deana Torrance.”
“And I love you Sebastian Torrance.”