Chapter 9

 

Chapter Nine

 

I awoke to the smell of fresh coffee, my head really hurt, my vision blurry from the night before, I shouldn’t have had the drink and I knew it. It is something I’d been doing a lot of in the last couple of years though, when I’d reach my breaking point, was drinking. I went to look for the glass from the night before but it was empty and in the sink, Thomas must have dumped it before he left. I reached a juice glass out of the cupboard, poured me a shot of rum in it, filling the rest with juice, the drink calmed the thumping in my head, and my eyes started to come into focus more clearly. I walked back out into the living room, grabbing my robe off the back of the sofa where Thomas had left it, looking around the room I noticed that everything was neat and tidy there was no evidence of what had gone on last night. I looked down at the coffee table, there was a note in the middle of it, across which was laid a single red rose.

The note read:

Amy,

I went to gather my things from the hotel, and I have a few things I need to do today, I’ll see you this evening after your classes.

I love you,

Thomas.

I smiled, tracing my finger over his name almost as if to reassure myself it wasn’t a dream that he was here.

I was already running late for class, running late was nothing new to me, I wasn’t near the academic I probably should have been, but as long as I kept my average high enough to stay on the swim team what did it matter? I was carrying a “B” average, which was more than good enough for the team, so I thanked the Goddess for that. I really wasn’t in the frame of mind this morning for calc, I actually thought about missing class for the first time ever, but decided against it and went and jumped in the shower anyway.

I grabbed my swim team warm up suit, and threw on a white tank top underneath, I was headed to practice at the training center after calc, then to Survey of American Lit, then to practice at the sports center on campus, it wasn’t an overly long day but the practices were going to kill me.

Thomas was packing his room; he’d planned to go house hunting today. I guess he thought the apartment was somewhat small, and it was. He also planned to get a car so we could get around more easily, and I could get back and forth to classes. He had plenty of funds at his disposal, money I didn’t have on my own because I had to work part time and depend on my scholarships to support me. I could barely afford the three thirty a month I paid for my tiny apartment let alone a car payment, and I only used a taxi when I had to, usually I caught the bus or walked because everything in The Village was close. Thomas had decided we were going to live in the style I should be living in, rather than the one I could afford on my own.

He checked out of the hotel, and called a cab to take him my apartment and drop off his things, so that he wasn’t paying for more time in somewhere he wasn’t staying. He’d taken the extra keys that James had thrown at him last night on his way out, so he could come and go as he pleased to the tiny apartment.

I was sitting in class wondering what he was up to today, I had no clue what was going on. I was bored silly as the instructor talked about numbers and showed us how to work out the problems we would be doing as homework in the next couple of days. I say that only because I’m one of those wait until the last minute to do my homework types, and telling us about the exam we would be having next time the class met. I so didn’t want to be here with Thomas in town, but I couldn’t cut class, passing class kept me on the swim team, and the swim team kept me in school, it was that simple. I didn’t have a choice. The worst part was, James was a year ahead of me in school, and a computer engineering major, he knew all this stuff, and usually helped me with my math which wasn’t my strongest subject, now I was going to have to do it on my own. Class finally let out, it was none too soon for me, my head really hurt today, I slid my sunglasses down over my eyes, heading out of the building to catch the bus to the training center.

I stood at the stop waiting, sipping on a coffee, I had to have something to keep me going, and caffeine seemed the best at the moment. I got on the bus and looked around for a seat, thinking to myself I should have just taken the subway, it would have been quicker considering. I finally made it to the training center after a couple of bus changes, I got off the bus at almost a dead run to the training center which was couple of blocks away, I bounded through the doors to find Keith standing there waiting for me, tapping his foot and looking upset. “Amy, you have to start getting places on time, or you’re never going to make this team.” He said to me in his most fatherly voice. I really did admire him for putting up with me, I was his star, but that didn’t mean he had to tolerate my behavior.

“I’m sorry coach, my class got out and I decided to take the bus, it just seemed to take forever to get here today, I’ll take the subway next time.” I said apologizing for my tardiness.

“Ok, ok lets get started, I’ve got to get you out of here in time for your next class, maybe you can be on time to that.” He chuckled and put his arm around my shoulder, much like a father would a daughter.

Thomas had taken a taxi to the bank, and was in the process of setting up an account here by transferring money from the account my grandmother had set up for him in Minneapolis. The young woman helping him with setting up the account, kept flirting with him, even in his jeans and tee shirt, he looked overly handsome. He’d pulled his long hair back and bound it loosely at the base of his neck. He wore a black tee shirt, which was semi tight, and showed off his well-defined upper body, a pair of blue jeans that fight him just right, and a pair of black pointed toe cowboy boots, along with a western style black leather belt. He had that whole I’m fresh to the big city but I have money look going for him today.

“Are you sure you want to transfer that much” the young woman asked, her nametag said her name was Megan.

“Yes Ma’am, I’m sure.” Thomas said.

“Ok hold on a second,” she responded picking up the phone. “Yes, Charles, I’ve got a gentleman here that would like to transfer a large sum of money from his bank in Minneapolis to our bank.” She said over the phone and then hung up. Soon an older man came over, reaching his hand out to Thomas.

“Hello, nice to meet you, I’m Charles, I tend to handle the larger transfers” the man explained to Thomas as he escorted him up a single flight of stairs to an office on the second floor. Charles shut the door behind them. “I understand you want to transfer some money from Minneapolis to here?” Charles asked, “And how much are we talking about?”

Thomas found his way to a leather bound chair in front of the desk, sitting down. “I was thinking we’d start with an even million, and go from there.” he said assuredly, “I’m not sure how much it’s going to cost for me to get set up here in town, I need to get a car or two, and a place to live.”

“Ok” Charles said looking a little floored, “May I ask what you do?”

“I’m a bodyguard,” Thomas stated plainly, “retired for now” leaving it at that, he chose not to go into any details about anything else.

“Ah, I see, so I take it you plan on being in town a while?” Charles was trying to make small talk.

“Yes.” Thomas was trying to avoid too many questions about the money, where it came from, and why he had so much of it.

“So what brings you to our fair city?” asked Charles, not getting the hint yet.

“An old friend.” Thomas replied.

Charles was typing away on a keyboard, as he was speaking to Thomas, “And your account number sir, for the bank in Minneapolis?”

Thomas took out his wallet, and handed the man a card with the bank name, and the account number printed on it plainly along with a logo for the bank. Charles took the card from his hand and typed in the numbers. “Ok, almost done, I’ll need you to type your PIN number in on that number pad, sir and we’ll be done with this part of it.” Charles said pushing a small number pad towards Thomas. “Good, the transaction went through without a problem” He informed Thomas, “Now will that be checking, savings, or some other type of account, Sir?” Charles asked

“Both, I’d like to put half of it in each.” Thomas replied.

Charles went back to pecking away at his keyboard while they sat in silence; I guess he finally got the hint that Thomas wasn’t the chatty type.

I was cramping, but I couldn’t’ let Keith know that, it hurt to swim today. I made my body push through it anyway, managing to make it through my warm ups, before I pulled up to the side of the pool asking if I could take a small break. I got out of the pool grabbing my sides.

Keith looked over at me with worry, “Are you ok Amy?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine, I just don’t’ feel up to par today that’s all.” I tried to smile a bit as I spoke to him to reassure him, his star athlete was fine.

“Do you want to cut practice short today, and skip this evening?” the concern in his voice was deeper than I’d ever heard before.

“If it’s ok, I don’t want to cause any trouble, I’m just not feeling good” which was partially the truth, and partly because I had decided I wasn’t going to class after practice either, because I just didn’t want to be here today.

“Sure, hit the showers, and go home and rest, we can’t have you getting sick on us.” he said, helping me up to my feet from the side of the pool where’d I’d been sitting. I did as he said; I hit the showers, and then grabbed a cab so I could go straight home. As I walked into the apartment, I noticed that Thomas had brought his things over from the hotel. A small smile crossed my lips, then I went over to the bed lying down, I fell soundly, and almost immediately, asleep.