All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright Mary Faderan and Colin Firth 2017
The clock ticked interminably next to Lauren’s bed as
she lay with her eyes closed. She was not sleeping as
evidenced by her constant stirring, turning, and sighing. She
stifled several sobs, and then she got up and flung the pillow
away from her.
Her face was streaked with tears, and her hair fell over
her eyes. She was still clad in the dress that she would have
worn to lunch with Mike the day before. Where is he? her mind
asked over and over. Her cell was plugged into the wall with
its charger. She had the cell close to her since she missed
seeing Mike yesterday. She didn’t like that she called home
and Marsh didn’t tell her father until this morning.
Finally, she looked at the clock and decided to get
herself ready for dinner. She would be meeting Adam tonight.
His phone call was surprising, but he said it would be good to
have him as a backup while Mike was still in New Haven.
With a slow step, she walked to the bathroom and got herself
to a presentable state.
The knock on the door made her start. “Who is it?”
“Adam.”
“OK, hello.” She pulled the door open and let him in.
He stood uncertainly in the middle of the room. “Make
yourself comfortable, Adam. What can I get you? I think that I
have some soda and maybe a wine bottle somewhere in the
fridge here.”
“No, I’m fine.”
“OK.” She stood before him expectantly.
“Look here, Lauren.” Adam spread his hands. “I didn’t
come here with Jonathan’s permission.”
“Oh?”
“I’m here because I want you to leave this Mike Oates
to the law. I don’t think he’s a good person for you. You are
too good for him. You must see that.”
Lauren stared at him. Then she said, “You are wrong.
Adam, I think you should leave.”
“No, I must speak my mind first.”
She sighed. “Go ahead. Let me hear it. But you must go
after you speak it.”
“OK. Fine.” He paced the floor before her. “I’m one of
your colleagues at work, OK? So I see you almost every day.
Lauren, I really want to tell you that I am in love with you.
I’ve always loved you. Mike Oates, this guy—he’s nobody. He
can be rich and smart, but he’s not for you. You’re too good
for him. Why do you want to waste your time with some guy
that is weaseling out of being taken in to jail? He is one inch
away from this prison cell, and you insist on keeping him with
you.”
“Stop. Stop there.” She held out her hand. “Adam, I am
glad that you got that out. I had an idea you might be against
Mike. I should have made sure you were on his side before
you got this far. I don’t agree with you. I think Mike is a good
man and he was made to like the wrong things. I’ve grown up
enough around him. I know his family, and I know his mom is
very good and loving. I don’t think Mike could be a total loser,
and I know that he needs me.”
“So if he did need you, that still shouldn’t make you
stick by him. You are losing your impartiality in this case!” he
insisted.
“Adam, I admit that I love Mike Oates. I am not his
lawyer now. Dad is his lawyer. I don’t think you need to go
any further. Please leave me now. I think you wasted your
time. Don’t bother coming back.”
He looked at her with pity. “Lauren, you are too
innocent. Too good.”
“Please leave, Adam.”
He hung his head and then turned and left her.
Lauren sat down and started to feel an upheaval of
emotions. But she decided it wasn’t going to help her to cry. If
Mike came in that moment, he would not want to see her
crying at all. Thinking of Mike made her heart lift, and then
she stood up and got herself ready for the evening. Surely
Mike was going to come that evening, she thought.
As if on cue, there was a knock on the door.
“Who’s that?” Lauren called out. “Adam, is that you
again?”
No one answered. Lauren hesitated, and then she
opened the door to reveal Missy Wright. “Oh! Hello, are you
looking for someone else? I don’t think I know you.”
Lauren beheld a tall and curvaceous woman at the
door. She looked vaguely familiar. The woman said nothing.
In fact, she had a hateful look on her face that deformed her
attractiveness. “You must be Lauren Moore,” she said with a
hiss.
“Well, yes.” Lauren tried to block her from entering,
but Missy was too strong.
“I’m sure you and Mike are great in bed together.”
“What do you mean? I want you to leave.”
“No way. You are going to be my only block to getting
Mike back.”
Lauren realized this woman was the girl that Mike
referred to back in New York City. “OK, so you’re Mike’s exgirlfriend.”
“No. He’s still my boyfriend. In fact, he’s going to
marry me. Marry me!” She came close to Lauren’s face with a
sneering smile.
“OK, fine. I’ll send you both a present. I want you to
leave.”
“Not quite yet.” Missy put a hand out and pushed
Lauren rudely.
“No, you do not push me!” Lauren said with a gasp.
“Oh, you are too prissy for me. Lord, have mercy!”
Missy laughed. “Here, what do you think about this?” She
took her hand out of her coat pocket and displayed a gun.
Lauren stared at the gun and couldn’t speak. It was a
grim thought that crossed her mind. Where was Mike? She
tried to remain calm.
“You need to put the gun away. You really need to
leave. Let’s just forget about me and Mike. I’m sure that you
and he will have a very happy life.”
“No. You need to die, Lauren Moore. I hate you, and I
hate you for taking Mike away from me. I wish you would
die!” She took aim and pulled the trigger.
“No!” Lauren suddenly ducked and then lunged for
Missy’s legs. Missy toppled over, and her head hit the edge of
the chair beside her. The gun exploded, and the bullet lodged
in the wall behind Lauren. Missy tried to kick Lauren, but
Lauren sat down on her legs and then put her hands on
Missy’s throat. Whatever made Lauren do this was a surprise
to Lauren herself, but it was fortunate that the gun was no
longer a threat.
The door flew open, and a man in a fedora hat came in.
“Damn, what happened?”
“Who are you?” Lauren demanded.
“I’m a friend. Your dad asked me to help keep you
safe.”
“Well, do your job!” Lauren said with a flash of anger.
“I hate this now! Take her away!”
Missy was bleeding from the cut to her head. Another
slam of the door revealed Gaddis and Ripley crashing through
Lauren took a look at them. “What is this?”
“Police, Ms. Moore. We have your boyfriend in
custody.”
“Oh my god!”
They helped Lauren get up and took Missy out of the
room. The man in the fedora hat stayed behind and gave
Lauren something to drink. She said nothing until the call
came from her father.
“Lauren, my dear, are you all right?”
“Yes. I need to see Mike.”
“Not tonight.”
“When then?”
“Let’s talk about it later. I have to meet a few people,
and then tomorrow, we can start our way home.”
“What about seeing Mike?” she insisted.
“Just calm down. I’ll see what I can do.”
She hung up and stared up at the man beside her. “I’m
OK,” she told him. “I just have to wait for the time to get to
see Mike.”
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