Son for Hire: Chapter 25 (Patreon)

Ugh.  Yet another one of those chapters that I'm not quite happy with.  In the interests of moving the story forward I'll release it as is and hope it's not too bad.  Have a Happy New Year all.  I hope 2022 turns out to be your best year yet.

***

“No.”  I whisper as I watch Diane’s big black car pull out of the driveway.  With a roar of the engine it speeds away and out of the neighborhood.

Evelyn looks at me with a quizzical look.  “Kiki?  Your sister worked for Diane too?”

Slowly I nod.  “Yeah…she did.  She got me this job.”  The reality of the situation slowly sink in.  Diane would be the second pimp my sister had lost.  Without a pimp Kiki would have far fewer connections and absolutely no protections.  This was not good.  Working independent could mean more money if things went just right but more often than not things took a bad turn going solo, at least from what I’d gathered from Kiki and my mother over the years.  “Oh no.  Oh no!”  I look at Evelyn.  “This isn’t fair.  Kiki never did anything.”

“I didn’t know.”  She says softly.  “I wouldn’t have been so brusque with her had I known she had her hooks into your sister.”

“It’s not your fault.  It’s…oh Jesus.”  I sigh.  “I need to get home.  Maybe it’s not too late to fix it.”

“Should I call Diane?”

“I don’t know.  That might make it worse.”  I say.  “Kiki will know what to do.  She knows this stuff and these people better than me.  She has friends that can help.  I need to see her.”

“Right.”  She nods.  “I’ll take you into town.”

“Thank you.”

She grabs a really classy looking red pea coat and keys and slips on some low pumps.  Putting on a pair of oversized black sunglasses she turns to look at me.  “You ready?”  She pauses.  “What?”

“Sorry.”  I say as I hurry to put my shoes on.  Despite what had just happened watching her all ready to head out into the world I was struck again by just how damned beautiful she was.  The fine jacket and big dark glasses hiding her incredible hazel eyes and framed by her flowing red locks made her look extra…I don’t know, milfy or cougary or something.  Except for the dress she’d lost that old fashioned housewife and mother look and now appeared so similar to so many other middle-aged women, a smoking hot one mind you.

“Mom?”

“Yes baby?”

“Just making sure that was still you.”

She lowers her glasses, just for a moment, to peek over them at me in that super sexy way confident women had then chuckles.  “You are a silly boy.”

“Yeah.”

She tilts her head and looks at me.  “You are going to be okay Donald.”

“I know.”  I take in then let out a long breath.  “It feels good.  It feels good to be free of…that job.”

“Good.”  She steps in after I put on my jacket just to smooth and adjust it just so.  Running her hands over my shoulders once she was satisfied by how I was presenting myself she says.  “Come on silly boy.”  She hugs me in that way only she can and kisses my cheek before leading me toward the garage.

“Woah!”   It looked like a three car garage from the outside but on the inside it was bigger than it appeared.  There was a empty spot just as we walked in, clearly for Alan’s daily driver, and beyond that was a sporty silver-blue bimmer coupe that Evelyn was walking toward, but it was the next car in line that made me let out that exclamation.  Gleaming a brilliant cherry red the Porsche dominated the impeccably clean space with its combination of aggressive style and smooth elegance.  Past that, tucked to the far end of the building, was a dusty tarp covering another vehicle.  But my eyes were glued to the sports car.

“That’s Alan’s baby.”  Evelyn says.  “I guess it’s really fast, I’ve never actually seen him take it above 70 though.  He likes to look at it more than actually drive it.”

“I bet it’s fast!  Wow.”  Motioning beyond it.  “What’s that?”

“That’s Grandpa’s old T-bird.  Another one of his hobbies.”  She says, her face softening to a gentle smile.  “He had one when he was young, his first ‘real’ car.  He bought this one because it was the same year and color.  He never got it running though.”  Opening the door of her car she folds up the driver’s seat.  “Alan kept it to ‘tinker on’ but I don’t think he’s even looked at it for over a year now.  Anyway.”  She motions me in.  “You’ll have to hide in the back seat until we’re out of the neighborhood.”

“Yes Ma’am.”  I crawl into the sumptuous leather back seats of the two door car and she fold the driver’s seat back again.

“Just stay down back there.”  She says, getting in.  “People tend to mind their business out here but just in case.  I’ll tell you when it’s safe to get up.”

“Okay.”  I say as I lay as flat as I can across the seats.  “It is so weird being the other man.”

This stops Evelyn for a moment.  She lets out a forlorn sigh.  “Yeah, I bet it is.”  

Gripping the wheel she just sits there a moment.  Was that…regret?  Guilt?  Second thoughts?  I couldn’t tell but something was bothering her.  She shakes her head and starts the engine.  It purrs to life as the garage door raises behind us.  She pulls out and soon we are on our way.  I lay in the back seat watching light poles and tree top drift by but mostly watching Evelyn drive through the space between the front seats.

Glancing back down at me she smiles and reaches back to hold my hand for a moment.  “You okay baby?”

“Yeah.”  I say.  “This has been a heck of a week.”

She laughs.  “Don’t I know it.”

With each minute we were getting further away from the place that brought me such joy and closer toward the harsh realities of real life.  It felt less like a fantasy this time though.  Recalling that first time also brought to mind some of the things my sister had told me that day, things I now knew were not true.  “Would it be okay to get your phone number?”

Squeezing my hand she lets go and brings it back to help her drive.  “Of course my boy.  I was going to get yours when we stopped.”

“Oh good.”  I say.  “Would it be okay if I called you sometimes?”

“Of course!  I would love to hear from you.”  She says without hesitation.  “Just try not to call at odd times or do anything suspicious.  Alan can be disinterested but he is not a fool.  We can’t be too obvious.”

“You can call me.  Anytime.”

“And you won’t just let it go to voice mail…every single time?”

I assume this was a reference to Eugene.  I didn’t even know the guy but I was so jealous of him.  It was irrational and petty but deep down it bothered me that there was another man who called her Mom.  I tamp down that ugly feeling and try to stay focused on the incredible love I was feeling.  “I’ll answer.”

After a few minutes drive she says.  “You can sit up now.  It should be safe.”

I sit up in the passenger side back seat to see that we were just taking the ramp onto the freeway.  Sitting alone in the back seat of this luxury car like this made me feel simultaneously important, like the president, and childish, like I was a kid being driven to soccer practice or something.  Once we were merged Evelyn moves the rear view mirror to so that she could glance back at me.  Knowing her she probably loved that, rekindling memories of when Eugene was smaller and she had to drive him around.  The grin on her face confirmed it.  I wink at her through the mirror and she laughs.

“Silly boy.”  She says.  “It’s not true.  What Diane said back there.  I certainly appreciate a pretty face but it’s not your youth that made me love you baby, it’s your spirit.  Don’t let those things she said bother you.”

I nod.  “I won’t.  She was just trying to hurt me because she was angry.”

“That’s right.”  She says.  “I have to get back to clean the place up.  I am going to drop you off at a gas station.  You can take a cab from there.  Is that okay?”

“Of course.  I’ll find my way home.”  I reply.  “I may be your boy but I’m not a child.”

She chuckles.  “My brave little man.”

I beam, unable to wipe the smile off of my face.  This being in love stuff was INTENSE!

I had already called for a ride when we come to a stop in a parking spot at one of the stations just off the freeway.  I get out and move to the front seat to wait beside her.  She holds my hand, gripping it tightly and clearly reluctant to let me go.

“I’ll be okay.”  I assure her.  “Kiki and I have been through worse.  We’ll figure this out.”

From her purse she pulls ten more c notes.  Combined with the money she’d given Diane that was two grand she’d just spent on this visit!

“That is too much!”

“Shush!”  She scolds.  “I told you not to fuss.”  She presses the cash into my hand and holds it there.  “I just hope this helps.”  She then produces another twenty and adds it to the stack.  “For the cab ride.”

“Mom…this is…you are…”  I slump across into her waiting arms.  “I don’t deserve you.”

“Shh.”   She hugs me and strokes my hair and kisses my head.  “Just remember.”  She whispers.  “Whereever you are, whatever you do, however you are feeling, just know that your Mommy loves you very much.”

And…I cry.  I hold to her and I cry.  Yet again.  I hadn’t cried this much since, well, since ever.  “Oh Mum.”

“Shhh.”  She daubs the tears from my eyes with a warm smile on her face.  “The cab is here.”

“Right.”  I gather myself.  She kisses my cheek and I kiss hers.  We look into each other’s eyes.  “We’ll be in contact.”

“Yes we will.  Keep me updated on how you’re doing.”  She says.  “I am hoping we might see each other Wednesday, but I’ll let you know.”

“Wednesday.”  I nod.  “I’ll be free.”

“And I will let you know about the suite.  It might take some time though.”

“I know.”

“I’ll miss you.  I’ll be thinking about you Donald.”

“I’ll miss you too Mom.”

Again we hug and in that soft enveloping embrace I can feel that she didn’t want to let go.  I didn’t want her to let go either.  The honk from the impatient cabbie brings us back to the real world.

“Get going before you make me cry!”  She laughs and swats my hand.

I giggle and steal one last kiss before dashing across the waiting cab.  “Where ya goin kid?”

I give him the address.  As we pull away I watch as Evelyn gets out of her car to watch me go, her long dress and flowing fire red hair dances in the wind.  She waves goodbye and I wave back.

“That your Mom?”  The gruff old cabbie asks as we pull from the lot.

“Yes.”  I say proudly.  “That’s my Mom.”