(2)
“So Mrs. Henderson…the flower arrangement looks very lovely today.” Jaclyn smiled her sweetest smile. Not that it’s needed. Pity you’re wasting money on that shit.
“Thank you Jaclyn dear, that’s very nice of you to say.” “Hey, what was it that you said we needed? For the living room…an ornament was it not?” Jaclyn asked, pretending to search her mind. “Oh yes, yes, there is this lovely porcelain statue of a horse in Majesty.” “Yeah, the horse. Actually, I saw it here in some shop a few days ago…I can’t quite remember the name. But it was on sale.” The old woman's face brightened. “It is? Oh how wonderful, we must get it!” “It’s somewhere down on ground floor. But I need to go to the third floor because I need to get a gift for Mrs. Jenkins, a friend of mom’s. She’s just come out of an operation and mom told me I should buy something for her since she was too busy.” “Oh dear…and there’s only a few minutes till the mall closes.” “Exactly. But that horse, oh it was so beautiful! The colors and everything! It would look perfect in the living room! Mom will be so ecstatic to have it in there!” The old woman beamed at her discovery. “Well then I must get it. Here are the cards, buy her something wonderful dear.” And she hurried away, her short stubby legs moving rapidly. “Works every time…oh how I love you sweet charm of mine.” Jaclyn smiled as she watched a figure hurry away for the second time that day. She then turned around, walking to the stair exits briskly. Running down the dainty little steps, she soon reached the exterior of the large mall, where a sleek white Jaguar awaited, and a beat up Volkswagen convertible. Jaclyn jogged over to the Jaguar, opening the front passenger seat door and stuck her head inside. “Hey Frank? Mrs. H is still inside shopping, but I need to go and visit some old family friend. I’ve got a ride already, so all you need is Mrs. H to come back. What I forgot to tell her though, is that I’ll be staying with them for the next few days so she won’t see me until she comes back from her break…can you just tell her that? Please?” “Alright then princess, off you go. And have fun.” “Thanks Franky ol’ pal, you’re the best.” Jaclyn ran back to the Volkswagen. The driver’s side of the door opened and a figure stepped out. “Hey Sam, thanks for bringing it over. Hop in quick, I’m in a hurry. I need to drop you off and get going. It’s late enough as it is.” “A girl with a mission huh? We shall get going then.” After settling in, Jaclyn turned the ignition on and pulled out of the parking space. Remembering her success, she raised her waist forward, pushing her hand in the pocket of her jeans. “What are you doing?” Sam asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Don’t worry, this isn’t some sexual advance towards you.” Jaclyn made a face “Voila,” she grinned, pulling out her hand with three small rectangles. “Visa, American Express and Diners. One for you and two for me. Pick a card.” She held her hand out towards him. Sam licked his lips, pretending to give it some thought. “Hard decision…I don’t know which one I get the most thrills out of…not Diner’s, I had that one last time. Which one of the other two have been used the most?” “I think it’s the American Express…I’m not sure.” “Well then, American Express it is.” Sam took the chosen card out of her hand. He opened the glove department and pulled out the well-used scissors. Jaclyn grinned at him when she pulled to a stop at the red light. “Have fun.” “Oh I will.” Sam replied. He snipped and one half of the plastic fell on to his lap.=+=
“So Paul, how is Jack doing?” Diana asked. The Hanson family and Paul Roady sat around the large dining table, plates of food covering it.
Paul set down his fork and smiled. “She’s getting by. Nadia is driving her crazy apparently. I quote ‘I am dying here dad, I don’t know how I’m getting through. Please save me.’” Diana chuckled, as the children exchanged curious looks to Paul’s attempt at trying to sound like his daughter. “I’m sure it’s not that bad. Will she be visiting anytime soon?” “I left a message to Nadia that I’m staying here during the holidays and not Orlando, but she told me they were going away on some trip to France and Italy.” “Oh what a shame, I would have loved to meet her.” “Your daughter Paul?” Isaac asked, glancing up as he sliced through his steak. Paul nodded, his mouth full. He chewed, then swallowed with a drink. “Yeah, from my previous marriage. Her name is Jaclyn. She lives in New York City with her mother and her mother’s boyfriend.” “How old is she?” “Mackie, don’t talk with your mouth full.” “Sorry mommy. I promise that I’ll never, never do it again.” “Jack is turning seventeen in two weeks.” “Does she like video games?” “Ewww Mackie! That’s so gross!” Avery wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Mackenzie! I’ve already told you once, please don’t talk with your mouth full!” Diana scolded, a frown set up on her face. “I’m sorry. But her name sounds like mine! Mack, Jack. Mack and Jack. Mackjack.” Mackenzie grinned triumphantly. “It does too. But I don’t think she likes them very much.” Paul grinned at his reply. No we’re not playing video games! Dad, these things are nothing but mind controllers. They teach kids that one, violence is the way, two, bad driving skills, and that they need to go blow some hundred dollars on things they’ll lose interest in as soon as the next fad comes up. “What about soccer? Does she play soccer?” “No, she doesn’t like soccer either.” “Trains? Twinkies? Cartoons? Superman? Pokemon?” “Yup, nope, nope, nope and definitely nope.” “So what does she like? ‘Cause it sounds to me like she doesn’t like much.” Taylor asked, raising his eyebrows in doubt. This girl sounded nothing at all sweet, just maybe moody and sullen. “Are you losing your hearing Taylor? He said she liked trains.” Zac looked at his brother in mock concern, only to be met by his annoyed glare. “Oh, don’t think she’s some moody little girl,” it was exactly what he was thinking “she does like a lot of things. She loves to move, that’s one thing I know for sure. She loves to party. She loves to play billiards, we always play that when she’s over with me. We go Scuba Diving, Rock Climbing, she’s very into things like that. She also loves to cook. Ever since she was little, she’d be in the kitchen watching her mother cook until she could help out in anyway.” Paul rambled with a bright smile. “She sounds very lovely.” Diana smiled. “Oh she is,” Walker complimented. “very outgoing, and very polite. Paul here has done a good job raising her.” “You’ve met her?” Isaac questioned. “For a few days. Do you remember that time when she was at your house and I was there on business?” Walker turned to Paul. “Yeah, if I remember correctly, she thought you were a very nice man. She was 13 at that time I think…oh look at me, I’m sitting here babbling about my daughter. You’re probably not even interested.” “I am.” Mack grinned across from him. “Yeah, go on, new people are always interesting. Is she pretty?” Jessie asked, imagining a beautiful teenager. “You don’t ask that question about his daughter, of course, he’ll say she is!” Zac rolled his eyes. Paul chuckled. “Good point Zac. Well, she’s tall, about 5’8, the last time I saw her that was five months ago, she had long brown hair. I’d have to say she has more of a cute face than drop dead gorgeous. But then again, I can say these things since I’m her father. She’s quite lanky actually. She resents that, tall comes from her mother and lanky comes from me.” “You’ll have to bring her with you sometime if she visits, I would love to meet her.” Diana smiled. “Yes, it’ll be good to see the little squirt again.” Walker agreed. “But you said she was tall! I’m a squirt and I’m not tall.” “You? A squirt?” Mack nodded, his eyes wide. “Zachy said that I was a little squirt. He calls me that all the time.” Zac grinned meekly. Walker laughed. “It’s only a nickname Mack, I sometimes call the boys squirts and they’re not little are they?” Mack glanced at his three brothers, who all towered over him. “Guess not.” He smiled, completely reassured.=+=
“That’s alright, That’s okay, you never loved me anyway, and I think it’s time for you to just move on. That’s alright, that’s okay, I bet you never thought you'd hear me say, that I think it’s time for you to find another dumb blonde. ‘Cause it’s not me no NOOOOOOOOOO! Yeah! Take that pretty boys, up your purdy asses!”
Click. “Aw, there goes another good tape. Damn…number 2…number 2…” Jaclyn murmured as she wove her right hand through the glove compartment, the left hand firmly on the steering wheel. “Where are you…come out come out wherever you are…I know you’re somewhere in here…man…” She pulled her hand out and placed it on the steering wheel, pulling the car over to the side. Once stationary, she turned on the lights and leaned over, almost shoving her whole head and a hand in the small and dark compartment. “Stupid…it just had to be dark…” After a few more seconds of groping, she pulled her head out, as with her hand, which held two cassettes, one with ‘#2’ scrawled on top and ‘Sarah Brightman’ in the other. Jaclyn rolled her eyes at the latter, then crinkled her face - when did mommy dearest ever get in widdle Jaclyn’s widdle car? Sneaky old shrew, going through private property. Jaclyn threw the rejected tape to the backseat, then popped in the other one into the assigned gap. She then settled back, and placed the car back into its place in the highway. “Another one bites the dust, another one bites the dust, and another one gone and another one gone, another one bites the dust, eh, hey, I'm gonna get you too, another one bites the dust, hey! Boom boom boom boom…”