Chapter 8: The Law of Unintended Consequences

For three weeks after meeting Jeremiah Tobias Whitaker III, Peter led a dull existence consumed by continuous occupational and physical rehabilitation and infrequent visits from his mother. She tried to call him more regularly, but often, he couldn’t hear her because of the loud background noise. His sister Veronica surprised him with a visit a week after his birthday. On her way back to Pullman, she stopped by and gave him a WAZZU ballcap and scarf for a belated birthday present.

Ronnie was three years and four months older and stood an inch shorter. Her physique was slender, almost petite, with narrow hips, smallish breasts, and a round elfin face. Her features were considered boyish by some but never to her face. She always kept her dark hair cropped short, and a few foolish peers called her butch behind her back. They rarely repeated the mistake if it was in earshot of herself or her protective brother.

She looked good to him—older, mellow, and tolerable. She smelled like malt vinegar and fried oil from the fish and chips she’d eaten before coming by. Apparently, there wasn’t a Skippers in Pullman, and she missed it.

“Did you see Mom while you were here?” he asked and got the expected frown. “Yeah, she was home when I got here Friday evening,” she answered sadly. “But I had a bad feeling about that creep she’s dating, so I stayed at Erica’s instead of my old room.”

“Every time she calls, it sounds like she’s at a kegger or concert,” Peter replied angrily.

Ronnie sat at his table, playing with the floppy disks he gave her. Two were Oingo Bingo and Zombie Slots; the other was a beta copy of the Pinball Game that he, Al, and Kat were working on. “I’m glad you guys are making some money at this,” she said, holding up the disks, “because I wouldn’t count on any settlement money being left when you move home—which should be in a couple of weeks, eh.”

He chewed his lip silently for a minute and then sighed decisively. “Ronnie, I know I swore you to silence about the gaming gig,” he hesitated as she looked at him curiously. “What I’m asking of you now is on an entirely different level. Can I trust you with something very, very important?”

She glanced at him sideways, “I don’t know where this is going, but if you need to hear it, I’m totally in your corner, Petey.” Only she could call him that and get away with it. “If you’re holding something over Dad, Mom, or... ‘ Paul,’ then more power to you. My lips are sealed.” She spoke the last name like it was poison.

He nodded. “I didn’t give the entire settlement to Mom.”

Her eyes widened, and she sat back. “Wait ... what do you mean ‘you’ didn’t, and what are you talking about?”

“The settlement was for more than the $200,000 she got,” he replied quietly. “A lot more, and I control the other part.”

“What?” she exclaimed. “How?”

“It’s complicated, and I don’t want to go into details. I just wanted to let you know I’m looking out for us and not relying on a system that doesn’t give a shit about me or my family.”

She snorted dismissively, “I don’t know what the hell you are talking about, but whatever, I hope you know what you’re doing and that it pays off for you.”

“Us,” he corrected. “It already is, and it will continue to.”

“What do you mean, ‘us’?” she asked dubiously.

He turned his wheelchair towards his desk and pulled a plain envelope from under his PC. He stared at it for a moment and then handed it to her. She took it curiously and stared back at him. “What’s this?”

He looked back at her patiently until she huffed and bent to open it. She withdrew a bank draft in her name, and her eyes widened. “Nine thousand dollars?” she exclaimed. He gave her a sharp look and pressed his index finger to his lips. She bristled and then hissed. “What the hell, Petey? How did you get this?”

“It’s a small amount of the settlement I’ve invested towards our future,” he explained. “It’s not much now, but there will be more. I promise!”

“Not much?” she hissed, jumping to her feet. She collected herself and hugged him. “Do you realize how much this will help me?” He felt her suddenly shake as emotions got the better of her. He patted her back, uncomfortable with a different woman in his space—even if it was his sister.

“We are going to be okay, Ronnie,” he told her as she stepped back and stared at the check. “Better than okay. I’ve almost made that much on my own as my share of the gaming company,” he told her. “But this ‘other’ thing will be astronomical compared to that.” He wheeled himself back to the table.

“Wow!” she breathed in amazement. “Who are you, and what have you done with my baby brother?”

“I won’t lie to you,” he replied. “The accident changed me. I’m living a different life now than the one I had before that car almost killed me. And I intend to take this life by the horns and ride it to the top of Mount Olympus.”

“Jeez, Petey, you have changed!”

He nodded and indicated the check in her hand. “There will be more. I can’t say when, how much, or how it will be paid, but rest assured, I’m looking out for you. Tax laws require IRS notification for gifts worth over $10K, so we must play by different rules. Eventually, I’ll give you cash or something,” he explained. “But for now, small checks will have to do.”

She stared at him, trying to understand. “Small...” she whispered. “You must be talking about something huge!”

He nodded sagely and pressed his index finger to his lip again with a wink.

“God, I love you!” she breathed as she hugged him again. “Thank you so much for this!” She slipped it into her bag. “I hate leaving you now, but I must get back on the road.”

“How’s the Beetle?” he asked, remembering the day he went with her to bring it home from the dealer.

“I love her, but she needs work, things like a new engine, clutch, and probably a new tranny,” she giggled. Then, she soberly patted her bag. “And now I can afford to do all of that!” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thanks again, Baby Bro. Tell Kathy if she knows what’s good for her, she will hang onto you for dear life!”

“Bye, Ronnie,” he said as she turned away. “Come back and visit after the semester.”

“Oh, count on it!” she replied at the door. “Bye.”

When Kathy came by later to help him make copies of the games for shipping, she noticed his quiet introspection and asked about it.

“Nothing,” he replied distantly. “Just have a lot on my mind.”

“Like what?” she asked. Orders had slowed to a couple dozen per week. They had just released the Beta Tester for Pin Ball Wizard and were waiting for feedback as they continued smoothing it out and fixing bugs. Peter spent five hours every evening working on it to make the screen transitions smoother and faster.

“Scott told Jeremiah that the contractor retrofitting my house is nearly done, and I can move back home after next week,” he sighed.

“And this is a good thing...” she replied.

“Yeah,” he sighed again. “It depends on what things will be like with Paul in our lives.” He grimaced. “I’m not looking forward to that.”

She pulled the completed five floppies out of ‘black beauty’ and inserted five blanks. “I understand, baby. But there’s one thing you haven’t considered,” she said with a smile as she labeled the fresh copies.

“What is that?”

“I’ll be there for you every second of every day!” she replied smugly, “if I can get away from my place, that is.” Then she stepped behind him to rub his neck and shoulders.

He moaned with pleasure and closed his eyes.

“It’ll be all right, babe,” she promised. “Hey, you know what?”

“Mmm?” he mumbled.

“You need a distraction,” she whispered in his ear.

“Mmm, what kind of distraction?”

“Well,” she replied huskily. “I was thinking of a hummer.”

His eyes flew open with surprise, and she felt his body jerk beneath her. He looked askance at her sultry smile. “Wait ... what?” he stammered. “You’re kidding, right?”

She shook her head slowly as she smiled back at him. “Unh uh.” She stepped back and pointed to him as she climbed onto his bed. She wore a denim skirt and a green cotton blouse. As usual, her feet were bare.

Swallowing his nervousness, he slipped from his wheelchair and walked awkwardly to the bed, pulling himself onto it with his arms. He gazed into her eyes, seeing the intensity of her nervous tension and lust. He swallowed again. He tentatively reached towards her, touching her face before kissing her lips. She closed her eyes and sighed into his mouth as their bodies moved against each other.

“Are you ready?” she asked as he laid back on the mattress. She moved over him, staring into his eyes.

“I ... uh.” He was stammering, and she found it endearing. “I don’t know what to do. Are you sure about this?”

She nodded again, reaching for his fly. “You don’t have to do anything. Leave it all to me.” Her fingers unsnapped his button and unzipped his fly. She eagerly pulled his pants apart and slipped her fingers inside the waistband of his white cotton briefs.

He was trembling from her touch as she gave him a sultry smile. He groaned and closed his eyes, savoring her warm touch.