Chapter 10

Jill and I walked in silence. We left the hospital. Sgt. Johnson was outside talking on his cell phone. When he saw us, he waved us over to him.

“That’s fine. I’m going Ten-7B. I’ll be off for a couple of hours.” He said into his cell phone and hung up.

“David, Jill I’ve been out here hoping to catch you before you go off and do something stupid. I don’t know how I know, but I think you’re ready to go and do something really, really stupid. Aren’t you?”

He read us like a book. I guess all those years interacting with the public gave him a good sense of what people were thinking in times of crisis.

I looked at the ground. “Yeah, we were.”

“Good, I’ll go with you.” Sgt. Johnson replied, surprising both Jill and me.

A look of shock on our face. Jill was stunned. I was stunned. Sgt. Johnson just stood there with a smile.

“Let me drive.” Johnson said.

We followed him in silence to his car. This was not a police vehicle, it was his personal car. We climbed into his Cadillac and headed off.

“Where to?” Johnson asked.

“Happee, Happy Limo” Jill said.

“I just knew you two were going to head there. I called in a favor and have a couple of ‘off duty’ friends meeting us there.” He replied.

I just sat there smiling. Jill looked over her shoulder at me sitting in the back seat. She smiled.

“Sargent Johnson, what the heck is your first name? I feel like we should know your name instead of continuing to call you Sargent.” Jill asked.

“It’s Roger. Roger Johnson. My close friends call me RJ.” He answered.

“Roger are you married?” Jill asked. That was a question that I did not expect.

“Um, no. Not anymore. I divorced a few years ago. Why do you ask?”

“RJ, are you in a relationship? I mean, I can’t imagine you being alone for very long.” Jill said in a flirtatious voice.

“Jill are you hitting on me?” he said with a huge smile on his face.

“No. I just know someone who would be interested in you.” Jill replied.

“Oh, I see, you’re one of THEM.” RJ retorted chuckling a bit,

“Well, if you mean someone who tries to introduce people to other people, so they can be happy ... then yes, I’m one of THEM.” Jill said with a devilish grin.

I interjected from the back seat, “Who would that be darling?”

“My friend Donna. She’s got a thing for big strong handsome men. Like YOU darling.” Jill was really turning the charms on now.

We pulled into a parking spot in front of the building where the Limo office was located.

We all got out and headed inside.

“I’m sorry sir, you are not allowed on this property. You no longer work for the limo company.” The security guard said pointing to me.

“I’m Sgt. Johnson, City Police.” Flashing his badge at the security guard.

“What can I do for you officer?”

“We are heading up to the limo office, all of us.” RJ said to the guard.

“Yes sir.”

We headed over to the elevator. When we arrived to the 8th floor we were met by RJ’s buddies from the Police force.

“Are we all set?” RJ asked the other two officers.

“Yes.”

The five of walked into the office without even knocking. One lady stood up and said that I was not allowed to be there, and I must leave right now, or she would be calling the Police.

“Ma’am, I’m Sgt. Johnson with City Police. We’re here to see ... Sasha, the owner.”

“Oh, she’s not the owner, she’s the manager,” the woman replied.

“I see, and who is Tina?” Sgt. Johnson replied.

“That’s her personal assistant. However, she didn’t show for work today. First time since she started working here that she didn’t show up for work, nor call into Sasha.” The woman went on to explain.

“Well, thank you ma’am. Where can I find Sasha?”

“Well, she called a few minutes ago saying she was going home because she wasn’t feeling well.”

“Who’s in charge then?” Sgt. Johnson inquired,

“Well, I guess that would be me.”

“And who are you?” Sgt. Johnson asked.

“Deloris, Deloris Mitchell.”

“Ms. Mitchell, we need to see Sasha’s office”

“Ok, follow me.” Deloris lead all of us to the large wooden doors.

“David, I think you should stay out here. Jill can some with us, but you should just find a chair and wait for us to be done.” RJ said to me.

I saw Paula and went over to her desk and sat down. I smiled and began some inane chit chat reminding myself that the twins were close by and would be listening intently.

Sgt. Johnson and the other two officers went into Sasha’s office along with Deloris.

They were inside her office for more than an hour. I carefully kept an eye on the twins. They kept making outbound phone calls and looking very frustrated. They kept whispering back and forth, yet their body actions told me whatever they were up to was not coming to fruition.

Finally, the 3 officers, Deloris, and Jill exited Sasha’s office. They had several clear plastic bags that looked to be sealed. Jill had an armful of files. She motioned for me to join them.

I said my goodbyes to Paula, slipping a business card with my cell phone number on it for her to call later.

The five of us left the office. We got on the elevator and headed down to the lobby. We all rode silently.

I just knew that whatever Jill had in mind was certainly successful so far.

We left the lobby and headed to the cars. RJ said thank you to the other two officers, and we all got into our respective cars.

RJ took us back to the hospital and dropped us off. She still had several files under her arm. We decided to head up to see Tina before leaving the hospital. I took the files from Jill and put them in the trunk of our car.

We went inside the hospital and up to Tina’s floor to see her. Tina was sitting up in her bed trying to eat her meal with one hand. Jill raced over to her, kissed her on the top of her head and began to help her with her meal. She cut the meatloaf into small, manageable bites. She kept alternating between the carrot slices, the mashed potatoes, and the meatloaf feeding her slowly.

Jill also lifted the carton of juice up to her lips, so she could take a sip from the bendable straw.

I sat back at the foot of the bed. I just sat there and marveled at how quickly they went back to being friends.

We stayed more than 2 hours in the room with Tina. At some point, Tina began nodding off as her body needed some sleep. Jill kissed Tina on the top of her head again. I walked over to Tina and kissed her lightly on her lips as she was starting to dose off.

Jill and I left.

As we drove back to her place, Jill was excited and began to tell me her plan.

Jill asked if we could stop for some food as she realized that she was very hungry. I pulled into this healthy chicken place. We got out and went inside to have a relaxing meal. While we stood in line, I called Mr. Jaxson. I let him know that Jill and I were ok to travel whenever he wanted us. As I hung up, I whispered into Jill’s ear, “Mr. Jaxson wants us in New York tonight. The plane will be here in about 4 ½ hours.”

Jill just smiled and kissed me.

We ate, finally getting to relax a bit before we headed home to pack. Jill made a phone call from the table ordering a limo ... but from a competitor ... Black Car Limo.

I just smiled and shook my head. Her sense of humor was delightful.

I sat there amazed at how in just a short time, my life had turned for the better. Here I am sitting with a wonderfully beautiful woman, who I’m married to. We have a plan for things to get better for us and our friends. And ... we’re going to have a little girl in just a few short months.

Yes, life is getting better. She’s my wife ... and I’m her chauffeur.

As Jill and I arrived at the airport, we saw the Jaxson’s plane landing. Jill was very excited. As a Marine, she always flew those large uncomfortable C-130 planes. Only when she was flying between Marine bases for training did she even get to fly regular commercial airlines.

We didn’t pack much. Two dress outfits each and the rest of the week, we planned to wear jeans, comfortable shirts, and even shorts. We viewed this trip as more of a vacation/honeymoon for us.

I sat in the back of the limo that Jill ordered thru a competitor, Black Car Limo. The driver began to engage us asking, “Um, Ma’am ... aren’t you a driver for another limo company?”

“Yes, I am. Why do you ask?” Jill answered, curious how he recognized her.

“Ma’am, you have a cult following in our industry. Everyone knows that you reduced your title from Assistant Manager to driver to make more money.”

“It’s Jill, not Ma’am. What is your name?”

“Fred. I am the senior driver and main trainer for Black Car Limo. I’ve worked with this company my entire adult life, 15 years,” he said with a note of pride in his voice.

“Fred, this is my husband, David. We just got married less than three weeks ago!” She said with delight in her voice.

“Hello Fred. I’m glad to meet you.” I said.

“It looks as if the plane you’re waiting for is finding a parking spot right now. If you don’t mind, I’ll get you much closer to the plane.” Fred asked.

“That would be fine, Fred.” Jill answered.

He started the limo and pulled us forward thru a gate, allowing us to get really close to the now parked plane of the Jaxson’s.

Fred parked the car, got out, and opened the limo door for us to exit. He also began taking our two pieces of luggage out of the trunk.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out two $100 bills as a tip for Fred. I folded the money in half and handed it to him. He was genuinely surprised.

“Sir, are you sure? I’ve only driven you two for about 10 minutes.” Fred asked.

“Absolutely. Your tip shouldn’t be dependent on how long you drove us, but instead, the service you provided us,” I said, trying to mentor an obviously qualified driver.

“WOW, could you tell my boss that? He thinks that none of us should get cash tips. All tips are supposed to be added on to the credit card receipt.” Fred said, trying not to launch into a rail against his boss.

“Figures. Small-minded managers trying to control their staff’s lives,” I said, shaking my head.

“Fred, it was nice to meet you. Do you have a couple of cards for my husband and I to have?” Jill interjected with that excitement still in her voice.

Fred reached into his suit coat and pulled out two business cards that had his name printed on them.

“Fred, please put your personal cell phone number on the back for us.” I requested.

He did as asked. Smiled and wished us a safe trip.

The door of the plane opened, and the stairs extended from the door to the cement. Then we saw them. Both Mr. and Mrs. Jaxson had made the trip to come pick us up.

All I could do was smile as I walked with my beautiful wife on my arm towards the plane.

The Jaxsons came down the stairs to meet us.

“David, it’s nice to see you. Is this Jill? Wow, you look so different from the last time we saw you. You look as if you’re glowing.” Mr. Jaxson said, surprising me since I had not told him that Jill was pregnant.

I thought to myself, ‘did I miss seeing something about my gorgeous wife?

Suddenly, I felt a pair of arms around me. It was Mrs. Jaxson.

“David, oh my goodness, it’s so great to see you,” she said, as she gave me a peck on the cheek.

They asked us if we wanted to have dinner in town or if we wanted to get headed to New York and have dinner there. We opted for dinner in New York, since neither of us has ever been there. Well, that’s not entirely true. Jill did land and spent 8 hours at the Army base in Brooklyn, Fort Hamilton. She was there for training, after which she immediately flew back to her base, the Marine Air Station at Cherry Point, North Carolina. I guess you could say she was in New York, technically speaking.

Jill hugged Mrs. Jaxson. They walked arm in arm up the stairs to board the plane. They chatted as if they knew each other for years, much like old friends.

Mr. Jaxson and I stood at the bottom of the stairs watching our wives enter the plane.

“David, I’ve done some checking on you.” Mr. Jaxson said in a deadpan voice.

“Ok, sir, I’m not sure how to take that comment.”

“Well, I do a thorough investigation of everyone I’m interested in. No worries, mostly routine stuff. However, when something comes across that seems out of line, I will have my investigators dig deeper.” Mr. Jaxson said.

“What did you find about me, then?” I asked.

“Hmm, let’s get up on the plane before I answer that.”

We went up the stairs and into the plane

As I entered the hatchway on the jet, I walked into the epitome of what I would call luxury. Long leather couches, luxuriously soft lounge chairs, a 65 inch television, a top of the line Bose stereo system, even a very soft carpet on the floor of the jet.

I stood stunned, looking at luxury.

“Um, David, I can only get on the plane if you move ahead a bit.” Mr. Jaxson said with a chuckle in his voice.

“Oh, sure, I’m sorry,” I replied and moved ahead.

The ladies were sitting on one of the couches face to face chatting like they had been friends since childhood.

Jill excused herself from the conversation and got up to come over to me. She whispered in my ear, “Gawd, I love you!” and kissed me deeply.

Mr. Jaxson squeezed by me and went over to his wife and gave her a kiss on the lips, not with quite the same passion as Jill and I but clearly a kiss of love.

As we broke from our kiss, the flight captain came on the intercom and announced that we were to get settled, as they would be underway in just a couple of minutes.

I heard the door get locked down. Jill and I sat on the other couch facing Mr. and Mrs. Jaxson. A petite blonde with a cute figure came into our part of the cabin. She asked if we wanted a drink or something to eat. She introduced herself as Dakota. She might be as tall as 5’ with a tiny waist, a pert but small chest, a tiny petite arse and a very pretty smile.

Jill smiled at me. It was one of those ‘knowing’ smiles, meaning that she knew what I was thinking as I sat there admiring Dakota. I glanced across the jet at Mr. Jaxson and saw him smiling as well.

“Mr. Jaxson, I feel silly calling you and your lovely wife Mr. and Mrs. May I know your first names?” Jill asked, breaking the ice.

“Sure, my dear. My husband is Robert, but please call him Bob. I’m Melanie, but please call me Mel,” Melanie said to us.

I decided to speak up. “Bob, you were going to tell me what you found out about me.”

“Oh, not ‘just’ about you, but also your beautiful wife too.” Bob said in a deadpan tone.

I was having trouble reading him. My head was going through the questions ... Did he know what REALLY went on at the limo company? What did this background check produce about me? What did it produce about Jill? Would this knowledge affect this budding relationship with the Jaxson’s?

“Ok Bob, now you really do have me curious.”

“Well, let’s start with you, David. While you have only been with the limo company for a very short time, you have made quite the impression. Many of the women my investigators spoke with claim that you are quite the prize. They used terms such as caring, obedient, strong, patient, wonderful, and even ‘cult hero’.”

I know I sat there in a state of shock.

He continued on, “Your boss is using her power to force you to have sex with her on her command. Apparently, you have started some type of club ... let me check my notes ... oh yeah, ‘The Fucked Unconscious Club’. Pretty impressive, if you ask me. But, there is more. You’ve spent most of your life in the restaurant business, starting at the bottom and working your way up the ladder. You ended up in a divorce because you worked too many hours and your boss at work took advantage of that by having an affair with your wife. The court awarded your ex-wife custody of your teenage son, who rarely calls you. You pay for his schooling. You pay your child support. Your attorney, while not a divorce attorney, did a competent job, but you would have done better with a divorce/family court attorney. You really don’t drink, do drugs, or gamble. You donate money and on occasion your time to the SPCA, Children’s Hospital, and the Wounded Warrior project. You love dogs, but you lost your dog in the divorce. You have no tickets, no accidents, and no criminal record. You went back to college after your divorce and obtained your bachelor’s degree in American History, specifically the Civil War era. You have a small apartment by the airport and you married Jill just a couple of weeks ago.” Bob said with a slight grin.