Now Wouldn't You Like to Know (18 page)

I
arrived at my new job fifteen minutes earlier than my scheduled time. I am glad that I had left early and on my first day. Traffic was slow at first but picked up after a point. The experience made me long for the days I could drive sixteen to twenty miles before I’d see a stop sign or run into a traffic signal.

I was shown my office and the work spaces that came under my supervision. Many of the workers there I had met on my previous visit but a few I had not met and were introduced to them.

For the remainder of the day I attended orientation along with six other new hires. Coincidentally, for lunch, the company had several boxes of pizza delivered to the office for us
new hires
. Having just eaten pizza the night before, I grabbed me a slice and dug in like everyone else and enjoyed it, along with a cold bottle of spring water. The pizza was almost as good as the one I had ordered.

The next two weeks seemed to drag on. As much as I was enjoying my new job, I was missing Diana more and more each day. By now I knew all of the people in my unit by name and some of their personal traits and habits; likes and dislikes, as well as their level of competence and their proficiency. Having made reservations for the upcoming three day Veteran’s Holiday weekend, I was wild with anticipation of seeing Diana again. Two more days and I’d be back in her arms again. Though we talked for hours every night, and sometimes during the day, it wasn’t the same as her being here with me. I longed to touch her, inhale her sweet fragrance, look into her enchanting eyes, and kiss her wet succulent lips.

Over the internet we traded photos we took of ourselves or had someone else take of us. Since both of us had Skype services, we were not only able to talk with one another but to see one another in real time on our monitors. She told me that she could not wait to give me a warm welcome and a few other greetings when I returned to Florida. I told her that I couldn’t wait either.

Before I knew it, Friday had arrived. My flight was scheduled to leave at 6:40PM and arrived around 9:50PM in Orlando. Though I had to work, I was already packed and ready to go. Everything I needed for my visit was inside of my Navigator. Hell, I already had in mind how I wanted to spend my time with Diana. I would take her into downtown Orlando to do some sightseeing, eat dinner, and catch an Orlando Magic game at their new sports center. Then we would return to her place to celebrate the Magic’s victory and make wild passionate love. I missed her and very much. I had not felt this kind of love in a long time.

With only an hour left before I’d knock off from work and make my way to the airport, I got a call from Victoria, Diana’s cousin up in New York.

“Hello, Victoria, whatz’s up?” I asked, sensing something was amiss.

“Hello Sheldon,” she began. “Diana’s in the Orange County Hospital in Orlando.”

“What happened?” I asked in an alarming voice. “Is she all right?”

“She’s doing fine, Sheldon. She will be released in the morning,” Victoria said. “As for what happened to her, Jack came over to her place and waited on her to return home from work. When she returned home he approached her and gave her a bunch of roses and asked her to marry him.”

“I knew that SOB was behind this,” I fumed. “What happened next?”

“Well, Victoria told him that there was no way she was going to marry him, no way. And he did not take that too well. So he grabbed her and smacked her and she hit him back. Well, that led to an all-out fight between them and he ruffed her up pretty good, I was told.”

“I’m going to find that sonavabitch and the two of us are going to go a few rounds,” I said with anger in my voice. “But why didn’t she call me?”

“Diana is under heavy sedation. I only know about this because law enforcement contacted her job and I was listed as an emergency contact.”

“I see,” I murmured as I pondered the many ways I was going to do that asshole in.

“Are you able to go and see her?”

“Matter of fact, I am at work now but scheduled to fly out of Philadelphia in less than an hour. From work I’m heading straight to the airport. So yes, I’ll get to see her.”

“She would love that. It would be even better if you could pick her up from the hospital.”

“I’ll do that. Look, do you know if law enforcement caught up to Jack and arrested him?”

“I’m not sure about that but if they don’t have him in custody already; they are surely looking for him.”

“Let’s hope and pray that they find him before I do,” I said grudgingly.

“Well, you have a safe trip down there to Orlando and I’ll give her a call sometime after she returns home.”

“Please do, Victoria,” I said. “I’ll talk to you later. And thanks for letting me know. I really appreciate that.”

“Anytime, Sheldon.”

Anger and furious weren’t strong enough words to describe how mad I was inside. Not wanting to wait around, I asked for permission to leave forty-five minutes early. Citing only that my fiancée had just been admitted to the hospital, my supervisor said that I could go. It wasn’t as though I could make my flight take off any sooner it was just that I had to feel like I was doing something to get a little closer to her. Hanging around the job waiting for the clock to strike five wasn’t my idea of drawing close to her. On the way to the airport I called Mike to fill him in on what I had been told and to see if he could pick me up since Diana was hospitalized. He said that it was no problem; that he’d be there when my plane landed.

I gave him my flight information and thanked him ahead of time then ended the call. An hour after I had arrived at the Philadelphia International Airport, I was airborne and on my way, nonstop, to Orlando, Florida. From my window I could see the city lights below. In time they faded away as we climbed to an altitude of 34,000 feet.

As soon as the plane’s belly landed on the runway and taxied to the terminal, I was ready for Mike to take me straight to the hospital but he convinced me that visiting hours were over and that I’d be wasting time and gas going way over there at this time of night. So we drove straight to his place. The feeling that I felt inside was indescribable. Being so close to her yet not being able to go straight to her in her hour of need ate at me. It really bothered me. What bothered me even more was the fact that Jack was probably still roaming the streets while the woman of my dreams was laid up in some hospital. That wasn’t fair and it was not justice.

Mike and I talked for a while before I decided to turn in. I knew that the sooner I went to sleep, the sooner I could see Diana. Before turning in, I had a rum and coke over crushed ice. That relaxed me enough so that I could fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. In my dreams that night I finally caught up to Mr. Badass Jack. And yes, I exacted my revenge. Whoever said that revenge wasn’t sweet didn’t know Jack.

Chapter 18

M
y benevolent and dependable cousin Michael tossed me the key to his second car to go and visit with Diana at the hospital. My hope was to bring her home and nurse her back to health. I wasn’t really certain what injuries she had sustained but whatever her condition I was ready to be there for her.

“Thanks Mike,” I said as I turned and headed out the door.

“Anytime,” I heard him say.

The drive down Orange Avenue was traffic delayed free. Within twenty minutes, I was parked and standing inside of a hospital elevator going up to the floor and ward Diana’s room was located in.

Though I had gotten her room number from the visitor’s desk on the first floor, I decided to approach a nearby nurse’s station and ask for further directions to the room. A friendly nurse pointed me in the right direction and I took off. When I came upon the room number mounted on the wall next to the room’s entrance, I paused. I wasn’t sure what condition I would find her in. But whatever her condition, there was no stopping the anger I felt percolating inside of me towards Jack for doing this to her. Collecting myself, I pressed forward a few more steps and entered the room.

Diana was sitting up on her bed when I entered. Turning, she looked at me and lit up like a Christmas tree and called out my name. Rounding the foot of her bed, I embraced her and held onto her tightly.

“Oh, Sheldon,” she sobbed. “I am so glad that you are here now. How I missed you so.”

“It’s all right now,” I said rubbing her gently on her back. “Everything is going to be all right.”

Facing her I could see that her right eye was bruised and her lower lip was swollen. Her left arm had a large defensive bruise on it. That she put up such a courageous fight made my eyes well with tears.

“Jack was trying to force me inside of my place so that he could rape me but I wouldn’t let him. So he tried to take the house keys from me. That’s when I tossed them into some thick hedging. That’s when he went off on me and started to hit me. A kind gentleman came to my rescue but Jack punched him and took off.”

“You did good, Diana,” I said proudly. “You put up one hell of a struggle.”

“Yeah, and I have four stitches to show for it, along with a few bruises. But I was determined he wasn’t going to have his way with me.”

“He’ll get his, you can count on that,” I assured her. “Hey, are they still going to release you today?”

“Yes, I’m just waiting for the doctor to come by and talk to me. Just before you stopped by I got a visit from a detective. He told me that they’re still looking for Jack.”

“They’ll get him, if I don’t first.”

“Look, please don’t get into any trouble Sheldon over me,” she pleaded.

“There’ll be no trouble Diana,” I assured her. “I just want to bring a resolution to this matter.”

“You give me your word that’s all you want to do.”

“You have my word.”

She eyed me thoughtfully before saying, “Okaaay now.”

“Anyway, I’m going to get you home once the doctor gives you the green light and fix you something good to eat. How’s that?”

“Sounds great but I have to be careful what I eat. My lip and mouth are still pretty sore. As you can see, my lip is still slightly swollen.”

“I’ll be careful what I fix you,” I said tenderly as I thought of more ways to make Jack pay for his dastardly act.

“Listen, I have to call my friend Melody. She works at my job. She was going to pick me up and take me home. But now that you’re here, I can let her know she doesn’t have to come now.”

“Yeah, you better give her a call,” I said, taking a seat on the chair across from her hospital bed.

The doctor showed up fifteen minutes later and talked to Diana and gave her the okay to be discharged. Within an hour we were on our way to her place.

I fixed her a nice bowl of Cream of Mushroom soup with fresh Broccoli and wheat crackers. After watching one of her favorite romance movies, I gave her a pain pill and tucked her into bed. I was grateful that she fell asleep right away.

Finding a scrap piece of paper, I jotted down a quick note asking her to call me when she woke up. I also wrote that I was going to spend a little time with my cousin Mike. I placed the note where she would see it upon awakening. Then I headed outside to my cousin’s car. I felt pretty certain that Jack would not dare come around looking for Diana knowing that law enforcement was looking for him. But I would check in with her in a couple of hours if she did not call me back in a reasonable amount of time. Right now I had something I needed to do.

Because it was Saturday, I found my cousin at home watching a taped football game. It was the Miami Dolphins vs. the Philadelphia Eagles. The game had taken place the week before.

“Hey, Sheldon, how’s Diana doing?” he asked, turning down the volume of the television.

“She doing fine,” I answered, taking a seat across from him. “She’s home resting right now.”

“It’s a damned shame she had to go through what she went through. Somebody ought to kick that SOB’s ass and royally.”
              “Well, I have something in mind, but I’m going to need your help. Can you help me?”

“Of course,” he said strongly.

“Are you available tonight, let’s see, around 11:00PM?”

“I am now,” he came back. “What do you have in mind?”

Leaning forward, I explained my strategy and how I was going to implement it. Nodding his head, Mike uttered, “It’s doable. It’s doable.”

After laying a five on his hand, and a retreating finger snap, I got up and left. I made a few stops at the stores in the area to pick up a few items and to kill time. I didn’t want to wake up Diana just by being there and moving around.

Two hours later I returned to her place. The house was quiet. Too quiet. Slowly and cautiously, I made my way to her bedroom. A lump appeared in my through and I felt like I was about to choke to death, my heart pounding away as I peered inside of her bedroom, not knowing what I’d see.

I eased up once I saw her sleeping peacefully. Just before I turned around to leave her room, she stirred. Opening her eyes, she focused on me and asked me what time it was. Looking at my watch, I told her it was around 6:00PM.

“I can’t believe that I’ve been asleep for five hours, Sheldon.”

“Well, you have,” I replied, walking over to her bed and sitting down next to her. “The pain pill must have really relaxed you.”

“I imagine so,” she said letting out a mild yawn, her balled fist covering her mouth.

I gazed at her but said nothing for a few seconds, then averted my eyes. I was wondering if I should go through with my plan. Diana had been through a lot as it was.

“Sheldon, what’s bothering you, babe?” she asked as she stroked the back of my hand with her fingertips and moved closer to me.

“Look Diana,” I began. “I am leaving tomorrow afternoon to return to Philadelphia and I am very concerned about leaving you here alone and defenseless.”

“I’ll be all right Sheldon. I’m going to get a gun permit.”

“That’s well and good Diana, but what do you do in the meantime while this nut is still on the loose?”

“I’ll pray that they find him and lock him up for a long time,” she retorted.