Chapter Five
POWERFUL THOUGHTS
As promised, my car was returned to me. Flint wasn’t the delivery man, it was a younger guy who couldn’t answer a single question I asked him—not one single question out of the dozen I asked. He gave me my key fob and a note card then walked away.
CHAPTER ONE
Chapter one? I was used to weird. I was raised on weird.
The note took a step past weird. I slapped it on the refrigerator and stabbed it with a magnet then went for a jog to clear my head.
Shayna’s commanding eyes and innocent smile haunted me with every step.
I couldn’t save the world—every child, every stray animal—but that reality didn’t make it any less heartbreaking.
After my shower, Thad called me while I melted marshmallows and butter in the microwave.
“I quit.”
“Now, love, don’t be so rash. I gathered from the ten messages you left me earlier that we have a monumental breakthrough on our hands.”
I laughed. “A monumental breakthrough? It’s possible a security guard will be in a cast for the next few months because of your monumental mistake. Oh, and you did catch the part about me going to jail, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, let’s get to the good part. You said you didn’t mean to kick him, that you felt a muscle twitch and then it just happened, but you thought about kicking him. Correct?”
“Yes, but—”
“Fuck Einstein, love. Do you get how incredible that is? Your thoughts alone made it happen. That sensory chip detected the twitch and bang! Just like that, my baby went into action.”
“Stop calling a part of me your baby. It’s creepy.
And stop celebrating what is a serious and dangerous defect.
Do you get what this really means? I have to control my thoughts!
People can’t control their thoughts, only their actions, but I can’t do either.
What if every time you saw an attractive woman and you imagined having sex with her, you couldn’t control your body and the next thing you know you have her pinned to the wall with your dick in her.
You’d be in prison for rape. That’s not a breakthrough, that’s a felony! ”
I took my bowl from the microwave and stirred the melted marshmallows and butter.
“I never said it’s perfect. It needs some tweaking, but this is big, very big. I’m booking a flight for myself to Beijing too. I’ll meet you there next week. Jerry’s testicles are going to explode when he finds out.”
A trip to China to watch a man’s balls explode, what more could I have asked for?
“I’m not wearing it until I’m there.” I poured crispy rice cereal into my gooey concoction—microwaved rice crispy treats, my weakness and obsession.
“You have to wear it through security. If you pack it, some luggage troll with a TSA badge will steal it and have it on eBay by sunset.”
“I could bring down the plane with my robotic kung-fu leg.”
Thad chuckled. “Only if you’re thinking about it.”
“Well, since we’re having this conversation, it’s all I’ll think about because that’s how the mind works.
Don’t think about food. Yep, that’s all I’ll think about.
Snakes? Spiders? Sex? My mind is going to go there on its own, especially if it knows it’s not supposed to! ” I shoved a spoonful into my mouth.
“Sex, huh?”
“Shut up,” I mumbled over my crunching.
“Just focus on happy, kind, nonviolent things. I don’t think you can bring down a plane with one leg if your other three limbs know better.
But if you choose to use your ‘glitch’ to get some nookie on the plane, that’s your prerogative.
I’ll text you your hotel information in a few days. Gotta run, love.”
“Thad—”
Aannd that was that.
I stared at the celebrity signature on my cereal box. How far back did this morning’s events set my plan to make the man of my dreams fall in love with me? It was hard to say. I collapsed on the sofa, set my bowl beside me, and grabbed my laptop.
“Back away, Trzy.” I gave her the stink eye when she poked her nose near my marshmallow treat.
A quick internet search for Cage Monaghan brought up picture after picture of me.
Minnesota’s Quarterback Shows Concern for Disabled Woman Arrested at Charity Golf Tournament
Unidentified Woman Threatens Security at Charity Golf Tournament – Monaghan Helps Police Catch Her.
Yeah, sure, that really happened. After more of the same and photos to accompany every headline, I shut my laptop and fed my face while watching Sons of Anarchy on Netflix.
Some days reality sucked. Netflix was the perfect drug and my addiction to binge-watching series on it was borderline committable.
I missed my friend Lindsay, but I didn’t miss being her roommate.
There were those in life who were destined to live productive lives, real “Be the Change” people, then there were those who subscribed to Netflix like a religion.
Lindsay was a nurse who traveled with Doctors without Boarders.
I streamed shows on Netflix. To each their own.
Just as the show hit a good part and my purring cat was draped over my lap, there was a knock at my door. I paused my show. “Jax, Jax, Jax, I love that ass of yours.” I winked at the screen which was paused on Charlie Hunnam’s naked backside.
Everson was on the opposite side of my peephole. “Be nice, Lake. He did get you bailed out,” I mumbled to myself.
I opened the door, forcing a smile. “Yes?”
His gaze moved along my face without looking at my eyes, then down my neck and to my chest as his head inched forward a bit, eyes slightly squinted.
“Dandruff?”
“What?” I looked down at my chest. “Oh, no it’s …” I brushed the crumbs away then wiped my mouth and cheeks with the back of my hand because I was just. That. Sexy. “They’re crispy treat crumbs.”
Everson always looked at me the same way, the way I imagined he’d look at a train wreck.
“About this morning—”
“Don’t.” I shook my head and held up my hand.
“I got too emotionally invested in a situation that wasn’t any of my business and I apologize.
I have a terrible habit of lighting a match before looking to see if anything around me is flammable.
I just … react on impulse. I appreciate you sending Flint to get me out of jail and dealing with my impounded vehicle.
Honestly, I didn’t know what I was going to do.
I don’t have any family here and I haven’t really made friends yet. ”
Another downside to being a Netflix addict.
“Flint?”
“Yes.”
Everson shook his head. “Flint said I sent him?”
“Yes … well, come to think of it, he never said your name, just that he was protecting his boy, which wasn’t that hard to figure out, it had to be you. I assume he’s PR? Agent? Personal Assistant?”
“Yeah, Flint takes care of his boy, that’s for sure.”
“Lucky you.”
“Not exactly, but it doesn’t matter. You a Twins fan?” He held up a ticket. “Suite behind home plate. Game starts in an hour. I’d suggest you cover the leg, pull your hair up, and buy a hat to wear as soon as you get there.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Minnesota Twins. It’s baseball.”
“I know who the Twins are, I’m talking about the rest. Why are you offering me a ticket and telling me to cover my leg and—”
“I can’t go. Thought I’d offer it to you for helping Shay, but after the media frenzy I think it’s best for you to not draw any more attention to yourself today.”
“It’s one ticket.”
He chuckled. “Best seat in the house and you’re getting greedy on me?”
“I won’t know anyone.”
“You will.”
“I wi—Cage? He’s going? Are you serious?”
“Take it.” He grinned, handing me the ticket. “Go brush yourself off and get out of here.”
I snatched the ticket. “His girlfriend? Will she be there?”
He walked toward his door and shrugged. “There will be a lot of women there. It’s an opportunity, Stick. The rest is on you.”
“Everson?’
He turned before closing his door.
“Thank you.”
He nodded. “For the record, I’d planned on coming to get you myself, but something came up.”
I smiled and shut the door.
“EEEEK!” Everson heard me, hell, the whole neighborhood probably heard me, but I didn’t care. In an hour I would see Cage again. “An hour. Shit! I’ve got to get ready.”