The Showdown
She fired first
“Oh… not you again!” Victor sighed at the big man who slid into the backseat of the taxi alongside him.
“Victor O’Sullivan! It’s been some time…”
“Not long enough?”
“Ah, straight to the cut. I want you to let Jessie know I’m here.”
Hearing ‘cut,’ Victor unconsciously touched his throat. From the front seat, the driver called back, “Hey, I don’t have all day. Where to?”
Simo gestured with his head at Victor, who sighed. “512 West 48th Street.”
Simo felt like leaning over the short man, but instead sat back and sighed. “Jessie is in trouble. I only need to make sure she is ok… and to apologize, if I am being honest.”
“Oh?” Victor replied. “What happened?”
“Biggest fuck up in my life. Enough pleasantries. Is Tatianna with her…”
“I’m not really sure. I think she’s helping her friend Alina.”
“Victor…” Simo sighed. “If this is how you want to play this, fine. Please, call her.”
Victor nodded as the taxi came to a fast stop and the driver laid on the horn, yelling what sounded like obscenities in another language. “She’s not answering.” Victor showed Simo the phone.
“You sure that’s the right number?”
“Uh… yes.”
Simo let out a long sigh. “Jessie will not want to see me. I would take it as a favor, after I get out, to let her know I would like to see her on her terms.”
“Why is Jessie back in New York?”
Simo leaned in close to Victor’s ear. “She is here to find the rest of Tatianna’s friends.”
Victor’s eyes widened. “Oh, shit.”
“Jessie is alone in this. I only want to help keep her safe. She can hate me later, but she needs someone to at least watch her back. You would want to keep Tatianna safe, too, right?”
Victor nodded. “Yes. I will ask Tatianna to tell her… or were you planning on staying at my place until she comes home?”
“I won’t intrude into your home. Here’s my number.” Simo handed Victor his card, then tapped the driver’s seat. “Let me out.” Simo handed him a twenty and hopped out without another look at Victor.
As soon as the taxi merged into traffic, Victor yanked out his phone and texted: Simo is here in NY. He says he wants to help Jessie and apologize. Let her know!
Tatianna’s text came back: Jessie is not happy. Does he know where Alina lives?
I wouldn’t put it past him.
Jessie says same thing.
Watch your back, Tati. Love you with all of me.
Love you my muzhchina moy!
Victor sent a flurry of hearts in return, then checked behind him to see if Simo was following the taxi.
“Mudak! Suka!” Jessie hissed. “Mike broke his promise, fuck.”
“What do you want to do?” Tatianna asked.
“I need to get this shit ready. I need to find a way to meet Miss Lady Tiara bitch, or at least get into her office if Alina can’t help.”
“Jessie…” Tatianna sighed.
“What?” Jessie nearly barked. “Maybe you should speak with Simo?”
“NO. He had his chance. Sorry for yelling. See, he just makes my life miserable!”
Tatianna nodded. “He wants to apologize…”
Jessie flung her head back, staring up at the ceiling. “He’s only saying that to get to me.”
“What will happen if he gets to you?”
Jessie dropped her head, then met Tatianna’s concerned eyes and didn’t have an immediate answer.
“Call him then. Use my phone. Hang up if he yells, ok?” She held out her phone.
Jessie stared at Tatianna’s phone as if it were a venomous viper. She began shaking her head when Tatianna set it on Jessie’s lap, got up, and went to the kitchen. Jessie picked up the phone and wanted to hurl it, but held back.
Tatianna called back from the kitchen, “Maybe invite him to dinner?”
Jessie’s eyes widened in shock at Tatianna’s suggestion. Before she could fire back, Tatianna continued. “If he yells and screams, then shoot him… or kiss him, or take him to bed. Either one will shut him up. Trust me.”
Jessie stared at Tatianna, trying to decide if she was serious or just joking. No, she thought, she was being serious. “I can’t believe…”
“He will find you. Better on…”
Jessie rolled her eyes and interrupted, “My terms. I get it.”
“Good. I'll order up dinner for two before I go. Thai, Greek, or what?”
“NO!” Jessie gasped and knew exactly what Tatianna was doing. It was almost like what she did to Victor and her. She pointed at Tatianna. “You are a fast learner.”
Tatianna set down the orange juice carton, stared at Jessie for a moment, and replied in Russian.
“When you are this emotional, it’s easy to see you can’t think.
That is what is making you miserable, thinking the wrong things because of how you feel inside.
It took you too long to see what I was trying to do.
Call him. Meet him on your terms. Get it done.
Kiss him, or send him packing. Or shoot him.
” Tatianna brought over a glass of orange juice and handed it to her. “Think. I mean, think about it.”
Jessie wanted to yell, ‘fucking fine,’ but took the juice and finished it off. “I… I’m not sure I can talk to him.”
Tatianna let out a snort, switching back to English, “Open mouth and speak. Nice weather, Simo. Why the fuck you here? Say anything and everything. Is good therapy. Works really good, trust me.”
“He’ll just yell at me. Tell me I’m stupid for leaving…”
“He ever call you stupid before?”
“No…” she trailed off.
Tatianna plopped down next to Jessie. “If I go home, Simo will follow me. I am not a trained spy. If I leave, I cannot come back. He will know you are here, da?”
Jessie sighed.
“I have an appointment with Victor tomorrow at the therapist. Then we do the political thing. I will cancel…”
“No. You are right. I’ll fucking call him.”
“Good.” She took the phone from Jessie’s lap and handed it to her. “Need his number?”
With a resigned sigh, she accepted the phone with a headshake. She started punching in the number and stopped cold. “He will know exactly where I am…”
Tatianna ignored her comment. “Greek food for dinner then. I use the house phone. Finish.” She pointed at the nearly dialed number, got up, and headed to Alina’s office.
Her finger reluctantly pressed the final two digits, and almost immediately his voice answered.
“Ela?” came Simo’s voice in Greek.
Jessie swallowed hard, removed the oxygen mask, and set an edge to her voice. “What do you want?”
“Jessie?” she heard him gasp. “My God! Are you ok?”
“I’m fine. You can go back home now.”
“Jessie… can I see you?”
“Simo, we are done. Did you not get that through your thick head?”
There was a pause. “Yes, it went all the way through and out the back. Big hole there now.”
Jessie suddenly wanted to laugh, but bit it back. “Cracking jokes now?”
“Better than heads?” Simo let out a dry chuckle.
“You are being weird, Simo.”
“Jet lag?” There was a pause. “I want to apologize in person. I will leave if you tell me… but I know what you are planning and I don’t want you to have a hole like mine in your very beautiful head.”
“I am very, very angry with you.”
“And… you should be.”
“What the fuck? Are you tracking me to kidnap me and take me back to LA?”
“No. I already knew where you were.”
“HOW? Mike?”
“No, it was Chen when you opened the app. There’s a nice Greek restaurant around the corner. Food looks good. Please join me?”
“NO.”
“I understand. I’ll be in New York for as long as it takes.”
“What is with you?” she barked. “Don’t you have shit to do in LA?”
“No. I am on what did Ari call it… oh, sabbatical.”
Tatianna sat down by Jessie, shot her a grin, and said, “Dinner is on the way.”
“Ah… hi, Tatianna,” came Simo’s voice. “Bad timing on my part for dinner plans?”
“Fuck. FUCK!” Jessie bellowed. “Fucking FINE. Come up, but you better fucking bring your goddamned earplugs. Fuck.” She hung up and shot Tatianna a glare. “Did you set this all up with him?”
Tatianna shook her head. “No.” Then she smiled. “I will let him in and let you scream at him. I’ll let the doorman know a big, loud party is up here.” She tenderly brushed her fingers over Jessie’s hand. “Want to fix yourself up?”
“Fuck no. He doesn’t deserve that,” she grumbled.
“I will let him in.” Tatianna went to the intercom and let them know to send Simo up.
Jessie quickly ran her fingers through her hair and sucked in a deep breath from the oxygen tank, then yanked the mask off and hid it behind a couch cushion.
She felt like she wanted to run into the bathroom and check herself, but made herself stay.
A knock came at the door and her blood raced.
She half wanted to shoot him and the other half not…
then there he was, coming inside. He nodded to Tatianna, who slipped out behind him, leaving him standing there.
He was wearing a suit, with an open blue shirt. He looked worried.
“I am very sorry how I treated you. You deserved a million times better.”
She noticed he hadn’t moved from the door. She wondered if he was blocking it or worried he’d need to escape. She flung that thought aside and let her blood rage.
“Damn fucking right I deserved better, SIMO!” He only stood there nodding… waiting.
“What, cat got your tongue? No funny wiseass cracks?”
He shook his head. “I’m here to listen to you.”
“Did you fucking fall and hit your big head? What. The. Fuck?”
He held out his hands and shrugged. “I’m here to listen.”
“Ok. FINE! You treated me like SHIT! You—you treated me like a fucking child! You made me make that fucking stupid-ass promise in Athens! You made me LEAVE YOU!” Her hand came up to her chest and her breath caught.
She saw Simo’s concern, and it looked like he wanted to rush over. She held up her hand at him.
“Fuck.” She turned and stared at the cushion. “Goddammit.” She reached down, pulled out the mask, and sucked in a deep breath, turning to him. “See! It’s all your fault!”
Simo nodded.
“Do you have any idea how shitty my life was before we met? Do you?”
“Not really. Please tell me.”
“Jesus H. Christ. What the fuck is wrong with you?! You keep me away from you, you hide from me whenever you see me in LA, and now… NOW you want me to tell you my life’s story?”
“Yes.” He nodded with sincerity.