The Improbable (7 page)

I
had been unpacking for the past few hours alone in my house and it still seemed
as if I’d made no progress. The boxes had been sitting, untouched in my house
since I’d moved in. Since it was the weekend and I didn’t have to work, I saw
it as an excellent opportunity to go ahead and get them out of the way. I knew
I wasn’t going to finish organizing due to the fact that the sun had set two
hours ago and I was running late for some get-together with the guys. I wanted
to spend as much time with them as possible before I got promoted to Chief and
had no free time.

           
As I looked around at the progress I’d made, I grew annoyed. Why was it taking
so long to organize my fucking house! I checked my watch and realized I was an
hour past the time I told Chris and Timmy I’d meet up with them.
Great
,
I thought. On my way into my cluttered room I managed to jam my toe on the
corner of a heavy box.

           
“Fuck!” I shouted and slammed my hand against the wall in the hallway. I stood there,
leaning against the wall, fuming as the pain in my foot throbbed.
Get a hold
of yourself
, my conscience seemed to tell me. Lately, I’d been like a
ticking time bomb and it was only getting worse. How was I going to handle the
stress of an undercover case if I was blowing up left and right? I would give
myself away in no time! I couldn’t let that happen…I had my father depending on
me and that meant more than the world to me.

My
anger was also causing issues with the people around me – that girl Eva-Marie
to be exact. Since I’d gotten into it with her and Ray at the city club all my
mind could replay was Eva-Marie rushing to gather her bags and get the heck out
of there. I made her cry! What kind of monster was I? It was as if I was losing
control over myself and some evil force was taking over. It had to be stopped
and soon because I was on the quick path to destruction.

“It’s the
chief, man glad you made it!” Timmy exclaimed and opened my door for me as soon
as I parked.

           
“Remember what I said about calling me chief? I’m undercover, remember?” I said
to Timmy as I got out the car. Sometimes he could just forget so much.

           
Timmy rolled his eyes. “I mean the attorney!”

           
“Good enough,” I chuckled. Looking around, I saw Timmy’s girlfriend and her
little group of friends along with Chris and another male in the distance.
“What’s going on?”

           
Timmy placed his arm on my shoulder and pointed at the group of girls. “Over
here we got the ladies. You know my girl Kathryn and then there’s Rita and
Sarah.” He then pointed to Chris and the guy he was speaking with and lowered
his voice. “Now you’re
gonna
love this, I think this
is the first move into your case, buddy.”

           
My interest heightened and I looked at him questioningly. “Do tell.”

           
“I knew you’d be interested,” Timmy nodded. “That guy Chris is with over there
is Nicholas Brandy. I linked him and Chris together because Chris wanted to
purchase some reefer.”

           
“What does this mean for me?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest as I
watched Nicholas interact with Chris discreetly.

           
“He sells drugs –
including
Trioxytin. What does that mean for you my
friend? He’s one of the greatest connections you’ll get in your case!” Timmy revealed
excitedly.

           
I, too, grew excited. “Oh Timmy you’ve hit the jackpot!” I patted Timmy firmly
on the back.

           
“Just thought I’d help
ya
out a bit. Wanna go have a
chat with him?” Timmy asked.

           
I shook my head. “Not just yet.” I watched as Nicholas got back into his car
and was driven away.

           
“We all ready to go?” Chris asked the group on his way back over. “Chief’s
here!” He shouted once he caught sight of me.

           
I blinked and decided to let go of the fact the he, too, had forgotten to stop
calling me ‘chief’. “How’s it
goin
’, Chris?” I asked
when he came to stand next to Timmy and I.

           
“Awesome. Just glad we got a day where we could all get together.” He patted me
on the back.

           
“We’re ready when you are ladies,” Timmy called to them. “But what about –”

           
“Well we’ve waited for an hour, I don’t think she’s
comin
’.”
Kathryn cut him off, staring at me while she was talking.

           
I broke the awkward eye contact.

           
“Alright then, let’s move out!” Chris shouted.

           
“But first, ladies, we would like to introduce you to our friend, David. I know
none of you ever got the chance to meet him.” Timmy motioned to me.

           
Why did he have to put a spotlight on me? I needed some alcohol, I felt so
awkward. I waved to the women who were smiling and giggling to each other.
“Nice to meet you ladies.”

           
“You as well,” the two girls said simultaneously.

           
The redhead stepped forward and held her hand out. “I’m Sarah.”

           
“And I’m Rita.” She held her hand out as well.

           
Timmy’s girlfriend was the only one smirking at me with her hands on her hips.
“Oh we know who he is.”

           
I looked at her with furrowed eyebrows.

           
Timmy laughed nervously and tugged her along.

           
I shook her comment off and followed the group through the woods. The rest of
them talked and joked with each other as we made our way through the branches
and leaves. I, on the other hand, fell toward the back and didn’t speak to
anyone. I knew the girls most likely thought I was socially awkward – they kept
looking back and staring at me and then bursting into fits of laughter. Kathryn
had to have something against me but I couldn’t guess what I possibly could’ve
done to her to make her dislike me.

           
“Here we are my friends. I present to you, the field.” Timmy announced as we
entered a massive clearing in the woods. The moonlight streamed down,
illuminating the entire field. It was a sight to see.

           
“As our first timer, I believe that you do deserve the first drink my friend.”
Chris said in a dramatic tone as he handed me a beer.

           
“Good
lookin
’ out,” I thanked him.

           
“Oh he doesn’t deserve a thing.” Kathryn snorted, opening her own can of
alcohol. Timmy was out of earshot to hear how his girlfriend was acting.

           
I had to remember to keep control of myself when I spoke to her. “Kathryn –”

           
“It’s Kate.” She told me dryly.

           
“Kate.” I corrected myself. “Did I do something to you to make you hate me?”

           
She exhaled loudly after taking a long sip from her can. “How do I explain
this?” Kate came a few steps closer to me. “I know who your best friend is.”

           
I wondered where she was going with her explanation. “Of course you do…you’re
dating him.”

           
“Okay. If I hurt him you wouldn’t be so fond of me, now would
ya
?” She asked.

           
“No I suppose not.” I answered.

           
“Exactly. Mr. Finley, do you know who my best friend is?” She eyed me.

           
Everything began to click in my mind as I remembered Timmy telling me that Kate
was Eva-Marie’s best friend. I nodded in understanding. “I see what you’re
getting at.”

           
Kate took another sip and sighed. “I just don’t understand why you’ve
gotta
be so rude, David. I had faith in you after you saved
her life!”

           
I shrugged. “I’m working on myself…What do you mean you had faith in me?”

           
She held her index finger. “That’s beside the point. What I’m
gettin
’ at is you both are in our group of friends. Y’all
are
gonna
have to get over it at some point. Whatever
‘it’ is.”

           
I looked down at her blue eyes that looked truly concerned. “I know.”

           
Kate squealed and hopped up and down excitedly. “Thank you for
bein
’ so understanding my darlin’! It’s too bad she won’t
be here tonight…” She trailed off.

           
“Why not?” I asked.

           
Kate raised her eyebrows and didn’t say anything or look at me.

           
I sighed. “Is it because of me?”

           
“Oh I may have mentioned you were
comin
’…”

           
“Does she hate me that much?” I wondered.

           
“Well I don’t know but you must’ve really hurt her feelings, David.” Kate
shrugged. “But for the time
bein
’, why don’t you come
socialize with the rest of her friends?”

           
I followed Kate back towards Rita and Sarah. The girls showered me with
questions about the night I saved Eva-Marie from drowning. None of the others
knew about the animosity between Eva-Marie and
I
besides Kate and for that I was thankful. I wouldn’t have been able to handle
three women with attitudes similar to Kate’s. As I told the story I wanted to
laugh when I thought about how I turned such a good deed into ice cold tension.
Once they began smoking, I wandered a few feet away and plopped down onto the
grass and looked up at the stars. They began cheering in the distance but I
didn’t bother to see what it was about, I was in too much of a trance staring
at the sky.

           
I stared and wondered how different my life would’ve been if my mom was still
alive. Would I still turn out as such an angry person? Was it actually her
death that turned me into such a cold person? Or was it the fact that to get
any reaction out of my father I had to do what made him happy and not myself?
Was it so much to want to be treated like his son that he…loved? I felt a
little silly what with me being the age of twenty-four and still feeling hurt
by the fact that my father never wanted to get closer with me. I sighed and
chugged the rest of my beer. The snapping of twigs on the ground behind me
startled me, making me turn around to check and see what it was. Or
who
.

           
There coming toward me, as cautious and as graceful as a dainty doe with the
moonlight shining down on her, was the breath-taking Eva-Marie. She held her
hands up in a surrendering gesture with a slight smile on her face. “Don’t
worry, I come waving the white flag.”

           
Instinctively, a grin spread across my face. An actual, genuine grin. Funny I
had forgotten how that felt. “As do I,” I said to her.

           
She reached me and looked down on me with her deep eyes. “May I sit?” Eva-Marie
looked at me hopefully.

           
I nodded and patted the grass next to me.

           
She exhaled loudly as she sat down and handed me a bottle before twisting her
own open. “David, David, David. What’s going on?” Her tone made it obvious she
was talking about the situation between us.

           
I sighed. “Look Eva-Marie –”

           
“Please, call me Eva. The only person that calls me Eva-Marie is my father and
that’s mostly when he’s angry.” She shook her head.

           
These females and their names. “Eva,” I corrected.

           
She nodded with a sweet smile. “Yes, Mr. Finley?”

           
“For everything that has happened between us, everything that I’ve said to
you…and called you, I am genuinely sorry. As you can see I tried to apologize
at the city club and let my temper get in the way, and I’m sorry I acted that
way in front of you.” I looked over at her but she wasn’t looking at me. She
was staring out into the field and smiling and nodding while she took a sip
from her bottle.

           
“I accept your apology Mr. Finley,” Eva looked at me and smiled. “As I
should’ve that day at the city club…had you given me the chance before blowing
up on me.” She began giggling.

           
“What’s so funny?” I was slightly laughing myself, realizing her laughs and
smiles were quite contagious.

           
“You were just like a…grumpy old man.” She let out her heavenly laughter. “All
I could think was that constant fuming was
gonna
give
you an early aneurism!”

           
I laughed and shook my head. “I can’t argue with you there.” I twisted my
bottle open and downed my drink. “But on a serious note, Eva, you didn’t
deserve the way I acted toward you. Not in the slightest bit.”

           
Eva nodded slowly in understanding, staring at me.

           
She may not have known it, but her eyes made me…nervous! I felt like I had the
world’s greatest spotlight on me. But that didn’t stop me from giving her a
great compliment that was well deserved. “And any woman with your magnitude of
breathtaking beauty, and I must say you really are the
only
woman who’s
ever taken my breath away, doesn’t need to be treated in such a way. And I
don’t know how I could ever make it up to you.”