Chapter 30

By the time Kim got home, Hailey had left. Leaving behind a neat handwritten note of her meetings with different producers and directors around New York. Hailey would also be her social media manager even though she hadn't entrusted that to her yet. She called to find out how she was. Hailey didn't pick up her phone until it rang for the third time..
" Hailey? How're you?" Kim asked the moment the phone was picked up. She heard in the background, a snarling and Raucous male voice, making subtle but dangerous sounds.
"I'm okay, Mrs. Foster", Hailey replied in a croaked voice. Had she been crying? Kim wondered.
" Are you sure you're okay? Anything I can do to help?", Kim insisted.
" Oh, don't worry, I'm perfectly okay. Please don't ask too many questions. I assure you, I'm fine ", Hailey said. Her voice had suddenly snapped to that of disgust and Kim thought she was probing. She sighed and they began to talk about work only to be interrupted by a harsh masculine voice.
" Hailey, come right here and see this", the voice sounded coercive and it didn't take Hailey as much as a moment to end the call.
" I'll see you tomorrow Mrs. Foste, I'm sorry I have to go now", she said in a near whisper. Kim had hardly said goodnight when she heard the receiver slam on her. She went to bed worried. Another worry to add to the many she already had. As she laid in her bed, wondering if it'd already started snowing outside, the memories of Lennox came assailing her and although she fought to keep the memories of him at the back of her mind, she couldn't. She missed him. She missed him more than she'd ever care to admit yet, she didn't see herself running back to South Florida to see him. She'd wanted to be where she was and she was happy. Almost contented. She would have all she wanted in a short time and pamper herself all she wanted.
Mrs. Patterson invited Kimberly to dinner the next day and even though she made excuses, Mrs Patterson wouldn't have it. Again, she sat at meal with the Pattersons as Mr. Patterson regaled her with stories and histories, some of which she was not acquainted with.
" My son stopped by a few days ago. I'd love him to meet you sometime", Mrs. Patterson said as she cleared the table after the meal. Kim made a vague acquiescence while Mr. Patterson still held her attention. In the end, she went back to her apartment full and happy. Her evening had been spent with the Pattersons. A pair she would have loved as parents or grandparents.
She layed facing up for long. She didn't know why sleep eluded her. Perhaps, she was too excited about the Pattersons and their kind gesture towards her that she could succumb to slumber. By the time she dozed off, it was already a few minutes past o
1:00 A.m in the morning. She slept with a smile on her lips.
???????
The dress Lennox was to wear for the wedding was picked by Hester. She'd stopped by a fashion design shop and made him something unique. Not like he didn't possess some but she'd pouted and pleased and coaxed him to wear it and Again, he didn't have a mind to reject it and so he took it.
They arrived the ceremony earlier today than most of the guests. It was what Hester wanted. As they stepped into the beautiful leave plaited awning which served as the only canopy to hold the guests, she gave a loud laugh of pleasure.
"Wow, it's still almost unbelievable that Parker is getting married. I'm so happy for both of them!", She exclaimed. Lennox of all people present there knew she habourd and nursed a wound somewhere in her heart. She wasn't happy or satisfied that her childhood sweetheart whom she still loved was marrying her one time close friend. She would act happy of course and she was doing it too much already. Soon the guests bagan to assemble one after the other. Lennox hadn't come with any gift but Hester had gotten gifts which she promised would be enough on behalf of both of them. Lennox thought the place was garishly decorated and it appeared false to him. He hated that they used too many flashy colours to decorate the place and it appeared all too fancy for him. The bright flowers , he told Hester, was threatening to his sight and they laughed, she laughed long and hard until a fine line of tears ran down her cheeks, ruining her perfect make-up. She fished her handkerchief From her bag and mopped her face carefully..
" Don't make me laugh so much, Lennox, I've ruined my make-up!", She said still amidst laughter.
For a while, Lennox wondered what could have amused her so much but he decided In the end, that she'd only been looking for a way to let the tears go. He felt a small sense of relief that he'd helped her do so by laughing and not outrightly bursting into tears.
She introduced him to a few friends from highschool, a few married and the others, brazen single women who held his hand a bit longer than necessary and looked him in the eyes until Hester intervened not too politely. A few of them had layers of makeup as thick as sandwiches and a few wore dresses which he considered too revealing.
When the ceremony was over, Hester scrambled to meet the newlyweds. Lennox followed briskly and only stopped a few feet behind her.
" Hello, Mr. And Mrs. Parker! It's so good to see you two successfully wedded", she enthused. The woman looked away and smiled at a random person while Parker acknowledged the supposed compliment from Hester.
"Its good to see you too, Hester Woodhouse", Parker said. Hester turned around frantically, willing to introduce Lennox. She was suddenly relieved seeing him walk the few feets up to them.
"Here, this is my Scottish boyfriend, Lennox Mccurdy. Lennox, Parker", she introduced. Parker was Nothing like Lennox had imagined. He was a sandy haired man, lanky and imposing in a way that made him appear supercillous which did not remotely bother Lennox except of course he wondered how Hester and fallen for the man. His eyes where small and it worried Lennox that they didn't have the clear vision like everyone else's.
His wife had turned and was beaming, a beam that hadn't been present when Hester had first been standing alone.
" Good to see you, Lennox, McCurdy", Parker said extending a hand for a handshake. Lennox took the hand with a warm smile and for a while, he seemed to be the imposing one. He hugged Parker's wife briefly and Hester simply laughed off talking to her. They were to leave soon and Lennox had to ease himself so while Hester waited in his car, he made his way to the bathroom. A redhead walked in just when he was washing his hands by the sink. She stood by the door, her feet propped up behind her to keep the door from opening anytime soon. It amused and amazed Lennox, the unmitigated guts of y young woman who looked about the same age as Kim. A coquette, perhaps.
"Hello, handsome. I followed you in here ", she said, smiling.
He lifted a brow and blinked.
"Why did you?", He asked. She licked her flaming red lips and said sheepishly
"Cause' i like you. You're hot, man. Want a quickie?", She offered flagrantly.
"No, thanks. I got a woman waiting for me In the car. If you'd back away from the door��"
" Oh, c'mon. Can I at least have your contact? We could meet up some other time, you know".
She began to walks away from the door, towards the sink. Lennox was exasperated and he was certain he'd knock her down if she got any closer to him but she sensed the rising anger in him and stepped out of the way.
Lennox wondered who she could have been, surely, he hadn't been introduced to her and her dress had to be the most revealing he'd seen.
He walked briskly to where his car stood with Hester waiting patiently for him.
" You took so long, what's up?"
"It's nothing. I'm okay", Lennox maintained as he turned on the ignition and drove off. For the first time, Lennox felt the need to talk to Hester about her feelings for Parker.
"You still have feelings for Parker, don't you?" , He asked her. She didn't flinch at the suddenness of the question neither did she try desperately to dissuade him on the possibility of her habouring feelings for a now married man.
" I once loved Parker but not anymore. I already told you. He was my high school sweetness", she said with feigned amusement. The same that had kept her from actually crying. She'd said it again that he was her lover, once. She didn't try to sound convincing and even if she'd tried, it was evident that she still had feeling for Parker.
"I think you still have feelings for Parker. It's evident in your actions and tone. Since the very first time you spoke to me about Parker, I knew. Somehow, you want to shy away from that blatant truth, Hester", Lennox said. His gaze was unwavering on the road and he knew that she was frowning at his conclusions but the truth, he knew it was. He didn't know how else he could have broached the topic. Maybe he was blunt, but he didn't care, he needed to talk to her about it.
"I don't have feelings for Parker any more", she said sombrely in a small voice, Hardly able to convince him. They sat silent for minutes. A car took wrong abrupt turn ahead of them and Lennox slowed down, hoping the driver realized his mistake and get back on his lane but he took forever to realize until the traffic regulating force men helped him off the road. A traffic crime, he'd committed. Hester began to talk about it. How her own car had once been hit by one of the reckless drivers in South Florida who got drunk and then insisted on driving home.
" I wonder why people would never learn!", She said as they drove past the authorities and the man who'd taken the wrong turn.
Lennox stopped at Hester's apartment building and as she reached to open the door, he spoke. Softly.
"You know, Hester, maybe you should let it go. Anger, pain, jealousy. Whatever it is you feel towards the Parker couple. You're going to be fine", he said. She rolled her eyes.
"You're insisting so much that I have feelings for Parker. That's honestly hilarious. It's you I'm into. Can't you see that? Doesn't it appear as ostensible as can be?", She asked, her voice was on the edge of desperation and it took Lennox by surprise. He hadn't expected her to say anything about them and so he muttered,
"Goodnight, Hester",
She opened the door and stepped out before reciprocating the goodnight.
" And thank you so much for today", and added. Lennox nodded. He waited in the car, watching her until he was sure she was in the safe confines of the house.
??????
Hailey reported for work Monday morning wearing heavy makeup which did nothing to conceal her black eye and split lip. Kim took one look at her battered face and halted in her tracks
" What's up with you, Hailey?" She asked.
"Good morning, Kim. I'm good. How did you spend your weekend?", Hailey asked instead. She forced a smile and winced lightly from the pain the action caused.
" C'mon, what's with you?", Kim insisted.
"I'm okay. I slipped on the floor of the bathroom but I'm fine. I took some aspirin and soaked in a tub of warm water. I'm super good", Hailey said. She was making an effort to sound convincing even though she carried her body like she'd been broken in many different places.
"This is not fine Hailey. You didn't slip. Someone assaulted you. Why don't you wanna involve the police? Why are you making excuses for whoever it is?", She asked. Hailey gaped at her, wide eyed.
"Well, I've told you what it is".
"Well, I'm not convinced. Talk to me Hailey. Are you under any threat? C'mon. You can get help for fuck's sakes", Kim said.
Hailey took one look at her and shook her head as if to say " you do not understand" and began to walk to the office.
"I'd like to get some work done around here if it's all the same to you and, good for us, I've been a social media manager for as long as I can remember. I can handle yours just perfectly my dear ma'am. Let's talk more in the office, shall we?".
Kim had been standing in the small hallway. Still surprised over Hailey and as Hailey spoke, she began to walk slowly to the office. Hailey was already seated behind her computer. A pen already in her hand. She'd come to work and that exactly she was doing. Kim had noticed at first how quickly she left once she was done for the day. She didn't stick around for all the meals she offered to fix them and didn't wait to share a cocktail with her.
For the rest of the day, Kim made it a point to worry about Hailey. A multitude of thoughts ran riot in her head.
Was she in an abusive relationship?
Was she with a tyrannical parent who loved to see her pained or was Mentally deranged?
What if she'd been attacked anywhere New York and had been too embarrassed to admit it?
Surely, she wasn't happy to have to go through pains. Whatever made her silent over it had to be intense. Kim decided not to press the issue any further since Hailey, a grown woman, choosed not to talk about her problems. She watched Hailey keenly all day. Her thoughts remained and her fear intensified.
What if her life was in imminent danger. What if something terrible happened to Hailey?.
Hailey left Kim's earlier than she usually did. She said thank you to her twice and left with a grim nod.
Why had she said thank you if not because Kimberly had made an effort to know her problems. To know why she had a split lip and a black eye?
Kimberly was still wondering when her phone rang. She jumped at the suddenness before taking the call.
"Yes? Tess. How're you, sweetie?", She asked collectedly.
Tessy was silent for a bit before replying,
"I'm fine, Kim",
" So, what's up?"
" Joe was involved in a car accident somewhere in Los Angeles. He's in a hospital ".
" That's sad news. Was he hit or he hit someone? Just how bad was it ?"
" I don't know the details yet. I feel so sorry for him. I do hope it's not as severe as I think. I hope he recuperates soon", Tess said.
" He'll be fine Tess".
" Do you know that he had a big shooting coming up next month. He was supposed to be in a camp but he wasn't ".
Tessy was genuinely sad and it touched Kim. How she managed to know so much about Joe was a puzzle that Kim didn't know. Perhaps, she still harboured feelings for Joe. Again, Kimberly had another thing to worry about.
Kim was at the shoot earlier than she'd ever been. She looked around, searching for Blakes and again, she found him hunched over a stack of paper work with Benny. Again, Benny was nodding and looking keenly into the stories.
"That's just right, that's good", Benny was saying as Kim walked closer to them.
"Hello, Blakes, Benny".
"Good morning, Kim", both of them greeted in unison looking up at the same time. Kim Nodded. Benny began to talk about the shoot In a hour's time, imploring Kim to go start getting prepared. Kim insisted on talking with Blakes and not until she'd gotten him alone did she leave.
"Joe was in an accident, Blakes. Do you know?"
Blakes looked stupefied. His expression easily moved from excitement and good cheer to an unpleasant surprise.
" I didn't know that. How severe was it?"
" Well, Tess called and told me this morning that he's still unconscious and would need some time to come around. I reckon It wasn't that minor if he's still unconscious"
"I'm deeply sorry about that. He'll be fine. You go sees and do your finishing touches. He'll come around, you'll see", Blakes assured her. Kim nodded. She didn't know why she was suddenly so worried about Joe. She definitely didn't want any thing bad to come on him . She knew already the toll it would have on Tessy. She was more worried than Joe's actual girlfriend. Of that, Kim was sure. Blakes thought Kim might be affected by the incident yet he wanted more than anything that she said stayed neutral and interprete her roles as perfectly as she always did.
" Joe's gonna be fine, Kim. Don't let it bother you okay?", He called as she began to walk towards the dressing room. Kim looked back at him and nodded and went her way. Blakes stood there for a few minutes before striding off. He tamped do the small tide of panic that had suddenly began to form In his chest down.
"Joe's gonna be perfectly okay. Y'all will see", he muttered as he reached Benny..
"What's that?", Benny asked, curious.
"It's all good. Joe Hamilton, you should know him. He was involved in an accident and he's been unconscious since. I'm sure he'll come around. Kim's a bit worried but I assured her he'll be okay".
" The Joe Hamilton guy. Why, I do know the man. Who knows about Cradle without Joe and Kim In the picture. Sad. Did you get the details?"
" No. I just got the news from Kim. He's been previously in Los Angeles. I don't even know where the incident occurred. It might be on the local news".