So while I'm still reading "Truck Music" I decided to share some writing since I've been lagging on the book-talk! Hope you all enjoy!
Addison waited for him at the corner of Market Street, just as they had agreed. His call last night still playing in her mind.
“Meet me for lunch.” He told her, a command rather than a question. Yet, Addison agreed.
Now standing at the corner of Market Street, waiting to go to the Mexican place he took her on one of their first dates. Addison finds herself adjusting the dress, straightening her ponytail and making sure that her lip gloss is perfect. She wants to slap herself for caring but she can’t. Adjustments, checks, and perfection is part of the routine and routines are not meant to be broken.
He rounds the corner and stops, staring at Addison. She can feel the stare before their eyes meet and he scans over her appearance, making sure everything is in order. He has an image to keep after all. Even mid-day on Market Street, people could recognize him and by default Addison.
No hello, no hug. He opens the door to the restaurant and ushers her in. Addison can feel his hand on her lower back and she tries not to cringe. “It’s just lunch. It will be painless.” Funny how we are convinced if we tell ourselves something often enough, it will be true.
They took their seats and the hostess handed them the menus. He looked at Addison and then to the hostess and said, “Water, no ice, and one lime for both of us.” The hostess looked over in Addison’s direction and she gives a quick nod in agreement, the hostess walks off to prepare the drinks.
“I’ve decided to start dating again Addy.” Again, a statement. He was good at making statements, his career depended on him being abrupt and to the point.
“Good.” This was the only reply she could muster. The judge has not even signed the divorce decree and they still shared a condo. This lunch began to take on a new meaning now.
“You’ll need to be out by the end of the week.”
“Daniel, where am I supposed to go?” Most people would shy away from public confrontations but not Daniel, he thrived in this setting.
“You have the rest of the week to figure that out. And given the money you are stealing from me, that shouldn’t be a problem. Now what am I ordering you for lunch?” The question was less to her and more to himself.
2.
4 years before….
Spending the summer in her hometown taking summer classes was not an ideal plan for 22 year old, Addison. The rest of her friends were vacationing down south or working internships in some of the cities that Addison had on her to-visit list. Instead, Addison was sitting in a classroom listening to Professor Livingston discuss “The Novels of Toni Morrison” and while Addison had read them all, she took notes as though she had never heard of Toni Morrison.
“Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation.” Zig Ziglar
Double majoring in political science and psychology, with the hopes of going to law school, Addison knew she had her work cut out for her. Coming from divorced parents, Addison had sympathy for children who were stuck in the middle of their parents mess. Focusing on child psychology, she hoped to make the process easier on any children whose lives were going to be turned upside down.
With that focus added the number of classes needed to graduate so here she was taking six courses over summer one and summer two every summer in order to graduate on time. It would be worth it in the end, she knew it.
In between classes, hiding out in the library seemed like the best move. It wasn’t that Addison was embarrassed to be there but she also knew how judgmental people in her hometown were. Ideally, she would have stayed in Columbus and took these courses at Ohio State though the price difference between community college and a university for the same courses well, she couldn’t justify that to her mom. So here she was; living at home with her mom during the summers, working part time as a server, and taking courses. It had to be worth it in the end.
Walking into the library carrying her regular baggy of trail mix and a coffee, she made her way to the far back corner to hide out and read for awhile. Toni Morrison was always a delight to read and Addison was excited to get back to “Jazz.” Jilted love and obsession always made for good reads and throw in murder well that was as good as putting the cherry on the ice cream sundae.
“Don’t ever think I fell for you, or fell over you. I didn’t fall in love, I rose in it.”
Addison wasn’t sure if she imagined those words or if someone had said them so shaking her head she turned back to Joe and Violet, and their collapsing marriage.
“What’s the world for you if you can’t make it up the way you want it?”
Now this time she did not imagine that.
“Hello?” She whispers cautiously.
“Hello, back.” Came a voice from behind the stacks, after a moment of shuffling some books came a face on the other side of the stack.
“I’m Daniel.”
3.
“Addy, are you listening to me?”
Addison shook her head but quickly realized that came across a “no” and corrected her motion to a “yes.”
“You’ll need to be out by the end of the week, Jeff is going to be staying with me for awhile so I need the extra bedroom.”
“OK…..” What could she say? The condo they owned was in Daniel’s name, some tax loophole he told her about as he worked from home. Now, she knew better. Control, control was everything to Daniel.
The server came and laid the plates in front of them. Daniel had ordered them both the same thing, tamales and rice. A thought crossed her mind as she took the fork, “On your own, you can order anything you want.”
The conversation then took a weird and unexpected turn, Daniel began asking Addison her opinion about dating again. He wanted to know how young was too young; 23, 22, or how about 18? Addison felt relief and dread mixed together as she forced herself to eat some of the rice. She had gotten good about mixing the food around on her plate to make it seem like she was eating without really taking a bite. Daniel was always so wrapped up in whatever story he had for the moment that he never paid attention.
While Addison felt sorry for the next woman in Daniel’s life, she was grateful to be making it out alive. When she thought about what Daniel would do to the next victim, her stomach turned and she felt sick. What could she do? She did the right thing, eventually, by calling the police but until there was proof of his attacks - nothing could be done. Her attorney advised her to get out first before seeking to do anything else. Otherwise, who knew what would happen.
Here she was though, sitting across from the villain in her life and listening to him prepare to go seek another victim. Waves of guilt hit her as hard as Daniel did the first time, she felt as though she would be sick but somehow managed to keep it down. She couldn’t do this in front of him. Just get through and get out.
Daniel commanded attention when he spoke, he learned this from his parents. If you are not in control of the room, then you are not seen. He learned this lesson from an early age and thrived on it. As he spoke to her about dating other women it was as though their marriage never happened, and to Daniel that was most likely the case. Failure was never an option instead, you tuck the problem away (or pay it off) and then forget about it.
“It would be hard to find another virgin, I’m sure.” He paused and grinned at Addison. That grin sent shivers down her spine and she remembered that night in his apartment before she left to go back to school.
4.
From the moment Daniel introduced himself to her at the library, they were inseparable. Daniel went to the university in the next state over, just a 30 minute drive so he lived at home with his parents. As with Addison’s mom though, his parents preferred taking summer courses with community college rates versus the university rates. And to appeal his parents, he took a part-time job at the library. He didn’t need the money as his father was high up the ladder at Coca-Cola in Atlanta but his parents wanted him to learn responsibility.
When neither were at work or in class, they were together. Movies, out to dinner, hiking, and even a long weekend at the beach. It was clear this was much more than a summer fling to Addison and she hoped Daniel felt the same way. Meeting the parents came at the end July, Addison’s mom was skeptical at first but later confided in Addison that she trusted her opinion. Daniel’s parents were the opposite, they were over the moon for Daniel and Addison. A future attorney was a wonderful choice for their son as they had high ambitions for his future. Future-CEO was how they would refer to their son and with a future attorney for a wife, they would be unstoppable. Addison was far too in love by this point to see the writing on the wall.
Addison had always been the “good girl” and doing what was expected of her; getting good grades, attending church, and being the perfect daughter. When she went off to college, most people figured she would turn into a party girl as most who live in small towns tend to do but she remained focused. She barely dated during college, college was about the future and not finding a one-night stand or potential husband. College was what would guarantee her a six-figure career while relationships were at the back of her mind.
Addison was a 22-year old virgin and her friends mocked her relentlessly for it. Daniel had been much more understanding though, he didn’t seem to mind at all. He even seemed to be proud of this which was shocking to Addison but at the same time, made her fall for him even more. He never rushed her, “Plenty of time for that” he would always tell her. Addison had even reached the point thinking it would never happen, though she was longing for it by this time. While Daniel seemed content with what they had done so far, which was mild according to Addison’s friends. Blow jobs and making out was the extent of her experience, Addison wanted more.
Two nights before Addison was scheduled to move back into her dorm, Daniel took her out for an epic date. They went to see Dave Matthews Band in concert in Cincinnati, late dinner after, and followed by a night of dancing. Addison loved to dance, the feeling of freeing herself on the dance floor was her best form of therapy. Drinking was great but there was nothing like dancing it out. That night, she knew Daniel was it for her. He could not have planned a better night. The hotel room he booked was downtown so they could just walk back from the club; holding hands, stopping to kiss every now and then, and feeling his hands running up her back. Addison sensed a difference in him, she knew it was finally going to happen.
Back in the hotel room, Daniel opened the door and there were candles lit from the walkway to the bed and again all around the shower. Addison turned back to look at Daniel and he kissed her with such passion she felt herself collapse against him.
“You’re ready for me.” That was all said to Addison, and at the moment it seemed like an a question but in the future she would realize what he really meant.
She was worthy of fucking him.
Daniel pinned her against the wall and pulled her legs around him, kissing her and while Addison felt the moans rise in throat from just kissing, his hands were pulling off her clothes. Pinching her nipples while he was grinding against her, kissing her neck and nibbling on her shoulder. He picked her up and put her down on the bed, looking down at her while he stripped. Then he was inside her and with each thrust he repeated “mine, mine, mine” and Addison had no idea what he truly meant with those words.
