UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
With Tom Hayden, an original, Russell-based character
By Bailey
It was early evening and the sky was dark with clouds promising more rain shortly. The wind had come up and the evening deteriorated into the weather pattern Eugene was used to. Charlene Casey was hurrying to get to the hotel’s back entrance before the skies opened up. She could just see herself after a good soaking, trying to look decent enough to welcome guests into the restaurant and lounge. She felt as if she lived at the hotel instead of working there. They had given her all the shifts everyone either didn’t want or didn’t show up for. She was single and management somehow felt since she was, she had no life anyway, why not work? At thirty-six years old she was starting over yet again.
“Charley! I told you to be back here within an hour!” Conrad Bendt was standing at the entrance looking like the weather, dark and angry.
“Conrad, I told you I have to take two buses to get home, and two buses to get back. I managed as fast as I could.”
Actually, he thought she’d done really well considering the buses were usually late.
“Well, I have a full lounge and a full floor. Besides, Kelsey is bitching about her feet hurt. Get in there and take over!”
“Her feet!” Charley had worked the six to two shift that morning, then got caught for fill-in from two to five, and was told as she was about to leave, “Go home, change and come back as hostess until eleven.” She was so tired she could spit, but she needed the job and the money. She put her coat and purse in the employees' locker room, checked herself in the mirror by the kitchen bathroom, and smoothed her hair, tucking an errant strand into the bun in back. Satisfied that she looked presentable, she walked through the kitchen and into the restaurant.
The evening turned out to be fairly quiet once the dinner crowd finished. As the hostess, she was only responsible for seating the guests and taking their initial drink requests. Then she turned over the rest of their service to the waiter or waitress in their area. There were only three couples at nine o’clock and Conrad came to tell her that since it was so slow he’d sent everyone home except the bartender, the chef, a busboy and her.
“You let everyone else go? Conrad, I’ve been here since six this morning. If you let anyone go it should have been me!” Charley was furious. She wasn’t just being used, she was being abused.
Conrad was the youngest son of the hotel’s owner. He wouldn’t have been a busboy much less a manager if he were anyone else’s son. He had tried to seduce Charley when she first started and when his attentions were rejected, he made it clear he’d get rid of her one way or the other. They worked together like a cobra and a mongoose, always circling each other and waiting for the strike.
“Well, if you don’t like it, quit!” He smiled at her, hoping she would do just that.
He knew full well how hard it was to get a job, what with the economy so depressed. She had even pumped gas when she first moved here. Not a pleasant job considering the weather at this time of year. She knew if she said anything at that point, she’d be sorry she did. Instead, she turned her back to him and went to one of the occupied tables and asked, “Is there anything else I can get you?” She smiled at the young couple, obviously on their honeymoon. They could barely keep their hands off each other. The gentleman shook his head no, and she went to run their tab.
After the couple left, she let Juan know he had a table to bus. He was a nice kid, eighteen, up from L.A. His parents were illegal immigrants from Mexico, but Juan was born in California, in other words an American. Conrad couldn’t keep from riding the kid about his Mexican heritage. “Wetbacks, all of them.” Conrad was such a shit.
At a quarter to eleven, Charley was anticipating closing the till and calling a cab. Her bed was calling and she was definitely listening. Just fifteen minutes more. She walked over to the bar and talked for a couple of minutes with Jake. He was the best mixologist she’d ever seen. He made Tom Cruise look like a beginner. When Jake was on a roll, he put on a show to remember. She just finished telling Jake a particularly unflattering story about Conrad’s probable lineage, and was about to gather the receipts, etc. from the till. However, when she saw three men crossing the beautiful lobby toward the entrance to the restaurant she muttered to herself, “Please, God, let them want drinks only.”
She walked to the little podium that stood at the restaurant’s entrance and waited until the men entered. She smiled as brightly as she could and said, “Good evening, gentlemen. Are you interested in dining or just the lounge?”
The nearest man smiled at her. “We’d like to eat.” He saw her face fall just a bit before smiling and beckoning them toward the table in a small alcove.
“Is this table agreeable?” Charlie recognized the three men as people from the movie that just began filming in Cottage Grove.
“It’s perfect, thank you.”
Charley waited until they sat down, then handed out menus. “I’m Charley. I’ll be your waitress for the evening. There are three specials, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Pacific Salmon, and sixteen ounce Porterhouse ala Carl.”
“What do you recommend?”
Charley smiled at him. He was nice looking, tall, with a nice smile and easy manner.
Before she could respond the ‘star’, Tom Hayden, snickered, “Jesus Christ, Gene, you’re asking her what she recommends? This is back woods Oregon, for Christ’s sake. It probably all tastes like Mom’s down home cooking.”
Charley could see he was already high, maybe on the booze the hotel kept stocked in his penthouse suite, or maybe something more potent.
She just smiled, “Well, we do have some pretty good down home cooking here in Eugene, but not at the New Eugene Hotel. Our chef is excellent. He studied in Paris and we’re very proud to have him here.”
He just snickered again. “Paris, Texas, no doubt. You people wouldn’t know fine dining if it slapped you in the face.”
“Possibly not, Mr. Hayden.” Gene Bennett could see their waitress was holding back. Her violet eyes were sparking, but to her credit she held her temper and turned back to him. “All three specials are excellent. Chef Carl uses a special sauce on the chicken, the salmon is stuffed with an almond dressing and the steak is smothered in a crab and plum sauce. That’s my personal favorite. Why don’t I take your drink order first and give you a few minutes to decide?”
Gene said, “I’ll have a Long Island Iced Tea.”
The other gentleman, a small, bookworm sort, piped up, “Manhattan for me.”
“Mr. Hayden? What can I get for you?” She was thinking maybe some strychnine would be good.
“Jamison, rocks.”
As she walked away, all three men watched. The long black dress she had on accentuated her figure. Though not skinny, she had all the right curves in the right places. Her brown hair was dark with reddish highlights. Gene had noticed her high cheekbones, slim, straight nose and cupid bow mouth.
“Not bad,” Gene murmured.
“If you like hayseeds.” Even though he found her attractive, Tom wasn’t about to let his friends know. He was finished with women. They were good for one thing, fast sex.
Charley handed Jake the order and he asked, “Damn, I’ve seen you pissed before, but you look like you’re about to explode. What’s up?”
“Mr. Movie Star is a real jerk. I guess I’m just too tired to put up with it tonight.”
“Well, as soon as they’re gone we’re outta here. Hang in there, Kitten.” He always called her ‘Kitten’ when she was in a bad mood. Jake finished and Charley took the drinks to the table. After doling out the drinks, she asked, “Have you decided yet, gentlemen?”
“I’ll try the salmon,” Gene was first to order.
“The chicken for me,” the bookworm smiled.
“And you, Mr. Hayden?”
“Why don’t you surprise me? I haven’t been surprised by anything since I got here. I wish I were back in L.A. The weather is miserable and I can’t wait to leave. This place is Hicksville Nowhere and totally predictable. You fucking people have no idea how to live. Show me I’m wrong.” He was rambling and she knew he wasn’t making sense, but he touched a nerve by insulting her home.
“You know, maybe you’re right. We don’t know how to live. We just go to work, raise happy babies and enjoy our families and neighbors. We don’t worry about the ‘important’ things like fancy parties and expensive clothes. But one thing we do know about is integrity and manners. We would never go to someone else’s home and insult them there. Personally, I’ll be happy for you when you can go back to L.A.”
She turned on her heel and marched into the kitchen. As she walked away, Gene started laughing, so did the worm. “Did she just tell you to go the fuck back to L.A., you won’t be missed?”
Tom just ‘harrumphed’ and downed his drink. The bitch was obviously not impressed with him. Screw her. What did she know about anything?
Charley was fuming as she handed Chef Carl the order. “What’s up, Charley?” He watched as she moved to the cooler and disappeared for several minutes. When she reappeared, he stood watching as she threw freshly ground sirloin steak into a bowl and began adding spices, an egg and bacon bits.
He started the two orders on her ticket and watched out the corner of his eye while she finished making a very large hamburger patty. She slapped it on the grill and watched as it sizzled. She threw one of the pre-cooked baking potatoes into the microwave and turned it on. “You know, I could make up the porterhouse for you. You don’t have to cook for yourself. I think the hotel owes you a good dinner after all the hours you put in today.”
“It’s not for me.” Carl wasn’t sure what to say, so he continued with the orders he had.
“Do me a favor? Please watch this for a minute and I’ll be right back.”
“Sure thing, Charley.”
She returned to the table and asked if anyone needed another drink. They ordered another round and she quickly delivered it.
Charley checked the hamburger, flipping it over. She threw a croissant into the second microwave for fifteen seconds and asked, “How’s that order coming, Carl?”
“It’s ready when you are.” She waited another 2 minutes while the hamburger sizzled. He watched as she carefully removed the croissant and sliced it. She placed a slice of Swiss cheese on the bottom, added the ‘burger’ on top and dabbed horseradish mustard on the top. She covered it with the top slice of croissant and cut it in half. She placed it on a plate, removed the potato and sliced it lengthwise and threw a hefty amount of sweet cream butter in it along with sour cream, chives and bacon bits. Satisfied with her creation, she put it on the large serving tray along with the other orders and went to face his majesty.
After placing their orders in front of each of the men, she turned to leave, saying, “Bon appetite.”
“Wait a minute!” His majesty spoke.
Charley turned, “Did you need something more?”
“What the hell is this?” He had a rather nasty look on his face.
“You asked me to surprise you, so I brought you the ‘International’.”
“The what?”
“The International. It’s ground sirloin, with bacon bits, spices, Swiss cheese and horseradish mustard on a fresh croissant.”
He made a face, but didn’t say anything. She was challenging him to try it based on his request to be surprised. It occurred to him that being surprised could be either good or bad. He picked up the sandwich. The juices dripped down his hand as he put it to his mouth. The croissant was very fluffy and lightly crunchy. The flavor of the meat spices blended with the Swiss and mustard in a tantalizing harmony. He found himself moaning, the taste was so compelling. “Fuck me, this is good.” He waited to say it until after Charley was out of earshot.
Charley returned to the table twice more to replace finished drinks. Tom made no more comments to her and sat sulking each time she returned.
Okay, so she proved she could surprise him with one of the chef’s dishes. That didn’t mean he was willing to concede anything to her.
Conrad, being the butt-kissing, ass that he was, came to check on them, making sure everything was satisfactory. Gene picked up on Conrad’s question about whether their waitress had treated them well. It was as if he was looking for a bad response. It wasn’t the question, rather the way he phrased it. “You didn’t have any problem with your waitress, did you? She’s competent enough, I suppose?”
Gene was hoping Tom wouldn’t say anything bad and hurriedly spoke, “She was excellent.” He looked to Tom rather sternly and was relieved to see he read the warning.
Conrad’s face fell. Oh, well, there no doubt would be another opportunity to trip her up.
Charley was ready with their tab and collected it quickly. She was surprised to find the tip was about 35% of the bill. After completing payment she returned to the table and wished them a ‘good night’.
Charley had the next two days off and decided to turn off her phone in order to avoid being called in. She caught up on laundry and grocery shopping and even managed to do some reading. It was a well-deserved, rest.
She arrived at the hotel at one-thirty Saturday afternoon. When she walked in, Conrad descended upon her like locusts on a wheat field.
“Did you serve Mr. Hayden an ‘International’?”
“What?” She didn’t even register what he was saying.
“An International, did you give him one?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Because no one knows what the fuck an International is, that’s why! He’s been asking for it the last two nights. He thinks we’re giving him a hard time.”
“Why didn’t you ask Carl?”
“He left on vacation the day after you served this mysterious dish.”
Just that moment, Kelsey came in and told Conrad, “He’s out there again, asking for the International. What do I tell him?”
“Nothing, let Charley do it.” He turned to Charley. “You created this problem, now you deal with it.”
The last person she wanted to ‘deal’ with was Tom Hayden. He hadn’t apologized for the way he talked to her and hadn’t even thanked her for the surprise. But perhaps she could at least rub it in a little.
He watched her as she approached his table. She had on the hotel’s waitress uniform and her hair was up in a ponytail. She looked younger than she did the night she waited on them. He had to admit she was pretty, but she was a woman and all women were users. He had learned that well in the last few years. He should have remembered that when he finally married.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Hayden. I understand you’ve been asking for the same dish I gave you the other night?”
He scowled at her smiling face. “Yeah, they didn’t seem to know what I was talking about.”
“That’s probably because it isn’t on the menu.”
“You mean the chef created it for me?” He smiled thinking his name had inspired such a creation.
She could tell he was flattered that the chef would consider him important enough to whip up something special for him. That really galled her.
“No, the chef didn’t. I did.” She watched as his face changed from a smug smile to somber, reflective.
“You cooked that for me? Why?” She had expected him to be angry but to her surprise he seemed almost touched by it.
She wanted to tell him she did it to make him eat his words. Instead, she said, “You asked to be surprised. It’s something I fix for myself when I have a bad day or just need a lift. It’s comfort food.”
“So you thought I needed comforting?” She had really hit the nail on the head. He had returned from a long hard day at the set only to have his nearly ex-wife call and rag him unmercifully on the phone. He’d started drinking as soon as she hung up on him and had downed a muscle-relaxer he had left from a prior pulled ham-string. By the time he entered the restaurant, he was high as a kite. The only pain he felt was the sting of his lost marriage and the nasty words his wife left him when she hung up. He needed to vent on someone and Charley was available.
He looked so lost when he said that, something stirred in Charley. She didn’t have the heart to tell him she could have cared less about ‘comforting’ him. She knew about the messy divorce he was going through and wondered if that had anything to do with his attitude. “Well, it was obvious you had some kind of problem and I just went with what popped into mind.”
He smiled, “Would it be too much to ask for you to do it again?” He really wasn’t sure she would, given how nasty he’d been to her. She had every right to dislike him. He woke up the next morning angry that he’d taken his frustrations out on her. To her credit, she hadn’t actually told him off, at least, not the way he would have given the same set of circumstances. Instead, she let him know he was the outsider and he could go back where he came from and no one would care.
“I think that can be arranged. Would you rather have a different side dish?”
“What do you recommend?” She smiled at that, recalling his chastisement when Gene asked the same question.
“Well, this down home country girl suggests the deep fried okra. It’s better than French fries and the flavor compliments the sandwich.”
“So why didn’t you give me that the other night instead of the baked potato?”
“It takes longer and, frankly, I wanted you out of the restaurant.”
He looked down at the place setting on the table, then looked back up at her. “I’m sure you did. I’m sorry I acted that way. I’m not usually like that. I had a really bad day and I took it out on you. Forgive me?”
That was the last thing Charley expected. “If you forgive me.”
She saw surprise register in his handsome face. “What for? I was the asshole.”
“Well, I wasn’t very tolerant. I’d been here since six in the morning and I guess I wasn’t willing to concede you might have had a day like mine.”
He smiled and his whole face lit up. She saw the man so many women were interested in marrying or at least bedding. His gray/blue eyes twinkled and his cheeks held dimples. God it would be easy to fall prey to one so handsome. No way! He was out of her league. She had learned about stepping out of her class the hard way.
“Well,” he said, “why don’t we just start over and be friends?” He extended his hand and said, “Tom Hayden, glad to meet you.”
She smiled back and took his hand, “Charlene Casey, the pleasure is mine.”
Chapter Two
Charley taught the three ‘under’ chefs how to make the International in case Tom came in and requested it when she was off. To her surprise they wanted to add it to the menu as a special. When they asked her if they could, she told them no. It was a special dish for Tom alone. Once he left, if they felt the same way, she would allow it. She wanted him to have exclusive rights while he was there.
She saw him many times over the next two months and he always greeted her like a friend. They often sat talking after her evening shift and those days when she worked the breakfast shift he would come down for breakfast. He left for the set so early that when she was on the morning shift he was usually the only one in the restaurant. She would sit and they would talk until he had to leave. She found it strange that he never ordered room service.
She was again playing hostess and was just going through the receipts standing at the podium. The restaurant was empty and it was time to close up for the night. As she finished, she saw Tom walk through the lobby doors. He looked beat. No doubt he’d had another long day in Cottage Grove. He looked her way and smiled. It wasn’t a happy smile. There was sadness and defeat, almost lost acceptance. He stepped into the elevator and she turned back to her receipts.
She took the money and receipts to the office and locked them in the little safe, spun the lock and called a cab. As she walked out of the office, Jake called her over and asked her to have a drink with him. She sat at the bar and watched as he flipped bottles and did his show for her. It never ceased to amaze and amuse her how deft he was in handling the unevenly filled bottles. He presented her with his ‘International’. After all, he explained, she wasn’t the only one who could create a masterpiece.
She laughed and clapped her hands as he presented it to her. It was frothy and lightly pink. She didn’t want to think what it might contain. She was just glad she would be taking a taxi home.
They talked for a few minutes while she sipped her drink. She could see out the window and was watching for her cab. The drink was really good and she began to relax. It began raining again while they joked about this customer or that. Conrad had ridden her several times that day and she was explaining how close she came to telling him to ‘stick it where the sun don’t shine’.
Jake sympathized with her, “I know he’s an ass, but don’t let him run you out. You’re the best waitress and hostess we have. Besides, I’d miss you if you left. The rest of the girls are okay, but they all have air for brains. I need intellectual stimulation after putting up with drunks all night.”
“I thought that’s what your wife was for.”
“She’s stimulating but not in the brain area.” Jake laughed. “I met her here five years ago when she was a waitress. She’s sweet but her intelligence level is about the same as Kelsey’s.”
They both laughed. “Is this a closed party or can I join you?”
They both turned to see Tom standing there. He had changed into jeans and a sweater. “Damn he looks good,” Charley thought.
“Naw, belly up. What’s your pleasure?” Jake liked Tom. They talked a couple of times when he came down to the lounge. He knew Charley and he had gotten off to a bad start but seemed to have patched it up.
Tom sipped at his drink and joined in the conversation. He had come looking for Charley, but when he saw her at the bar with Jake, he didn’t want to be overt about being alone with her.
They talked for several minutes then Charley saw the cab pull up front. Though she didn’t want to leave, she had no reason to stay. She picked up her coat and purse, said good night to them and started out the door to the lobby. She got nearly to the front doors when Tom caught up to her.
“Charley.” She turned to see what he wanted. “I need to talk to you. Could we go somewhere and maybe have a drink or something?”
Tom had explained how vicious his wife was being with the divorce and she hesitated. Being seen with him might not be smart. “Tom, you know us being seen together isn’t a good idea. If it got out, your wife’s lawyer would burn you as having an affair.”
“I know, but I need to talk to you. We could go anywhere you want. Please?” He looked so desperate she just nodded. He pulled a knit cap on his head and slipped glasses on his face. He looked different with just those two changes.
“I didn’t know you wore glasses.”
“I don’t, but it’s a proven fact that people who wear glasses receive less attention than people who don’t.”
They walked out to the cab and Tom opened the back door for her. She gave her address to the cabby as she climbed in and Tom slid in next to her.
Ten minutes later the cab let them off at the curb in front of a nice old home. Charley started down the driveway toward the back of the house and Tom followed. She rounded the back of the house and climbed an outside stairway to the small apartment upstairs.
Once Tom was in, Charley closed and carefully bolted the door. The small kitchen was to the right and the living room in front. An open doorway revealed the bedroom to the right off the living room. “If you need the bathroom, it’s the second door off the bedroom to the right. She went to the kitchen and looked in the refrigerator. “All I have is beer.”
“That sounds good.” He looked at the wall hangings and knick-knacks. Several decorations he recognized were very expensive.
She walked in and handed him a beer. “You like Lladros?” He was looking at one statue in particular. It was a beautiful lady. The colors and shadings made her look almost real.
“Yes, this one’s beautiful.”
“I used to have an entire collection, but when my husband and I divorced this was the only one I got to keep. He hated it, said it looked like me.” She handed him a beer and asked, “Why don’t you sit down and tell me what you needed to talk to me about?”
He sat on the couch while Charley curled up in the overstuffed chair next to it. He seemed hesitant or shy about how to start.
“I needed someone to talk to outside the people I work with. We’ve become friends and I was hoping you wouldn’t mind listening.”
She smiled and he continued. “You know Fran and I have been negotiating a divorce. Since we had a pre-nuptial agreement it’s been reasonably easy except for the media attention…until now. It would have been over within another three weeks but she called me to tell me she’s three months pregnant. She was going to get an abortion, but someone at the doctor’s office tipped the media and now she can’t. Her reputation as one of America’s sweethearts would be ruined and her career might suffer. She wants to reconcile until after the baby’s born.”
“Is that what you want?”
“No, but I don’t want her to get sole custody of my son or daughter either. She said if we stayed together until after the birth, she’d give me a divorce and shared custody with no fight.”
“Why is that important?”
“The pre-nup stated that I’d pay ‘x’ amount of money for each child we had. She obviously wants the child support. The fact that she was willing to have an abortion, tells me that’s the only reason.”
“And you?”
“I wanted a baby since we got married. She didn’t want a pregnancy to interfere with her career. It’s been a problem between us since the beginning.”
“Didn’t you talk about having children before you married?”
“Course we did. She said she wanted kids as much as I did. It wasn’t until after the I do’s that it became obvious she told me what I wanted to hear.” He took a long draw from the bottle of beer. “I hate the idea of living together and so does she. As soon as I finish here I’m moving back with her. It’s just for appearance sake, but I hate it just the same.”
“I know how you feel. My husband and I lived together for five miserable years before he finally let me go.”
“Is that him?” Tom was looking at a picture sitting on the end table. The man was very young, probably early twenties and nice looking.
Charley picked up the picture and ran her hand over the glass. “No. That was my first husband. He and I had a very good thing going.” Charley had a sad look.
“What happened?”
“He died. I was seventeen when we met. We knew after our first date that we’d get married. I loved him more than life. We’d been married ten years and I still hadn’t become pregnant. After they found out I wasn’t the problem, Jerry went in for testing. That’s when they found the cancer. I watched him go from two hundred pounds to nearly one hundred in six months. There was nothing they could do. The cancer had already spread too far. The night he died I died with him. I guess I expected Jackson, my second husband, to treat me like Jerry did. Unfortunately, Jax and Jerry were nothing alike.”
“So where’s he?”
“He lives in Boca Raton, Florida. He’s a successful lawyer. I moved back here after the divorce. Would you like another beer?” He nodded and she placed the picture of Jerry back on the end table. She finished her beer in one long swallow and went to get two more.
They sat and talked about how Tom got into movies and why Charley left Florida to come home. They drank several more beers and it was apparent that they were both well into being drunk when Tom asked, “Do you ever think you’ll marry again?”
“I don’t know. I hate living alone and I’d love to have a baby, but I don’t need another husband like Jax.”
Tom thought she would be a great wife. At least she wanted kids. “Why didn’t you and Jax have children?”
“He told me he was sterile. He didn’t tell me until after I got pregnant. He didn’t believe the baby was his. He left me and didn’t return until after I miscarried. He made it clear that if I got pregnant again he’d leave me for good.” Charley sighed and looked at her beer bottle, gently stroking the top with her finger. It reminded Tom of how a man would sometimes stroke his lover’s lips. “I didn’t have a job and didn’t have a credit card or access to his bank account so I was pretty much stuck. I couldn’t leave and didn’t want to stay. I finally got up the courage to file for divorce and he literally threw me out in the street. I went to a shelter for homeless people and they took me in for a week. They found me a job as a waitress and I saved enough money for a Greyhound ticket. I guess it’s too late for children now.”
He could see the regrets and sadness. He knelt down in front of her and took her hands. “Why? You’re still young enough. I think you’d be a good mother.”
She wasn’t used to someone being this nice to her and between the loneliness and the beers, she began to cry. Tom couldn’t stand to see her so sad. He wrapped his arms around her and she buried her face in his chest. He slowly rubbed her back and tried to comfort her. When she pulled away he wiped away the tears and cupped her face in his hands. He kissed her and wrapped her in his arms. He’d told her everything tonight except what he really came to say.
They kissed again and Charley pulled back. He was married, lived elsewhere, and was from a completely different world. She couldn’t let this get out of hand. She put her hand on his chest and pushed him back. “We can’t do this,” she whispered.
“Charley, I wanted to do this since I first met you. I don’t want to go back to Fran. I don’t want to go back to L.A. I’d stay here if I could. I think I’m in love with you.”
“You can’t be. It’s not right.”
He kissed her again and she felt like she was falling.
The next morning she awoke to a soft kiss. Tom was leaning over her. “I just wanted to say good bye.” His voice was so low she could barely hear him. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. He was fully dressed and ready to leave. He stopped at the door and gave her a sad smile. “Bye.”
Charley lay there remembering last night. She hadn’t felt that loved since Jerry died. It shouldn’t have happened, but it did. Now she had to go on knowing it would never happen again. Tom was leaving at the end of the week. The rest of the movie would be filmed in a studio in L.A.
Chapter Three
Conrad finally got what he wanted. Charlene Casey handed in her resignation. Jake nearly flipped when he heard. He caught her as she was leaving. “Charley, what gives? I thought you decided to let Conrad fire you so you could collect unemployment?”
“I was, Jake. But Jax died suddenly and I have to fly back to Florida to settle some things. I’m liable to be gone longer than they want, so I just made it easy.”
“How’d he die?”
“Heart attack.”
“But I thought you were divorced.”
“We are. But apparently he forgot about some things and I’m still his beneficiary. Anyway, I leave tomorrow, and I don’t know when I’ll see you again. Take care, Jake.” She gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek.
“Take care, Kitten.” Jake was going to miss her.
The change in scenery was probably what Charley needed anyway. Jake knew Charley took it hard when Tom left three weeks ago. He didn’t think anything was going on between them, but one never knew. She seemed sad and more on edge than usual. Maybe Florida would lift her spirits. At least maybe it would increase her bank account.
Tom replaced the phone on the hook for the umpteenth time. He wanted to call and talk to Charley. He had left her apartment that morning with only a short good bye. He didn’t go to the restaurant again before he left. He was afraid anyone there would see how he felt about her. He saw her looking out the window when he left for the airport. The best he could do was wave.
Fran was even more impossible now that she was pregnant. Tom and she didn’t share a bedroom, and they hardly even met. Tom was finishing the movie at the studios, and Fran was busying herself looking at scripts she was considering.
Fran intended to be available immediately after delivery. In fact, she found an OB/GYN who would induce her early. That way she wouldn’t get ridiculously big and this whole business would be over sooner. Of course she wasn’t sharing any of this with Tom. He’d no doubt be angry and worry that something would happen to the baby. The doctor told her it would be perfectly safe for her and the baby. Except for the fact that she’d lose the child support, $10,000 a month, she could care less about the baby. It was no more than a millstone around her neck.
Tom finally got up the courage to call the hotel and ask for Charley. Kelsey answered.
“Charley Casey? Oh, she moved away from here two months ago.”
“Do you know where she went?” Tom couldn’t believe Charley was gone.
“Oh, I think she said something about going back to Boca Raton. It had something to do with her ex-husband. I think she said he asked her to come back to him. Next thing we knew she handed in her resignation and left.”
“Oh.” Tom couldn’t believe Charley would go back to Jax. She told him how badly Jax had treated her. But he also knew how lonely she was. Maybe she just didn’t want to be alone anymore. Apparently the night they spent together would be their only night. Tom hung up the phone and sat down. Charley was gone and there wasn’t anything he could do about it.
Charley stood in the apartment she and Jax had lived in. Her Lladros were still there in the special display case Jax had insisted on having built. They were once again hers. In fact, so was the apartment, his insurance, everything. Charley thought he had changed everything to his sister’s name when the divorce was final. Apparently, he didn’t.
Charley walked into the bedroom. Everything was as it was the day Jax threw her out in the street with only her clothes. The only change was a picture of them on their wedding day. It was sitting on the night table next to the bed. She hadn’t seen that picture since Jax put it away right after she came home from the hospital.
Charley picked it up. Jax was so handsome and Charley looked incredibly happy. She thought Jax was almost perfect back then. He’d changed over the next year. Somehow, his family and friends had convinced him she wasn’t good enough for him. When she got pregnant he walked out after telling her he wasn’t playing Daddy to a squalling brat, especially, since it couldn’t possibly be his. He was sterile. She tried to convince him that the baby had to be his. She even offered to have a paternity test done. He wouldn’t listen.
She lived in the apartment alone for the next four months. He paid all the bills but didn’t call or acknowledge her at all. She couldn’t believe that he didn’t divorce her then. When she miscarried, he was called to the hospital as next of kin. Charley nearly bled to death on the way to the hospital. She didn’t drive anymore and had to wait for a cab. By the time she reached the hospital she was not only no longer pregnant, she was in dire straights.
When she finally awoke in the hospital and realized what happened, Jax was sitting in the chair next to her. He was stern about her ever getting pregnant again. He still didn’t believe he was the father and if it happened, he wouldn’t take her back again. They went home two days later and things deteriorated even more. She knew he had been drinking and running around during their separation, but he’d never done that while living with her. They became near strangers and over the next several months Charley simply existed.
She moved from the picture to the closet. She was startled to find that all her clothes, the ones he didn’t throw at her the day she left, were hanging in the closet as if she were still there.
In the bottom of the closet, next to Jax’s shoes, was the safe he kept important papers in. She still remembered the combination. His birth month, 12, her birth date, 18 and the year they married 1998. She opened the small steel box and lifted the papers out. The insurance policy was there, stock certificates, and a picture, a baby girl from the looks of it. On the back was written Stephanie Leann Hartley. At the bottom of the box was a letter. It was addressed to Charley. She opened it and began reading.
Dearest Charlene,
If you are reading this letter, it is because I am dead. I was told I needed a heart transplant but never really held any hope of receiving it before it was too late. It gave me time to contemplate my life and the mistakes I made.
I knew you would come, out of curiosity if nothing else. I’m sure my sister Daniella was unpleasant about the whole thing, but pay her no mind. She never liked you and I was foolish enough to listen to her reasons.
I imagine you found the picture of Stephanie. It seems you were right, I wasn’t sterile. It took a stubborn woman looking for child support to convince me in court that I was able to father a child. That revelation brought to me how supremely foolish I really was. I never once thought you to be the tramp Daniella convinced me you were, but when you told me you were pregnant, I accepted her lies and rejected you. It never occurred to me to follow your request and have a paternity test; I simply found it easier to think you were seeing someone else more appealing.
I have regretted that decision more than you could imagine. I had the chance to have a child with the woman I loved but chose to turn her and my child away. I can never say how sorry I am for that. I can never say how sorry I am for treating you the way I did, nor for letting you walk out of my life.
In a fit of rage, I changed the beneficiary of all my possessions to my sister. After I realized what I had done, I had them changed back. Except for a trust fund for Stephanie, you are my sole beneficiary and though it doesn’t make up for the way you were treated, hopefully, you will realize I was thinking of you to my last day and beyond.
I still love you,
Jax
Charley sat reading the letter over and over. She had no idea he still loved her. The thought of what they did to one another stung behind her eyes and she sat crying for the waste.
She stayed in the apartment that night and slept in the bed she’d shared with Jax. She fell asleep thinking how stupid it was that he had to die before he could tell her how he really felt.
Three months later Tom stood at the window of the hospital’s Neo-Natal Care Unit watching as the nurses tended his newly born son. At only six and a half months gestation he weighed less than two pounds. His lungs were not developed and he was struggling to live. There were tubes and wires everywhere and his tiny face was covered with the respirator mask that helped him breathe.
Tom watched with tears rolling down his cheeks. He seemed so tiny, too tiny to live. Tom should have been at home when Fran decided the baby should be born. She had insisted that her doctor induce labor; she didn’t want to be pregnant any longer. If the baby lived, fine, if not, so be it. She didn’t want the child support enough to stay fat and clumsy two more months. She had confided all this to a friend of hers.
The doctor, a physician from Columbia, agreed to ‘deliver’ her for a price. He had prescribed medication that would start labor while Fran was at home. Then she could fake an unexpected early delivery. Fran hadn’t counted on his making mistakes, and make them he did. When she arrived at the hospital, the emergency room doctor gave Fran labor inhibitors after she told him she had no other medications. When her own doctor arrived, he realized she’d done a stupid thing in not making sure no one attended her but him.
Fran went critical right after his arrival and he managed to save the baby, but the inhibitors mixed with the labor inducer caused Fran to start bleeding profusely. She bled to death after the baby was born and the doctor left the hospital immediately. He was no where to be found.
Tom thought the whole thing was ironic justice. Fran hadn’t cared about their son and paid the price. He only hoped his son wouldn’t pay the price as well.
Charley was flipping through the TV channels trying to find something to watch. She had become a near shut in, not going anywhere, even to the grocery store. She called and had the store deliver whatever she needed. Jax had left her very comfortable and though her ex-sister-in-law had tried to block her inheritance, the final blow came when Charley produced Jax’s letter, making it clear that those were his wishes.
As she flipped to ET she saw Tom leaving a Los Angeles hospital. She quickly turned up the volume on the TV and listened to the sad story about how Fran had died and Tom’s son was in Neonatal Intensive Care. She knew how much he wanted that baby and said a prayer that the tiny boy would live. She touched her own belly and thought about the night they spent together. He didn’t know it but Tom would be a father again in five more months. No one knew except her and she would keep that secret.
Charley had already decided to sell the apartment and move back to Oregon, but she wasn’t in any hurry. She wanted a specific price and would wait until someone came along with the money. Tom hadn’t contacted her after he left and that was probably for the best. He needed to get on with his life and Charley knew she wouldn’t fit well in his world. She would make sure his son or daughter would be raised in a warm loving environment, in an area known for good manners and good hearts.
Tom spent endless hours in the ICU with his son. Charles Thomas Hayden was beating the odds. He was still alive after two months in the hospital and was beginning to flourish.
“Mr. Hayden?” Tom looked up from his son to see the pediatrician who was largely responsible for his son being alive.
“Doctor Evans, look how well he’s doing!” Tom beamed. He started to get up from the rocker he was sitting in while holding Charlie.
The doctor stopped him, “Don’t get up. I just came by to tell you it was time to take him elsewhere. He’s doing very well and we need the space for less fortunate tykes.”
“You mean I can take him home?”
“Yep. I want to see him in two weeks, unless anything important comes up between now and then. If he develops a breathing problem or starts a fever, I want him in my office immediately. After that, I think it would be best if you took him to a place with less pollution. Northern California or Oregon would be good. It’s summer and he won’t be so susceptible to colds. His lungs are developing but damaged from the forced breathing machines. I think the clean air and cooler summer in the more northern latitudes would do him good.”
“Hear that, Charlie? We’re going home!” Tom lifted the still tiny baby to his shoulder and shook the doctor’s hand. “I can’t thank you enough, Doctor.”
Doctor Evans smiled, “Well, between the bill I intend to present you and seeing this little guy so healthy, I think that’s thanks enough.”
Tom watched as Doctor Evans walked away. He knew even though the doctor would send him a hefty bill to pay, the man wasn’t in the business solely for money. In fact Tom had met many people during his time at the hospital and several of them said Doctor Evans had waived his fee when he found out the parents couldn’t afford his services. He really was a humanitarian and Tom thanked God he was in a position to pay and happily so. He would have gladly spent his last dime and mortgaged his soul to save little Charlie. Many were the days that he nearly gave up hope. Now he was taking his son home.
“Inez! Inez! Charlie’s going home today!” Tom knew all the nurses and their given names. The ‘nurse this or nurse that’ went by the wayside early on and he counted all of them as friends.
Inez walked from the nurse’s desk. “I know, Tom. Doctor Evans gave me his release papers. Can I help you gather his things?”
“No, that’s okay. I’m going to call Rob and have him come down. There’s too much for me to get and I’ll bet there will be reporters out front when we leave. I want a couple of people to help me get him out of here without incident.”
Rob Chandler was Tom’s closet friend. He occasionally helped Tom with security. Tom called him and Rob assured him that he’d get a couple of their friends to help get both him and little Charlie out of the hospital and through the media.
Charley had reached the point in her pregnancy where she lost her first baby. She tried very hard not to worry about it happening again. She believed worrying might have an adverse effect.
The apartment had sold and she packed all her things and shipped them to Eugene. She was in the middle of unpacking some of those items while watching TV. Entertainment Tonight announced Tom Hayden was finally bringing his son, Charles, home. They showed Tom holding the baby and being escorted by four men through the cameras and reporters. They reiterated the sad story about how Fran gave her life having little Charles. They mentioned how Tom had not attended the funeral in favor of staying at the baby’s crib side. Charley wondered if they knew how little Fran actually cared about Tom or the baby.
There had been a report, right after Fran died, absolving the ER doctor from any wrong doing. That report also told of how the doctor from Columbia was being sought for questioning in Fran’s death. Somehow that story had insinuated that Fran had a hand in the premature birth but the story was quickly squelched and Fran was being portrayed as a loving wife and expectant mother who died giving birth. Charley wondered what the truth really was.
The house Charley chose in Eugene was large and comfortable. It was in a good area and the bus system ran only a block from the house. She still didn’t drive and needed to make sure she could get around. Of course she could always call a taxi, but that was only if it was necessary.
Her obstetrician had an office just one bus ride away and the bus stop was only a half a block walk from the office. After her appointment, Charley decided to take a bus to downtown Eugene and do some shopping. She needed to start buying clothes, a carrier, diapers and other items. She didn’t really want to purchase them just yet, not until she was sure she was beyond having a miscarriage. Still, she needed to shop and see exactly what she wanted so when the time came to actually buy it, she would know where to go.
Charley went to several of the stores and enjoyed looking at the clothes. She hadn’t wanted to know the sex of the baby, but having looked at the little girl's frilly things, she half way hoped it would be a girl. After all, Tom already had a boy. Thank God he’d lived.
She stopped a moment and chided herself for acting as if it made a difference that Tom could have a daughter. He didn’t even know about the baby and probably had already forgotten about her. That was something else that bothered her. Why had he named his son Charles? It wasn’t his father’s name or Fran’s father’s name. Why Charles? He referred to the baby as Charlie in an interview he held at the hospital. Was he thinking of her or did he just like the name? She sighed, realizing she’d been standing like a statue for several minutes just thinking.
Her feet hurt and so did her back. She needed to sit down for a few minutes and rest. There was a little diner across the street. Her mom had taken her there when she was a child. That would be a good place to relax and have something to eat.
Charley had just ordered when she saw Jake and his wife walk through the door. She waved at them and they joined her. Jake gave her a hug and introduced her to Danette, his wife. Charley could see how happy the couple was together. She remembered Jake talking about Danette as a feather-brain, but it was always with love and affection. Even though Jake was ten years older, he was still attractive at forty-five, dark brown eyes and solid frame with no tell tale flab around the belt. Danette on the other hand was petite, with large blue eyes and a mane of curly brown hair.
“When did you get back in town?”
“Just a couple of weeks ago. How are things going at the hotel?”
“I wouldn’t know. After you left, Conrad started on me. You know me, when someone does me dirt I’m outta there. I do know that Conrad is no longer a manager. Someone told Mr. Bendt that Conrad was responsible for both of us leaving and he went ballistic. I guess he knew how much business I brought in and he’d heard several times that you were the best. I guess he figured his son was costing him money and dumped him.”
“Where’s he working now?” Not that Charley cared, but she didn’t want to ‘run into’ him, even as a customer.
“I hear he’s working at Valley River Mall, in a men’s store.”
Charley laughed, “He couldn’t sell underwear let alone anything important. So where are you now?”
“I got a job at the Black Angus. The music is too loud, and the crowd is rowdy, but the tips are good and my boss is great. If you need a job after the baby is born, let me know. I’m sure they could use another good waitress or hostess.”
“Thanks, but Jax left me with more than enough to live on. In fact, he really came through for me.”
Jake and Danette ordered and the waitress held Charley’s order so it came at the same time theirs did. They sat and talked for over an hour. It was good to see Jake again. When it came time to leave, Jake insisted on taking Charlie home. They dropped her off and Jake walked her to her door.
“Charley, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure, Jake. What?”
Jake looked a little embarrassed. “Is Tom Hayden the baby’s father? I won’t tell anyone. I was just curious.”
“Does it make a difference?”
“No. Does he know?”
“No. He never contacted me after he left and I really didn’t know how to find him. Besides, he probably doesn’t even remember me. I only spent one night with him, Jake. It was a mistake.”
“He called the hotel after you left. Kelsey told him you’d gone back to your husband in Florida.”
Charley was stunned. “What? Why did she tell him that and how did she know it was him?”
“He called to get the recipe for the International. When Kelsey said he could talk to one of the chefs he said he wanted to talk to you. I asked her about the conversation and growled at her for giving out misinformation. But by that time it was too late. He’d already hung up.”
Jake promised to keep in touch and Charley went into the house. She sat on the couch thinking about what Jake said. Tom had tried to call her. If he didn’t know Jax was dead, he probably assumed she was still with him. What difference did that make? She would never see him again. Los Angeles is a long way from Eugene.
ON TO PART 4
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