Fletch and I were on our way to a fancy restaurant, and I was positively drooling. Fletch had gotten ready in his room so I wouldn’t see him. He was wearing black dress pants and a dark blue collared shirt. He had a fresh hair cut and shave and smelled like pure sex. I had on a somewhat cocktail dress that I had loved in a store but I never imagined I would have anywhere to actually wear it.
I was totally going to rip that shirt off him when we got back. We got seated in a corner booth, which gave us a good bit of privacy. I was a little taken aback when Fletch slid in next to me instead of across from me, and something told he was not planning to behave. Well, neither was I because I wasn’t wearing panties!
We ordered drinks and an appetizer to share. The very second the waiter’s back was to us, his hand went on my thigh. My dress was only
D.C. was different than I expected, nicer, cleaner and so professional. We had been here two days, wanting to do the tourist thing before my meeting. Chris and Mary had never been here either. We were like the foreign tourists, gawking and taking pictures in front of buildings. I had a blast and it just felt like we were on vacation. They took me out to a real fancy dinner as a belated birthday present and I felt so grown-up. I got a couple postcards to send to Noorah and Erik. Mary took me shopping for a pantsuit to wear to my meeting, even though I told her I’d rather go in jeans and chucks. “They aren’t going to give a damn what I’m wearing, I might as well be comfortable.” But she wasn’t having it. She was at my room first thing the morning of the big day, ready to do my ha
I had been back a couple of days and there was a definite shift in our relationship. Fletch was nervous, even though I tried to reassure him. Sure, Scott made me a great offer, even for part time the money was more than anything I could have expected. Not to mention free college, free housing, it seemed like a no brainer. But I would not leave Fletch. I really didn’t want to leave Chris either, and I really enjoyed some of the other math students. This was my home for now and I wasn’t ready for change. It got to be a week since I had been back and I got a call from Toby. He asked if there was anything else he could do to ease my mind and I told him that I would love to continue to take whatever they could give me, but I would not make a decision until the end of the summer, at the earliest. I wanted this summer with Fletch, he was staying again and taking a full semester.
Javi looked at me, waiting for me to finish my thought, but I wasn’t quite sure how to. “I need to speak to you, alone,” I said to Javi. “Everyone hang tight,” he said, leading me into a smaller room. “What is it,” he said impatiently. “I think you need to get Scott in here for this,” I said, starting to hyperventilate. “Scott is my boss but I am the one knee deep in this shit, so whatever you just figured out, you need to tell me.” I looked out into the room, “this … that … it’s a bomb, a big fucking bomb,” I said breathless. He st
“Rae … Rae …” I heard a man whisper. I shot up, ready to defend myself against whoever was there. My hand flew on it’s own at the figure beside me and a firm hand stopped it before making contact. “Well, it’s good you can at least somewhat try to defend yourself,” Javi said. I wasn’t wearing a bra so I snatched the covers up over myself. “Knocking is this crazy new thing people do, have you heard of it,” I fussed. “I don’t have to knock in my own house,” he said as a matter of fact. Huh? His house?? Shit, was this his bedroom?!
It seemed like Fletch and I were both just constantly being pulled in different directions. He was now 20, and recruiters and scouts were stalking him like prey. Of course, the 49ers were his only interest. Over the next semester and the course of football season, different teams were trying to meet with him, and trying to get him to go visit their operations. It was exhausting for us both and because of Scott’s directive, I couldn’t go with him. The promises of fame, money, endorsements, etc., none of it mattered to me, but I would see that twinkle in Fletch’s eye every time he came home. I didn’t want to admit what was starting to stare me in the face, but our lives were pulling us in very different directions. Either he was flying off somewhere or Toby was coming to fly me to D.C. I insisted that I could get there on my own just fin
As if all the shit I had going on wasn’t enough, I still had finals in two weeks. I had a huge paper to finish and I had no drive. There really wasn’t even anyone I could talk to about this, I couldn’t let anyone know about the potential danger. Corey got in my head and I was now paranoid. Every little noise, every shadow that followed me when I was out of my room. Fletch was being very distant, and blamed it on all the stress he was under, he had even been sleeping in his room some nights, which really hurt. One night I was so lonely for him, I went down to his room to see him, but there were a lot of guys in his room playing video games and being rowdy, so I just left. I had just finished my last final, and I was feeling pretty good about it. I wandered back to my room, ready for a nap and fou
It had been a week since I had last seen Fletch. I felt numb, I felt lost. It just didn’t seem real. I had very vivid dreams where we were together, he was holding me … and yet I’d wake up to an empty bed. I spent hours looking at our pictures, remembering his hands on me. Remembering our trips and our hot sex. I was never going to feel him like that again, never feel his warmth that came to mean everything to me. It was my comfort, my safe place.A few days later I was settled into an apartment ... in Javi’s building. Coincidence? Scott knew I was in a fragile place, mentally and he did everything to keep me busy. Toby was constantly around, I think he had a crush on me, but he wasn’t my type. Hell did I have a type?
~This is part two, Javi's story~I saw things, things no child should ever have to see.I saw my mom shoot up, I saw her almost overdose multiple times. I saw her fucking men, I was forced to watch her get raped more than once.I saw drug deals, I saw people get stabbed, get shot.It was south central Los Angeles, in the late 90’s and shit was just always crazy. The woman who gave birth to me, Lydia, had left Mexico when she was 17 for a better life. She came with a pimp, who promised her the world and then left her as soon as she got pregnant from a john.Lydia should have never have gotten pregnant, and even after that, she could have put me up for adoption, but she was selfish.
~One Year Later, Rae’s Point of View~I was utterly and completely exhausted. I had been up two days helping finalize the new build for our D.C. village location. We really wanted to hit up L.A. next since the homelessness situation out there is beyond dire, but with a small baby we just couldn’t be back and forth like that right now.We let Marcus take the reins on L.A., and he was out scouting locations and getting conversations started to make it our third location. The guys were really flourishing and it just seemed like this what we were all meant to be doing.Even more time flew by and we were now about 95% finished with things for the D.C. location ... I was so ready for it to be done. We planned to take a long and much needed month long vacation once it was ready.
Rae had on a sexy little dress that hugged her body perfectly. I was hard just looking at her, but I usually was anyhow. She got us a quiet booth in the back and had actually reserved the table in front of us too for a little privacy.I didn't like her being in public with so little covering her. Her body was only for my eyes, but she was so happy and with today's news I wasn't about to pick a fight or make her feel self conscious.I slid in next to her, instead of in front of her. This way, both of our backs were to the room and it was less likely anyone would see us.Unfortunately, that meant I couldn’t see anyone coming but I was willing to risk it. We ordered drinks and an appetizer even though I already wet my appetite a few minutes ago, I thought … licking my lips and still tasting her
Javi and I got so busy over the next few months, as you can imagine … I forgot to renew my birth control shot until it was well over a month past its time. We still humped like rabbits every single chance we got and something just told me I was knocked up.I was desperately putting off taking a test because a test meant it was real. A test meant people getting excited and wanting to talk about it all the time. A test meant Javi probably sticking me in the RV and not letting me out.Part of me was pissed I let this happen, and part of me was excited. As I thought about letting myself get excited, all I could think about was mom. Having a baby without my mom. Man, that is going to be rough.Dad was now dating a nice lady and seemed pretty happy. He’s only met Javi now a few times, but he
We first had to decide what city we wanted to be close to, and we all decided on being between Philly and NYC for our first spot. That would also put us a bit closer to Corey’s cabin. We decided to let Corey in on it, and he and Javi both were putting up $10 million each.As we started to get plans together, we were hopeful this initial investment would be enough to fund maybe three or four villages until we could start getting other donations. I had never been so excited and consumed by something, it gave me such hope and it was the breath of fresh air we all needed.Corey’s dearest Perry, of course acted as our counsel and was helping with the paperwork to begin a non-profit. Javi had a lead on a 70 acre lot in Doylestown, just north of Philly and only about three hours from Corey’s cabin.
The day after the presser we were all just exhausted. I was beat from the incessant questioning from dad and Erik. Chris and Mary were leaving in the morning and going to spend the rest of the visit on their own.I finally got dad and Erik to leave us alone and I was so ready for some quality time with my husband.Dad hadn’t even been gone for five minutes when the doorbell rang, and I thought maybe he’d forgotten something.Javi answered the door and there stood two men … one was older and the other looked like the Hulk. Javi must have been expecting them because his eyes lit up and he welcomed them in. They came in and the older man sat at the kitchen table with a briefcase, handcuffed to his wrist.What the heck?
The death of Maziar reverberated through the region and the other actors who were also working on the bomb intel were backing away. There was really no other option.Javi said before they left Maziar’s house, they threw cooking oil and liquor on his white boards and lit them on fire, after taking pictures of it all. I didn’t care to look at any of it, I wanted to forget it desperately.Noora had to die for their stupid bomb.They gave the information to Scott, and whatever he was going to do with it, I wasn’t sure I cared. Various news outlets were already reporting wild stories, some true and some nowhere near true.The agency would not be releasing that I killed Maziar and Hashem, and I
After Fletch left I sat by myself on the couch for a few minutes, and tried to process what just happened. My head was spinning and I felt like I was going to throw up. I knew Javi would press me to know what we talked about, and I don’t know if I could tell him Fletch wanted to propose.Would he second guess himself?Would he always wonder in the back of his mind if that was who I really wanted?He was always so nuts whenever another guy was around, knowing that another man offered me a ring, whew that’s heavy shit. I was torn, but I also operated under the assumption I would likely never see Fletch again.In the end of my own pep talk, I decided not to tell him. I picked the rubberband up off the arm of the couch and wrapped it aroun
I tried to figure out how to ask Javi to marry me while we were in Europe. I didn’t care if he put a rubber band on my finger, I was beyond in love with him and that was all I needed.There were sandwiches waiting for us on the second plane and we pretty much inhaled them. I also had an ice cold coke, and it was phenomenal. With a full belly and a hopeful mind, I fell asleep with my head in Javi’s lap.“Wake up baby, we made it,” Javi said whispering in my ear.I opened my eyes and looked out the window, the sun was coming up.“A new dawn, a new day,” I said.“Exactly why I don’t want to wait baby, I had Toby find a pastor on base, if you’ll s
None of us slept, we were all just running on adrenaline at this point.The pilot on the plane was going to meet us and smuggle us on. Javi said the pilot, who was this businessman’s usual guy, was actually retired Air Force and happy to help us. Javi didn’t think it was fair that the pilot not know what he was getting into. I couldn’t believe the lengths people were going to, for us ... for total strangers and it kept bringing tears to my eyes.Marcus arranged for a van to take us to the airport and my heart was racing. Javi didn’t let go of my hand and he was making me hot and sweaty. We were on a dirt access road and it was pitch black, but I hoped that would work in our favor.I could see the plane, it was about a only about a quarter mile away. There was a van with the