The Reunion, Chapter 2
At the rate ideas are coming to me for this story I should have it completed in about a month or so, depending upon how much I am able to write per day. What I present to you now, for your reading pleasure, commentary, and inquiry, is the uncut, unedited, raw first look. However, as I am writing this to be published, this unfortunately will likely be the last look you get before it's completed. So please share any thoughts or suggestions now and perhaps you can help me shape this story.
Without further ado, please join me as we follow Jamie Tanner on the journey his life takes after a chance encounter at... The Reunion.
_____________Chapter 2.
Jamie sat on the deck and sipped his coffee. A warm, early September breeze blew strongly and caused ripples to work their way across the surfaces of the large, in ground pool and hot tub to his right. Closing his eyes he breathed in the sweet, late summer air and embraced the warmth of the sun on his face. Inevitably his mind drifted before he could open his eyes and he thought of the tender kiss he shared with Sydney the night before. He had dreamed of such a moment – twenty years ago. The possibility of it happening in adulthood had never crossed his mind. Having no expectations of half of those people even remembering him, Jamie figured that he would go to the reunion, have a couple of drinks with a few close friends, reconnect with a select few others, and call it a night. What happened with Sydney changed everything.
“It probably meant nothing,” he said to himself as he sipped. His inner Freud would not let the fact that he qualified his statement with the word “probably” go unnoticed, however. Jamie cringed as he sipped his coffee, causing a faint trace of the hot liquid to dribble down his chin. It was the surprise visit that caused him to spill the rest of it in his lap.
“I told you that you’d survive!”
Jamie spun around at the sound of Liz’s voice and knocked the cup right onto his thighs in the process. “Damn it Liz! Stop sneaking up on me like that!”
Liz just laughed. “Oh get over it. We had soccer this morning and figured we’d stop by.” It was then that Jamie noticed Madison standing behind her mother.
“Hi Maddie.”
“Hi Uncle Jamie. It looks like you peed your pants.”
“Awesome. Can I go get changed now?” Jamie asked as he walked passed Liz and tussled Maddie’s hair along the way. She giggled. He loved hearing six year old giggles. He quickly changed into a new pair of shorts, tossed the coffee soaked pair in the washer, and joined Liz and her daughter in the kitchen.
“Uncle Jamie can I watch SpongeBob?”
“Sure honey.”
“Yes!” she exclaimed as she bounded off into the family room. Liz watched her go and looked around. Jamie had a nice house. A big house. A house perfect for a family.
“When are you gonna sell this place?” she asked.
“Don’t start with me,” he replied shortly, pointing at her while he poured another cup of coffee. “We’ve talked about this.”
“I know. I just hate to see you here in this big place all by yourself.”
“I can afford it. She wanted out and she cheated on me, so she got no alimony.”
“Not my point.”
“I know. I know,” he said sorrowfully. This time he peered around the corner and into the family room where Maddie was giggling away. “I know.”
Liz’s heart ached for her friend. Rather than let his mind drift to the place she knew it was going, she turned his attention back to the reunion. “So, again I say, I told you that you’d survive. It wasn’t that bad, admit it.”
“No, it really wasn’t,” he answered evasively. She could tell he was holding something back.
“What? What happened?” she asked with a mischievous grin. She had pulled her stool up close to the counter and was resting her elbows on the granite and her head on her hands. When he didn’t answer right away she batted her eyes at him.
“Oh for Christ’s sake, knock it off. Nothing happened.”
“You’re lying.”
Jamie winced. Liz always knew when he was lying. She was worse than his real sister when it came to that. “Fine. Something kind of, well, weird happened.” Liz moved in closer, listening intently as Jamie lowered his voice so Maddie wouldn’t hear them. “When I walked out Sydney was on the phone outside with I’m guessing her husband. I could hear everything.”
“And?”
“And he sounds like a douche bag. From what I could gather he told her he didn’t want to go with her to the reunion, but then took off with his buddies to go drinking and left the kids home alone.”
Liz pondered for a moment. Sydney had two kids as best as she could remember. They would run into each other every now and then at a book fair or some school function. Sydney’s youngest was a year ahead of Maddie and just starting second grade. The other was in seventh grade. “Wait, he left two kids home alone and the oldest is only 12? And he was gonna come home drunk?”
Jamie nodded. “Yeah. Nice, huh?”
“What a dick!”
“Tell me about it. But here’s the thing – After she hung up, she saw me. I sat with her for a minute, calmed her down, and then,” he said without continuing.
“And then what?”
“Then she called after me, ran over and gave me a hug, and a kiss.”
“On the cheek, right? Tell me she kissed you on the cheek,” Liz demanded, going all big-sister on him. The flush of his cheeks told her otherwise.
“It wasn’t passionate, or even long. Just a soft peck on the lips. She kissed me and ran back in side. That’s it, I swear.”
“James Robert Tanner, you know better.”
“Ok, mom,” he said derisively.
“I’m serious. I mean I’m all for you getting back out there, but she’s married. Apparently to a royal asshole, to boot. Jamie, I know you had a crush on her twenty years ago, but you can’t,” she began.
“I know! And I’m not. Liz, she was upset, probably still a little drunk, and needed a friend, that’s all. I’m just going to let it go.”
“No you’re not. I know you Jamie. Your mind is going a mile a minute and you’re wondering if it meant something and you don’t know what to do right now. If’ I’m wrong I’ll eat my phone.”
Jamie didn’t say a word. She was absolutely right. Sometimes he hated the fact that she knew him so well. “So what do I do?”
“Nothing. You do nothing. You pretend it didn’t happen. You stay out of her domestic, whatever, and pretend it didn’t happen. If you don’t I’ll personally kick your ass.”
“I know you will. Don’t worry. Now aren’t you gonna be late for soccer?”
Liz glanced down at her watch. “Shit! Yes. No. I can make it! Maddie! Move your butt!” she yelled. Turning back to Jamie she leaned over the counter and kissed him on the cheek. “Love you, brother.”
“Love you too. Now get the hell out of my house. Stalker.”
“You love meeeeee,” she sang as she and Maddie ran to the car, causing Jamie to laugh out loud. His laughter subsided once he shut the door. Instinctively he went into his office and logged on, hoping to see a message from Sydney. Nothing. At least nothing from her. There was a couple of new friend requests, some of which he accepted and others he ignored. But nothing from Sydney.
“She’s busy. She has kids, and it is Labor Day weekend,” he reasoned. “Crap!” he yelled. He was supposed to be going over to his sister’s for a picnic and bringing his famous baked beans. It was already 10:30 and they took two hours to cook. The party started at 1:00. “Crap crap crap!” he kept muttering as he foraged through the cabinets for the beans, molasses and brown sugar. Thankfully it took his mind off of the previous night.
As Liz drove towards the soccer field she hoped to herself that Jamie wouldn’t do something stupid, like call Sydney. Or think about Sydney. Or think about thinking about Sydney, for that matter. Her own thoughts were interrupted by a small voice from the car seat behind her.
“Mommy, what’s a douche bag?”
Liz smacked her hand to her forehead. “I’m going to kill him,” she whispered to herself. “Honey I’ll explain that when your older. Are you ready for soccer?” she asked, deftly changing the subject. While she drove and thought about her friend, Jamie worked feverishly in his kitchen rendering bacon, chopping green peppers and creating his masterpiece of the barbecue season. Once it was in the oven he relaxed and went to take a shower. Before he did, however, he checked is phone. His heart seemed to skip as he saw he had received the message through Facebook from Sydney. It read, simply, “Thank you again.” Jamie beamed and bounded up the stairs.
By the time the beans were done and he could throw them in a crock pot it was nearly quarter to one. Luckily Daphne, his only sibling, lived in the same town and barely five minutes away. His record of arriving on time for every family function remained intact.
“Hello, darling sister of mine!” Jamie called out as he walked in.
“Hey brat! In the kitchen!” she called back. Daphne was barely a year older that Jamie and, throughout most of their lives, they had often been confused for twins. Much to Daphne’s dismay, they also bore a striking physical resemblance.
“Mom and dad here yet?” Jamie asked as he reached over his sister’s shoulder to grab a strawberry off of the fruit tray she was preparing. She whacked him with her spoon in retaliation for his culinary digression. “Ow!” he exclaimed as he rubbed his hand.
“Keep your mitts off! No, they’re not here yet. Dad was trying to squeeze in nine holes before they came over.”
“Great. That means mom is going to be in a lovely mood. You have the wine ready?” In answer to her brother’s query she simply opened the door and pointed to the box of White Zinfandel sitting on the top shelf. “Good call. Peter out back with the kids?”
“Yeah. They couldn’t wait to go in the pool. I swear, if there’s any water left in the pool by the time everyone else gets here I’ll be amazed. I’ve already heard two “cowabungas” and three “cannon balls.” And that was just Peter,” she said with a wink.
“So, who all is coming?”
“Cousins Chrissy and Matt and their broods, Eileen and John, Mom and Dad, and maybe Craig and the boys.”
Jamie nodded in acknowledgment of the list of usual suspects. He would have fun and loved playing in the pool with the kids, as much heartache as it caused him. Daphne had always tried to get him to divorce Amanda sooner and was secretly glad when she found out Amanda had actually served him with papers. He was still young, under forty, and had plenty of time to meet someone and start a family of his own.
“So how was the reunion?” She asked as she whip-snapped him in the butt with the kitchen towel she was holding. He dodged the question momentarily by reaching for another towel to retaliate. He managed to get her good and, satisfied that he had exacted his revenge, popped open a beer and sat down at the kitchen table.
“It was fine. Cary was in town so we hung out for a while.”
“Any pretty, popular girls still single?” she asked teasingly. Jamie just rolled his eyes.
“A couple, but they’re still snooty bitches. And I’m not looking, thank you very much.”
“Why not?”
“Don’t start. I already got that earful from Liz.”
Daphne snickered. She too loved Liz. Being so close in age Daphne and Jamie shared many friends. Daphne, like Jamie, had known Liz since Daphne was seven. Liz was the sister that Daphne never had. In fact, had Liz not had to go to her in-laws for a picnic, she and Tom likely would have been at Daphne’s for the afternoon, too.
“Whatever. I heard there was some excitement, though.”
Jamie squinted his eyes at her with a puzzled look. “What excitement?”
“I talked to Carolyn this morning. Apparently someone saw Sydney Campbell kiss some guy and it got back to David. From what Carolyn said, he beat her up pretty bad. Thankfully a neighbor heard the commotion and called the police.”
It took Jamie a moment to process what he was hearing. Whether by conscious choice or subconscious denial, he always had trouble remembering Sydney’s married name. The revelation struck him like a freight train. “What? Is she ok? What happened?”
Daphne was taken aback by the seemingly overzealous reaction her brother just had to her statement and immediately surmised that he knew more about what had happened than he was letting on. “Yeah, I guess she’s got a black eye and some bad bruising on her arms where Dave yanked her around. Kids woke up and saw the whole thing. At least she finally pressed charges. From what Carolyn said Dave’s in jail right now and Sid’s got a restraining order.”
Jamie sunk in his chair and tears of guilt welled in his eyes. His reaction confirmed that he had information vital to the story. “James, what do you know?” she asked, sounding just like their mother. “What happened last night?” she asked. Jamie proceeded to tell her about the fight on the phone, and the kiss.
“I swear it was nothing. She ran up, gave me a hug, said thank you, pecked me on the lips and went back inside.”
Daphne frowned. “My dear brother, when a woman is that appreciative and kisses you, it is never “nothing.” She was desperately reaching out for something. For attention. For someone to care. I’m not saying it wholly sincere, but that kiss meant something. Please tell me you’re not,” she said with pause, hoping that her lingering silence would hammer her point home.
“I’m not even thinking about it, although now I do feel responsible.”
“Don’t. Don’t you dare. David Campbell is an asshole, everyone knows he’s an asshole, and he’ll always be an asshole. Why she married him in the first place I will never know. Hopefully this will be the last straw and she can move on with her life.” Daphne noted the furrowed brow and brooding despair on Jamie’s face. “Jamie, I’m serious. This wasn’t your fault. If things happened the way you say they did, Sydney brought this on herself.”
Jamie frowned. He knew his sister was right but his chivalrous compassion wouldn’t let him let it go. He tried to enjoy himself the rest of the afternoon, and he did, though Sydney never left his mind. By the time he left it was after dark. It took all of his self control to keep himself from pulling up the reunion mailing list on his phone and looking up Sydney’s address. He wanted to apologize, though, for what he wasn’t sure. Liz and Daphne were both correct – he really didn’t do anything. Jamie was simply the unfortunate vessel through which Sydney reached out for help. He hated that it caused her so much pain, both physically and unquestionably emotionally. Hate wasn’t a word that Jamie Tanner used often but it was the only word he could think of to describe his feelings towards David Campbell at the moment. It was a fitful sleep that he slept that night as he couldn’t help but wonder how Sydney was coping.
By ten a.m. his guilty conscience had overcome him and he could no longer resist pulling up that mailing list on his computer. As fate would have it, Sydney didn’t live all that far from Daphne. I t wouldn’t be a stretch to say he was in the neighborhood if he were to stop by. Honest to a fault, Jamie would in fact visit his sister’s, but not before he went to apologize to Sydney for his role in her predicament. Even more nervousness and apprehensiveness than he felt pulling in the parking lot for the reunion filled him now as he pulled in Sydney’s driveway. His anxiety made him feel as if his heart would beat right out of his chest. Already parked there was a large Chevy pick-up and he immediately feared that David was home. Then something occurred to him – If what Daphne said was true, Sydney had a restraining order and David wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the house, her or the children. Therefore, it stood to reason that Jamie wasn’t the only one concerned for Sydney’s well being and she had another visitor. Jamie took a deep breath as he rung the doorbell and let out a sigh of relief when Sydney’s brother answered the door.
“Tanner. What are you doing here?” he asked gruffly. Dan Hoffman was two years younger than Sydney and, though Jamie knew him, he didn’t know him well. In high school Jamie played hockey, Dan played football. The two teams never really got along.
“I heard what happened after the reunion. My sister lives nearby so while I was over this way I thought I’d stop by and see how Sydney was doing.”
“She’s fine. She doesn’t really want to see anyone, but thanks for stopping by,” Dan said sternly as he began to shut the door. Jamie thrust his hand forward to stop it before it latched.
“Look, Dan, I really need to talk to her. I kind of feel responsible for what happened.”
Dan pulled the door opened wide, grabbed two fistfuls of Jamie’s shirt and shoved him against the side of the porch. “So you’re the son of a bitch that got her beat up?” Dan yelled.
“Danny! What the hell is wrong with you?” Sydney called from behind him. “Let him go!” she demanded as she stepped forward. “I said let him go, Danny.”
“If he didn’t kiss you,” Dan reasoned, without loosening his grip on Jamie’s shirt. For his part, Jamie remained calm, but defensive.
“I kissed him, Dan. It was me. This wasn’t Jamie’s fault. Now let him go.”
Reluctantly Dan released Jamie from his grasp and stood backwards. “Sorry, Jamie. Things have just been a little tense around. No hard feelings.”
Jamie nodded. “No worries, man. I’d do the same thing for Daphne.”
Dan forced a smile at Jamie before turning and looking at his sister with an air of disappointment. She glared back. “Thanks for staying today Danny, but I’m ok. I do have to talk to Jamie so you can go if you want.” It was less of an offer that it was a request. Dan got the hint, called goodbye to his niece and nephew and headed out, leaving Jamie and Sydney standing alone in the foyer. It was then that Jamie could finally see the end results of their encounter. Sydney’s left eye and cheek were bruised badly and slightly swollen. Though it was nearly eighty degrees outside she wore a thin cotton pullover with long sleeves, no doubt to hide the bruises on her forearms where she had tried to defend herself and from where David had grabbed her. She spoke before Jamie had a chance to deliver the apology she knew was coming, but wasn’t warranted.
“Jamie this wasn’t your fault, so please don’t blame yourself. If anything, I should be apologizing to you for dragging you into my mess.” She looked down and away for two reasons. One, she felt ashamed. Sydney didn’t want anyone to see here like that and the only people that had seen her, aside from obviously David and the children, were Danny and Carolyn, who had driven her to the hospital in the first place. She also knew that Jamie had in fact been dragged into what had already been a volatile situation and one that had only been exacerbated by her impulsiveness. That she regretted immensely.
“Sydney, you don’t need to apologize. You are my friend. I know it’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other but you were always one of the nice ones. You treated me with respect. The least I can do is return the favor now.”
“You’re so sweet,” she said, turning back to face him. Suddenly she didn’t mind allowing Jamie to see her battered face. She trusted him. “We really do have to talk, though. You don’t know David. This isn’t over.”
Jamie nodded and followed Sydney into the kitchen. Her two children, Brandon, twelve, and Tatum, seven, sat in the family room watching cartoons. Both children were blessed with their mother’s strong German genes which showed through in their sandy blond hair and strikingly blue eyes. For a moment Jamie wondered what his own children would look like some day. Born of an Italian father and a British mother, Jamie bore no real identifying features of either nationality. He had lighter skin, belying his Italian heritage, and perfect teeth, as he would often joke much to his mother’s dismay. Sydney’s offer of a glass of tea broke him from his thoughts.
“Sure, that would be great,” he replied reluctantly. “Look, Sydney, I don’t want to cause any problems. I just wanted to come by and see how you were doing and apologize. If my being here is going to stir things up,” he offered.
Sydney scoffed. “Jamie, I honestly don’t care anymore. David is in jail, and assuming his parents are stupid enough to bail him out I’ve got a restraining order. He can’t come within five hundred feet of me or the kids and isn’t even allowed to call. I’m done. Carolyn gave me the name of the lawyer she used when she got divorced. I’m calling him first thing Tuesday. I can’t put my children through this anymore.”
Jamie felt for her, having gone through a divorce himself. He knew first hand the pain that accompanied the process and didn’t envy her having to go through it with two children in tow. Still, he was glad that she had found the strength to end a bad situation. Again Sydney’s words interrupted his inner dialogue.
“Jamie, you need to be careful. Apparently it was Chad Darcy that saw us. I guess he left the Reunion and went straight to the McGuiness Pub to tell David. He’s dangerous, Jamie. I don’t know what he’ll do. I have a restraining order, you don’t.”
Jamie assured her that he would be fine, and Sydney sighed. For the next several hours they sat in the kitchen, and then the deck as the kid’s played in the yard, and then back to the kitchen while Sydney filled Jamie in on the last fourteen years of her life. David was three years older than they were but had always had a crush on Sydney in high school. They dated when she was a sophomore and he was a senior. He left for college and they split up, only to reunite years later after a chance encounter in the grocery store. They were eventually married, and everything went down hill from there. David was both an egomaniac and a control freak. Sydney was the picture perfect PTA wife and mother, but behind the scenes David controlled everything. He had only been physically abusive on a few occasions, usually alcohol fueled rages.
Like so many other “popular” girls, Sydney actually suffered from relatively low self esteem and feel easily into the complacency of her marriage. David, for his abusiveness, flattered her and bought her pretty things. It was how things were supposed to be, she told herself. She had convinced herself that David did the things he did because he loved her. She spent many years repeating that mantra until she believed it. Despite years of Carolyn scolding her for it, it was Jamie’s soft words after the reunion that finally broke her. Glancing up at the kitchen clock she realized it was time for Tatum to go to bed.
“Jamie, thank you again. For your kind words the other night, for sitting here and listening, for everything. I am so sorry to involve you in all of this.”
“That’s what friends do,” he replied softly as he reached across the table to take hold of her hand. Again, an overwhelming wave of comfort washed over him with her physical touch. “I’m here, whatever you need, I hope you know that.”
Sydney was starting to grow emotional and wiped a tear from her eye. The kids had seen her cry enough in the last two days. Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she stood.
“Brandon, Tatum, come say goodbye to Mr. Tanner and go brush your teeth.”
“Bye!” the both called in unison as they bounded upstairs. Sydney walked Jamie to the door and, as they stood in the doorway, found herself once again fighting the urge to embrace a man she really didn’t know well, but well enough to be drawn in by his sincerity and compassion.
“Goodnight Sydney. Hang in there. Call me if you need me ok?” he suggested before giving her a hug. Sydney held him tightly.
“I will,” she whispered. As she pulled away she purposely held her arms against the sides of his body until her hands rested on his hips. Jamie looked down into her pleading eyes before closing his own and rhetorically asking himself what the hell he was doing. He didn’t know anymore, and in that moment he didn’t care. He leaned down and kissed Sydney, softly at first. Sydney found herself lost in his gentleness, remembering for the first time in a long time what it felt like to be kissed by a man who genuinely cared for her. They released themselves, if only briefly, to the passion between them as her tongue found his. It was all he could do to break away.
“I’ll call you, I promise,” Sydney said, leaning her head against his chest as he held her again.
“You better.”
Jamie waved as he backed out of the driveway. Sydney watched him leave and smiled before noticing the throbbing pain in her cheek. Her smile withdrew as she closed the door and scolded herself for her impulsiveness once again. From his car parked a couple doors away, just enough out of sight so Sydney couldn’t see him, Chad Darcy glared angrily.
Jamie sat on the deck and sipped his coffee. A warm, early September breeze blew strongly and caused ripples to work their way across the surfaces of the large, in ground pool and hot tub to his right. Closing his eyes he breathed in the sweet, late summer air and embraced the warmth of the sun on his face. Inevitably his mind drifted before he could open his eyes and he thought of the tender kiss he shared with Sydney the night before. He had dreamed of such a moment – twenty years ago. The possibility of it happening in adulthood had never crossed his mind. Having no expectations of half of those people even remembering him, Jamie figured that he would go to the reunion, have a couple of drinks with a few close friends, reconnect with a select few others, and call it a night. What happened with Sydney changed everything.
“It probably meant nothing,” he said to himself as he sipped. His inner Freud would not let the fact that he qualified his statement with the word “probably” go unnoticed, however. Jamie cringed as he sipped his coffee, causing a faint trace of the hot liquid to dribble down his chin. It was the surprise visit that caused him to spill the rest of it in his lap.
“I told you that you’d survive!”
Jamie spun around at the sound of Liz’s voice and knocked the cup right onto his thighs in the process. “Damn it Liz! Stop sneaking up on me like that!”
Liz just laughed. “Oh get over it. We had soccer this morning and figured we’d stop by.” It was then that Jamie noticed Madison standing behind her mother.
“Hi Maddie.”
“Hi Uncle Jamie. It looks like you peed your pants.”
“Awesome. Can I go get changed now?” Jamie asked as he walked passed Liz and tussled Maddie’s hair along the way. She giggled. He loved hearing six year old giggles. He quickly changed into a new pair of shorts, tossed the coffee soaked pair in the washer, and joined Liz and her daughter in the kitchen.
“Uncle Jamie can I watch SpongeBob?”
“Sure honey.”
“Yes!” she exclaimed as she bounded off into the family room. Liz watched her go and looked around. Jamie had a nice house. A big house. A house perfect for a family.
“When are you gonna sell this place?” she asked.
“Don’t start with me,” he replied shortly, pointing at her while he poured another cup of coffee. “We’ve talked about this.”
“I know. I just hate to see you here in this big place all by yourself.”
“I can afford it. She wanted out and she cheated on me, so she got no alimony.”
“Not my point.”
“I know. I know,” he said sorrowfully. This time he peered around the corner and into the family room where Maddie was giggling away. “I know.”
Liz’s heart ached for her friend. Rather than let his mind drift to the place she knew it was going, she turned his attention back to the reunion. “So, again I say, I told you that you’d survive. It wasn’t that bad, admit it.”
“No, it really wasn’t,” he answered evasively. She could tell he was holding something back.
“What? What happened?” she asked with a mischievous grin. She had pulled her stool up close to the counter and was resting her elbows on the granite and her head on her hands. When he didn’t answer right away she batted her eyes at him.
“Oh for Christ’s sake, knock it off. Nothing happened.”
“You’re lying.”
Jamie winced. Liz always knew when he was lying. She was worse than his real sister when it came to that. “Fine. Something kind of, well, weird happened.” Liz moved in closer, listening intently as Jamie lowered his voice so Maddie wouldn’t hear them. “When I walked out Sydney was on the phone outside with I’m guessing her husband. I could hear everything.”
“And?”
“And he sounds like a douche bag. From what I could gather he told her he didn’t want to go with her to the reunion, but then took off with his buddies to go drinking and left the kids home alone.”
Liz pondered for a moment. Sydney had two kids as best as she could remember. They would run into each other every now and then at a book fair or some school function. Sydney’s youngest was a year ahead of Maddie and just starting second grade. The other was in seventh grade. “Wait, he left two kids home alone and the oldest is only 12? And he was gonna come home drunk?”
Jamie nodded. “Yeah. Nice, huh?”
“What a dick!”
“Tell me about it. But here’s the thing – After she hung up, she saw me. I sat with her for a minute, calmed her down, and then,” he said without continuing.
“And then what?”
“Then she called after me, ran over and gave me a hug, and a kiss.”
“On the cheek, right? Tell me she kissed you on the cheek,” Liz demanded, going all big-sister on him. The flush of his cheeks told her otherwise.
“It wasn’t passionate, or even long. Just a soft peck on the lips. She kissed me and ran back in side. That’s it, I swear.”
“James Robert Tanner, you know better.”
“Ok, mom,” he said derisively.
“I’m serious. I mean I’m all for you getting back out there, but she’s married. Apparently to a royal asshole, to boot. Jamie, I know you had a crush on her twenty years ago, but you can’t,” she began.
“I know! And I’m not. Liz, she was upset, probably still a little drunk, and needed a friend, that’s all. I’m just going to let it go.”
“No you’re not. I know you Jamie. Your mind is going a mile a minute and you’re wondering if it meant something and you don’t know what to do right now. If’ I’m wrong I’ll eat my phone.”
Jamie didn’t say a word. She was absolutely right. Sometimes he hated the fact that she knew him so well. “So what do I do?”
“Nothing. You do nothing. You pretend it didn’t happen. You stay out of her domestic, whatever, and pretend it didn’t happen. If you don’t I’ll personally kick your ass.”
“I know you will. Don’t worry. Now aren’t you gonna be late for soccer?”
Liz glanced down at her watch. “Shit! Yes. No. I can make it! Maddie! Move your butt!” she yelled. Turning back to Jamie she leaned over the counter and kissed him on the cheek. “Love you, brother.”
“Love you too. Now get the hell out of my house. Stalker.”
“You love meeeeee,” she sang as she and Maddie ran to the car, causing Jamie to laugh out loud. His laughter subsided once he shut the door. Instinctively he went into his office and logged on, hoping to see a message from Sydney. Nothing. At least nothing from her. There was a couple of new friend requests, some of which he accepted and others he ignored. But nothing from Sydney.
“She’s busy. She has kids, and it is Labor Day weekend,” he reasoned. “Crap!” he yelled. He was supposed to be going over to his sister’s for a picnic and bringing his famous baked beans. It was already 10:30 and they took two hours to cook. The party started at 1:00. “Crap crap crap!” he kept muttering as he foraged through the cabinets for the beans, molasses and brown sugar. Thankfully it took his mind off of the previous night.
As Liz drove towards the soccer field she hoped to herself that Jamie wouldn’t do something stupid, like call Sydney. Or think about Sydney. Or think about thinking about Sydney, for that matter. Her own thoughts were interrupted by a small voice from the car seat behind her.
“Mommy, what’s a douche bag?”
Liz smacked her hand to her forehead. “I’m going to kill him,” she whispered to herself. “Honey I’ll explain that when your older. Are you ready for soccer?” she asked, deftly changing the subject. While she drove and thought about her friend, Jamie worked feverishly in his kitchen rendering bacon, chopping green peppers and creating his masterpiece of the barbecue season. Once it was in the oven he relaxed and went to take a shower. Before he did, however, he checked is phone. His heart seemed to skip as he saw he had received the message through Facebook from Sydney. It read, simply, “Thank you again.” Jamie beamed and bounded up the stairs.
By the time the beans were done and he could throw them in a crock pot it was nearly quarter to one. Luckily Daphne, his only sibling, lived in the same town and barely five minutes away. His record of arriving on time for every family function remained intact.
“Hello, darling sister of mine!” Jamie called out as he walked in.
“Hey brat! In the kitchen!” she called back. Daphne was barely a year older that Jamie and, throughout most of their lives, they had often been confused for twins. Much to Daphne’s dismay, they also bore a striking physical resemblance.
“Mom and dad here yet?” Jamie asked as he reached over his sister’s shoulder to grab a strawberry off of the fruit tray she was preparing. She whacked him with her spoon in retaliation for his culinary digression. “Ow!” he exclaimed as he rubbed his hand.
“Keep your mitts off! No, they’re not here yet. Dad was trying to squeeze in nine holes before they came over.”
“Great. That means mom is going to be in a lovely mood. You have the wine ready?” In answer to her brother’s query she simply opened the door and pointed to the box of White Zinfandel sitting on the top shelf. “Good call. Peter out back with the kids?”
“Yeah. They couldn’t wait to go in the pool. I swear, if there’s any water left in the pool by the time everyone else gets here I’ll be amazed. I’ve already heard two “cowabungas” and three “cannon balls.” And that was just Peter,” she said with a wink.
“So, who all is coming?”
“Cousins Chrissy and Matt and their broods, Eileen and John, Mom and Dad, and maybe Craig and the boys.”
Jamie nodded in acknowledgment of the list of usual suspects. He would have fun and loved playing in the pool with the kids, as much heartache as it caused him. Daphne had always tried to get him to divorce Amanda sooner and was secretly glad when she found out Amanda had actually served him with papers. He was still young, under forty, and had plenty of time to meet someone and start a family of his own.
“So how was the reunion?” She asked as she whip-snapped him in the butt with the kitchen towel she was holding. He dodged the question momentarily by reaching for another towel to retaliate. He managed to get her good and, satisfied that he had exacted his revenge, popped open a beer and sat down at the kitchen table.
“It was fine. Cary was in town so we hung out for a while.”
“Any pretty, popular girls still single?” she asked teasingly. Jamie just rolled his eyes.
“A couple, but they’re still snooty bitches. And I’m not looking, thank you very much.”
“Why not?”
“Don’t start. I already got that earful from Liz.”
Daphne snickered. She too loved Liz. Being so close in age Daphne and Jamie shared many friends. Daphne, like Jamie, had known Liz since Daphne was seven. Liz was the sister that Daphne never had. In fact, had Liz not had to go to her in-laws for a picnic, she and Tom likely would have been at Daphne’s for the afternoon, too.
“Whatever. I heard there was some excitement, though.”
Jamie squinted his eyes at her with a puzzled look. “What excitement?”
“I talked to Carolyn this morning. Apparently someone saw Sydney Campbell kiss some guy and it got back to David. From what Carolyn said, he beat her up pretty bad. Thankfully a neighbor heard the commotion and called the police.”
It took Jamie a moment to process what he was hearing. Whether by conscious choice or subconscious denial, he always had trouble remembering Sydney’s married name. The revelation struck him like a freight train. “What? Is she ok? What happened?”
Daphne was taken aback by the seemingly overzealous reaction her brother just had to her statement and immediately surmised that he knew more about what had happened than he was letting on. “Yeah, I guess she’s got a black eye and some bad bruising on her arms where Dave yanked her around. Kids woke up and saw the whole thing. At least she finally pressed charges. From what Carolyn said Dave’s in jail right now and Sid’s got a restraining order.”
Jamie sunk in his chair and tears of guilt welled in his eyes. His reaction confirmed that he had information vital to the story. “James, what do you know?” she asked, sounding just like their mother. “What happened last night?” she asked. Jamie proceeded to tell her about the fight on the phone, and the kiss.
“I swear it was nothing. She ran up, gave me a hug, said thank you, pecked me on the lips and went back inside.”
Daphne frowned. “My dear brother, when a woman is that appreciative and kisses you, it is never “nothing.” She was desperately reaching out for something. For attention. For someone to care. I’m not saying it wholly sincere, but that kiss meant something. Please tell me you’re not,” she said with pause, hoping that her lingering silence would hammer her point home.
“I’m not even thinking about it, although now I do feel responsible.”
“Don’t. Don’t you dare. David Campbell is an asshole, everyone knows he’s an asshole, and he’ll always be an asshole. Why she married him in the first place I will never know. Hopefully this will be the last straw and she can move on with her life.” Daphne noted the furrowed brow and brooding despair on Jamie’s face. “Jamie, I’m serious. This wasn’t your fault. If things happened the way you say they did, Sydney brought this on herself.”
Jamie frowned. He knew his sister was right but his chivalrous compassion wouldn’t let him let it go. He tried to enjoy himself the rest of the afternoon, and he did, though Sydney never left his mind. By the time he left it was after dark. It took all of his self control to keep himself from pulling up the reunion mailing list on his phone and looking up Sydney’s address. He wanted to apologize, though, for what he wasn’t sure. Liz and Daphne were both correct – he really didn’t do anything. Jamie was simply the unfortunate vessel through which Sydney reached out for help. He hated that it caused her so much pain, both physically and unquestionably emotionally. Hate wasn’t a word that Jamie Tanner used often but it was the only word he could think of to describe his feelings towards David Campbell at the moment. It was a fitful sleep that he slept that night as he couldn’t help but wonder how Sydney was coping.
By ten a.m. his guilty conscience had overcome him and he could no longer resist pulling up that mailing list on his computer. As fate would have it, Sydney didn’t live all that far from Daphne. I t wouldn’t be a stretch to say he was in the neighborhood if he were to stop by. Honest to a fault, Jamie would in fact visit his sister’s, but not before he went to apologize to Sydney for his role in her predicament. Even more nervousness and apprehensiveness than he felt pulling in the parking lot for the reunion filled him now as he pulled in Sydney’s driveway. His anxiety made him feel as if his heart would beat right out of his chest. Already parked there was a large Chevy pick-up and he immediately feared that David was home. Then something occurred to him – If what Daphne said was true, Sydney had a restraining order and David wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the house, her or the children. Therefore, it stood to reason that Jamie wasn’t the only one concerned for Sydney’s well being and she had another visitor. Jamie took a deep breath as he rung the doorbell and let out a sigh of relief when Sydney’s brother answered the door.
“Tanner. What are you doing here?” he asked gruffly. Dan Hoffman was two years younger than Sydney and, though Jamie knew him, he didn’t know him well. In high school Jamie played hockey, Dan played football. The two teams never really got along.
“I heard what happened after the reunion. My sister lives nearby so while I was over this way I thought I’d stop by and see how Sydney was doing.”
“She’s fine. She doesn’t really want to see anyone, but thanks for stopping by,” Dan said sternly as he began to shut the door. Jamie thrust his hand forward to stop it before it latched.
“Look, Dan, I really need to talk to her. I kind of feel responsible for what happened.”
Dan pulled the door opened wide, grabbed two fistfuls of Jamie’s shirt and shoved him against the side of the porch. “So you’re the son of a bitch that got her beat up?” Dan yelled.
“Danny! What the hell is wrong with you?” Sydney called from behind him. “Let him go!” she demanded as she stepped forward. “I said let him go, Danny.”
“If he didn’t kiss you,” Dan reasoned, without loosening his grip on Jamie’s shirt. For his part, Jamie remained calm, but defensive.
“I kissed him, Dan. It was me. This wasn’t Jamie’s fault. Now let him go.”
Reluctantly Dan released Jamie from his grasp and stood backwards. “Sorry, Jamie. Things have just been a little tense around. No hard feelings.”
Jamie nodded. “No worries, man. I’d do the same thing for Daphne.”
Dan forced a smile at Jamie before turning and looking at his sister with an air of disappointment. She glared back. “Thanks for staying today Danny, but I’m ok. I do have to talk to Jamie so you can go if you want.” It was less of an offer that it was a request. Dan got the hint, called goodbye to his niece and nephew and headed out, leaving Jamie and Sydney standing alone in the foyer. It was then that Jamie could finally see the end results of their encounter. Sydney’s left eye and cheek were bruised badly and slightly swollen. Though it was nearly eighty degrees outside she wore a thin cotton pullover with long sleeves, no doubt to hide the bruises on her forearms where she had tried to defend herself and from where David had grabbed her. She spoke before Jamie had a chance to deliver the apology she knew was coming, but wasn’t warranted.
“Jamie this wasn’t your fault, so please don’t blame yourself. If anything, I should be apologizing to you for dragging you into my mess.” She looked down and away for two reasons. One, she felt ashamed. Sydney didn’t want anyone to see here like that and the only people that had seen her, aside from obviously David and the children, were Danny and Carolyn, who had driven her to the hospital in the first place. She also knew that Jamie had in fact been dragged into what had already been a volatile situation and one that had only been exacerbated by her impulsiveness. That she regretted immensely.
“Sydney, you don’t need to apologize. You are my friend. I know it’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other but you were always one of the nice ones. You treated me with respect. The least I can do is return the favor now.”
“You’re so sweet,” she said, turning back to face him. Suddenly she didn’t mind allowing Jamie to see her battered face. She trusted him. “We really do have to talk, though. You don’t know David. This isn’t over.”
Jamie nodded and followed Sydney into the kitchen. Her two children, Brandon, twelve, and Tatum, seven, sat in the family room watching cartoons. Both children were blessed with their mother’s strong German genes which showed through in their sandy blond hair and strikingly blue eyes. For a moment Jamie wondered what his own children would look like some day. Born of an Italian father and a British mother, Jamie bore no real identifying features of either nationality. He had lighter skin, belying his Italian heritage, and perfect teeth, as he would often joke much to his mother’s dismay. Sydney’s offer of a glass of tea broke him from his thoughts.
“Sure, that would be great,” he replied reluctantly. “Look, Sydney, I don’t want to cause any problems. I just wanted to come by and see how you were doing and apologize. If my being here is going to stir things up,” he offered.
Sydney scoffed. “Jamie, I honestly don’t care anymore. David is in jail, and assuming his parents are stupid enough to bail him out I’ve got a restraining order. He can’t come within five hundred feet of me or the kids and isn’t even allowed to call. I’m done. Carolyn gave me the name of the lawyer she used when she got divorced. I’m calling him first thing Tuesday. I can’t put my children through this anymore.”
Jamie felt for her, having gone through a divorce himself. He knew first hand the pain that accompanied the process and didn’t envy her having to go through it with two children in tow. Still, he was glad that she had found the strength to end a bad situation. Again Sydney’s words interrupted his inner dialogue.
“Jamie, you need to be careful. Apparently it was Chad Darcy that saw us. I guess he left the Reunion and went straight to the McGuiness Pub to tell David. He’s dangerous, Jamie. I don’t know what he’ll do. I have a restraining order, you don’t.”
Jamie assured her that he would be fine, and Sydney sighed. For the next several hours they sat in the kitchen, and then the deck as the kid’s played in the yard, and then back to the kitchen while Sydney filled Jamie in on the last fourteen years of her life. David was three years older than they were but had always had a crush on Sydney in high school. They dated when she was a sophomore and he was a senior. He left for college and they split up, only to reunite years later after a chance encounter in the grocery store. They were eventually married, and everything went down hill from there. David was both an egomaniac and a control freak. Sydney was the picture perfect PTA wife and mother, but behind the scenes David controlled everything. He had only been physically abusive on a few occasions, usually alcohol fueled rages.
Like so many other “popular” girls, Sydney actually suffered from relatively low self esteem and feel easily into the complacency of her marriage. David, for his abusiveness, flattered her and bought her pretty things. It was how things were supposed to be, she told herself. She had convinced herself that David did the things he did because he loved her. She spent many years repeating that mantra until she believed it. Despite years of Carolyn scolding her for it, it was Jamie’s soft words after the reunion that finally broke her. Glancing up at the kitchen clock she realized it was time for Tatum to go to bed.
“Jamie, thank you again. For your kind words the other night, for sitting here and listening, for everything. I am so sorry to involve you in all of this.”
“That’s what friends do,” he replied softly as he reached across the table to take hold of her hand. Again, an overwhelming wave of comfort washed over him with her physical touch. “I’m here, whatever you need, I hope you know that.”
Sydney was starting to grow emotional and wiped a tear from her eye. The kids had seen her cry enough in the last two days. Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she stood.
“Brandon, Tatum, come say goodbye to Mr. Tanner and go brush your teeth.”
“Bye!” the both called in unison as they bounded upstairs. Sydney walked Jamie to the door and, as they stood in the doorway, found herself once again fighting the urge to embrace a man she really didn’t know well, but well enough to be drawn in by his sincerity and compassion.
“Goodnight Sydney. Hang in there. Call me if you need me ok?” he suggested before giving her a hug. Sydney held him tightly.
“I will,” she whispered. As she pulled away she purposely held her arms against the sides of his body until her hands rested on his hips. Jamie looked down into her pleading eyes before closing his own and rhetorically asking himself what the hell he was doing. He didn’t know anymore, and in that moment he didn’t care. He leaned down and kissed Sydney, softly at first. Sydney found herself lost in his gentleness, remembering for the first time in a long time what it felt like to be kissed by a man who genuinely cared for her. They released themselves, if only briefly, to the passion between them as her tongue found his. It was all he could do to break away.
“I’ll call you, I promise,” Sydney said, leaning her head against his chest as he held her again.
“You better.”
Jamie waved as he backed out of the driveway. Sydney watched him leave and smiled before noticing the throbbing pain in her cheek. Her smile withdrew as she closed the door and scolded herself for her impulsiveness once again. From his car parked a couple doors away, just enough out of sight so Sydney couldn’t see him, Chad Darcy glared angrily.
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