CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED and THREE
(part four)

Tuesday early morning — 4:25 a.m.

Valerie tapped on the door to the loft.

“Jake,” Valerie whispered through the door.

She turned the handle and leaned her head into the apartment.

“Jaaaakkkkkkeeeee,” Valerie whispered.

“What,” Jacob whipped around to startle her. She gave a surprised squeak and weaved backward on the step. He grabbed her to keep her from falling down the stairs. Once she regained her footing, she swung at him for startling her. He smirked and walked in to the loft’s small kitchen. Valerie followed him.

“Tea?” he asked.

Valerie nodded. He poured water into her cup and made himself a cup of instant coffee.

“Instant? Really?” Valerie asked.

“We have babies due,” Jacob shrugged. “It’s the best I can do.”

“How’s Jill?”

“The same as she was last night,” Jacob said. “What’s up?”

“Do you hate me Jake or are you just surly?” Valerie asked.

“I’m trying not to read people’s minds uninvited,” Jacob said.

“Oh,” Valerie said. “Why?”

“Because Delphie thinks my psychic ability activates the boys’ psychic ability,” Jacob said. “We reach out to each other in the dark. Or that’s what she says. Katy and I are on strict lock down for the next month or so until the boys are big enough to be born.”

“Oh.”

“But people like you wander around expecting me to know what’s on their mind and it’s…”He scowled at her. “Frustrating.”

“All women expect men to know what’s on their minds, Jake,” Valerie said. “It’s part of being a woman. You’ve just been lucky because you always do know.”

“Jeez, what does Mike do?”

“He thinks I’m crazy,” Valerie said.

Jacob smirked.

“Very funny,” Valerie said. “Listen, the developer in Brighton called me and told me that the house is gone! He showed up to the site this morning and the house is gone! My house! Disappeared.”

“White elephant gone missing,” Jacob said. “What a shame.”

“That’s not funny,” Valerie said. “It was an expensive building and the school really needs a new home and…”

“Oh good you’re home,” Jill said as she waddled out from the bedroom. Jacob turned to hold her and for a moment, his entire world was complete. She kissed him and shifted away. “Hi Val.”

“Oh,” Valerie said. “You just got home?”

“Val’s worried because her house is missing,” Jacob said.

Jill smiled.

“Where’s my house?” Valerie asked.

“The new Marlowe School is sitting on trailer trucks on a big lot near the airport,” Jacob said.

“Oh,” Valerie smiled her big manipulative smile. Jacob smiled back. “Are you going to tell me why?”

“We’re not sure where the best place to put the new Marlowe school,” Jill said.

“What do you mean?”

“The new job will shift a large portion of the company out east for the next three or four years,” Jacob said. “We can buy land out there very inexpensively and build an estate around the school. Or we can stick it in the middle of town surrounded by buildings and restaurants.”

“An estate?”

“Like Kent school or Colorado Academy,” Jacob said. “Those schools were built when the property was inexpensive out south. The city grew to surround them. Over time, that will happen around the airport as well.”

“Well, you’re kind of making that happen,” Valerie said.

“Right,” Jacob said.

“Would people bring their kids out there?” Valerie asked.

“That’s the question,” Jacob said. “We think we might try to keep both facilities. With your donation of the building itself, we probably can. Did you donate the building?”

“Sure,” Valerie said. “Why don’t I know about this?”

“You’re on maternity leave,” Jacob said.

“So you’re the head of the Marlowe school for one week and all this happens,” Valerie said.

“Something like that,” Jacob said.

“Can the company get big enough to do both – big enough to do the work in town and work out there?” Valerie asked.

“That’s the big question,” Jacob said. “Mom did it when we worked on the airport. But I don’t know.”

“Oh. Well, okay,” Valerie got up from her seat at the counter. “Bye.”

“You should be back in bed,” Jacob said to Jill.

“Um, Jake,” Valerie said at the doorway.

Jill and Jacob looked over at her.

“Thanks for… well, you know.” She closed the door and was gone.

“Any idea what she’s thanking me for?”

“None,” Jill said.

“Let’s get back in bed.”

“You coming?”

“Mooooommmmmyyyyyy!!” Katy called from her bedroom.

“I’ll get her,” Jacob said.

Smiling at him, Jill went back to bed. In a few minutes, Jacob and Katy joined her in for their morning snuggle. It was the best part of the day.

Denver Cereal continues tomorrow…

CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED and THREE
(part one)

Monday night — 9:25 p.m.

Tanesha pushed open the door to the penthouse den. The room was sweltering from the computers lined up and stacked along one entire wall of the room. The stale sweet odor of stressed out men made her step back. To keep the sound down, the men wore wireless headphones with microphones on them. Jeraine and the music director were arguing. She stood in the doorway for a few minutes before venturing into the heat. Jeraine looked up at her when she touched his shoulder.

“I’m going to bed,” Tanesha said.

Jeraine raised an index finger to the music director and pulled off his headphones. The other men in the room took off their headphones and turned to look at Tanesha. Blushing at their attention, she raised a hand to wave at them.

“I’m going to bed,” she repeated. “I have an early morning.”

“Did you get what you needed done?” one of the men asked.

“We didn’t bug you did we?” the music director asked.

“No,” Tanesha shook her head. “I was able to get my studies done. Thank you for keeping the… wilder elements away. I appreciate it.”

The music director blushed and Jeraine smiled at her.

“Let’s ask Miss T,” Jeraine said. “She never lies. She’ll tell us if I’m insane.”

“You’re insane,” Tanesha smiled.

He hopped up, kissed her lips, and put his headphones on her head.

“What do you hear?” Jeraine asked.

“What?” Tanesha pushed the headphone off one ear. “I couldn’t hear you.”

“Listen to the sound and tell us what you hear,” the music director’s voice came in her ear.

Tanesha’s eyes shifted to Jeraine. He gave her an encouraging nod. She put the headphones on both ears, turned down the sound, and listened. Her eyes shifted off to Denver’s night skyline just outside the window. After a few moments, her head nodded to the beat.

“Sounds good,” Tanesha shrugged and pulled off the headphones.

“You don’t hear anything other than music?” Jeraine asked.

“Oh, sure,” Tanesha said. “There’s that scratchy sound I always complain about.”

“What did you say?” the music director asked in her ear.

Jeraine put her microphone down and clicked it on.

“I don’t know how to describe it,” Tanesha said. “It’s in a lot of things now. Like last summer, my friends and I went to see this movie we were excited about… um… Bonnerville…”

“Bonnervillle Blues,” one of the other men said. Jeraine nodded to him.

“Right,” Tanesha smiled. “We ended up calling it Bonerville. This sound went all the way through it. Weird too because the music was good, the story was good, the acting was good, but we hated the movie.”

“Most women did,” the other man said.

“But wasn’t it a chick flick?” Tanesha shrugged. “At least we thought it was. I mean, we worked out babysitters and shifted our work schedules around to get the time to see it together. Sandy had a half off coupon and Jill bought popcorn. Then the movie was… irritating. We were really disappointed.”

“You heard this sound in that movie?” the music director asked.

“I wouldn’t have said it at the time, but yeah,” Tanesha said. “I hear it a lot now and I don’t like it.”

Denver Cereal continues tomorrow…

CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED and TWO
(part five)

Monday morning — 8:40 a.m.

“You’ve been fired from Lipson Construction twice,” Rodney Smith said to Pete. “Why should I even give you an interview?”

“Because I know every job in the company,” Pete said. “This job is so far east, you’ll have to transport everything in and out. You need someone who knows the transportation department. I know everyone there. I can facilitate the transportation aspect of the job.”

“You have a bad drug problem.”

“I’ve been sober for almost a year,” Pete said.

“You have an honor problem,” Rodney got up from his desk chair went around the desk to sit on a corner near Pete.

“I’ve had an honor problem, sir,” Pete said. “I’ve hurt everyone I know with my lies. I’m here today with the hope that I can regain the trust I lost.”

“Why Lipson?”

“I like the company,” Pete smiled. “I can take my drug addict self to almost any company in the city and get a job on my skills. I like the no drug policy. I like that you ask me about honor. I like that I might have a chance to own the company I work for.”

“You know there’s a line of men and women who want this very job,” Rodney raised his eyebrows. “No drug problems. No honor problems. No prison time. Why should I hire you over them?”

“You probably shouldn’t hire me over them,” Pete said. “I’m sure ninety-nine out of a hundred experts would tell you not to hire me.”

“So why should I?”

“Because I’ve dedicated my life to facing my demons every single day,” Pete said. “I know the shape and texture of the places I need help and I’m willing to learn. You take a chance on anyone. I’d rather take a chance on a man who knows and faces his demons, than one who seems not to have any.”

“I saw you at Sandy’s place last Friday night,” Rodney said.

“Sandy works late on Fridays,” Pete said. “She’s the first person who gave me a job and a place to stay after I got out. I only work there when she works late.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s not safe for her to be there late.”

“No, I mean, you don’t work for her now, why stay?”

“Sandy took a chance on me,” Pete said. “I won’t ever forget that.”

“Aden said you stood up for him in prison.”

“I don’t remember,” Pete said. “We got a beat down and…”

“So you’re loyal,” Rodney gave Pete a hard look. Intimidated, Pete nodded. “Good. You went to school with my daughter?”

“Tanesha?’ Pete looked surprised. “We went to Machebeuf together. I mean, she graduated early and…”

Rodney gave Pete a long, deep look.

“Here’s what I need,” Rodney said. “I need an assistant who can handle transportation, like you said, but can also interact with all the different types of people here – men, women, black, Hispanic, Asian, and whatever mix comes along. How are you with all kinds of people?”

“I speak Spanish,” Pete said. “I learned it in high school then working and…”

“How do you feel about having a black boss?”

“Are you fair? Will you treat me fairly?” Pete asked. “That’s what I care about.”

Nodding, Rodney got up and went around his desk to his seat.

“There’s word we’re going to have some problems,” Rodney said. “One of your old bosses will…”

“In the past, I made decisions based on a different set of values than I have today,” Pete interrupted. “If I were to get this job, my loyalties would be with you and this project.”

“And what about the men you’ve been loyal to in the past?”

“Where were they when I was just out of the hospital with no where to go?” Pete shook his head. “Everyone was happy to hire me when I was a drug addict, but no one wanted to be around me when I decided to get my life together.”

“Except Sandy.”

“Except Sandy,” Pete said. “And Aden, and eventually the most important person in my world, my wife, Molly gave me a chance.”

“And who are you loyal to now?”

“Myself,” Pete said. “My family and anyone who’s willing to take a chance on me.”

“You need to give notice at your other job?”

“No, it’s pick up work. Good money, no commitments,” Pete said. “And I don’t foresee this position affecting my capacity to stay with Sandy when she works late.”

“I don’t either,” Rodney smiled. “I’ll give you two weeks. Prove to me that you should have this job, and it’s yours.”

He tossed a clipboard jammed full of scraps of paper across the desk.

“First task, get this transportation sorted out, because it’s a mess,” Rodney gestured toward a desk along the wall. “You’ll work right there so I can keep an eye on you.”

Pete nodded. Rodney looked at him.

“Get to work.”

“Oh,” Pete said. “Great.”

Pete picked up the clipboard and scowled.

“Too much?”

“No,” Pete smiled. He sat down in the desk along the wall and began sorting paper. He looked up. “Do I have a phone?”

Laughing, Rodney put a phone on his desk. Pete nodded his thanks and set to work.

Denver Cereal continues tomorrow…

CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED and TWO
(part three)

“There’s a cup of tea for you in the cup holder. You left yours on the bus. And…” he reached in his pocket and pulled out something wrapped in a napkin. “I don’t know what this is but it’s from Katy.”

Tanesha opened the napkins to see a crumpled Strawberry frosted Pop Tart. Katy was only allowed to have these once a week; she had given her favorite treat to Tanesha.

“How did you know?” Tanesha sniffed back her emotions.

“Me?” Shaking his head, Mike turned onto Montview Boulevard and drove toward the School of Medicine. “I have a newborn. I can barely tie my shoes for lack of sleep and…”

Tanesha laughed at the idea that a man who never slept was sleep deprived. Mike glanced at her and laughed.

“The first person who told me was Jake,” Mike said. “He asked on Thursday if I would mind being on this street at 6:45 a.m. this morning. He gave me a map but not a reason why. He said I’d know when I got there. I didn’t find out why until Delphie pulled me aside yesterday and asked if I would mind helping you. I told her I already had plans for this morning, but she was quite sincere. Jill asked last night. But the kicker was Katy. She was standing outside our door this morning with your treat. She followed me around to make sure I wasn’t late.”

Tanesha shook her head at the psychics.

“You’re well prognosticated,” Mike laughed.

Tanesha laughed. He threw a handkerchief at her.

“That’s from Jill,” he said. “So what happened?”

“Some girls got on and started talking about…” Tanesha’s shame and sorrow welled. She shook her head and stopped talking.

“Jeraine, huh?” Mike nodded.

“You act like you expected it,” Tanesha said.

“I live it,” Mike said. “I was out of the VA, I don’t know, maybe two weeks when the first guy started bragging about screwing Val. On and on he went. He threw in all kinds of details. I wanted to kill him but Delphie was there and…”

Mike shook himself like a dog.

“I want to kill myself,” Tanesha said.

“That too,” Mike said. “When we were in LA last time, I was fawned over by all these women who wanted to fuck me and ‘enlightened’ by all these men who said they fucked Val. It’s disgusting.”

“Bizarre,” Tanesha said. “These girls knew details about him. I mean he must have…”

“Or they read those stupid magazines,” Mike said. “I’m not saying Jer wasn’t promiscuous…”

“He screwed everybody,” Tanesha said.

“Everybody talks,” Mike said. “Those girls might have had sex with him, or more likely, they’re just mean. They saw you on the bus and wanted to make you feel bad as bad as they feel.”

“How do you know?” Tanesha asked.

“Because that’s what Delphie told me when I was going to kill that guy,” Mike said. “Plus, is it really normal behavior to brag about the intimate details of your sex life in front of strangers? Would you do that?”

“No way,” Tanesha shook her head.

“So why would they?” Mike asked. “Think about it. What are they doing?”

“Bragging,” Tanesha sighed.

“Trying to boost their ego,” Mike said. “Everybody knows you and Jeraine now. Everybody knows you’re going to med school. They had to know what you were doing.”

“You don’t think I just overheard them,” Tanesha gestured out the window. “I could go anywhere and a billion women are going to be ‘he’s so big’ and…”

Mike laughed.

“What?” Tanesha asked.

“At least I don’t have to hear about the size of Val’s… whatever,” Mike said.

Denver Cereal continues tomorrow…

CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED and TWO
(part one)

Monday morning — 6:40 a.m.

As the RTD No. 20 bus approached their stop, Jeraine grabbed Tanesha’s sleeve and pulled her to him.

“I love you,” he said. “I wish with all my heart I could be there with you today, but I’ll be here when you get home.”

He gave her a hard kiss and for a moment, she held on tight. When he pushed her back, she nodded.

“Go on,” he said. “Your future’s that way.”

He pointed to the open bus doors. Tanesha picked up her book bag and stepped on the bus.

“That Jeraine?” the bus driver asked.

Tanesha nodded and showed him her bus pass.

“You Miss T?”

“Tanesha,” she nodded. The bus driver’s eyes scanned her face and he gave her a big toothy grin.

“Where we going, Miss Tanesha?” the bus driver asked.

“The medical school,” Tanesha said.

“Well,” the bus driver closed the door to the bus, “let’s get you to your future.”

Tanesha slipped into a forward facing seat near the middle of the bus. She waved to Jeraine as the bus pulled away. Dazed by her own anxiety, Tanesha stared at the scenery passing outside her window.

She was terrified that after all this time and fuss, she couldn’t do it. She might not be smart enough to be a doctor. Rodney had told her last night that smarts didn’t matter; she would work hard and she would achieve. God knows, Tanesha knew how to work hard. She leaned back into the seat and took out her travel cup of tea. Closing her eyes, she let the calm, familiarity of her tea ground her.

She didn’t look up when the bus pulled to a stop and continued forward again. Instead, she let her mind review the already full morning. After cinnamon rolls with the girls, she’d come home to find Jeraine awake and waiting for her. They’d laughed and loved and laughed some more. Caught in her own joy, she felt more than saw two people sit behind her.

“Anyway, I told you I’m going over right after this,” a loud woman’s voice pierced Tanesha’s calm.

“You think he’s going to see you,” a second woman’s voice said.

“Jeraine?” the first woman asked. Tanesha jerked at the sound of his name. “He always wants to see this body. You know how he is, big, black, and always ready to roll.”