What The Heart Wants

Chapter 2

Jackson sat in the driver’s seat of a Mercedes G-Wagon waiting for the light to change. It was a nice truck. The leather interior was smooth and comfortable. The sounds system was stellar. The SUV, brand new off the dealer’s lot, had a lot of the bells and whistles his client was looking for. The walkie talkie lying in the passenger seat began to crackle as someone was trying to patch through to him.

“Ten, this is five, what’s your ETA?” the voice cracked over the radio.

Jackson hated talking while on a job. He feared that the wrong people would pick up their signal and screw everything up, but he knew if he didn’t respond to Nick, he wouldn’t stop until he answered him. 

“Five, this is ten, I’m about a dime out,” Jackson replied.

“Okay, good. Demetri wants to be sure the twins are identical,” Nick came over the radio again. Jackson slapped his forehead. Nick knew better than to drop any names over the air.

“Fine, what you got?” Jackson asked hoping this conversation wouldn’t take too long.

Nick’s voice cracked a bit, but he ran down a checklist. “Five point five liter biturbo V8 engine, aluminum shift paddles, three lockable differentials…”

Nick’s voice trailed off as Jackson tuned him out. He didn’t care if the cars were exactly alike. Demetri asked for two, so he’s getting two. He never told him that they had to be identical. It made his mind wander back to the idea of a rat being in his crew. Why would Demetri tell Nick these specs and not him? Something was off, but he just couldn’t put his finger on it. He kept driving the car making sure to keep his eyes peeled for cops or anyone else that might get in his way.

The shop was only a few blocks away when Jackson’s phone began to ring. He saw Nick’s number flash across the screen. That nagging feeling in his gut resurfaced once again. He picked up the phone. “What’s up?”

“I’ve been trying to get you on the radio for the last five minutes!” Nick screamed in a panicked voice.

Anxiety built as Jackson pulled the car over. “Why? What’s going on?”

“Listen, you can’t…” Nick’s line went dead before he could finish warning Jackson about whatever he was panicked about.

There were a million things that could have happened in order for Nick’s phone to die. Jackson tried calling him back, but the call kept going to voicemail. His mind was reeling with all the possibilities. The sound of sirens off in the distance spooked him, and he hadn’t even reached the shop yet. The racing of his pulse did nothing to calm his angst as he decided to park the truck and see what may or may not be going on at the warehouse.

Jackson’s worst fears were coming to fruition as he crept up to the madness going on. The entire street was cut off by police tape. The shop was surrounded by cop cars and tow trucks. He wanted to scream, curse, and shout, but he chose to walk away instead. With his hood tightly pulled over his head, Jackson made his way back to the stolen SUV. The G-Wagon stood out like a sore thumb in this neighborhood, and he had to get rid of it. A nearby junkyard seemed to be the best place to dispose of it, so that’s where he went.

After spending a good amount of time wiping the car down to ensure his fingerprints were off of every possible surface he touched, he set the beautiful car ablaze. There was a twinge of sadness in his heart as he watched the flames dance up to the night sky. The smoke billowed. The heat grew intense and Jackson said goodnight.

*****

Paula’s day hadn’t gone as planned. She wore that fabulous outfit to work, and while it yielded many compliments from the women in the office, the only men to look in her direction were the two from the diner earlier that morning. They were cute, she thought to herself. Paula imagined them being construction workers of some sort, but she hadn’t had the courage to go over and speak to them. If Rebecca had been there, she would have insisted that she spark up a conversation with them.

“What’s the matter with you today?” Rebecca questioned, sensing that something was off with Paula today. She noticed she’d been in a fog for most of the day.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said last night,” Paula admitted.

“Aww, I’m sorry hun. I didn’t mean to get you in that zone. Don’t even worry about it. You’re a great woman and working hard is what you do. This firm would fall apart without all of your hard work. Please don’t take what I said to heart. I just want you to have some fun every once in a while,” Rebecca attempted to console her.

Paula shook her head. “It’s fine. You were right. I thought that if I dolled myself up, I could get a date and actually take your advice, but all this went to waste today. Not a single guy hit on me. I’m not ugly or anything, right?”

“Ha!” Rebecca cackled. “You are far from it, and trust me I’d tell you! So, tell me something… Did you ask anybody out?”

“My goodness, no!” Paula scoffed. The very idea was nonsensical to her as she felt the man should always approach the woman first.

“Well, guys aren’t mind readers, Paula. You can’t just get all pretty and expect the kind of man you want to mysteriously know that you’re ready to be asked out on a date. Do you even know the kind of man you’re looking for?”

“Well, I haven’t thought that far ahead,” Paula began before being cut off.

“And do you know what kind of connection you’re looking for? Do you want a relationship, wine and dine, or a wham bam thank you ma’am?”

“Like I said,” Paula squeezed in her two cents, “I hadn’t really given it too much-”

Rebecca cut her off again. “And do you want to date another lawyer? We all put in such long hours, and while similar occupations will give you some commonality, there will be more times than not that you guys won’t be able to talk about anything work related. Trust me, I know. Been there, done that! This means you’re going to have to get out of your normal routine to be seen by guys who aren’t used to you in work mode. Everybody here already knows how serious you are, so let’s leave your outstanding reputation intact and go out!”

“I don’t know about that.” Paula began to second guess opening up to Rebecca.

“And why not?” Rebecca demanded to know. “You look hot! A nice happy hour will do you some good! You can get out and test the waters. When’s the last time you out on a date? Or were in a relationship?” Rebecca noticed Paula blushing thru her caramel complexion. She waved her hands at her not to respond. “Nevermind. Forget I asked. So, what do you have to do tonight?”

“Nothing, I guess.” Paula sighed wondering what Rebecca had in mind.

“Don’t look so worried,” Rebecca laughed. “Just leave it to me and this weekend will be one you never forget.”

Paula nodded reluctantly until Rebecca’s words settled in. “Wait a minute, did you just say weekend?!”