Rendezvous With Six

To say that it was a day is the understatement of a lifetime. As I get comfortable in my usual chair, I mentally pull out my little black book and turn to the last page. The page is almost full, only enough room for one more entry. Jimmy, the bartender, hands me my usual concoction of Vodka, mixed with pineapple juice, a hint of lime and a shot of Bolls Blue for effect. This bar aptly named No-Where was my one solace and where I met them: the Wingfield twins, Chris and James, my best friends and lovers. It was my 16th birthday when I walked into No-Where, mid-day, gave Jimmy a false ID and ordered a drink. Ten minutes later those two hooligans came in, laughing at a private joke. James spotted me right away and smiled. Chris was too involved in his latest flight of fantasy to notice anyone else, but I noticed him. He was tall, broad shoulders, with dirty blond hair that had a stubborn curl just below his ears, thin waist and powerful legs. He was wearing faded jeans, with a white t-shirt and a black leather jacket. As they sauntered in the direction of the bar, he looked at me and my mind stopped working, his eyes were the color of blue flames that taunted the shadows and the demons within.

“I’ll have a Whiskey Sour Jimmy please,” James requested.

“A Gin and Tonic for me, my good man,” Chris said in a raised voice as he walked off in the direction of the washrooms.

“I’m James. Haven’t seen you here before.”

“I’m Vi. Yeah, I thought it was time I checked out the best pub this historical settlement of a town has to offer.”

James smiled a shy smile at my lame joke.

It was the only pub in town.

“Waiting for anyone?” He asked

I shook my head from side to side.

“Ah playing hooky as well,” Chris said as he came up behind me, putting his arm around my shoulders.

My mind stopped working again. He was so warm and had the most enigmatic smile, almost as though he knew a big secret.

James invited me to join them in a nearby booth, and we spend the rest of the afternoon getting totally hammered and becoming inseparable. The three rebels of Tonopah, Nevada. A community of just over 2,000 residents, in the middle of somewhere not far from anywhere.

A town where having the right pedigree went a long way. A lineage I did not have, but the Wingfield name came with old money that dated all the way back to the early nineteenth century. After graduation James, the younger of the two, was a shoo-in as an insurance broker at BNB Insurance. Mr. Wingfield Senior was the local Mayor for over 20 years, owner of BNB Insurance and gunning for senate. Chris got a job at the Solar Energy Plant when it opened and kept up the wildlife; booze, women, cars, and who knew what else. On my 21st birthday James finally found the courage to ask me out, we dated for 4 years, then he asked me to marry him, much to his parents’ chagrin.

That was over a year ago now. Corinna just turned 6 months.

Back then it was like everything around me was moving through water, slow and droning. Twenty thousand dollars was my bug-out plan before James popped the question and in a moment of fear of the unknown and overwhelming emotion, I had thrown away my chance of getting out of Tonopah. My little black book of disappointment was getting full fast, and I needed out soon to save my sanity. Then an opportunity presented itself in the form of an engagement weekend in Vegas. It was a coward’s retreat, but it was an exit, and I was out of options. Our first night in the City of Lights was at a restaurant with some friends to which Chris showed up late and half-way under the table. Planning my escape was the easy part, executing it was proving a bit harder and the main reason why I was drinking more than I should’ve been. I needed the liquid courage. The money was paid onto a prepaid Visa that was safely tugged behind my driver’s license in my wallet. Tomorrow James was set for a game of golf with the boys, while I was scheduled for the hotel spa. Instead, I’ll be on a train, destination as of yet unknown.

Coming out of the restaurant washroom, I found Chris patiently waiting against the opposite wall. My surprise at seeing him there dissipated as soon as I realized he was probably waiting for the supermodel I saw in the washroom, freshening up. He looked like a Greek god standing against the beige wall in his modern royal blue suit, with a black shirt and no tie. There was a slight bronze color to his skin from the summer sun. My heart fluttered and then our eyes met, he smiled, and my heart stopped again. Funny, I thought I had outgrown that. It was not his usual smile; it was sad and hopeful all in one. I frowned slightly but before I could open my mouth to ask him what was wrong, he closed the distance between us and his mouth was on mine, with my back against the wall.

When he finally lifted his head, I gasped for air.

“Wanna get out of here gorgeous?” His hot breath teased.

And in a moment of drunken weakness, I fell; “Yes”.

He took me back to his hotel room where we spend a glorious night together.

The next day I awoke to an empty bed, hotel room and a note that said I’m sorry. I got out of bed and got dressed. As I filled a cup with leftover coffee two realizations came to me. One Chris left me to face the music alone. Should’ve known, everyone knew the kind of guy Chris was. He was a player through and through, he used and abused women without a care or a second thought. Second, I could’ve left right then and there but I needed my suitcase that was in James and my hotel room. My life was in that case. My only hope was to wait until James left for his golf game and then sneak the case and myself out of Dodge.

That afternoon I opened and shut the door to our hotel room as quietly as I could. When I turned around James was sitting in the only chair in the room, looking straight at me. James had always known, he was perceptive that way, he knew I was really attracted to Chris, but I knew James was the keeper. He was the reliable, smart choice, and he was attractive in his own right. Roughly the same height and build as Chris, he had dark curly hair instead, was slightly leaner and although he had blue eyes as well, there was less of a fire in them. The sorrow I saw on his face made me want to forego the suitcase and be anywhere but there.

“Was it all you had hoped for?” He asked with a wry smile.

He was nursing a cold cup of tea as I sat down on the edge of the untouched bed.

“It was a momentary escape,” I answered.

“I’m sorry James, I never meant to hurt you like this. I do love you, I’m just not ready to settle down and live in Tonopah my whole life. I want to experience the world; have an adventure. I wasn’t sure you would want to follow me. We never really talked about it.”

“I would’ve followed you into hell and back Vi. All you had to do was ask. But this, I don’t know if we can come back from this.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. After everything I had just done James was trying to find a way through. He was trying to find an outcome where we survive. I had never realized his commitment and love for me until that very moment and my betrayal of that loyalty and love was palpable. I felt sick to my stomach.

We sat in silence for a long while, then I got up, kissed James on the cheek, said “Goodbye”, and left the room. It wasn’t the way I wanted to start my adventure but at least the worst part was over. Then I bought a train ticket and boarded a ferry to Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. A month later I found out I was pregnant, and that Chris had stolen the prepaid Visa out of my wallet the night we spend together in his hotel room. Foolishly thinking the note meant he was sorry for leaving. Most of my regular savings got used up to get myself settled in Nanaimo and make it through till I was able to get a job, but I was running paycheck to paycheck, with no way to provide for a baby.

It took a few months for the rage to form into a viable plan.

Which brings us back to my final mental entry in my little black book. Having procured an old Smith & Western revolver from a friend of a new friend, I went to see Chris at the Tonopah Solar Energy Plant. Corinna was staying with a friend in Nanaimo for the weekend. Entering through the side entrance of the Solar Plant as some of the last workers were leaving for the day, I walked up the stairs to the back offices where I found Chris sitting behind his desk.

“Hey,” I said as I took the revolver out of my purse, slightly hiding it behind my back and leaned against the door jam. A quick sweep of the offices on my way up told me everyone else had left.

“Vi? Hi,” surprise in his voice. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to get my money.” I said matter of fact.

“What money?” He asked after a pause. His usual nervous tick giving him away, and the confirmation I needed as I pointed the revolver at his chest.

He froze in his steps rounding the desk

“What are you doing?” He stuttered.

“I told you I came for the money you stole from me. That was me and my daughter’s savings and you took it.”

“Please Vi, it was just a spur of the moment action. I had no idea how much was on there. I thought it was fifty maybe a hundred dollars. I’m sorry, I’ll pay you back every penny. It’s just…. you disappeared and I had no idea where you went or how to find you.”

“Always looking out for number one hey Chris. You don’t even care that you stole from your own daughter.”

The surprise on his face was unmistakable and I enjoyed every minute of it until he sneered at me and said the words I knew would come.

“How do you know she is mine?”

“I don’t need to defend myself with you, not when I’m the one holding the gun.” I said as I steadied the revolver.

Chris saw my conviction and I saw fear growing in his eyes.

“Please he begged as he fell to his knees. Please Vi, I’m so sorry I had no idea. I had some gambling debt, but I’ll get help and I’ll make it up to you both.”

“You are out of empty promises Chris,” I said and pulled the trigger six times. Then I turned around and walked out of the building. Getting into my car I drove to No-Where for a last drink. Noting my last entry into my little black book I downed the last of my drink, tipped Jimmy and left Tonopah for good. I wasn’t too worried about getting caught, you see I have this friend who is connected.