A Love Story Read online

  “We’d love to have you over for pot roast,” Callie stammered.

  “Mac sure is a lucky man to have you, Callie,” John said, smiling, before he returned to his office.

  “What’s up with you, Callie? You’re nervous as a cat,” Jonesy probed.

  “Too much coffee today,” she said, finishing her third cup.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The Task Force spent several days hashing out what happened, but no one had answers. Callie had her suspicions, but she kept them to herself. Her first Valentine’s Day with Mac was as his wife. Callie planned a romantic dinner for them at home. He was overwhelmed with work at school, so she wanted to share this special day with him in the privacy of their home, not with strangers around. At home he takes off his tie and relaxes. Mac felt a little better after her escapade. He had not laughed so hard in weeks and she wanted to keep the ball rolling.

  “Callie, I’m going to be stuck here later than I thought. I know its Valentine’s Day and I promised, but there is nothing I can do. I have a problem with a student and a faculty member I need to take care of.”

  “Oh, Mac. If you have to, you have to. What time should I have dinner ready?” she asked, disappointed.

  “I’ll be home by eight, no matter what,” he assured her.

  “I should understand by now this isn’t a nine-to-five job,” Callie said.

  “I love you, babe,” Mac said.

  Callie lost herself in a fragrant bath. She laid out some sexy lingerie for after dinner and got started preparing dinner. She put on her favorite Celine Dion album and sang along. By seven thirty, dinner was warming in the oven and she changed into a low cut tee shirt and skirt, doused herself with perfume, let down her thick chestnut hair and dabbed on make-up.

  When she put her lipstick away, Callie heard a commotion, two male voices arguing. She opened the front door. She was breath-taking, a sight not lost on either of the two Kensington State football players standing outside her door.

  “Josh, what are you doing here?” Callie asked the young man she tutored.

  Both Josh and his buddy, Cal Higgins, stared at Callie for a second. Josh hadn’t seen her looking so lovely.

  “Wow, Callie, you look beautiful,” Josh said, his glance roaming up and down her body.

  “Josh, you’re drunk. Go home,” she said, closing the door.

  He stopped the door with his big hand.

  “Wait. I got your note. Cal, you can go,” he said, glancing at his friend.

  “What note?” she asked.

  “Go, Cal. I can handle this,” Josh said.

  “I think maybe you’d better come with me,” Cal said, reaching for Josh’s arm.

  “Go home, Cal!” Josh yelled, snatching his arm away.

  He pushed his way into the house and slammed the door.

  “What are you doing? You’re drunk. Go home!”

  “I’ve been drinking, correct. But I got your note. So here I am.”

  “What note?”

  “This note. See. It says to come and see you at seven-thirty tonight and we can bogey,”

  Josh said, moving closer to Callie.

  Josh was huge, 6’2” and 225 pounds. Callie backed away.

  “I didn’t send you any note, Josh. Now go home.”

  “You did. You slipped it under my door. See, you signed it,” he said throwing the note on the floor.

  She glanced at the note then back at him.

  “Now I want what you promised,” he said, coming closer to Callie.

  Josh moved in quickly. He trapped her in a bear hug. Callie couldn’t move. As he was about to kiss her, he threw up on her shirt.

  “What are you doing?” Callie screamed.

  She pushed the embarrassed student away and ran into the kitchen. Callie stripped off her tee shirt and washed herself off with paper towels. Josh disappeared into the bathroom where he threw up again, then washed up.

  Thinking Josh left, Callie came out of the kitchen without her shirt, which she threw away. Josh exited the bathroom seconds later. Seeing her in her bra incited new passion in Josh and he grabbed her and tried to pull her bra strap down. She fought back.

  “Let go of me, you gorilla!” Callie shouted at him.

  “You wanted this,” Josh said, tightening his grip on her arms.

  “Let go, you’re hurting me,” Callie yelled, squirming.

  “That’s what you get, bitch, for teasing me,” Josh said, squeezing harder.

  “Ow! Josh! Let go!” Callie screamed.

  Josh pushed her small hands aside easily and broke a bra strap, exposing her breast.

  “Much better!” he said.

  “Stop!” she hollered.

  The door opened and Mac walked in.

  “What’s going on here?” Mac yelled.

  Josh dropped his arms and stepped away from Callie, surprised.

  “I thought you said he wasn’t coming home ‘til late.”

  “I never said any such thing. You’re stinkin’ drunk. Get out of here,” she snapped, shaking.

  Callie covered herself with her arms and tried to look dignified.

  “Were you cooperating with this thug?” Mac asked her.

  “The hell I was!” she fired back.

  “Why are you undressed?”

  “This idiot threw up all over my shirt. It’s in the garbage,”

  “I did. I did. But she invited me here, Dean. See this note. She slipped it under my door,” Josh said, pointing to the note on the floor.

  Mac picked up the note.

  “I never did any such thing, Mac.”

  He looked at the note and looked at Callie. Even in their short time together, Mac knew when Callie was lying. She blushed if she was bending the truth. No blush here, anger instead, and the bruises on her arms from Josh’s grip beginning to darken. Mac couldn’t imagine Callie would cheat on him period, but with a stupid jock, especially in his own home and when he was due home?

  “This isn’t her signature,” Mac said, turning to Josh, “And if she said she didn’t send it, she didn’t send it.”

  Callie breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Come on, Josh. Let’s get back to the dorm,” Cal said, trying to take Josh’s arm and lead him out of the Dean’s house.

  “But she did, she did send it. Didn’t you, Callie? Cal, let go. I’m not leaving until she admits it,” Josh insisted.

  “You’re crazy,” she spat at him and went into the bedroom, slamming the door.

  “Josh, I’m the Dean of this school and you attacked a woman on campus. Did you see her arms? You hurt her. That is grounds for expulsion. Go back to the dorm and sober up. Be in my office noon tomorrow to find out if you are still a student here. If you’re not there at exactly noon, I will have security get you and throw you off this campus. Do I make myself completely clear? Now get out of here before I call the police and have you arrested,” Mac threatened.

  Josh sputtered as Cal dragged him out of the house and into his car. When Mac entered the bedroom, Callie was sitting on the bed, crying and shaking. She flung herself into his arms and he held her tight. For all her bravado, Callie had been terrified. Josh might have raped her if he had not been interrupted.

  Mac kissed her gently and stroked her hair. She began to relax in his embrace.

  “Its okay, Callie. You’re going to be okay,” Mac said, quietly.

  “Thank God you believe me, Mac.” She sniffled.

  “Of course I believe you. You haven’t been married to me long enough to be cheating yet, and certainly not with a drunken idiot,” Mac said, half-joking.

  Despite herself, Callie laughed.

  * * * *

  After she got cleaned up, they sat down to Mac’s favorite dinner, pot roast with mashed potatoes. After dinner, Mac reached into his pocket and produced a small velvet box. Callie opened it and gasped. Inside was a beautiful small heart outlined in diamonds on a white gold chain.

  “Ohmigod! Mac! It’s beautiful! We ca
n’t afford this.”

  “You’ll need it for the Spring Dance,” Mac said, kissing her.

  “I know all about the formal dance. I’m not going.”

  “What do you mean, you’re not going?”

  “I’m not going. I don’t have a formal dress or shoes or anything. All those strangers make me nervous, I don’t think so.”

  “So get a dress,” Mac replied.

  “Those dresses cost a fortune!”

  “It’s a special occasion, you can handle it, Callie. It’s time to take your place as the wife of the dean. At this event, we work at getting big contributors to increase their donations. And you can help. It’s important to me and the school.”

  Callie got quiet. For a moment she could hear Kyle saying to her, Don’t worry about it. You’ll figure it out. Go ahead, Callie. You can do it.

  He always encouraged her when she worried about new situations.

  “If you think I can do it, then I guess, I can,” she said, appearing braver than she felt.

  “That’s why I love you,” Mac said, winding his arms around her, “bedtime...”

  Before Callie slipped into her sexy nightie, she asked.

  “You don’t think Josh would have raped me, do you?

  “Honestly? I don’t know. Some men do crazy things when they are drunk,” Mac said.

  “He’s silly, flirtatious, and dense perhaps, but I didn’t think he was mean,” Callie said.

  “Stay away from him. I don’t trust him around you.”

  Mac leaned over and turned down the lights. Callie was ready for their other celebration of Valentine’s Day. She jumped on him and the two rolled off the bed and onto the floor. Callie was laughing.

  “You’re not hurt are you?” she asked Mac.

  “No, but I now know not to say ‘no’ to such a strong woman. Are you okay with this?”

  “Why? Because of Josh? Like water off a duck’s back. I’m fine,” she lied.

  Mac looked uncertain, his eyebrows rose. She put her hand on his chest and moved it down slowly. He pulled her to him and felt her relax against his body, so he followed her wishes to continue. She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him, then disappeared into a sweet, satisfying, gentle union with her man. Afterward they drifted off to sleep snuggled up together.

  Callie opened the front door and a giant, hulking Josh stepped in and slammed the door. He grabbed her by the arms and squeezed. Pain shot through her body as her upper arm bone cracked. He ripped her shirt off with one hand. Callie was sweating and crying. His huge hand went for the waistband of her skirt, when she screamed and woke up.

  Callie lay panting and sweating. Mac rolled over.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “Bad dream,” she said, trying to catch her breath.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I’m fine. I’m fine,” she lied. “Go back to sleep.”

  He rolled over, returning to sleep instantly, or so Callie thought. Drenched in sweat, she lay awake trying to compose herself. The clock said five o’clock. Because she was afraid to go back to sleep, she slipped out of bed and headed for the shower.

  The pounding of the water on her arms was painful. The emerging ugly purple marks on her upper arms where Josh squeezed looked like huge angry fingers. Callie had a delayed reaction. She had been attacked and though she tried to brush it off, she couldn’t. She turned her face to the corner of the shower stall to muffle the sound as she cried.

  The shower door opened. Callie let out a gasp as she turned to see who was there. It was Mac. He stepped in the shower. The look of terror on her face and the angry bruises on her arms caused an expression of silent concern on his face. He took Callie in his arms where she let go and sobbed into his chest. The warm water and Mac holding her close, gently stoking her hair calmed her. He could feel her begin to relax and quiet down, sinking into the safety of his warmth and strength. The bruises on her arms would fade with time, but would she ever feel safe again?

  * * * *

  The next day, Mac met with Josh in his office. Though Josh appeared contrite, Mac was furious.

  “If I wasn’t a dean, I’d kick your ass, you moron,” Mac said. “I could have you arrested and put in jail.”

  He lectured Josh on the responsibility of a man with women. Josh sunk lower in his seat, realizing he did more than “get fresh” with Callie. When confronted with the note and copies of Callie’s handwriting, he admitted they were not the same. He felt terrible because he liked Callie. He understood he was totally out of control and terrified her.

  Mac suspended Josh for the current semester and put him on probation for the next year. He sentenced him to one hundred hours of community service doing janitorial work at the rape crisis center.

  Mac insisted Josh find a male tutor and apologize to Callie in writing, but he was never to go near her again. Josh agreed. Mac made him write an apology long hand and mail it to her then and there.

  “If I ever hear even the tiniest complaint from a co-ed, or any woman, about you, you will be expelled immediately. Do you understand?” Mac said.

  Josh nodded.

  “Pack up and be out of here by Wednesday. Find a way to tell your parents what you’ve done. Now get the hell out before I lose control and give you the beating you deserve,” Mac threatened.

  Exhausted and upset, Callie stayed home. She didn’t see the dirty white van come down the street and linger in front of her house. When Mac came home, he brought a box of her favorite chocolates and the news of Josh’s punishment. They went to Doc’s diner for dinner and had a quiet evening at home. Callie turned in early. But she awoke with another nightmare. Mac held her until she fell asleep. Nestled in Mac’s arms, she began to heal.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Callie was convinced there was a connection between the van trying to run her down and the note slipped under Josh’s door. Only someone who knew when Mac was due home could set up Josh. Callie thought it was concocted to have Mac discover her cheating. If someone had her in their crosshairs, she needed to take action. She discussed it with Mac.

  “This could be coincidence,” he said.

  “I doubt it. I see the white van everywhere, and then it disappears.”

  “I still don’t see how it’s connected to Josh.”

  “Connected to the drug dealers, maybe?”

  “You think so?”

  “Just a hunch,” Callie said.

  “Discuss it with Dave,” Mac suggested, “but don’t take any more chances, please,” he said.

  Callie was quiet. Kyle always advised her to be brave. Don’t let rats rattle your cage.

  “If something happened to you…I couldn’t take it. Please, promise me you will be careful,” Mac insisted, taking her by the shoulders.

  “I’ll talk to Dave. Then I’ll to decide what to do. I need to defend myself…don’t want to be a victim.”

  * * * *

  During her lunch break. Callie called the cell number from the sting. No one answered. But in another part of town, people were talking about her.

  “What?”

  “The bitch called the old number,” Mars said.

  “What for?”

  “Hell, I don’t know.”

  “Call Venus. What are you bothering me with this shit for? I’m only a deliveryman, here. Venus will tell you what to do. And don’t call me back unless it’s an emergency, people here are getting suspicious,” Saturn said and hung up.

  “I told you not to call me today.”

  “I have to know if something is being planned.”

  “Another sting? No. Listen, my asshole boss thinks you’re my girlfriend. So stop calling me so much!” Jupiter said.

  Mars called Venus.

  “The nosy bitch called the 7233 number. What do you want me to do?”

  “Is something up?”

  “No.”

  “Did you talk to Jupiter?”

  “Yep. He said to call you,” Mars lied.r />
  “Okay. She’s a pain. Get rid of the bitch.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know what I mean. Get rid of her, any way you can. Do it clean. Don’t be stupid. There’s enough heat on us now,” Venus said.

  * * * *

  Across town, Audrey put Jason down for a nap. Recently back from Mexico, she was nervous because she found out Sid wasn’t the man she thought. He’s secretive, has strange phone conversations and he’s probably into something illegal. Audrey cracked the door open silently.

  “Calm down. Venus told you to get rid of her? I know she’s a pain in the ass, Mars. I know. How do you want to do it?”

  Silence.

  “Use the van. Those are phony plates, they’ll never trace it. Yeah, yeah…do it at Farley’s barn. Yeah, on Haverford. Nosy little bitch thinks she’s hot stuff since she married Caldwell. Fuck her. She’s going to have an accident, maybe he’ll back off after this. Wish you could get them both. Do it tonight. Six thirty when it’s dark.”

  Audrey closed the door silently and tiptoed into the bathroom. God, they are going to kill Callie! She panicked—murder! Audrey lived on the edge, but this was more than she bargained for. She had a feeling Sid was up to no good in Mexico, but she didn’t know what exactly. Now, she knew. Sid was bringing in drugs.

  Audrey had to warn Callie. Whatever she said or did, she was not a murderer. She couldn’t let this go, if she did, she would become an accessory.

  At 5:30, Audrey put on her coat.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I need to get something for Jason. Will you watch him?”

  “He’s sleeping ain’t he?”

  “Yes. And don’t say ‘ain’t’, Sid,” Audrey said as she closed the door.

  Callie left her desk to take the call in the hall.

  “You wanna buy?” Mars said, disguising his voice.

  “Yeah. Whatcha got and how much?”

  “I got everything. Coke, in today. $50 bucks.”