Breath of Life (14 page)

TWELVE

Paxton woke up the next day and found herself in the spare bedroom. She didn’t remember coming into the room the night before but she had an emotional breakdown.  She overworked herself painting her room as well. She stood up and stretched feeling her tight, sore muscles. She didn’t realize how much of a workout painting could be. 

She slowly made her way into the kitchen after checking to see if the paint was dry. As she put the K-Cup of breakfast tea in the Keurig machine she was glad she didn’t have to paint another coat. She was excited to put her room back together and get it redecorated.  She ate a quick breakfast knowing that she would probably get lost in her task again.

When she went up there this time, she decided to plug her phone into the speakers. She didn’t want any crippling surprises. She knew exactly what music was on her phone. Once it started playing, she brought all her bags in the room and she decided to start with the curtains.

She smiled thinking to herself she did a good job picking them out. The color played well with the deep-sea grey that now coated the walls. The burgundy red stood out against the color. She stood back to take a good look to make sure she really liked them which she did. She gave herself a mental pat on the back for a job well done on the curtains.

She then moved her dresser and table back to the places. On the dresser she put a potted plant made up of red tulips with touches of white accent flowers.  She put a picture of her and her father up and then a family picture of her mother, father and herself on a summer vacation.  She went over to the table and placed a few more pictures of friends and milestones from her life. She purposely left out her wedding picture but allowed one picture of Jack to remain. It was a group shot taken at one of Ella’s art exhibits. It was the night that Duke proposed to Ella. She smiled at the memory but quickly turned to finish her task.

Her last task in the room was setting up her bed. She quickly moved it to the center of the wall opposite of the door.  She remembered falling in love with her bed at the store. She all but begged Jack to buy it and he finally gave in. The frame was made out of metal rods with a brushed copper look. The headboard and footboard had matching twisted metal rods lined across the width of it. The top of the footboard raised and curved towards the outside. She threw on the deep red satin sheets. She loved the look of them against the brushed copper.  Paxton then threw on the silver satin comforter set. Next, she put the red and silver pillowcases on her pillows.

When she was done she took a step back and looked at her new room.  She stared for a moment as her music played on. Her heart tugged at her because there was no sign of Jack in here, only her. She hit pause on her phone since her job in her room was done. She saw that it was close to four o’clock. She missed lunch and she heard her stomach growl. She made a reminder to herself to remember to eat. She had been forgetting to eat a lot lately.

She headed back down to the kitchen. She pulled out the pizza she had left over. She only grabbed two of the four slices that were left in the box. She heated them up. She placed the other two back in the refrigerator.  She loved her cream cheese pizza. She remembered when she introduced Jack to it. He couldn’t believe cream cheese was a topping and refused to try it until Paxton put on her pouty face. He eventually caved and even admitted to liking the pizza as weird as it sounded.  She enjoyed her last slice and washed her plate and set it in the rack to dry.  She didn’t know what she wanted to do with the rest of her evening. She was tired and didn’t feel like seeing anyone. She decided to veg out on the couch for the night.

***

Jack sat in his room at his parents’ house. He just spent another day listening to the constant questioning from his mother about what he was going to do. He was searching for a place to live but first he needed his leg healed. He went couldn’t wait until he could move on his own again without assistance. He needed his life back. He picked up his guitar and plucked away.

He started playing a Keith Urban song without even realizing it. Paxton loved him and when they started dating, Jack learned every song of Keith’s just so he could sing them to Paxton. She was ingrained in everything he did. Every waking moment since he’s been in New York he has tried to resist his urge to fly back to Paxton. It was not healthy for him to be totally consumed by her. He needed to move on. She signed the divorce papers, she didn’t want him. She only followed his lead. He was the one that made the mistake for filing and she just finished the process for him. Even though she broke the vows she made on their wedding day and betrayed him many times, he was still hung up on her. It didn’t matter what she did, he was obsessed with her.

“Fuck!” he yelled.

“Well that’s no way to greet me.” It was a voice he hadn’t heard in months.

He looked over at the door as he had no heard anyone come in. Standing in the doorway was a face he recognized. She smiled at him. She gave him her thousand-megawatt smile and it reached her green eyes that sparkled with happiness. Her blonde hair fell into loose curls past her shoulders. She wore a tight fitting V-neck shirt with a pair of dark washed skinny jeans that were tucked neatly in a pair of knee high black boots. He let a slow smile spread across his face.

“Kitten?” He couldn’t believe that Kenleigh Bailyn was standing in his room. She was one of his best friends since middle school. Everyone thought they were going to get married but they never had feelings for each other. Plus, she had bounced from relationship to another but the only constant guy in her life was Jack.

“God, you are the only one that calls me that. I can’t stand that silly nick name Jackster,” she grinned.

He rolled to meet her halfway as she walked toward him. She bent down and hugged him. His mind was still reeling at the fact that she was here. He hadn’t talked to her in a couple months. Not since he decided to go back and try to help Paxton. Kenleigh did not like that fact he was going back to Kansas but she saw how Paxton affected him. He went into a dark place when he left her and Kenleigh sat with him through those dark days.

“How did you know I was here?” She sat on his bed.  She made herself right at home as always.

“Your mother. I ran into her at the boutique.”

“I see.” Jack realized that his mother purposely told her he was here. His mother always thought he should be with Kenleigh.

“Are you not happy to see me?” She pouted and leaned back on the bed kicking her legs that hung over the side.

“I am. I’m just surprised my mother was at your boutique that’s all.”

Kenleigh owned Bedside Boutiques. It was a lingerie store full of her designs and she was pretty popular among the college age woman and the wives who were looking to spice up their love life. In high school that is what she decided she wanted to do. So Jack gave started calling her Kitten, short for sex kitten. She wasn’t promiscuous or anything but her career choice might have said otherwise. Jack loved giving her a hard time about it.

“I won’t tell you why she was really there.” She leaned forward and raised her eyebrows as she set her chin on her fist.

“You had to go there, Kitten. Gah. I don’t want to think of my parents in that way,” Jack said with a look of disgust on his face. Kenleigh laughed.

“I’m just kidding. She strolled by and saw me when she looked through the window. I went out to see how she was.” She playfully slapped his good knee.

“So why are you back in New York? I thought you went back to Kansas to get Paxton out of the facility.”

“That was my plan but obviously things didn’t go as it should have.”

He rolled over to grab his crutches. He need to get up out of the chair. It was driving him crazy. Once upright he went to the other side of the room. He stared out into the gardens he mother paid thousands for to keep it up.

“Jack,” Kenleigh paused. Jack felt her up against his back, her arms wrapped around him. “I’m sorry.” She squeezed him.

He grabbed her arm with one of his and just held it while holding the crutch under the other arm to keep him upright.

“She doesn’t want me, not anymore. She signed the divorce papers. She’s selling my car, probably the cabin I built her, and she is trying to give back half of the money I left her.”

“She never wanted your money Jackster. Even I know she isn’t like that and that’s not what she wants from you.” She squeezed tighter. He took her hand and kissed the back of it.

“I hurt her Kenleigh. There’s no coming back from that. I walked out on her first. I wasn’t there in her darkest hour. I took away the job of her dreams. The least I could do is give her what she is worth.”

“She does not have a price tag. You can’t just throw money at her and expect her to take it.” Jack pulled away from Kenleigh. He grabbed his other crutch and headed towards the bed.

“I know that but what am I supposed to do?” Jack was frustrated. “I can’t leave her with nothing. She needs means to support herself.”

“Maybe she wants to do it on her own.”

Jack sighed. He just wanted to take care of Paxton but she didn’t want him to. He laid back on his bed trying to figure out what he was going to do.

“Have you eaten yet?” Kenleigh laid beside him.

“No.”

“Come. Let’s go get something to eat.” She pulled him up by his shirt. “I only want you to be happy.” She leaned her forehead against his. He didn’t move. “Do I need to drag you out cave-lady style?”

“I would love to see that but no. Let me up,” Jack said.

 He was trying to focus on her but with their foreheads against each other Kenleigh only caused him to go cross-eyed. He smiled and nudged her backwards with his head.

“Let’s go beautiful.” Jack pulled the door open for her.

They climbed into the car that was waiting out front. Hugh, Kenleigh’s driver, opened the door for her as she came down the walkway leading to the front door. She smiled at him as she climbed in the car. He took Jack’s crutches as he turned to sit in the car.

“Thank you Hugh,” Jack said as he climbed in. Hugh smiled and closed the door behind them.

As Hugh climbed behind the wheel, he looked in the mirror asking a silent question to Kenleigh. “Oasis, please Hugh,” she said.

Hugh nodded and Jack felt the car lurch forward. Kenleigh closed the privacy window that would separate them from Hugh.

Jack saw Kenleigh looking at him like she wanted to say something but she couldn’t figure out how to say it. He stared at her waiting for her to speak. He noticed how much she has changed. Her eyes had more life in them than he had ever seen before. She let her hair grow out long instead of keeping her normal pixie-like cut.  He noticed it last time he was up here that it was getting long but he didn’t say anything. It looked like she had been hitting the gym too. She was lean and more sculpted. She had curves in all the right places. He wondered if she was seeing anyone to inspire her change in looks. He suddenly felt guilty. He had been so consumed in his own problems that he didn’t keep up on Kenleigh’s life. He wasn’t being a very good friend to her. He didn’t even ask how things were going at the boutique, if she had someone in her life yet or just how she was. He was about to ask when the car stopped.

“We’re here,” she said quietly.

Jack looked at her to see if she was alright. She seemed to be mulling over something. He could see some indecision on her face.

They walked into the restaurant/bar. “Good evening Ms. Bailyn,” The host greeted. He gave his best smile.

“Is the VIP room open tonight?” She peered over the podium. Jack watched her trying to score the VIP room. Surely the host would see past her charade. She seemed to try to get the best of everything wherever she went, even if it meant a little bit of flirting was involved.

“Yes ma’am. I can close it down for you if you would like.”

“That would be wonderful.” She gave her million dollar smile and brushed her hand on his arm.

“I will have Cici serve you and your guest in there.” He shot back a smile.

“Thank you Chad.” She turned to Jack. “Let’s go.”

“Shouldn’t we wait to be escorted there?” He figured the host would lead them back there like most places practice.

“Jackster, the owners never wait.” She smiled and turned heading toward the elevator that would lead to the second floor.

Jack looked up and noticed it was empty but it overlooked the restaurant and bar area. Jack followed, floored by her admission. He didn’t realize she expanded her business ventures into the food/entertainment industry. She giggled as they climbed into the elevator.

They went up in the glass elevator and Jack took in his surroundings. He knew Kenleigh had a keen eye for good business deals and opportunities but this place must make her a fortune. It was elegant but attracted the young crowd that wanted to dance the night away. He looked behind the glass elevator to the other half of the building. She had a few tall tables around a huge dance floor. There was a stage where a DJ or band could easily fit to entertain the night life.

“So this is what you do in your spare time Kitten?” He asked as the elevator doors opened up. She giggled again as she let the way into the expansive VIP room. It had plush couches, chairs, a few tables and its own private bar.

“Some nights if I feel like I need to be out on the prowl,” she teased. “It was business venture that you invested in. Remember that money I asked to borrow a few years back?”

Jack nodded almost forgetting that he gave her money to help get a new place. He thought it was for her boutique.

“You are 49% owner of this place. I have set aside all your profit you earned. I figured it would be a rainy day fund. I know you told me not to pay you back and that it was a gift but I can’t take the money Jack. So, I decided to give you half of the place. I just never told you about it. Now I think Oasis will give you something to think about. Keep you busy. That is if you want to help me run it.”

“I can’t take half of your place.”

“Our place.”