Elite (4 page)

Daniel closed his eyes and scrunched his face up. It was as if someone had punched him in the gut. When he opened his eyes back up again he could feel the moisture that had built up around the outside of them.

Just then, at possibly the most awkward moment possible, the waiter brought the check. Daniel looked down at the plate the cheesecake had once been sitting on. He hadn’t even realized that during the uncomfortable discussion they had eaten the entire slice. He didn’t even remember whether it was good or not.

“Look Daniel, it was just sex. He was my first, and that has always made me feel so comfortable being with him.”

Daniel was still shaking off the initial gut punch Jordan had solidly connected on, and decided to take a look at the check.

She leaned in closer so that she could continue her thought on this personal subject in a more hushed tone. “I don’t have feelings for him or anything, we just have fun together. He would get a room with a hot tub…It wasn’t even romantic, just fun.”

Daniel winced a little, then looked up from the bill and gave her a deep, dark stare.

“You probably don’t want to hear anymore. I don’t know why I told you all that.”

He slid his credit card into the pouch and set the book on the end of the table so the waiter could come pick it up. “No, I’m glad you did.”

H
e meant that. Through it all, even if she had kept it from him in the past, he was glad he could still eventually get her to tell him anything. “But yeah, I get the gist. I’m not mad, how could I be? We’re not the least bit committed to each other. It just stings a little. Especially considering we’ve never even had sex, ya know?”

She was reaching into her purse, and pulled out some money to pay for her share of the meal. “Here. For mine,” she said as she handed it to him. He was more than happy to accept it now.

“And please don’t take it personally. I’m here now and all that’s over,” she said in an attempt to be reassuring. “As long as he and I are living in the same city I won’t be sleeping with him because I don’t want him to get the wrong idea.”

“
It’s fine, I don’t,” he said somberly. “Just stings a little.”

And it most certainly did sting, for more than just the obvious reason. Not only had she regularly had sex with this guy while Daniel was perfectly available and rip-roaring to go, but she was willing to accept his help, and accept the job he set her up with, and to move to Chicago for that job.

But she was moving to Chicago. That was the positive to come out of all of this. Maybe her sleeping with Demérs was a necessary evil that had to be done in order for Jordan and him to be together. If that was the case, he’d be able to accept her indiscretion easily.

As much as it hurt that she had in a way chosen
Demérs over him, he understood why. She had already been with Demérs, and she had never slept with Daniel before. Besides that, she had real feelings for Daniel that she did not have for Demérs. Casual sex was an impossibility for Jordan and Daniel, and therefore it meant a lot more to her, and he knew how much she wanted that moment to be special. She had always told him that she didn’t want to do it until they were officially together, and he had to respect that.

“Besides,” she said as the waiter set the bill back down on the table and wished them a pleasant evening, “I know this other guy in the city that I’m kind of hoping to get involved with.”

He couldn’t prevent the smirk that followed. She always seemed to know how to say exactly what he needed to hear. She was already beginning to apply aloe to his stinging heart, and he knew that a couple more hours with her would alleviate the pain completely.

And who knows? Now that she was moving to Chicago and they were probably on the horizon of a new relationship, maybe she and Daniel could have their own sex-adventure tonight.

He filled in the tip and total on the bill and signed it before throwing it back down on the table.

He wiped the stress from his eyes and smiled. “So what do you want to do now?” He asked eagerly. “I’m thinking we get some real good beer and take it back to my place and hang out for the night.”

Jordan stood up and grabbed her things, preparing to walk out of the restaurant.

“Ugh, that sounds so great,” she started, preparing to kick Daniel while he was down, “but I can’t. I told Gordon I would go over to his place so that he could prep me for the interview tomorrow.”

As Daniel stood up out of his seat his heart sank into his stomach.
I thought we were done with this dude,
he thought to himself. Now she was going to ditch him for the rest of the night to prepare with Demérs for an interview for a job she already had?
OUCH!

“Well how about I meet you over by his place after and we can go back to my place?” It was already after nine, but Daniel had nothing else to do that night because he had planned on spending it with her. Normally such occasions would result in him being passed out by eleven, Friday night or not, but for Jordan he would be willing to stay up all night if it meant getting to spend a few more hours with her.
Especially if those hours were spent alone.

“No, don’t do that. It will probably really late by the time we’re done. I’ll probably just stay at his place.”

Daniel imagined the look on his face was similar to that of a person watching the scene in Top Gun where the beloved character Goose dies for the first time.

“Don’t worry,” Jordan said assuring him, reading the expression on his face, “
there will definitely not be any sex. I promise. He has a guest room so we won’t even be sleeping in the same bed.”

As they walked out the door Daniel managed to let out half a sigh. That was a bit of relief, but he knew as well as anyone that plans change, and he didn’t trust
Demérs and Jordan alone together. Especially after the information that had just been brought to light at dinner.  And it didn’t change the fact that she was ditching him for the man who he now considered to be his mortal enemy. Although if you were to put the life of Daniel up against that of Gordon Demérs, it was absolutely no contest.

But alas, he knew he had no right to try and stop her. They weren’t an item yet, and until she was officially a resident of the city of Chicago and they had gone out on an official date she was free to do as she pleased.

He also realized that she couldn’t just blow off Demérs at this stage of the game. She owed him too much, and that was what Daniel hated most of all.

“Where does he live?” Daniel asked, shaking off the immense frustration. “Need
me to go with you?”

“Oh no, that’s ok,” she assured him. “I’ll just take a cab.”

Sure, now she’s ok taking a cab.

So he hailed her a cab and opened the door as she threw her bag into the back seat next to hers.

“Goodbye Daniel,” she said as she turned around and squeezed him tight. He did all he could to not let his disappointment show through the hug. “I had fun.”

And with that she hopped in the cab. Daniel closed the door behind her and with one last wave she was sailing down Michigan Avenue in a big yellow taxi.

He let out a big sigh as he watched her go. The last fifteen minutes had been a blur…or had it been twenty? He wasn’t even sure. He hadn’t even thought to ask her whether he’d see her at all the rest of the weekend. The fact that she hadn’t brought it up culminated with the fact that she would probably be with Sir Gordon Demérs made him think the chances were slim.

At least he had the opportunity to see her at all. It had been too long. And better yet, in a couple months she would be moving and he would be able to see her almost every day. He decided that would be the thought he would hold onto as he made his way home.

As he turned back to the curb there was a man in a blue pin-striped suit and a matching fedora standing just a few paces in front of him, staring right at him. The dude looked straight out of a black-and-white gangster film. The scene was incredibly bizarre.

“I’m sorry, did I steal your cab or something?” It was the most reasonable explanation Daniel could think of at the moment.

The man continued to stare right into his eyes. Then he broke eye contact and looked Daniel up and down.

“You look beat,” the man finally spoke. “Beat and a little broken.”

“I’m sorry?” Daniel asked, surprised by the man’s gumption to say such a thing to a stranger.

“What if I told you I had something that could completely change your life around? Make you a whole new person.” The man countered, apparently ignoring Daniel’s concerns.

“Who the hell are you?” Daniel shot back. This guy was seriously starting to freak him out.

“Here’s my card,” the man said as he walked up to Daniel and handed him a business card. “If it gets to be too much to bear, give me a call. I think I can help you kid.”

Daniel took the card and looked down to read it. As he did so the man in the fedora walked past him and hailed a cab of his own.

“It doesn’t hurt to call kid. Who knows? You just might like what we have to offer.”

And just like that the man hopped in a cab and was gone.

Daniel watched in utter confusion as the man drove away. He looked back down at the card and read:

Mr. Blank

Elite Personal Security Force

13 W Adams Street

Chicago, IL 60607

Phone: (312) 555-2498

             
Elite Security Force? What could they possibly want with him? Daniel was far from a little guy, but he was no personal security guard. He had never even been in a real fight, what could he possibly have to offer?

             
Still, the man in the fedora intrigued him, as did his offer.
Wouldn’t hurt to keep the card handy,
he thought.

Then he turned, feeling tired, defeated, and alone, and started the long walk back to his studio apartment.

Chapter 3

March had ended abruptly, and most of April had blown by as well. The wound created by Jordan’s visit had now healed over, leaving an annoying scar that, while ugly to look at, would cause no permanent damage to the relationship.

Daniel did not get to see her the rest of that weekend, but she had texted him as soon as she got on the train back to Indianapolis. She explained everything that had happened while she was with Gordon, highlighting the absence of any sexual activity. She added that she would not be having sex with him again anytime soon because she did not want it to appear as if she only had her job because she was sleeping with Gordon.

Whether or not that was true, Daniel decided it really didn’t matter. As long as that affair was behind her, all that mattered now was that she would soon be in Chicago, and he would be able to claim her as his own.

As long as they were together, he could care less about the past.

Work had even seemed to suck less recently. It could have been the start of baseball season and change in the weather, but Daniel’s money was on the fact that the future was beginning to look much brighter. The grass on the horizon was beginning to look much greener, and things didn’t seem quite so hopeless.

He had even started to really enjoy his
nights home by himself. Again, baseball was a contributing factor as he now had something to keep his mind occupied other than beer, but beyond that he had decided that he should enjoy his last couple months living the bachelor life. Soon he would be in a serious relationship, and who knows where it might lead from there. While he wouldn’t trade a life with Jordan for anything, he assumed there would occasionally be times when he would miss his nights alone as a bachelor, so he vowed to appreciate and make the most of every one he had left.

He had received a text a couple days ago from Jordan, explaining that she would be in town again that Thursday. She would be driving in this time, but unfortunately she wouldn’t have time to see him. That was fine by Daniel because that meant she wouldn’t have any time to see Gordon either. She was taking the day off of work to come and visit the new school where she would be teaching the following school year. The principal had asked her to come so that he might give her a tour of the school while in session, so that she could have some sort of idea of what to expect before settling in next fall. Jordan had agreed to the visit, but afterward she would have to turn around and head right back to Indianapolis because she needed to be back at work on Friday morning. She still wanted to let Daniel know she was coming because she said it would have felt wrong for her to go to Chicago and not let him know.

Daniel however, had an idea of his own.

He took one last swig of his beer just as the Cubs’ closer wound up to throw the final strike of the game, securing a 3-1 win for the Cubbies. He shut the TV off, and got up to put his bottle in the bag of recyclables he had in the corner of his kitchenette. As he stretched out his arms above his head he went over his mental checklist of things he needed to do for Thursday.

He had organized his workload and worked it out with his bosses so that he would be able to get out of work early on Thursday afternoon. Jordan would be getting to the school around two and he figured he could be out of work by 2:30. Jordan had told him school let out at three, at which point the principal was going to give her a few minutes to become acquainted with what was to be her new classroom come next fall.

There was a bodega on the same block as the radio station. Daniel guessed it would take him about ten minutes to run into the bodega and buy a bouquet of flowers for Jordan. From there he would hop into a cab and take what would probably be a fifteen minute cab ride to the school, which would put him there right around three. By the time he went into the office, checked in, and found his way to her classroom, the timing would be perfect to walk in and surprise Jordan with the flowers and give her a big hug and kiss. With any luck, she might even be willing to grab an early dinner before driving back to Indy.

Daniel smiled to himself. He was such a romantic, and proud of it. It had landed him a girl like Jordan after all.

He walked over to his bed and shut off the lights as he climbed under the sheets, a smile still on his face. This was going to be perfect.

It was 2:45 Thursday afternoon when Daniel jumped into a cab and instructed the driver to take him to the Fox Harmon Academy. As the driver acknowledged and set the cab in motion Daniel checked his watch. He was right on schedule. The line at the bodega was longer than he had expected and he spent a few minutes debating with himself over which flowers to get, but fortunately he had been able to escape from work ten minutes sooner than he had originally planned. If there were no unforeseen issues resulting in the cab ride taking any longer than expected, he should arrive at the school right on time.

The cab pulled up to the school at 3:01 and the kids were already scurrying out of the school as quickly as they possibly could, dying to get to the sanctity of their homes and away from this place that bored them to tears 35 hours a week.

As he approached the steps leading up to the front doors, children began flooding around him on all sides, anxious to get to the vehicles parked waiting out in front of the school to pick them up and take them home. Once he was a few steps away from the bottom step, Daniel began to realize that he wasn’t going to be able to get much further without bowling a few kids over or vice-versa, so he quickly made his way over to the left side of the steps to move out of the way and wait for the rush to slow down. It was like a raging waterfall of little maniacs, surging over top the concrete steps and leading away from the school.

As he waited at the side of the steps for the avalanche to clear, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. A black limousine was parked right out in front of the school.

These private school kids really have it all,
he thought to himself. You wouldn’t see a public school student getting a ride home in a limo.

Daniel turned back to the steps and noticed that the raging river of little ones had pretty much run dry. He climbed up the stairs and made his way through the front entrance.

As he walked through the propped doors he found himself standing in one of the grandest school lobbies he had ever seen.

So this is why you pay tuition for elementary school.

The floor of the room was made of shiny grey tile, and the ceilings extended up three stories high. There were windows on each side of the back wall which peaked into the hallways on each floor. Daniel assumed the hallways extended the length of the building. In the back left corner on the lower level was a stairwell leading to the upper levels on the west side of the building, and in the back right corner an identical stairwell lead to the upper levels on the east side. He assumed the hallways had to connect somewhere in the building, otherwise it would be exhausting to travel from one end to the other.

Directly in front of Daniel was a giant set of double doors which had been propped open. The doorway was carved into a massive stone wall, which had on it a mural of the earth. Near each geographical region was a painting of a child that fit the stereotypical profile of a person from that region.

He saw that beyond the doorway was a wide hallway, with a tile flooring that was a few shades darker than the floor in the lobby, but equally as shiny. At the very end of the hall he saw another staircase which appeared to lead straight up, and just to the right of it, an elevator.

Directly past the doors, on the left side of the hall, he noticed a sign hanging out of the wall that read, “Main Office.” He considered making his way to the office until he noticed a marble desk about ten feet to the left of the doorway. At the table sat an African-American woman with short hair who looked to be near the age of forty. She was wearing a black polo shirt that said “Fox Harmon Academy” in white lettering over her heart. He felt it might be rude to bypass her and go directly to the office. Clearly she was put at this desk for a purpose, probably to act as gatekeeper given the proximity of the desk to the doors. So he decided to check in with her before entering the vast hallway.

“Hello,” he said, trying to sound cheerful as he approached the desk. At first he thought this might be an odd sight for her – a strange young man entering the school just after class let out with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. Then again, teachers had social lives too, and this probably wasn’t the first time a boyfriend or husband has shown up at the school to surprise them.

“Hi, welcome to Fox Harmon Academy, how may I help you?” She asked in a rehearsed manner.

“I’m here to see a Jordan Hill,” he said, letting the words trail off, hoping that for some reason the name of a woman that wasn’t even a staff member here yet would resonate with her.

Once it was painfully obvious that the name wasn’t ringing any bells he continued, “She just got hired here for the upcoming fall semester. Anyway she came in today so that the principal could give her a tour of the school and then show her
her new classroom. I was hoping I could surprise her.”

He held up the flowers after he finished his explanation, hoping it would validate his story and help the nice gatekeeper to put the final pieces together.

She glanced at him a second longer then said, “One moment please, let me call the office and see if they know where she is.”

Daniel thought she probably wanted to say “who” she is, rather than “where.” Regardless, he hoped the people in the office knew who and where she was and were willing to let him see her.

She picked up the phone and punched a few keys and waited. Finally she took a deep breath and began, “Yes, I have a gentleman here who says he is here to see a Jordan Hill.” She paused a moment so that the person on the other end of the line could tell her that she didn’t know a “Jordan Hill.”

“Yes,” she continued, “apparently she was hired for next year and had a tour scheduled with Mister Forester this afternoon…Okay.” She looked up at Daniel and forced a polite smile. “One moment sir, she’s checking with the principal right now.”

“No problem,” Daniel said, trying to be as polite as possible in order to remain on the gatekeeper’s good side. It was clear now that if he was going to get in he was going to need her help.

After a moment of rocking back on his heels in awkward silence the woman began speaking again, “Yes…one-forty-two…okay I’ll let him know. Thank you.” She hung up the phone and reached forward.

“Okay sir, here is your guest pass,” she said while handing him a laminated piece of paper that had the word ‘GUEST’ typed on it with an alligator clip hanging off the end. “Put that on and go right through these doors, she should be in room one-forty-two, right at the end of this hallway.”

She pointed back toward the large double doors behind her.

“Thank you very much ma’am,” he said with a smile as he headed toward the doors.

Success!
He thought to himself as he made his way down the hall, his guest pass firmly clipped to his breast pocket.

He glanced at the room numbers as he walked down the hallway, counting up to 142.

Evens on the right.
Most of the classrooms were abandoned, but in some he saw teachers at their desks, hard at work grading papers or whatever it is teachers do after school.

As he passed room 138 he could hear laughter coming from a room up ahead. By 140 he could tell the laughter was coming from Jordan’s room, and that it was her laughter. He wondered if the principal was still with her, or if another faculty member had come by to introduce themselves.

Then he heard a voice.

“So this is the new office, is it?”

He knew that voice. He hadn’t heard it in quite a long time, but it was vaguely familiar.

“This is it,” he heard Jordan say with slight excitement in her voice.

As he got to the doorway to the classroom, he peered in. There, sitting in a swivel chair in the middle of the room, was the source of the voice he had heard.

It was Gordon
Demérs. He had beaten Daniel to the punch. Jordan was slowly wandering around the room getting to know it a little better. As she neared Demérs, he grabbed her arm and pulled her down onto his lap.

Daniels heart sank into his stomach.

Demérs grabbed her head and pulled her in for a kiss. Jordan didn’t resist.

Clearly they had been too distracted to notice Daniel standing just outside the door.

After a few tender kisses, she finally pulled back. “We can’t do this,” she told Demérs, “I told you we were done with this. No more.”

“Oh come on,”
Demérs retorted. He started rubbing the inside of her thigh as he spoke.

He put his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her head back towards him. It did not take much for her to give in. He moved his mouth down from hers, leaving a trail of kisses down the side of her face as he made the journey down to her neck and began caressing it with his lips.

She let out a small moan and threw her head back over his shoulder, the tip of her tongue sneaking out the side of her mouth.