Chapter 14

Now that things are underway they gain their own momentum and soon time starts to fly by. The week is long and full of progress. There has been no definitive proof of wrong doing on Al Denton’s part, but at every turn they are finding suspicious roadblocks that appear to be trying to cover someone’s tracks.

Come Friday Derek is ready to cut loose. “Sir?”

“Yes, Casey.”

“Your friend Brandi is on the phone. Line two.”

“Thank you. Brandi, my darling girl, how are you?”

“I’m fine. How are you? I haven’t heard from you in a while.”

“Things have been crazy at work.”

“Have you talked with Chrissy lately?”

“No. We realized after we spent the night together that it was becoming too hard to say goodbye so we agreed to say our goodbyes that morning.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, me, too, she is a darling girl. I’ll miss her for sure, but I am really happy for her that she gets to live out one of her childhood dreams. Ah, enough of that! Eric and I are going out this Saturday. Maybe we should get the group together?”

“Probably a good idea. I was talking with Lisa yesterday and they are feeling a little left out because every since they told us they are having a baby we are leaving them out.”

“Oh, nonsense! It has nothing to do with that. It has just been a crazy couple of weeks. I’ll give David a call and tell them to meet us at the club this Saturday.”

“Good. See you then.”

“Of course, babygirl, until then.” When Brandi hangs up the phone she has a special smile on her face because she just loves it when her dear friend calls her babygirl.

Derek hits a few buttons on his cell. “David!”

“Derek, my man, how’s it be?” Derek can hear hammering and power saws cutting wood in the background.

“Crazy busy at work, but needing to let loose this Saturday at the club.”

“Could you call and let Lisa know? With her hormones being out of whack because of the pregnancy she has been feeling a little left out.”

“I’ll do that very thing right now. Later, brother.”

“Cool, see you all this Saturday.”

A few more buttons and, “Hello.”

“Hey, Lisa, Lisa, my precious girl, how’s everything?”

Lisa smiles adoringly. “I’m fine.”

“Hey!”

“What?”

“It has been a super crazy couple of weeks and I need to decompress. We are meeting at the club this Saturday.”

“Oh wonderful! Could you let David know, he has been feeling kind of left out since we told you guys we are having a baby.”

“Just David, huh?”

Derek can just imagine the smile on Lisa’s face right now. “Maybe me, too, a little.”

“Uh huh! Alright, precious girl, you best be there.”

“We’ll be there. Derek?”

“Yeah, sweetheart?”

“Have you talked to Chrissy?”

“No, we figured it would be easier on both of us if we cut it short.”

“Derek, that’s not you.”

“It’s not, huh?”

“Nope!”

“Lisa?”

“Hmm.”

“Love ya, babygirl.”

“Me too!”

“See you tomorrow night at the club.”

“Yeah! Bye!”

After Derek hangs up he continues to look at his cell phone, and then he dials one more number. He gets Chrissy’s answering machine. “Hey, Chrissy, I know we agreed to make it easy on ourselves, but you are worth more than that. I just wanted to say thank you for some truly special times and thank you for letting me get to know the real you. I am proud of you and I am happy for you. Be safe and I hope you find everything your beautiful heart desires. Goodbye.”

Back at Chrissy’s, on the couch is Chrissy, with her legs curled up and her arms wrapped around them, crying. Tasha has her arm wrapped around her twin sister as she rocks back and forth. The message they just listened to as Derek was giving it made her both very happy and very sad.

The music is loud and the atmosphere is thick. Derek has his pick of pretty girls, but from time to time he still looks towards the door hoping to see Chrissy, though he fully knows she is on her way to Africa for at least six months.