Moments – Trixie, a day in the life.
Have you ever had one of those days, where you just wish you hadn't bothered getting out of bed at all?
Well, today is that day.
It's a Thursday, and Thursday is usually a very long day for me anyway. It's the day I endeavour to shift all the accumulated paperwork off my desk in the attempt to make the downhill slide into the weekend more manageable. Not to mention make Friday shorter so I can join my colleagues for the end of week session at the local sports bar and catch up on all the gossip. You see, gossip is essential in my business. You never know what titbits you just might pick up when someone's lips have been loosened by a drink or two.
Anyway, this particular Thursday started at 5.59AM with my eighteen-year-old brother Rob, as he prefers to be called these days, pounding on my bedroom door.
'Come on, Trix,' he yelled, 'you promised you'd drive me to school for swim practice at 6.30.'
And I had, only I'd hit the snooze button on my clock radio at least three times in the last half-hour. Bleary-eyed from a series of late nights which weren't my fault, I went to my closet. Neither of the choices before me was suitable for my working environment. The blue knit twin set and mid season trousers were too hot for the rapidly approaching summer weather and occasionally-functioning air conditioning in the decrepit station building. The skimpy, almost see-through blouse and short skirt just weren't appropriate office attire either. Hedging my bets, I split the difference and took the blouse part of the knit and skimpy skirt from their hangers, knowing I would regret my choice later in the day.
'Trixieeeeeeeeee,' Rob called from the bottom of the stairs, what seemed like a few seconds later. I looked longingly at the shower recess, remembering I had run the water over myself after getting in around midnight and that would just have to suffice until tonight.
'I'll be late,' he whined in a tone only male teenagers can affect at the same moment I put the cap back on the tooth paste and sighed at the unfairness of life.
Rushing back to my room, I found the comfortable black lace-ups I usually wore wouldn't go with the skirt I'd chosen, and I'd gotten a run in my last pair of hose when I took them off before bed. I groaned because that left me with a pair of block heels, in which I wouldn't be able to run to save my life. I just hoped the criminal element of Sleepyside would stay quiet today on account of my footwear and attire.
I didn't even have time to frown at my image in the mirror before being reminding of my duty by yet another male squeal from the foot of the stairs.
'Finally!' Rob complained, watching the luminescent dial in my unmarked police car switch to 6.15AM at the same time we pulled out of Crabapple Farm's driveway. 'Don't you dare, Trixie Belden!' Rob screeched, as I made a quick left.
Rob's school was to the right.
'I have to,' I gritted through my teeth as I watched a late model red Porsche fishtail down Glen Road in the opposite direction to town. 'It's my job to keep the people of this town safe,' I told my brother as I reached for the blue magnetic light in the compartment between the front seats and turned on the siren.
'Great,' he complained once again, hunkering down as far away from me as possible. 'I'm going to be late and Coach will kill me.'
I refrained from reminding Rob that the irresponsible behaviour exhibited by the two men in the Porsche was likely to end in the same way. Especially as the passenger had been our elder brother, Mart. At twenty six, he, at least, should have known better, since he lived further up Glen Road in one of the new affluent subdivisions. Since making his first million with his partner Sam Mendel in college, Mart and Sam had almost become household names. At least, names in the households with computers and children under the age of eighteen. Still that didn't excuse their current misconduct.
Walking up to the car I got my first big shock of the day. Mart had never actually mentioned the gender of his partner Sam and I had always assumed Sam was female. When I asked the driver of Mart's Porsche for his licence, it clearly stated Sam Mendel, male, and of the same address as my brother. My emotions must have been written all over my face, because Mart just grinned at me and then winked as though sharing a secret.
I gave Sam a verbal warning, too distressed by the evidence in front of me to consider a ticket and walked back to my car, stunned.
'Wow, isn't Mart's car great and Sam handles it so well,' Rob chortled on about torque and engine power and other incomprehensible boy things all the way into Sleepyside.
It had turned 6.35AM when I finally pulled up outside Rob's school and I just had to ask, 'How long have you known about Mart and … and…?' I found it hard to finish my sentence.
'Open your eyes and ears, Trix,' Rob shook his head while rolling his eyes. 'For a detective, you sure can be dumb sometimes.'
And with that he was out of the car and racing up the footpath to the school gym. I felt completely astounded that my eighteen-year-old brother had guessed Mart's gender orientation before me. It made me wonder exactly what type of detective I actually was, when I couldn't see something right under my nose.
Only a few hundred yards down the road I got my second big shock of the day.
Honey and Diana, still dressed in their finery from the night before, passed me on Main Street. They weren't alone in Honey's convertible, so there went my idea that they were just returning from one of their company's functions in New York.
Remember I mentioned the new, incredibly expensive subdivisions along Glen Road? Well the town of Sleepyside can thank the Wheeler's and Lynch's for the influx of affluent New Yorkers. When they experienced the untamed wilds of the preserve, the mighty Hudson and the quaint but sleepy village, they moved to the area in droves, encouraged by Honey and Di's real estate business. Recently the pair had expanded their business to include arranging domestic help for these new residents and planning their social entertainments, both in Sleepyside and New York City.
However it wasn't that which caught my eye. Firstly, it was the way Di and the guy in the back seat were necking in public. I'd never seen her do that before. Then it was the flash I saw glinting off Honey's left hand as she acknowledged our passing. I didn't know she was dating anyone special, let alone engaged. I wondered when I had missed all the clues.
Thoroughly demoralised, I was determined to get to the bottom of that little mystery later in the day. Maybe I'd call Honey and Di to arrange lunch at that new al fresco café that had opened up across from the town square. For now, I just wanted to get to work and allow my mind to digest this morning events. Reassured nothing else could go wrong, I quickly learned that things can only get worse.
'Belden!' Chief Molinson roared the moment I stepped through the back entrance, as though he knew I would be ten minutes early. My stomach chose that moment to remind me I hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday and I looked wistfully at the kitchenette, where I could smell a new brew of coffee.
'You hollered, Chief?' I asked wearily, stepping into his office. Rubbing my eyes, which felt like sandpaper, I realised something was very wrong with this situation. The relationship between us had improved somewhat since my junior sleuthing days, but not that much. I couldn't understand why the Chief had a devious grin on his face. My heart dropped, waiting for his next words. So far it had been that kind of day.
I saw his eye rake my attire and he grunted with disapproval but said nothing. Another sure sign something was up and I wasn't going to like it.
'Meet your new partner,' he stated, pointing to the corner of the room.
And this was the third big shock for the day.
'New partner?' I replied in astonishment. After all, Pat and I had been on stakeout until midnight the evening before, and for the previous three days.
'Pat's mother passed away last night. He's on bereavement leave starting immediately. White Plains offered us the services of one of their finest in the interim.' He indicated the tall, dark-haired man sitting in the corner for the second time. This time I chose to turn around and meet my new, if temporary partner.
'Hey, Trix,' Dan Mangan grinned, 'I wondered how long it would be until we worked together in a professional capacity.'
He was, of course, teasing me. Only I didn't see how he could, with the history between us. I guess at this point I need to let you in on the fact that Dan and I dated for a while at college and I still felt awkward around him. Working with him was going to be a nightmare.
'Dan,' I finally managed after several swallows, but refused to take his outstretched hand. The contact always reminded me how physical our relationship became in such a short space of time. And the reason we broke up. At twenty-five, I still hadn't slept with anyone. Dan reminded me of the only close call in my dating history. Sometimes I regretted that decision, especially when every other woman my age talked about sex so casually. Feeling left out, I reminded myself, wasn't a good reason to enter into a physical relationship, and I felt vindicated by the thought. Although how it was going to get me through until Pat returned, I didn't know.
Glaring at me, the Chief roared once again, 'Get out of here and find some work to do. The both of you,' he added before returning to the pile of papers on his desk.
After showing Dan his temporary desk, I redistributed the accumulated documents into two piles. Dan would be able to complete the routine things, but the remainder could only be finished by me.
'Trix, if we're going to work together, you have to talk to me.' Dan frowned, searching my expression. 'I got over us dating a long time ago. Hell, I'm almost engaged now, so you don't have to act like I'm going to jump you at the first opportunity.'
'How can you be almost engaged?' I stammered, forcing my mind from his last comment. 'When, who?'
'"When" will be real soon, maybe Saturday night,' he smirked, more at my expression of incredulity than his bombshell news. '"Who" is Carol-Ann Clay, the gamekeeper for the preserve. Carol stables her horse with old Spartan and I've gotten to know her over the last year.'
'Sounds like it,' I muttered under my breath. I was still blown away by the news and not sure how it changed my feelings for Dan, but I knew deep down it did.
Turning back to my desk, I let my subconscious wander as I attacked the enormous pile of paper before me. With determination, and without further distraction except for the continuos grumbling of my stomach, I was starting to make headway.
Then the phone rang.
'Trix,' Jim's grim voice was on the other end of the line, 'we really need to talk,' he stated without giving me a hint as to the reason for his sudden and unexpected call.
'What about this time?' My answer was more surly and peeved than I would have liked, but you have to understand, Jim and I have had this on-again/off-again relationship thing going on forever. We dated in my freshman year at college before he ended it, then again when I was a junior, until he said he wasn't ready, and lastly, up until three months ago when I finally ended it because he wouldn't commit. In between, we managed to stay friends, but right now I just couldn't take another round of Jim's emotional insecurities, not with the shock from Mart, Honey, and Dan this morning still bouncing around my head.
'I'll pick you up at 7.00PM, Trix, and we can talk over dinner.' Before I could answer, he had cut me off. Swearing under my breath, I look up into Dan's chocolate brown eyes and almost drowned.
'Jim problems again.' He laughed at me and I wasn't amused.
I nodded, feeling miserable and wondering what in the world I had done to deserve this fate. When my stomach once again growled, I gave up any pretence of working, grabbed my car keys and headed out the door. Along the way I opened my cell and called Honey, demanding she meet me at Wimpy's in fifteen minutes.
'You're what?' I asked her incredulously as the clock ticked over to 11.00AM and I stared at the untouched burger before me. The evidence of her last words was on her ring finger in the guise of an enormous diamond and emerald ring.
'Engaged to your brother,' she stated with a smile.
'Tell me which one again,' I just had to ask, still trying to take in her unexpected news.
'Mart,' Honey giggled. 'We've been keeping our relationship low-key for the last couple of months, since Brian came back to town.'
Brian wouldn't be as devastated as Honey believed. I knew he was dating one of the nurses from the hospital and it was fairly serious. What floored me was my earlier belief in Mart's gender orientation. Like Bobby said, I'd missed all the clues. Now I thought about it, Mart was rarely around without Honey and she had been acting kind of goofy lately. No wonder, if she was dating my almost twin.
'Sam…' I started, at a loss for words.
'Oh, Trix,' Honey rolled with laughter, 'Mart couldn't wait to call me about that this morning. Sam and Mart share the house because it's also their business premises. Although, you're assumption about Sam's gender preference is right on track. Graham, his boyfriend, lives in the same estate. They spend most of their nights together.'
I didn't want to know how my best friend knew that bit of information. So we talked about her wedding plans for a while, before Honey finally realised I wasn't all that interested. Laughing at me, Honey told me I'd have my turn one day soon and revenge would be sweet because she and Di would refuse to help in any way, which made me ask about Di.
'Oh, so you managed to catch a glimpse of her latest. His name is Paul,' Honey tittered.
'Serious?' I asked, wondering what my friend was hiding.
'Time will tell,' she answered with a glitter in her hazel eyes. 'All I can say is, you need to make your mind up, Beatrix Belden, fast.'
Before I could ask how Di's love life could possibly influence my mind, Honey was out of the diner like a shot. I should have guessed she knew something I didn't and there was another shock waiting for me before this day was ended.
Rob had basketball practice after school, so I had arranged to pick him up at Wimpy's at 6.00PM. I was thirty minutes late and he was fuming.
'I got homework, Trix,' he told me angrily as we turned into the Farm's driveway. 'I gotta keep my grades up if I want to get into a law program. My basketball scholarship got me into a great college, but I don't want to be seen as just a jock. I got brains too, and I want to have a career after basketball.'
'Hey!' I yelled at him, taking my frustrations out on the wrong person. I was immediately contrite but still overwhelmed that my world had turned upside down in the space of 12 hours. 'It's been a frustrating day, Rob, for both of us. By the way, thanks for telling me about Mart and Honey.'
'I knew you'd figure it out soon enough,' he grinned back. 'Now all you gotta do is make your mind up.
For the second time today, my quarry slipped away from me before I could get them to explain their cryptic comments. I knew Rob was referring to the same thing as Honey, only my exhausted mind just couldn't make the link. Strange, but less than twenty hours sleep in a week will do that to you.
I had to wonder how many other people knew whatever it was, too. Moms? Dad?
That thought caused an enormous groan to escape.
My head on the steering wheel, I heard the crunch of tires in the drive way. I didn't need to look around to see Jim's car parked behind mine. As usual, he was early and I was late. Sighing to myself, finally regretting my choice of clothing, I climbed slowly out of the car, attempting to pull my mid-thigh-length skirt lower. I didn't want to give Jim the wrong idea about our dinner arrangements. Heck, I wondered if Jim even knew what a short skirt was for. He'd never tried to discover what was under it in all the time we had dated. Dan, on the other hand, had attempted to find out after little more than a month. I guess that summed up the difference between the men in my life.
'Trix.' He swallowed hard, several times, his eyes continuously sweeping my bare legs, which shocked me. 'Are you ready to go?'
About to bite his head off with a sarcastic retort asking if I looked ready to go, I held my tongue and counted to ten, very slowly. After all, Jim was only one of the reasons this day had been horrendously long and emotionally draining.
So far I had dealt with my feeling when I thought my brother was homosexual, my best friend was keeping her new man from me, the shock at realising that aforementioned brother was actually best friend's husband-to-be, and my new partner was an old partner who knew me better than any man had the right to.
It had taken most of the afternoon, but finally I had come to terms with working alongside Dan. His near engagement actually helped untangle some of the emotional traffic jam I'd been storing in my mind over the differences between him and Jim. Finally, I had worked out Honey's cryptic hint but I wasn't sure what I was going to do about it. I guess this evening with Jim would finally resolve my remaining relationship issues.
On top of that, I felt bone-weary, hungry, and dirty. I wanted a shower, a clean set of PJ's, one of Moms' wonderful home-cooked meals, and a long night's sleep. None of those things was in my near future, so I gritted my teeth and hoped this would turn out to be the last big shock of the day.
'Jim,' I told him in a level tone, 'I've just arrived home from a really demanding day. Do you mind if we walk up to Ten Acres, watch the sunset, and you can tell me what's on your mind? I just don't feel like going out tonight. I'm tired, I'm dirty, and I still have three unsolved cases on my desk.'
'That would be perfect.' He gave me one of his lopsided grins, which always made my heart melt. As he held out his hand, I tentatively grasped it and wondered what the contact signified, as we hadn't been a couple in three months, especially with Honey's warning still ringing in my ears.
We walked up the path to Ten Acres slowly and pushed through the bushes at the boundary line. The ruins of the house had long since been removed. An old poplar tree stood alone in what had once been the back lawn. It had been one of my favourite spots to meet Jim when I was in college. He led me over to it, spread his jacket on the ground, and invited me to sit. Lowering himself to sit beside me, I was overcome with shock when our hips and thighs rested lightly against each other. More was to come when he placed an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his body, tucking me under his arm and close to his chest.
'Jim.' I couldn't keep the astonishment out of my voice.
'Trix,' he was looking down at me with hunger in his eyes. It was a kind of hunger I'd never seen in those green orbs before. Or at least, a hunger he had never allowed to show. Jim's emotions had always been tightly controlled. I wondered what had caused this change in him.
Still struggling to make sense of his actions, I almost missed his softly spoken words: 'Marry me?'
Yep, this would have to have been the biggest shock of all in a day filled with them.
I couldn't help it. I had to ask, 'Why?'
'I finally realised what you mean to me,' he stated. 'No, that's not true,' he hesitated, attempting to find the words. 'I always knew what you meant to me. I kept telling myself that one day you'd leave and I'd be alone again. I couldn't bear the thought of that happening.'
'So you broke up with me before I could break up with you?' I guessed. Funny, but it made sense, in an emotionally insecure, Jim-ish sort of way. Get in and hurt the person you love the most before they get in and hurt you. 'Why come back this time, Jim? When I was the one who ended our relationship?'
'Because I realised that I had actually driven you away this time,' he answered as he continued to look at me with hunger. Only now it was mixed with pleading that I understand his emotional journey to this moment in his life. He wanted me to join him, but I wasn't ready just yet. 'You wanted me, Trix, as no one had wanted me before. You wanted marriage, you wanted the promise of forever, and that frightened me because nothing in my life has ever been forever. Then there was your hint about moving our physical relationship past kissing and holding hands. I was terrified you would compare me to your other boyfriend and find me useless.'
'Jim…' I could feel the hurt still emanating off him.
'I've never done it,' he confessed. 'You're the only woman I've ever even thought about doing it with. It's not the actual act, Trix, it's the emotional bond created by making love that panics me. If we had made love, Shamus, and you left me…'
I could see his emotions, so close to the surface. Unable to continue, Jim touched my cheek. His fingers were so soft and gentle, as though I was fine bone china and he was afraid of breaking me. A shiver passed down my spine and my heart bounded in my chest. I thought it would break free from its confinement. Until he allowed his fingers to stoke my face, then I couldn't help but drown in his emerald green eyes. The colour was heightened by his desire, which I knew was mirrored in my own eyes. Just this simple touch had my body on sensory overload because it was the first time Jim had ever touched me like this and I liked it. More than I had ever liked any other man touching me.
So this is what Honey had meant. I knew I had to make up my mind right now. Telling Jim I wanted to put the decision off after he had bared his soul would be akin to mortally wounding him. Either I had to get up and walk away now, or stay and make love with him. There was no in-between.
'Trix?' He made a question out of my name. I loved the way it rolled off his tongue, only I wished he were doing something else with his mouth right now. I knew I had already made my decision. I had made it three months ago.
'Yes,' I whispered, surprised at the huskiness of my voice.
I saw his smile come towards me as Jim lowered us both to the ground. It didn't take long to realise wearing this skirt might have been the best decision I had made today. I also found out Jim was not as disinterested in discovering what was under the garment as I had first thought.
'I didn't think you had it in you, Mr Frayne,' I teased to cover up my nervousness. Yet the feel of his skin against mine sent waves of sheer delight to my brain, forcing me to swallow in anticipation. Before I could add anything else, Jim's face moved closer and was fulfilling my wish that he did something else with his mouth and tongue.
The rest, as they say is history. Oh you didn't actually expect me to detail every little bit of my day did you? Suffice to say, it ended on a much higher note than it started, even if I didn't get many more hours of sleep or one of Mom's home-cooked meals. I did manage a shower before I fell into bed around one o'clock the next morning with a huge smile on my face and an antique diamond on my finger.