The floor of the bedroom looked as though a tornado had passed
through it, with clothing strewn about the room.
"Mom!" Jamie's voice could be heard downstairs. "Mom!"
Brooke shot up in bed and looked at the clock. "Oh, God," she said, smacking Tad in the arm. "Get up."
"Mom!" Jamie called. "Is that Dad's car in the driveway?"
"What do we do?" Brooke asked Tad.
"Answer him," Tad said, slipping quickly back into his clothes.
"Mom!"
"We'll be right there," Brooke called to him as she rushed to tuck in her blouse. "How... how was school?"
Brooke turned to Tad. "The button," he said. "You missed a button."
"It was OK," Jamie said, taking a seat on the sofa. "What are you guys doing up there?"
"Your dad's just... helping me get some stuff ready for storage." She looked at Tad again. "Better?"
"Perfect," Tad said. "Now go. Go before he gets suspicious."
"What about you?"
"I'll think of something. Go."
Brooke ran her fingers through her hair as she hurried down the stairs. Tad paused, his tie hanging loosely around his neck as he thought. He walked over to Brooke's closet and swung the door open. He reached his hand up, coming upon a large shoe box. he pulled it down and tossed it on the bed. The top of the box slipped off and the contents caught his eye.
Tad sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled out one of the contents, a slightly discolored newspaper clipping. "FOUR SURVIVE TRANSGLOBAL FLIGHT 149 EXPLOSION," Tad read the headline. He scanned through the article. "...as well as owners of Tempo magazine, Edmund Grey and Brooke English. Among the fatalities is Grey's wife, neurosurgeon, Dr. Maria Santos Grey..."
"Tad?" Tad turned around and saw Brooke standing in the doorway. "What are you doing?"
"I was just looking for a box..."
"You went in my closet?" Brooke asked.
"Don't worry," Tad said. "I didn't peek at any of your unmentionables. Not that it would have made a difference after..." Brooke's eyes widened. Tad picked up the box and stood, walking over to her. "You kept this?" he said. "All of this?" Brooke was silent. "Why? This personally isn't my top choice for clip and save, Brooke." He paused. "At least you didn't pack it away with Jamie's baby shoes and rattle."
"You have no business going through those things."
"I didn't plan it, the box came open."
"Well, you could have closed it," Brooke said. "You didn't have to pry through it."
"Are you looking for a room at Laurel Hill?" Tad asked. "Because you're on the right track if you are."
"Mom!" Jamie called. "I'm outa here!"
Tad grabbed the box and walked out of the bedroom. Brooke followed him downstairs. "Hey, James," Tad said, patting the boy on the back.
"How's your eye?" Jamie asked.
Tad shrugged. "I'll live," he said. "So... You're off to JR's."
"Yeah," Jamie said. "His dad's away at some business meeting. He doesn't want to be stuck in the house with a bunch of women." Tad nodded as Jamie looked at Brooke. "You didn't go to work today?"
"Uh, no," Brooke said. "No. I had some... stuff around here to take care of."
The room was silent. "I'll, uh, give you a ride over there, James," Tad said.
"That's alright," Jamie said. "JR's coming."
Tad nodded. "I guess I'll see you two later then." He headed for the door, but came to a sudden halt, turning around and walking back to the coffee table. He picked up the award and placed it on top of the box. "You'll thank me for this," Tad said. "Trust me." he walked back to the door. "I'll call later. And Jamie... have a good time."
Jamie turned to Brooke as Tad left. "What was that all about?" he asked her.
"Just some old tempo stuff," Brooke said as a car horn beeped. "That's probably JR." Brooke sat down on the sofa. "You should get going."
Jamie bent down and kissed her cheek. "I'll see you on Monday," he said.
Brooke sat back as Jamie ran out of the house. She looked at the clock. It was only about four o'clock. She would probably still be at work right now, she thought.
"Edmund's probably still there," she said as she grabbed her coat and car keys. "What else am I going to do today?"
Brooke left the house and began the drive to Tempo. At least for a few hours she'd be able to lose herself in her work. She'd be able to focus on something other than Tad Martin.
"Mom!" Jamie's voice could be heard downstairs. "Mom!"
Brooke shot up in bed and looked at the clock. "Oh, God," she said, smacking Tad in the arm. "Get up."
"Mom!" Jamie called. "Is that Dad's car in the driveway?"
"What do we do?" Brooke asked Tad.
"Answer him," Tad said, slipping quickly back into his clothes.
"Mom!"
"We'll be right there," Brooke called to him as she rushed to tuck in her blouse. "How... how was school?"
Brooke turned to Tad. "The button," he said. "You missed a button."
"It was OK," Jamie said, taking a seat on the sofa. "What are you guys doing up there?"
"Your dad's just... helping me get some stuff ready for storage." She looked at Tad again. "Better?"
"Perfect," Tad said. "Now go. Go before he gets suspicious."
"What about you?"
"I'll think of something. Go."
Brooke ran her fingers through her hair as she hurried down the stairs. Tad paused, his tie hanging loosely around his neck as he thought. He walked over to Brooke's closet and swung the door open. He reached his hand up, coming upon a large shoe box. he pulled it down and tossed it on the bed. The top of the box slipped off and the contents caught his eye.
Tad sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled out one of the contents, a slightly discolored newspaper clipping. "FOUR SURVIVE TRANSGLOBAL FLIGHT 149 EXPLOSION," Tad read the headline. He scanned through the article. "...as well as owners of Tempo magazine, Edmund Grey and Brooke English. Among the fatalities is Grey's wife, neurosurgeon, Dr. Maria Santos Grey..."
"Tad?" Tad turned around and saw Brooke standing in the doorway. "What are you doing?"
"I was just looking for a box..."
"You went in my closet?" Brooke asked.
"Don't worry," Tad said. "I didn't peek at any of your unmentionables. Not that it would have made a difference after..." Brooke's eyes widened. Tad picked up the box and stood, walking over to her. "You kept this?" he said. "All of this?" Brooke was silent. "Why? This personally isn't my top choice for clip and save, Brooke." He paused. "At least you didn't pack it away with Jamie's baby shoes and rattle."
"You have no business going through those things."
"I didn't plan it, the box came open."
"Well, you could have closed it," Brooke said. "You didn't have to pry through it."
"Are you looking for a room at Laurel Hill?" Tad asked. "Because you're on the right track if you are."
"Mom!" Jamie called. "I'm outa here!"
Tad grabbed the box and walked out of the bedroom. Brooke followed him downstairs. "Hey, James," Tad said, patting the boy on the back.
"How's your eye?" Jamie asked.
Tad shrugged. "I'll live," he said. "So... You're off to JR's."
"Yeah," Jamie said. "His dad's away at some business meeting. He doesn't want to be stuck in the house with a bunch of women." Tad nodded as Jamie looked at Brooke. "You didn't go to work today?"
"Uh, no," Brooke said. "No. I had some... stuff around here to take care of."
The room was silent. "I'll, uh, give you a ride over there, James," Tad said.
"That's alright," Jamie said. "JR's coming."
Tad nodded. "I guess I'll see you two later then." He headed for the door, but came to a sudden halt, turning around and walking back to the coffee table. He picked up the award and placed it on top of the box. "You'll thank me for this," Tad said. "Trust me." he walked back to the door. "I'll call later. And Jamie... have a good time."
Jamie turned to Brooke as Tad left. "What was that all about?" he asked her.
"Just some old tempo stuff," Brooke said as a car horn beeped. "That's probably JR." Brooke sat down on the sofa. "You should get going."
Jamie bent down and kissed her cheek. "I'll see you on Monday," he said.
Brooke sat back as Jamie ran out of the house. She looked at the clock. It was only about four o'clock. She would probably still be at work right now, she thought.
"Edmund's probably still there," she said as she grabbed her coat and car keys. "What else am I going to do today?"
Brooke left the house and began the drive to Tempo. At least for a few hours she'd be able to lose herself in her work. She'd be able to focus on something other than Tad Martin.