Chapter 10
Two evenings later, Valerie was at home, completing an assignment on her new computer. It was a magazine advertisement for a breakfast food company called Dempsey Breakfast Foods Limited, the agency's newest client. She was to create an ad to help launch a brand new breakfast cereal, Neapolitan Ice Cream Puffs. The cereal, she was told, consisted of crunchy puff balls of pink, white and fudge brown, which tasted like strawberry, vanilla and chocolate.
Valerie had been working on it consistently since it was assigned to her Tuesday afternoon – the day she received her silk rose bouquets. She did all the necessary research for her write-up pitch – gathering nutrition information, determining why kids might want to eat it, thinking up quirky phrases and lines that might appeal to buyers. She was given a box of the cereal to do her assignment with.
She decided to use Jeremy in the ad. That evening, she gave him a bowl of Neapolitan ice cream (from the refrigerator freezer; Karen had showed her the groceries she bought for the house last.) She took several pictures of him eating and downloaded them on her computer. The next morning, she took more pictures of him eating the cereal. He loved it so much, he ate two more spoonfuls quickly. Valerie had to tell him, "Slow down, Jeremy. I have to show the cereal in the bowl as you eat. Put the spoon a few inches away from your mouth, okay?"
Now, she was typing the final draft of her pitch and adding it to the ad. She was satisfied with the pictures Mr. Sussex chose, and the clever headline: Yes, your kids can have dessert for breakfast.
She'd just started typing the final paragraph when she heard the doorbell. She heard Jeremy call, "Don't… worry,… Mom! I'll… get it!"
He opened the door to see a man with dark brown hair. He wore a black leather jacket and boots, with a white button-down shirt and blue jeans. He carried a white motorcycle helmet under his right arm. It was Highway, but Jeremy couldn't tell that.
Highway smiled and said, "Hi there, Jeremy. Is your Mom home?"
Jeremy stared at him and said, "Who… are… you… again?"
Highway laughed loudly and replied, "I'm Highway! Don't you remember me from the police picnic?" He chuckled when Jeremy let him in. "I guess you don't recognize me without my baseball cap, do you?" He took off his jacket and hung it in the closet, placing the helmet on the top shelf.
But Valerie became alert when she heard Highway introduce himself. "Highway, is that you?" she called. "Give me one minute while I finish this advertisement! Make yourself at home, okay?" She finished her pitch, and added a small picture of the box and bowl of cereal in the lower right-hand corner. While it was printing, she thought, He came over here without ever calling. What is this, a blind date? Is this his way of surprising me?
She came out with her finished product in hand. She saw Highway sitting in the living room with Jeremy, watching TV, and smiled. "Highway, how sweet!" she said. "You had the night off, and decided to make an impromptu date."
"Surprised?" Highway grinned.
"You bet I am." She kissed his cheek, and gave him her project. "Your verdict? Peter Dempsey, the company president, will be meeting with me tomorrow to give his final decision. Which reminds me, hold on while I print out a few more copies." She went back to the computer to print three more pages.
She came back to the living room to hear Highway say, "This is great, Valerie! I like this. I think it's very clever that you put Jeremy into this. Uh, that is Jeremy, isn't it?"
"Of course it is," Valerie replied. "I knew Mr. Sussex would go for it. He wants me to bring him to work tomorrow just so Mr. Dempsey could meet him. I told Sussex about Jeremy's syndrome, and I really hope he told Dempsey. I don't want this ad rejected because the client thinks my son is too ugly and bad-mannered to be a cereal spokeschild."
Highway looked down at Jeremy, and the boy grinned at him. Highway couldn't resist the sweetness and innocence of that grin. He smiled back at him, that same smile that said he wanted to be Jeremy's father. He put his hand upon the boy's shoulder and looked at Valerie.
"Nah," Highway said affectionately. "He's not ugly. He's sweet and special. And he deserves this promotion deal for this cereal." He turned his affections to Valerie. "He deserves someone who will take better care of him than his father ever did. He needs someone who will understand him, and constantly be there for him, just like you do."
Valerie gave him a shocking stare. "How did you know about Tom?" she asked.
"Elise told all of us at the picnic when she and Cindy were telling us about you?" he replied. He got up from the sofa and walked towards her. "She was talking about this 'stupid excuse of a man that you married.' Is that the Tom bastard? Because you don't need him. I don't care how much money he makes. And I don't care if every disciplinarian in the world tells you to go back and work things out with him."
Valerie stopped him. "Wait a minute. You said, 'disciplinarian.' How the hell did you know the reason for my divorce? He always put down my protective techniques, and said I wasn't disciplining him properly. How did you…"
"Just an educated guess." Highway's affections were becoming very strong now. He clicked off the TV. "But don't think about it. I told you it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because you want to leave Tom in the past. I know you do. You need me to help you with that. And I can tell you're uncertain about the romantic future you want."
She was drawn into his charismatic feelings, and she knew these weren't just coy, lame lines that most women hear from men only wanting sex. At least, they didn't sound like lines to her. She could tell just by his face that he was being romantic and passionate. But it was as if it was getting out of control.
He stepped back, unbuttoned his shirt and removed it, and quickly pulled off the white T-shirt he wore underneath. Valerie immediately thought his chest looked gorgeous, but not as gorgeous as Mace or Sundown. But before she could look at his body all over, Highway stepped towards her, grabbed her and tumbled her towards the carpet. He said, "Well, let me decide that future for you." He brought her up to him in an amorous manner, and kissed her in a despairing passion.
Valerie broke from him to look at the sofa. Jeremy was no longer sitting there. Highway looked her way and smiled, as they were truly alone. He picked her up, cradled her, and dropped her on the sofa. Before she could speak or react, he got on top of her, and kissed her in a passion deeper than before.
She wanted to feel scared, but she realized that he wasn't trying to hurt her. For one thing, he was considerate enough to leave her clothes on. After a while, he brought his upper torso up, and she studied his face. It was indeed trustworthy, affectionate. He clutched her shoulders and brought her up with him, her chin touching his chest. Up close, it felt so smooth, so soft, like Jeremy had been as a baby.
"God, Highway," she breathed, "how long have you kept it like that? What, did you use that permanent hair removal shit? Ah, but it feels like a pearl." She proceeded to rub that chest, including the nipples. When she was through, she pressed her cheek onto it, and shifted her face down to his stomach. She stared at his belly button a few moments. She thought it was so cute, she kissed it lightly.
It tickled Highway so much, but he tried not to laugh too loudly. She looked up at his chuckling, and his smile told her it was another love. He touched her hair and replied, "And you kiss like… like… have you been reading those intimacy books?"
She laughed aloud. "Not that many. But I went shopping for DVD movies this week. I bought a lot of that romantic stuff that seems to fit my mood lately. We can watch one when we're done, and study all the bedroom scenes… if you want."
"Sounds perfect. Maybe then, we'll fall deeper in love."
Somehow, Valerie realized that Highway was competing for her heart, too. She wondered where he'd been learning about her romances with Mace, Sundown and Barricade. Surely, they weren't the types to "kiss and tell." Or maybe he'd thought up these clever techniques on his own.
Dear God, she thought. If Mace, Sundown and Barricade knew about this date, they'd be on Highway like flies on an animal corpse. But Barricade knows about Mace, and yet he's never bragged about having kicked his ass. And do they know about Sundown, too? Her head fell on the pillow. God, but I have no idea what's going on. And I talk to them, but they don't mention anything. Maybe I'm too polite to ask.
Highway noticed how confused she looked. "Is everything all right, Valerie?" he asked. "You seem a little preoccupied."
"I'm fine," she replied. "It's just that… well… do any of your colleagues know you planned to spring this date on me? You never shared your, um, 'plan of attack' with them, did you?"
He laughed louder than she did. "Certainly not. In fact, I'm keeping my romantic techniques under my wraps until I get the chance to spring you with my special gift, if you get my drift." He sat her up and started caressing her. "Remember my note, when I mentioned my family? Note I said, 'when' I take you to meet them, not 'if.' You know your mine, right, Valerie? If my passion has to turn to madness…"
She shoved him away playfully. "Okay, now you're officially coming on too strong. I know I'm yours? Passion turning to madness? Who are you, the Phantom of the Opera? Who am I, Christine Daae? Listen, I wouldn't count my chickens just yet, Highway."
Highway was about to respond when they heard Jeremy say, "Mom!" They turned to see him standing at the loveseat, a copy of A Wrinkle in Time in his hand. "Is… the… naughty… stuff… over… yet?"
Highway went to get his button-down shirt. He put it on and was about to button it up, when Valerie said, "Oh, don't worry, Highway. He's seen bare-chested men before. No need to cover yourself up completely."
"Where'd you disappear to, Jeremy?" Highway asked.
"I was… downstairs… reading… in my… special… room," Jeremy answered. He sat on the loveseat, his back towards his mother and her date, and kept reading.
Highway whispered to Valerie, "Uh, shouldn't Jeremy be in bed by now? Young boys like him do need their sleep. Besides, we should be alone."
"He's only ten," she whispered. "And it's only a little after eight-thirty. He knows he has bedtime at nine, and he's usually tired by then."
She went over to the entertainment center, selected one of her adult contemporary music CD's, a jazz artist named Thomas Perrier, and put it in the player on the stereo. She strutted back to Highway, and they continued to make love quietly. She broke once to check on Jeremy. He was still reading, trying to ignore the soft kissing.
Twenty minutes later, she excused herself to get some champagne. "I don't suppose you want a glass, too, right?" she offered.
Highway nodded. "I'd love a glass. Thank you."
While she was in the kitchen, Highway checked on Jeremy. He should be almost ready for bed now, he thought. Sure enough, Jeremy's head was lowered and unmoving. He went towards him for a closer look. Jeremy's eyes were closed, and he was sleeping soundly. He picked the boy up, and was about to carry him off to bed, when Valerie returned with two full champagne glasses.
"I think he may be ready now," Highway whispered.
She put the champagne down and took Jeremy from him. "I'll put him to bed, thanks," she replied. In his bedroom, after tucking him in, she whispered, "Sleep well, sweetie. You and I have a big day tomorrow."
She came back to the living room and said softly, "Highway, what do you think of that movie now?"
He nodded and joined her at the entertainment center. "Uh, I had a chance to look at your floral arrangements," he said. "I actually think my flowers look nice in your dining room. Mace and Sundown's flowers also look nice on the end tables. And I'm no design expert, but Bowzer's flowers on the coffee table really coordinate the room." Valerie smiled and nodded her thanks.
They selected Cruel Summer, one of the newer films. Valerie read the synopsis. "A marrying niece needing a break from her wedding plans. Her aunt, confused in her romance, needing to find herself. Marilee Baillier, a young, lovely bride-to-be, is burned out with planning her fall wedding. Meantime, her aunt Kathy Handel, is a single parent unsure about her own engagement to a seldom-at-home businessman. Encouraged by Marilee's fiancé to take a long summer vacation, the women fly to Miami, only to find themselves surrounded by so much temptation. From the police and fire fighters to the beach regulars, from the tradesmen to the nightclub workers, the men of Miami are as hot and sexy as ever. And while Kathy is testing their waters, Marilee finds herself fighting their advances to stay true and devoted to her love back home. Can both romances survive this sexy summer vacation?"
"Sounds great!" Highway grinned. "Put it in."
Valerie excused herself and went back to the kitchen. Moments later, she returned with the champagne bottle in the bucket she kept. Rhonda and Richard gave her the bucket as a wedding gift when she married Tom. She'd decided to use it only when she had company. She put the bucket on the table. She also had the box of chocolates that had been left to her.
Highway and Valerie spent the next one hundred fifteen minutes sipping champagne and eating chocolate, while watching two women deal with lustful temptations. Valerie loved the beautiful summertime views of Miami beaches and streets, and that the men who lived there were as sexy as ever in their forties and fifties. She looked over at her date, and noticed Highway was slightly jealous of the men.
She partially removed his shirt, just down to his elbows, and put her arms around him below his chest. She whispered, "Don't worry, baby. You may be in your early forties, but I know you still have it." She grinned and thought, And so do your colleagues in your age group.
"What I want to know is, what is their secret for looking so attractive?" he asked. "I know about eating healthy and staying active, but I think they also use anti-aging cream for their wrinkles and lines." Valerie laughed and punched him lightly.
They were watching the Kathy Handel character having glorified sex with a police sergeant who looked to be at least fifty-five. "What about her?" Valerie commented. "She's got to be forty-eight, at least. She looks like she could use some wrinkle cream and hair coloring."
One sex scene later, Valerie began to feel frisky. She got on top of Highway and removed his shirt totally. She said, "I think we've had enough studying time." She kissed his lips, then went down to his neck and chest.
He touched her shoulder and she stopped. "We're still watching a movie," he said. "If you still want to afterwards, we can–"
"Nice try," she said. "Look, I tend to make love on the first date, but I do not do the mattress Macarena until much later – if we make it that far. There's a difference."
"Not even if you know it's love on the first date?"
"Cardinal rule, Highway. Every dating woman has to follow it."
"Fair enough." Highway got Valerie off him, he put his clothes back on, and they finished watching the movie. At eleven, she walked him to the door and kissed him good night. He left the house and rode away on his motorcycle.
"I don't believe this, Valerie," Elise said at lunch the next day. "I mean, it's one thing if Peter Dempsey takes your advertisement after looking at Jeremy in it, but now he wants to have him star in commercials, too?"
Valerie was at the Royal Empire Mall food court with Jeremy, Elise and Cindy. Valerie was eating some Chinese noodles, and nearly spat out her current mouthful at Elise's thoughts. But she swallowed and reassured her, "It's just something that Mr. Sussex told everyone in his confidence. Mr. Dempsey said he was going to go over it with his staff and get back to me. He might not even take it."
"Why not?" Cindy wondered. "Putting Jeremy in it was a great idea. Mr. Sussex even told you so." She stared at Jeremy eating a single slice of pizza. "What, they're going to think he's too ugly and dumb? They'd have to be really ignorant people to pass over because of that."
"You're right, Cindy. I just hope they can look past the Shaken Baby Syndrome."
Suddenly, the women heard a cell phone ringtone. All three felt around their waists. Valerie took out her phone, read the number and smiled. "That's me! Girls, I think this is him." She pressed the talk button. "Hello?"
"Ms. Boston, it's Peter Dempsey," said the voice. "Listen, I'm calling about your ad for our new Neapolitan Ice Cream Puffs."
"And?" she prompted. "What did everyone think of my nepotism decision?"
"They loved your son in those pictures," Mr. Dempsey said. "They thought he looked so sweet eating the ice cream and the cereal. Nice way to get the two side by side – exactly what we wanted."
"So it's a yes?"
"It's not only a yes, but also an opportunity for young Jeremy to appear in commercials and on boxes for our cereal. As you're aware, Ms. Boston, we'll be needing a spokeschild for the product, and after an unanimous vote, we believe that Jeremy's uniqueness in character would make him perfect for the job."
"Really?" Valerie cried. She put him on hold and relayed the news to Cindy and Elise. They screamed victoriously, and when they noticed everyone staring, Valerie screamed, "Ladies and gentlemen! My son is going to be a spokeschild for the new Neapolitan Ice Cream Puffs cereal. Somebody report this to the supermarket!"
Soon after, she calmed down and said, "Mr. Dempsey, I have only one request the commercial. Jeremy should not have to say any given lines, just eat the cereal and smile at the camera. He talks very slowly because of his syndrome."
"I completely understand, Ms. Boston," Mr. Dempsey replied. "We'll see what arrangements can be made, and what we can do with the script. I look forward to our next meeting. Goodbye."
She hung up and told Jeremy the good news. "You're going to be a famous cereal spokeskid. Won't that be fun?"
"Yeah!" Jeremy cried loudly, and finished his pizza.
Shortly before they left, Valerie's phone rang again. "Hello?"
"Is this Valerie Boston?" the voice asked. "This is Gloria Appoloni from Appoloni's Appliances."
"Yes, this is Valerie," Valerie replied.
"We received a call from a Karen Lorimar, she says she's your sister," Ms. Appoloni said. "She told me she decorated your new house, and didn't really have any appliances available on her personal website for you. She told me you need a washer and dryer and a large freezer."
"I do," she said. "My laundry's piling up, as is my son's, and I don't know of any laundromats here in town." She laughed. "Plus, I don't have enough frozen food in my refrigerator freezer. I'll need to buy more soon."
"Well, after looking at the house," Ms Appoloni said, "I was shocked to see there were none of these things in sight. Either the former owners had taken theirs with them – though I don't understand why they couldn't leave their washer and dryer behind – or they never had a washer and dryer, and depended on laundromats and dry cleaners."
"Well, I would've looked, except between raising my son and my advertising projects, I've been a bit busy."
"Don't worry, Ms. Boston. Your sister chose the best models for all these items, and paid for you. They're being installed into your basement free of charge as we speak."
Valerie was delighted. She wanted to dance around happily, but knew she was still in public. "That's great, Ms. Appoloni!"
"They should be finished installation by the time you get home today. I'm so glad to be speaking with you, Ms. Boston, and I hope you enjoy your new appliances. Goodbye."
She hung up and told Cindy and Elise about the call. Cindy replied, "That's so wonderful. Your sister has been so good to you. Damn, but I wish my sister did interior design." They all laughed. When they left the mall, Valerie skipped through the parking with Jeremy all the way to her car.
Bowzer was sitting at his computer, typing. It wasn't a police report, but a list of schemes in controlling Valerie's heart. Just like Highway, he planned to show up at her house for an impromptu date tonight. Highway had told him about the pink bouquet in her living room, which he took as a sign of her intense yearning. Meantime, he thought that Highway was only good as her dinner date; he refused to tell about last night. Why else would Valerie display his flowers in the dining room? he thought.
Blitz was barking at his master, his paws on his lap, his nose in his rib cage. Bowzer petted him and said, "Yeah, yeah, Blitz, you can come, too. You know I don't go anywhere without you, right?" Blitz barked four times and Bowzer petted him again. "Don't worry, buddy. Valerie Boston and her boy will be used to you in no time."
Bullseye walked past him, and was not impressed by what he saw. He said, "That's good, Bowzer. You know, if Bulletproof saw this, he'd have you disciplined. Aren't you aware the Big Boss is plotting his next move as we speak? And here, you're delving plans to romance a woman instead of clues?"
"Her name is Valerie, in case you've forgotten," Bowzer reminded him. "And I don't see you doing anything to try and win her heart. What, she's not good enough for you? All the others who've been with her say she's wonderful, and Barricade and Highway say Jeremy is really special. I know I'm looking forward to meeting them. And I know Jeremy will love Blitz."
"Yeah, well, it's just that… well… I don't know if she's the one for me," Bullseye said. "I know I flirted with her along with the rest of you at the picnic, but that was only because I thought she was pretty. I usually think brunettes are more grounded, like me. That's the type I want."
"And what about Jeremy?" Bowzer asked.
"He looks so sweet," Bullseye replied, "but if I want to have a son, or even a stepson, I want to at least show him how to fly a helicopter, like I do. I don't think I can do that with Jeremy. A kid with disabilities like that? I'm afraid he'll frustrate me, making many mistakes, and we'll never get along. That's the bigger thing."
"You need to muster up more patience than that. I've learned Valerie is very protective of Jeremy and his sensitivities."
Before Bullseye could reply, they heard Mainframe announce, "You guys, I've got a reading. Members of Big Boss' gang are active at the Lancer and Sussex Advertising Agency, and it looks like they held everyone there hostage."
Longarm, Blackbelt, Barricade and Mace especially perked up when they heard the location. "What?" Longarm cried. "What in the world could they possibly want there?"
"Cindy and Elise could be in there, scared for their lives," Blackbelt declared, looking more worried than Longarm. "I swear, if they do so much as touch Cindy's hand…"
"I think I know who they're really after," Barricade said. "C'mon, C.O.P.S., it's crime-fighting time." With that, Longarm, Blackbelt, Barricade, Mace, Bowzer and Bullseye all left the headquarters.
Meanwhile, Cindy, Elise, Valerie and Jeremy had returned from the mall to see a mysterious van in the parking lot. It wasn't the same van Valerie saw the same night she and Mace spotted Buttons McBoomBoom and Turbo Tu-Tone. This one was cherry red with purple and orange flames painted on it. But she immediately became nervous. What if she had another encounter with Big Boss' gang?
"God, don't tell me those creeps got out of prison already!" she cried. "I'm too scared to go in the building now. I don't think they're going to give up until that Big Boss marries me!" She shuddered violently.
"You may be right," Elise agreed. "For starters, why the hell would a client show up in a van?"
Valerie parked her car in the nearest available spot. But just as they were about to get out, they all heard sirens. Cindy saw the C.O.P.S. rush toward the building. She ran after Blackbelt, calling him.
Valerie got out and called at her, "Cindy, come back! You can't go in there! It's too dangerous!"
When Cindy caught up with Blackbelt, he told her, "Honey, you better get back in Valerie's car. Big Boss and his gang are in there, and you'll be held hostage if you go in."
"Cindy, they want me, you know that," Valerie added. She took her back to her car. "We'll be safe in my car until they're dealt with."
They weren't able to hear the shouts of the C.O.P.S. from inside the building. But just as they got to their doors, they could hear gunfire. Immediately, they jumped back into the car, and Valerie automatically locked all the doors. She screamed to everyone, "Make sure your windows are rolled up!" She checked Jeremy's front passenger window.
"Nobody make a sound," she instructed. "That means you, Jeremy."
She lowered herself in her seat and looked out at the entrance, for any member of Big Boss' gang. Moments later, she saw Berserko, Buttons and Turbo run out of the building. She ducked out of the window's view, screaming, "Everybody get down!" She quickly leaned towards Jeremy to hold him.
"Mom!" he cried. "I'm so… scared."
"Don't worry, baby!" she said. "The C.O.P.S. are going to catch them. You'll see."
They stayed down a few more minutes, when they heard someone open Valerie's door. Elise looked up and saw Bullseye. She said, "Uh, you guys can look up now."
Cindy, Valerie and Jeremy sat up. "Bullseye!" Cindy said. "Oh, thank God! Is it safe to come out now?"
"Yeah," Bullseye answered. "The crooks tried shooting at us, and it soon turned rough. There were plenty of witnesses in there, though thankfully, nobody got hurt."
Valerie was looking out the windshield. She saw Mace put Buttons in his car, then get in himself. The last of the crooks were now being taken away. Only Bullseye's car remained.
He offered his hand, but Valerie wouldn't take it as she got out. "Just let me get my son," she said. He followed her to Jeremy's door, then when she got him, took her hand and escorted her into the building. He stared at her cheeks and hair as they walked; she looked so beautiful. But should he try to pursue her, too? He looked at Jeremy, moving his head from side to side as he walked. He was amazed he could do that, but he could never teach that boy to fly a helicopter. Not with his inability to keep his head still.
Valerie looked at Bullseye's perplexed face. She asked, "What's wrong?"
They stopped at the entrance doors and he sighed. "Oh, Valerie," he said softly, "as much as I think you're beautiful and smart, and that some of my colleagues are trying to win your love, I just don't think there could ever be a future for us."
She looked shocked and horrified. "Why not?"
"Because I could never accept your son for who he is." He took both her hands, and glanced at Jeremy, who was still moving his head around. "Looking at Jeremy, I know he could never be like me, or anyone else on the C.O.P.S. team. As much as I'd love to be a stepparent, I'd have the same expectations of my stepson that I would if I had a kid of my own. It would be my dream to see him follow in my footsteps, and get into law enforcement, like me. I'd even want him to be a helicopter pilot, like me. With the way he moves his head around, and does whatever else different, what special things would I do with him? What would I teach him?"
Valerie still couldn't understand. But Cindy and Elise were overhearing, and Elise could somehow understand what Bullseye was saying. She went up and tried to explain. "I think I know where he's getting at," she said. "He'd be disappointed because Jeremy wouldn't grow up to be a police officer like him."
She and Cindy took her into the building. "It's the same thing with Longarm. Look, you know about my relationship with him and our son, Brian. What you don't know is that law enforcement is a big, important tradition in the O'Malley family. Longarm has expectations of Brian, and luckily, Brian's willing and wanting to abide by them. Just like Longarm's father had expectations of him, and so on. I think that if I weren't around, Longarm was a single dad, and he met you and Jeremy, his family wouldn't accept you as soon as they learned about him." She pointed at Jeremy.
"Blackbelt expects Mitchell to be a police officer, too," Cindy added. "And he's already talked Jonathan into it. Tyler isn't showing much interest, but the three of them are working on him. He likes Jeremy as Tyler's friend, but he told me that he could never marry you."
"Bullseye's the same way," Elise concluded. "Do you understand now?"
Valerie nodded. "I think I do."
Suddenly, they heard Teresa calling from behind them. "Ah, did Valerie get rejected by one of the C.O.P.S.?" she asked. "I saw the hand-holding and the emotions from outside, don't deny it."
"Mind your own fucking business, bitch!" Elise barked. Valerie rolled her eyes and went to her office.
At seven-thirty that night, Bowzer arrived at Valerie's house. He let Blitz out, the cyborg canine yelping and leaping excitedly. Bowzer said, "Okay, boy we're here. Settle down now. Sit." Blitz sat. "Don't scare the lady of the house, okay?" Blitz happily barked a promise.
They walked to Valerie's front door, and Bowzer immediately saw her face in the window before he rang the doorbell. So he knocked instead. Valerie answered in surprise and said, "Bowzer? You didn't call to arrange a date either. You took a page out of Highway's playbook, didn't you?"
She heard barking, and looked down at Blitz. She didn't look very keen as the two walked in. "Uh, I thought I asked you to leave that thing at home." She heard Jeremy greet Bowzer from behind, and immediately became nervous.
He smiled and said, "Aw, Blitz won't hurt anyone. Sure, he may come off as one of those tough and mean dogs, but he's very friendly when we're off-duty." He looked at Blitz sniffing all over Jeremy. "Go on, Jeremy, pet him."
"Are… you… sure?" Jeremy asked. "He… looks like… he's… nothing… more than… steel… and… computer… chips."
"Trust me, kid," Bowzer grinned. "Just rub his back, and he'll lick you. He loves that."
Jeremy rubbed the dog's back and he leapt up, put his paws in his hand, and panted happily. Valerie became even more scared. Blitz, when standing on his hind legs, was almost as tall as Jeremy.
"Don't be scared, Valerie," Bowzer assured her. "See, Blitz likes Jeremy. Now, how about you calm down and we'll talk about what you want to do? Or better yet, tell me about yourself."
Valerie was forcing herself to stay calm. "Would you like some coffee?" she asked. "I can get tea for myself."
"I'd love some." He noticed the flowers he gave her on the coffee table. "And by the way, I also love how you decorated that."
In the dining room, Bowzer was telling about how he'd been with the K-9 unit for five years in the Providence Police Department in Rhode Island, prior to joining C.O.P.S. "When I joined, the first thing they gave me was Blitz. He has a voice-recognizing command device. All the cyborg dogs have them. I give him orders, and he follows them right away."
He demonstrated by calling Blitz from the living room. "Blitz, come here," he said. The dog left Jeremy to approach his master.
Bowzer was giving Blitz all sorts of commands for Valerie, sit, lie down, roll over, shake a paw. Blitz obeyed them all. Valerie looked somewhat impressed, but she still didn't look very trusting of him around Jeremy.
"It's… okay," Jeremy said. "Tyler… said… Blitz is… friendly… once… I get… used… to… him."
Valerie was telling about her career accomplishments, her perfect track record in Empire City. She was amazed that Bowzer kept an interest. She smiled. I don't know why they tell us not to talk about our work lives on the first date, she thought. This shouldn't apply to advertising, it's not boring. If Barricade and Bowzer can stay interested, any other man could.
She looked at Jeremy, who was prancing around the living room with Blitz hopping behind. "After Peter Dempsey took my ad," she said, "he and his company decided they liked Jeremy so much, they're making him spokeschild for their cereal. They'll probably talk to my bosses about making me head producer of their commercials. They're looking to start late next month. I'm so excited."
"That's great," Bowzer replied. "You should be so proud of yourself, and him." He sipped some coffee. "Now, I hope you won't get upset, but I'd like to hear more about your husband." Valerie immediately looked uncomfortable. "Look, I know he's not your favorite thing to talk about – and I stress, thing – but if he's as bad as I've been hearing, I really would like to know so I can kick his goddamn ass!"
"Oh, he was bad, all right," Valerie said. "Just as you guys were leaving, Bullseye threw me over just because Jeremy would never be one of the C.O.P.S. – ever. I know that sounds mean for him to say, but it's true. Did Barricade ever tell you how Jeremy was moving his head around and speaking rather slowly when he was with us on our first date?"
Bowzer nodded. "He was talking slowly when he was asking about Blitz."
"Blame Tom for that. Shaken Baby Syndrome, no thanks to what he did to Jeremy as a tiny tot."
Bowzer was disgusted. "Dare I ask how often he did that?"
"You don't want to know. I'm still so damn grateful he's even with us." She put another packet of sugar in her tea. "You know, medical science says he should've died eight years ago, maybe nine. And now he's on his way to his eleventh birthday."
"What exactly can't he do?"
"He's severely brain-damaged, so there are a lot of school subjects he can't do. Math, Science, even some Social Studies. He's good in geography; he can find most places on a globe, and tell you some of the world capitals, but he can't do history. Oh, but he loves to read and write, and draw and paint. The doctor said that English would be the only 'career subject' he'd ever be good at. And his teachers made him drop French shortly before we left Parrish. And he's not physically inclined, either. Thank God I found a special school that'll take him in the fall. He'd never survive regular school. Just look at his report cards."
"I'm guessing he didn't do much to help."
"Not unless you call beating the shit out of him every time brought home lower grades than expected, and continually doing stupid things because he'll never know any better, help." Valerie paused to keep from crying, but she could see Bowzer was getting more incensed. "His brain damage has permanently affected his ability to learn right from wrong, for fuck's sake! But Tom would never understand that. All he'd do was call me a lazy, worthless parent, and say I'm not pushing him hard enough.…"
Bowzer put his hand on top of hers. "Don't talk anymore," he said softly. "I'm already convinced. Your husband's the one who needs the shit beaten out of him for what he's caused. If he never did what he did, maybe Jeremy would be normal and healthy, and he could be one of the C.O.P.S. in the future."
Valerie looked into the living room. Neither Jeremy nor Blitz was there. She wondered how long they were gone. "Thank God they probably weren't here to hear this," she said. "He doesn't need to. And thank God you're so understanding over this."
They stood up and walked towards each other. "I'd definitely need someone like you in my life. Oh, but I can't believe you're so caring, and you listen so well."
Bowzer grinned wryly. "Well, I didn't leave Blitz at home like you wanted."
"That doesn't matter anymore," Valerie whispered. "Maybe I can get used to that robot dog. I think a pet would be good for Jeremy."
But just as they were about to kiss, they heard a loud scream coming from the basement. It sounded like Jeremy. Valerie was frightened. She and Bowzer rushed downstairs to see Blitz pounding on Jeremy's chest. He was gnawing on the boy's arm, and his shirt was shredded. While she screamed, Bowzer immediately barked, "Blitz, heel!" But the dog jumped to Jeremy's leg and began biting at it.
Bowzer screamed louder, "Blitz! Heel now! SIT!" Blitz stopped, sat and whimpered, but it was too late.
He had ripped away part of Jeremy's right arm, causing it to bleed heavily, and make fresh bite marks in his right leg. Jeremy was crying and screaming from the pain, clutching his chest with his good arm. Valerie immediately picked him up and carried him to the kitchen. She tearfully called for an ambulance, then called Karen, screaming, "Get over here right now! Jeremy's bleeding so bad! I need you!"
When she hung up, Bowzer tried to look sympathetic, "Oh, Valerie, I'm so sorry," he begged. "I didn't mean for this to happen."
She slapped his face and screamed, "You bastard! You fucking bastard! Why didn't you listen to me about that fucking dog! I told you to leave him at your home, didn't I!" She showed him Jeremy's bloody arm. "Look at what you caused!"
With Jeremy in one arm, Valerie went to the living room to give back Bowzer's bouquet. "I don't want this anymore!" she declared. "I thought maybe you cared about me and Jeremy, but that's obviously the biggest fucking lie I ever heard! Take this and get the fuck out! I never want to see your goddamn face again!"
Just then, she heard Karen call at the front door, "Valerie? Valerie, where are you?" Valerie rushed to greet her sister, then gave Jeremy to her. She was horrified by his bleeding arm and sore chest.
"My date brought his fucking K-9 partner with him!" she lamented. She turned to Bowzer, who was still standing in the living room. "Get the fuck out, asshole! Get out before I call Bulletproof and have him arrest you himself!" She proceeded to grab his arm and throw him out of the house, and Blitz onto the front lawn. She slammed the front door.
Devastated, Bowzer started pounding on the door, screaming for Valerie. "Valerie! Valerie, I love you! Please give me another chance! Don't let it end like this! Please, I love you! Please, Valerie!"
He kept screaming and pounding as the ambulance showed up, until Karen answered the door, let the EMT's in, and said harshly, "For fuck's sake, go away, and take your dog and your damn flowers with you. She's very protective of Jeremy, and you let your little cyber dog hurt him. Please leave now. My sister doesn't love you anymore." Moments later, Jeremy was carried out on a stretcher, his mother and aunt following him, going to the hospital.
Bowzer was upset as he sat on the porch. He looked at Blitz, but couldn't really be mad at him. After all, he believed, Jeremy must have went to the basement with Blitz alone and unsupervised. He swore to himself that Blitz was only playing with Jeremy then, just like they did in the living room.
He lowered his head, covered his eyes with his arms, and sobbed. Blitz walked up and licked his face to apologize.
A/N: To skyefire, if I don't post here before then, have a happy (early) birthday. And who do you really think is at fault for the incident at the end? Bowzer shouldn't have brought Blitz along, but then again, both he and Valerie should have been watching them. Maybe then it wouldn't have happened, you think?