I'll Give My Life for Her
Prequel
Part 2
"So, would you come tomorrow at my place? I'll make a dinner. We'll talk, listen to music." Jared told her kissing his way down her neck.
"What toys does she like?" She asked turning to see him.
"What?"
"I need to know what does your daughter like to play with, because, if the way to man's heart is through his stomach, then the way to the kid is through her toys. What does she like?" Andrea insisted.
"Hm. Let me see… I've never seen her playing with dolls, it's not an option. There are too many of soft toys in her room, but she sleeps with one. Others are left in the corner. Computer games, yes, she really likes them. I played "Warcraft" with her. Maybe RPG, she likes it a lot." He suggested.
Andy rolled her eyes: "Men! You want your daughter, who maybe has an incurable disease to sit in front of a screen playing stupid games?"
"She doesn't have Huntington's!" He told furiously pointing at her with his finger.
"Did you take her to a doctor to prove?"
He didn't know what to say. He shook his shoulders and went to the window.
"Hey, I didn't mean anything. I'm sorry. I think it'll be better for her to play outdoors with other kids. You told she likes basketball. I'll buy her a ball." She decided.
"She wanted a skateboard for a long time. I can't afford it. All I had I spent on my wife."
"Fine. Then it's a skateboard."
Remy's place:
"Dad, I think it is too much for us two to eat." The girl said looking at a big roast chicken with vegetables.
"I told you. We're expecting a guest." He replied making the sauce. "Can you pass the tomatoes, please."
"Is it uncle George, your co-worker?" she asked suspiciously.
"No, it's my friend and it isn't a man."
"You mean, it is 'she'?" Remy crinkled her nose. "Haven't heard of women-carpenters."
"Who told you she works with me?"
"Don't know. Where did you meet her then?" she asked eating the rest of fresh tomatoes.
"At a gas-station."
"When?"
"Not long ago. Why do you ask so many questions, Sherlock?" He gave her a flick.
"Just curious."
"Take those plates and lay the table, please."
Half an hour later came a brunette 5 feet 10 inches high with the beautiful long legs, dark blue eyes and sweet expression on her face. She wore a nice, elegant, light grey dress and high heeled shoes which suited all her appearance. The woman was gorgeous. The only thing was really surprising, except a clutch she carried a skateboard.
"Hi." The woman smiled at him. Remy looked at her absent-mindedly. As if she wasn't standing in front of the girl at all.
"Remy, this is Andrea Foster. Andy, this is my daughter Remy."
"Nice to meet you." The woman said. "This is for you." She gave the best skateboard ever to the girl. Inside Remy was astonished and confused. It was like her dream has come true, but it meant that this woman would get into their circle. She and her dad wouldn't be alone just two of them. She thanked coldly for the gift and her father asked them to the table. The woman asked too many boring questions about school, friends, favorite subjects. Remy spoke and ate without enthusiasm. She replied each question with one sentence without giving too many details. Adults drank red wine, chatted about some unimportant things. Remy stretched her hand to take a jug with juice but along the way she pushed the glass of wine accidentally and wine splashed on the table and right at Andrea's light grey dress.
Remy made huge eyes and stopped as if she made the greatest mistake of her life: "I'm sorry."
"It's OK. Don't worry." The woman replied taking a napkin trying to clear up her ruined dress.
"I'm so sorry." The girl apologized, smiling her inner smile. The plan has worked and maybe the bimbo would leave soon.
Yeah, the evening was ruined with a large red stain on a marvelous dress. Andrea left soon. Remy went to her room and put the skateboard in the corner. The board was excellent and cool but it didn't make her happy. The woman was her potential stepmother and this option made her feel abandoned by her father. The girl took the picture of mother from the secret place and plopped on the couch admiring her mom's face. She missed her badly. She wanted her to yell again but to be here with them. Remy put the picture aside, took ear-phones and switched on the music.
Few days passed. Dad bought her all the equipment she needed for skating. The girl took the skateboard and went to the park to skate.
"Wow, Remy! What a board! It's gorgeous. Where did you get that?" a boy from the neighborhood asked. He was the same age as Remy and he was her friend.
"Want a ride?" She asked and stopped near the bench where he sat with a book.
"May I?" he asked the permission.
"Sure. Take the helmet." She began taking off her protecting wear but Josh was already on the skateboard rolling away.
"Hey! Moron! Take the protection !" she cried but he was far away. She sat on the bench and took the book he has been reading. He was skating for half an hour then he returned her the skateboard.
"It's awesome! Thanks! Where did you get it?" the boy sat near her.
"From my dad's friend." Remy answered without happiness in her voice.
"Your dad has rich friends. This board costs a bomb!"
"Yeah, do you like it?" She asked.
"Of course I like it! It's the best board I've ever seen!"
"It's yours!"
Josh looked at her in disbelief: "You got to be kidding! I can't take it. Your dad will kill you!"
"Take if you like it or whatever. I leave it here." Remy said taking her satchel with protecting wear and standing up.
"Are you serious? What's wrong with you? All kids are dreaming to have such a monster and you leaving it like a piece of garbage." He was shocked.
"Take it or leave it, I don't care." She replied heading away.
The boy took the board and ran after her: "Remy, wait! Are you OK? What's happened?"
"I'm fine. My dad met a bimbo. This board is her present. I hate it! So, take it."
"Hey, maybe she wants to make friends with you." He supposed.
"No, she wants to make friends with my dad and not just friends!" Remy hissed.
"Maybe it'll be great! Maybe she's the best person you've ever met!"
"How many examples of the best stepmother do you remember?"
The boy knitted his brow: "Hm. None, I think."
"Then don't argue like a kid."
"Ok. I'll take this monster for a while." Josh held the skateboard tightly.
"Sure. See ya."
"Thanks! See ya." He ran away with his treasure.
Friday evening. Remy's place:
"Sweetheart, what about to go skating tomorrow? You, me and Andrea. You may test the board and we'll go to a café or a diner after that." Jared suggested.
"I don't think I can. I go with my friends to play basketball. We already agreed to meet at 10 at a pitch." The girl lied.
"Fine. We can go on Sunday." He said.
"Dad, I think it's not a good idea. I have a lot of homework."
"You want to say that you have time to go play with your friends but you don't want to waste your time and go somewhere with me. Interesting." He looked at her attentively.
"I didn't say that."
"We go skating on Sunday. This isn't debatable!" he said as a matter of fact.
Saturday Remy phoned Joshua and asked him to go with her in the park or somewhere else. She took the books and copy-books to make her homework. Jared made her sandwiches and gave her juice. He told not to be late at dinner. Andrea came to help him with dinner.
"Where is your daughter?" she asked cutting the vegetables.
"Went to play basketball with her friends."
"Ah-ha."
"What?"
"It is hard to play without a ball. I saw it under the table in the room." She replied.
"She plays with other children. I'm sure one of them will take a ball." Jared retorted.
"Did you tell her about skating I thought it was her dream?" the woman asked.
"Yes, I did. We'll go tomorrow." He said.
"Who decided to go tomorrow?"
"I decided. Andrea, what are you getting at?" he insisted.
"Nothing. You girl is just a child who suffers from mother's loss. She doesn't want to lose her father. She sees me as an enemy."
"It's paranoia !"
"Maybe, where's the board I gave her? How many times did you see her taking it? Two weeks has passed." Andy looked at him
"Hm. Don't know. Telling the truth she took it once or twice. Why?"
"She threw it away."
"No, it's in her room in the corner."
"When was the last time you saw it?" the womanpersisted.
"Drop this command-tone! It's not an interrogation."
"Ok. Can you show me the board?"
He went into Remy's room and searched everywhere. He came back very confused.
"It's not in her room." he said as if he was apologizing.
"Don't worry. It's not a big deal."
"Not a big deal? It's a pile of money! I'll talk to her!" He was angry.
"Jared, listen to me. She's a kid and she suffers. She wants you to support her not to shout . All girls see their future lover in their fathers."
"What?"
"I mean the qualities of your character. She is at the age when you're an idol for her. In future she'll look at the boys trying to find your qualities in them. It's one of the theories but it proved to be the right one."
"You're right. She's a kid and she has to listen to her parent. I don't know about psychology or whatever but I know that the word of my father was the law in our family." He retorted.
Remy came home in time. She wasn't glad to see Andrea sitting in an armchair in their living-room but she greeted her and went to take a quick shower, because she pretended to come from the basketball game not from a walk with Joshua. They sat at the table.
"How was the game?" her father started the conversation.
"Great! We won!" the girl lied winding pasta on the fork.
"Remy, where's the board Andrea gave you?" he asked further.
"I gave it to Josh for a day or two. He pleaded me. He found it to be great and wanted badly to test it." She replied without even blinking.
"How will you then go skating tomorrow?" the man didn't stop asking the questions.
"I'll call him today. Tomorrow he'll bring it back." Remy said eating the pasta.
"Nice. Maybe we'll play monopoly later." Andrea suggested.
"Yeah, great idea." Jared said and the serious conversation with Remy was left behind.
Next day they went into a special ground for skaters. To Remy's surprise Andrea was a roller-skater. She got on a roller arena where she jumped, did stunts. The girl couldn't believe her eyes that the woman is a professional. At least it looked like rollerblading was everything she did her whole life. Remy was astonished. Her father sat on a bench and looked at them. He couldn't make a step in roller-skates. He took Remy's board to skate once or twice when the girl wanted to take a break and rest for a while. Then they went to a diner. The day was awesome. She came home tired but very self-satisfied. Still she didn't want that woman to get closer to her father.
