Arlington, Texas, Bettie Page Clothing Emporium, 2019
A young girl with a boyfriend haircut, pink sweater with fluffed cuffs and a colorful scarf browsed through the isle of designer pencil skirts. She pretended to be interested. But all the while her violet eyes flirted madly.
On her heel, following her like a lovesick puppy, was an all-American blonde, blue-eyed boy sporting a stereotypical red and white high school football jacket.
"It really is swell runnin' inta ya, Annie!"
"It is?" She stopped and turned to look at him, batting her eyelids seductively, "I thought you were all into Cindy May these days…"
"Awe shucks Annie!" The boy grinned shyly with perfect white teeth, scratching the back of his head. "You know there ain't no girl for me but you! And I was hopin' ta ask ya…"
"Yes Brad?" She expectantly leaned forward.
"Well the thing is… I..."
"Yes?" she encouraged.
"I was wonderin' if you might consider a…"
His sentence was cut off, when a toddler waddled between them looking up at the girl with curiosity and pointing to her scarf.
"Pwetty!"
Both teen-agers giggled. The camera panned to the right and the sound boom lifted out of the way.
The flustered director stood sharply and slapped his folded script down on his chair. "Dammit! Whose kid is this?"
"I'm so sorry!" A young female shopper quickly scurried forward apologetically and red with embarrassment. She ducked under the 'Do Not Cross' tape marking off the shoot; grabbed her daughter from the set; and mouthed "sorry" to the two actors before readdressing the director. "She just got away from me."
"Okay! Everybody take 10!" The director sighed, ignoring her.
The young mother backed away and disappeared into the store, reprimanding her baby as she went.
A crew member sporting enormous headphones patted the director on the back; and sympathetically joked, "Oh the joys of filming on location…"
Noah didn't hear the director's response because Rodney called out, "Hey, Sutherland! Get your head outta the clouds and come help us unload, will ya?"
Noah reluctantly peeled himself from the delivery room entranceway. The Bettie Page Clothing Emporium, where Noah had been working for over a year, was renting their premises out to Chimney Scrape, producers of the hottest teen soap currently gracing daytime television.
When Noah first heard the news he'd raced home, excited to tell Luke. He'd always had a deep love of filming and once aspired to be a director.
"That's great, Bubby. Just make sure you don't end up in any of the shots."
"I'm not stupid, Luke."
Now he found himself watching the production team with an ache in his heart for a lost dream that could never be fulfilled. Just another of the many precious things they'd left behind, when they fled the town of Oakdale, Illinois.
"Sutherland!"
Noah turned to see his two co-workers struggling to pull a heavy box from the delivery van. Quickly he joined them and together, on the count of three, they pushed the box across the floor and up against the back wall of the delivery room.
"Fucking Jeans!" Rodney complained. "Weighs a ton! Swear I'll be putting in workman's comp for back injury one of these days!"
Noah pulled the shutter closed on the back of the truck and knocked three times on the side, letting the driver know it was safe to pull away. Once the van was gone, he closed the two large delivery doors.
"Geez man! You have stars in your eyes or what?" James asked Noah while rubbing his own sore neck. "You've been AWOL ever since that film crew got here!"
"Sorry Jimmy," Noah replied with genuine remorse.
He knew James was right. But he couldn't seem to pull himself away from the set. It fascinated him drawing him in like candy to a child.
"Well, just don't let Brent catch ya!"
Noah nodded. Their line manager was a stickler for the rules and kept his team on an extremely short leash. Three verbal warnings and you were out. And getting employment on fake IDs wasn't easy. Over the years, he and Luke had quickly learned how important it was to hold onto their jobs; no matter how unfulfilling they may be.
As if on cue Brent stuck his head round the door, "Sutherland?"
"Oh hey Brent."
"Don't 'Oh hey Brent' me! There's a call for you in Customer Services. Some guy called Luke?"
Noah's stomach clenched.
Luke never calls me at work.
Brent glared at him. "He says it's an emergency and it better be!"
"Taking personal calls while on the clock too, Noah?" Rodney tut-tutted as soon as Brent was out of earshot. "You really know how to get yourself into trouble now, don'cha?"
You don't know the half of it!
Without saying a word, Noah left the delivery room, making his way through the throngs of shoppers.
Did Leo get into another fight?
It was a Wednesday and the store was crowded with customers shopping for bargain sales. It took everything in him not to physically push the human obstacles out of his way. Customer Services was located on the other side of the store; and at that moment it felt like miles.
Noah ignored the dirty look from Alice, the store's resident bitch, and snatched the phone from her overly-manicured fingers.
"Luke?" he asked as soon as Alice punched the blinking light.
"Noah."
Oh God no.
There was no mistaking Luke's tone and Noah's thoughts went immediately to Leo.
"Is Leo okay?" he asked.
"Yes."
Noah felt himself relax a little before he understood that if Luke wasn't calling about Leo there was only one other thing it could be.
Shit!
"Listen," Luke began, deliberately keeping his voice even. Perhaps Luke was fooling those around him, but Noah knew him well enough to recognize the near hysteria residing there. "I've been arrested."
Noah's legs buckled and he sat heavily in the nearest chair, gripping the phone to his ears with both shaky hands.
"Jesus, Luke!" Panic erupted and he felt sick. It was a while before he realized Luke was speaking again. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Dammit Noah… listen!" Luke raised his voice out of frustration but then he took a few minutes, breathing deeply into the phone; gathering himself. His voice softened. "I need you to keep calm. Okay, Bubby?"
Noah's head pounded as blood rushed through his ears.
"You still there?" Luke half whispered.
"What's going to happen to Leo?" Noah choked. He wasn't one to cry often but he could feel the tears trekking down his cheeks at the thought of losing their son.
Saying that out loud reminded him of where he was. When he looked up the two women behind the desk stood staring at him curiously along with a couple of shoppers, who quickly looked away.
He bit his lower lip, suddenly feeling under scrutiny like the whole store knew his secret.
"I'm at the police station," Luke was saying. "It's just a massive misunderstanding and I think Thomas Martinelli will convince them to let me go."
Noah knew by Luke's measured tone that he was telling Noah to flee. They'd gone over and over this scenario so many times, although for a few years, they'd felt safe enough not to bother.
We thought we'd done it…
"I understand." Noah worked to process only the thoughts that mattered and suppress the many questions befuddling his brain. "Are they going to charge you with anything?"
Alice gasped and he glared at her. She quickly turned her back and pretended to help a customer who was just as interested in the call.
"Possibly." Noah could hear the relief in Luke's voice now he knew for sure he had Noah back in control. "…for assault. I've already been processed…"
They have Luke's fingerprints.
"…but Thomas Martinelli thinks he can get me released very soon."
Noah wracked his brain trying to remember who that was.
The BMW!
"The District Attorney?" he clarified.
"That's right," Luke answered.
"So… you're going home soon?"
"Yes. Everything will be fine. You just go on with your usual day… you know?"
"Yes."
"You just do everything you always planned to do today."
"I understand. What about you?"
"I'll meet you later… but…" This time Luke's voice cracked. "…if I'm held up for some reason… you'll just have to go on without me…"
Noah's breath shuddered. He sniffed and a few more tears fell.
"Noah?" Luke's voice was fearful and that just made it harder. "You understand what I'm saying, right?"
No, I can't leave you!
But Noah knew... Leo was all that mattered.
"I love you, Luke." It was all he could say.
"Same here."
The phone disconnected and Noah's fingers ghosted over his lips. He was left wondering whether the goodbye kiss they'd shared that morning would be their last.