Tomorrow, It's Time To Leave

Tomorrow spent the rest of the morning talking to her attorney on the phone. She was pissed that no one from the court saw fit to inform her. He was out living life, driving his truck, and she sits trapped unable to drive. Who would hire her with her shaved head? Oh, poor brain damaged girl. She knew no one would trust her at a job. Leaving town loomed large in her mind. Like Dante said, she has lots of money, she can do whatever she wants.

Someone knocking on the door set her nerves on end. Dante claims he never has company. She jumped off the couch and ducked into the hall by the bedroom. Mandy ran to the door with Dante chastising her not to open the door. He had to keep the high chain lock on the door at all times.

"It's me Angie; Dante," she heard called out. Tomorrow's heart rate immediately went down. Stepping out of the shadows per say, she smiled Angie was finally here. But could she trust the situation to go out with her? Was she putting them in jeopardy by being with them?

They are going to Wal-Mart; Billy wouldn't think in a thousand years she would go there. He had teased her about being an elitist all the time. That had pissed her off because he was the elitist only buying his clothes at Nordstrom or Macy's. She loved shopping at Kohl's so who is the elitist? Tomorrow was lost in her thoughts. She wanted to sit and cry. She couldn't believe he was out there with only a restraining order to keep him away. 

"Angie, could you take me home, it's not too far out of the way?" The thought of being out in the open was weighing on her mind. She knew she would be a nervous wreck looking out for Billy at every turn. No, she needed to go home. If he saw her with Dante, there is no telling what he would do to him. Him being Handicapped would just add to his venerability. "I don't feel comfortable pulling you into my mess," Tomorrow told them both as she looked for her purse. 

"What are you going to hide in your house?" Dante asked, sounding like an accusation. 

"No; I have to think, and I don't want to bring his wrath down on you two."

Angie looked around trying to understand what was going on.

"Her ex-boyfriend was let out of jail until his court date," Dante said dismissively. 

"My home is not far from here, could you drop me off." Tomorrow asked Angie as she picked up her purse. She had to get out of here. 

"Sure sweetie," Angie told her.

"Thank you, let's go," Tomorrow said. They could see the fear in her face as she approached the door. She knew she was being ridiculous, but she did it anyway. Once out the door her eyes and head scanned the streets and parking lot. She continued the process as they drove, and every silver pickup caught her attention. Quick kiss once she was at home and she was gone. 

Dante yelled, "Call me" as she ran up her front walk. Finding the front door locked, she pounded frantically calling out for her mother to open the door. Angie was just about to get out to help when a police car drove up in the drive. The officer quickly got out and ran to the steps as Tomorrow turned collapsing into his arms, they could tell she was crying.

Dante told Angie too, "go on he would take care of her." He knew he could do little for her. He couldn't even help her into the house. 

"How could they do this to me?" Tomorrow cried as she clung to him. "He is just waiting for his chance," she said scanning the neighborhood. 

"I know. I couldn't believe it when I heard it. His father came up with the money, so he walks," Gentry said as he helped her sit on the steps. Pulling her purse into her lap, she dug for an individual key that she knew was somewhere in her purse. Gentry was glad she had to search; she seemed to be calming down with her quest. Finding it, she smiled, stood, and opened the door. The house was quiet. This was a first for her. She had not been alone in the house in ten years. Not since, she was caught with a boy in her room when her mother showed up unexpectedly. They weren't even doing anything, but she was in trouble. 

Gentry followed her in and did a sweep of the house. He leapt up the stairs three at a time and made his sweep. Coming back to the landing he smiled. "Unless he is in the attic he is not here."

Tomorrow smiled and relaxed and plopped down on the couch. She could relax; her savior is here. "Thank you for your help. I have been on edge since you called. I'm leaving, I can't stay around here any longer. I have been wrestling with this since I woke up from that damn coma, but this is the end for me. I can't find a job around here and I have tried. Even the work I did for my brother-in-law was tainted with his demanding I take a helper with me. The doctors say I'm well, but to the people in this town, including my family, they don't believe it. I'm poor brain damaged Tomorrow," looking up at Gentry, she finished her rant. 

Gentry's mic crackles, reminding him he is on duty. He changed location with another officer to keep an eye out for Tomorrow.

"Do you have any idea where your mother may be?" 

"No; she is usually home, but I will be fine. I'll lock the door and not answer if someone knocks." 

"I'll be in the area so call me if you need me," he offered, looking very concerned. He couldn't offer anymore. Besides, she didn't want any more from him. This is the second time he has seen her with the cripple; she seems to have picked him over him and he has to move on.

"You're too good to me. Thank you for caring."

"Always," he said, she stood and hugged his neck wondering why he couldn't have done it for her.

Scanning the job sites, she put her résumé out there and exaggerated her work history. Adding months to the time she held that first job. Her father's business was her longest, showing she still worked there. She'll call Deloris in the morning and have her cover her ass. She knows she will do it for her. Finding a number of job postings in Houston those were the ones she sent off first. Widening her search, she hesitated to send one to Chicago, it gets too cold up there. 

She found one for an advertising person for a resort in the US Virgin Islands. Knowing there was no way she pressed send.

She picked up her old laptop and continued her search. She wanted to buy a new one and she had plans with Today to go shopping last week, but the baby sneezed, and she freaked out. Not wanting to expose him to the filthy people of the world she stayed at home. The last time she saw him a month ago, he was a plump happy baby. 

In three months Yesterday and Chance will be home for the winter break. Yesterday may even graduate and she will be looking for a job too. She figures Chance will be working at Jones Fabricating. He has had every break since he turned sixteen. Once he graduates, she wonders what Brice will do for a job. At this point she didn't care; she was out of here. She just needed one person to answer her job posting and she will take it crappie pay or not. At least it gets her out of here.

Noise downstairs got her attention, wishing she had a gun as she walked to the landing. Her mother and a man stood in the entryway. By the way she touched him they knew each other well. Clearing her throat to let them know she was there her mother moved away from him and dropped her hand as she looked up. 

"Hi," Tomorrow said, eyeing the man. He was so similar to her father. She caught her breath for just a tick as he came into focus. 

"I didn't expect you to be home."

"I didn't either. Did you hear they released Billy this morning?" 

Her mother's mouth dropped open, and she gasped. 

"Yeah, they dropped the 'solicitation of murder' charge," Tomorrow told her and began to descend the staircase. She wanted to meet this man. "So, he made bail and is out so I thought I would come home."

"That is crazy," her mother complained.

"That is what I thought. It is why so many women end up dead. Oh, he has to stay a thousand feet away," she said as she reached the ground floor. "But he could probably shoot me from a thousand feet," she quipped and stood in front of this man her mother has in her home. 

Catching her sarcasm, she said, "Frank this is my daughter Tomorrow." 

"Oh, nice to meet you. You look much better than I thought you would. Your mother has told me of your trials and tribulations. I'm sure she is pleased with your recovery."

"I know I am. She could make everyone believe I was almost dead."

"Tomorrow you were dead twice smart aleck. I was not exaggerating, she was bad."

"True, but once I woke up, I bounced back quickly," she smarted back, circling this Frank, "so Frank how long have you known my mother?"

"Well," he said, looking back at Peggy. "We met right before your accident and have just now met back up."

"Really that is nice. Sorry I put a kink in your dating," 

Turning her attention back to her mother. "He is very nice, go and enjoy him, Mom. I just felt I was better off at home. Gentry is watching out for me."

"Is that where you have been," she asked, sounding disgusted.

"No Mother, it was even worse, I was with the cripple," Tomorrow said and went back upstairs and slammed her door. 

"She was never like this before she was injured," Peggy said, looking disappointed that their night was messed up.

"She knows why I'm here. Do you really think her opinion will change if I leave? Peggy I'm looking for the long run with you, not a memorable night," Frank told her, slipping his hand behind her neck he held her in place and stepped into her space. "I have waited for a long time for you, don't send me away please." 

Knowing the wild things, she and her husband did back in the day, and she knew her children never heard a thing? Even up and watching TV Jim could turn her inside out and the kids never heard. Taking Frank's hand, she walked him into her room and closed the door. What she may know, or doesn't know, it didn't matter she would be gone soon. She has to make a new life without her children. 

Tomorrow sat in her room scouring the job sites. She sank so low as to answer an ad for a radio-advertising specialist. She has been warned not to accept that job. They are nothing but cold call solicitations. But it was far away from here and the money claims to be good. 

She looked in the mirror checking to see if her hair had grown back enough to cut short. She decided only if she wants to be mistaken for a dyke. She plopped back on her bed, rolled to her side and ran her hand over the cover. Dante popped into her mind. A surge ran from her crotch to her brain. What was it about that man that turns her on so much? Pulling her purse in front of her, she dug for her phone. As junk spilled out on her bed, she decided to clean her purses. Dumping the contents out she found a number of things she knew she hadn't bought. Gum, candy bars, a dog toy, and lip-gloss still sealed. "That little pixie she was filling my purse as we stood in the check-out-line," Tomorrow mused checking the time she held off calling him, he was probably bathing her. More like letting her swim for a while in warm water. That is what he calls a bath. Smiling, she picked up the dog toy and squeezed it and it squeaked. 

Her computer chimed she had an email. Scrambling off the bed, she sat smiling at the icon and pressed the accept button. 

"Of course, the radio job." She pressed delete. She was not that desperate yet. Checking a national job site two new jobs are posted. One was for a jewelry chain and the other a national clothing store out of Atlanta. That was far from here. Submitting her résumé for she crossed her fingers. The icon popped up again and chimed. Not as excited as the first time she pressed accept.

Shifting in her chair and smiling, it was from the Virgin Island job. 

It said, 'Interested do you Skype? If so, I would like to discuss the job at your convenience.' 

"Oh lord," Tomorrow whined, did a quick check in the mirror and scanned the room for a decent background. Moving her computer to the best spot in her room so it would be behind her head was decent, she replied. 

'Now is good.' She pressed send and realized she should have put on lipstick. She set her Skype up and waited. 

A very handsome man with a great tan adjusted his view on the computer and smiled.

"Tomorrow Jones, a beauty as I expected. A woman with that name has to be a looker," he stated boldly.

She looked behind her. Was this a joke?

"Hello, who is this?" The tan man asked, noting her disgusted expression. Maybe he made a mistake, and she wasn't Tomorrow, flashed in his mind.

"I'm," Tomorrow shifted and reached for the top of her computer, this was a joke some scam she was not playing along.

"No, don't close me off. This is a real job at a real vacation resort. I'll get serious Ok. Sexist or not, I have been interviewing all day and you're the best-looking applicant I have seen yet. Please talk with me," he picked up a brochure and showed her it was a real place. "I'm not scamming you; it is just... I'm so far away it is easier to interview this way," he told her, sounding very contrite. 

Tomorrow sat back and gave him a tentative smile. "Sorry, there are a lot of weird people out there." 

"True, but I need a smart, pretty woman to help with advertising and promoting my hotel," he said smiling and looked a little embarrassed. "I inherited this place from my grandfather about a year ago," he again showed her a brochure. "As you can see it is a large hotel on a beautiful beach, but for the last five years he has let the business die down to nothing because of his health. I spent six million to refurbish the rooms and modernize the kitchen and lobby. I think it looks great. Now I need to advertise for guests."

"That brochure, hold it up so I can see it better," Tomorrow said, almost sounding like a demand. 

He smiled, held it to the camera for a few seconds. And slowly turned it to show the back.

"I would say that is over twenty years old." 

"Could be," he said, putting it down.

"Is it dark there?" 

"Yes, it has been for a while. We are a lot further east than you."

"I was just hoping you would show me around. But since it is dark," Tomorrow said with a teasing manner.

"I could show you the lobby and my office, we just finished with it."

"That would be wonderful," she cooed. She liked this man already. Lord he was a cutie. 

He stood and she got a good view of his body. He was dressed casually, with classic linen slacks. They have always been her favorite. Something she could never accomplish with Billy. He always had that dumb Texan bubba look no matter how she dressed him. 

He picked the laptop up and pulled the plug. She watched as he struggled to accomplish all that and still act confident. Tomorrow smiled at his troubles close to laughing and he saw her. "Don't laugh at me. What you asked is difficult to accomplish and still look good," he quipped back making sure she could see his smile. Turning the computer back around, he let it scan the area. 

"Very nice Sir," Tomorrow told him, still on the verge of laughing. But she was impressed, the place was beautiful. He quickly sat it back down. "Oh, shoot I forgot to introduce myself Reginald Berrington," he laughed, not being able to continue the joke, "not really my name is Lucas Monroe. That is my stepfather's name. He is a pompous ass."

"With that name you would almost have to be," Tomorrow, quipped back. 

He walked out of view and began to laugh. She hadn't heard that hard of a joyous laugh in a long time. He came back into view. 

"You stand up and let me see your room," he said, trying to get back at her, but also wanting to see more of her. 

She stood and her long legs just kept rising tilting the top so he could see her room. He was sorry the view changed. "This is my old bedroom from when I was a teen," she said and sat back down again, he had a good view of her body as she sat. She was dressed casually, but nicely for a hot summer's day. 

"So how tall are you?"

"5' 9" and you, I can see you're tall too."

"6' 2" last time I was measured. So, you are going to come and work for me?"

"You haven't seen my work. I could be all legs and no brains."

"True, so show me some of your work. You work for a fabricating company," he said, looking down at her printed-out résumé. 

"Yeah, I do, it is a family-owned company," she said and reached for the brochure she made for them giving him a good view of her butt and the line of her crotch as she moved. "My father died a few years ago and my brother-in-law is running it right now. He has expanded and has done a good job." She held the brochure up so he could see, but he was trying to look around it to see her. At this point, he didn't care. She has the degree he just wants her to come. He could already tell she had a good personality and doesn't rile easily.

She started pointing out things and describing different features. 

"I know it is not a resort, but it was what he needed. He said it has brought in a lot of business," she exaggerated. He hadn't even sent them out yet as far as she knows. 

"Good. That is good to hear, that is what I want. I need business. So, you are going to come work for me?" 

"Maybe tell me what kind of housing is there?" She asked, setting her brochure down so he could see her again.

"We have staff apartments that are not big, but most people around here spend their time outside. But they are nice, totally redone also. We have two pools and a pristine ocean right out back. Have you ever been to the islands of the Caribbean?

"No, the furthest I have ever been was Galveston," she said and made a sick face. "There is ocean all along this area, but the water is dirty, you can't see your feet in three inches of water," she complained.

"Oh, that sounds horrible, ours is so clean you can see forever. Come, and let me show you Tomorrow. You look like you have brains, not just legs. You would not believe the applicants I have spoken to in these last few weeks. It sounds like you're looking for adventure, it will be here. You can help me launch this place and help me make something out of it. Come," he said so sexily.

She groaned and smiled. "You're thinking of more than just work."

"No. I said nothing of the sort," he said with a devious smile.

"So, you're married? He asked, he may be barking up the wrong tree. 

She held up her hands. "Ok, no ring you look to be twenty-four twenty-five," he guessed. 

"Four" 

"Ok you're twenty-four not married. But you had a boyfriend, and you broke up and you are looking to move on."

"You're good. And are you married looking for a fling?"

"No, I'm not on both accounts. I am far from home but not missing anyone."

"So, no love of your life waiting for you?"

"No, my last girlfriend married my best friend about six months ago. I was here attending to my grandfather while he was ill. She got bored and he was there, and I was not. But hey, she was not the marrying type."

"So, what is the marrying type?"

"The kind that doesn't cheat."

"I agree, but they are hard to find."

"Is that what happened to you?"

"No, he tried to kill me, so that was the end of that relationship, and then today they let him out of jail."

"You're looking to get away."

"You're not just good looking you have a brain too," she smarted back.

"Thanks, one of my better qualities. So, what did he do to you?"

"Ran me off the road and left me way down in a creek bed to die. Took them three days to find me in the hot July sun. So yes, I'm looking to find a new life."

"Come work for me. Working on a beautiful Caribbean Island sounds like revenge to me," he said with a hint of begging added to the request.

"It does. Full disclosure, I have no children and you?"

"No. None for me either; but I would like some, some day."

"Yeah, me too," she paused for a second. "My sister Today has a new baby. He was born when I came out of my coma." 

"You have a sister named Today?"

"I do and another Yesterday and a brother Chance. Because they took a chance to have another kid, but if it was a girl they didn't know what to name her," he again laughed.

"So, a coma. For how long?"

"About six weeks. The doctor said my brain was reattaching its pathways. I'm fine I came out of it just as smart. My mother says I'm wilder now, freer than before. I just say what is on my mind now, I kind of lost my filter," she told him looking thoughtful. "So why did they let him free?"

"Well," she took a deep breath and continued, "he is in trouble and has court in January but while he was in jail, they kind of set him up and he offered to pay ten thousand dollars for an undercover officer to kill me. He agreed but the judge said it was entrapment, so he set his bail at five hundred thousand and his father got him out."

"That was a pretty stiff bail."

"Yeah, but they are rich. Which is his problem, he thinks he can have everything but not me. So instead of losing me he left me for dead." 

"Tomorrow," he said, sounding so sad, "come work for me and get away from there." 

"Sure, tell me where to go," she watched a smile spread across his face. 

"Are you sure," he asked with a happy chuckle.

"Yes, what is the worst that can happen? You think I'm all legs and send me home."

"I know your all legs, I have seen them, but I can tell you have brains too," he shuffled some papers around. "When can you come?"

"In two days unless that is too soon?" 

"No! I will send you the flight information I assume you'll want to fly out of Bush international?" He said, sounding excited. 

"Unless Southwest flies there from Hobby." 

"I will check there first and email you. I am so excited you will love it here. Be assured I'm hiring you for your mind; but you do have nice legs."

"Thanks, I'll see if you do when I get there."

That brought an embarrassed smile to him. "Thank you Tomorrow Jones and I will see you soon. You're going to make this opening so much fun." 

She heard him yell, "yes," as his screen went blank. She pulled out her suitcase and started packing. All cool summer clothes and sexy swimsuits. She inspected her legs, noting how lucky she was. They weren't scared from being water soaked. She went through her closet for business suits she had a few. She grabbed her phone and left a message for Randy to come and get her, she needs to go to Kohl's for work clothes. She couldn't tell him or anyone where she was going. She wanted no chance that Billy would find out. She didn't want to be like that poor girl in Aruba never to be seen again. 

She got two more pings that night about jobs and one in Chicago she deleted it. She left out her sexy slinky dress for the trip. She knows she looks good in that one. Men trip over themselves when she is in that dress plus it doesn't wrinkle. Yes, this is the perfect traveling dress. She will visit with Dante tomorrow and tell him she has an interview in Chicago and kiss him goodbye. She can't stay here. She just hopes she is attracted to Lucas. By appearance, she was. Thinking about his laugh and smile he was gorgeous to boot and owned a hotel. 

Her computer chimed and she clicked on the icon. 

Nope, no Southwest flights. United out of Bush Flight 1246 at 2:30 in the afternoon. Your ticket will be at the pick-up window, bring all you want, but the clothes are cheap here. Plus, we don't wear a lot. See you soon Tomorrow Jones.

 She smiled and read it three more times. Yeah, he hopes she doesn't wear a lot.

Thank you for the fast and friendly service. I'll see you in two days Lucas, Monroe.

"She called Randy back, "never mind, I don't need to go. The job fell through."

He is right, she should shop there and dress like the islanders.

"Oh my God," she squealed, "I'm going to live and work on a Caribbean island." She wished she had someone she could call and share the news. "Oh well, I'll make friends there."

Collecting her make up and toiletries, she sat on the floor of her closet and sorted her shoes. Looking at all the flat sandals Billy demanded that she buy. He hated when she was taller than him. She thought it was good now she has so many flats it made it easier to walk in the sand. She made a stack to take along with a number of heels to wear inside the hotel.