Having been to the carnival before and knowing what to expect, Joyce French-braided her long blonde hair. She glanced at her watch as she finished applying her makeup. Richard would be there to pick her up in five or ten minutes. Unlike his other dates, when he went out with Joyce, Richard was always punctual. She wondered why, when Richard was late for everything else, including picking up Donna, or so she’d said.
According to Tina and Mary, Richard was never punctual. When he wanted to do something, he didn’t consider anyone’s feelings. With Richard’s status and wealth, he pretty much did what he wanted. She wondered if it were because his aristocratic father had spoiled him rotten. Probably, but did it matter? Joyce knew where she stood with Richard. The answer was easy – nowhere. Tonight wouldn’t be any different.
Joyce shook her head in dismay as she checked her reflection in the mirror, turning her head from side to side. “Is that all I’m good for? A cheap fuck? Sam…it’s all your fault,” she softly chuckled. “I never should have fallen for the boy next door.” She applied her last application of Euphoria.
The doorbell rang. Joyce hurried to the door. Her heart jumped to her throat. God… not again! She put on a plastic smile, accepted her parcel and thanked the deliveryman. She took her prize to the lounge. Gingerly, she set the small brown box on her coffee table, staring at it as though it might be a bomb. Her pulse thumped in her ears. “No!” she gasped and shook her head as she pushed the package to the middle of the table, refusing to open it.
Joyce’s cell phone rang, giving her a start. Her hands shook. In her heart she knew, before she even turned it over. ‘Unknown caller’ flashed on the display. Covering her mouth with her other hand, she blinked to clear her vision. The cell phone continued to ring. “No!” she pushed through her clenched teeth. “I won’t answer it!” she hissed and switched off her cell. She took the battery out and tossed it and her cell phone on the coffee table, next to the unopened parcel. Her apartment phone rang. Joyce’s breath caught. She took a couple of deep breaths to steady her nerves and pressed the button. The strange metallic voice began.
“You’re going out with the wrong person, Joyce.”
Joyce’s mouth gaped. “How in the hell did you get my landline number?”
There was laughter. “Do you think I am limited to wireless? If I wanted to, I could probably speak from your refrigerator, or the radio in your car. I have technology at my fingertips that would amaze you. That’s an extremely revealing top you’re wearing. I approve, especially without the bra. It shows off your better qualities, but if anyone sleeps in your bed tonight, it had better not be Richard, again.”
With anxious eyes, Joyce scanned her lounge; the curtains were drawn. “Where the fuck is the camera, you sick bastard?”
Ringing laughter filled her ears. “Everywhere….”
Joyce’s eyes filled with tears. “What do you want from me?” she choked.
“Haven’t I made myself clear? I want Sam away from Donna.”
“Why? Why is that so important to you?”
“He was meant for another but don’t get your hopes up, Joyce. It’s not you.”
“He doesn’t want me! What do you expect me to do – kill Donna?”
The voice tightened. “That, Little Bitch, would be the worst mistake you could ever make in your life. Your death would be slow and agonising. Imagine the most pain you’ve ever felt, and then multiply that tenfold. Now, shut up and listen, because as I estimate it, you have about three minutes before the doorbell will ring again.”
“Then… I won’t open it. I won’t go. I’ll leave the country! Find somebody else to do your dirty work, you sick coward!”
“Do not kindle my anger. Open your parcel. If you don’t, you’ll regret it, and so will Sam. My patience is spent, Joyce. This is your last chance. Open… the box!”
Joyce grabbed the box and ripped off the tape. Slowly she slipped off the top. She gaped at it. “It’s empty!”
“It’s far from empty. Good work, Joyce.” The line went dead. The doorbell buzzed. Joyce grabbed a tissue from the box on her end table, dabbing her eyes and sniffing as she answered the door.
Richard frowned. “Why didn’t you answer your phone, Sexy?”
“Because I had it to bits. It wouldn’t come on, so I was checking the battery contact to see if they’d corroded.”
“Are you ready to go?” Richard asked, studying her teary eyes. “Have you been crying?”
“No!” she snorted. “I sprayed some perfume in my eye when I was getting ready. Have a seat,” she said, walking toward the lounge. “I’m just going to grab my purse from the bedroom, and we can go.”
Richard sat on the sofa and leaned forward. He picked up Joyce’s cell phone, rubbed the battery contacts on his jeans and put it back in her phone. He suspiciously eyed the empty box on her coffee table as he turned her cell phone over and switched it on. “It’s working now!” he called out.
“What?”
“Your cell phone. I cleaned the battery, and it’s working again.” He examined the empty box. “What was the parcel?”
Joyce’s eyes widened. “Ah – it was – ah,” she nervously glanced around and grabbed the first piece of jewellery she could find. “It was from my mother!” she called out, as with shaky hands, she fumbled to fasten the bracelet around her wrist. It dropped to the floor as Richard entered the room. He picked it up.
“Need a little help?” he grinned.
Joyce swallowed hard and smiled as she held out her wrist. “Yes, please.”
Richard studied her eyes as he brought her wrist to his lips and kissed it, deeply inhaling the fragrance of her perfume. “Why is your mother sending you a gift now? Your birthday is not until October.”
Joyce cleared her throat and pulled her wrist away. “I guess she wanted to make sure it arrived on time.”
Richard softly smiled and stepped into her personal space. “You look very sexy in that top,” he whispered and rubbed the knuckle of his index finger over one of her peaked nipples through the thin tank top. Joyce’s breath caught; her heart started pounding. Richard leaned in to kiss her.
Joyce groaned inwardly, held up her hand and stepped back. “We shouldn’t keep Sam and Donna waiting,” she said and headed for the door.
Richard frowned, rearranged the front of his jeans and followed her out. “Right…” he murmured and closed the door behind him.
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Sam and Donna were sitting in the back seat of Richard’s car, talking while they waited for him and Joyce. Sam brushed the back of his fingers down her cheek and studied her eyes. “You’re awfully quiet.”
“I’m concerned about Mr. Wilson’s reaction when I told him we needed to do another amniocentesis on Linda.”
“Why?” Sam frowned. “What did he do?”
“Well, of course, he wanted to know why, at which time I had to confess that we’d lost Linda’s medical records and the test results. Then he suggested that we could contact her doctor in Shreveport. With Linda, only a couple of months from her due date, he wanted to know why it was so important. If anything had been wrong with the baby, he said her doctor would have informed him.”
“So, did you tell him what you found out from the ultrasound?”
“Yes, but what he asked me to do next shocked me. He wanted me to put Linda under and take the baby, but he didn’t want me to say anything to her.”
Sam’s eyes widened. “He wanted you to perform an abortion without consulting his wife?”
Donna nodded. “When I told him I wouldn’t do it, he got angry with me. He said talking to Linda would be useless. Even, if she knew her life was in danger or that the baby would be born deformed, Linda would never have agreed to an abortion. He was probably right, but Sam, I won’t do it without Linda’s consent. I may be able to tweak the EHG and use it to save the baby, but I won’t know that for sure unless he lets me do another test.”
“Did you mention the EHG to Wilson?”
“No!” she frowned. “Under the circumstances, I didn’t think it was a good idea.”
Sam sighed. “Probably a wise choice.”
The door locks snapped. Richard opened the passenger door and helped Joyce inside. He crawled behind the wheel and reached for the ignition. “Sorry to keep you two waiting.”
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The noise at the carnival was deafening. Donna, Gary, and Juanita had been to the Louisiana State Fair in Shreveport many times, and they had some hair-raising rides, but nothing compared her for the monster in front of her. Donna tried to be brave as they approached the front of the queue. Her heart was pounding so fast she felt as if she might faint. In her mind, she repeated her reassuring mantra. It’s all in your head. It’s all in your head.
Richard watched her out the corner of his eye; he leaned close to her ear. “You didn’t tell him you were afraid of heights, did you?” he whispered.
Donna jerked her head in his direction and frowned. “Yes, I did – in a round-about way.” She swallowed the bile creeping up the back of her throat. “I said I wasn’t fond of flying.”
“This is not the same thing as being in the chopper with me, pet. You don’t have to do this.”
“I’m fine Richard,” she insisted; adrenaline coursing through her bloodstream and thrumming in her ears. “I have to prove I’m stronger than he thinks I am.”
“You don’t have to prove anything, Donna. I’m perfectly happy to stay here with you and let them ride.”
“I’m fine Richard!”
“OK, but I know the truth. If you get scared, grab my hand. I won’t let go.” Donna gave him a tight smile and nodded.
Sam was oblivious to Donna’s fears as he grabbed her hand and led her up the ramp. The carny lifted the shoulder brace and the five people bailed out. Donna stiffened as she approached the seat. Richard sensed she was ready to bolt. Selfishly, Richard intended to take advantage of Donna’s fears, and Sam’s lack of them. Deliberately positioning himself, so he was sitting next to Donna, Richard helped Joyce to the seat on the other side of him. Sam sat on the opposite side of Donna. As far away from Joyce as was possible. At the sound of the brace snapping into place, Donna jumped and grabbed Sam’s hand with a death grip. The ride began to rotate. Sam grinned and kissed her. “Are you scared?”
Donna gave him a half-witted smile. “A little.”
The ride picked up speed; the seat started to tip forward and then back. The guy at the controls pumped up the music volume and grabbed the microphone. “You’re going to love this!” Sam shouted above the noise.
Donna pressed her lips into a thin line; her eyes like two eclipsed moons. “I doubt that!” she shouted and instinctively grabbed Richard’s hand. “Oh God!” she gasped as the ride flipped upside-down, again.
The rest of the ride was a hazy blur for Donna; she couldn’t tell which way was up. Sam and Joyce had their hands in the air and having the time of their life. Richard was enjoying the ride until he saw Donna’s pale face. “Are you OK?” he shouted next to her ear.
“No!” she snapped. “What the fuck was I thinking?” She screamed as the seat twirled over and over, rising to its highest position and freefalling, leaving Donna’s roiling stomach behind and giving her a feeling of weightlessness. “I must have been mad Richard!”
Richard softly chuckled and held her hand a little tighter. “It’s OK, pet. Just hang on to me. It will be over soon!”
“I hope so, or there’s going to be a mess to clean up.”
“Get this thing open now!” Richard ordered as the ride came to a stop. As soon as the brace was over her head, Richard grabbed her around the waist and escorted her down the ramp. It was a good thing he was holding her up; Donna’s balance was shot. Her legs were like wet noodles. Sam and Joyce jumped out and followed after them. Donna made it to the end of the ramp and bent over the railing.
“Oh God!” Donna groaned. Hot vomit splattered on the grass, barely missing her feet.
Sam frowned. “What happened?”
Richard narrowed his eyes. He groaned and wiped Donna’s mouth with his handkerchief. “Isn’t it obvious, Sam?”
“Sweetheart, are you OK?”
Donna coughed. “I will be as soon as I’ve thrown up my toenails.”
“Ah, honey. Why didn’t you tell me you had motion sickness?”
Donna cut her eyes up at Sam. “Because, I didn’t want to spoil everybody else’s fun!” she forced through her teeth.
Sam frowned, confused. “What did I do?”
“If you think hard enough, sooner or later, I’m sure you’ll figure it out!” She turned her attention back to Richard. “Where is that psychic friend you wanted me to talk to?”
“Psychic friend?” Sam echoed. “Don’t you mean con artist? You don’t actually buy in to all this tarot card astrology thing, do you?”
Donna glared at him. “No, Sam. I don’t!” she snapped. “But I do believe in telepathy and other psychic abilities that have nothing to do with star charts and crystal balls. And if you’re only coming to make smart cracks, then wait outside. I’m sick of you making fun of things that I take seriously! Just because, you can’t see something or explain it, does not mean it doesn’t exist.”
“Well, if you expect this person to tell you something useful, you might as well start dancing around the campfire and baying at the Moon.”
Donna narrowed her eyes and got right in his face. “You know, I think I’m about ready to go home. This evening started out fun, but it’s suddenly gone sour. I’m sorry I’m not what you expected me to be. I have weaknesses, and I have imperfections, but you know what? That makes me normal. Sometimes, you’re the most wonderful person in the World, Sam, and other times, you’re just like Jared, an egotistical, arrogant, bull-headed asshole!”
Sam’s eyebrows shot up. “Donna, you’re getting upset over nothing. I never said you weren’t what I expected you to be, but I don’t appreciate you comparing me to a long-haired red skinned cowboy! I am not the person who walked away from you.”
“No – you’re not, but I’m walking away from you. I’m sorry, Joyce. I know you probably expected to bed Richard again, but if that’s the case, I’ll call a cab. I don’t think I can stand a full night of dealing with Sam. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to see if I can find a place to sit down and get something for my upset stomach.” Donna walked away.
Sam’s mouth gaped. “What the fuck is her problem?”
“I don’t know, but she’s certainly upset about something.” Richard glanced over his shoulder. “Let me see if I can talk to her. Joyce, you and Sam carry on with the evening. I’ll ring you later.” Richard ran after Donna. He took her hand. “Were you serious about wanting to go home?”
“Yes, if I have to spend the rest of my night smelling that awful perfume you gave Joyce. Do you honestly like the smell of dead fish?”
Richard laughed and leaned his face down to the side of Donna’s neck. “I actually prefer Sand and Sable to Euphoria. Come on. Let’s go see if we can find Madame Lupu.”
Donna whirled. “Lupu? Doesn’t that come from the word lupus, which is Latin for wolf?”
Richard frowned. “Come to think of it, now that you mentioned it, I believe it does.”
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Sam growled and sank to a nearby bench. “This is just fucking great!”
Joyce sat beside him. “Boy! She was really pissed off. What did you do to her?”
“Nothing, except mention her Indian boyfriend.”
“Indian? Donna was involved with a man from India?”
Sam shook his head. “No, Joyce,” he groaned. “Native American Indian. The one she was singing with in her music video. Remember – Jared Thundercloud?”
Joyce’s eyes widened. “Oh… that Indian. I understand now.”
Sam cut his eyes at her and frowned. “Don’t tell me he’s used his witch doctor magic on you too?”
“Like it would matter to you. Look, Sam. I know you don’t want to be here with me, so why don’t I call a cab.”
“No!” Sam snapped and grabbed her hand. “I came out here to have a good time and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Donna said no strings. That means I’m not tied down. Come on honey, you haven’t forgotten how to party, have you?”
Joyce thought about the empty box sitting on her coffee table at home. The words from the strange metallic voice echoed through her head. ‘It’s far from empty.’ “But it was empty!” Joyce mused as she followed Sam to the next ride.