Chapter 2 recap
Amber is a 28-year-old petite blonde female who never cuts her hair, occasionally trims. She is good friends with her black neighbor, who has just helped her out of a difficult situation when she took her girlfriend home from a club one Saturday night, her girlfriend's date's brother returned to her house. A frying pan was the only thing that stopped him. James allowed her to stay in his guest room for the night.
Monday morning
James lives where the garage is pointed to the opposite street than Amber's condominium.
Amber wakes: she gets out of bed quietly, not wanting to wake James, walking downstairs looks at the clock; it's 6:00 am, Monday morning.
She senses something is wrong, woman's intuition? she opens the front door slowly, recognizing the car that took her friend Diana home, parked at the end of her street for a second morning.
Amber slowly closes the door.
Swiftly back upstairs, shaking James.
Saying, "James, the car from Saturday night it's back. It's down the street; I'm scared."
James quickly wakes up, walking to his bedroom window peering out the curtains; he sees the car.
Turning to Amber, he says, "I think you will be okay over here; go ahead and go to work; when you get off, put your car in my garage. While you're gone, I will investigate this situation and let you know what I find out with a text or call," while continuing to watch from his window.
Okay, I will have a security system installed at my home before I go back to live there--something I should have done years ago.
Are you sure it is okay for me to stay here? Amber asked.
"Well yeah, I would have insisted," James replied as he gave her one of his extra garage door openers, "when you leave, I will watch and make sure that car doesn't follow you.' 'I doubt he knows you're here but never take anything for granted."
"I feel like I am putting you in the middle of danger; you might get hurt," Amber said with a worried look.
James replied. "As far as danger, I and it are good friends; I've beaten him before."
Amber went on to work; when she arrived, she informed her boss of the situation; they already had the report when it happened weeks ago, advising Amber to get an ex-part-a which she had already done, but it only lasted 15 days. It didn't include the older brother.
At the downtown circle dining spot, the girls met for their usual lunch gathering, consoling Amber for what she was going through.
Kathy said, "Amber, why don't you come over to my house? It's the opposite direction from your place; we do have an extra room?' 'You can stay if you need; I already okayed it with Conner."
"Let me think about it, okay I mean, this may blow over into nothing; tell your husband thank you too," Amber relayed.
The good news was that the Berkshire Marketing agency's client; approved plans and Ideas for the job they were working on, turning the project over to the advertising team. She, as the executive in charge, received a nice bonus.
A car parked down the street
A half an hour after Amber left James's place, the vehicle slowly drove past her house, not seeing anyone there; it sped off; James had a camera modified with a virtually zero distance lens.
He took pictures of the driver and licensed plates; of course, he did not know who Amber went out with on Saturday nights, only that they were younger and white. James is the only black male Amber knew personally, and only two of her four friends, Kathy and Dawn, vaguely knew that.
Being from the suburb and upper society, Amber and her friends only attended white bars or clubs and only dated white men. Of course, there was the token minority here and there, but mainly she lived in a white world.
He knew he was placing Amber in a difficult spot with him being black, not only that but 20 years older, a double whammy. "Life is challenging enough," James laughed.
He would use extreme measures to ensure their relationship was as low-key and as hidden as possible.
James had a good colleague downtown who worked for their advertising company part-time and in the computer department at city hall. He would see if he would help him track down the personal information of the licensed plate from the picture he took.
The guy was in the third year of college and, with the help of a 100-dollar bill, decided to help. He sends James an email with 2300 W Farwell Ave, North Lake Shore, Chicago.
In the meantime, Diana called the older brother she had gone out with that Saturday two weeks ago, they hadn't contacted each other since, but she did have his number.
He informed her his brother had a subtle form of amnesia and did not remember too much about that night; he thought his brother was going back to Amber's to get his phone. Then received a call from the hospital; his brother had some sort of concussion.
Yes, he was the one who parked down Amber's street. He wanted some details on the event that put his brother in the hospital and now jail.
Diana told him, "Please leave them alone; Amber is not answering any questions until court."
"your brother tried to rape my girlfriend." Diana expressed. "And she did not want either him or his brother ever to bother them again."
Jason said, "Look, these things happen all the time. You gave me a little ass that's all my brother wanted, but she had to play hard to get; well, it's going to get more serious than she thought, isn't it?"
The man hung up the phone, not saying any more.
Diana called Amber, ring, ring.
"Hello," Amber answers.
"It's Diana; I just got done talking to Jason, Dave's older brother; I am sorry to say as we thought, he is not happy about what happened to his brother, saying his brother has amnesia from the scuffle that Saturday night and doesn't remember too much.' 'I don't think they will let things go, I am so sorry, but I expect there will be trouble."
Amber remained quiet, not knowing what to say; how could all this be happening?
Diana asked, "Amber, what are we going to do?"
"I don't know; we will figure something out," Amber told her.
The Game Plan
After work, Amber arrived at James's house by 5: 45 pm, parked in the garage closing the door, knowing he would not be home until a little after nine. She settled in, then thought about everything happening and any solutions. She thought, "I am in marketing; that's what I do, solve problems all the time.
Amber's phone rang,
"Hi, baby, are you okay, and how do I know you were in trouble before you ask?' 'Your friend Kathy texted me saying you were in trouble but didn't give me details.' 'She told me she would be in trouble saying this much." It was her mother, Gale.
"I am okay, mother, and yes, Kathy will hear from me, but all that happened was, my friend Diana's date, attempted to make me have sex with him, but I got out of it with one of my next-door neighbor's help," Amber stated.
"I want you to come and stay with me; I am sure you can take some time off your job under these circumstances," her mother asked.
"Are you going to dye your hair back blonde and leave it long?" Amber stated smugly.
"Oh no, leave that silly promise you made to your father out of this, will you; I want you to be safe; you're my only child; besides that, my life is my own.' 'I am not letting anyone tell me what to do, and you know that." Gale conveyed.
"Hahaha, Please, mother, your friends tell you how to live all the time; I've seen that all my life, now you're not going to have anyone, you mean -- Me - tell you what to do? That's what I thought; all dad wanted you to do is be his pretty beautiful blonde wife he was so proud of."
"No, your father just wanted me to be his trophy wife, something he could show around to his friends." Her mother stated firmly.
"Mother, your friends told you that, so you would not outshine them; you were so pretty.' 'No, I am not coming to Denver; I will handle this myself. Bye, mother." She hung up.
"That Kathy," Amber said.
In the meantime, James got an Idea; his son was the owner-manager of a boxing club in New York; James called his son. Ring, ring.
"Dad?" Gerald answered. "Boy, I haven't heard from you in a while. I am sorry about that; you know I have been busy."
"No worries, I have a problem. Don't you manage a few female kickboxers? And doesn't your club have a branch here in Chicago?" James asked.
"Yes, go on," Gerald said.
Gerald is James' 30-year-old son who got into boxing; his dad wanted him out of the Chicago street gangs; well, it worked. He developed quite an excellent Amateur boxing career before discovering that he had a heart murmur, ending it. Then the man who owned the club retired, allowing Gerald to buy him out with a bit of help from his dad.
James told his son of his next-door neighbor's predicament and the details, then his idea.
Gerald replied, "It's a good plan, and you're sure these guys aren't going to be too much trouble; Just the bully female types?"
"Yes, they're cowards, that beat on females, you know, the eventual wife-beater controlling man, the small-skinny dick white man who must hold onto their women and family by fear and racist tactics," James stated.
"Yeah, we know them well; okay, dad, let me ask around.' 'I'll get back to you; besides, I need to visit the Chicago chapter anyway; it's been long overdue,"
"Dad, you know if things get out of hand, there is Uncle John?"
Silence from James, then he said, "Oh, I don't think it will come to that, goodbye, son."
Gerald hangs up.
Home to a naked surprise