Authors note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, events and incidents are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Weekend Bully: Part Three
Chapter One:
After striking a deal with her would be pimp, Cadey had decided it would be best to avoid him for the rest of that weekend. He wouldn't be pleased with her standing up to him much less her quitting as his 'shore whore' almost as soon as she'd started. That was going to lose him money. She didn't care about his problems though, only that her interactions with him were soon to be a thing of the past. He was a vindictive bully though; she knew that and because of that undeniable fact, there was always a chance he'd still try and destroy her relationship with her father by sharing the truth of what had happened between him and her. She was prepared for that, sort of, relying mainly on the knowledge that her dad loved her unconditionally and that they'd find a way to work through it should the truth come to light.
To avoid Jermaine, Cadey called up her friend Khloe, arranging to meet up with her and hang out in town that evening. When her dad, Mark, woke up in time to begin his Saturday night's work, he was pleased to find out that Cadey wanted a lift to Khloe's. He'd been worried about her, seeing that she'd been preoccupied with something the last week or so. Cadey heading out with friends was good news, after all she was heading to college in a few short months, and he wanted her to enjoy this summer by the shore.
Cadey walked out to her dad's car alongside of him. She kept her face turned from Jermaine's house next door. She could hear his big rottweiler, Lex, barking close by which meant the man himself wasn't far away. That realization was enough to make her quicken her steps, getting into the car and buckling up before her dad even reached it.
"Slow down, we're on time. I'll drop you to Khloe's and make it in to work in plenty of time," her dad said, easing himself into the driver's seat.
"Yeah, I know, just... uh... just wanted to get in first, pick the music" Cadey said lamely.
"Okay, what's wrong with you?" Mark looked at her with concern etched in every line in his face.
"Wrong? Wh-what could be wrong? Where's this coming from?" She knew she'd been behaving out of sorts, but she hadn't thought her dad was this intuitive regarding her emotional state.
"After all this time. You still don't get it. Driver picks the tunes young lady; you just have to sit back and suffer in silence." He gave her a grin and she answered in kind, his teasing, hers relieved.
"Fine Dad, though maybe something not from the seventies this time?"
"Savage, I've raised an unenlightened savage," her dad complained, "just for that I'll find something from the eighteen seventies." Laughing, he put the car into reverse, keeping his gaze on the rearview mirror. Cadey though was looking through the windshield, seeing Jermaine appear at the side of his house, dark eyes looking directly at her.
<<0>>
Through luck and a lot of skulking around, Cadey managed to avoid any confrontation with Jermaine that weekend. She actually gave a physical sigh of relief on the Sunday when she heard the music from his house cease and then came the sound of his SUV pulling out of the driveway a few minutes later. That was it, he was gone back to the city for the week, doing... well doing whatever a Pimp does during his work week. She could enjoy what was left of the Sunday with her dad, spend the week mentally preparing for whatever 'client' Jermaine would arrange for the coming weekend and that was that. Aside from him keeping to the deal, Cadey could only hope that this next job didn't involve a married man. The fact that she'd been a part, however unwillingly, in someone cheating on a spouse still sat badly with her.
They fired up the barbeque that evening, enjoying a simple yet satisfying dinner of burgers and corn on the cob while they sat in the garden enjoying the peace and each other's company. From out of nowhere, something occurred to Cadey.
"Do you get lonely Dad?"
"Where's this coming from?" Her dad deflected, sitting upright, an open bottle of beer in his hand.
"I don't know. I guess I am thinking about you being here all alone when I head off to college is all. You are always working, you don't see your friends much, don't date since the bitch..."
"Hey," her dad interjected, "Whatever went on between me and your mother, she's still your mother."
"Okay... fine. How about this then, you haven't dated since the Wicked witch pissed off on her broom. I just worry about you is all."
"Well don't. I'm happy and you know what, once you get through college, I can ease up on the work then, so I promise you, once that happens, I'll get out more. Good enough?"
"Good enough," Cadey said, chinking her bottle of OJ against her dad's beer.
Tuesday evening brought an unpleasant reminder of their unpleasant neighbor, Jermaine. Her Dad was only home from work a few minutes when they could hear the rumble of an engine through the open window.
"Don't tell me he's back already" her dad groaned, Jermaine's presence on the weekends was bad enough but to have him here midweek as well was just the worst. Even as her dad began lightly tapping his forehead off the kitchen countertop in a dramatic display of frustration, they both heard unfamiliar voices coming from the direction of Jermaine's house.
"Please be movers, please be movers," her father whispered out loud, crossing his fingers on both hands as he stepped outside to see what was happening. Cadey joined him as two large black men in overalls walked by on Jermaine's property line. They were carrying a variety of tools between them so that ruled them out as working for a removal's company.
She stayed where she was while her dad approached the men, Cadey could hear his friendly voice as he enquired about what was going on. She couldn't make out the conversation beyond that, so she was forced to wait until Mark rejoined her a few minutes later, his shoulders slumped forward, a picture of dejection.
"Contractors. Apparently, he's getting some improvements done, a hot tub, a gazebo and some roofing work as well. Biggest problem is they can only work evenings so there goes my peace and quiet after work for a while."
On cue, there was a crashing sound as lengths of wooden planking were dropped loudly. Within thirty minutes, the evening air was filled with the sound of electric hand tools, banging and indistinct cursing as the contractors went to work. There wasn't the slightest doubt in Cadey's mind that the fact the men were working in the evening was by direct request of Jermaine. He'd outdone himself this time, finding a way to harass and annoy her father all the way from the city. No doubt it was brought on by her standing up to him, something bullies never enjoy and causing this particular one to switch to his favorite target, her dad.
"Maybe I should call the cops again, there has to be some law about noise after a certain time of day" her father suggested.
