The Assassin's Folly
Chapter Four
After Zarah left, Jareth went to go check on his father. He was lying down in the spare office.
“Are you feeling better?” Jareth asked, bringing over water.
Mr. Adams sat up. “Yes, thank you.” He took a sip of the water. “So did you ask her out to dinner?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
Jareth blushed. “Just coffee,” he muttered, switching on the light. “Was I that obvious?”
His father chuckled but coughed. He sighed. “I don’t know how much longer I can do this, son.”
Jareth sat beside him and put his arm around him. “Did you take your medicine this morning?”
His father made a sour face. “I can’t work when I’m under that crap,” he spat. “I can barely focus!”
“I know, but you’re just making it worse.”
Mr. Adams looked at his hands. “But what about your mother?” he whispered. “I miss her, Jare. And your brother….”
Jareth sighed. “Do you want me to try and find him?”
Mr. Adams stared at him. “You’d be willing to do that?”
“Of course; he means a lot to you.”
-
Jareth got back home and sighed heavily. He really didn’t want to talk to his brother but it was Christmas and he wanted to make his father happy. But where did he start?
Social media was always a good place to start. He powered up his laptop and logged into Facebook. He typed into the search, ‘Marcus Adams’ and pressed enter. As he imagined, there were many results and he sighed, not feeling like going through each and every one that evening.
“I’ll do it tomorrow,” he muttered and changed into his pajamas.
He closed his eyes and thought about Zarah. He was looking forward to seeing her on Wednesday but felt nervous at the same time. What if she turned out like all the others; just in it for the money? He wondered if he should even bother putting himself out there again. But then he remembered the smell of her perfume and her smile.
-
Tuesday was full of meetings and went by quickly. He pulled out the scrap of paper Zarah had written her number on and dialed it. It rang a few times and his nerves picked up again.
“Hello?”
Just the sound of her voice made him smile.
“Hi, it’s Jareth,” he said breathlessly.
“Oh! Hello! How’s your dad?”
“Much better, thanks for asking. Are we still on for tomorrow morning?”
“Most definitely. How about the Starbucks on 63rd?”
“It sounds like the perfect place. I’ll see you there at 8.”
He barely slept that night. He did a lot of tossing and turning as he tried to think of something to say. The only thing he could think about was his wretched brother. He glared into his pillow. But his father wanted to see him and he already said he’d look for him.
-
Jareth put great thought into his outfit that morning. He splashed on some cologne and locked his door behind him. It was another cold morning and he lifted the collar of his jacket. It started to snow as he boarded a bus. He tossed a coin into the receptacle and sat down, avoiding the eyes of his fellow passengers. He didn’t want to be recognized today.
He texted his father to check in on him then anxiously waited for his stop to come up. He had already decided to ask her about her own family considering they spoke so much about his father.
The snow had picked up on the trip to the Starbucks and, by the time he got into the shop, it was almost half an inch deep. Starbucks was nice and warm and he looked around for Zarah. At first he was worried that she stood him up; it was 8:10 already. But then he spotted her in line, waving at him and he smiled shyly.
“You look nice,” he complimented, standing beside her and she flashed a smile.
“As do you,” she returned, brushing snow off his shoulder. “It’s nice and busy here.”
“Tell me about it,” he muttered, feeling nervous.
“Worried you’ll be mobbed?” she asked and he blinked.
“What do you mean?” She nodded over his shoulder and he saw a group of girls winking at him. “Oh dear,” he sighed when he saw the magazines on the table. “Just what I need.”
One of the girls stood up and started to sashay over.
“Would you like to join us for coffee?” she asked, batting her long – and obviously fake – eye lashes at him.
“Uh….”
Suddenly Zarah kissed his cheek and wrapped her arm around his.
“Sorry, dear,” she said in an overly sweet voice. “I’m afraid he’s already taken.”
The girl threw her a glare then tossed her hair over her shoulder and stalked away.
“Thank you,” he said and she laughed.
She didn’t let go of his arm and he liked how nice it felt having her so close.
“Not a problem. It can’t be easy being so popular.”
“Believe me, it isn’t.”
They ordered their coffee and he passed over his card.
“Oh, you don’t have to pay for it,” she said quickly.
“I don’t mind.”
“It’ll be a few minutes,” the barista said.
“I’m not in a hurry,” she shrugged.
“I’m not either. We’ll put the name under Jareth.”
The barista nodded and they took a table by the window.
“So, how are your restaurant plans coming along?” he asked as she took off her red gloves.
“A little slowly, to be honest,” she responded. “I’m still looking for a place to rent.”
He nodded in understanding. “My parents had the same problem when they started. What about your parents?”
Her smile faded a little. “I haven’t seen them in a long time,” she muttered and he immediately regretted bringing it up.
He put a hand on hers. “I’m sorry. Did they pass?”
“Not exactly,” she answered. “We got separated a few years ago.”
“I got separated from my brother, too,” he nodded. “We had a falling out after my mother passed away.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thanks.”
They fell into a comfortable silence and watched cars passing by. The barista brought their coffee over and she lifted the coffee toward him.
“To warmth when it’s cold,” she said.
“And to new friends,” he added with a shy smile.
She sighed irritably and brushed at her sleeve where orange hair clung. “Stupid Dimitri.”
“You have a cat?” he asked and she nodded.
“And he’s a pain in my neck.”
They laughed.
“I’ve always wanted a cat but my sister is allergic.”
“Maybe you can come over some day and see him,” she suggested.
“I’d love that.”
Their eyes met and she laced their fingers together.
“Are you feeling better?” Jareth asked, bringing over water.
Mr. Adams sat up. “Yes, thank you.” He took a sip of the water. “So did you ask her out to dinner?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
Jareth blushed. “Just coffee,” he muttered, switching on the light. “Was I that obvious?”
His father chuckled but coughed. He sighed. “I don’t know how much longer I can do this, son.”
Jareth sat beside him and put his arm around him. “Did you take your medicine this morning?”
His father made a sour face. “I can’t work when I’m under that crap,” he spat. “I can barely focus!”
“I know, but you’re just making it worse.”
Mr. Adams looked at his hands. “But what about your mother?” he whispered. “I miss her, Jare. And your brother….”
Jareth sighed. “Do you want me to try and find him?”
Mr. Adams stared at him. “You’d be willing to do that?”
“Of course; he means a lot to you.”
-
Jareth got back home and sighed heavily. He really didn’t want to talk to his brother but it was Christmas and he wanted to make his father happy. But where did he start?
Social media was always a good place to start. He powered up his laptop and logged into Facebook. He typed into the search, ‘Marcus Adams’ and pressed enter. As he imagined, there were many results and he sighed, not feeling like going through each and every one that evening.
“I’ll do it tomorrow,” he muttered and changed into his pajamas.
He closed his eyes and thought about Zarah. He was looking forward to seeing her on Wednesday but felt nervous at the same time. What if she turned out like all the others; just in it for the money? He wondered if he should even bother putting himself out there again. But then he remembered the smell of her perfume and her smile.
-
Tuesday was full of meetings and went by quickly. He pulled out the scrap of paper Zarah had written her number on and dialed it. It rang a few times and his nerves picked up again.
“Hello?”
Just the sound of her voice made him smile.
“Hi, it’s Jareth,” he said breathlessly.
“Oh! Hello! How’s your dad?”
“Much better, thanks for asking. Are we still on for tomorrow morning?”
“Most definitely. How about the Starbucks on 63rd?”
“It sounds like the perfect place. I’ll see you there at 8.”
He barely slept that night. He did a lot of tossing and turning as he tried to think of something to say. The only thing he could think about was his wretched brother. He glared into his pillow. But his father wanted to see him and he already said he’d look for him.
-
Jareth put great thought into his outfit that morning. He splashed on some cologne and locked his door behind him. It was another cold morning and he lifted the collar of his jacket. It started to snow as he boarded a bus. He tossed a coin into the receptacle and sat down, avoiding the eyes of his fellow passengers. He didn’t want to be recognized today.
He texted his father to check in on him then anxiously waited for his stop to come up. He had already decided to ask her about her own family considering they spoke so much about his father.
The snow had picked up on the trip to the Starbucks and, by the time he got into the shop, it was almost half an inch deep. Starbucks was nice and warm and he looked around for Zarah. At first he was worried that she stood him up; it was 8:10 already. But then he spotted her in line, waving at him and he smiled shyly.
“You look nice,” he complimented, standing beside her and she flashed a smile.
“As do you,” she returned, brushing snow off his shoulder. “It’s nice and busy here.”
“Tell me about it,” he muttered, feeling nervous.
“Worried you’ll be mobbed?” she asked and he blinked.
“What do you mean?” She nodded over his shoulder and he saw a group of girls winking at him. “Oh dear,” he sighed when he saw the magazines on the table. “Just what I need.”
One of the girls stood up and started to sashay over.
“Would you like to join us for coffee?” she asked, batting her long – and obviously fake – eye lashes at him.
“Uh….”
Suddenly Zarah kissed his cheek and wrapped her arm around his.
“Sorry, dear,” she said in an overly sweet voice. “I’m afraid he’s already taken.”
The girl threw her a glare then tossed her hair over her shoulder and stalked away.
“Thank you,” he said and she laughed.
She didn’t let go of his arm and he liked how nice it felt having her so close.
“Not a problem. It can’t be easy being so popular.”
“Believe me, it isn’t.”
They ordered their coffee and he passed over his card.
“Oh, you don’t have to pay for it,” she said quickly.
“I don’t mind.”
“It’ll be a few minutes,” the barista said.
“I’m not in a hurry,” she shrugged.
“I’m not either. We’ll put the name under Jareth.”
The barista nodded and they took a table by the window.
“So, how are your restaurant plans coming along?” he asked as she took off her red gloves.
“A little slowly, to be honest,” she responded. “I’m still looking for a place to rent.”
He nodded in understanding. “My parents had the same problem when they started. What about your parents?”
Her smile faded a little. “I haven’t seen them in a long time,” she muttered and he immediately regretted bringing it up.
He put a hand on hers. “I’m sorry. Did they pass?”
“Not exactly,” she answered. “We got separated a few years ago.”
“I got separated from my brother, too,” he nodded. “We had a falling out after my mother passed away.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thanks.”
They fell into a comfortable silence and watched cars passing by. The barista brought their coffee over and she lifted the coffee toward him.
“To warmth when it’s cold,” she said.
“And to new friends,” he added with a shy smile.
She sighed irritably and brushed at her sleeve where orange hair clung. “Stupid Dimitri.”
“You have a cat?” he asked and she nodded.
“And he’s a pain in my neck.”
They laughed.
“I’ve always wanted a cat but my sister is allergic.”
“Maybe you can come over some day and see him,” she suggested.
“I’d love that.”
Their eyes met and she laced their fingers together.