“You are not fine!” her voice was getting too loud.
“Shhhh,” I winced, clutching her biceps.
There was a loud knock on the door. I flushed the toilet and signaled for her to Shh.
“Miss O’Connor?” Earl was inside the ladies’ room right outside the stall door. Shit.
I started to open it and tried to squeeze out without revealing that Rose was in there with me. It was no use. He pulled the door open and came face to face with her.
“Is everything okay, Miss O’Connor?” Earl asked, looking at her instead of me.
“It’s fine,” I breathed, “Let’s go.” I looked back, giving Rose a desperate look, “I’m fine. It’s okay. I’ll be in touch, okay?”
She shook her head at me and then turned her attention to Earl, “What do you people think you’re doing? You can’t just---”
“Please!” I exclaimed, “I’ll be in touch. Don’t, okay? Don’t put your family at risk. Trust me. I’ll be fine.” Earl narrowed his eyes at me and then at her. He reached for my elbow and gently ushered me forward.
“You’re part of our family, Tia.” Rose choked out.
“I love you.” I said to her, “Thank you for everything. Everything. I will be in touch, okay?”
Tears welled up in her eyes and she covered her mouth with her hand.
As we stepped out Earl said, “Take my arm, Miss O’Connor.”
I did. He ushered me directly out of the store and to the Jeep he’d driven us there in. He opened the back door and I got in. He got into the driver’s seat, then dialed a number and held the phone. Then he hung up and dialed again and held the phone and looked pissed off. Then he dialed again, “Sir, there’s been an incident. It’s under control but the foster mother followed us to the supermarket and got Tia into the bathroom and I broke up a conversation.” He was quiet for a minute and then stepped out of the jeep and closed the door and stepped about six feet away to finish his conversation. By the look on his face he looked like he was getting raked over the coals. He made another call and talked with a cold look on his face and then seemed like he was getting in an argument with someone.
When he got back into the car he dialed another number, “Mrs. Martinez we’re in the car due to a problem, security breach; you’re almost done there? Wrap it up immediately. No, per Mr. Ferrano. It’s urgent. Or, I take Miss O’Connor home and you either wait until I have relief to come back for you or you take a cab. No I will not ask her that. Fine...” he leaned back and asked me, “What kind of ice cream?”
I let out a half laugh, half cry. He shrugged kind of apologetically. I shook my head.
“She says surprise her,” he said and ended the call.
He pulled out and left Sarah at the supermarket and drove me back to Tommy’s house. That phone started ringing from my pocket. I took it out.
“T” calling. Great. I stared at it. After the third ring, Earl cleared his throat, “I’d answer that, Miss.”
I didn’t. I couldn’t do anything but stare at the screen. It stopped at 5 rings. Then Earl’s phone started ringing and he said a mix of yes Sirs and no Sirs all the way back. When we pulled inside the gate, which Earl appeared to have engaged somehow from within the vehicle. He stopped in front of the gate and sat there for what seemed like the longest time. He dialed the phone and said, “What’s your ETA? Shit. Can’t do it. Won’t work. No, that’s not the plan. Can’t. We will have to reschedule.” he growled into the phone and then hung it up and finally drove in through the area between the gates.
“You can go ahead, Miss. O’Connor. I’m instructed to come with you, keep you company until Mr. Ferrano returns.”
I nodded and opened the car door and followed him into the house.
I sat at a stool at the kitchen island and folded my hands in front of me. I was dizzy. Please don’t hurt them, please don’t hurt them. It was a chant inside my head and I said it over and over and over.
“Do you want something to drink? Some tea?” Earl asked me. He seemed really uncomfortable.
I nodded. He put his suit jacket on the back of the chair, loosened his tie, and then rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and filled the kettle.
“I didn’t have anything to do with that.” I whispered, “They’re good people. Please tell me they won’t be hurt.”
“Tommy will find a way to get them to back off. Don’t fret.” he said softly, then put the kettle on its base and turned it on. He stepped into the dining room when his phone vibrated. I couldn’t hear his conversation. A moment later, he returned and then filled a tea pot and put it on the table with two cups, the sugar, and the milk.
A few minutes later we were drinking tea and saying nothing but it was a kind of comfortable silence. Finally, he fetched a newspaper from another room and handed me the entertainment section and opened the sports section.
After a while, I heard noise and it wasn’t what I’d hoped for, which would’ve been Sarah coming in with the groceries. Instead, it was him. Tommy leaned in the doorway of the kitchen, his face stoic, his eyes narrow and very angry and on me, “That’s all for now,” he said. Earl left the room.
“Upstairs,” Tommy said to me very calmly and then turned on his heel.