Justin Thyme Ch. 18

"Where is it located?"

Michael gave the address.

"Isn't that the old mansion I saw on the news?"

"It's on the property. We're talking about the servant's quarters in the old carriage house. I don't own the property, but plan to rent one of the apartments subject to renovating it."

"I see. Well, I have an estimator in the area who should be free at say eleven or eleven-thirty. Would that work for you?"

"Excellent. I have to be in Tuscon by four-thirty, so that should fit. Thank you, sir."

Michael looked up to see Zeni unlocking the doors and exited his car.

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Stephanie came in the house just as Rosemary and I got into the shower. Quickly she stripped off her clothes and jumped into the shower with us and wrapped her arms around me while laying a big kiss on my lips. Of course, it was not all one sided.

"I've missed you," she said over-top of my "I do believe you've missed me." She pressed her body tightly against mine as I in turn held her close. I could feel her nipples pressing into my as they hardened, and then Rosemary joined in the hug. I'm a lucky guy!

We finished our shower and dried each other's bodies, paying particular attention to certain areas. After all, we wouldn't want them to rust or something! Rosemary gave us each a swat on the ass and said, "I'm going to go fix some breakfast for us. Come on down when you are ready."

Stephanie wrapped her arm around my waist as we walked from the bathroom to my room. "Please, Justin. We won't get a chance to do anything after the prom like some others are going to. Would you make love to me this morning? And could you put on some music? I can't believe how I've started to miss your music! A year ago I wouldn't be caught dead listening to it, but now it really means something and it's so beautiful."

"Sure, Sweetheart. Anything in particular?"

"Could you play that Russian piece again? And the one from the Arabian Nights?"

"Do you mean the Romance from the The Gadfly and Scheherazade?"

"Um hmm. I can never remember the names."

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Jacqui started Susie off with a shampoo, taking the time to include a good scalp massage along with the shampoo, carefully looking for any tender areas around the scarring. Fortunately, there were none, allowing her the freedom to do whatever was necessary without causing discomfort.

"That feels really nice, Jacqui. You may have no more than thirty minutes to finish."

"I've never had a complaint yet." Jacqui smiled down at Susie. "Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. She wrapped a towel around Susie's head and led her over to a chair in an enclosed area. "We aren't trying to keep you hidden, but we've learned when doing restorations for ladies they prefer not to be in the general area where people are looking for them. Your mother is welcome to join us if you would like." Susie nodded. "Now, I want you just to lie back and relax. I need to examine your scars and plan exactly how to go about your new hairdo."

Jacqui held up an iPad and took a quick picture of the right side of Susie's head, and then started with a brush and a comb to part her hair in various manners, mapping carefully in her mind what needed to be done. Looking over at Madge she said, "It is as I remembered. There is some damage here, and here, and significant scarring, but she was very fortunate." Jacqui brushed her hair in various directions and continued, "See. We can do this, and then this and it will cover everything very nicely. I'm showing you, because Susie may need a little help until she gets the hang of the new style, especially as it will be hard for her to see what she is covering."

Madge stepped in and looked more closely. She was amazed at how the normally rushing, hurrying, Jacqui was as calm and methodical as the most phlegmatic person she had ever known. When she looked quizzically at Jacqui, Jacqui immediately knew what was on her mind.

"One cannot rush something such as this. I must take my time and be certain I get it right, and most importantly that the lady knows I am getting it right. One must recreate the self-esteem even more so than recreating the look. This takes a little more time, but time is not important. What is important is that Susie will walk out of here today looking as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside.

Meantime, Jennifer had rolled a small stool up near Susie's feet. She sat down and took Susie's left hand and started giving her a manicure. Everything suddenly was overwhelming to Susie and tears began streaming from her eyes. Jacqui smiled down at her and nodded. "This is why we like a private area," she said to Madge. "It always happens. They don't realize how badly they felt about their looks, but have just dealt with it. The opportunity to now look like a normal person again overwhelms them."

Jennifer rose from her stool and leaned in close to Susie's ear. "Go ahead and cry, Susie. Let it out," she whispered. "Jacqui and I both know exactly how you feel. We've been there, and we know how it is. Don't be afraid of crying. This part of your life is over." She handed Susie a tissue and then place the box in her lap.

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Michael was so anxious to pick up Susie's ring that he nearly ran into Zeni's shop. It didn't matter that he would not see Susie for several hours, let alone have the opportunity to give it to her. He just had to have it in his hand!

By the time he reached the door Michael had himself back under control. "Morning, Zeni. How's it look?"

"I think it is beautiful, Michael. You'll have to bring her in and let me see it on her finger."

"I'll do that. You'll be at the wedding of course."

"I wouldn't miss it."

Zeni opened a drawer beneath one of the display cases and removed a small black box. She held it out to Michael, and then gently opened the lid.

"Gorgeous, Zeni! Thank you so much. No wonder you are Dad's favorite sister."

"It really helps that I'm his only sister."

Michael gave her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Here's my card. I've got to get running. I promised Mom I'd show her the ring before I go back to Tucson for the Prom, and I have an appointment with a contractor to start work on our apartment at eleven or so."

Zeni rang up the sale and handed Michael the receipt. "I know you didn't say anything about it, but I went ahead and made up a set of wedding bands to go with this ring. If you don't like them I'll just put them in the display case."

"I don't have to see them to know I'll like them, but I'd better let Susie approve before I buy them. Thanks so much!"

"You didn't even look at the price!"

"Like I told you before, when you come in here if you have to ask the price you can't afford it. I know you did me right. Love ya. Gotta run." With that he was out the door and headed for the house.

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Steph and I made our way downstairs and found Rosemary had indeed fixed a very nice breakfast indeed. "I knew I had plenty of time." She smiled at us. "Did you two have fun?"

Steph just stuck her tongue out at her before walking around the table to give her a hug. "Thanks," she whispered.

"Stephanie and I are getting ready over at her house today, Justin. We want to surprise you. We both have hair appointments, so we'll be out of the house the rest of the day."

"OK. That works for me. I'll be over there a little before six. The limo is supposed to pick us up at six-fifteen, and you know our parents will want pictures."

"They are all meeting us over at Susie's house. I can't wait to see Susie's dress! I wish I could be there when Michael sees it!" I really didn't care all that much about the dress. I just want to be there when Michael pops the question!

We sat down to eat, and eat well we did. Rosemary baked a blueberry coffeecake and scrambled some eggs just as soon as Steph and I came down the stairs. For some reason I had quite an appetite.

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Jacqui removed the last curler from Susie's hair and began brushing it out carefully, shaping it as she went. She had done Susie's hair in small curls of varying lengths creating a curtain, as it were, that hid her scars to any but the closest inspection. She then carefully sprayed it before taking the tablet and snapping a photo from both the side and the back, which she then showed to Susie.

Jennifer was standing by with the box of tissues, for she knew what was coming. Susie totally lost it. For so long she had been brave and had put the best face on things. She had resigned herself to never again being really pretty, telling herself that as long as Michael was happy that was all that really mattered, but now she could be as pretty as ever. Months of carefully hidden sorrow flowed from her eyes.

Madge moved to comfort her daughter, but Jacqui stopped her. "Not yet," she whispered. "She needs to get it out on her own. Give her a couple more minutes. I have an idea this is going to be a very emotional day for her before it is all over, and then she gets to go to Prom!"

After a few more minutes Susie finally started to lift her head and draw in deeper breaths. "Now. Go to her now," Jacqui urged Madge. "Now she needs her mother."

Madge stepped over to the chair and put her hand on Susie's back. "It's OK, Susan. It's really OK."

Susie turned in the chair to embrace her mother and burst into tears all over again on her mother's shoulder.

"Oh, Mommy! I don't have to be ugly anymore!"

Madge saw Jacqui with her finger over her lips behind Susie and just held her silently, agonizing with her daughter as Susie released all of the pent-up pain and despair. When she could finally catch her breath again Susie stood shakily to her feet and embraced her mother fully, then with face streaked with tears and makeup she embraced Jacqui, and then Jennifer. "Thank you so much. I never thought I could be pretty again."

"Susie, my dear, you have always been beautiful. The only difference is you were looking at the flaws, while everyone else was looking at your beautiful spirit and smile. "Your new hairdo did nothing to change you. All it does is to rearrange what people see on the surface. Those who know and love you look beneath the surface to see the real you. I know you won't understand that fully now, but as you think on it in future years I hope you will understand."

Madge embraced Jacqui and then Jennifer as well. "I can't thank you enough for what you did for my daughter." She pulled out a credit card and offered it to Jacqui.

"There's no charge. I never charge for a reconstruction visit. When I see the reaction to the picture I take and show my clients, their reaction is all the payment I need. To see them walk out the door with their heads held up high is sufficient. I've been there and was helped. Now I try to pay it forward, as does Jennifer. In fact, she doesn't even work here. She only comes in when I have a first time post treatment appointment. Now, if I remember correctly, you have a final fitting of a beautiful gown for a beautiful young lady."

Jacqui reached out an arm around Susie's waist and pulled her to herself, and did the same with the other arm around Madge. "You two ladies go out and have a wonderful day. Last thing before you leave town stop by here and let me touch things up for you. I'm sure Susie's hair will be mussed with the fitting and all."

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Michael called his mother's cell phone as he started his car. "Hi Mom. I just picked it up. Are you still at home?"

"Actually, I just left the house and am headed to Carole's. That probably would not be a very good place to meet though. What if I meet you at the shopping center down the street, you know the one with the Circle K?"

"OK. I'll meet you behind the station in the parking lot in about ten minutes."

Michael felt like his heart was about to burst as he drove. He could not be happier with life at the moment as things were finally coming together for him. He pulled his Dad's Escalade into the parking lot and found a place to park in the shade of the back of the convenience store and settled in to wait for his mom to arrive.

He wanted to pull the box out and look at the ring again, but thought better of it. This was not a bad area, as areas go, but it wasn't exactly the best either. He could wait until his mom saw it to look again.

Joanne drove in off of the street and pulled up next to Michael and rolled her window down. Michael exited his car, pulling the box from his pocket as he did so and handed it in for her to see. He was leaned down with his head almost in the window watching to see her reaction as she opened the box when the silence of the morning was broken by sirens and screeching tires, followed by a loud voice yelling, "Let me see your hands! Let me see your hands!"

A body slammed into Michael, forcing his face into the roof of the car and he felt hands grabbing him, pulling his arms behind his back. The first thing that came to his mind was this was a robbery. From the corner of his eye he saw a gun pointed in his face, and another pointed at his mother, but what didn't make sense was they were being held by men in uniform!

"You there in the car. Put your hands out the window! Open the door from the outside and get out!" Michael felt a hand grasp the back of his collar and another his wrists, which were cuffed behind his back and the was pushed rather forcibly face down on the trunk of her car, smashing his nose and causing it to start bleeding.

From the corner of his eye he could see Joanne was being treated a little bit more civilly, with her hands spread on the roof of her car and her legs spread as a female office patted her down.

"Do you have anything in your pockets I need to know about? Any needles or anything with which I might be stuck? ID?"

"No, Sir. ID is in my wallet in the console of my car, as is my gun. May I ask what this is all about?"

"No, you may not."

"Am I under arrest, and if so on what charge?"

There was no answer.

Moments later another officer returned with Michael's wallet and his gun, a 9mm Berretta in an evidence baggy. The wallet was tossed onto the trunk of the car, where the officer holding Michael flipped it open and extracted his license. "Michael Thibodeaux? I suppose you're going to tell me next you are related to Jeff Thibodeaux, right?"

"I'm his son, and that is my mother you have over there. Now, will you please tell me what is going on?"

"My how the mighty have fallen! You are selling drugs to your mother? Or is that what you are trying to tell me?"

"Drugs? I have no drugs, nor do I use any."

"Are you telling me that when I search your car I will find nothing illegal?"

"I do not give you permission to search my car, but there is nothing illegal in it."

"I don't need your permission to search your car, Michael Thibodeaux! I have you on probable cause. You met the other vehicle in a known drug area, and we saw you pass a small package through the window to the woman. That is all the reason I need."

"Officer, if you will check my wallet again you will find a receipt from Zeni's Jewelers for a diamond and sapphire engagement ring, and in my mother's car you will find a small black box that says Zeni's Jewelers on it. In that box you will find the engagement ring I just purchased and was trying to show to my mother before I give it to my girlfriend tonight."

The officer re-opened Michael's wallet and pulled out the receipt and then called over to another officer. "Hey, Javier. Check that car and see if you find a small black box. Ask the lady what she did with it."

Moments later Michael heard a call back over. "Got it, Sarge. It's a diamond ring. What did we do, bust a fence operation instead of drugs?"

"Release the lady. She is this gentleman's mother. He was showing her the ring."

"I'm sorry, Sir," the Sargent said as he unlocked the handcuffs. "We were on a stakeout for a drug deal that was supposed to go down here this morning, and the description we had was of an Escalade."

"Michael, what's wrong with your nose? You're bleeding all over the place?" Joanne was almost panicky.

"I think it's broken, Mom," Michael said as he felt it gingerly. "You weren't just a little excessive there were you, Officer?"

The Sargent keyed his lapel mike and asked for an ambulance to be sent right away. "I'm really sorry, Sir. Frankly I expected more resistance. Normally guys put up more of a fight, and you just went down too easily." He grabbed a couple of napkins from his patrol car and handed them to Michael. "I'm afraid the blood may have ruined your shirt. If you will put in a claim with the department we will replace it for you."

An ambulance came screaming into the parking lot and pulled up next to the patrol car. "What's the matter, Sarge?" asked the paramedic as he jumped out of the vehicle. "He try to fight you or something?"

"Naw, Smitty. That was the problem. He didn't fight and I put his face down on the car too hard. I think I may have broken his nose."

By now Michael's eyes were starting to swell and blacken. Smitty took one look at it and said, "Yeah, you busted it, all right. You'd better come with me, Sir, and well get you to the hospital and get it checked out."

"Oh no!" Joanne exclaimed. "What about Prom?"

Michael groaned. "I have an appointment in twenty minutes at the house with the contractor, too."

"You're going to a Prom?"

"Yes, Sir. My girlfriend is a senior down in Tucson, where I now live."

"I'm really sorry, Sir. I don't know what else to say."

"No hard feelings, Sir. You were just trying to do your job. I understand."

"Thank you. Most don't. I'll put your gun back in your car and lock it up for you. I'll also send an officer to the hospital with you. He will need to do some paperwork concerning the incident and he will drive you back over here when you are through at the hospital. We'll keep an eye on the car for you here also while you are gone. You might want your mom to keep your ring for you though. I don't know that I'd want to leave something like that in your car here, nor would I carry it in my pocket to the hospital."

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Stephanie and Rosemary left for their hair appointments right after we cleaned up from breakfast, which left me with nothing to do for the day, and the house empty. I decided to run over and bounce ideas off of Jim early and then just come back to the house and chill for a while with some good music. It seems I've been on the run constantly for weeks now, and a chance to relax a bit sounded good.

When I walked in the back door at the electronics store of course the guys had to give me a rough time about it. Harry in particular wanted to know what I was doing coming in the back instead of the front door with the rest of the gentry, so I told him I expected when I walked in from now on to be hearing "Yes, Sir, Right away, Sir!" from him, which of course brought out a laugh.

"Really I want to say 'Thank you' for the opportunity. I appreciate your confidence in me."

"Look, Harry, I'm not doing you a favor. You've earned the opportunity, and I knew you wanted to go back up toward Phoenix. I think you and Brian will work well together. I'm not going to be getting in your hair up there. I may drop in from time to time, but I'm not going to be actively involved except for maybe doing some warrantee work or something. If you do the kind of job for us I know you can do there may be other opportunities in the near future up there. A lot will depend on how the first store goes."

"First store?"

"Hopefully. We'll see how things go. Brian and I both think the Phoenix area could easily handle four or five stores like this one, but we don't want to be in a rush. We want to keep the same philosophy Jim has developed here. Remember Jim is the one you have to keep happy, not me. He's the head honcho." I shook his hand and walked on up to Jim's office, where he waved me in and I grabbed a chair until he finished a phone call.