Ian's Heart - 3. Chapter 3 - Adam

“Thank fuck for that, I’m exhausted,” I said to myself out loud, putting the last box down on the coffee table. It feels like I must have dragged a million damn boxes up those stairs this afternoon, stretching to get the kinks out of my back. It was smart of me to organize a couple of day labourers to help me unpack the big furniture otherwise I have no idea how I would have gotten all this stuff up here to the second floor by myself. I need food – Pizza. Now, where did I leave my phone? Tapping a finger to my lip, thinking. Where, where, where? Ah! Kitchen. “Oh Shit!” I yelled tripping on a box. “Ow! Fuck! Shit! Piss!” I screeched hopping on one foot holding the assaulted one, looking around the room at the rickety cardboard fort I’d constructed. I kicked the offending box. Fuck, now I have to unpack all this crap. Eh, it can wait till tomorrow. But first Pizza. Pizza’s going to be an hour, typical, it’s Monday night football, so they're in the weeds. Ooh! Football, flicking on the television, I set the volume to low, grabbed a beer and flopped into my comfy recliner. Thank God I had the sense to stop and grab some beer, I knew I’d need one after unloading all the boxes. Mmm, comfy, I’d set up the tv as soon as I put it down. Looking about the room, I just realized I’d built my cardboard box fort around the couches so I could see the television, huh, not as dumb as I look. Good one Adam.

Thumbing through my contact list, I brought up Mom’s number, hovering my finger over the call icon. Do I, don’t I, I better otherwise I’ll never hear the end of it.“Oh Adam! Thank God, I thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere. I had this image of your underwear strewn all over the highway. What took you so long?” Mom asked worried.

“Hi Mom, don’t be so dramatic. I spoke to you when I left Quantico and then again when I stopped for a rest just inside the Kentucky border. You know I had to unpack the U-haul. I’ve just finished bringing up the last of the boxes. I assure you my underwear is packed safely inside of a box somewhere around here.” I said trying to calm her down.

“I’m not being dramatic, is it so bad that I want my first born son safe. Besides, do you really want the first impression you make to be your Captain Crunch underwear.” She retorted.

“It’s Captain America Ma, I’m your only kid, and I’m thirty-two.” I reminded her.

“That’s not true, I still have your father,”

I chuckled, “Yeah! I guess so, maybe he’ll grow up better than I did,”

“Ha! Not bloody likely, we’ve been married for thirty-five years, he’s no different now than the day we met.” She scoffed.

“Ma, you met Dad when you were ten years old,” I sighed.

“Exactly!” she exclaimed.

“Is Dad around?” I asked, maybe he’d be an easier conversation.

“No,” She sighed, “He’s gone to the game store, I can’t believe you gave him that damn game box thingy. He went to get another game or an accessory. I don’t know, I swear to God, that man.” She huffed.

“Mom, geez, cool your jets. I gave him the “Game box thingy” so we could play together on-line, that way I won’t miss you guys so much, we can even talk through the game with the head-set I gave him.” I said, laughing – in my head.

Mom just sighed in resignation, and changing the subject, “Any word from Anna?”

“Nope,” I said flatly. Can’t believe I married her. I should have listened to my Dad, but no, I thought we were in love and the fact she was pregnant only made me want to marry her more. We were going to be a family. How wrong you can be. She blew through our savings, maxed out the credit cards and when there was no more money, and she realized cops don’t make as much money as she thought, Anna shot through, pregnant with my child. “Don’t worry Mom, I’ll find her some way,”

“Okay, I hope you do, she’s carrying our Grandson,” She huffed, I know it hurt Mom when Anna left, she was so excited about her first Grandbaby.

“I’m sorry Ma,” I said sheepishly.

“You don’t need to apologize, my boy, I hope for your sake you find her.” Mom stated sadly.

“Yep, me too. I haven’t given up yet. So…” I tried looking for her through work connections, being a cop you wouldn’t think it would be that hard. Anna obviously didn’t want to be found. I know her parents moved to New England somewhere, but I don’t know enough about them to even start looking. She’d also disconnected her phone, so I hired a private investigator. I’m determined to find her, not that I want her back, but I do want my son.

BUZZ!!

“My dinner just arrived, Ma, I’ll call you tomorrow, love you,”

“Love you too,”

While I ate my pizza my mind wouldn’t stop thinking on different avenues to find Anna. I knew she had a brother, Ivan or Isaac or something that started with an I. I really wouldn’t know him if I fell over him. He moved to somewhere like Arkansas or New Mexico not long after Anna’s parents left for New England. He seemed like a nice guy, I’d met him at the wedding, but other than that, he and his sister didn’t get along. So that’s a bit of a dead end as well. I checked my emails to see if the private detective had sent me any new information, but sadly nothing. I have to find her, I want my kid in my life, I’d fight for custody if I had to.

<>-<>-<>

I wiped the bathroom mirror with a hand towel, clearing away the mist. Studying my appearance I hadn’t shaved in about a week and was looking pretty scruffy, so I took to it with a razor. Today was my first day, so I’d like to make a good impression. The idea was to shave clean showing off my handsome self. First I shaved the sides, leaving just a goatee. I’d never worn it this way before but thought why not. New job, new start, why not a new face. I tidied it up, and the goatee looked good on me, made me look mean, I kind of liked it, I can see my square jaw, and it still showed off my killer dimples – they’re my favorite part.

I was so damn proud of how I turned out, new face, in my new work attire, I work for the FBI now, so it included a suit. I’ve never really been a suit guy, but when Mom found out about my new job, she dragged my ass down to a tailor and had him make me three suits and I bought about six shirts and ties to go with it. The suits were okay, they fit me perfectly. Showing off my height and stockiness. I’m about 6’2” in height, a stocky guy, I do have a little muscle, but it’s from the day to day grind. I mostly only do cardio. Oh! And the horrible world of shoe shopping I’ve never understood a women’s obsession with shoes and shopping for them. After going with my Mom from store to store with her material swatches… I still don’t understand it. Seems like a lot of hard work, for something no else really gives a shit about.

Anyway, I took a quick selfie and sent it to my Mom, with a little note. “Wish me luck, first day today.”

I should have known what would come back, “I’m so proud of you; my baby boy. GET A HAIRCUT.”

I rolled my eyes and put my phone in my pocket, reached for my wallet, keys and was out of there and on my way to work. The day went quickly, it was almost a blur. I was introduced to the Captain, his name is Richard Knoeze. I am certain at one point or another, I’m going to have one too many at an after work thingy and call him Captain Dick Knoeze. I met the other officers of the force. Hehehe sounds like star wars. Seems the FBI had worked a deal when I’m not doing task force work. I was to help with the overflow from the other detectives. Therefore I had to have a partner. She introduced herself, as Payne Muller, a petite woman, who may look like Megan Fox but was no nonsense or I’ll kick your ass. She took me out and showed me around the city, talking business a mile a minute, what I should look out for, where the dives were, drug dealers that type of thing. Payne had endless energy and when knock off time came I was exhausted.

I hit the head before leaving work, as I exited the locker room, Payne was leaning against the opposite wall waiting for me.

“Come on HotShot, you can buy me dinner. If I have to watch out for your stupid ass, we might as well get to know each other.” She said pushing herself off of the wall.

“What if I had plans? Or someone to go home to.” I asked, looking at her with my eyebrow raised.

“Do you?” She chortled.

“No,” I said flatly.

“Let’s go, HotShot,” she said sighing, swinging her workout bag over her shoulder and fell in step beside me.

<>-<>-<>

Payne directed me to a little Mom and Pop run Chinese joint. We ordered our drinks and went for a buffet for two as they called it so we could have a small variety and courses. We chatted about work until our first course was delivered and ordered a second round of drinks.

“I just want to get this out of the way, I’m gay. A lesbian.”

I tossed a mini dim sim in my mouth answering, “Uh-huh,” and then dug back in for an egg roll.

“That’s it, Uh-huh?” she said confused.

I stopped what I was doing and looked at her, “Well I could ask inappropriate questions, or make macho bull-shit jokes, or bigoted, homophobic comments if it helps. Or we can go with how much I give a shit about your sexuality, which is “Uh-huh!”

“Nope, Uh-huh works for me.” She answered and dug straight into our first course, looking relieved.

“I assume you cop some flack, by your reaction?” I inquired.

“It’s better now than it used to be, but there are still some assholes. This is Kentucky not Florida.” She said rolling her eyes, “What about you?”

“Nope I’m not a lesbian,” I chuckled.

“Smartass! Are you straight? Gay? Bi-sexual?” She asked, she corrected herself, “I shouldn’t have asked, it’s none of my business,”

“S’okay, I’ve never really given it that much thought. I have some gay friends back in Florida, they’re good guys. That’s all I really care about.” I said.

“Fair enough, are you married, have a partner?” Payne asked.

“Was married,” I didn’t elaborate.

“Hmm, a man of mystery, so how’d you get this gig anyway. Must have been a big deal to be the liaison between the FBI and the police department?” Payne said leaning away from the table so our next course could be set out.

“I’d busted a small operation of guns and drugs. That bust had led to information for the entire bigger operation, and the FBI was brought in. The operation is run by a single family, the Chatterings I’m sure you know of them, and they run drugs and guns from Florida all the way up the East Coast. When the FBI was brought in, they offered me a position temporarily, I had no wife, no life and no idea what to do. So I took the job, and now I’m on loan to the FBI for Taskforce CHEAT.”

“They give their task forces such ridiculous names that make no sense.” Payne said screwing up her face, “and yes I do know of the Chatterings, low lives, live in the trailor park over by the industrial area. We can take a swing by there tomorrow, so you can check it out.” She shrugged her shoulder.

The conversation flowed from there, by the time we’d finished feeding our faces, we were old friends. We had nothing in common except law enforcement. I noticed that although she was a take charge no nonsense woman, if Payne didn’t agree with your opinion or interpretation of something, she didn’t argue, she asked questions and listened to get a better understanding of where you were coming from even if she didn’t agree. She seemed to have a lot of patience. She’d be very effective with victims yet be able to control an interrogation without batting an eyelid. I was starting to feel good about this partnership.

“Hey HotShot, the new Fast and Furious is at the Cineplex want to join me?” She said over the top of the car.

“Um… sure why not. I don’t have anywhere to be.”

<>-<>-<>

The Cineplex was crowded, which I didn’t mind, I like to people watch. Helps keep my visual skills top notch. Also ever since I found out I was becoming a Dad, I liked to see how other Father’s were with their kids. As soon as the credits rolled we both got up from our seats to exit. As we came out of our theater, there was a Dad and his teenaged son laughing and joking around on their way to see a movie. It made me smile, once we were past them, my gut did a like a flip flop wobbly thing, then went away as quick as it started. I stopped and took a deep breath. That was weird.

“Hey HotShot, what’s going on?” Payne asked.

“I think that Chinese is going into revolt in my stomach,” I answered.

“I feel fine, man up HotShot, it’s getting late. I still have to go home and feed my pussy.” She said laughing.

“WHAT?” I asked incredulously, “I don’t need to know that.”

“My cat, a-hole,” she said laughing, I laughed along with her embarrassed as we headed for the car.