WARNING: The usual stuff...
4.20 The Dinner
I was waking up from a dream except that she still stood there and didn't disappear. But waking up also meant realizing the truth. She is your boss' wife. You must not stare at her like you do!
The chief entered after me. "Oh good, you've met," he said. "Now we can..." he trailed off. I looked at him. He was staring at his wife, frowning. What happened next was too confusing and awkward. I could only stand there and watch. Later I would be mad at myself for not saying or doing anything.
"What are you wearing, Emily?" the chief asked in a low voice.
The chief entered after me. "Oh good, you've met," he said. "Now we can..." he trailed off. I looked at him. He was staring at his wife, frowning. What happened next was too confusing and awkward. I could only stand there and watch. Later I would be mad at myself for not saying or doing anything.
"What are you wearing, Emily?" the chief asked in a low voice.
I looked at his wife - So this beautiful creature's name is Emily? It suits her. She wasn't smiling anymore, she looked panic-stricken.
"I'm sorry, Ron," she said. "We have such an important guest tonight, the Newcrest heir, I thought you'd want me to look presentable."
"It's a dinner, Emily, not a damn gala! Go change and wash your face, for Watcher's sake!"
To my surprise she didn't oppose him at all and brushed past me into the hallway, leaving a sweet scent of jasmine in her wake.
Why the hell did Johnson do that? Was it really necessary? What was I missing? Had the two of them been having an ongoing fight? Why else would he treat her this way? Or was it a test? If so, I was sure I was failing it. Before I could process the whole situation, the chief put his hand on my shoulder, startling me.
"Women are vain, Chris," he said casually. "They smell you have money and they think they have to spend all of it on pretty dresses and perfumes and shoes. Be mindful of that when you pick your future wife."
Why did he say that? Was he mad at his wife for spending too much money? Maybe they had financial problems.
Emily returned, and it was as if she wasn't the same woman I saw a moment ago. With her head drooped, no makeup and in her casual clothes she looked plain. I would barely notice her on the street looking this way. But I have already seen her beauty and her image was safely stored in my memory.
She started serving the dinner silently. The chief was talking to me, but I found it really hard to focus on what he was saying. I had to remind myself not to stare at Emily all the time, but I couldn't help myself. The way she moved and acted around her husband suggested she's used to him treating her badly. The thought made my blood boil. There were subtle signs of defiance in her bearing though. Her head was drooped but her shoulders weren't, her lips pressed together tightly told me she hadn't given up yet. But why hadn't she left him? She couldn't be much older than Kellie or me. Why had she married a man twice her age in the first place? If she was after power or money, she could have gotten herself a better catch with her looks.
If I thought the awkward moment before was all I'd have to endure tonight I was wrong. Soon after we started eating, the chief began complaining about the food being bland.
"But I prepared it exactly how your sister makes it, Ron. She gave me her recipe," Emily objected.
"Don't argue with me, Emily," her husband said. "I'm telling you it tastes bland. You must have forgotten to put the spice in it."
I had no idea what his problem was. He clearly just wanted to humiliate her in front of me. I felt the urge to do something, to put an end to it. Did I have the right to get between them? I didn't know, but I couldn't stand watching him inflict more indignities on her.
I cleared my throat. "I have to disagree, sir," I said. "It's the best taco casserole I've ever eaten."
I wasn't lying. I was used to take out food and Kellie's cooking. Although Kellie wasn't a bad cook, she wasn't a very good one either. Today's dinner was the best meal I'd eaten in weeks.
They stopped arguing. Johnson snorted and shook his head. Despite his previous complaints he continued eating. My intervention earned me a shy but grateful smile from Emily. If the chief decided to suspend me or throw me into jail right there and right then for ogling his wife all evening, I couldn't have cared less. Her smile was worth it.
We were eating in silence for a while. This evening was nothing I had expected. Part of me wished it was already over, part of me wanted it to never end because of Emily. Who is going to protect her from him when I'm gone? It was a silly thought. She had been married to him for years. But now I knew. I had to talk to her alone for a minute.
The silence dragged on. Why did the chief even invite me here? Shouldn't we be discussing work at least? I was thinking about starting a conversation, but after witnessing Johnson's behaviour, I couldn't come up with any safe topic, because I felt too disconcerted. It was Emily who finally spoke.
"Ron told me you've been promoted recently, Chris. Congratulations."
"Thank you."
"I'm sure your mother would be very proud of you."
I blinked at the mention of my mother. I usually maintained my calm perfectly when someone mentioned her. I'd been thinking a lot about her in the past few weeks. Would she be proud of me? Somehow I doubted it. Not after what I had done to my dad. I was pretty sure she would have been disappointed in me like Kellie was and the thought hurt.
"I hope so," I said aloud.
Emily gave me an inquisitive look, but didn't say anything else.
Good job, you idiot. Two- or three-word replies. A way to keep the conversation going.
"Were you born in Newcrest?" I asked quickly, before the conversation could die.
She smiled. "Yes. Actually, my parents moved to the neighbourhood your grandfather had built. Can you believe it?"
For some reason I felt even more connected to her after she told me. "That's amazing! Do your parents still live there?"
"No," she lowered her eyes and I instantly knew that was a wrong question to ask. "They died in a railway accident nine years ago."
"Oh. I'm really sorry."
She shook her head. "It's okay. Feels like it happened ages ago." She looked at her husband. "Ron helped me a lot back then. I don't know what I would have done without him."
Was this the reason why she didn't leave him? Gratitude? Or was she still in love with him?
"Your family has done so much for Newcrest," Emily spoke again. "I understand you as the heir are supposed to contribute to further development of our town. Have you decided what you want to do, Chris?"
The topic seemed to catch her husband's interest and he joined the conversation at last. "He's been keeping it a secret, wife. He won't tell you."
"Oh." She looked at me apologetically. "I shouldn't have pried then."
I indeed didn't want to tell anyone, as I wasn't ready to build it yet. If the public knew, I'd feel pressured to start working on the project. But I wanted to tell Emily to spite her husband.
"I want to build a gym," I announced and held my breath waiting for her response.
Her eyes lit up. "That's a wonderful idea!"
"Not bad, Chris," the chief said. "Not bad at all."
I breathed out my relief. Why was Emily's approval so important to me? I just met her.
"I want to dedicate it to the Police Force. The boys have to drive all the way to Oasis Springs gym to work out," I explained. "Having our own gym here in Newcrest will save time which they can spend with their families."
"You seem to have put a lot of thought into it, Chris. How admirable. I'm sure your colleagues will be happy when they hear about your plan. Won't they, Ron?"
The chief agreed.
My heart fluttered at her words. I had so many doubts about my project - if it was a good idea at all, if people would appreciate it - Emily helped me to feel better about it. I could tell she meant it and didn't say it out of politeness.
When I told Raven, she wasn't sold on the idea, which only added to my own doubts. She would have preferred if I built an opera house or a night club instead. I made her promise me not to write about my plan in the newspaper yet. We had an argument about it, because she had already started making notes in that blasted pad of hers.
We finished eating and Emily started picking up the empty plates. This was my only chance to talk to her alone. I stood up.
"Please, allow me to help you with the dishes, Mrs. Johnson."
"Call me Emily, please," she said. "You're our guest, Chris. Guests don't wash the dishes."
"She's right, Chris," the chief chimed in. "Besides, it's women's work."
I frowned. If Kellie heard him, she would strongly object. "I insist, sir."
"Well then, suit yourself, son. I'll be next room. If you get tired of giving your hands a bath in dish water you can join me to watch the Tigers versus Oasis Springs Coyotes rematch."
"I'll do just that, sir."
I watched him leave the kitchen to be sure he's out of earshot. Emily already started washing the dishes. If she was my wife I would buy her a dishwasher. It was time for me to broach the subject of her husband. I picked up the dish cloth and started drying the plates she washed.
"Emily," I said her name for the first time and I was sure my voice must be trembling, because of how nervous I felt. "Do you need help?" I asked.
She looked at me, her face unreadable. "You're helping."
"It's not what I meant and you know it."
"I'm not sure I do, Chris."
"I'm talking about him." I jerked my head toward the next room. "About the way he treats you. Domestic violence is a crime. You should report him."
She hugged herself defensively and furrowed her brows. "You're mistaken, Mr. Heffner. I would expect better manners from you than speaking ill about the man who invited you to his house for a dinner. You're seeing things that are not there."
"Am I? Do you know why I made a detective so fast?"
She jutted her chin forward in a belligerent manner. "Because you turned your father in?"
Ouch! I know what you're doing, Emily, but I'm not giving up on you only because you started rubbing salt into my wounds. "No. Because I'm a very good observer. I excel at noticing little details most people don't see, I can read people's body language, and yours tells me you're very scared of your husband."
Her bravery was just a guise, it fell apart very quickly. Underneath was a face of a terrified woman.
"Please, Chris," she whispered, "don't interfere in matters that don't concern you. I didn't ask for your help. I don't want it! When you leave our house, please forget about me and everything that happened tonight."
It was breaking my heart hearing her say she wished to stay trapped. I wanted so much to pull her into my arms and hold her, assure her that she's not fighting her war alone anymore. Looking straight into her sad eyes I said, "I couldn't, even if I tried, Emily. I will find a way to help you."
She shook her head. "Please, don't. You'll only make things worse."
"I won't. I promise."
I joined the chief then and we watched the soccer match. Emily sat down in the armchair with a book. I pretended to have fun, even though I barely paid any attention to the tv. I had to do all my best to keep control of myself in order not to punch my boss in the face and break every bone in his body. I was fuming inside and only the sight of Emily quietly turning the pages soothed my anger.
It was getting late and I had to leave. Emily's eyes were fixed on me, as I was saying my goodbyes, begging me silently to forget this evening. Looking at her for the last time I knew I would do almost anything for her. But forget I could not.
I was driving aimlessly for about an hour. I gave a promise to Emily and I had no idea how to keep it. How was I going to I help her when she didn't want my help? Against the chief of Newcrest Police, my boss, to top it all.
There was another thing that bothered me even more. The way Emily acted around her husband brought back an old memory of my pregnant mother. Her behaviour back then hadn't been too different from Emily's. I remembered thinking something was wrong. Had Ronan been treating my mother all those months the same way the chief treated Emily? Why didn't I see it? Why didn't I do anything to help her?
I had to pull up, because all of a sudden I felt sick. I jumped off the car and doubled over. I threw up. Shit!
I grabbed a pack of tissues from the glove compartment and cleaned myself up. Will the past ever stop haunting me? I leaned with my hands against the car hood taking deep breaths. You can't fix the past, Chris. Focus on the present. Easier said than done. I have become what I was today because of the damned single day in the past.
When I felt I was capable of driving again, I got back in the car, and went to the only place I knew I was always welcome.
"Hello, lover. How was the dinner?" she asked.
I gave out a loud sigh.
She smirked the way only she could. "That bad, huh? Come in and tell me."
I told her almost everything. I left out some details about Emily and my hour long drive, of course.
"It doesn't surprise me at all he treats her the way you say. He's an asshole."
"But why doesn't she leave him?"
Raven shrugged one shoulder. "He's the chief of Police. You can't just walk away on him. And who knows? Maybe she actually likes the rough treatment. Some girls do. I told you I wouldn't mind if you were a bit rough on me sometimes, remember?"
"I'm pretty sure she doesn't like it, Raven."
"Whatever. Can we stop talking about Mrs. Johnson, please? There's only room for the two of us in this bed, Chris."
"Fine. But you have to tell me what you know about the chief. You do know something, don't you?"
"As a matter of fact I do, but I can't tell you. I need my leverage." She grinned. "How do you think I got that interview with a certain legacy boy?"
"For your sake I hope you're not blackmailing him, Raven. I would rather not be the one to have to arrest you."
"You don't say. I'm sure you'd love playing with cuffs, lover."
"I'm serious, Raven!"
"This is getting boring, Chris. If you came here to read me my rights you can go home to your sis. And you don't get to see the surprise I have for you."
"A surprise?"
"Yes. Do you want to see it or not?"
"I do. I guess."
"Then behave, lover," she said pinching my cheek.
She slipped out of the room. I heard her feet scurrying down the stairs. She was back in no time and...
"Wow! Pretty!"
"Still want to arrest me?"
"Looking at you, Raven, I'm starting to think I may have made a mistake. I should have joined the vice squad."
To be honest I wasn't in the mood for sex tonight, but Raven could be so damn persuasive.
"And I'm starting to wonder when you're going to pull out those cuffs, detective. Or if you're going to pull anything at all tonight. Has Mrs. Johnson and her marital problems rendered you incapable, lover?"
Oh, she shouldn't have mentioned Emily now, because I immediately started thinking about her again. And that led to forbidden thoughts such as how Emily would look in that lingerie and what was her favourite color. Not black for sure.
Pastel colours? Maybe. White. Definitely white.
"I want to see your... Big. Shiny. Badge. Now, detective."
"What's the problem, Chris?"
"There's no problem. No problem at all."
"Then why are you still dressed?"
Thanks to all pose creators: Beverlyallitsims, Joanne Bernice, Rinvalee, Ryan Jayden, Sakura Leon, Something-Wicked-Sims,