Deadbeat Mother

Crazy Night I

I sat with Nokio for a while. He and I tried to come up with a plan while he looked over the photos. I have to admit I’m out of my element here; I just know I need to help Neela if I’m able. I want to help her get away from this craziness that is her life. She’s better than what she has to put up with.

“NO! No, no, no, no……” I tear my eyes away from my phone and look over at Nokio. He’s shifting through sheets of shots with a magnifier against his eye. His face is contorted in anger, and he’s mumbling to himself. I keep quiet, not wanting to interrupt. Nokio throws the sheets down along with the magnifier. “We have a problem.”

I pick up a few sheets and look through the pictures. Neela looks great, as always, but I’m no expert, so I couldn’t tell if something was really wrong. “Uh, what’s the issue?”

“This lighting is all wrong for the day shoot. I wanted something a bit more natural and duller. How is it that these look so bright and forced?” Nokio runs his hand through his hair. “When’s Neela’s next job?” I scroll through my phone to get to the calendar. I look through to see when we are booked next.

“Unless some emergency comes up, we are good for about a month.” Nokio nods and pulls his phone out.

“I need to contact Natalia, and I will send a message to Neela as well as the company. I will need her for at least another day. This has to be fixed. The day shot is vital for these pieces, so I need it to be right.” I nod and wonder how that will go over with Steven. He didn’t even want to come out here, and now we will have to stay at least another day. I sit back and wait for Nokio to finish the calls. When he’s done, he tosses his phone down. “Let’s see if we can’t figure out how to help Neela.”

~Evan~

We stopped at the general store before continuing to the cabin. I have to load up with essentials, including food and toilet paper. I make sure we get everything we need and inform the manager that we will be in town for a while.

If I need any package to come to me, it will have to be sent to the general store. I have an address, but keeping off the grid works better when no one has it. I rarely get anything sent here, so it doesn’t really bother me. Since I plan to be here for a while, I had to get my mail forwarded to the general store.

The drive to the cabin was about an hour more, and the car ride was quiet. Cooper had fallen asleep in the backseat, and that gave me time to think about everything that happened. I can’t believe I never really knew Natalia, even though I’ve known her since school. I would never have thought she’d sleep with a married man.

As bad as that is, I’m trying to figure out how long she’s been in contact with Neela. How could she not tell me that she had access to the mother of my child? The woman left us one night with no real explanation. Had she been talking to her this entire time? Does she know why Neela left?

I try to shake those thoughts free from my mind. This is why I left; I didn’t want to have to deal with all of this right now. I don’t have the time or mental capacity to wonder about any of these things. I have to focus on my child since I’m his only active parent.

The farther up we travel, the less of a signal I get for my phone. There are hills around this area, and where my place is, I have to go over a few of them. The last I checked my phone, I had missed calls and texts from Natalia. No doubt, she showed up at my place once she couldn't reach me. She could wait all night if she likes; I won’t be turning up.

No one knows about this place, and I want to keep it that way. I need a place to get away from the rat race we call life. I definitely need a place away from Natalia. It just may be that our friendship was never real, but it for sure should be over after all of this.

We finally arrive at the cabin, and I carry Cooper out of the car to place him on the couch. All the linens have to be changed, and I need to clean the place up a bit. It shouldn’t be too dusty because someone is paid to come out occasionally to keep things fresh.

I go back into the car and grab the grocery bags, then return for the luggage. I plug in the satellite phone before putting the groceries away. I’m able to change the bedding in both rooms without Cooper waking up. I put him in his room and throw myself on the bed. I don’t even know what I’m doing right now; I just know that everything is crazy. I hope this time away will give me some peace and clarity.

~Steven~

I whisked Neela away the minute they said the shoot was over. The drive to the place was quiet, though I kept my eyes on her. I’m not sure what’s going on with her. It feels like she’s holding something back, but I’m not sure what that would be.

My men didn’t have any information for me because they were again blocked by that piece of s**t. I can’t wait to get on a plane and get the hell out of this s**thole. It’s been nothing but a mess since we got here, and I’m sick of it.

When we get to our room, I open the door for Neela, and she walks past me. I grab her wrist before she passes me completely. She looks at my hand, then looks at my face. I gently pull her toward me. “What are you hiding?”

“What do you mean?” I turn my head slightly and look at her. I clock her facial features and ticks. I take note of where her eyes land and her breathing.

“It seems like there’s something you’re not telling me; something you’re keeping from me.”

“I would never do that. You’re my husband.” She places her hand on my chest. “I love you.” I stare at her a bit longer before letting her wrist go. She smiles at me and goes into the bathroom. I hear the shower cut on, and I close the room door.