Deadbeat Mother

Meeting

That was almost a year ago, and I never heard from him again. Here he is, wanting me to call. I have no idea what this is about because if it’s to use the cabin….well, he can’t. I can’t go back right now; there’s too much going on.

I sigh and know that I need to make this call now rather than wait. “Hey Coop, I need to make a call. Stay in the store with Byron. I’m just going to step outside.”

“Okay, daddy!” I nod to Byron and step out of the store. I dial the number and wait for the call to be connected.

“Hey, I thought you’d never call me back. Where have you been?”

“Well, I -”

“It doesn’t matter; I’m in a time crunch. I really need your help right now. It’s an emergency!” S**t, how do I tell him no if it’s an emergency?”

“Look, I-”

“I have a friend who’s in a lot of trouble. She….she was hurt, and she needs a quiet place to recover. I need her to stay at the cabin, but she can’t stay alone.” I swear this guy is f**king insane. I guess when you’re rich, you can be like that. I mean, who’s going to really tell you no?

“See I-”

“I know you have your son and everything and I have no idea what will happen with his schooling. I just have no one else to ask right now. I don’t know how long it will be for, but it won’t be forever. You could be saving her life if you say yes, but no pressure.” He chuckles, but there’s no humor behind it.

“My son and I are currently staying at the cabin. I have no idea when I plan to go back.”

“This is perfect…. you’re already there. This is great becau-”

“WAIT! I said that I’m here with my son. What do I look like bringing some stranger here? I don’t know her, and I need to think about my son.” He sighs.

“I know that I’m asking a lot and I would love to send someone with her, but I can’t. I can’t even come out there. It’s too dangerous and we need to keep her as hidden as possible.”

“Oh, so the danger can come to me? I have my son here! I can’t put him in any danger.”

“I swear that the danger won’t come to you. This is why she needs to go there on her own. No one would even suspect you, and no one knows about your cabin. Evan, please….I would never ask this if it weren’t vital. Please, can you help her; can you help me?” I look around at my surroundings, not sure what I should do. This could easily be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done, and if my child ends up hurt, I will never forgive myself. Then again, if this is as serious as he says, could I forgive myself for not helping and the woman dies? F**k!

I take a deep breath and shut my eyes. I hope I don’t regret this. “Fine, I….I will help you. I swear to God, if this blows up in my face-”

“I will hand you the weapon and let you end me if it does, I swear. I just need her to be safe and it’s only temporary. Now, let me fill you in on what to expect…..”

~Mia~

I’ve been on pins and needles for days, and I haven’t even been able to go see Neela. Steven has been hovering, hell, watching me like a hawk. I haven’t been able to breathe with him over me. He’s been watching my communications, my every move.

He and Nokio had a huge blowout when he finally found him. Steven threw a few shots at him, and it was horrifying. Nokio had to seek medical attention, but Steven did as well. I honestly think that Nokio was holding back.

I’ve been waiting for Nokio to let me know that his friend would help Neela. I’ve been so worried about her, but Nokio assures me she’s healing. I wish I could be by my friend’s side, but I know that would just draw Steven’s attention. Nokio said he hadn’t seen her either because he was sure that Steven had someone following him.

Steven contacted the authorities, and they have been searching for Neela. Thankfully, no one has seen her, which means we successfully kept her hidden when we were transporting her. The officers are trying to get Steven to let this all go. I mean, who’s going to miss seeing a top model out and about? They are trying to get him to understand that she just left him and he needs to move on. Steven doesn’t believe them and keeps pushing the issue. I need to go back home, having overstayed my welcome in San Francisco. I don’t want to leave until I know Neela will be okay. Luckily for me, Neela was my only job, so Steven’s father has me sticking around just in case.

He called me and Nokio in for a meeting, and we are sitting in a meeting room with him right now. He’s even more intimidating than Steven, and that’s saying something. We are actually waiting for Steven to show up so we can have this meeting.

I’m doing my best to keep my eyes down. I don’t want to draw any attention to any relationship that Nokio and I have. Honestly, a model’s assistant and a designer shouldn’t have contact, so I have to act the part. Thankfully, Nokio and I were able to talk briefly, and we have a code. If he says he had a friend to help look, but his friend found nothing, that means that his friend was able to take Neela. If he says his friend is still looking, that means that he hasn’t made contact with him yet. Nokio contacted his friend the last day I saw Neela, but he hadn’t gotten through to him. Two days later, he was still waiting for a response.

The door opens, and Steven walks in. I’ve never seen him look so unkept, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was a true grieving husband. I really just think he’s worried about Neela ratting him out. I know that if he were to get his hands on her again, she may actually die.

The moment Steven walked into the room, the tension grew thick. My stomach is in knots, not knowing how this will go. “What the f**k is that bastard doing here?”

“Steven, sit your ass down and shut the f**k up! I don’t have time for your s**t!” Steven slumps in a seat, but his eyes never leave Nokio. “He’s here so we can make sure we’re still in business. We need to go back home.”

“I’m not leaving without my w-”

“SHUT THE F**K UP!” Steven shuts his mouth quickly, and I’m in awe. I’ve never seen Steven so compliant. His father sits down and looks around the table. “Nokio, I’m truly sorry about the way things ended up. Neela is usually more so reliable than that. I have no idea why she would just disappear. I hope we haven’t lost your business.”

Nokio takes a deep breath. “This has certainly been the strangest job I’ve ever worked on, I can say that. I don’t know what would make such a professional act so reckless, but I had enough shots to work with, so it’s fine. Neela was a dream to work with, if I’m being honest. If anything could lose my business, it would be that tawagoto no Ichiban sitting over there.” Steven was on his feet in a flash, almost jumping onto the table. Nokio didn’t move at all, but Steven’s dad was up with a hand on Steven’s shoulder.

“If I have to tell you to sit your b***h ass down one more f**king time!” Steven slowly sits in his seat, and I can’t unsee the smirk on Nokio’s face.

“As I was saying, he’d be the only one that would have me never work with this company again, but I don’t do that. You’ve been good to me, and I loved working with Neela.” Steven’s dad looks visibly relieved, and Steven seems pissed. “Now, I did reach out to a friend of mine to help locate our runaway model.” Steven perks up slightly.

“What did he find?” Nokio takes a breath, but his expression doesn’t change.

“Sadly, he wasn’t able to find anything; no leads, no clues. He said it was almost like she vanished in thin air.” I want to smile and jump for joy, but I can’t. I dig my nails into my thigh to keep myself as neutral as possible. Neela is going to be safe, and that makes me feel so much better.

“Have you heard anything, Mia?” I clear my throat when I hear my name. I slowly raise my head and look at Mr. Paxton.

“No, I haven’t. I’ve been calling and texting, but nothing is going through. I’m really worried about her, and I don’t know where she would have gone.” Mr. Paxton sighs, and I can feel Steven staring at me.

“I don’t want you to worry. I have other models who can use your expertise. If you don’t know where she is, I guess she doesn’t want anyone to know.” I turn my head again and face my lap. I just want to get out of here.

The meeting continues a bit more, and I’m officially told to go back home. Mr. Paxton has called for the meeting to be over, but he wants to talk to Steven. I would love to speak with Nokio before he leaves, but I know that’s too risky. He told me what I needed to know, and that’s just going to have to be enough.

Just as I’m about to leave the room, Steven’s voice stops me in my tracks. “Don’t leave without speaking to me. Wait in my office.” S**t! I really have to keep cool now. I nod slightly and walk out of the conference room.