Accidents Happen

Chapter 5 - A Different Outlook

    Staring at a steak knife sticking where my heart would have been gave me pause. Right after being threatened with an accident, an accident nearly killed me. I looked to see if Frank was still there. No sign of him.

    After seeing no current threat to me in my hidey-hole, I peeked out from under the table to figure out what was happening with Jason. He said he could feel something in the air. I could smell fryer fat and cheese. I replayed the events in my mind.  We were flirt-chatting, eye-contact and all, then I was being shoved to the floor and covered in food and china.  "Accidents happen." Those were the same words the State trooper said when I got the worst news of my life one week after my twenty-first birthday.  I wonder what Paul, Enrique and Candi were told ...

    "Charity? Are you okay?"

    Jason was on his hands and knees under the table.  He looked so worried. I didn't understand why until he wiped tears off my cheek with his thumb.

    "Oh. Yes. I am okay."

    "You looked a million miles away."

    "I time traveled." I smiled weakly, "About a year ago, a state trooper told me about my parents' death and said 'accidents happen.' Now I wonder if it's actually an accident.  I don't think this was.

    "Why do you say that?"

    "You can sense things. You saved me from that knife. You felt something in the air. You know more than you told me." I glared at Jason.

    "Uh ..."

    "But," I sighed, "you have been trying to give me small bits or to stop it, whatever it is, altogether, haven't you?"

    "Uh ... well ... um ..."

    "So what I need to know is the whole story. No matter how crazy. I nearly was killed by a steak knife. From someone else's food. All the way across the brew pub!" I took a deep breath. "I need to get clean clothes and eat. This is possibly the biggest disaster of a first date ever."

    Jason dropped his eyes as he shifted back to rest his butt on his feet. "I agree. Let's go home?"

    "Let's." I replied as I climbed out from under the table and brushed off the food.  Salad dressing splotches, barbecue sauce stains, a toothpick with a plastic frill stuck in my sleeve. EWWWWWWW! I didn't even want to look at my hair, let alone touch it.  I worked so hard on it, too.  I just walked out the door, looking at nobody.

    When I got to the car, I turned around and could see Jason inside. The waiter and a man in a suit were talking to him. They all looked pretty intense. Jason shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. It was a powerful gesture and kinda sexy. The man in the suit gestured at the mess as clasped his hands in front of his pronounced belly.  Jason knitted his brows and scowled, then pointed one finger extended at the end of one sweeping arm at me.. Both of the other men turned at the same time and looked at me.  The waiter opened his mouth and eyes very wide, like a fish.  The man in the suit got a little pale and nodded sharply once.  He signaled Jason to follow him out of the seating area to a door near the kitchen.

    I waited what felt like an eternity, getting more and more bored and more and more chilled by the minute. I finally looked at my hair in the side mirror of the car. I looked like a drowned cat. Mayonnaise and catsup streaked my hair, a blob of relish stuck to a curl near my ear. I hate relish.

    My eyes started to fill. How pointless that I tried to look good. I just wanted a nice night out with a good guy. I wanted to impress him a little by being worth looking at. An hour spent n my hair and two seconds to ruin it!

    "Here let me get the door." I jumped when Jason said that right nest to me. "I'm sorry that took so long."

    "What happened after I left?"

    "I discussed an appropriate compensation for my beautiful date who had b een harmed by their gross negligence in safety procedures."

    "How embarrassing."

    "Maybe." He grinned at me. "But a full treatment spa day sounds like luxury to me."

    "You got what?" I gaped at him.  I probably looked like the waiter.

    "Yep. A full treatment spa day at Golden Door Salon in downtown Denver." He pulled a folded paper out of his wallet and handed it to me. "You schedule at your convenience. Give them the gift certificate when you go in. The pub manager will be getting a new one for his wife's birthday tomorrow." He grinned. "So, want to order in instead?"

    I blinked at him. "You still want to have dinner? With me looking like this?"

    "Oh, honey, you have NO idea," he said. He lifted a hand to my cheek and gently caressed it. "Besides you want more information. I will tell you everything you want to know."

    "Okay. Take me home.

    *    *    *    *    *

    After I re-showered, I put my hair in two french braids and threw on sweats. One thought that occurred to me during the sower was the use of "human". According to Jason, he had to meet the terms of the codicil. It said something about "humanity", which struck me as off.

    Humans and humanity have a dark and terrible history. The Huns, the Mongols, the Gauls, the Romans, the Spanish Inquisition, the Salem Witch Trials, the Nazi h*******t, Idi Amin, the Reverend Jim Jones ... The list of atrocious humans is too long to fit in one lifetime. At least the Scots terrorized the Romans to preserve their culture.

    What could be the best of humanity? Samuel Pepys? Albert Schweitzer? Jesus? - Wait, Jesus wasn't human, he was a demigod. He could tell things about people if they touched him or his clothing, he could sense and control things around himself.  He controlled weather, performed alchemy with just a touch and healed people.

    Likewise, Jason knew things that he couldn't know by touching a picture.  He sensed something in the air before the tray flew at me. ... Nope. Not Cool. I am officially losing my mind.

    I realized I had been staring at my mirror, not seeing anything.  I shook my head and blinked a few times, then stood up and went into the living room. No Jason. Note on the coffee table. I picked it up and read, "Gone to Five Guys. Be back with burgers. Jason"

    He knows what I want for dinner tonight.  I hope he gets Cajun Fries. I love Cajun Fries.

    I flopped on the couch and put on Netflix. "How to Get Away with Murder" is perfect for tonight. About halfway through the first episode, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to Jason carrying a Five Guys bag and a drink carrier with two drinks in it.

    "Ooooooh. Yummy. Come on in!" I gestured him into the living room.

    "You don't have a table."

    "No. Too expensive for just me. I rarely have people over for dinner.  I usually eat at the coffee table or the kitchen counter. Besides, it is too small in here for more furniture."

    "So this apartment was unfurnished?"

    "Yes."

    "Wow. You have great taste."

    "Well, let's eat!" I quickly put in, to change the subject from false flattery.

    "I got some Cajun Fries and a bacon cheeseburger for each of us."

    "You got my favorites," I gushed.

    "They are my favorites, too. Oh. I love this show. She is such a manipulative bitch."

    "Are you for real? I'm starting to feel like this is a put-on.  I don't like being manipulated." I squinted at him threateningly.

    "Not on purpose!" He pout his hands up in front of his chest in a mock defensive move. "I swear, these are all things i like. Let's eat."

    "Okay."

    We ate a while in silence. Every once in a while I would catch him looking at me like a glass he had just knocked on the floor, but it hadn't hit the ground yet. The last time, I had enough.

    "So. Are you a demigod?" I asked.

    He nearly choked on his bite of burger. "Uh ... wait. Why do you ask?"

    "M-hmmm. May I read the codicil?"

    "Uh ... why?"

    "Mm-hmmm. What about me, specifically my picture. made you want to meet me?"

    "Uh ... I ... Ummm ..."

    "Mmm-hmmm. Why would Enrique REALLY not bring you to meet me?"

    "He likes you. A whole lot."

    "M-hmmm. I see."

    "See what?" Jason looked very confused.

    "Do you tell lies?"

    "I try not to, but sometimes I don't have all the information, or I need to cover a surprise."

    "How do you deal with the unknown?"

    "That depends on the situation. Sometimes I just rush in and sometimes I try to feel out what is happening."

    "Do electronic pictures give you the same information as prints?"

    "No. I just get static from the device. No information."

    "What did you feel in the air in the brew pub?"

    "Uh ... I ... well ... just ... ummm ..."

    "M-hmmm ..."

    "What?" Jason sounded very frustrated.

    "You hesitate every time I try to get to the heart of what happened today. Why?"

    "I don't know. When I try to answer, there's no words in my head.  Like I know something, but I can't quite remember it."

    "How did you meet Frank?"

    "Uh ... I ... um ..."

    "Okay. How did you meet Enrique?"

    "Oh, Man, we were in the same freshman orientation room.  He and I both got assigned the same suite in the dorm."

    Did Frank room with you?"

    "No, hes one year behind us and one year older since he spent two years traveling in Europe before enrolling in college.

    "Interesting. Did he do work for his dad when he traveled in Europe?"

    "Some, he got to do some negotiation support for business deals in France, Germany and Italy."

    "What does his dad sell?"

    "I don't know. I never asked."

    "Did he meet his mom in Europe?"

    "I ... uh ... well ... he said ..."

    "Mm-hmmm. Does Enrique still grieve for his parents?"

    "Of Course. He is human and warm and caring. His family is everything to him.  He is so protective of Paul and Candi that everything else goes on hold for them."

    "Why is he willing to let Candi help you?"

    "I ... uh ..."

    "okay. What do you know about head trauma?"

    "That it messes you up."

    "Have you ever had a closed head injury?"

    "No."

    "Were you abused?"

    "NO."

    Brain or neurological issues at all?"

    "NO! Why all these questions?" He groused.

    "I want to know why you have a block against tonight's situation. My mom was a neurological nurse and she taught me about some things that are common at intake."

    "I don't have a block! I just don't remember exactly what happened."

    I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt. "That IS a b lock. You remember lots of things outside of and indirectly related to the incident, but you can't remember anything directly related."

    Jason just looked at me. I had no idea what he was thinking. He blinked twice and said, By God, you are right. I can't remember any specifics."

    "What is your dad's name?"

    He goes by Fes. That's all my mom told me. I have only met him once, and his name is concealed in the revocable trust..  Mom only refers to him as Fes."

    "What is your mom's name?"

    "Susan DeMarco."

    "What's your full name?"

    "Jason Festus Angelo."

    "Really?"

    "Why so surprised?"

    "Jason devil angel? It is a very contradictory name. Do you fit the name?"

    "Maybe..." He smirked and waggled his eyebrows. "Wanna find out?"

    "Stop it." I hit his shoulder. "This is almost serious. Especially since a knife nearly stabbed me today.  I'm still scared and I want answers."

    He leaned over and kissed my cheek. It left a little tingly spot behind.

    "Okay, what can I do first."

    "What are the criteria for your loophole?"

    "He reached in his shirt pocket and pulled out a tightly folded piece of paper. He handed it to me and I unfolded it, smoothed it on the coffee table and tucked a corner underneath my drink. The Header read, "Codicil C for Jason Angelo agreement - Spousal requirements for Codicil B exceptions."

    It continued:

        1) she must be a shining example of earthly beauty.

        2) She must have a singing voice to rival the sirens; powerful, entrancing and energetic.

        3) She must be able to confront her fears and dissuade the fears of humans around her.

        4) She needs to be able to negotiate the Council of Elders into submission; her powers of logical and emotional appeal must be strong and she must be able to sustain them on a minimum of twelve for several hours.

        5) She must know the legends of the world and understand the Origins of all the humans.

        6) She must be prepared to journey, with or without preparation, into the worlds and peoples she has read and studied. She must be willing to see and experience the worlds of which she has read. She must be ready to defend them.

        7) She must be physically strong to face the trials that come with marriage to my progeny.

        8) She must possess a grace that gives her the ability to catch the eye of a dancer and to maintain a poise before gods and men.

        9) She must carry her grace in her demeanor. She must be unflappable and definite. She must have a solid demeanor.

        10) She must be human. Not just any human. She must embody the finest characteristics of all humanity.

    When I finished, I took a long slurp from my cola.  I had no Idea what to say. This list did not apply to me. He couldn't get out of it by using me.