GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Petersons
Chapter 39
Chie Alexander
Alex rang my doorbell on Friday afternoon. When Jason answered, she looked surprised. “Oh, I was looking for Chie.”
“She’s here, just putting out some snacks,” he said. “I’m heading to the library, so I’ll leave you two to it. Come on in.”
In the beautifully furnished apartment, there were pictures, and the room had a masculine feel.
I hugged Alex, and we went to the dining room, where my laptop was open and stacks of papers covered the table. Jason pecked my cheek and said he’d be back in a couple of hours. Noting Alex’s surprise, I said, “Oh, you didn’t know Jason lives here?”
“No, and it’s really none of my business.”
“Oh, it’s no secret. I wasn’t aware you didn’t know. We share an apartment. Jason pays half the rent and utilities. I had another apartmentmate, but when she graduated and left, I wanted another apartmentmate. I didn’t feel safe alone. Jason and I had been dating for a couple of years by then, so he offered to move in, or I asked him; I don’t remember now.”
“And how has that worked out?”
“No, it’s not that. We share an apartment, not a bed. We each have our own rooms. From the start, he promised there would be no sex.”
“You have to agree—that’s an unusual arrangement,” Alex said.
“Well, I grew to trust Jason. We’ve talked about marriage, but there are some things to work out—mainly his job and mine. If we can’t work in the same place, or at least live close, then marriage may not be in our future. I’ve seen those long-distance relationships, and I don’t want one.”
“My parents were not happy with this arrangement when I told them, so I took Jason to meet them. I explained our agreement to Mom, and she was skeptical. But, given my experience, they thought it wasn’t good for me to be alone. So they reluctantly agreed to let me try it.”
“Experience?” Alex asked.
“Yeah,” I replied. “It’s not a terribly big secret. Jason knows. I was raped when I was a junior in high school.”
“Good God—raped?” Alex exclaimed.
“Yeah, the guy was a macho jock. I was a cheerleader. He had been friendly to me, but I didn’t find him attractive or likable, so I was just polite. I never encouraged him.”
“I think I know the type,” Alex said.
“One evening after cheerleading practice, I showered, dressed, and headed home. The parking lot was in front of the school, so I was headed for my car. The football field was behind the school. I don’t know how he ended up in front of the building, but he caught me and dragged me into an empty classroom. He told me that if I made a sound, he’d smash my teeth in. He pushed me over a desk, tore off my clothes, and raped me. I was a virgin, and the pain was so terrible that I bit my hand until it bled. Then he threatened that if I told anyone, he’d beat me up—maybe even kill me.”
“So?” Alex said.
“I went right home and told Mom. She told Dad. I don’t think I ever saw him that angry. They took me to the police station. It was terrible. It was all so humiliating. I had to go to the hospital for a rape kit. Then we went back. The interrogation was awful. They made me repeat every detail, and honestly, I felt like they enjoyed hearing it. My dad filed a complaint, and the police issued a warrant for his arrest.”
“Do you remember his name?” Alex asked.
“Oh, yes. Levi Reid. Reid was the name of a prominent family; his dad was a city councilman who owned a large construction business.”
“Did he stay in jail?” Alex asked.
“Oh, no. The police called Reid’s father, told him the charge, and asked him to bring his son—bring his son!—to the station. There was no doubt that I had sex; the rape kit found blood and semen.”
“That must have been awful,” Alex said.
“Yeah. He claimed I’d agreed to have sex with him. He even had two of his lying buddies swear that I had been coming on to him.”
“But Councilman Reid”—I had to spit out the name—“and his lying son, his lying buddies, and his lying lawyer painted me as a slut. It was he-said-she-said, and the councilman had pull with the police. They claimed there was no evidence of rape; it was just a case of consensual sex. So they didn’t arrest the lying snake and dropped the case.”
“Oh, no,” Alex said.
“Yeah, Dad managed to transfer me to another high school. If there’s any silver lining to the whole ordeal, it’s that I didn’t get pregnant.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know,” Alex said.
“Well, I went to counseling for several months. I had nightmares, but my parents and my counselor really helped. I’ve told Jason everything, and he understands. I really care for him, and I hope we can work things out. But until then, he has his room, and I have mine.”
“What happened to him—to Reid? I think that was his name,” Alex asked.
“Oh, he went to college and then back home to work in his father’s business. I still hear from old high school friends. According to them, he hasn’t changed. He apparently got a woman pregnant but refused to take responsibility. He considers himself quite the ladies’ man. He’s just a spoiled, pampered man-child who has never had to grow up.”
“You must really hate him,” Alex said.
“Hate? No,” I replied. “That requires emotion and energy. To me, he’s not worth either. I try to erase him from my mind. As far as I’m concerned, that’s what he deserves—to be shoved into oblivion.”
“Chie, I’m so sorry,” Alex said.
“Oh, really, it’s okay. As soon as we start working on our essays, Reid will be shoved back to oblivion where he belongs,” I said.
“Chie, the apartment is lovely. Is that a picture of your family?”
“Yes, that’s Mom and Dad.”
“And siblings?” Alex asked.
“No. Just me. Dad always said that with as much trouble as I was, there wasn’t room for anyone else. Sometimes, I think it would have been good to have a brother or sister.”
“Is that Jason’s family?” Alex asked, pointing to another picture.
“Yes, they’re really supportive of him, and they’ve made me feel welcome.”
“The apartment has a masculine feel,” Alex said.
“I guess part of that is Jason’s athletic trophies,” I replied.
For the next two hours, we worked through each essay, making various changes and edits.
My phone chimed:
. . .
Hi
. . .
Yeah, we’re just finishing.
. . .
Good.
. . .
See you in a few.
I ended the call. “That was Jason. He wanted to know if we’re done. He’s stopping for some Mexican takeout.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Alex said.
“Well, I know Jason’s hungry, and I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast. So please stay and have dinner with us.”
We worked until Jason arrived. Having never spent time with him before, Alex seemed to find him kind and funny. He was easy to talk to, and he didn’t hide his affection for me.
“Look at the time,” Alex said. “I need to be going. James is coming by before he goes to work.” She hugged Jason, thanked him for dinner, hugged me, and thanked me for reading her essay.
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