‘Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about. And it’s none of your business what I do with my life, okay? Are you crazy, old man? You sound like a crazy person… Go and get on with your life. I don’t know you and I think you have me confused with someone else… Fuck off. And stay away from my kids.’
‘Mr Fox, the children are mine and that’s the truth…and I’d do anything to take them with me. But I don’t want to ruin your life, since you’ve raised them for so long. So let me get this straight. I’m offering you $100,000. I’m willing to give you more if you want it. Take the money and give me the children.’
‘I know more about your wife Kira than you know about her. Take your time and get in touch with me, okay? Here’s my card.’
Tears of shock and grief came to Jordan’s eyes. He couldn’t believe Denis knew so much about Kira. For a moment he wanted to think it was a lie and some random older man was playing a joke on him. Alas, Jordan couldn’t forget how Denis had mentioned the burn mark on Kira’s right thigh.
‘That’s not a bribe, Mr Fox. I want to thank you for raising my kids, okay? And you don’t have to worry about anything. I’m fifty-seven, and I have plenty of experience raising children. You must be glad you put them in good, safe hands. I know how you feel. But don’t worry. Take your time, think about it, and come back. Call me on this number, okay? I’ll be waiting. Denis Roberts doesn’t take no for an answer, so….’.
Denis put a business card in Jordan’s hand and hurried away, leaving him more than shocked and heartbroken.
The flickering flame and smoke of the candle on Kira’s headstone caught Jordan’s attention. He placed the bouquet on the grave and after a moment of silence, he hurried with the children to the cemetery. For a moment he was haunted by thoughts of what Denis had told him.
Jordan couldn’t concentrate on the road. He stopped the car on the side of the road at random intervals, trying to focus, but in vain.
‘Was everything she told me a lie? How could she do this to me?’ – he cried, imagining Kira sitting next to him in the passenger seat. Jordan needed answers to a lot of questions, and he didn’t want to believe what Denis was saying.
But what about the burn scar on her right thigh? He couldn’t help but suspect her, given the circumstances under which he’d met her two years ago.
It had been the spring of 2016. Jordan was making cocktails behind the bar when his gaze fell on the young and beautiful Kira. She was with her friends and was the rowdiest in the gang. Jordan thought she was pretty and wanted to date such a beauty, but never found the means or time to do so. A few days passed and Kira started frequenting the bar and Jordan took great pleasure in serving her whenever she came in.
‘Another margarita on the rocks, please!’ – she often told him with a glossy smile flickering across her face. Kira had never looked at Jordan ‘differently’ and only treated him as a kind, young bartender. But he’d already fallen head over heels in love with her. Every day he left for the night shift, rehearsing his smile and adjusting his hair, black bow tie and muted grey shirt at least a dozen times, confident that he would impress Kira.
Jordan was crushed one night when he saw her making out with another guy in the pub. Reality hit him hard when he realised that Kira was just treating him like a bar worker and nothing special. Heartbroken, Jordan began to keep his distance from her, knowing that she would never be his. One night, however, he couldn’t help himself when he saw Kira crying bitterly alone in the waiting room.
‘Miss, hi, are you alright?’ – He asked and saw her boyfriend, Sean, dancing with another girl. Jordan’s heart melted and he could partially guess what had hurt Kira. Her eyes were puffy and rimmed with red. Warm tears were running down her cheeks, leaving smudges of smeared eyeliner on her make-up.
‘I want to go somewhere…please take me away. I feel like dying,’ she ducked her face into her palms and burst into tears. She cried her heart out to a stranger, but Jordan didn’t treat her like a stranger. She meant more to him than anything else, so he was willing to do anything to comfort her.
He took time off work and offered to drive her home since she was too drunk to leave alone.
‘Sean and I have known each other for six months,’ Kiera ranted, her breath reeking of alcohol. ‘That pervert! He left me for that stupid Lily… What does she have that I don’t? The jerk! He said he didn’t want to continue a relationship with me. What the…’
‘I’m so sorry for you. Be strong, miss. These things happen… and life must go on. Maybe he doesn’t deserve you at all. It’s his loss… Please don’t cry. I’ll always be there for you, as a friend, whenever you need me, okay?’
Kira nodded, her dewy eyes staring at Jordan before he passed out on the seat. He woke her up when she reached the house and helped her out.