Page 18 of Scar

“I’m telling you,”Tally repeated through gritted teeth, “he washere.”

Three police officers were now standing in her apartment with her. When she’d opened her door to let them in, sheknewthe man was still there. But the police officers had taken a second to calm down when they saw the chef’s knife in her hand. That was understandable, but somehow the man had disappeared in those few seconds it had taken for her to hand over herMiyabiblade.

She asked the officer to put it in her sink. The fucker better not hurt her knife. The set was a gift from her parents when she’d graduated culinary school and had gotten her first internship. They’d even worked with a woodworker to make unique grips on each knife for her. The set was a work of art and priceless to her.

It was one of the reasons she kept them here and not at her restaurant. They were too valuable to be around people.

“Ms. Meacham, I can understand your fright, but we checked your entire apartment. There’s no one here.”

Tally scowled up at the speaker. He was male. Based on his voice, she placed him in his forties and caught a hint of a Boston accent. “I’m telling you, he washere. Look, two guys came after me on my way home from work tonight. I’ll bet you anything they work for Gordon Tremont. He’s been after my restaurant since the day I outbid him and claimed the building. He’ll do anything for that place. Look at your records. I’ve made several complaints about him and his people harassing me, my employees, and my customers. This guyworksfor him, I’m sure of it.”

“With all due respect, Ms. Meacham, there’s not a mark on you and I find it hard to believe someone was able to get in and out of your apartment without your alarm system being triggered. It’s late. You’re obviously tired. I’ll request additional patrols in the area, but there’s nothing else I can do. There isno onein your apartment.”

Further away towards her kitchen, one of the other officers whispered, “How would she even know if there was?”

Tally stood up, her fists clenched at her sides. “The same way I know you had a bean burrito for dinner, Officer! I know that you cut yourself shaving and use far too much aftershave. Your right shoelace drags on the ground when you walk. Do you want me to tell you how you’re standing six feet from my kitchen table with your arms crossed over your chest? How about how you keep trying to discreetly pass gas, likely a side effect of your dinner?”

She turned towards the officer with the Boston accent. “I am blind, Officer Toro, not stupid. I see a lot more than people like you do.”

Whatever the officer was going to say in response would remain a mystery as her apartment door opened. The scent of baby lotion, paper, and ink wafted into the room and Tally found herself saying, “That’s Simone. She’s my best friend. Her husband, Tom, is behind her.” When a sappy scent like maple came to her, she added without enthusiasm, “And behind him is Mark, my boyfriend.”

* * *

[WiseWave620: Can you keep a secret?]

* * *

Tally and Simonehad been best friends since they’d met at a yoga class over five years ago. Simone had not realized Tally was blind until their third class together and had felt so guilty that she’d offered to take Tally out for some coffee afterwards. They’d been friends ever since.

Tom was a decade older than them. He and Simone had only been married a few months, though they had a two-year-old daughter, Amelia. Tally really liked Tom. He was what romance readers would call a ‘cinnamon roll hero’. The man was a total sweetheart and would never raise his hand against Simone or their daughter—but watch out if he heard anyone so much asinsulthis girls. Tally felt honored that Tom included her in that category, though she hardly needed protection.

Neither Simone nor Tom knew that, though. Tally didn’t like keeping secrets from them, but it wasn’t like it was an easy conversation to have. Her dad and what he did for a living was complicated and a mostly classified subject.

Tom had introduced Tally to Mark shortly after he and Simone had met three years ago. They’d been friends first before attempting to add romance to their relationship. Mark was a great guy; Tally could not fault him that. He didn’t baby her as other guys she’d dated in the past did. Like she couldn’t cross the street without holding their hand. Though Mark and Tally called each other ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’, they were really more like ‘exclusive friends with benefits’. After nearly two years together, they were still no further along in their relationship than they had been at the start.

They could never live together and that was a big problem for their future. It took a lot of extra effort to be with someone like her, and that consideration was something Mark lacked. The few times Tally had been over at his apartment, she’d had to use her cane. Echolocation worked great, but it had its limits. Items smaller than a baseball were difficult to detect. She’d tripped more than once on a shoe that had not been there minutes ago or stubbed her toe when his couch was moved an inch from the last time she’d been there. Additionally, when he was at her apartment, he moved things absentmindedly and then Tally would spend a frustrating amount of time trying to find it later.

Tally repeatedly told him about it, and he repeatedly told her he would work on it, but two years later, they were still having the same conversation.

It was like the only thing that changed in their friendship was adding the occasional sex between them. The sex was good. Tally enjoyed herself and she had no complaints, per se, but it lacked thatspark, thatsomething, that Simone had with Tom.

And Tally wantedthat spark.

She deserved to have that spark.

Mark was fun, humorous, and sweet. Despite his own busy schedule, he always made time for her. The issue was thatherschedule had become unpredictable, with crazy hours since opening her restaurant. And she was starting to realize that she didn’t miss him when he wasn’t around. Tally truly did care for Mark, but she wasn’t in love with him. Maybe it was cruel to lead him on. She did feel guilty about that. Neither of them had ever said ‘I love you’ and it seemed mutually beneficial to have someone around.

At least, that’s what she kept telling herself. It was getting harder and harder to convince herself, though, and lately Mark annoyed her more than relaxed her. She wanted to break up with him, but his birthday was coming up and she would feel like a total bitch for breaking up with him before his birthday bash with all his family and friends.

Then again, she wasn’t sure how much more of the monotony she could take.

Simone came rushing over to the couch. She didn’t need to announce herself or her intentions. Tally already had her arms open, waiting for her.

In Simone’s own words, she was born chunky and never lost her baby fat. Tally didn’t like it when Simone talked down about her body, but it took until meeting Tom that Simone really started to become comfortable with herself. When they’d first started dating, Tom would scold her for always ordering a salad whenever they were out together. Eventually, he started ordering a second plate of whatever he got, would split her salad with her as an ‘appetizer’, and then push the second plate in front of her to make her eat.

He also always asked if she wanted dessert.

Simone was around Tally’s height, five-seven, and wore a size twenty-two. She wasn’t lazy or immobile. Hell, chasing a two year old around her house all day would keep anyone in shape. She just could not lose weight.

---