Page 23 of Diluted Truths
While Fai looked at him as a pretentious prick who slept with everyone he could, Sarah described him as reserved and powerful who didn’t like most people. The man I was slowly getting to know was insightful, understanding, and shockingly patient.
I knew I was a lot to handle. I had heard it my entire life. It started with my parents being unable to control myyouthful spiritas they said. It then moved to Theo and Nate, my sister and brother, who always believed my thoughts went a million miles per hour. Even my coworkers now knew me as a chaotic creature who never slowed down. Most people’s patience with me withered with time. Will, however, seem delighted by it. Maybe in that way we balanced each other.
“Who was on the phone?” Fai asked as he leaned in my office door frame.
“Oh, just Theo. Making sure I was still coming,” I lied, unable to meet his eyes.
“Is she excited to see you?” Fai asked. “I bet Vi is jumping off the walls.”
Violet, also known as Vi, was my sister, Theo’s, daughter. She was a spitfire at five years old. It was true, when she heard I would be coming to see her while in San Francisco, I went practically deaf due to her screams and cheers through the phone.
“She’s pumped.”
“Jackie, are you okay?” Fai asked, seeming concerned by my behavior.
I smiled at my friend and, doing what I truly did best, I lied. “Yeah, I really am. I’m anxious to get going. It’s been too long since I have taken a real break from work.”
Fai looked at me skeptically. I wanted to tell him everything, the whole truth. I knew it wouldn’t go well, and even more than avoiding the truth, I wanted to avoid disappointing him.
“Well, good. You deserve a break,” Fai conceded. “You might want to head out soon. Knowing Oliver, he’ll want to be three hours early for your flights.”
I chuckled, knowing he was right. “You’re right. Olly!” I yelled.
“Yo!” I heard him call back from his office.
“Let’s bounce!” I responded. I stood and grabbed my suitcase and gave Fai a tight hug. “I love you, Fai.”
“I love you too, Jackie. Call me the second you get there,” Fai said as he hugged me back.
“So, you going to tell me what you are going to do for the few days Fai thinks you’re with me in California?” I asked Oliver as we approached the airport.
“Just stuff for my case I’m working on. If it’s important, I promise I’ll call you,” Oliver responded as he looked out the passenger window. “I have Theo’s number so I can just call her. You’re staying there, right?”
“Yeah, cheaper than a hotel, plus I get my Vi fix so worth it,” I responded to him as we pulled up to the departure doors. “Take good care of my car, Olly. She is brand new and I rather like her.”
“Her?” He asked before putting the pieces together himself. “Oh yeah, Shannon, I forgot.” Oliver chuckled as we got out of the car and he rounded the hood to get in the drivers seat. “I promise I’ll take care of her. You take care of yourself for me. I need my best friend back in one piece.”
“No promises! Love you!” I yelled over my shoulder as I rolled my suitcase through the doors and made my way to my gate.
I had always loved airports. They were the start to so many great adventures. Every person that was there was either excited and anxious as they prepared to start their adventure or tired and weary after the end of one.
I found it fun to try and guess where each person was going and why. Maybe it was the journalist in me that brought on these feelings.
When I found my gate I promptly took my seat and settled in, knowing I still had a solid hour before my flight boarded. Luckily I had brought along my current favorite book,The Standby Stephen King. I had gotten thoroughly lost in the story when I heard his throat clear to get my attention.
“Do you know what that book is based on?” I looked up to see Will standing in front of me, looking way too attractive for a person about to board a plane.
“Nope, but I have a feeling you do,” I lied as I got a solid look at him while he took the seat next to me. He had a baseball cap and a hoodie on with his carry-on bag in his hand.
I knew all about the history of this book.
“It’s called the Dugway Sheep Incident,” Will began as he grabbed the book from my hands. “It was in the late sixties. Essentially an army base released nerve gas into the air near a town called Grantsville, a place called Skull Valley. Thousands of sheep were killed. There are conspiracies that it killed people as well. It’s all veryhush hushin the government.”
“I actually read your paper detailing the incident,” I responded as I stole my book back from him and placed it in my bag.
“You read my paper? When?” he asked, but I could see the excitement lurking in his eyes.
“Calm down, Doctor, it was a while back. When it was first published. Sarah gave it to me to read. At the time I had no idea you wrote it.”
