Walking over to the stack of clothing she left on the floor, Mariah simply stood there while she listened to what Javier had to say. That sexy voice was so easy to listen to, so smooth and perfect that she almost missed what he said entirely. When Javier was finished talking about her waitressing job and dance schedule she nodded, her breath then hitched in her throat when he kissed her, but she knew it was a gesture that was common for people like him, so she didn’t think anything of it. Even so, she still had a difficult time calming down her heart beat. Mariah smiled at his sweet words and felt herself become excited, she was actually eager to please him whether or not the dancing connected her to him through his club or not.
Weeks flew by and Mariah managed to weave herself into a lifestyle the ravage civilian had. Waitressing and especially dancing had become part of her soul. She formed tight bonds between herself and the people she served, and danced for. Over time Mariah built up her self-esteem, and it made her feel sexy, desired and a little daring. Regardless of how she felt she was sure to keep her distance from Javier. When they were together she isolated her desire for him and focused on her lessons, improving her dancing skills, learning how to make love to herself, an invisible lover or the cold hard steel of the pole between her legs.
Mariah had been that absorbed in her new life that she nearly forgot about the Academy and the mission she was originally sent to complete. A message from an inside contact slapped her back into reality and once again she jumped back on track. She took great care in sticking to her role and maintaining the personality she developed as an employee.
It was a Monday and she decided to take her daily jog earlier because of the beautiful weather, it wasn’t too cold or too hot, just the way she liked it. She listened to the steady thump thump thump of her sneakers hitting the pavement and breathed in the scent of the greenery around her. Instead of jogging in a park like most people she ran through a section of the city where rows and rows of houses where perfectly trimmed grass and gorgeous flowers existed. The area was specifically designed for seniors who had served in the war or had some sort of ties that connected to the armed forces. Anyone could go into the area but only those type of people could live there. She had come across that section of the city by accident because of her lack to knowledge regarding the layout of the land. L.A sure was a big ass city.
The bright red glare of a stop sign loomed in front of her vision and because she felt her tongue stick to the roof of her mouth she slowed herself to a full stop and pulled out her water bottle. Raising it to her lips she drank the cool liquid like someone dehydrated but a sound of distress caught her attention. Lowering her water bottle she shifted on her feet and began looking around for the source of the noise. Not far from her she spotted an elderly woman in a garden who was hunched over like she was in pain. Mariah quickly jumped into action and ran at full speed to the old lady.
When she reached the woman Mariah placed her hand on her shoulder and leaned down to bring her eyes level with hers. “Ma’am, are you alright?” She asked. The senior blinked then looked up into Mariah’s face with the clearest, most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. “Oh… no, no… I’m alright dear, go on and continue about your day…” She answered quickly, like she felt she was placing a burden on a complete stranger. The woman tried to get up but she only succeeded in causing her legs to weaken even more. Mariah put her other hand on her and kept a firm yet gentle grip on the old woman. “It’s alright ma’am, I’m not in a hurry and your health is more important. Do you have anyone living with you that I can contact?” She asked softly.
The old woman had a thoughtful look on her face and seemed to be in a daze. “Oh…” She began. “Yes… well, no…” She frowned then made a tsk sound at herself, clearly she was confused. Mariah let her correct herself while she helped her up. “My son… can you call him for me?” She asked weakly. Nodding her head she guided the woman into her house; which brought them into her kitchen, the elderly woman pointed to a homemade phone/address book next to her phone that was on the counter.
Mariah ran around getting a cold cloth and anything else she could possibly think of. When the old woman was sitting at her kitchen table with a cloth in hand and pressing it to her forehead, Mariah reached for the book. She quickly searched through the pages and called the son the woman, whose name turned out to be Edna. Unfortunately, he couldn’t come to help her, neither could another son, a daughter, a sister… Mariah was beginning to think this might have Alzheimer’s decease or didn’t update her numbers or something, but she found the cell number of another son… her step son.
Biting her lower lip and she called the number and waited and waited, just when she was going to hang up a deep masculine voice spoke up. “Hello?” He spoke a few more words then must have hit a button by mistake because Mariah heard a beep and was snapped out of her daze. “Oh.. ah.. um…” She stuttered, stopping to breath she began again. “I was running.. jogging like I usually do and..” “What the fuck… who is this?” He asked, clearly annoyed.
She stopped again then got angry at both the rude male and herself. “Look… I found your mother, Edna, outside in her garden. She…” He cut it. “She’s not my mother.” He said firmly. Mariah’s jaw dropped in surprise to his cold words. “Excuse me… but… nobody else can help her… she’s not well…” She stopped, chewing her lower lip. The sound of his frustrated sigh came through the phone before that voice returned, and for the first time since talking to this man, his voice was music to her ears. “I’m coming… care for her until I arrive..” He paused for a second then awkwardly mumbled a please. Smiling to herself she assured him his step mother was going to be in safe hands.
Edna blinked and stared at Mariah. “You found my son?” She asked weakly. Mariah smile. “I did… your step son is coming t...” She said but slowed her words when she noticed the old woman had a look of sadness in her eyes. “Aden… you mean… Aden is coming to see… me?” She asked, surprised by the news. Mariah frowned slightly, she wasn’t sure about the family history but it was none of her business anyway. “Yes, he is. Aden is the only person I could reach.” She added then sat down in a chair next to her.
The woman looked thoughtful for a moment then smiled. I didn’t think he would ever come near me again. She said softly. Even though she was curious she didn’t push for more information, the lady on the other hand loved to tell old stories. For the next thirty minutes she spent her time smiling and laughing with Edna as she told her about her past. A knock on the door caught their attention and Edna was about to get up and answer it. Mariah got up and placed her hand on the elders shoulder to let her know she would go. Walking across the kitchen floor she opened the front door and…