Just The Way You Like It - Under Construction

Chapter Seventy

Chapter Seventy

Upon arriving to the room Wallace swore was the kitchen, I realized I had my work cut out for me. The refrigerator was as ancient as it was dirty, and the stove wasn't that much better. A small table sat in the corner of the room, with four mismatched chairs around the sides. One of them had casters on the feet, and Wallace placed me on it's seat before motioning me to the general direction of the refrigerator. Thankfully, the floor was not carpeted, so it wasn't too hard for me to wheel myself around.

Upon opening the refrigerator, I almost choked from the rotting smell, but managed to hold my breath long enough to grab up what groceries I could tell weren't spoiled. I tossed the items on the top of the stove and slammed the refrigerator door shut. I snuck a peak over to Wallace and saw he was watching me from another chair at the table. His arms were crossed around his chest, and I couldn't see his eyes thanks to his mask, but the faint smile splayed across his lips gave away his mood.

“I'm glad your okay, Alice. I was worried those men were going to go too far with you.”

“Then why did you send me back down there in the first place?” I asked bluntly, feeling my anger rise again as I hunted for a pot or pan.

“Honestly?”

“No Wal, please lie to me some more. I love it when you're dishonest.” The sarcasm couldn't have gone unnoticed.

“I needed the money.” For a second, I was shocked, but then the anger came back.

“That's all this is to you, isn't it? You couldn't care less about the people you are hurting, so long as the cash keeps flowing in.”

“In part, yes, and then again, no. Like I said, I sunk my life-savings into this place, and now I can't afford to leave, no matter how much I want to. Most of our profits go to paying people off, hiring hits, keeping people quiet. I can't tell you how many times I've thought about walking away, but if I did, I'd be broke and soon homeless.”

“Geez, why does that sound familiar.” I mumbled as I hunted through the two drawers in the kitchen. Wallace apparently didn't hear me, but he did notice my hunt in the drawers.

“What are you looking for?” Wallace asked, standing from his seat and making his way towards me.

“A knife.” I said, continuing my hunt.

“No sharp objects in here, Sweetie.”

“If you want an omelet, I need a knife.”

“Omelets for dinner?”

“It's all I know how to make with what I've got to cook with.”

Wallace studied me for a minute, before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out his switch-blade. He forced the blade out and turned the knife handle towards me, offering it over for me to use. I took it and imagined what it would feel like to sink it into his chest before dicing up the chunk of ham I had on the stove. “Did you have any more questions to ask me?” Wallace said, moving away from me. I pulled away from my thoughts, realizing that I had just missed my golden opportunity. Sighing, I turned my attention to the ham and thought about what I wanted to ask.

“Did you like Dr. Willub?”

“No particularly. Our relationship was always strained. I was his boss here, and he was my boss at St. Micheal's. We were constantly trying to overstep each other, and it all ended up becoming a hassle.”

“I don't really remember him, I never really met him, and I don't think he ever had sex with me.”

“Willub had . . .medical issues. Lets just say he preferred to watch instead perform.”

“And you?”

“I rarely have time to go down the The Pit these days. Not to mention, I can't go now that I have you. I haven't been with another woman since the day you woke up.” Wallace almost sounded proud of his accomplishment, but I chose to ignore it. Instead I concentrated on cleanly breaking the eggs apart with only one good hand, so I could dump them into a bowl without making a mess.

I worked in silence for the rest of the cooking time, focusing on making a good omelet despite my lack of kitchen utensils. If this was going to be my first real meal in over a week, then I wanted it to at least taste good. Wallace helped me bring the two omelets over to the table, before sitting down again and digging in. “This is good, Alice. I'm impressed.”

“Thanks.” I said in between mouthfuls of my own meal. Finally swallowing enough to end my pangs of hunger, I slowed down enough to talk again. “Would you walk away from this if money was not an issue?”

Wallace sat back and seemed to think about his answer for a minute, before finally taking another bite and answering. “Yes. I think I would.”

“Ever think about seeing a psychologist again?” Wallace almost choked on his food, making it very hard for me to not show a smile.

“Ha!” Wallace finally said after swallowing. “What for? I already know what they would say.

“Maybe they could help you, like you helped me. I'm just saying, it's something to think about.”

“I've got enough medical bills now as it is. Cancer isn't cheap.”

“You have cancer?” I gagged a little on the food I was chewing, but decided to swallow it anyway. Starvation was not an easy foe.

“Since childhood.” Wallace said, almost nonchalantly. “It's been slowly growing over the years, last I had myself checked, they have me five years tops.”

“When did you have yourself checked?”

“Four years ago.”

“Oh Wal, I'm so sorry.” Wallace only shrugged his shoulders, but I could tell deep down he was hurting. “I didn't know.”

“Of course you didn't. It's not something I normally bring up in conversations. Sort of dampens the mood.”

“Does it hurt?” My knowledge of cancer was pretty limited. Wallace chuckled a little before answering.

“No, Alice. It doesn't hurt. My meds make my unfocused and loopy, so I don't take them.”

“Can't you have it taken out or something?”

“Not unless I want to die in the process. It's pretty well set in there. And chemo would knock out my immune system, so I wouldn't be able to work. But enough about me, lets talk about you.” I was a little wary of Wallace's sudden desire to change the subject, but decided to play along. “What can I do to make you happy?” I had no idea how to answer, and was pretty shocked by the question. Slowly, I chewed the last few pieces of my omelet, letting my thoughts mull around for a while.

“I guess letting me go isn't an option.” Wallace shook his head no. “Can I have my bracelet back?” Wallace looked up at me before responding.

“Why?” I shrugged my shoulders, trying to not show my emotions across my face.

“I just think it's pretty.”

“I'll see what I can do. Not sure if we've kept your stuff though, usually we burn personal belongings. Anything else?”

“Let me think about it, okay?”

“Yeah, sure Alice. Just let me know.”

“Thanks Wal, I really appreciate it.” As much as I hated to admit it, Wallace was being pretty kind to me already, and now that I had food in my stomach, I was a lot less angry. I still hated him for forcing me to come back here, but somewhere deep down, I began to feel a small twinge of pity for the man sitting across the table from me. Maybe, just maybe, we would be able to work something out.