10

Spencer Cypress

At the start of the trip, Graham was essentially almost high on the thought of the two of us being in the same car. While I was excited too, it seemed that he was much more than I was.

"I'm hungry." Graham said.

"We've only been on the road for 15 minutes." I told him.

"Please?" He asked. He turned to me and gave me puppy eyes.

"Eyes on the road!" I said. I searched and found him some gummies to feed him. But because he had to focus on driving, I fed him from my hands.

"Ow!" I pulled my hand back. "You bit me on purpose, didn't you?" I asked.

He smiled. "I'm a hungry man. And you looked delicious."

I rubbed Juniper's fur. He was standing on my lap and looking out of the window.

"Because we're dating, I'll let that slide. But don't expect me to be so easy on you next time." I warned him.

"You'll always forgive me." Graham said.

I leaned back in my seat and checked my email. It will take nearly three hours to get to Bakersfield to meet up with Amelda Sherman. I offered for the exchange to be done over phone call, but she insisted it be done face to face.

"While we're here, let's play a game." Graham said.

"Like what?" I asked.

"Why don't we ask each other questions to get to know each other?" He offered. It seems like a good idea to distract us from the long trip.

"I'll start with something simple: What's your favorite color?" I asked him.

"Mm, I'll have to go with yellow. But that gold yellow that you see when the sun is just rising. That kind of yellow. And you?" He asked me.

"Probably indigo. It's a pale type that forms when the night is coming, and the sun is setting." I explained.

"Nice. Have you ever had any pets before?"

"I had a hamster growing up. But it died because of a wet tail, and I buried it in the backyard." I said.

"I bet he had a proper funeral." Graham said.

"Not really. We have a lot of hawks in LA, and it took my hamster's dead body. So even in death it couldn't find peace." I said.

Graham's face dropped. "Oh," He muttered. "Uh, what college did you go to? I'd imagine that you would've gone to a good one."

"Rice University." I replied.

"I didn't go to college. I did for like 2 years before dropping out because of..." He stopped himself. "Never mind."

Just like how Graham didn't ask about why I needed to go to Bakersfield, I didn't ask him about that. I hope one day he can trust me enough to confide in me.

After over three hours of driving on the road, we finally arrived at our destination. Graham parked his car at a local park. I got out first. Graham clipped a leash on Juniper and put his hat on.

"I'll be nearby. Let me know when you're finished." Graham told me.

"Thank you, Graham." I replied.

The text said she was sitting at the picnic benches. After searching around, I found her sitting there while drinking a cup of coffee.

"Amelda?" I called out. She looked up. Her pale skin was slightly sunburned. And her black curly hair was tied into a ponytail. And despite the heat, she wore a modest dress that covered her arms and legs.

"Oh, Spencer, right?" Her soft voice replied.

She stood up and we shook hands. Then we sat, with me across from her.

"My lawyer said you wanted to talk to me." I said.

Amelda nodded. "I was curious about what happened to my old boss so a few weeks ago I did some research and saw everything about what happened with you and him." She explained.

She let out a ragged breath. I could feel her holding back.

"Anyways. I know what you went through."

I was taken aback. "You do?" I said in shock. Amelda's eyes became glossy from tears.

"Mhm. I was his assistant and secretary, so I was always by his side. At first, what we did was fun. He bought me gifts and promised that as long as I kept it a secret then I could rise the ranks." She explained.

"And let me guess, he started to become controlling?" I assumed.

A small nod. "I guess when I started to see how manipulative he actually was and that he didn't really care for me was when I started to pull away. But he threatened to end my career if I didn't do what he said.

"It got worse during a business event when we traveled to New York when he got drunk and..."

She broke into small sobs. I was unsure if I wanted to comfort her out of respect. But I did hand her some tissues that I brought with me, and she wiped her tears.

"I quit that very night and filed a complaint to HR. But I'm sure you know, HR doesn't work for the people but for the company. Next thing you know, I was blacklisted from all nearby jobs. And when I tried to speak out, I was threatened by his friends.

"I feared for my life, Spencer. I really thought that at some point I would get killed. I even bought a gun just in case. So, I knew that there was nothing left for me. I packed up everything and moved. The last that I had learned was that I had been replaced by a newly graduated student, you."

In the distance was Graham. He threw a stick and watched Juniper catch it.

"Did it get better afterwards?" I asked.

"In a way, I guess. But I was a coward and ran away when it got tough."

"You're not a coward, Amelda. What you went through was a terrible thing. You were abused by a powerful man who tried to silence you." I told her. "How is your life now?"

"It's better than before. I got a good job and met my husband." She said. She looked past me. I turned and saw a man sitting at a bench a few feet away.

"So, it did get somewhat better. But I'm sure the scars still haunt you."

She took a sip of her coffee and nodded. "Now let's get down to business. I called you because, after discussing it over with my husband, I've decided that I want to join you with your lawsuit."

I leaned forward. "Are you sure? It would be great to have you on board. But I don't wish for you to have to relieve all of that trauma."

"It's been over five years. I may not be entirely over it. But if I want to get rid of my fears, I'll have to slay the dragon." She replied.

"If you say so. If you want, my lawyer can represent you. He's all caught up with my case and I'm sure he can also work on yours too."

"Thanks, Spencer. I might, however, get someone else. Just because I don't want to overload your lawyer." She said.

"I understand."

"I'm willing to join you, Spencer. That man did things to us, and he needs to suffer the consequences." Amelda said.

"Definitely." We both stood up and I shook her hands.

"Our lawyers should both be in contact soon and he should be served in a week or two."

Amelda and I both exchanged small bits of information. But before she left, I had one question left to ask her.

"Wait. Why did you want to meet with me in person?" I asked her.

She turned around and smiled at me. "Because I wanted to see the man that was just like me. And from what I've seen, you're a strong man that is definitely doing something to get his justice. And if I see for myself who you were, then I'll get the strength I need."

I thanked her and watched as she walked over to her husband. He gave her a kiss and the two left for the parking lot.

After they left, Graham walked up to me and placed his hand on my hair.

"Are you guys done?" He asked.

I suddenly turned and gave him a hug. He brought his hands and hugged me back.

"Thanks for being here with me, Graham." I told him. Juniper barked. "You too, Juniper." I patted the dog's fur.

Graham kissed my forehead. "I'll always be here for you." He replied.

I leaned up and placed a proper kiss on his lips.

"Let's go home now. I've got a party to plan." I said.

"Can I help you with it?" He asked. He placed his hand on my back and led us back to his car.

"Well, I'm certainly not strong enough to assemble a pool by myself." I replied.

Graham, Juniper, and I got into the car and began the drive back home. I looked out the window and, for the first time in a while, felt like things were starting to look up.