Chapter 5: As A Matter Of Opinion
I can’t believe I’m doing this Jackie thought as she waited at the traffic light. She let out a heavy sigh, feeling the weight of inevitability looming closer.
Despite her attempts to stay distracted at work, all Jackie could think about was Michael. The thought of spending time with him alone frightened her. It would just be the two of them in her car.
Jackie’s mind ran wild with all sorts of horrific thoughts as to what he may do to her. The longer she played out the potential scenarios in her head, the more afraid she became. For all she knew, he could strangle her and leave her for dead in a ditch off to the side of an abandoned road.
Soon, Jackie found herself parked at the edge of a quiet residential cul-de-sac. She was checking out a pair of houses in the midst of being constructed through the front passenger window.
“This must be the place,” Jackie mumbled, looking at the address on the index card. She surveyed the surrounding houses, verifying their house numbers.
Jackie put the card away in the right pocket of her purse and tucked it under her seat. Next, she adjusted the spray nozzle of the pepper spray hanging off her key chain to the on position.
Feeling a little more secure, she scanned the radio for something to listen to. One of Jackie’s favorite radio talk show programs was back on air from their commercial break.
Turning up the volume, she leaned back in her seat and waited for Michael to arrive.
It had only been a few minutes before she heard a tap on the passenger side door. Straightening herself back to an upright position, Jackie saw Michael standing there with a toolbox with his left hand and an empty tool belt around his waist.
There was nothing particularly special about his uniform. Michael looked like the average construction worker she had seen countless times before. A simple pair of blue jeans, a plain long sleeve white shirt, and an orange reflective construction vest with florescent yellow strips. A lemon yellow hardhat and thick, black steel-toed work boots completed his wardrobe.
There were those wretched tattoos up and down his arms again, some of which had an almost 3D holographic effect. She wished she could erase them.
Composing herself, Jackie announced to Michael, “Come on in, the door’s unlocked.”
Opening the door, Michael said, “Thanks. Do you mind if I put my tools here on the back seat?” He pointed to the rear passenger door. Jackie nodded yes.
Closing the doors, Michael sat his tools down and joined her in the front, buckling his seat belt.
Jackie smelled his salty, glistening sweat as her eyes wandered down to his hands. His hands were those of a blue-collared man. A person who was not afraid to get a little dirty to get the job done.
Jackie remembered that her ex-boyfriend Andrew would rarely get his hands soiled for anything, especially not for hard labor. From his head down to his feet, Michael was the complete opposite of Andrew.
Starting up the ignition, Jackie turned to Michael, asking him, “Where do you live Michael?”
“I live just on the border of here and Smith’s Station,” he replied. “Even though it’s just on the outskirts, I can’t wait to move back to the city.”
“It’s a pretty charming little community though. I like shopping at the stores on Main Street,” Jackie commented. She began driving back towards the beginning of the street.
“Yeah, it isn’t bad. I keep telling myself it is just for a couple of more months until I can move into my mom’s house. My roommates are cool people. We get along good, but I think we are just doing our time there until we can move out. It’s hard to believe that you only have to drive a short distance to see such a change in scenery and atmosphere.”
Jackie nodded in agreement. “Maryanne told me a little bit about your living situation at the yard sale,” she said in a casual manner, making a right hand turn at the stop sign.
“Maryanne’s so sweet. I have known her since I was about six years old. She’s always kind of seen me as the son she never had I guess. Ever since mom died, she and George have really watched over me.
“I just appreciate that they are trying to help me out,” Michael continued. “I don’t know what I could ever do to repay them for the kindness they’ve shown me. It seems like many folks out there in the world are all about themselves. So good to know that the whole world hasn’t turned cruel and ugly.”
“Hmm,” Jackie murmured, focusing her attention on the road as she continued down the road.
She didn’t really want to engage Michael in any sort of conversation. However, she knew if she remained silent, he would suspect that she didn’t particularly care for his company. For all she knew, perhaps he already got that feeling from her, but just didn’t want to make her aware of that fact.
Trying to think of a way to preoccupy herself while driving Michael home, she turned up the volume on the radio. Jackie asked, “Hey, do you listen to Hot Talk?”
Michael paused for a moment to think before letting out a little chuckle.
“Oh, I think I know what you’re talking about. Isn’t it that radio talk show with that guy and girl Carla and Tucker, or something like that?” Michael inquired.
“Yeah.”
“Oh, ok. I hear the show in the morning sometimes while me and the guys are working. Those two are funny. Especially Tucker. The comments he makes about the callers and the guests are hilarious.”
“The replay is about to come on if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” Michael answered. “It’s your ride. I’ll listen to whatever you want to play. I’m just happy to get a lift home.”
“Great,” Jackie stated. “I didn’t get to listen to it this morning. I got busy with work.”
“Oh, I see. What do you do?”
“I’m a marketing consultant.”
“Hmm,” Michael commented, “Sounds important. I guess you’ve already figured out what I do by now?”
“Housing construction right?”
Michael smiled. “Can’t get anything past you can I,” he joked, looking at Jackie whose body language remained unchanged. Realizing that she didn’t appear to be amused by his statement, he shrugged his shoulders before continuing. “Anyway, right now, I am just doing the general construction until I can get approval by the state to get my electrician’s license again,” he explained.
“Oh. How long does that take?”
“Actually, I should be hearing back from them within the next two weeks. Once they give me the clearance, I can pay to take my certification exam. Then I’ll be on my way to building my life back to the way it was before.”
“That’s good,” Jackie remarked in an aloof tone. “I wish you the best of luck.”
“Thanks,” Michael acknowledged, turning his head to look outside the window.
The theme song from the Carla and Tucker Show started to play. Right after that, a male voice began to speak over the radio.
“Welcome back folks to the too hot for television radio talk show Hot Talk. I’m the man they call Tucker Freeman. Next to me is my partner in crime Carla Anthony,” Tucker announced. “How are you doing my caffeinated friend?” he asked.
“I have my cup of Joe and an axe to grind,” Carla answered. “So I think I’m good to go. Thanks.”
“Uh oh,” Tucker observed. “Pray tell, Carla. What is troubling you today?”
“Well,” Carla began. “I came across an article last night, which I just had to talk about because it infuriated me so much.
“Everything infuriates you. That’s why I love you,” Tucker laughed.
“That figures,” Carla scoffed. “At any rate, a new sociology study was just released from the University of Virginia. This sociology study talks about the breakdown of male and female relationships in relation to the rise of single career women.
“According to this study, many of the women surveyed are not willing to take on a more submissive, supportive role for their male partners.
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“In addition, because more of these women are making higher incomes, the standards and expectations they have in a potential mate are more stringent, shrinking the pool of eligible men available for them to date. Carla paused for a moment before continuing to detail the study.
“The study goes on to suggest as more single women opt to pursue careers over settling down or raising a family,” she reported, “they stand to put themselves at higher risk of remaining single because of waiting too long to find love. Furthermore, it can be a major contributor to destroying the already broken family structure.”
There was brief moment of silence before Tucker responded by relating, “Hmm. Well that doesn’t sound too far fetched to me.”
“Really? Are you serious?” Carla retorted.
“Yeah I’m totally serious,” Tucker began. “Now before some of ya’ll get on the boo-hoo party wagon, let me just say that I love a woman who’s a real go-getter. But I have to agree that a lot of women these days are far too picky and stubborn to make a relationship work.”
Still listening to the radio broadcast as they continued driving further out of the city, Jackie rolled her eyes and shook her head in complete opposition with the male radio host’s commentary. Michael cracked a smile as he let out a quiet giggle.
The two of them turned their attention back to the radio show hosts.
“Say what?” Carla countered. “Maybe a few are. But that is mostly a bunch of BS. I don’t think women should have to apologize for having standards and making a life for themselves without depending on a man. Sorry Tucker, but this is 2013. Not 1953.”
“Preach on girl!” Jackie chimed in, agreeing with Carla’s comment.
“Oh, come on Carla,” Tucker objected. “There are plenty of examples of women out there that are like that. They complain about not being able to find a good man. However, they think they are too good to make any improvements on themselves.
“Plus, they don’t want to treat their boyfriend or husband as an equal. They want to be able to wear the pants in the relationship and treat them like a red headed stepchild expect when they needs something from him.
“No man should have to put up with that kind of crap either. Like I said, not all, but a lot of women are at least partially to blame for why they are not in happy relationships and are alone,” Tucker concluded.
Michael nodded his head, adding, “Hard to argue with that.”
Jackie shot a look across to the passenger side of the car to give Michael a disapproving glare.
“Why I never…” she said in disgust.
“Well, it sounds like this topic is definitely going to raise a few pulses for sure,” Tucker declared. “After this commercial break, we’re going to take some calls from the phone lines and see what the people have to say about this interesting new study.”
Michael and Jackie listened as the theme music to the radio show began to play.