Chapter 7 - Mary, Mary Say Your Rosary

 

 

 

 

They land in New York and share the car into the city.  Beth made her own arrangements, deciding to stay in the city with plans to stop at the office when she was done with Melissa's hearing.  "Can you drop me at the Waldorf, please?"  Beth asks the driver, through the opening between the seats.  The driver nods, letting Beth know that he would.

 

"Why are you staying at a hotel?" Jon asks her, shocked that she's not staying with Tammy or even at her office.  When she designed her office, she had an area built for late nights and early mornings.  It wasn't anything fancy, but it had a bed and fridge and everything else you would find in a hotel room. 

 

"Where should I be staying?" she replies. 

 

"Why are you not staying with Tammy?" he asks, thinking that would be her plan all along.  He knows that Peter didn't make plans for her, so he really had no idea what she was planning, but he did assume that she would stay with Tammy.

 

Beth is looking through her purse for her cell phone, digging through it she looks up at him and says, "I had a feeling that I may need some alone time after this hearing."

 

Jon hadn't thought about that.  He was sorry to hear what she had said, "Maybe you won't though."

 

"Just preparing for it." she responds swiping her phone and reading her missed communications.  she had a few emails and a few text messages.  One was from Stephanie.  Beth, I know you're in town.  Can we do lunch?  "I have a text here from Rose, did you tell her I was coming into town?"

 

Jon shakes his head no, "I didn't.  She must have overheard something or maybe her mother told her." 

 

"She wants to do lunch, is she home from school?"

 

"Some mid-term break.  She's home this week."

 

Looking at him, seeing the stress on his face, she asks, "Would it be alright if I did lunch or dinner with Stephanie while I'm here?"

 

"I don't see why not.  She's a big girl and can do what she wants, as long as she maintains her grades."

 

"How has she been doing?" Beth asks, she cares for the kids as if they were her own and being away from them killed her, but it's not a choice that she made.  "Has she had anymore trouble?"

 

"No, she's good, she's great.  All the kids are good and miss you." he tells her, "We all miss you."

 

Beth lets her gaze stop on the landscape out the window.  She hated the ride from JFK and wished that they had flown into Newark, but they didn't.  She's looking at people in passing cars, wondering what their story is.  Mumbling, unaware that she's doing it, "I wonder how many other people are on their way to a hearing to keep their child's killer in jail."

 

Jon is left speechless.  He can't resist the urge to touch her.  He extends his arm and puts his hand on hers, "Don't think about that now.  It's not until tomorrow."

 

She rolls her head on the seat and looks to him, "It's all I thought about since you called me.  I am in fear that this crazy bitch will be set free and I'll have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life."

 

"Babe, she's not getting out."

 

"How do you know?" she snaps at him, getting angry about it all, all over again. 

 

"I'll use whatever money and influence that I have to keep her locked up for a very long time, that you have to believe."

 

She draws her hand away from his, "I believe that you will try and I believe that you believe that it may work, but I need to know for sure.  I hope that we as upstanding citizens of the community and being McKenna's parent holds some weight."

 

"It has too.  And we have to believe that it will."

 

"Will you knock it the hell off, please.  I have faith in very little these days and you're inspiration helps me NONE.  I shouldn't be in this car, we shouldn't be having this conversation."  She can't stop now, physically, her mouth has taken control of her body.  "I never should have given you a business card when I met you backstage.  I should have taken the fact that you ARE married as a sign, I should have told you NO from the get go, but I was too weak.  I'm not that weak little girl that you met in LA all those years ago Jon.  I am done, to use your words, I am fucking done with all of the chaos and heartache that comes with loving you.  I would rather love you and not be with you than with you and  under a cloud of doom."

 

He can only look at her like her head has spun in circles, she never talks like that and he doesn't know what to say.  He is in shock, but he didn't need to talk, she was doing it all for them both.

 

"I hate that you think you can still control what I do.  Having Peter call me and make flight arrangements really pisses me off Jon.  I know you mean well, but I am a grown woman, I can take care of myself.  No one needs to make hotel arrangements for me either.  What's it going to take for you to let me go?"

 

He's watching this transformation of the sweet and amazing woman that he met years ago morph into a woman that holds nothing back.  He is amazed by her tone and slightly turned on.  She's standing up to him and he finally feels that nothing he could do, nothing he could try would change her mind.  He loves her so much at this point.  He knows that there isn't anything he should say, throwing caution to the wind he says, "I am trying to make life on you easier in anyway that I can.  That's all this was about.  I know that you're capable of taking care of yourself, but isn't it nice that someone wants to do nice things for you?"  He says what he has to say, leaning his head back on the seat he closes her eyes and finishes with, "I love you, that's all I can say." 

 

The car pulls up to the Waldorf hotel and the driver let's Beth out.  Jon follows her out of the car and once his feet hit the sidewalk, he is off on his own.  Beth stands there and watches him walk away.  She has her bag in her hand, catching the driver out of the corner of her eye, he's waiting for a tip. 

 

 While keeping her eye on Jon, she digs through her bag again and finds her wallet.  Opening it, she takes a 50 out of her pocket and hands it to him.  He tips his hat and says , "Thank you ma'am, enjoy your visit to the Big Apple."