FB2-14 "The Cursed Gift"

A Chapter by dw817

Jennie looked down at Jeffrey. She knew he was lying, badly. But she also knew there was something terrible he couldn't talk about right now, certainly not with Sally looming over him like she was.

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F U T U R E B A R R I E R
( The 2nd Novel )
Secret Technology, Unrequited Love, Absolute Vengeance

© December 2014 Written by David Wicker
Please do not reprint without permission

CHAPTER 14 - "The Cursed Gift"
[ CHOOSE A DIFFERENT CHAPTER TO READ ]

* * *

This chapter is Rated: EVERYONE

Sally then handed Jeffrey the present, "Happy Birthday, Poophead, I mean Jeffrey ! You'll NEVER guess what I got you !"

He mumbled something unintelligible to himself but snatched the present back and unwrapped it. Sure enough it was the video she showed him earlier. Expecting a trick he took it and went to a video player to play a bit of it. It was still at the position where she showed him earlier.

If the company he worked for ever saw this he'd also be ruined, disgraced, and fired from them. So it was good that this matter of blackmail would be ended today.

He looked back to Sally who had her hands out in front of her and jiggled them like she was giddy on sugar. "Gimme gimme gimme." she said greedily.

"Ahum." he said and then poured the 22 chips in her hand. She carefully looked them over. "That's 44,000. I thought we agreed on 43,000 !" she said angrily.

Jeffrey shook his head blearily wondering why she would complain if she was getting more than she asked for. "You're getting 1,000 more. I don't have the change right now."

Sally put the money in her skirt pocket and looked at Jeffrey accusingly, "Then you still owe me a 1,000." and fixed him with her mean and beady green eyes.

"What !?" he said quietly, but from the angry look on her face, he couldn't argue with her impossible logic. "Fine !" he said and flung his hands in the air, hoping to free of this terrible situation, "I'll pay you 1,000 at work when I get some change."

And before she could find something else to protest about he yelled at her, "Now scoot !" and he grabbed her by her shoulders and dragged her to the front door.

She didn't fight him and kept quiet, but as she got to the entrance she spoke sweetly, "Jeff ?"

"Yes, Sal ?" he said exasperatedly.

Then she gave him a big smile and sang out loud again, "Happy Birthday to YOU ! Oooh !" as he gave her a rough shove out through the front door eager to be rid of her. He heard the Transit power up after a moment and she had left.

He then looked at the video cartridge he paid 44,000 for. No, what WILL be 45,000 by the time the day is done. Damn, he told himself, he could've bought a nice new hovercar for that amount of money.

He sighed and opened the side of the wall near the kitchen where he had installed an incinerator to destroy valuable documents, and it had a viewing portal so you could see inside it.

He tossed the video in there amongst the other ashes and hit a button. A bright flare of violet and yellow burst around the video, and in less than a minute, it was smoldering ashes. He wiped his hands and flung his fingers out like flicking away the bad memories, glad to be rid of the offending thing and sat down to work on his computer to look up lawyers.

After many hours later and talking to several lawyers through the videophone, they said that even if he had been blackmailed recently, if he couldn't reveal what it regarded or even who it was, they couldn't help him. Jeffrey couldn't breathe a word of what was on the video to anyone as no lawyer would obviously keep such a juicy story to themselves.

It would eventually hit where he worked and it would be as bad as if Sally showed the video to his boss personally, she'd make sure of that.

Disgusted with his lack of options, he set down the crystal videophone receiver and got ready for work.

* * *

He met Jennie at the front door to the lab he worked for. She immediately knew something was wrong by the pained expression in his face. "Jeffrey, whazzup ?" she asked in a concerned voice.

"Oh it's Sally." he began and then it felt like needles stabbed him in the back. OMIGOD I can't tell her there was anything going on between him and her !

"What about, Sally ?" Jennie asked rubbing his back where he felt the needles penetrate. He winced at the continuing pain which worked its way up to his shoulders.

"It's - ahhm - complicated - I - ahhm - owe her some money, I think."

"Just a grand !" Sally said who was stepping up from behind them and then smacked Jeffrey hard on his back right where the needles were dug in the deepest. He cried out in pain from the tension building there.

"Hiya pudding face !" she crowed cheerfully.

Jennie crossed her eyes angrily at her care-free attitude as she was mindlessly oblivious to the fact that Jeffrey was going through some mental anguish right now. "WHY does he owe you a grand ? That's an AWFUL lot of money, isn't it, Jeff ?" and she looked back at him.

"It's - for ..." and he couldn't continue talking.

"For last night, maybe ?" Sally offered and grinned wickedly.

Jeffrey's face went sheet white. "Nonono.. No that, ahhm, I think, uhh, I borrowed it from her years ago for - something I can't remember what, and now - she needs it back, and - ahhm - I'm going to pay her, today !" and he looked at Sally with a look that told her fortheluvofgod SHUTUP !

Jennie looked down at him. She knew he was lying, badly at that. But she also knew there was something terrible he couldn't talk about right now, certainly not with Sally looming over him like she was. She would have to get him alone in private and talk to him then.

"Okay, Jeff." she said in a diffused tone and calculated a time when she could talk to him without Sally being there. "Let's get ready for the meeting."

Sally hadn't forgotten what she said last night. "Jeffrey, there's something else, you wanted to tell her, right ?"

Jeffrey gazed up at her with a look of terror, SURELY she wasn't going to go through with this !? She didn't expect me to tell her I was breaking up with her ? She had no leverage now !

He looked at her with renewed anger. The video was destroyed, she could just pound sand for that grand he owed her now, and with this knowledge, he gave her his own wicked smile, "No, I think we're done here. In fact, Sally, I think I remember, I don't owe you that money at all."

Sally smiled back in kind with an odd look on her face and said, "Hmm ... you could be right." and started to walk away but then she said, "Oh, Jeffrey, one more thing ! That neat family video we saw this morning ? I made a copy for myself so I would never lose it ! And cause it's my favorite show now, I made LOTSA copies everywheres !"

She bobbed her head back and forth playfully, "I cain't even remember where I left 'em all at ! How do ya like them apples ?"

Jeffrey collapsed suddenly to his knees and covered his hands with his face in mortified shame. Jennie caught him, "Are you alright, Jay ?" and she looked back to Sally because she knew now SOMETHING was going on between them and what he wasn't telling her.

Sally continued and twirled her toe innocently on the floor, "So, ahhm, I think maybe there IS something you wanted to tell Jennie after all, Jeff, about US being together NOW ?"

Jennie let go of Jeffrey who fell to the floor with a loud clunk as all the muscles in his body gave out from shock. Then she slowly stared back at Sally with evil, vengeful eyes. Something happened last night between him and her and she was going to find out what it was, NOW !