“He is, but it’s still hard on him to adjust to this new relationship,” Judy said.
“Sounds like someone else I know.” He pointedly looked at Judy.
She understood how her son felt, as she felt the same way.
“Jay is also having a problem when we leave. He thinks something is going to happen to us,” Judy said.
“I’m sure it’s just a reaction to Will’s and Vera’s deaths.” Ren surmised.
“That’s what I thought,” Judy agreed. “I’m sure he’ll get over this, but it may take some time.”
“We’ll just have to keep reassuring him that everything will be all right.”
Ren noted the worried look in his wife’s eyes. Both his wife and son were having a hell of a time getting over Will and Vera’s deaths. He knew all they needed was lots of love to help them through this.
“Why don’t we get some sleep,” Ren suggested.
Judy yawned. “Sounds good to me.”
When they got into bed, Ren pulled her close. It felt good having her in his arms. They had been together for eleven years now and he was still madly in love with her.
As he held her, he felt the comforting feeling he always did when he was around her. There was something about Judy’s energy that always had a calming effect on him. Jay felt the same way. He often said he loved being around his mother’s energy, as it made him feel good. It wasn’t long before both of them drifted off to sleep.
Ren’s day was a busy one. He had back-to-back consultations all morning and was glad when his last client left. He needed a break. Being a personal trainer was something he enjoyed doing, especially at Brawny’s gym. The gym had a good reputation, great customer service, and many trained professionals, like him, to help the members.
Ren was making a protein shake when Rick walked in.
“Hey Ren.”
“Rick what brings you by?” Ren asked.
“I wanted to talk to you about Hope.”
Ren took a sip of his drink. “What about her?”
“Did Judy say anything to you about her mood last night?”
Ren shook his head. “Nope.”
“Damn,” Rick cursed. “I was hoping you might know something.”
“Didn’t you talk to her today?” Ren asked.
“No,” Rick said. “She was gone when I got up. I figured she went to see Judy at the restaurant, so I dropped by there, but was told that she wasn’t there and neither was Judy.”
“She must be at work and Judy is probably with her.” Ren figured.
“I hope Judy can find out what happened last night. She seemed weird when she came back from the bathroom.”
“I noticed that too,” Ren said.
“I didn’t see anyone come out after her, which makes me wonder what happened.” Rick commented.
“I saw someone,” Ren interjected.
“You did, who?” a surprised Rick asked.
“A man, but he didn’t come out right after Hope. It was a while later.”
“Do you remember what he looked like?” Rick asked.
“He was around six feet, short brown hair, fairly good looking,” Ren said then
added, “He seemed to have a cockiness about him.”
A twinge of concern came over Rick. His gut was telling him this man had something to do with Hope’s mood.
“I’m going to talk to Hope tonight and find out what the hell happened,” Rick said in a tight voice.
Ren noticed the dark look on Rick’s face.
“Look, I wouldn’t worry about this,” Ren said. “It’s probably nothing.”
“Let’s hope you’re right.” Rick said.
After Rick left, Ren went to his office to relax. He needed some down time before his next client arrived in half an hour. Reaching for the phone, he punched in the restaurant number. Hazel, a long time employee of Willie’s restaurant, told him that Judy went to visit Hope at work. Ren was glad. Maybe she would find out exactly what happened last night.
“You spoke to my uncle?” Judy screeched.
Hope quickly closed her office door.
“Yeah, I was hoping he would make contact with me and he did. He told me Jonathan was an M.O.E.”
“He said that Jonathan was really Moe?” Judy asked slightly confused.
Hope laughed, “No, not Moe as in the name, but M.O.E. meaning a manipulator of energy.” Hope replied.
Hope explained how she always felt like he had been controlling in their encounters. She censored what she had told her friend, not wanting to let on how intimate they had gotten, as she still felt guilty over this.
“So what you are saying is that Jonathan was controlling what he wanted you to do,” Judy said.
“Basically.”
Judy shook her head. “Unbelievable.”
“Have you ever heard of an M.O.E. before?” Hope asked.
“Never,” Judy replied.
“What concerns me is if Jonathan does this to other people.”
“No kidding,” Judy said. “I think you should say something to Rick.”
Hope vehemently shook her head. “No way.”
“Why?” Judy questioned.
“Rick never believed in psychic phenomena until he met you. He’s just getting used to what you do, if we drop this one on him I think he won’t believe it.”
“I think you’re wrong,” Judy commented. “Rick should know about this so that he can watch this guy.”
“All he will see is two consenting adults in a little one-on-one action, or so it will seem. There will be nothing criminal about it.”
Judy gave her a strange look. “Are you saying that Jonathan did more than flirt with you?”
Hope became nervous. She really didn’t want to tell her what went on between them. How his kisses turned her on making her act in ways she never would have, but that’s where the manipulation came in. Jonathan made her do things that she would never have done in normal circumstances. Hell, she had Rick. He was the best thing that ever happened to her. Why would she want to screw that up?
Now that Jonathan had seen her last night with Rick, she hoped that he would end his shenanigans.
“Hope,” Judy interrupted her thoughts. “Did something happen between you and Jonathan?”
“Yes and no,” Hope said evasively.
“What do you mean?” Judy pressed.
Hope sighed. They had been friends since they were teenagers, were extremely close, so she knew when her friend wasn’t about to drop something. It was time to come clean and tell her exactly what happened. When she did, Judy exploded.
“That scum!” she shouted.
“Now do you see why I can’t tell Rick,” Hope said. “He’s not going to believe that Jonathan manipulated me into doing the things I did.”
Hope slumped down in her chair in defeat. She had an uncanny knack for attracting weird men, even some