Eye Of The Beholder

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

DB86#4

Edited by Pat & Arthur

My take on a classic tale.

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CHAPTER 1

Annabella checked the gas gauge. She was running on fumes. She didn't want to waste money putting gas in the tank, but she wouldn't be able to reach home unless she added some. She had sold her jewelry and most of her wardrobe for enough cash to get back in town. Her credit cards had been revoked long ago.

Annabella counted her money, plastered on her most charming smile and said, "Two gallons of gas, please."

"You're Annabella Reed, right?" the guy at the gas station asked her.

"Yep, that's me. And you are..."

"Bradley Austin. I was a jock back in high school... football, baseball. Good looking, one of the cool crowd, lots of chicks, always partying, though you'd never know it looking at me now."

Annabella eyeballed him. She vaguely remembered him from high school. High school! That was the last time she'd owned the world.

Bradley was starting to bald, and his work clothes couldn't hide the small beer belly above his waist.

"What are you doing back in town, Annabella?"

"Vacations. Visiting the family," she lied.

"Last I heard you were living in California. You were working as a fashion model or something like that."

"Yeah, something like that," she said, avoiding the subject.

"Count yourself lucky. You were able to get out of Boring-Town." The former jock finished pumping gas and took the money she gave him. "It's been nice chatting with you, Annabella. Good luck."

"You too," she wished.

Ten minutes later, she was driving into the center of Middletown. She saw the town's four-block main street. The courthouse clock was no longer frozen at four minutes past ten, and the fountain in the park had shed its grime. There was also a new restaurant called The Jammed where the old one used to be.

Annabella couldn't postpone it any longer. She let out a long sigh and headed toward her mother's house. Living with her mother had never been easy. She was a true pain in the ass. Always complaining about anything and everything. Annabella was sure she was going to have a cardiac arrest when she saw the old car she was driving.

Annabella remembered her mother's parting words when she left Middletown looking for a better future. "I'm not getting younger or prettier, you better find a wealthy man or a celebrity to support both of us."

Her story had been the typical small-town beauty queen with big-city dreams. She had won a beauty pageant. The prize was a photo session in California. That was how an 18-year-old Annabella set out to seek fame and fortune.

However, her life in California was harder than expected. When she wasn't serving up burgers and beers, she was doing some minor modeling work. The path to success wasn't as easy as she thought it would be. In Middletown, she was a big fish in a small pond, but in California a small fish in a very large pond.

Annabella was cute, true. But there were plenty of cute girls like her. She crossed paths with them in every casting she went to. They were all looking for the same things, and some of them were willing to do anything to get it.

Sooner than later, she discovered the truth about the modeling business and the false promises they made her. Everything was about money and connections. Getting her portfolio done cost her a fortune. First thing she was told, was that she had to lose 10-20 pounds because she had 'too much muscle'.

The next years were a true nightmare for her. Stolen pay. Sexual harassment. Months without a paycheck. Outrageous fees and expenses that ate away at earnings. And no one to turn to for help.

Even after gracing the pages of some well-known magazines, her situation didn't improve. She never made a breakthrough in the fashion scene. Maybe if she'd agreed to have sex with that agent, or that photographer, or that producer... Why hadn't she shut her eyes and let them do what they wanted?

"This is a cutthroat business, princess. If you don't do it, someone else will. There are many girls who are desperate to get a chance." Her agent had been brutally honest with her.

If only she'd stopped resisting and had sex with them. She was a tough girl. Maybe she could have survived the experience. For some reason, she couldn't. She couldn't sell her soul for fame. That's where she drew the line.

She had kissed and made out with a lot of guys in high school. She had engaged in some heavy petting sessions, with some of them, but she never had sex with any of them.

She wasn't a prude either. She loved dressing in sexy clothes to get males' attention and get her ways with them. She loved the power of having a boy twisted around her little finger. Because she was always surrounded by a group of boys, people assumed that she had slept with all of them. The truth was that she lost her virginity on prom night.

When Annabella left Middletown, she thought she could flirt her way into becoming a celebrity. She couldn't be more wrong. California had chewed her up and spat her out.

One of the last job offers she got was in a massage center, but when she went there, she realized the place obviously wasn't only about massages.

Her manager advised her, "This world is not for you, Bella. You always will be a small-town girl. Go back home."

That was the end of her career as a model. She gave up and decided to come back home broken, her dreams shattered. It had been a humbling experience.

Annabella parked her car in front of her mother's house, went out and walked to the door.

She sighed, thinking about a bowl of warm soup and a comfortable bed where she could stretch her legs. After hours of sitting in her car, Bella's limbs were threatening to cramp, and her back ached.

She took a deep breath and rang the bell. Her mother was not happy to see her.

"Hello, mother."

The woman at the door smirked at her daughter.

"Well, well, well, look who's come crawling back to this town full of losers."

Annabella lowered her head and said nothing.

"'I don't need to go to college, mom,' 'I'm going to be a famous model, mom,' you left your poor mother alone to go California. You never sent a penny to me. Well, where is the fame? Where is the fortune?" Annabella's mother sneered.

The look of shame and embarrassment that came over Annabella's face would have softened a rock. But her mother's heart was harder than stone.

"Mom, I drove all the way here from California. I haven't eaten a proper meal in days. I have slept in my car. I don't need this right now."

The woman let her daughter in and went to the kitchen. A few minutes, later she placed a dish in front of Annabella.

"Your old room is still there. You'll have to clean it, do your own laundry, and contribute with half of the expenses of the house if you want to live here. You'll help me with the cooking too. You should start looking for a job as soon as possible. I won't support you," she told her daughter as she watched her devour some heated leftovers.

Annabella nodded absentmindedly.

"There is a new restaurant in town. The owner went to high-school with you. You might ask him for a job as a waitress or washing dishes, if it's not beneath your dignity," her mother went on with a voice full of sarcasm.

Annabella pushed the food down with a long gulp of water.

"That's a good idea, Mom. Thank you. Who's the owner?"

"Red Harding."

Annabella choked, her drink almost coming out her nose. Annabella had been part of Janice Cooper elite group in high school. She was positive Red remembered her. Janice had tried to play a cruel joke on him and she had been there that night.

CHAPTER 2

"Time to eat crow," Annabella muttered under her breath and pushed open the door of the restaurant.

"Looks who's here. The rumors were true. The beauty queen is back," Kat, one of the waitresses, said to no one in particular, as soon as she spotted Annabella entering the restaurant.

Kat turned her head to the kitchen and voiced, "Tony, we have a celebrity in the house." Her voice was full of sarcasm.

Tony, the restaurant chef, stopped his singing and stuck his head out of the kitchen. "Ohhh, sounds like a juicy story," He went back inside for a moment and commanded his sous-chef, "Keep an eye on the sauce and don't let it burn, or I'll hang you by your toes."

"Yes, Chef," the man answered in a very military manner.

Tony went out of the kitchen and stood beside Kat. "Who is she and why do we hate her?"

Kat pointed at the girl walking towards them.

"Meet Annabella Reed, former beauty queen in person. She was part of Janice Cooper's elite group. Being as gorgeous as she is, the elite group was like her natural place to be. The last thing I heard, she won a beauty pageant and went to California to work as a model."

"Well, she looks too thin even for a model," Tony opined, taking a look at Annabella.

Kat rolled her eyes. "Everyone looks thin for you, sweetie."

"What can I say? I'm Italian, I like some meat in there, not just bones. Was she a bully too?"

Kat shook her head.

"Not really, but she was part of the bullies' group and laughed at the poor victims."

"In which groups were Red and you in high school?" Tony asked.

"Red was always a misfit. He never fit in any group. He had this 'dark and mysterious' vibe, that drove girls crazy," Kat explained with dreamy eyes.

"Red was a heartbreaker? I'd have never imagined him as a ladies' man."

"He could have been if he wanted to, but he also had this 'go away' vibe too."

Tony and Kat laughed.

"What about you, Kat?"

"I was briefly part of the elite, but I was mainly a misfit like Red."

"You part of the bullies? That's hard to imagine, sweetie."

"Yeah, not my brightest moment I must admit. I was there because it was better to be part of their group than being bullied. When they intended to play a cruel joke on Red, I couldn't take it anymore and left the group to save him."

"Was that the occasion when Janice pretended to be interested in Red just to get him naked and leave him stranded at the lake?" Tony asked. He had heard the story before.

Kat nodded. "Yep. That was the night we rekindled our friendship."

"My beautiful wife saved me from walking back from the lake completely naked and humiliated," Red explained, giving Kat a very loving kiss. "Which is the reason why we're walking down memory lane?"

Annabella approached them, and asked politely, "Good morning, I'd like to speak with the manager, please?"

Red extended his hand, "Hi, I'm Red Harding, co-owner of the place. This is my business partner and chef Tony Marino, and this beautiful girl at my side, is my charming wife."

"Annabella Reed," she introduced herself, shaking Red's hand.

She looked at Tony, then at Kat and finally back at Red.

"Wife?"

Kat smiled wide and extended her left hand to show off the diamond ring on her finger.

"Yes, wife. We got married four months ago when Red Junior decided to show up." Kat caressed her baby bump, and Annabella realized why she hadn't recognized her at first. She was pregnant. Her face was round, and her cheeks were rosy. She had cut her hair short too.

"Congratulations," Annabella said sincerely. "I'm happy for you two."

"Table for one?" Kat asked Annabella.

Bella blushed and lowered her head, "No, I'm actually looking for a job. I have experience as a waitress."

"A job? What happened with your career as a model?" Kat asked in surprise.

"It's a long story, but achieving success was not as easy as I supposed it would be," Annabella swallowed hard, "Things didn't work out for me as expected in California. I'm basically broken, and I crawled back home with my tail between my legs. I need a job. Any job. My mother practically told me that she was going to throw me out of the house if I don't bring any money in. And I just got home yesterday."

"Tough love. My father would approve her methods," Red said sincerely.

Annabella raised her head, her eyes were shiny. "I know I wasn't exactly the best friend to any of you. I was always hanging with Janice. I laughed of her jokes and did nothing to defend the poor victims. I wasn't as brave as you were, Kat. I'll never forget how you stood up for Red that night. I was a selfish person and a coward. It's hard for me to face you, knowing some of the crap I pulled."

There was nothing left of the young entitled Annabella they all knew.

"We have all made choices we regret," Kat said.

Red cleared his throat to get Bella's attention.

"Look, we're not hiring any personnel right now. I'll let you know if we have an opening in the future," Red explained her. "Are you staying with your mother?"

"Yes, I am, for now. Thank you anyway, Red. You're being kinder to me than I deserve. Again, I'm sorry for everything I did." She turned around to walk away, but Red's voice stopped her.

"My Dad was looking for someone to help him on the farm. He was looking for a man, but you don't lose anything trying."

"Thank you, Red. I'll give it a try anyway."

When Annabella got home, she dusted off her old bicycle, and biked her way to the Harding's farm. When she reached there, she was sweaty, and her muscles were sore and stiff.

CHAPTER 3

When Annabella reached the farm, John Harding was milking a cow by hand in the stable.

"Good morning, Ms. Reed. I heard you were back in town," the farmer greeted the girl without taking his eyes off the cow.

"Yeah, I just got back yesterday evening," she replied climbing down from her bike.

"What can I do for you, Ms. Reed?" the farmer asked her.

"Call me Annabella, or just Bella, Mr. Harding." She took a deep breath, forced a smile on her face, and said, "As it happens, this is your lucky day. Red told me you're looking for someone to help you around the farm. Well, I'm your woman."

John Harding didn't say anything for what seemed the longest time. Then he spoke up again. "Thanks for your offer, Bella, but you're not the kind of help I'm looking for."

Her experience in hundreds of castings had taught Bella not to take no for an answer.

"Of course I am."

"I'm curious, why's that?" the farmer standing up and looking at her with a smile.

"Because you're obviously an intelligent man, and you can see that I'm a terrific worker," Annabella replied.

"What I see is that I need a man."

She smiled sweetly. "Don't we all? Wealthy and not married if you ask me."

John Harding laughed, amused by her flippancy. "I'm only going to hire a man."

"I'll just pretend I didn't hear that, Mr. Harding, since sexual discrimination is illegal in this country."

John Harding laughed out loud.

"Are you going to sue me, Annabella?"

Another woman might have given up, but Annabella had less than ten dollars in her pocket and she needed a job badly.

"You're making a big mistake, Mr. Harding. An opportunity like me doesn't come along every day," she insisted.

"I know. I wish I could help you, Bella. What I have is hard manual labor. The grass needs to be mowed; the buildings need to be painted; the roof of the barn needs to be repaired. It'll take a man to do that kind of work."

She pouted. "I'm stronger than I look, and I'll work harder than any man you'll ever find."

John Harding looked at her thin arms and snorted. "You probably are, but sadly I don't think you are qualified to do the job, Bella. I'm truly sorry."

John Harding stood up, reached into his rear pocket, and pulled out a wallet that had molded to the shape of his hip. "Here's twenty bucks."

She needed the twenty dollars badly, but she needed a job more, and she shook her head. "I don't want charity, Mr. Harding. I want steady work."

He placed two ten-dollar bills in her hand again, and closed her fingers around them. "It's not charity, it's a friend helping a friend."

Annabella swallowed her pride and accepted them.

"Thank you, I'll pay you back as soon as I get a job, Mr. Harding."

He waved her words away.

"Have you talked with Red?"

"Yes, sir, I did. He's not hiring right now."

John rubbed his chin. "Remember Derek Hayes? He opened a gym some time ago when he was released from the Army. I heard he's not doing bad. He might need help."

Annabella twisted her mouth. She remembered Derek Hayes, of course.

"Great, another one of the long list of people Janice bullied in high school. Again, I'm guilty by association." she thought. "Things keep getting better and better."

"Put your bike in the back of my truck, I'll give you a ride back to town. I was just going to drive there for lunch," John Harding offered her, oblivious of her thoughts.

CHAPTER 4

Derek Hayes stood 6'5" and weighed two hundred and thirty-two. He didn't like the extra pounds. He rather liked being in the two hundred and twenty weight range. Regardless there wasn't an ounce of fat on his body.

He had joined the Army when he finished high school. When he completed his training, he was deployed to Afghanistan and was badly wounded in combat, scarring his face for life. Once Derek recovered, he'd been honorably discharged and given a medal.

When he moved back to Middletown, Derek didn't have a lot of expectations. He wasn't much of a people person. He had always been a shy lonely boy. If a person could die of loneliness, he would never have made it past the age of eight. That was when his father died, and his mother had to work all day to make ends meet.

Since he was a child, he was the big black kid that everybody avoided and was afraid to talk to. It tended to cause many to take it that he was a bad ass, when in reality he was just a loner.

Derek was still a loner. He'd gotten used to it, regardless of whether or not he would have wanted it differently. He was even lonelier now than when he was a child, with a face that scared everyone away.

He was naturally shy and rather introverted. In a crowded social gathering he was content to sit back and observe, taking in all the interesting sights, sounds, and conversations.

He couldn't complain, though. He had a thriving business and an A-list clientele. There were a variety of factors for his success. He owned the only gym in town. He had great exercise machines. He kept his rates low and his hours flexible. He encouraged his clients to do better, but without pushing them or making them feel bad about their bodies. He was kind to everyone and had infinite patience.

His business was doing so well that lately he was thinking about hiring more staff, so he could dedicate himself to personal training and physical therapy.

***

Annabella pushed open the gym's glass front door. The place was swarming with activity: some teens, some adults, but mostly young women. The music was loud, but not uncomfortably so. He wasn't playing the usual workout songs they played in gyms.

Bella allowed her eyes to linger on Derek. Damn, he was stronger and bigger than she remembered! He wore black nylon workout pants and a black hoodie covering his face, both damp with his sweat. The pants molded nicely along the man's butt.

"He has a great butt, his cheeks look like two boulders," she thought.

She didn't remember Derek being so muscular in high school.

"This isn't going to be as bad as I thought it would be," she thought. "I might even enjoy it."

Annabella walked to Derek and chirped, "Good morning, Derek. My name is Annabella Reed, and I'm your new employee."

She extended her hand and waited, with a smile plastered on her face.

Derek watched Annabella through the wall mirrors. He knew what was going to happen the moment he turned around to shake her hand.