Jake and Toby Ch. 09

For the Fans of Jake and Toby,

For the time being this may be the end. They have their Happy Ending. But there maybe more. As you will read in chapter 9, I created a new character that might need to show back up later in Boston.

I also am "thinking" about writing, HAVE NOT yet started. Again, "thinking" about maybe writing Jack and Toby's story, but we will see, I have other things in the works.

Thank you again for staying with me and reading my stories. Your comments are always welcomed.

kmillerk1

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*Toby*

"Hey Mom," I walked up to her in the hospital, while on duty. "Do you think Dad and you would mind if I moved home for a while?"

"Toby?"

"Can we just discuss it later? I want to get out of my lease, I was going to stop at the office tonight to discuss it with the leasing company."

"No, I doubt your Father would mind you moving home, and you know me, I never mind any of my kids coming home. That is why your bedrooms are there." I could tell she was concerned her eyes always told all, but her face gave away nothing.

When I left the hospital at three, I headed straight for the leasing office. I wanted to see how much it was going to cost me to get out of my contract. I wanted to move out by the end of the month, I didn't want to stay any longer than necessary. It was fifteen days away.

I walked and signed in, there were clients to lease and like me, end theirs. When I was called into the agent's office, I spoke to a nice young woman named Tina.

"Well, Mr. Smith, you have just three months left on your lease, but actually you're in luck, because we have a high waiting list for your apartment complex."

"So what does that mean for me?"

"Well, that means the sooner you can get out, the sooner we can guarantee a renter for the apartment."

"And if you don't get a renter?"

"Then you will have to pay."

"How soon do you want me out?"

"That is the question for you. How soon can you be out?"

"By end of this weekend, with the apartment cleaned." It was Thursday.

"What time Sunday would you like to meet?"

"Is six pm too late?"

"No, I will have the papers ready to sign with the stipulation statement of new renter by first of the month or you will have to pay your part of the lease until there is a renter. Do you agree to these terms?"

"Yes."

"Of course I will have all the other paperwork needed to close your apartment contract."

"Thank you. I will see you Sunday."

I needed to get things rolling, but I had no worries that I couldn't get it cleared out by Sunday, there wasn't much left in the apartment. I had furniture and of course my bed, but not many other things. Once I talk to Mom and Dad tonight, I might load my car a few times and move most of my clothes over to the house.

I will also talk to my brothers and a few friends and see if I can get their help. I'm sure Charlie and Cindy would like the furniture, they don't have much.

I stopped off at the apartment and looked around. I hated being there, I walked in the bedroom and just opened the closet and took an arm full of clothes and headed down to the car and laid them in the trunk, why wait, and I filled the trunk with my clothes from my closet. I took garbage bags and started filling my clothes from the dresser and put them in the back seat.

Literally all that was left in the room was the bed with blankets, the dresser, two night stands and a lamp. I walked into the living room, there was a nice leather couch and matching chairs, end tables and a coffee table. The entertainment center had nothing on it anymore, it was all taken by my ex.

I grabbed up my keys to go face the music. I haven't told the family about Jack, they just haven't seen him. They thought he's been too busy to show up to our Sunday dinners. Which was normal when we were together, so no one probably thought anything by it. But Mom knows now, me asking to move home. A thirty year old moving home, but hopefully it won't be for long, if I get this interview and job.

I walked into the house, I didn't knock, why knock, they knew I was coming and I saw all my siblings' cars outside. So Mom called a family meeting, in my honor. 'OH YAY'. I get to tell the firing squad all at once.

I turned the corner into the living room and there sat my Mom, Dad, Matt, Charlie and Sarah. "Hey, well I see the whole family's here."

Mom spoke, "Well Tobias Benjamin Smith, apparently you've been hiding something from all of us." I hate when she uses my full name.

I walked over to the empty chair and exhaled. "Jack's been gone for four months and I think this time is it. I don't want him back, I've applied for a job. I'm praying that I get the interview."

"Woe woe wait, what job, what interview?" My dad asked, he couldn't care less about Jack, he told me a few years ago.

"One of are sister hospitals has a head of security position open and I applied for it."

"Tobias?"

I closed my eyes, I knew what my mother was going to say before she asked. "Boston."

"NO, Tobias. You're not moving that far away from family. Rescind your application, please, you need to stay near family." My mother pleaded.

"Betty." My Dad tried to calm her down. "Let the boy talk." I rolled my eyes, 'Boy'. My brothers and sister remind quiet.

"Fine." My mother said, but she wasn't and everything showed it too.

"It's a great opportunity for me to use my schooling, even Darren has put in his recommendation. He said he would hate to lose me but he knows I want to advance and can't here." I looked at my Mom. "Mom, I know it will be far away, I'm not a boy anymore. I need this for me, it's a great opportunity and this is what I've been training for under Darren this past year. It's why I went to the business classes, they knew I knew how to make a building secure. I just didn't know all the report writing aka monkey suit stuff."

"And my baby looks so good in the monkey suits." My Mom laughed. "But why so far?"

"Darren sat it on my desk one morning and I looked at it and said why not and applied, he didn't think I would he's been placing different Heads of Security positions on my desk for a few months now."

"Remind me to slap him the next time I see him." My Mother stated.

Amazingly my siblings still haven't spoken up. "The benefits look good?" My Dad asked.

"I haven't even been called about an interview yet. So please just relax."

"So when do you want to move in?" Dad asked. "And get your things out of your apartment?"

"Tonight, I have my clothes in the car." I responded. "I told the leasing company I'd have everything out and have the apartment cleaned by six on Sunday."

"DO YOU REALIZE THIS IS THURSDAY NIGHT?" Matt, my other brother raised his voice.

"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THE STUFF IN THE APARTMENT, I WILL PUT IT ALL IN THE TRASH IF I HAVE TO."

"WAIT, WAIT CALM DOWN, BOYS." My father screamed. "What did you think of doing with your furniture?"

I breathed in and out, and in a calmer voice I responded. "I was going to see if Charlie wanted it." Charlie's head snapped up, I knew he thought I would just get rid of it.

"Charlie?" My dad asked.

"TV too?" Charlie asked, I just laughed. You can tell no one has been over in over four months.

"Jack took it and all the electronics, sorry. If he couldn't carry it, he didn't take it." My face must have changed because my mom spoke.

"Tobias, Baby, why didn't you say anything to us?"

""Because at first I thought it was normal Jack, until I started coming home to more stuff missing. First, it was just his things, then it was stuff we bought together. Then one day I came home to the kitchen all cleaned out and the electronics gone, I knew he was gone for good."

"Is he?" My dad asked.

"It's why I want to move." Charlie had gotten up and left the room, I assume to call his girlfriend with the news about the furniture. "If I get this interview, and get the job, I move away. Jack won't follow, I know him. And whatever this is, this control he has over me might end. I've been stuck in this rotating relationship hell. I need it to end."

Sarah got up from the couch, came over and hugged me. "I'm proud of you. It's about time Toby." She smiled. "If you have to do it by moving to Boston, then go. You have been here for Jack too long, I don't know if you even know what a relationship is. Jack's been manipulating you for years."

"Well said, Sarah." My father agreed. I could tell my mother was still hesitant on letting me go, but again, I haven't even received an interview yet.

On that note the family meeting ended, Charlie had never come back into the room and Dad and Matt helped me unload my car and take it to my room.

After everyone had went home I could hear my parents in their room. I'd gotten ready for bed, I was just lying in my bed with my lights out when my father knocked on the door. "Tobias?" I knew when he used my given name we are going to have a talk.

"Yeah, Dad." I sat up as he turned on the light.

He sat at the foot of my bed. "Tobias, why the hell didn't you tell anyone what was going on?"

"As I said, I thought it was normal, Jack."

"Damn it Toby, I don't know why you let Jack treat you the way he does. I actually pray that you do get this interview and job, because you're pussywhipped." My dad laughed. "Well if Jack had a pussy. You know I've shown my dislike for Jack these past few years."

"Yes, I know."

"Toby, if.... No, when you get this job, go out there with an open mind and heart." He touched both my head and chest. "Don't think about Jack, if someone looks interesting, talk to him, and go out." I looked down. "Tobias?"

"Dad, I've never been out with anyone, except Jack. Even when he left me for months. I just knew he would be back, I know I was stupid."

My dad exhaled, "Not stupid, sadly committed. Where your idiot of a boyfriend, wasn't. Toby, just promising me this that you will try to find someone else and not take Jack back. Even if you end up staying here?"

"Yeah Dad, I'm going to try my hardest. Twelve years of this I think is enough."

"Yeah, I think so too. Hell I thought eight years was enough but you didn't agree with me and took his ass back, and back, and back."

"I know Dad."

"I love you, Tobias." He got up and opened the door."

"I love you too, thanks."

I went to work the next day, when I left I headed to my apartment to see what I needed in the way of boxes. Sitting in the parking lot was my dad and two uncles with my brothers and cousins. "There's our queer nephew." Shouted one of my uncles. God I hate them, but my dad got people to help me move in such short notice. "It's about time you got home."

"Son, we will get the big stuff today, I know no boxes, but if we can get your furniture. Sit your things aside we can pack that up tomorrow, clean and you will have everything done before Sunday."

"Dad that would be great." I actually had a relieved smile on my face.

"What did you want to give Charlie?"

"He can have anything he wants. All the living room, if he wants my bedroom things he can have them, if not. I don't know what I was going to do with them."

"Your bed is new, Jack and you just got it last year." Charlie stated.

"Yeah, I know. I paid for it."

"I'll take it. You seriously don't want any of your furniture?"

"No."

Dad told his brothers to load all the furniture and take it to Charlie's apartment. They had to make a few trips. While they were gone, Dad helped me clean out any closet or drawer and station it in the living room so it could be packed on Saturday.

Mom and Sarah came over when they could and brought with them some boxes and we did start boxing up some of the things. Amazingly I had a little more than I thought I did in the apartment. I did have a bag in my car I bought in that I pack up some of my personal things.

"Has anyone be in the kitchen yet?" My mother asked. I could hear her from the bedroom, and my dad respond no. "Bill?"

"No, Betty." He responded again, from the living room, I was still in the bedroom.

"No, William come here please." I knew what she was going to say to him, so I walked towards the kitchen.

I hadn't bothered going into the kitchen because there was literally nothing left. Jack took everything. All the plates, utensils, the microwave and even the table and chairs, nothing was left.

I stood in the doorway and my Mom looked at me, my father was still looking at the kitchen he couldn't believe it. "Baby, where did you eat for the past four months?"

"During the week, generally breakfast, lunch and dinner at the hospital. Weekends, I knew I was at your house Sunday for lunch or dinner. The other meals were when I was hungry and where I felt like it and it may have been out with a friend or alone."

"God damn it son, I hope you get this job. You really need to get out from under his fucking spell." My Dad just shook his head then he grabbed me and pulled me outside. "Damn it Toby, why didn't you tell us, fucking pussywhipped. You need to be a man Tobias, stand up for yourself. I hope you heard me last night, if you get this job or if you apply and get another job or don't get a new one and stay here. Don't you FUCKING TAKE JACK BACK." He said loud. "You better man up and start living for you, Toby. You're thirty years old, you know Jack is wrong for you. Find who is right for you, please." With that he hugged me and I broke.

I wasn't bawling, they were silent tear but he could feel them on his neck and my Dad just held me for a little longer. Then we could hear them coming up the stairs, we tighten our hold for a second and then he released me. I instantly put my head down and walked back into the apartment and went straight to the bathroom to put cold water on my face. I could hear my Dad talking with my uncles in the hallway. There was a little left to take to Charlie's and then they could start loading up the boxes we had to take to my parent's house.

Sarah disappeared for awhile, I didn't know she'd ran out to grab more boxes. When she came back we just finished packing them and everything believe it or not was packed. I had to laugh, I didn't have that much stuff. Either it was furniture or Jack had taken it.

When we all sat at the house, Mom and Dad looked at me. They didn't say anything, I could see the empathy in my mom's eyes. Sarah asked what time we are meeting to clean the apartment. Mom responded, why we all don't meet here at eight to have a good breakfast and then head over. Sarah agreed and she said she would call Matt and Charlie.

That night, I actually did cry myself to sleep, it was the first time in all the times Jack had left me. Dad is right, I need to man up, even if I end up staying here, but I so want to move away and put some distance between Jack and I.

***

I walked in one evening after work, I was getting home late and I was too excited. I'd gone out for beers with Darren. When I walked in Mom and Dad were in the living room, I couldn't wait to tell them. "What, did you get laid?" My Dad asked, when I turn the corner.

"I got the interview." I told them. "I fly out Monday, it's a fucking two day interview, and I get home Thursday."

"They want to make sure who they hire is who they want for the job." My Dad responded.

"Yeah, they aren't joking around." I sat the package of documents they'd sent down. "They want me to prepare an Evac plan. The reason I'm being flown out Monday is to look around the hospital, to assess what I would change, weak points. They have sent video of the place, I can hook into the real-time feed if I would like. They have given me some temp codes."

"You've already hacked them haven't you?" My Dad asked.

"Yeah, those fucking temp codes have been active for years, so anyone could've been watching the place."

My Dad just laughed, "Well when you tell them, remember you're trying to get the job. So don't tell them, they are complete idiots."

I chuckled. "I'll try not to."

***

Walking through the hospital no one stopped me, I could've been anyone. Yeah I was in a monkey suit, but I was in back stairways which no one should've been. I even asked the hospital not to tell them when I'd be walking through, I didn't want security to know. I wanted to see if it would peak their curiosity to see me looking around on camera, but it didn't. I looked in closets, even drug cabinets and not even nurses stopped me, because I had a badge on, it said Hospital Security and my name. It was my badge alright but from L.A.

I went back to my hotel and wrote up my report, then I thought about it, let me see if I could walk around in just jeans and a t-shirt with my badge. I entered through the ER because the main part of the hospital was closed. The security guy looked up at me, but he looked tired. "You the new guy?" I just pointed to my badge and he pressed the button to the doors. The whole hospital was open to me, roam is what I did.

***

Back in L.A. I didn't hear anything for a couple of weeks. They told me, I was one of their top two picks and they were still deciding. It was agony to wait, to find out if I had the job or not. They are probably offering it to the other person and waiting for their answer. But as my Dad told me, if it's meant to be, it is. Fate, if you believe.

I had my interview in early March, I received the call about the job on April Fool's day, of all days. I had until the seventh to accept before they offer it to the other person. They said the reason they were taking so long, they asked for the security fed from the time I was there and was appalled at what I was able to get into. Also because the ideas I'd brought to the table in my interview. They wanted to pass some of them by the board and show them some of the issues and why they needed to hire me.

Kevin Phillips, the man I was talking to said he would be in town over the weekend and would like to take me to dinner on Saturday and or Sunday evening. He was meeting with members of my hospital administration and if I could, he would like my answer sooner but will wait for Monday.

He informed me a benefits package with the acceptance letter would arrive by courier no later than four o'clock tomorrow. If there is anything I would like change in it, to make the changes and fax them to him. He will discuss them with the board and get back to me.

***

When I got home from work, I couldn't hold back my excitement but not a soul was home. That truly sucked, I wanted to let my parents know that I'd finally heard about the job. But I forgot my Mom was covering a twelve hour night shift and it was my Dad's poker night. So basically so much for me telling them the good news, it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

The next night, same thing, no one was home. I don't know where anyone was, and I had my contract in hand. I didn't get a chance to look at it, so I took it to the kitchen with me, and sat at the table. I grabbed up a sandwich and started looking through it. Everything was near the same as my job, except now I'm administration, with higher pay, more vacation days and few other changes.

I left all the papers on the table and ran up to take a shower, I had a few days before dinner with Kevin. I already can see one change I would like to make, it's how my vacation days are disbursed to me. I would prefer them in a bulk bank than a little now and more later. I want to be able to take my vacation around my employees, and that is if I even use them.

When I came back down, I found my parents elbow deep in my contract. Suits me for leaving it out. "Did you find anything you don't like?" I think I spooked them a little, because they both jumped.

"Well, not really. I see you were offered the job?" My Mom stated.

"No, Toby, it's better than I had expected, even the pay." He would've made sure to look at my salary. "Is there anything you're going to ask to be changed?"