Inappropriate Reactions

By Carleen Jamison

Imagine fighting a battle within yourself that is so serious that you can’t decipher fantasy from reality.
Meet Alexis Freeman, a young woman who suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder and Schizophrenia. Alexis is the result of being raised by a sick, sadistic, and abusive mother.
As if the things going on in Lexi’s head aren’t bad enough, her reality has become just as conflicted. Can her boyfriend the handsome Christian Mason, protect Alexis from the inevitable circumstances that await her?
A domino effect of inappropriate reactions unfold around her. The result of one lie. How many people must die before somebody will just let it go?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carleen Jamison
• Release date: Jan 15, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311727398

Carleen Jamison

My name is Carleen Jamison. I'm a mother of three and a new indie author. I began writing my first book Inappropriate Reactions about 6 months ago, and I'm eager to finally be getting it out. Aside from loving to write, I also enjoy life in sunny Florida. There is nothing like clear skies and beaches.

Book preview

Inappropriate Reactions

By

Carleen Jamison

***

Copyright 2016 by Carleen Jamison

SMASHWORDS EDITION

This is Book 1 of a 2-Book Series.

Book 1 ends in a cliffhanger.

***

Chapter One: A Tragic Lie

Julie

I swear I can’t shake the feeling that somebody has been watching me the past couple days. While driving home, I look in my rear view and there isn’t a headlight in sight. I don’t know why I’m so paranoid. I shake my head at my own reflection in the mirror, as I pull into the parking space in front of my house. Before getting out of the car, I grab my purse and head for the front door. All I can think about is how good a nice, long, hot, bubble bath, and my bed will feel after this day.

Once I get to the door, I notice an envelope and a dozen red roses lying on the bistro table. I smile because I have no idea who could have sent them. I haven’t dated in over a year and the problems we had, well let’s just say he certainly wouldn’t be sending me flowers. I carefully open the card, and I can’t believe what it says. Is this some kind of sick joke? I say under my breath. The note says,

Eventually, we all have to answer for our mistakes. Tonight, you will answer for yours.

Not a moment after I get the words out of my mouth I feel a hard blow to my head and everything goes black.

I awaken in my bed, my arms and legs restrained, and one of my scarfs is stuffed into my mouth with tape holding it in place. I’m frantic. I use all my strength to try to get loose, but it’s no use. I can’t move. What is going to happen to me? Why is this happening to me? Where are my clothes? God, why am I lying here naked? I hear somebody coming, and I say a silent prayer that God protects me from whatever is about to happen.

I hear a woman’s voice, and it’s getting closer.

I’m glad you’re awake, Julie. You didn’t really believe that I would just let you get away with it, did you?

The feminine figure walks into the light and flashes her nicest smile at me, although her eyes scream resentment and rage. She wears a red tight-fitted dress and a pair of red pumps. Her hair is jet black, sleek, and incredibly straight. I know who she is immediately, because of all the pictures I’ve seen of her and my brother on Facebook. I saw her in person once a long time ago. She’s a lot taller than I recall, but she’s still just as stunning as I remember. I’ll give her that. She has never cared much for me or what she believes I stand for, but I never thought she would do anything like this to me. I knew not to do it when I was doing it, but I couldn’t help myself. I just wanted to get him back for everything he put me through. I don’t want to die because he is a lying coward. I wish I weren’t gagged, so I could tell her why I did it. So she can understand my point of view. I’m not the one she should hate. It is him she should be mad at. It is him who should be lying here fearing for his life right now.

 Julie, Julie, Julie, she says, in my ear.

I can feel her warm breath against my skin. My body covers in goosebumps, as her lips almost touch mine. She lightly brushes her fingernail across my abdomen, before backing away.

I’ve thought long and hard about how you would pay when your time came. Your mother really should have told you not to play with crazy people. You more than exceeded the boundaries, Julie, don’t you agree? She looks intently into my eyes as if she’s waiting for me to reply.

If I let you get away with it then others may try, and well, I can’t have that now, can I? She laughs as she walks over to her purse and pulls out a gun with a silencer attached.

To be honest with you, Julie, I’ve thought of a whole lot of sick sadistic things I could do to you. Fortunately for you, torturing people really doesn’t get me off. I just want to destroy that already hideous face of yours and force your mother to give her daughter a closed casket funeral. Trust me, Julie, nobody is going to miss that face of yours. I told you a long time ago that you have a face only a mother can love.

I start crying hysterically. I try to move my legs, my arms, anything. I know she’s going to kill me. I’ve never seen a look like this in a person’s eyes before, and I’m terrified. She grabs a pillow and places it over my face. I can’t breathe, oh my God, please help me. I can’t breathe. I hear the sound of a gunshot…

Carmen

I unload six bullets into her face, take the locket draped around her neck, and leave like I was never there. I rush home, run a hot bubble bath, play my favorite Pink Print album, and pour a tall glass of Petrus Pomerol red wine, from France. All I keep thinking is how her face looked better after the six holes I put in it. I have to remind myself that it really isn’t funny. I just took a life, not an innocent life, but a life nonetheless. To be honest, this isn’t something I could normally do to somebody. I just couldn’t live with the fact of any one person being responsible for so much of my pain and just getting away with it. In a single moment, she was able to destroy everything I have worked my ass off for. All of my sacrifices have been for nothing. All because of that poor excuse of a human. The world is a better place without her.

I soak in a bubble bath for almost an hour staring at Julie’s necklace. I know exactly where she got it. When I saw her wearing it, it pissed me off even more. Because it let me know, she was still holding onto him. I give 10 years of my life, go through hell, for some silly girl to think she’s just going to come around and take what’s mine. Oh, I think not. Their relationship was long over, so I guess I could have let it go, but some things you can’t let go, no matter how hard you try.

I stripped her out of her clothes while she was unconscious, right before I tied her up. She deserved to die feeling humiliated because that’s the way I felt when I found out about her. I could see the panic in her eyes and it excited me. A part of me wanted to kiss her on the mouth before killing her. I loved her at that moment. I loved her because she was going to die, because I would never have to see her again. I loved her because everything went according to plan. She deserved a death far worse than the one she got and I wanted to give it to her, but I kept my composure and stuck to the plan.

I get out of the tub, dry off, and slide into my long, red, silk robe. As I sit on the bed, I take the necklace and place it carefully in the safe that I keep tucked away under the floorboards under my bed. After gathering the clothes that I wore during my and Julie’s play date, I burn them and dispose of the gun. I was very careful not to leave any evidence behind. I wore gloves and a hairnet to eliminate any traces of fingerprints and DNA. After murdering her, I destroyed the house to make it look like a robbery. Julie’s and my problems were so long ago that I highly doubt my name will ever be mentioned. It’s funny how people do the most disrespectful things to somebody, and think that people are just going to forget about it because a little bit of time has passed. I bet Miss Julie Benson regrets everything she did and said now.

I finish the bottle of wine, blow out all the candles, and head to my bedroom. Kneeling beside my bed, I say a silent prayer thanking the good Lord for all the many blessings I receive. I also ask for forgiveness for sending Julie home so early. The good Lord understands my predicament; I’m sure. It was he who held me through all the pain. He who wiped my tears and helped me back to my feet when I wasn’t able to find the strength. I hated Julie Benson in life and I hate her just the same in death.

I lie in bed with my eyes closed for a short while reliving the events over and over again. Falling asleep, I wear a satisfied smile and doze off into a beautiful dream where Julie Benson does not exist.

Alexis

I’m sitting at my vanity looking in the mirror at the bags under my eyes, trying to figure out what the hell happened last night. I get a call from my best friend, Storm Williams.

Alexis, did you hear what happened? she asks, sounding entirely too anxious.

No, I’m just waking up, I say, laughing at my best friend because she is always making a big deal out of nothing.

Martin just told me that Christian told him Julie Benson was killed last night. Her mother, apparently, found her dead in her apartment this morning. He said she got shot in the face like 20 times. The detectives say it looks like a robbery because the house was destroyed; but it also looks like it could have been personal, because of the severity of the crime. In other words, they have no idea who did it.

Are you serious, right now? I ask, thinking maybe my friend might be developing a sick sense of humor.

I’m not lying, it’s all over the news. Serves her right if you ask me.

Storm, don’t say that. The girl was a waste of space, but she didn’t deserve to die like that.

Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m sure I could find the heart to forgive her if it weren’t still broken from her sleeping with Martin, and I know you’re not going to sit there and pretend you’ve forgiven her for her affair with Christian. You almost killed her yourself when you found them together at that restaurant.

I laugh at the memory and admit that I won’t miss her.

I hang up on Storm and try to shake off what she just told me about Julie. I’m kind of shocked that Christian didn’t call me himself to tell me what happened. I’m sure he assumed that it would just turn into another fight about who did what to whom. Ever since the whole Julie incident took place, we’ve done nothing but fight. We don’t spend much time together at all these days, but we still talk on the phone every day. It’s hard to leave somebody completely alone when you love them like family. Christian is my number one. I’ve loved him ever since my heart was capable of loving again. I have dated other men, but none has come close to meaning what he has in my life.

I pick up my cell phone and call Christian.

Hey, you, I say, in my most flattering voice.

Hey, you, he says, matching the seduction in my own voice. I laugh and ask him about Julie.

He basically repeats everything that Stormy told me. He adds that they found her tied up, naked in her bed, and says she was shot five times in the face, not 20 times like Storm exaggerated. Her mother, Miss Hannah Benson, said the police don’t have any leads, and it’s going to be hard to narrow it down because Julie had been into drugs and prostitution in the past.

How are you holding up, Christian? I smirk at my sarcastic remark.

Go to hell, Alexis, he says, sounding a little too frustrated for my liking.

Fine, I’ll give you a few days to mourn before I harass you, I say, sarcastically.

Thank you, he says, dryly.

I hang up the phone, get up from my vanity, and stand in front of the full-length mirror. I notice that I’m looking much better these days. My weight is back up. My skin, hair, and nails all look great since I started taking the Biotin vitamins. My jet-black hair is wavy, and it hangs down my lower back. Right now, it’s loosely curled, and my bangs are sideswiped over, covering one eye, while the back is clipped up. My eyes are light green, and I stand 5’3." I’m wearing a black dress that comes to the middle of my calf and a pair of four-inch black Gucci heels. Putting on my diamond earrings, necklace, and bracelet, I look myself over one last time. When I’m convinced it won’t get any better, I grab my keys and head out the door of my condo.

I make my way to valet parking, and I am glad to see they already have my red 488 GTB Ferrari pulled up ready for me. I swear I love this car. I even named it Bosco. I call Storm and make sure we’re still on for drinks this evening at our favorite spot, The Limbo Lounge. She confirms and sounds overly excited about having a night out. I text Christian and ask him to join us since Martin will be there. I don’t feel like being a third wheel tonight. My phone goes off with an alert that I have a text.

Christian: I’ll be a little late, but I’ll be there. I have a late meeting. What’s in it for me?

I can’t help but laugh, as if I would ever pay for his time.

Alexis: Drinks are on me!

Christian: You drive a hard bargain. I’ll meet you there.

Christian: Oh, and tell Stormy she’s cut off after three. Ha!

Alexis: I will. Thanks for coming with me tonight. I’ll see you when you get there.

After putting away my phone, I stop for gas and drop off my dry cleaning. Afterward, I head to the office to send a few emails out and schedule a few appointments. I meant to do it last night, but for the life of me I can’t remember anything that happened after 2:00 p.m. yesterday. The entire afternoon and evening are a blur. I need to start taking my medications again. I just hate the way they make me feel.

I arrive at the office, and the building is dim. Bob, the security guy, is in the lobby and waves at me as I pass. I’ve been working for Mystics Fashion for about five years now. I started out as a receptionist for the very handsome and very wealthy Blake Stevens, the President of the company. He is driven and successful because of it. He took a liking to me immediately. I literally ran into him in the elevator on my way up to the interview. It was truly an embarrassing moment for me. He was breathtaking, and his blue marble eyes were impossible to look away from. I apologized for being so clumsy. As if that wasn’t bad enough, I couldn’t stop staring at his muscles, and I’m almost sure he caught me undressing him with my eyes. I couldn’t help myself and believe me I tried.

Later, we laughed about the awkward situation during the interview, and he hired me on the spot. I worked as his secretary for six months, and I’m now Vice President of Mystics Fashion. I spend most of my days recruiting and interviewing models, as well as picking the hottest designs to hit our new Mystic magazine.

I walk into my office, start my computer, and call Stephan Mac to confirm our lunch date for tomorrow. I e-mail Blake and give him the rundown on the meeting with Stephan. Stephan has been voted the sexiest man of 2015. We have got to have him. If I can land his account Mystic’s sales will more than double within three months of him wearing our designs. Thank God, most people are followers and do what everybody else does. It makes my job so much easier. These days, it isn’t about what the item looks like, it’s about who you can get to wear it. All I have to do is find that one right person and everybody else will follow suit. It is my job to figure out who that one right person is.

I leave the office and head to the Limbo Lounge. Storm and Martin are waiting outside for me. Storm looks radiant tonight. She almost has that pregnant glow about her. If I didn’t know better, I would wonder. She has her long, thick, sandy brown, wavy hair pulled up into a high ponytail. Her body has a beautiful bronze tan that most woman would die for. She’s wearing a fitted white dress that comes directly above her knees. Her white peek-a-boo pumps go perfectly with her dress. Her lips are painted bright red, and her baby blue eyes shine brightly behind her black eyeliner and mascara.

Martin is incredibly attractive as well. He stands about 5’10". He has a dark tan and sandy brown hair that hang in his eyes. He has that wild surfer boy look to him. He is strong and his muscles peek out of his suit jacket. I can see what Storm sees in him.