Free First Class to Portland by Aj Harmon Page A

chalked it up
the difficulty of the situation.
    “Okay,” she smiled. “Should I pack a bag then?” her eyebrows
rising.
    Matt grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. “Definitely!”
    “Ok, be right back.” Janie jumped from the car and ran to
the garage door. She punched in the code and the door opened. Janie ran inside
and into the house.
    Matt watched her go in, thrilled that she wanted to stay
with him while he was in town. He checked the text from Angela that had
appeared on his phone. Yes! The upcoming weekend he had planned was all
falling in to place. Now he had to get Janie to agree to come to New York with
him.
    Matt put the phone in the middle console of the car and walked
into the garage. There were several boxes stacked in a row, the top one open.
Matt looked inside and found an old photo album. He picked it up and flipped
through the pages. There were pictures of little boys, obviously her sons. They
were playing Little League and Pee Wee football and there were school pictures
too. He saw pictures of a young Janie and he smiled. She hasn’t changed a
bit. And he saw photos of their family; in front of a Christmas tree,
studio portraits, casual shots of them all squeezed on the couch. They all
looked very happy. Matt stared at the pictures, the realization hitting him
like a tidal wave that Janie had been very happy with Robert. They looked like
the perfect family. She had what he had always wanted but didn’t realize it
till right at that moment. I want this , he thought. I want the
beautiful wife and the kids running around, don’t I?
    Matt hadn’t known a tear had escaped until it fell from his
cheek and hit the page of the album. He wiped his face with the back of his
hand and closed the album and replaced it in the box. He slowly walked back to
the car, trying to understand the desires that had just hit him straight on and
noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye. There was someone behind the
bushes at the side of Janie’s house. Matt strode across the lawn to the edge of
the house. He found a man crouching in the flower bed. Matt grabbed him by the
shirt and slammed him against the siding of the house in one quick shove.
    “Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?” he
spitted out, teeth gritted, fist clenched.
    “Whoa, hey, I’m Danny. I’m Danny, Janie’s neighbor. Who the
hell are you?” he shouted, trying to free himself from Matt’s iron grip, but to
no avail.
    “Why are you slinking around her house?” Matt was not
letting him off the hook.
    “I, ah, thought I saw a rat so I came over to investigate,”
he mumbled.
    “Yeah, I saw a rat too,” Matt shoved him into the house. “I
don’t want you sneaking around Janie’s house. Got it?”
    “Matt!!” Janie yelled.
    He turned to see Janie running across the grass. “Do you
know this asshole?”
    “Matt! Let him go! It’s just my neighbor, Danny.”
    Matt released his hold on him and stepped back. “Got it?” he
glared at Danny.
    “Got it,” Danny sneered and stepped over the flowers and
walked back to his house.
    “What was that all about?” Janie asked, watching him go.
    Matt took the bag from her and entwined his fingers in hers.
“Where is your bedroom?” he asked.
    Janie’s mouth opened wide and Matt realized she
misunderstood him.
    “Which window is your bedroom?” he clarified.
    Janie pointed at the one right in front of them. Matt’s
heart sunk. Danny was a pervert; he got off on watching unsuspecting women in
their homes. He had been watching his Janie! He felt ill and pissed off
he had let him go before he beat the shit out of him.
    “Janie,” his teeth were gritted. “Don’t let him anywhere
near you if I’m not around. I don’t want you within fifty feet of that motherfucker.
And keep your curtains closed!”
    “Matt! I have known him for years. He’s harmless!” Janie was
stunned at his outburst.
    “Please, Janie. Do as I ask.” He pulled her hand to his
lips.
    Janie was